Our real story starts in September after a very long summer. James was off at business school and Johnny was never able to leave his house. His sister, Lily May, got hay fever and at the time of this September there really wasn't any cures for hay fever, even if there had been Johnny's family couldn't afford it. I was all alone being pulled into tight france things that pull in your tummy. My mother was obsessed with possesions, by the end of summer I had trillons of dresses and french tummy tuckers. As well as the dreaded bra. All the other girls at school were incredibly large, ever since they were ten, I was flat. So the second I had two tiny bumps on my chest my mum took me out to buy a bra, although I didn't really need one at all. At the start of our story I was just turning thirteen, Johnny was fifteen and James was the almighty sixteen.
The day had steamed up since the morning. Train steam filled the air, only making the train station hotter. Wearing a bright red dress with white flowers on it I sat next to Johnny waiting for James's train. My mother had forced a france-tummy-sucker onto my stomach and a bra on my breats before I had left the house so I was extremly over heating and unable to breath. Johnny barly wore anything at all, he had on raggy jeans and shoes. Three trains stopped and left before James's finally climbed off the train and smiled that huge smile he was known for around town once he saw us. He dropped his bags and hugged Johnny then hugged me, lifting me off the ground. Once we had calmed down he picked up his bags and we all headed for the tree cabin.
"Business school is and was most definatly the most boring place in the entire world." He said after Johnny and I had asked him excitedly, "No one swore, I mean no one. Everyone went to bed at the exact time they were told and no one spoke unless asked to. It was like I was in a school of zombies or something." He said and paused for a second before adding, "I couldn't even go to the restroom without feeling like zombies ruled the school."
Johnny starred at him, "Why?"
"There was no graffiti on the stall walls." He said and we all laughed as we entered the forested area. I had a little trouble with the laughing and leaned on Johnny for support, stupid french people must not breath. That's where the zombies come from! France!
We soon stood before Cherrywood Cabin neatly setting James's bags and the base of the red tree. We all climbed up, I was last to climb up as I was in a dress. Once we were all inside I savagly unzipped my dress and ripped off the tummy sucker from france, letting out a huge burst of breath at my stomachs new freedom. James and Johnny laughed so hard their faces were the color of our tree! Then I realized they hadn't heard of the boobs in the bra incident. The fact that I now had boobs! I pulled my dress back on, embarassed, and threw the 'devil device' from france under the couch.
When the boys stopped laughing I sat on the couch with them and we talked for hours about things that didn't matter. Then to the topics that did. Important topics like James was going to business school next summer as well and I would be going to a 'prep' school, something to get me ready for womanhood was what my mother had said about it.. As if she hadn't done enough. The most important thing mentioned was the fact next summer Johnny would be old enough to go to war and he was going to go. His brothers had already left for war, he was the only boy child left in the house and he knew he would never be respected by the community until he fought for their country. James and I were definatly worried, Johnny was short for his age and a goof ball. We were worried he would get himself hurt. The Cabin grew quiet and Johnny stood up.
"We better... Head home." He said, "It's getting dark."
We all looked out the window to see the pink and purple lights of sunset shinning through the tall trees. It was nearly the time our mother started putting on facil masks. The boys picked up the couch so I could fish out the Devil Device. Then we walk to the ladder of the Cabin to get down, when suddenly... I lost balance and started to fall.
"Melissa!" was all I could really hear, I felt James hand reach for mine and miss by milimeters. I could see James start to teeter after reaching for me and then fall as well, Johnny went to help James but, by some odd cowincidence the boards broke from underneath him and he fell as well. I hit the ground hard and James fell on top of me. I could feel Johnny hit the ground beside me before I blacked out.
* * *
"Stop it!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Don't!" I was running down a long corridor, dark of course, at top speed. My face burned and my legs felt like whipped cream. I could have run for hours, away from whatever the hell I was running from because of the determination I felt... But a wall pounced out before me and I slammed into it with a loud 'BANG!'. When I was able to see clearly a girl stepped before me, I couldn't see her face but she was thin and shadowy. She reached out her long thin fingers and pulled me onto my feet, pressing me against the wall I had just slammed into. She then pulled a familiar feeling device around my stomach and tied it tightly, more tight than my mother ever had. She stepped back and pointed to what she had done... But when I looked down I didn't see the devil device I had felt... I saw a small stomach, smaller than ever before and smaller than most normal stomachs. I saw that my boobs had left and my legs had a new and scary gap between them.... And as I looked down at myself... I watched in horror as my skin started to dissolve and I turned to bone. Her deafining meniacal laugh filled the air.
