Plants?

-"It's your fault, just go die."-

None of this is my fault. Why am I always guilty though? I stared at the little girl with my lifeless eyes like she was an enemy. She hugged her teddy bear and tears started to roll down her cheeks. I put my hands out and try to comfort her. "It's not my fault they were going to die, so why is this a big deal?"

-"It's still your fault, please go die."-

I began to get mad. I could feel my temperature rising and it felt like I was surrounded in magma. I balled my fists and started to shout "Look here if you don't stop I will-"

-"As I said go die."-

I paused and had nothing to say. I felt paralyzed and could only stand there. I could feel a murderous intent from the little girl and then harpoons shot at my feet! They had come straight from th teddy bear's mouth. I couldn't move and struggled to shift, but my body wouldn't move at all. A loud motor can be heard in the distance. I was able to turn my head and spotted a car speeding straight at me! The car had a spiked bumper and the car started honking violently until the car jumped off a small ramp ramming into me. It had pierced my ribcage and blood poured from my mouth. I stretched out my arm to grab the little girl's neck but my hand went right through her. She spun around and her eyes were completely covered by shadow.

-"You're already dead. Jerome."-

My eyes flew open as I heard the shrill of my alarm clock. I rose up from my towel on the floor and looked around the room. So it was a dream!Okay, then. My eyes locked onto the only window in my room. The window was slightly open and outside I could spy a car wreck in the distance. Could that be what I heard in my dream. Maybe crashes in the hood sound like bones cracking? I really am not surprised as this hood really is terrible.

The hood I'm living in is commonly referred to as hell. But the city's actual name is Orievo. I had moved here not too long ago to live with my grandmothers. My grandmother disappeared after I had fallen asleep one day on the couch. I still find pieces of my grandmother's hair and new scratch marks around the house. As I said before I'm not surprised as this hood is just terrible. Each building is run down with bloodthirsty monsters lurking within each one. Kids disappear commonly and are never found alive. Shootings are a massive part of this area and take place after robberies. When living here you have to watch everything like a hawk. I had taught myself not to trust anyone after a specific event in my life which had my life turned upside down. I normally was a caring, loving, and passionate kid. Now I have no love for anything. I just stay inside and watch this area slowly destroy itself to oblivion.

I scratch my head in confusion before I yawn and try to wipe the dry drool off the right side of my face. I stretch before I slowly trudge over to my slippers and I slip them on slowly. I unlock my bedroom door and walk through the hallway into the kitchen only to be greeted by a cockroach. Man, I hate these things. So in a flash I had took one slipper off and had smacked cockroach to an unsettling crunch and squish. What a great way to start a terrible day! I lift up my slipper and look at the bottom of it and proceed to sigh. "I seriously hate these things. I need to make more traps." I walk through my kitchen which leads to the bathroom. As I open the door, I see the floor covered in dirty water. "I don't know where all this water is coming from but why is it here every morning?!" I bellow. Letting out another sigh and I decide to walk through the dirty water not caring about my slippers or socks getting wet and walk to the broken mirror above my sink. I look at the disgusting figure that stands before me, someone so terrifyingly ugly that even I get shocked when I see it, every day. "Hello me!" I wave at myself in the mirror and give a little smirk thinking about how this is the first time in I don't know how long someone actually waved back at me.

I turn the rusty water handle with a crescent wrench and the water starts dripping little bits of water. I cup my hands out under the faucet and wait at least a minute for the water droplets to fill my hands. I stare at the murky water for a moment and then splash my face. I feel the cold water pressing against my face with a scent of mud in the air. I pull out my overused rag and dried my face while ignoring the sweaty smell which it emitted. "You know these mornings aren't as bad as they used to be," I say this sadly as I walk to the kitchen. I grabbed some bread and slammed a peanut butter jar on the counter. "It's time to feast!" I apply one spoonful of peanut butter onto the wheat bread and bam breakfast... Lunch... And dinner. I cut off a slice of the peanut butter bread and eat it while staring out the window at the neighbor's tree.

