This story is based on a true name, though not a true event.
Ah, one night...so tragic. A toxic gas came across Earth. NASA didn't know about it. The army didn't know about it. Not even the police. No one could save themself from this happening.
As the gas overcame the natural oxygen we breathe, our lungs had no choice but to take it in. Because of the new gas that is entering our lungs, most of the people couldn't breathe for a few seconds. After the lungs were getting too weak, the lungs shot the gas up and into the voice box. There, holds the gas, decreasing in size slowly. Once our voice box is gone, the gas will travel back to the lungs. The lungs will suffer, and people will die.
Though, somehow, I was saved. I was being born right after the gas was dissolving into the ground. Right after they had checked me for any sickness or disease, the doctor had given me back to my mom. The doctor smiled and held up his index finger. He then left. My mom and I were alone. She was mouthing words to me, a lullaby. The saddest part about this moment, was the lullaby. I wouldn't be able to hear a normal lullaby, to ever hear my mother's voice.
Tears dropped from my mother's eyes as she tried to sing the lullaby. The only noise in the room was me sneezing a few times. Other than that, it would be silent. The door then slammed open. The doctor brought in a few people in white cloaks. They held clipboards, and fetched me away from my mother. As they carried me into another room, I was able to see my mother, slowly fading away, reaching toward me and screaming (though, no noise came out).
Test after test, hour after hour. I got no rest, mentally. Though I did fall asleep a few times while having cords attached to my frail body. I could hear pencils come across papers quickly.
That is the beginning of my story. 12 years later, I still have a voice. Since no one in the whole world could speak (except me, of course) they have to write their conversations out on paper. People act the same way they had before. Friends would hang out at a local coffee shop, or go to the mall. Guys would go to the video game stores and play games. People still had to go to school. I lived, what you would call, a normal life. By normal, I mean how everyone lives now. I live with my mom, my dad being in the army. I was only 3 when he left us to be in the army to serve our country. My mom wrote down, the day before the first day of school, that I had to be silent. Mom threatened me that if I spoke, the teacher would tell her, and she would take my dolls away. Back then, dolls were basically my whole life. So I kept silent. Through out all of the years I have been in school, I have never slipped. And still, I didn't gain any friends. I was known as the "silent-writer" (you are most likely used to hearing "the quiet one", but since no one can talk, no one uses that "name" anymore)
One day, in my second-to-last period class, our teacher, Ms. Jane, introduced a new kid...wait, scratch that. Make it A HOT NEW KID!! He was the most cutest guy I had ever seen. He was perfect...
After I got over my daydreaming, class was almost over. I then realized that the new guy was sitting right next to me! My feet were kicking the leg of my desk, then hitting my heels up against the bottom of my chair. A humongous smile was on my face as I looked at him. The sound of pencils scratching on paper made me come back to Earth...for only a second.
"Hi!!" I shouted. Fortunately, no one heard.
"'Sup!" The new kid said. He raised his arm, wanting to give me a high-five.
My mouth dropped. "You can talk?!" I was overcome with amazement. I almost drowned from it!
"Crap," The new kid whispered to himself, "That was supposed to be kept a secret."
"Uh, my name is Ana." I said, trying to draw his attention back to me.
"I'm Aidan Tear." Aidan said, calm and sweet.
"If you have any plans tonight...maybe you can come over for dinner."
"Sure!" I said in a whisper. Before I answered, Aidan already had a piece of notebook paper out, scribbling out his address. Just as he was handing me the folded piece of notebook paper, snatched it from Aidan's hand, and read it to herself. After she was done reading it, she ripped it into many tiny pieces. Two, four, seven, ten. She then slammed them onto my desk and walked away, angrily. It was hard to make Jane have a bad mood. She was young (about 27, maybe) and loved nature. (Ms. Jane wrote on the white-board on the first day of middle school that we should write her name as just 'Jane'. I still don't understand why, though...)
was at the front of the class, she snapped her head at me and Aidan, then looked back at the class. I sunk in my seat.
"Don't worry...just slide the pieces into your backpack."
I decided that it was a good idea, so I grabbed my backpack near my chair and slid the tiny pieces of paper into my backpack. I could put the puzzle together later, when I get home.
After I finished my last class, I walked home. My mind was too busy to notice Aidan right next to me. I jolted when he lightly put his hands on my shoulders. His hands were like blocks of ice.
