Did you know that when you tip over a wild cow they die? Its cause they can’t get back up, but people think it’s funny to mess around with them like that. Erin opened her hazel eyes, looking over the plain field. A breeze went past her face, as she struggled to get up, but it was like her legs were stuck. Frowning slightly, the small girl leaned back and lied on the grass. The sky was unusually green, and the grass was blue, but then all of a sudden she was floating in water.
The liquid was cool against her skin, and Erin turned over to look and saw that the water was completely clear and could see buildings below her. The clouds on the green sky seemed to roll by, like time. It was kind of nice, being in a place like this. It kind of calmed her.
Erin ran a hand through her side bangs, pushing them back, and let out a sigh. Suddenly, a splash was heard, and a penguin doll dropped. “Choo…Choo!” Erin said, and picked up the soaking wet doll. The small penguin made a little squeak when she touched it, and she smiled brightly.
It was the last gift her dad gave her before he had unfortunately…left. His death was hard on Erin…but…
Erin looked up at the green sky with a solemn expression. After the accident, all Erin felt was inadequacy every step she took. Back then, running was the only thing she could do, the only thing she felt confident about. She understood that her mother was going through such a time…but…it didn’t mean she had a right to take away Erin’s way of healing herself either. And besides…before it all happened she was still-
Suddenly, in the sky, she saw giant shattered pieces of a mirror rain down, and barely avoiding her. The glass that had fell suddenly slowed down immensely before hitting the water surface for Erin to see herself in it, and saw a Erin, with one of those theater masks with a smiling face on one side, and a frown on the other.
The world suddenly started to spin, and Erin found the outside dematerializing, until she fell on a small white floor. The penguin doll rolled right next to her, and the small girl smiled while picking it up gently, holding it as if it were a treasure. She heard a click, the sounded of a shutter, and a flash showed her shadow for a split second. Turning around, she saw a digital camera on a stand, sitting there. Getting up, Erin examined the machine intensely, confused of how a picture was taken.
Baffled, Erin looked at it the picture, and in it, she saw clouds. Suddenly, as if the screen was sucking her in, Erin fell into the picture and was falling from the sky. The clouds roared, and lights flashed around it, like a giant army of people flashing their cameras, and rain pattered along with Erin as she flew down with the rain.
Erin suddenly heard a loud rush of water, and she looked down and saw herself approaching a waterfall. Panic rushing through her system, Erin felt the water grab her by the knees and drag her down, as she watch the sky suddenly turn red and the water becoming darkness. And she felt herself falling, falling helplessly. She dropped head first, clutching her penguin tightly, closing her eyes hard, but not making any noise. And if she could she would’ve, but it was like no sound could come out.
The wind lapped around her ears, and suddenly all the noise stopped, and she saw herself sitting in grass again, but the sky was back to its normal blue. Getting up, Erin looked around, and noticed that Choo Choo was gone from her arms. Turning her head around, all she saw were a few scattered trees on small hills, but nothing was there. Suddenly she saw a kite flying, and getting stuck in a tree, and it crashed down badly.
The tree it hit was enormous compared to her, and honestly, it was probably a big as a three story building, and as thick as two walk in closets side by side. The bark was brown, and Erin felt a somber tug at her heart, as she sat down on one side. It was on the biggest hill, and the way she looked was the sun setting, and it caused the sky to become a mix of bright magnificent colors, but however, to her it felt like they were clashing in war. She heard a light squeak, and getting up she walked around the tree, to find a small 6 year old sitting there with tears on her cheeks.
Her pure hazel eyes glistened, as on her side, the sun rose, and off speckled her golden speckles around her pupil. She held the penguin doll which seemed to be as big as from the top of her fingers to her elbow, and the alike with the width of the doll.
Erin’s heart tore up, and she opened her mouth to see what was wrong, but no sound came out, so she had to watch this little girl, cry as she stared blankly at the sun rising. Erin exhaled, and sat next to the little girl. The girl’s brown hair blew in the wind, but as if Erin was a ghost, the wind didn’t hit her at all. The two watched the sun rise, in this world of confusion.
Suddenly the girl looked at her, and with pain in her eyes, she dropped the penguin and it rolled down the giant hill, and looked at Erin as if expecting her to go and obtain the object. Erin looked at her, before running down the hill, but her legs were stuck.
She looked at the little girl who stared at her, as if mocking her and telling her to move. I…I can’t! Erin thought, and suddenly, an insane amount of fear entered the captivity of her heart. Looking forward, she saw a road, and she was seated in the car. She fought to look around, but her body didn’t listen to her, but instead she had her eyes glued to window shield. Tears rushed down her pale cheeks, and she felt nauseous as memories ran through her head, and she desperately wanted to close her eyes but couldn’t.
