"Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." My mother would always tell me this when I was a little girl every time I had a nightmare. She said that nightmares are a way for us to experience our fears so that when the time comes, we would be able to overcome anything.
I was in the first grade and just turned seven. It was almost the end of the year and the fifth graders were having their last field trip to the riverside science museum. My brother had always dreamed about going there but our parents were always way to busy.
Father was a scientists who dedicated everything but his family to his work. My brother was always fascinated watching him tinker with things that his young eleven year old mind could not process. We would always sneak into the lab and try our best so that father would not notice. One time I accidently knocked over a beaker full of purple liquid. Father was really mad about it and I would of got into a lot of trouble if it wasn't for my brother taken the blame.
Mother couldn't do much with us either. It wasn't her fault really. She had to take a lot of time off of work as it was to take care of my baby sister Emily who was only three at the time.
Not only was Keith finally able to go to the museum with his class, but so was I. Two lower class men from each grade who had the highest class grade in this years science fair were chosen to go as well. In the first grade, my partner and I had won. We were assigned partners by our teachers and I had to work with a boy named Dan. He was very quite at first and I had to do most of the work but I didn't really mind. Soon after, we actually had some rather fun conversations. We rarely used words though. There was a reason why no one really talked to him. Dan was unable to talk back; he was mute.
As we were led onto the bus by our teachers I noticed that Keith was already on and sitting in the back seat with all the other older boys. He gave me a small wave and I shyly smiled and walked onto the bus with Dan trailing close behind. I started making my way to Keith when I was stopped by Dan. He lightly tugged on my green sleeve.
I turned to look at him but he didn't look back and averted his attention to the ground. I gave him a slight frown and gently poked him in the shoulder to ask him what was wrong. He shook his head back and forth and motioned to the front of the bus. I watched his sandy blond hair shake back and forth as the few strands that hung over his forehead a bit mixed in with his dark blue eyes.
I made a small O shape with my mouth. I had almost forgot that Dan didn't like older kids. I followed him to the front of the bus were we took our seat. Dan reached into his backpack and reached into it and shuffled around. He pretended that it was and endless tunnel and stuck his arm in so deep it covered a bit of his black band T-shirt that had big white words across it saying A7X.
I laughed as he stuck his tongue out touching the outside of his top lip. I let out a slight laugh. He took his hand out and shrugged lifting up both empty hands. Then, taking his right hand and making it into a first, slapped it on top of his open palm of his left hand signaling he got an idea. He reached behind my left ear making me back away a little and out of know were, he pulled out a chocolate coin with a gold wrapper.
When the bus came to a halt it was all the teachers could do to keep the kids at bay. When the doors opened, Keith somehow managed to be the first one off while grabbing my hand to take me with him. As a reaction I grabbed Dan's as well. It was amazing. Colors and smells of every kind. Keith's mouth almost dropped when he saw an army tank on display. I wondered what it had to do with anything but Keith told me it doesn't matter and ran to it.
I followed as usual. Dan and I watched as my older sibling climbed on top of it. Dan poked me and pointed at a sign that said please do not touch. Keith called out to Dan. He wanted him to get a closer look. Dan wasn't really interested but did anyway. As I stood there by myself it gave me a chance to realize something. All the teachers and all the other students besides the three of us were gone.
I called out to them and Keith's face that was full of interest was now pale. Dan ran over to me and grabbed my sleeve as if I would disappear as well. We looked at the older boy for answers but Keith was just as scared. I could tell as I watched him fiddle with his string to his navy blue hoody as he frantically looked around. He took my hand into his and led us into a direction he hoped would be right.
Being only seven, Dan was close to tears and I was getting pretty scared myself. Keith was on the verge of panic. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally found a teacher who was also looking for us. She was frantic and yelling. She had three fifth grade boys behind her. She yelled some more before Dan burst into silent tears. I was to young to understand why she was so angry. We had to cut the trip short and miss the electric show because of our disappearance. We waited outside for the rest of the class and the bus. One of the boys kept telling Keith how it was his fault and that he was a looser for hanging out with first graders in the first place and at the same time he continued to shove me and calling me names that I didn't understand yet. From the way Keith was clenching his jaw and telling him to back off if you know what's good for you, they were not names I wanted to be called witch made me feel even worse. Our teacher was talking to a police man asking if he saw were the others went and was to busy to notice. Keith turned around and told the boy to shove me one more time. I cringed as I felt a even harder shove before and was knocked to the ground letting out a small yelp of pain as the concrete scraped my hand. Keith almost lunged at him but to both of our surprise, the kid was knocked of his feet by Dan. The boy stumbled in surprise and back handed Dan across the face causing him to fall off the curb.
