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Not so Green Grass
He enjoyed to make doodles during class. Some drew with care and time others quick scribbles in need of improvement. Conner Daily enjoyed his doodles more then class he was in. Conner was so in and out of class he forgets what they were currently talking about, some advanced math topic.
Lots of letters and numbers and signs he didn’t care for. He looked down and thought as his favorite character stood there on the page. He named the drawing of a tall, lanky, and funny looking mega-nerd Harold. Harold was the sun and everyone else was the planet orbiting around him. His closest planet was a short hunched old man named Bert. Behind him was Efrum, a turtle with a helmet and a pillow strapped to his back. The other planets interchanged with Conner’s mood, and what they were talking about in class.
Conner looked down and slightly touched the paper wishing he could be a cartoon on a sheet of paper doing nothing at all but being admired by the ones around you. Conner looked around and when he thought it was safe returned to his paper. He had run out of ideas, and then he lightly whispered, "Damn."
On the other side of the paper Harold looked up and cursed at Conner. He had been created so many times that he longed to get out of this accursed wasteland. Conner had made him want to taste the air of a new world. Harold had only two real friends, and since Bert and Efrum were quite new to the world they hadn’t any idea what Harold meant. They’d only been able to listen to Harold talk endlessly about what it’s like out there. Harold heard the bell and felt his entire world lift. The time to move was upon him and the rest of the doodles on the paper. As the paper was slid into the binder and packed into the bag Harold stretched.
"Morning Bert, Efrum." Harold had said with a polite nod to both of them. Bert stroked his long white beard. His long fingers going through each space and in an attempt to straighten his back Bert had let out a long sigh of relief. His hunch reaching the sky and his beard reaching the earth. He moved slowly and gently patted Efrum on the back.
"How do you do? Harold my back is killing me. If you ever get out there in the wide-open world would you tell that kid to draw me straight up." Bert snarled letting one of his three teeth show through his lips. "You think he’d have enough sense in em’ to do that." Bert ranted around as no one really listened. It was part of Bert to go around complaining about life and everything in general. No one enjoyed listening to him, but they all realized it was part of his definite character. He made some snorts and cursed a couple more times before he finally cooled down. Bert began to pat Efrum again and was put in a trance. The gentle turtle had a soft purr it let out when patted that acted as a white noise to Bert.
"Ahem dipple doo diddy. I thunk again." Efrum was a large turtle who enjoyed to dance to techno music that he played in his head. Sometimes even humming the beat he would take one step forward and bob his head. One step back and bob his head. Repeat, over and over. A step took about twenty seconds, and a bob about ten. His dances usually lasted him the whole day. Without saying much Efrum was able to get his point across with the tone of his voice. His words meant nothing. The ones that even sounded like words were nothing. They were just coincidences or Efrum had found a new way to move his tongue lips and teeth. He was happy now and that was no alarm.
"I agree it is a good day." Bert said this not having any idea if he had said that. Only understanding his tone, he decided to shove a few words in his mouth.
"Glibble gobble bloop. Tricky trat."
"Oh really Efrum? I never knew that about Bert." Harold had jokingly said to tease Bert.
"Oh get off it. I have enough troubles without you two ganging up on me." Bert stormed off a foot or so to make a dramatic scene. When he realized, the entire paper was covered with new and odd looking characters he turned slowly back to his group. "I’ll forgive you guys today." Bert stomped back letting his back straighten and his beard rise only to fall back down.
"Whoogum guugum cooky gooky."Efrum let out an insulting laughter as his head bobbed up and down. Bert felt like smacking the funny little turtle right across the face, but his bad back wouldn’t let him do so. All he could do was sort of brush his hand up against him. That turned out to make Efrum purr and sent chills up Efrum’s neck.
"Bert you’re petting him." Harold couldn’t help but laugh hysterically as his friend patted Efrum. Bert quickly pulled his hand away from the green wrinkled head of the turtle. His face wrinkled up and drew up something nasty from the back of his throat letting out a croak. Soon a large wad of something nasty exploded against the ground scattering in every direction. Harold still hunched over in laughter barely noticed the action, and Efrum was half asleep.
"Harold! Efrum! You two dingbats! Don’t you see I’m stressed?" Bert let his crinkled up face sag now in a pathetic way trying to sway his two friends to take pity on his old bones. A tactic he was known to use again and again. Harold and Efrum barley fell for it, but regardless they tried to make Bert as happy as could be.
"Poor Bert." Harold said as he started to play with the saggy skin on Bert’s face.
"Uber gudder." Efrum had said in the same tone as Harold as he rubbed up against Bert.
In a sudden change Harold went from kissing up to Bert to wishing he was outside. He let his mind wander as his eyes scanned the paper up and down looking for a way out. His hands reached for the sky never quite touching anything and yet he felt the edge was just out of his grasp. Like a cruel joke played on an animal, he could sense it so near, but never touch it. Harold felt like crying, but he held it in. Harold turned back to see his friends blankly staring at him as they always do.
"It’s a great place out there." Harold knew they didn’t understand for they were merely enfants compared to Harold. Harold was an old and dying man who had lived a secluded life, and he wanted to break free. In no time at all they would hunger for the outside as well, but by then Harold would be either dead or outside. To wait for them would be an eternity, since his lust for the outside would most likely triple. Insanity might take over, and he might lose control. "It has to be better then here."
"Well Harold, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side." Bert tried to chime in with a slice of wisdom served cold and unwanted. Bert knew Harold didn’t have any interest in his words, and quickly quieted himself. Bert turned to Efrum beckoning him to say something in the same tone.
"Harold, what you want isn’t always the thing you think it is." Efrum had let out an entire sentence in such a perfect way the world almost stopped and watched in awe. Bert took a quick look at Efrum and the same stupid look was sprawled across his face. "Gibby gibby diffigty." Bert laughed a bit and gave him a good pat for his efforts. Whether he meant what, he said or not Efrum had said it perfectly. All Bert could do was laugh and pet him.
"Bert I’m leaving today." Harold bluntly stated moments after Efrum had spoke.
"Well like a father would, I’ll just hope for the best and tell you I love you." Bert smiled.
"Bert just take care of everybody."
"Harold just take care of yourself."
They both laughed a bit until Harold turned and ran. He ran past every character he came across his body moving swiftly through them. He would jump every now and then hoping he could grab the sky. Before long he seemed like a dot on the horizon, and Bert knew he was gone for good. With a nod of approval so did Efrum. They had accepted his passing without a tear in sight.
"I’m going to make it this time!" Harold laughed as he jumped again and again. The tears now flowing out of his reddened eyes and his body giving up on him. Soon Harold just stood there grabbing up at the sky. He felt like a failure, and looked up to Conner watching him. "Trade with me! I’ve heard you! Please trade with me!"
"I wish I was you Harold." Conner had focused on Harold now zooming in ever so slowly trying to jump into the paper. Conner tried to grab in the paper time and time again, but nothing ever happened. Conner started to pound the paper over and over his face twisting and turning red. Then his eyes closed and instead of feeling the wooden desk he felt something new. He kept his eyes closed, trying to keep hopes alive. In a moment of strength he opened his eyes and saw the new world infront of him. As did Harold on the other side. They discovered what they had wanted so badly and both frowned. Both wishing they could switch back. The grass wasn’t green, but it was black.
Last edited by penguinsfly03 : 07-03-2007 at 02:27 PM.
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