It refused to even try and open. Erin felt herself shake, and in her head, events replayed out, mentally, and right in front of her. She heard a chuckle from the women next to her… the women who had hurt her.
T-This… Erin thought, her palms sweating and her heart thundering in pain and shock at what she was seeing. Even now she could smell that women’s alcoholic breath.
Then she saw it. A giant bright light, searing into her vision, and it was like everything went into slow motion. Erin felt herself move, but It wasn’t her at the moment. It was her back then moving.
If it were her at this very moment, then she would have froze still in that spot. If it were her, she would have died at this moment.
The her back then twisted her body, sticking her right side outer, and stretched her arm to get the wheel that her mother, who was too intoxicated, and pushed it, turning the vehicle to a extremely dangerously sharp right turn, causing the truck to collide with the right side of the car.
Erin twisted her head, and saw it all go slow, the glass breaking and luckily making mere scratches on her, the door being pounded in wards, the truck smashing into her foot.
She shut her eyes, and the collision happened. Opening them again, she saw herself hit Faye.
Faye? Erin saw Faye, Faye smiling at her, Faye running with Joe, Faye sitting next to her, Faye talking to her, Faye drawing her…she saw Faye. Faye’s blonde hair, her sky blue eyes, her small smile planted on her face, all of that passed through her mind. Faye’s voice, Faye’s laugh, Faye’s smell, Faye’s touch, everything about her pounded into all of Erin’s 5 senses.
Erin shut her eyes, feeling an immense pain erupting in her chest, and felt wind. Opening them once again, she saw herself sitting in darkness, and all she could see was herself and nothing else. She heard a chime, and turned around, and saw Choo Choo standing in front of her. Choo..? Erin thought, and fell back when the doll suddenly got on its two feet and started walking away.
Frozen in her spot, Erin was surprised to see the penguin doll turn around and beckon her over, and she felt her body move and follow the doll. The doll and her walked, and walked, for what seemed to be endless hours, until it stopped at a door.
The penguin faced her and waved, before disappearing out of sight. Erin looked at the doorknob, and opened it.
-
Erin opened her eyes, and found herself staring at a white ceiling, and felt a heavy object on the side of the bed. She moved her head, and felt a bad neck cramp, but saw Mia sleeping there, with Dawn hugging her from behind and laying her head next to Mia’s. On the floor was Eileen and Joe, sitting there reading a magazine. Erin opened her mouth, but it felt numb, every part of her body felt numb, so she wiggled a bit, which was hard. Joe looked up to see her looking at him, and he dropped the magazine.
“E-Erin! Your awake!” he exclaimed, and Eileen looked up with her eyes wide. Mia and Dawn’s heads shot up, and they looked at Erin, and with tears in their eyes, they hugged Erin tightly. “”Ugnn…mmf…dng…eree…?” Erin managed to make out, not knowing why her tongue refused to obey her. (She said, “What am I doing here?”)
Dawn looked sad, and bit her lip, as her own memories passed by of seeing someone she loved laid on a hospital bed. Mia looked at her, and grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers. Mia smiled at her, before looking at Erin and running a hand through her dark hair with hints of red in it, and bit her lip. “Erin…I’m glad your awake. But you must know…you can’t put any more heavy strain on your foot for a while. The doctors put you under surgery because your leg…your right leg, the ligaments tore up, and you also sprained your foot…” Mia trailed on, but Erin ignored whatever came out of her mouth.
Faye…what happened to Faye! Damnit!! Erin thought, and tried everything to do something. “You can’t move a lot since your body had to take a lot of painkillers and stuff to numb you up, but it will wear out soon, your surgery was a few hours ago…” Dawn said.
Joe hugged Erin, and he also didn’t notice the pain in Erin’s eyes as she sought for an answer. “Erin, you had us all worried there! Jeez, you’ve been asleep for the whole day because of the surgery, and plus…I know its bad, but you didn’t wake up because you were unconscious from trauma or something…” Joe trailed off before Eileen moved up to Erin and hugged her tightly.
“Your supposed to be my little sister, I don’t want you getting hurt anymore…” Eileen started, but when she pulled back she saw Erin looking at her with wide eyes, and tears strolling down her cheeks as if it were a storm. Mia looked at her worried, before asking, “Honey, what’s wrong? Does anything hurt? Are you in pain?”