My eyes flashed open to see complete darkness. Slowly as my eyes adjusted I could see the tree tops above and James on top of me. It was night, we were all still under the cherrywood tree, the two boys still unconcious. I realized I couldn't breath and willed my hand to rise up and hit at James, "James! James! For Christs sake! Wake the hell up! James!" I was relieved when his eyes fluttered open and he rolled off of me. I let out a sigh of releif, although it didn't really help my breathing much for some reason. I layed between James and Johnny, hopeing Johnny would wake up and wishing James would speak.
"Mel?" A scratchy voice fluttered through the air and I turn my head to look at James, "Are you alright? I didn't crush you did I?"
I felt like I was breathing hard but really not much breathing was being done. I should've said 'yes' but my answer came out as a muffled, "No. I'm fine."
James nodded, "Good." He said and added, "What the hell happened?"
I shook my head and struggled to sit up, "I'm not sure." I said as I reached a fully seated position.
James joined me in sitting.
"Uhhhh." a hushed moan joined mine and James's breathing. We turned our attention to our short friend, Johnny, who seemed to just be waking up from it, "I landed on my head." He whispered choking then coughing harshly, "J!-" A pause of coughing occured here, "Check if I broke my neck...." More choking and coughing as James climbed over me to Johnny.
"Damn my arms hurt like hell." James whispered and then gasped, "********. He's bleeding from the mouth." He said, "Johnny? Johnny you still there buddy." Nothing, "John. Come on speak to me man." Nothing, "Melissa go get help or something!"
I nodded, even though it was very clear James couldn't have possibly seen me shaking my head through the darkness, "Okay." I said and pulled myself up to go get help when Johnny's hushed voice filled the warm air around us...
"I'm here." He said, "Awake. Breathing. Is my neck broken or not."
I sat down and place my hands nervously on Johnny's neck and squeezed slightly, "Does it hurt?"
Johnny answered with a muffled, "uhhhhhh."
I looked at James worriedly but James managed to say, "Johnny move your head or something."
"I don't wanna die man." Johnny whispered.
"John you won't die." Said James, his voice wasn't convinceing, "Just try this for me." He said.
Johnny moved his head on my hands and then whispered, "God it hurts... I don't think it's broken though." He paused as I took my hands out from under his neck, "My head hurts too... My ears are ringing."
James shuddered and stood up, "Mom must have called all the cops." He whispered and grabbed the devil device as well as his bags. I helped Johnny up onto his feet and helped him walk the way James was walking, out of the forest area. Johnny moaned all the way to his home. We walked him around to the window and helped him climb in.
"Get lots of rest Johnny." I said.
"Alright." Was the only thing I heard through the darkness besides the squealing of his old rusty bed as he climbed onto it.
"Good night." I said and started to leave.
"Mel." Johnny said as loud as he could manage, not very loud at all.
I went back to the window, "Yeah."
"If I die tonight... I love you and James as if you were my own brother and sister." He said and added, "I know your eyes are tearing up..." He was so right... "So I'll say this, I would have died in war anyways."
I was all choked up but I managed to get out, "I love you too." I said, "And you won't die." I paused to gain control of myself, "Goodnight." And James and I left.
James and I reached our home and, since there is no alternate routes, went through the front door. Mom and seven hundred cops stood in our living room.
"James! Melissa!" She yelled, "I was so worried what in the world happened? I have every cop in lower england here! What happened?!" He face was pouty and she was giving us a very angered voice.
"My train was awefully late." James covered, "We had to stop the train for hours because of a threat of a criminal on the train. It was a hoax of course." He said, "And by the time we reached the station Johnny and Melissa were asleep on the bench."
I nodded in dull agreement.
"Why are you holding Melissa's corrset?" She asked.
James looked down and blushed. Nothing. I answered, however, "It was so hot out mom I had to take it off to breath." I said, it was almost true.
Mom glarred at us, "We'll talk more of this tomarrow." She said, "Up to your rooms now!" She yelled. We obeyed and headed up the stairs, "Sorry guys... I'll pay you for your troubles." She said as James and I reached the top step.
James pushed the Devil Device to my chest and I took hold of it. As he turned into his room with a quiet, "Goodnight sis."
