Phil-osophical

'Oh God. He's at it again.' I said to myself as I scrolled through my timeline. Phil and I have been friends for five years and through the years, I have noticed a few quirks that only Phil has. The picture glaring at me through my laptop screen is one of them.

You see, Phil has this weird way of expressing himself on social media. When I asked him about it, he said it was the only he could say everything that he wants and it gives him a mysterious personality. I scoffed at the thought. Phil is not the mysterious type, never. 

No, he was more the clown, the person to make everyone laugh, the life of the party. And yet, he decides to use 'Phil-osophical' as his facebook name. If it were up to me, I would give him the name 'Philtastic' because he's fantastic.

Five years ago, Phil had moved from his old school.  The first day of orientation, we had somehow ended up sitting next to each other. He kept to himself for the first few days, but all of a sudden he asked me this one question and it opened a gate to his true self. He asked me, 'Hey, can I borrow a piece of paper?' I thought it was funny at the time and later found out that it was an excuse to talk to me.

Since then, I have found out a lot about Phil, like the fact that he likes to bite his nails, or that he is afraid of the dark or the fact that he cannot eat any one cereal and has to buy at least three types and mix them altogether and also he always rolls his sleeves (even short ones) before he does anything.

But this one habit baffled me and I haven't been able to crack it yet. Phil, my best friend, has one of the weirdest habits on social media ever. You see, he has the habit of posting these pictures. Sound normal enough, but wait till you see what he posts. It's always when he needs to vent out and during those times, I would always find these pictures on my timeline.

Okay, time to say it. My best friend Phil, likes to post pictures of papers. Like the usual A4 sized paper. But the thing that makes all of this extraordinary is the writing on the paper, or drawings, I'm not sure which. I've tried and failed so many times to crack his code and eventually, I just went along with his weird behaviour. He knows he can tell me everything, so why does he have to give out these coded messages. Unless, it's something that we've talked about. No. that can't be. If it was, he would have told me what the symbols meant.

I squint my eyes at the symbols and as a force of habit, different theories start manifesting in my mind about what it all meant. Yup, I still can't understand it. What does this mean? I was still staring at it :

The photo was adorned with a simple yet mysterious caption : 'I wish she...' 

One thing for sure, he never told me he likes a girl. 

The sound of my phone vibrating on the surface of my desk was what finally tore me away from the grasp of my thoughts. I smiled when I saw who it was. Speak of the devil. Phil had sent me a text. It read simply:

' Check your front door.'

Getting used to his ways, I replied, without even thinking about how weird his text was. 

'Why?'

Within moments, he replied.

'Just do it. Please?'

I was about to probe even further when I heard my mum calling out to me. 

'Jess! Can you get the door?' 

I practically jumped down the stairs, because I knew who it was. I rushed to open the door and my heart sunk when there was nobody there. But then, a parcel on the ground caught my eye. It was a plain brown box that had been sellotaped shut. And written in bold letters with black marker was my name at the very top flap. 

Had Phil left it there for me to find, or was it from someone else? With that question burning in my mind, I carried the box up the stairs into my room, and set it down on my bed. As I sat down, the box bounced and I could hear the things inside being moved around. 

I tore the sellotape, took a deep breath and opened the flaps to reveal what was inside. As soon as I saw what was inside, I knew who it was from. At the very top of the pile, was Lenny. 

Lenny was my teddy bear. He had been my companion when I used to be afraid of the dark. Lenny was ancient, and tufts of fur was missing and his head was falling off, Nothing was new about him at all, except the piece of paper tied to his hand, with a piece of string, making it look like he had a bracelet on. 

On the piece of paper, a single sentence was written in a very familiar handwriting. It read: ' He served me well.' 

Phil used to go to school in a prestigious private school. But, for secondary school, he had to go to a public school. It was all because his dad was let go and for a year after that, he was out of work and the family had to find means to survive. The salary Phil's mum got from working at the kindergarten barely covered all of their expenses. 