Erin bit her lip, and shook her head. “mmf…Fuhh..aaayee…” she muttered, before the door opened, and the girl stuck on Erin’s mind entered the room. “Oh my god…Erin…” Faye muttered, as she was glued frozen at the door. Mia, Dawn, Joe, and Eileen moved out of the way, as Faye trembled to see Erin there in the bed.
“Oh my god…this is my fault…” Faye muttered, before she dropped onto her knees and fell at the foot of Erin’s bed. Erin shook her head, and let out a weak, “No…” causing Faye to look up Erin who smiled. As long as your alright Faye… Erin said in her head, but with the smile she conjured, Faye seemed to have gotten the message, before hugging her tightly. “I’m sorry…I took the wrong inhaler…” Faye muttered, and gripped onto Erin.
Wrong inhaler? Erin questioned, but she started feel her senses coming back to her. Using all of her strength, Erin wrapped her arms around Faye and breathed in her scent, which smelled like strawberries, and smiled at the base of Faye’s neck. She’s nice to hold… Erin thought, feeling her heart melt like lava, and it felt so much better being right there in her arms then anywhere else.
“F…faye…” Erin mumbled quietly, and Faye looked at her. “I…I…I…” Faye listened in, staring straight into Erin’s eyes and looking at the smaller girl’s innocent soul. “I…didn’t…want…to see you….hurt…” Erin said, and Faye felt the waterworks coming again. “No, no, no…That was my fault, I forgot the inhaler…I forgot it…I’m sorry Erin…”
Erin just smiled, and hugged Faye tightly, not wanting to let go of the blonde girl ever again, and just keep her there in front of her with that smile on that face.
--
“Okay Erin, well, you just need come back here for a check up every two weeks. If you feel pain, take a painkiller, but I trust you to be careful with that. Make sure your right leg stays up in that cast and don’t use it until you are allowed,” the doctor said, holding up a clipboard.
He had explained to her that she had tore up the ligaments in her right foot, and like before, she wouldn’t be able to run, but it was torn up so she was back on crutches again, and she had sprained her foot. She felt the stitches on her legs from the doctors opening it up, and sighed. I’ve already gotten over the fact that I won’t ever be able to run again… At least her cast was green, and Erin hummed, convincing herself to be happier as she hobbled on the crutches. Things could have been worse.
“Oh, and Erin? You might have a bit of a limp after all of this is done, you know…” the doctor said, but Erin didn’t care anymore. Faye was alright. And she was able to walk still…and she could still take pictures.
The doctor smiled, and the elderly man took off his glasses. “Erin, you’re one lucky kiddo. Many people who get their ligaments ripped up don’t usually get to walk if it happens twice. You’re lucky you got to the hospital in time before anymore damage could have happened. I’d tell you to rest in bed, but knowing you, you never would stay in bed for more than a minute when your awake,” the elderly doctor said, and patted Erin on the head. Erin grinned, and nodded in agreement, before receiving her crutches and with the help of the doctor, exit the room to see the group still there.
As they took Erin and were ready to leave, the Doctor stopped them once again, but not for Erin’s condition. “Fay…Miss Nelson,” he quickly corrected himself, but Erin raised a brow in confusion, “May I speak to you really quick?” Erin looked at Faye, whose eyes had been full of happiness when Erin had looked into her eyes, had been receded to a dark blaze of despair glint in her eyes. Faye merely nodded, and followed down the doctor down the hall, a reasonable distance away so that even if they yelled it would be a bit difficult for the 5 to understand.
Eileen grinned and poked Erin’s cheek earning a devious grin and pokes back, before speaking up. “Erin, we’ve been ordered that you are to be under supervision most of the time, not because we don’t trust you, but because if your out their on crutches right after a quick surgery, okay?”
“Sure, sure. What about if I’m in the shower?” Erin said peevishly, while raising her eyebrow. Eileen blushed and shook her head, but Dawn took that moment to start teasing Erin. “Well then, we’ll call in Faye hon,” Dawn teased causing Erin to blush like a cherry tomato.
“No, no, no there’s no such need for that!” Erin waved her hands, denying all mental images. But then again… Erin shook her head, and then blurted, “I’ll become a mermaid!”
Eileen looked at her with a ‘what the fuck?’ expression, and even said, “Wtf?” to Erin, making the small girl giggle.
“Nothing, nothing!” Erin laughed, and looked in Faye’s direction, before noticing she didn’t have her prescription paper for the medication.