I love trees: kind of. Though when it comes to the greatest tree in this neighborhood the immediate winner is my neighbor Suki. Suki is originally from Japan and he brought along with him a cherry blossom tree seed and it has been growing since I moved here. It's still a little small as it is the same height as me. I haven't actually measured myself in a long time but I'm not too far from 6 feet. The tree's pink leaves flow with the wind and it sparkles beautifully in sunlight. Its beauty has yet to be destroyed by gangs who are looking for trouble. It makes me wonder why Suki hasn't protected it yet, I'm sure he has his reasons though. I then realize I'm nibbling on my finger because the bread was small and only took a few seconds to eat. Since I don't have much I take my time to eat food in the hope of filling my stomach until lunch time. I wave to the cherry blossom tree and the blowing wind makes the tree look like it was waving back, I smirk again "Two things waved at me today, lucky me!" I say this and then my smirk disappears as I look away.

I walk over to my room and am open the door, hitting the wall. Walking over to my closet I carefully avoid that stupid nail that is stuck in the ground. I pull out a white Hawaiian shirt with blue flowers, placing the green one with golden leaves away because it's buttons were pretty sensitive and I mostly used it as sleepwear. I then picked out some gray and black shorts that accommodated the shirt nicely.

I pick up my backpack and tie on my worn shoes. Then I grab a pencil and placed it in my pocket. Instead of leaving I just sat there next to the door. "I don't want to go to school today but it's my only way out of this hell!" I felt flames of encouragement surround me but then realize that the heater tried to turn on and that was the only heat I would get for the day. I'm actually used to the freezing cold so I don't really care that my heater only provides three seconds of warmth. I grab the doorknob and twist it hearing the click. I then open the door and walk out onto the broken patio, which creaked loudly with every step I take. I then step down the eight steps stairs and was on the sidewalk. "Well it's not close to being eight so I should be fine today." I then went on my way to hell- I mean school! I mean whatever; they're the same thing! Also did I mention this is my first day of high school? High school! The best years of people's lives. The golden years. People claim that it goes by so fast, but lies are a thing in humanity. I worked hard to get to this position in my life, and I'm working hard to leave. Once the day comes where I get my diploma I will leave this place and move back to where I belong!

-Flashback wave-

"Mom! Dad! The Jacksons are having another barbecue, so can we go this time?" My white dress shirt waved in the cool air our house fan provided. I waited for an answer as my father opened his mouth. "I suppose so. You love these people don't you son?" I replied quickly "Yes! In fact I love this whole neighborhood! The people are kind, generous, and sweet. You guys and grandma are not the only family I have left on this planet, these people are the reason I believe I have the biggest family in the world!" My parents both exchanged looks and smiled. My mother spoke "You're such a loving person you won't have any problems with people in your life, also you won't have any trouble making mama a grandma won't you?" I know this is a jest as my mom and father love to joke around like this. I point at my mom "Well I don't think I will ever find a woman who is as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside like you mom." She smiles and says "You'll have to try: your father won't give me up." My father puts his fists says in a fake medieval accent, "Take her if you wish son but you are too weak to face me and claim the queen!" I started to laugh and then the whole room was filled with our laughter. Those days of fun felt as if they would never end. But life happens. Life really does happen.

-Out of flashback wave-

I didn't even realize I was staring into a donut shop. The glass was freshly cleaned and had the scent of lemon. I sighed and looked at the reflection of the glass. All I saw were the eyes I've had since their deaths. I saw the gloom and sadness I have been containing for years coming out of my left eye as one single tear dropped from it. I wipe the tear away and look back at the glass. My eyes widened and I turned around excitedly... But then I had already returned back to my old self. "I can only hope." I say this and turn right. I continued on my journey and to the high school. Stupid me, life isn't like that. I think back to that moment at the glass, that moment when I saw mother and father both smiling and waving at me. I look at the sky and say quietly "These grey clouds really fit the mood."