So, they resorted to more radical ways, like moving or trying not to use water as much at home, and switching on a single light when they were at home. At the time, Phil was terrified of the dark and the only way he was able to sleep on his own was by keeping his bedside lamp light on while he slept. 

We hadn't been friends for long, but I felt like I needed to do something for him. One day, I came to school with a neatly wrapped parcel and handed it over to him. I told him it was a present and told him to open it when he got home. And that present just turned out to be little Lenny. I didn't need him anymore, so why not give him to someone who does. Since then, we were inseparable. 

I smiled and placed the teddy so he's sitting down against my pillow. Next, I reached for the next thing that caught my eye. It was a huge bow tie that was striped with candy cane colours. Just like Lenny, there was a piece of paper attached to the bow as well. This one had a message that read: 'Remember the cake.' 

The message made me giggle. It might be meaningless to anyone else, but it made very much sense to me. Of course I would remember the cake. Who wouldn't? During our second year in secondary school, we had this really funny maths teacher and Phil had decided that he was going to plan a massive birthday surprise for the teacher, complete with the most 'majestic' looking ice-cream cake I had ever seen. It was huge and I think everyone's jaws dropped when they saw it. By that time, his dad had found a job and decided to pay for the cake so we didn't spend much. 

Phil being Phil had insisted that he carried the cake out himself. But, through some twist of fate, his shoe laces had come undone and he tripped on them and fell. Face first, Onto the cake. Everyone stared in horror at Phil and then for some reason, we all started laugh, even Mr Lee, our teacher. Instead of being embarrassed, Phil danced around, pretending he was a monkey wearing that huge bowtie and that made everyone laugh harder. Nobody mind that we only had snacks and drinks and no cake. 

I looked in the box and realised that everything in it had something to do with every year we were in secondary school. The next one I took out was a note pad. This needed no explanation. In our third year, we were placed in Miss Medusa's class. Sorry, her name is Rose. We call her Medusa because nothing escapes her and when she looks at you, you seem to turn rigid. And she never smiled, just like Medusa.

So, we devised a way to communicate to each other, me and Phil. One day, I had brought a notepad and at first, I had attempted to write notes in it, but when I couldn't take it anymore, I wrote a single sentence and slowly and carefully passed it over to Phil. Imagine doing this, even though you're sitting inches away from someone. That was how strict she was. 

Phil almost laughed out loud when he saw what I had written. He only managed to stop himself by clasping his mouth that made him look like a fish and made me want to laugh in turn. All of this over one single sentence: 'There is a Medusa teaching the class.' 

We took deep breaths and braced ourselves. But when we looked to the front of the class, Medusa was still teaching and she didn't seem to notice. From then on wards, it became our way of communication during her class. 

The notepad went next to Lenny as well. Then, I took out an empty pasta jar. This one I definitely remembered. It was the birthday present I had given to Phil for his birthday last year. I had hand written quotes taken from the internet and also some personal messages from me on little pieces of paper, folded them and stuffed them in the jar. That way, anytime he felt sad, he could take one out of the jar and it hopefully made him feel better. A note was attached to the jar and it read: 'The personal ones were my favourite.'  

It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, knowing that my gift was appreciated. I placed the jar on the bed and grabbed  a framed photo from inside the box. I smiled at the photo of me and Phil and the kindergarten students. We went on a trip to the beach near our hose. I ran my hands over the handmade frame that had cut out shapes and seashells stuck on to it, topped off with a load of glitter. I felt something on the back, something rough. So, I turned it around and to my pleasant surprise, there was a picture of me made from glitter. My glitter eyes were a little loop sided and I was out of proportion, but it didn't matter because my best friend and the children had made it for me.

The handwritten message next to it told me so : 'Hey, they miss you :) P.S. We made this and it turns out the kids are more talented than I am when it comes to glitter usage.' I stood the  photo up on my bedside table.