It was like slow motion. The teacher and cop turning around to stop the fight, Keith taking no time to break the boy's nose witch later he would be suspended for, The other two boys standing and watching, the stinging in my hand. But, the one thing I saw that I could guarantee no one else saw, the only thing I witnessed that would horrify me for the rest of my life, was the look on Dan's face as he fell of the curb, looked into my eyes with horror and confusion in mid air, and was run down by an on coming red car following a bright light that blocked out my vision. I called out his name but all I got in return was a gently whisper. "It's not your fault Brianna." Those were Dan's first words.
My eyes snap open and small panic hits me as my eyes tried to get use to the darkness. After my breathing slowed and I could see the dim light through the cracks of my door I realized I was laying on my stomach almost half way off my bed.
I blew my jet black bangs out of my eyes and painfully rolled back onto my bed and onto my back spreading my limbs and stretching. It was still night and the stars were bright and silent as ever as I turned my head causing black strands of long hair to fall on my face and looked at them. It has been ten years and I still continue to have that dream and I still wake up frightened. I reached over to my night stand and grabbed a picture frame of Keith and I a few days after the accident and in between us, Dan sat in a wheel chair from the hospital.
I was the first person he saw when he woke up. My mom told me that he was really hurt and might not wake up. I never left his side and Keith stayed there the whole time. I remembered seeing his blue eyes flutter open and look at me. I couldn't stop saying sorry and crying until he finally said "It's not your fault Brianna." The doctors said he was a walking miracle. Not only did he survive but somehow he could talk. Not only that, but my name was the first name he has ever said.
"God dammit!" I looked at my door as yelling erupted following from a slam of the door from down stairs. I let out a deep breath and shook my head. Dad must have just got home. I looked at my digital clock. It was one in the morning. I winced as I heard glace breaking followed by my mothers voice
"What is going on down here?" And that's how the argument started. Father and his failed experiment, comes home with nothing, mother tries to calm him down, usually something breaks, In the morning a wine bottle is missing and... I sat up as small knocking was heard on my door followed by a young girls voce.
"Bri? Are you up?" She whispered. I coughed giving her the sign to come in. The door opened and a thirteen year old version of me with shoulder length hair and bangs on the opposite side of her face walked in and slowly shut the door. She stood there for a minute and made a face. "What's wrong honey?" I asked as normal as I could. She looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
"You know damn well what's wrong!." She said angrily but quietly so our parents couldn't hear while they were fighting.
"Alright Emily sorry." I motioned her to come sit on my bed and she did. I pushed over to the inside and lifted up the covers allowing her to curl up against me. I wrapped my arms around my baby sister and gently ran my fingers through her hair while I rested my chin on her scalp.
"I hope dad doesn't drink." I exhaled slowly examining the rearrange wood on my door. Emily and I were playing chess in the kitchen and Emily accidently broke a peace. Father had to much to drink and yelled at her telling her that all he does is pay for things and we break it. Emily was close to tears and looked at me for help. I looked at him and told him to get off her case. That was when he looked at me and said
"Who do you think you're talking to?" I simply looked at the chess board unfazed and said a good for nothing drunk. Let's just say our chess board won't work any more... and neither did my hand for a while. I took Emily and tried to just go into my room and shut the door. I guess he forgot how to use the door knob.
"Don't worry Emily. Dad's just stressed. He's working very hard." I tried to explained to her.
"When's Keith coming home?" she asked totally ignoring me as usual. I shrugged.
"I don't know. Last time I heard he was getting deployed from Afghanistan and to like China or something." I honestly didn't have a clue. Ever since Keith joined the navy two years ago he has been almost all around the world. One thing was for sure, I wanted him back just as bad as Emily did.
"I miss him." I nodded
"Me to kiddo, me to."
If you didn't get it by now Brianna is Holiday XD
I hope it was a good start