As she neared the top of the grassy hill, Lisa thought about her past. It was a strange, mysterious past, full of disappointment, as well as success. But isn't that what life is? She thought to herself. Hardly ever neutral, always one way or the other. She remembered that she had, as a child, played on the sandy beach by her California home. She often let the sand slip through her small, five-year-old fingers and pretending that it was fairy dust. So carefree, she had been, her tangled curls floating in the gentle breeze of the ocean. But then, her older sister had ruined it all, saying harshly, "Grow up, Lisa. There's no such thing as fairies."
Then, it had hurt her feelings, and she had responded by sticking her tongue out at her sister.
Two years later, "the accident", as most people called it, happened. The oldest Smith sister had died in a lightning storm, struck by the bolt as it careened down from the sky. She had been standing at the top of the hill, underneath the silver tree, running her hands over the rough silver bark and staring up at the silver leaves, which framed the stormy sky. Of course, your chances of being hit by lightning go up if you are standing on a hill, especially during a storm, but I gather you can figure that.
The youngest sister, Lisa, felt that she had let her sister down. "I never grew up, like she told me to. She died, and I never gave her what she wanted." Lisa would murmur these words over and over to herself at night, until she fell asleep with tears still streaming down her cheeks.
The silver tree had been Lisa's own creation. She had no idea how she had done it, but...it just...happened. Lisa had been whispering a story to herself, quietly so a certain elder sister would not hear. It was a beautiful story, mystical and full of fairies. In this carefully woven tale, the fairies had taken pity on a girl who had been told that fairies did not exist. They gave her a magical silver tree, and it would cure her loneliness forever. As Lisa spoke, a silver tree sprung from the ground, right next to where she had been sitting. A little hesitantly, she reached out and touched the silver bark. It was real! Lisa gasped in shock, thoughts running through her mind at light speed. She ran down the hill, eager to spill what she had just seen to just about anyone who would listen. She had come upon her sister, and had cautiously rambled on with the entire story. She didn't necessarily want to tell her sister, but in the very back of her head, she realized that all she really wanted was for her sister to believe her. This time, it was for real. This time, it could be proven. And she needed her sister to see. She dared her sister to touch the tree, dared her to feel with her fingertips the proof that fairies were real. Natalie (the oldest Smith sister) scoffed at first. But when she saw, through the kitchen window, a silver tree that had most certainly not been there yesterday, she gasped. A magical silver tree? Surely she was dreaming. Surely there was no such thing as a silver tree! But when she was the small, pleading face of her sister, looking up at her with such admiration and hope, she decided to have a look at this so called fairy gift. A feeling of dread entered her mind as she climbed up the hill. What could be wrong? This is stupid, she told herself, there's no such thing as fairies! And then it happened. There are really no words other than that to describe it. It just...happened. Now , Lisa reached the top of the hill, where stood the silver tree. A storm's thunder rumbled slowly in the distance. It was a risk, being here, but it was for her sister.
She looked up at the quickly-darkening sky and whispered, "I'm sorry". She stared down at her feet. She wore two different socks, one red, and one bright green. The green to remember the energetic child that she had left behind, and the red to resemble the misery that she had experienced. "I'm sorry," she whispered again, and sorry that she hadn't been struck to her death as well, started down the hill, away from the fateful silver tree.
Then, it had hurt her feelings, and she had responded by sticking her tongue out at her sister.
Two years later, "the accident", as most people called it, happened. The oldest Smith sister had died in a lightning storm, struck by the bolt as it careened down from the sky. She had been standing at the top of the hill, underneath the silver tree, running her hands over the rough silver bark and staring up at the silver leaves, which framed the stormy sky. Of course, your chances of being hit by lightning go up if you are standing on a hill, especially during a storm, but I gather you can figure that.
The youngest sister, Lisa, felt that she had let her sister down. "I never grew up, like she told me to. She died, and I never gave her what she wanted." Lisa would murmur these words over and over to herself at night, until she fell asleep with tears still streaming down her cheeks.
The silver tree had been Lisa's own creation. She had no idea how she had done it, but...it just...happened. Lisa had been whispering a story to herself, quietly so a certain elder sister would not hear. It was a beautiful story, mystical and full of fairies. In this carefully woven tale, the fairies had taken pity on a girl who had been told that fairies did not exist. They gave her a magical silver tree, and it would cure her loneliness forever. As Lisa spoke, a silver tree sprung from the ground, right next to where she had been sitting. A little hesitantly, she reached out and touched the silver bark. It was real! Lisa gasped in shock, thoughts running through her mind at light speed. She ran down the hill, eager to spill what she had just seen to just about anyone who would listen. She had come upon her sister, and had cautiously rambled on with the entire story. She didn't necessarily want to tell her sister, but in the very back of her head, she realized that all she really wanted was for her sister to believe her. This time, it was for real. This time, it could be proven. And she needed her sister to see. She dared her sister to touch the tree, dared her to feel with her fingertips the proof that fairies were real. Natalie (the oldest Smith sister) scoffed at first. But when she saw, through the kitchen window, a silver tree that had most certainly not been there yesterday, she gasped. A magical silver tree? Surely she was dreaming. Surely there was no such thing as a silver tree! But when she was the small, pleading face of her sister, looking up at her with such admiration and hope, she decided to have a look at this so called fairy gift. A feeling of dread entered her mind as she climbed up the hill. What could be wrong? This is stupid, she told herself, there's no such thing as fairies! And then it happened. There are really no words other than that to describe it. It just...happened. Now , Lisa reached the top of the hill, where stood the silver tree. A storm's thunder rumbled slowly in the distance. It was a risk, being here, but it was for her sister.
She looked up at the quickly-darkening sky and whispered, "I'm sorry". She stared down at her feet. She wore two different socks, one red, and one bright green. The green to remember the energetic child that she had left behind, and the red to resemble the misery that she had experienced. "I'm sorry," she whispered again, and sorry that she hadn't been struck to her death as well, started down the hill, away from the fateful silver tree.
4 comments:
I think you should continue this into a story,so that it follows the little sister's state of mind.Because,obviously,even at this point in the story she's losing it just a little,trying to commit suicide because she didn't please her sister's implied wishes.
yeah she is kinda messed up, isn't she? but it was just the inspiration of the moment. like...i dont even know why a picture of a green sock made me come up with something as dark and messed up as this. I don't get it myself. But thanks for the idea, i might continue it into a story, which would be pretty messed up in itself. ha.
i think that you should explain where the silver tree came from, like in a memory or something
ooo kt that's a good idea. but i don't really know where the silver tree came from, so i'll have to figure that out first.
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