I sighed and stood up to put the box away when I heard my phone vibrate. I got up and checked my phone. Another message from Phil. 'Hey, don't forget the piece of paper at the bottom of the box.'

There was a paper in there? I picked up the box and checked. And there at the bottom of the box was definitely a piece of paper. How could I have missed it? But then again, I was overwhelmed by the other items that were in there.

I took it out, thinking about how Phil knew me so well that he even knew that I would miss the piece of paper and what brought chills down my spine is the fact that he texted me right on time. It was a piece of A4 sized paper with some strange symbols on it and a note at the bottom.

The symbols looked really familiar. Then, just like that, everything falls into place. I went to my laptop and checked the photo that Phil had posted. Yes. These were the symbols. Phil's secret language. He's finally sharing it with me. 

I was excited. I bit my lip as I checked what he had posted.

SHE DOESN'T KNOW.

I furrowed at the screen. Who doesn't know what? 

At that moment, my phone vibrated, as I received a message from Phil. 

'Come to the beach.' 

I was so confused at that time, I think a few wires in my brain got disconnected. I chose to follow his instruction. I stuffed the paper into my pocket and headed downstairs.

Mum was sitting on the sofa, reading a magazine. She looked up from her read when she heard me coming down the stairs. 'Jess, where are you going?' She eyed me from behind her glasses. 'The beach. To see Phil.' I say blankly. Her gaze softens. 'Oh, okay. Be back before dinner, okay?' She said and went back to her magazine. 

Mum and dad would never say no if I say that I'm going out with Phil. It is something that is so common, they're not worried anymore. But it would be different if it were some other guy.

I jog to the beach that was literally just a km away from my house. The first indicator that I was near was the breeze and then the smell hits you and that's when you see Palonoma beach. It was a place where I spend most of my time, taking a walk or maybe go surfing. It was also a place where me and Phil hung out almost all of the time, ever since he moved to the neighbourhood. 

I nearly tripped over the soft sand as I was hurrying. I looked around to try and spot Phil. The guy was being too weird that day. Phil is a weird and random guy, and that's his best trait. But somehow, that day he had become even weirder than his usual self. 

The beach was empty, apart from a few people that I recognised to be some of my neighbours, lounging around under the sun. I walked further up the beach and something caught my eye. A figure, a silhouette of someone. I squint my eyes and it looked like a little girl, with her long hair blowing in the wind. 

What made this little girl stand out was the fact that she was standing stock still in the middle of the beach and not move an inch. I approached her and as I almost got to her, she slowly backed away and before I knew it, she bounded towards the end of the beach. I didn't know why, but it felt right to follow her, and so I ran after this mysterious little girl, all the time thinking to myself how she looked so familiar. 

Then, the girl stopped. I stopped a few metres away from her. And all of a sudden, this boy came running up to her side and now I could see who they were. 'Ryan! Amy! What are you two doing here?!' I called out to them over the sound of the winds. They giggled and gestured for me to follow them as they ran. 

I had to go after them. They were the kids in Phil's mum's kindergarten class. But what were they doing there? Alone. 

They rounded the corner into the cove. I stopped dead in my tracks. The cove was where me and Phil would spend our birthdays every year, after we had the compulsory dinner with family. My heart was beating as I followed the children, taking heavy steps. I didn't know what I would find around the corner, but I had to find out. 

I peered from behind the rocks that lined the cove and I saw all the children from the kindergarten class standing there, beaming at me, looking proud of themselves. I walked slowly towards them and then I feel two tiny hands grabbing hold of each one of my hands. Ryan tugged at my right hand and Amy at my left. They looked excited. 

They led me towards the other children and then stopped me about a metre, right in front of them. 

Then, the other children slowly started to part, and now I could see someone crouching behind them. He got up and there he was, my best friend for the past five years, Phil. 