"G-g-gosh, Aid-d-an!" It was a windy cold day.
"Sorry. I tend to get on people's nerves a lot." Aidan said, smiling.
"And do y-you tend to slip-p up a lot??" I asked, shivering.
"Nope. I'm like magic. Believe it or not, babe."
"Wow, you've surely come out of your shell." The wind became mild.
"Who said I even had a shell in the beginning?"
"Oh, believe me. I know you did. But you used your 'magic' to make it invisible."
"What'd I tell ya?" Aidan said, the biggest smile I have ever seen, on his face. There was a moment of silence. I was about to start a conversation back up again, but Aidan beat me.
"My magic is attractive, isn't it?" Aidan said, laughing and staring at me, waiting for my reaction. I smiled, my mouth open. I pretended like I was angry at him. I nudged him with my arm, just to add on to my "performance".
"Your magic is a jerk." I said, smiling. There was a long pause. I looked at his reaction, which he was just looked at the ground, expressionless.
"What about your magic?" Aidan finally said.
"What about it?" I asked, playfully.
"I think it is gorgeous." Aidan stopped and stared into my eyes. He smiled, then looked to the side. All I could do was laugh.
"Scratch that. Your a jerk, too." Aidan said, continuing to walk.
"Hey!! I called your magic a jerk, not you!" I said, flirting quite well.
"Oh, but I know what you are thinking. Wapow!" Aidan said. He shot his hand at my head, though barely touching my hair. I smiled, biting my lip and forcing my eyes to the northeast side of my head.
"Wow, mighty warrior! You are so weak!" I said, using a fake Chinese, old, wise-man voice. I heard Aidan giggle.
"What are you laughing about?!" I said, continuing the Chinese voice.
"You are terrible at the Chinese voice thing. I want the old, regular voice."
"Who are you calling old?!" I asked playfully.
"Me...Aidan Bond." Aidan said, his hands together, with all of his fingers down except his index fingers and his thumbs.
"My, my, my...you've got one heck of an imagination." I said.
"Thank you, thank you." Aidan said, bowing.
"Bet you barely take anything seriously..." I said.
"At times." Aidan said, his lower lip out.
"At times?" I scoffed. I didn't realize until then, that we had been talking about basically the same thing for 17 minutes. I looked out in front of me. My house was nearing.
"I take everything seriously when I feel like-" Aidan began. I interrupted.
"I have to go. See ya, Aidan." I said, not even taking a look back. I heard him walking away. Once I got to the door, I pulled out my keys, and unlocked the door.
"Mom?" I asked, just out of curiosity where she was. I looked to my left. She wasn't in the living room. I looked to my right. My mom's head popped out from the kitchen. I walked over to her, taking a look at what she was making. She was mixing chocolate cake batter.
"Hey mom. So...can we go visit someone?" I asked sheepishly, tapping on the granite counter.
Mom set the bowl of batter on the counter and looked at me.
"Who?" She mouthed.
"...Aidan..." I said.
"A guy?" My mom mouthed, suprised.
"Yeah. He invited me -us- over to his house for dinner."
"Okay. Just let me get my jacket." Mom mouthed. She walked away from her bowl, and walked to the coat rack, where her slick, black jacket hung. She slipped it on and was about to reach for the door knob, when I beat her. I walked quickly out the door, when something caught my eye. I looked down on our perfect green lawn to find a scattered pile of pictures. I bent down to pick them up. I looked at each picture carefully as I pinched the white frame around the picture. The last picture I picked up, I looked closer at it. I removed my thumb to reveal a date. It was today's date. I looked at my thumb. It had smeared on the picture.
"Mom? Can you come here for a sec?"
Mom turned to look at me. A worried expression came over both of our faces. Once she was by my side, she snatched the pictures quickly and looked over them. She crumpled them up and threw them onto the sidewalk. We quickly strode to Aidan's house. Maybe he knew something about it...
Once we slowed down, mom shot in front of me like in a race and knocked on the door rapidly. A man (I assumed was Mr. Tear) answered the door. He smiled as his eyes went back and forth between me and mom.
"May we come in?" I asked.
"Sure." said, in a whisper. Mom and I walked in. Their house looked exactly like ours, just with a plasma screen tv and khaki velvet chairs, couch, and foot-rest. A woman was sitting on the couch, watching a home renovation show.
"Who are you here for?" asked as he closed the door behind us.