“Ah! I don’t have the prescription paper, shoot. Hang on guys, I’ll be right back, okay? Don’t go have orgies without me!” Erin joked, causing Mia to roll her eyes and say, “Your incorrigible Erin,” with that smile on her face.
Joe grinned, and raised his hands and said, “I’m OPEN FOR SOME LOVING!”
Erin meekly grinned and said, “I’m in love,” getting a ‘OMG’ look from everyone before shaking her head and said, “Kidding! I’m kidding!! Jeez, you guys all know me…” before turning her head away and starting to head off.
Eileen sighed at Erin’s retreating figure on crutches before grinning and saying, “I have a boyfriend.”
Mia and Dawn grinned and in union they both said while pointing at each other, “I’m her wife,” before Mia glared at Dawn. “Hey, hey, you’re my HUSBAND! You’re older!”
Dawn stuck her tongue out, and laughed, “You’re dominant!” Eileen and Joe blushed at the unneeded comment, but the argument continued on.
“Don’t have that out unless you plan to use it,” Mia said, winking at Dawn, thinking she won the battle as Dawn blushed before coming back with, “Who said I didn’t?”
Mia sighed, and slyly came up with, “Then my mouth is taped up for the night.”
“It doesn’t have to be THOSE lips…” Dawn said seductively, getting nose-to-nose with Mia who froze up in embarrassment.
“ACK, TMI, TMI!!” Eileen and Joe shouted covering their ears. Like Erin, the two teens were close to Dawn and Mia, but not as close as Erin who was hardly at home like they were.
Erin laughed, still hearing her friends voices, as she headed on her crutches to the secluded hallway to where the doctor and her Faye was…well not her Faye…Erin blushed at her own thoughts, and rounded the corner, getting a surprised look from Faye and the Doctor when a door slammed open and smacked her in the face.
“What. The. Hell.” Erin said in a daze, as the nurse who opened the door repeated an apology and Faye ran to her. “Oh my god, Erin! Are you okay?!” Faye asked, putting her hand on Erin’s shoulder.
Erin melted at the touch, her insides flopping around, and laughed, “Yeah, I’m okay, but that was AWESOME! Nurse do it again!” The Nurse blushed and shook her head, before the doctor came up to them, letting the nurse run away, and the doctor smiled in amusement.
“Ahh, are you okay Erin?” The doctor asked, and was about shoot off a series of them if Erin hadn’t held her hand up like a child in kindergarten.
“Um…Yes Erin?” the old man said, before Erin stuck out, gave him a toothy grin and said, “My paper. You didn’t give me my detention.”
“Detention? What? Erin, are you sure your okay?” the doctor asked, and Erin just laughed. “I’m kidding doc, but seriously, you forgot to give me my prescription paper.” The doctor looked at her before exclaiming, “OH!” and reaching at his clipboard and took out a slip of paper with the medicine circled and his signature.
“Here Erin,” he said, before looking at his watch, and bid them goodbye since he had to turn in Erin’s files back in. “Oh, well, I have to go, so Erin, you better watch out, and Faye, remember to take your correct medicine.”
Faye nodded, and Erin looked curiously at her, before asking, “Faye, are you okay?”
Faye just smiled sweetly at her before saying, “Why wouldn’t I be? Anyways we should go, I don’t really like hospitals,” Erin nodded, and Faye helped her stand up on her good foot and on her crutches.
“To the Pharmacy!” Erin said, raising her arm, but since she was holding a crutch she brought it up with her and got a bit un balanced and shuffled a bit, before Faye got her back into position.
“Jeez Erin, you should watch out…” Faye said, and Erin smiled, before shrugging, and saying, “Sorry Faaaaaaaaye,” and let out a yawn. “I’m tired.” Erin announced, and smiled, and she realized her jacket wasn’t on. “Ah, my jacket. Where’s my jacket? Jacket, where are you!?” Erin asked, not giving time for Faye to answer as she looked around, as if she expected that someone had hid her jacket. “CURSE THOSE LITTLE PEOPLE!” Erin shouted, and raised her fist, earning a good giggle from Faye.
Erin’s heart filled with warmth at the beautiful laughter. “Hey, hey Faye, after I get my medicine you wanna get food? I’m hungry, like, realllyyy hungry!” Erin blabbed, trying her best to not think that she herself was asking Faye out.
Faye looked at her, before looking down and said, “Umm…I’m actually busy…” and the blonde looked at her feet. Erin tilted her head, and asked, “With what?”
“I'm...i'm just busy,” Faye muttered under her breath. Erin then realized, and a numbness filled her heart. She couldn't forget that Faye just wasn't her Faye. And would never be.