He smiled at me and walked towards me. In his hand, was a folded piece of paper. The paper was aging. It looked like it had been through so much. He handed this piece of paper to me. Without thinking, I took it. I wasn't thinking straight. I was so overwhelmed with what was happening. 

I unfolded the piece of paper and right there something was written. 

Written in black marker were the words : I Love You, Jess.

My heart skipped a beat. I didn't need the piece of paper to know what that meant. I looked up at him smiling down at me and I could feel tears well up in my eyes. 

And for a moment, I was frozen, unable to do anything. But then, my body moved of its own accord and I found myself walking over towards him and wrapping my arms around him. 

'Phil...' I sobbed into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around my waist. ' Is that a yes?' He whispered. I nodded so hard that my hair was a mess by the time I pulled away to look at him. 'You don't know how long I have been waiting for this.' I sobbed. His smile was gone and he furrowed at me. 'What do you mean?' 

I nestled my head into his shoulder. 'Oh Phil... I love you. I have always loved you. Since the second year I knew you. And even though I wasn't looking at him, I knew that he was smiling. 'I bet I can beat that. Jessica, I have loved you since the first week I met you.' I giggled a wet giggle into his shoulder. 'Yeah, you did beat me. You have always wanted to beat me in everything.'

'How about from now on, I let you win sometimes? You know, since we're going to be together and all.' He said. I smiled. 'Yeah, I like that.' I say and hug him even tighter. He pulled away from me and I couldn't help but feel disappointed. But then he cupped my face in his hands and before I could react, he kissed me, Somehow, it didn't feel wrong. No. It felt right, like it was meant to be. 

We forgot the world around us as I deepened the kiss. That is, until we hear little 'oohhhsss...' around us. 

We reluctantly parted and looked to see that the children were all grinning cheekily at us. Phil laughed. 'Okay, you little monkeys. Time to get you home. Mum would be so worried by now she would be rocking back and forth in some corner of the class.' The children laughed and so did I.

He gestured for them to gather and they walked in front of us. 

Me and Phil walked behind them, to make sure everyone was safe.

And I couldn't help but grin as I held on to Phil's hand. And in that moment, every piece of the puzzle was in its place. I felt whole and complete and I didn't know what was going to happen in the future but I was content to just stay in that moment and enjoy it while I can. 

Okay, so basically, I wrote this on autopilot. So it isn't quite good but I have decided to be raw on here and this is the result. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and maybe would like to read more???- Ellie

Sweet memories- Inspired by Mary's Song by Taylor Swift

He fidgeted with his hands. It has been chilly lately and he just isn't as young as he used to be. "Dear, the sunset's beautiful, isn't it?" He turned to the warm smile on his wife's face. Smiling back at her, he said, "Do you remember when we first met?" He smiled down at his worn down shoes as he flashed back to that time in primary school.

He had moved from another city because of his dad's work. The first day of school, he walked through the corridors with care. Even though they were just children, they were still scary for the new kid. That day, he ended up spending recess at the school playground, swinging slowly on the swing set. For weeks he did that, until one day, he felt someone sit beside him and he can feel that someone's eyes on him. One day, he felt the person walk closer to him but then stopped and walked away when they heard the bell. Finally, one fateful day, he felt light tap on his shoulder. He looked up to see a girl. "Hello." She smiled at him. He smiled back at her briefly. "My name's Isabella. What's yours?" Isabella asked him. "James." He answered shyly. Isabella beamed at him as she sat on the swing next to his. "Hello James. I'm new here. I just transferred." She said. "Really?" He didn't know what else to say. She nodded. "Yeah, my dad moved us here because of work." James didn't make a sound but instead he stared down at his shoes. "Hey, do you want to be friends?" Isabella asked. James half smiled. "Sure." He didn't know that she would be with him her entire life.