"Aidan." I said.
"Aidan! Someone is-"
"Here!" Aidan said, interrupting his father. He was flying down the rail that lead down into the living room. He had on a grey hoodie and jeans. He must have changed before I came. I wore the same tie-dye shirt and jeans I had on at school.
"Hey." Aidan said, greeting me with a smile. He shook my mom's hand. He seemed like his father.
"Hi. I'm Aidan Tear." My mom just smiled and looked at me. She gave me an impressed look. I couldn't help but laugh. From what I know about his personality, he doesn't really seem like the type of guy that would "shake hands". Well...now that I think about it, I don't seem like the type of girl that would shake hands, either. It was silent for a couple of seconds. Aidan just smiled at me and put his hands in his jean's pockets. He looked at his father. He nodded. Aidan took my hand gently and led me over to one of the chairs nearest to us. His hands were so soft and slightly warm. It was as if his hands were clouds. I looked back at my mom. She was silently giggling.
The woman grabbed a remote on the coffee table and turned the television off. She smiled, looking at both of us (my mom and I). Mr. Tear joined her on the couch and put his arm tightly around her, pulling her closer to him.
"Well, I am not much of a talker, so I can't make a good introduction." said.
"It's ok, ." I assured him.
"My name is Daniel, I am Aidan's dad. This is Aidan, of course," Daniel Tear said while pointing to Aidan. Aidan smiled and gave a quiet "hey".
"And last but not least, my wife, Carol." pulled her closer. Carol smiled.
"I'm actually Aidan's step-mom." Carol corrected.
After that, it was silent. I was feeling my jeans pockets and felt a squarish-rectangular shape. Oh yeah! I almost forgot about the pictures! I slid them out of my pocket. Everyone's eyes were on me now. I tossed them on the coffee table, scattered. When I blinked, they were all in a nice single pile. My eyes widened.
There was a short silence while Daniel and Carol browsed through the pictures. I was still in amazement, until my mom nudged me to talk.
"Oh, um, we found those pictures on our lawn. Do you know who might've took these or set them on our lawn?" I asked. Carol's lower lip quivered.
"Them." Carol whispered very quietly to herself. Daniel took his arm away from Carol. Carol didn't blink. For a moment, I thought I saw her eyes change from green to blue and then back to green again quickly.
"Who is them?" I asked.
"Basically, the government." Daniel said.
"The government?!" I asked, suprised. What could the government possibly have to do with any of this?!
"Aidan, did you see anyone following you?" His father asked, with a deep voice and eye contact. He saw the shocking expression glued to my face.
"No...but I felt the presence of someone, though." Aidan said, taking his eyes off of Daniel to look at me. His face was expressionless.
"Who?"
"I was not able to see the person's face. Everytime I looked back, no one was there."
Daniel looked at my mom and I. "I am sorry, but it will take time to figure out what is going on. Carol and I think it is best that you leave."
My mom and I stood from our chairs and walked out the door quietly.
"Wow, that was the best dinner ever. And yet, I am still hungry." I said, sarcastically. Mom gave me a hard look.
We arrived home not too long after "the stare".
I changed into my pajamas. Just as I closed my eyes, it seemed, a bag was put over my head and I was poked with what seemed like a needle (I, of course, couldn't see).
"I have checked over the hospitals' records and there is no existing document stating that 'Ana Cameronson' was born in that hospital." A man said.
"Have you checked all of the hospitals in the United States?" A woman's voice declared.
"Just as many times as I have checked that certainhospital that you say she was born in."
"Exactly where did you check?"
"The files on their database, Dr. Lean...where every hospital in North America stores their records." My eyes fluttered open. My head leaned toward the side.
"She is waking!" An unknown voice shouted from far away (not too far). I started to moan, the light above me blinding.
"Who...who..." I tried to spit out the words, but from just waking, I couldn't think clearly. My eyes finally focused. There was a young woman standing out from the light. She had blond hair up in a ponytail, with a few dark brown streaks.
"Are you feeling well? Try to be as descriptive as possible."
"Answer my question and I shall answer yours." I said. I sounded like some wise person.
"My name is Dr. Ann Isabella Lean. We don't want to hurt you." She had an evil smile on her face. I wasn't easily convinced, though I played along.
"Where...is Aidan?"
"As in Thomas Aidan Tear?" The male surgeon asked. He looked as if to be somewhat Chinese.