I continued down the hall to my room and dropped the Devil Device in my top drawer. I took off my dress and bra before pulling on my nightgown and collapsing onto my bed and lazily crawling under the covers. Barly breathing for some reason, I closed my eyes.... Afraid I would have another nightmare... Worried of falling out of my bed... This was the first time in my life, besides my dad's death, where I was genuanly scared... Frightened. I felt like cowering in a corner and waiting for courage to sweep over me. But I feel into a heavy sleep before any cowrering could be done.
The day had steamed up since the morning. Train steam filled the air, only making the train station hotter. Wearing a bright red dress with white flowers on it I sat next to Johnny waiting for James's train. My mother had forced a france-tummy-sucker onto my stomach and a bra on my breats before I had left the house so I was extremly over heating and unable to breath. Johnny barly wore anything at all, he had on raggy jeans and shoes. Three trains stopped and left before James's finally climbed off the train and smiled that huge smile he was known for around town once he saw us. He dropped his bags and hugged Johnny then hugged me, lifting me off the ground. Once we had calmed down he picked up his bags and we all headed for the tree cabin.
"Business school is and was most definatly the most boring place in the entire world." He said after Johnny and I had asked him excitedly, "No one swore, I mean no one. Everyone went to bed at the exact time they were told and no one spoke unless asked to. It was like I was in a school of zombies or something." He said and paused for a second before adding, "I couldn't even go to the restroom without feeling like zombies ruled the school."
Johnny starred at him, "Why?"
"There was no graffiti on the stall walls." He said and we all laughed as we entered the forested area. I had a little trouble with the laughing and leaned on Johnny for support, stupid french people must not breath. That's where the zombies come from! France!
We soon stood before Cherrywood Cabin neatly setting James's bags and the base of the red tree. We all climbed up, I was last to climb up as I was in a dress. Once we were all inside I savagly unzipped my dress and ripped off the tummy sucker from france, letting out a huge burst of breath at my stomachs new freedom. James and Johnny laughed so hard their faces were the color of our tree! Then I realized they hadn't heard of the boobs in the bra incident. The fact that I now had boobs! I pulled my dress back on, embarassed, and threw the 'devil device' from france under the couch.
When the boys stopped laughing I sat on the couch with them and we talked for hours about things that didn't matter. Then to the topics that did. Important topics like James was going to business school next summer as well and I would be going to a 'prep' school, something to get me ready for womanhood was what my mother had said about it.. As if she hadn't done enough. The most important thing mentioned was the fact next summer Johnny would be old enough to go to war and he was going to go. His brothers had already left for war, he was the only boy child left in the house and he knew he would never be respected by the community until he fought for their country. James and I were definatly worried, Johnny was short for his age and a goof ball. We were worried he would get himself hurt. The Cabin grew quiet and Johnny stood up.
"We better... Head home." He said, "It's getting dark."
We all looked out the window to see the pink and purple lights of sunset shinning through the tall trees. It was nearly the time our mother started putting on facil masks. The boys picked up the couch so I could fish out the Devil Device. Then we walk to the ladder of the Cabin to get down, when suddenly... I lost balance and started to fall.
"Melissa!" was all I could really hear, I felt James hand reach for mine and miss by milimeters. I could see James start to teeter after reaching for me and then fall as well, Johnny went to help James but, by some odd cowincidence the boards broke from underneath him and he fell as well. I hit the ground hard and James fell on top of me. I could feel Johnny hit the ground beside me before I blacked out.
* * *
"Stop it!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, "Don't!" I was running down a long corridor, dark of course, at top speed. My face burned and my legs felt like whipped cream. I could have run for hours, away from whatever the hell I was running from because of the determination I felt... But a wall pounced out before me and I slammed into it with a loud 'BANG!'. When I was able to see clearly a girl stepped before me, I couldn't see her face but she was thin and shadowy. She reached out her long thin fingers and pulled me onto my feet, pressing me against the wall I had just slammed into. She then pulled a familiar feeling device around my stomach and tied it tightly, more tight than my mother ever had. She stepped back and pointed to what she had done... But when I looked down I didn't see the devil device I had felt... I saw a small stomach, smaller than ever before and smaller than most normal stomachs. I saw that my boobs had left and my legs had a new and scary gap between them.... And as I looked down at myself... I watched in horror as my skin started to dissolve and I turned to bone. Her deafining meniacal laugh filled the air.
My eyes flashed open to see complete darkness. Slowly as my eyes adjusted I could see the tree tops above and James on top of me. It was night, we were all still under the cherrywood tree, the two boys still unconcious. I realized I couldn't breath and willed my hand to rise up and hit at James, "James! James! For Christs sake! Wake the hell up! James!" I was relieved when his eyes fluttered open and he rolled off of me. I let out a sigh of releif, although it didn't really help my breathing much for some reason. I layed between James and Johnny, hopeing Johnny would wake up and wishing James would speak.
"Mel?" A scratchy voice fluttered through the air and I turn my head to look at James, "Are you alright? I didn't crush you did I?"
I felt like I was breathing hard but really not much breathing was being done. I should've said 'yes' but my answer came out as a muffled, "No. I'm fine."
James nodded, "Good." He said and added, "What the hell happened?"
I shook my head and struggled to sit up, "I'm not sure." I said as I reached a fully seated position.
James joined me in sitting.
"Uhhhh." a hushed moan joined mine and James's breathing. We turned our attention to our short friend, Johnny, who seemed to just be waking up from it, "I landed on my head." He whispered choking then coughing harshly, "J!-" A pause of coughing occured here, "Check if I broke my neck...." More choking and coughing as James climbed over me to Johnny.
"Damn my arms hurt like hell." James whispered and then gasped, "********. He's bleeding from the mouth." He said, "Johnny? Johnny you still there buddy." Nothing, "John. Come on speak to me man." Nothing, "Melissa go get help or something!"
I nodded, even though it was very clear James couldn't have possibly seen me shaking my head through the darkness, "Okay." I said and pulled myself up to go get help when Johnny's hushed voice filled the warm air around us...
"I'm here." He said, "Awake. Breathing. Is my neck broken or not."
I sat down and place my hands nervously on Johnny's neck and squeezed slightly, "Does it hurt?"
Johnny answered with a muffled, "uhhhhhh."
I looked at James worriedly but James managed to say, "Johnny move your head or something."
"I don't wanna die man." Johnny whispered.
"John you won't die." Said James, his voice wasn't convinceing, "Just try this for me." He said.
Johnny moved his head on my hands and then whispered, "God it hurts... I don't think it's broken though." He paused as I took my hands out from under his neck, "My head hurts too... My ears are ringing."
James shuddered and stood up, "Mom must have called all the cops." He whispered and grabbed the devil device as well as his bags. I helped Johnny up onto his feet and helped him walk the way James was walking, out of the forest area. Johnny moaned all the way to his home. We walked him around to the window and helped him climb in.
"Get lots of rest Johnny." I said.
"Alright." Was the only thing I heard through the darkness besides the squealing of his old rusty bed as he climbed onto it.
"Good night." I said and started to leave.
"Mel." Johnny said as loud as he could manage, not very loud at all.
I went back to the window, "Yeah."
"If I die tonight... I love you and James as if you were my own brother and sister." He said and added, "I know your eyes are tearing up..." He was so right... "So I'll say this, I would have died in war anyways."
I was all choked up but I managed to get out, "I love you too." I said, "And you won't die." I paused to gain control of myself, "Goodnight." And James and I left.
James and I reached our home and, since there is no alternate routes, went through the front door. Mom and seven hundred cops stood in our living room.
"James! Melissa!" She yelled, "I was so worried what in the world happened? I have every cop in lower england here! What happened?!" He face was pouty and she was giving us a very angered voice.
"My train was awefully late." James covered, "We had to stop the train for hours because of a threat of a criminal on the train. It was a hoax of course." He said, "And by the time we reached the station Johnny and Melissa were asleep on the bench."
I nodded in dull agreement.
"Why are you holding Melissa's corrset?" She asked.
James looked down and blushed. Nothing. I answered, however, "It was so hot out mom I had to take it off to breath." I said, it was almost true.
Mom glarred at us, "We'll talk more of this tomarrow." She said, "Up to your rooms now!" She yelled. We obeyed and headed up the stairs, "Sorry guys... I'll pay you for your troubles." She said as James and I reached the top step.
James pushed the Devil Device to my chest and I took hold of it. As he turned into his room with a quiet, "Goodnight sis."
I continued down the hall to my room and dropped the Devil Device in my top drawer. I took off my dress and bra before pulling on my nightgown and collapsing onto my bed and lazily crawling under the covers. Barly breathing for some reason, I closed my eyes.... Afraid I would have another nightmare... Worried of falling out of my bed... This was the first time in my life, besides my dad's death, where I was genuanly scared... Frightened. I felt like cowering in a corner and waiting for courage to sweep over me. But I feel into a heavy sleep before any cowrering could be done.