"Y...yeah." It was hard trying to keep a straight voice, "trembling" being the best way to describe my shaky reply.
"He is in the next room. You will have the chance to see him after your surgery."
"SURGERY?! How can I have-"
"Dr. Lean? We are ready to begin."
"No!! " I was scared.
"Not yet, Robert. If her adrenaline shuts down her breathing, something may go wrong with this surgery." Dr. Lean said. I dispised the number of times she used the word "surgery". Goosebumps raced up my arms quicker than lightning could ignite a power line. Dr. Lean's cold hands ran up my forearm comfortingly.
"Don't worry. Nothing will go wrong as long as you relax."
"Don't play this game. Tell me exactly what you are wanting from me." I couldn't take it anymore. I needed answers.
"It is less complicated if shown physically."
"That doesn't answer my question."
"The whole world is relying on this surgery...well...surgeries, if including 'Aidan' Tear, Daniel Tear, and Carol Tear."
"Exactly, how?"
"Just close your eyes." I could tell that Dr. Lean didn't want to play this game. I was kinda starting to like the feeling, but I knew that the best way to find out was to at least listen to her...I guess.
I felt sticky circular objects being put under my sternum. I opened my eyes. Everything was a bright blurr. Something poked into my forearm, and my eyes shot closed.
"Ai...Aidan."
"Breathe sweety, breathe!!" A motherly voice said worriedly. I opened my eyes. Only then did I realize that I was breathing abnormally.
"Karla!! Thank goodness, you are alive!" My eyes widen, making the scene more clear. The woman hugging me so tightly...so lovingly...was mom. And who was Karla?
"Mom?" I asked. She retreated from the hug to look at my face. I sat up.
"Yes?"
"Who is...who is Karla?"
"Honey, that's you. Oh, the doctor said this would happen," Mom walked back and forth, pacing. "Do you remember anything? Anything about a flu or something?"
"Uh...this dream I had." As if taking a seat to listen to an amazing tale, she quickly sat at the end of my bed where she first had been when I "woke up".
"What happened in your dream?"
"Well, in my dream, you didn't have a-" I was cut off by the sound of the microwave beeping.
"I will return in a few seconds. I have to prepare your breakfast." As she rushed out of my room, down the stairs, I let my head crash onto my soft pillow. All I could think about was Aidan. Was he just part of my dream, or is he truly real?
I followed the exact sequences in my dream. When I had my second to last class, Ms. Jane announced a new student.
"Hi." I smiled as he took a seat next to me. He just smiled back.
"Can you speak?" I whispered. He pursed his lips and shook his head.
"Meet me at my locker after school. My locker is #14." Just as I threw my bag over my shoulder, the bell rang. That was the last I saw of Aidan until school was over for the day.
Once the crowd started to fade away, I was able to see Aidan leaning on the locker next to mine. He looked bored.
"Hey." I said while entering my locker combination. Aidan's head was taken off the locker. He then just stood on the other side of me, watching me grab my textbooks and my water bottle. We both walked out the doors of the school. I was wanting to put my hair up in a ponytail, since I was expecting May's blazin' summer days, and I didn't want hair all in my face. But I could tell that Aidan was getting deadly bored.
As we both walked out into the sunlight, as if there was an invisible barrier between shadow and light, I tried to begin my questions.
"I know I might sound crazy...but did you have a dream recently with me...in the dream?" Aidan's head snapped at me. He was quick. He stared into my eyes. I knew he was trying to send some kind of message or something. It became more clear when he tipped his head inward.
"Wow. I can't believe that this is even possible. How can we be in a dream together, and both of us are dreaming it, too? It sounds more of like a story to me, than reality."
Aidan nodded and smiled in agreement. From that point on, it was silent. His palm touched mine, and our fingers twisted and turned, like evergrowing vines twisting into spirals on a pergola. I turned my head to face his. This was perfect. Though he had no voice, he was still the same guy I had met in my dream. Flashbacks of my dream appeared in my head like a movie. This was the guy I fell in love with...love at first dream. I couldn't help it. I gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
At 8:37pm, I was already in bed, closing my eyes. My mom sat on the end of my bed. She rubbed my shoulder and began to sing my lullaby. I only recognized it because of the rhythm. Without it, the song would have no value to it. But I recognized it. It was my lullaby. Mine only. My...My Silent Lullaby.