"Do you remember the day that I told you? I was a mess." James said to his wife. They were eighteen and they had were walking around in the mall after a movie. "Wasn't that great?" Isabella beamed up at him. "I know right." James said chuckling. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked in her white sundress and flats with a butterfly head band on her head. He didn't know how he could be so lucky and all he wanted was for her to know how he really felt. At that moment he decided he needed to tell her. He was sick and tired of other guys breaking her heart and he knows he can do better, so he stopped and said, "Hey Izzy?" Isabella looked at him. "There's something that I need to tell you." And so he told her everything. "James..." She said at the end of it all. He, on the other hand, ran away like a coward. They didn't talk for days after that. She was the one to approach him. And they decided to stay friends and somehow, James accepted that.

James smiled as he remembered the time they were in uni. James still felt protective over her but he accepted the fact that they were just friends. That is, until one day in summer. They were vacationing at a friend's house in the country and for the first few days they were there, Isabella hadn't been herself. She was fidgety and on edge. He could never quite figure out what was wrong. Then, when they were having a campfire, Isabella pulled him aside and told him something that would change his life. "James, I have to tell you something." She bit her lower lip. He furrowed at her. "What is it Izzy?" He urged her on. "I don't want you to freak out, but I think I may feel something." She said. James had been confused. He didn't understand what she had been on about. "Well..." James's eyes grew wide as he listened to what she had to say. By the end of it all, Isabella was crying and was telling him that it's okay if he didn't feel the same and that she understood. "What are you talking about?" James said in a shaky voice. Isabella looked up at him, tears were welling up in his eyes. "I loved you and I still do and I always will." Isabella lunged and hugged him. She felt almost relieved.

James was brought back to the present by a small voice and someone sitting on his lap. "Grandpa." The little boy said. "Jack. Where's your parents?" He caressed the little boy's head. Jack pointed over his grandfather's shoulder. With difficulty, James turned to see his son and his daughter in law smiling at him from underneath the shade of a tree. His daughter in law had a baby wrapped up in her arms. "My new born granddaughter." James thought, smiling at the couple. "Is grandma in heaven?" Jack asked. James turned his attention to his grandson. "Yes, yes she is and she is up there with angels that will always protect her. She will always be looking after you." He said pinching the boy's nose, making Jack giggle. "Come on, let's go." Jack got up and bounded towards his parents. James slowly got up, placing a hand on his wife's tombstone and said, "Honey, I'll get going. I love you." Tears welled up in his eyes, which he wiped away with a shaky hand. He knew that she was always there, in his heart because he had promised her that he would love her forever, until the day he died.

A soul

He watched as the world went by. Sitting on that old rusted, bench, watching the children jumping and running around in the playground. He then looked up at the sky and wondered, "Why me?" Tears that had been pooling in his eyes finally rolled down his cheeks. He didn't even bother to wipe them off, he was tired of hiding them, he was tired of being afraid.

He could hear them taunting him and throwing insults at him. He never knew primary school kids could be so mean. He was pulled back to the little him, chubby and bespectacled. He remembered the other kids sneering at him, pretending to smile at him, at best. He struggled to shut them out, to stop their taunting. They wouldn't stop and so he found both his hands flying to his ears. He was sick and tired of it and so he changed himself. He lost all the weight and got contacts.

Then, just as quickly, he was pulled back to the beginning of secondary school. Everything got relatively better and he started making friends. But there was something not right and he could feel it in his guts. They were always smiling way to elastically, and they were always there at the worst of times and not to mention, the homework. He chuckled a wet chuckle as he sat there on the bench. He should have known when they first handed him their home works and smiled all too sweetly at him and saying thank you in the shortest and almost emotionless possible way.

He was happy for a moment, doing their homework, if it meant he had "friends". He was okay with the long nights, sitting in his room finishing the bunch of home works. But then, it all got too unbearable. He started losing sleep and his grades started to drop. His "friends" were pushing him and pushing him until the brink of exhaustion. So he confronted them. He told them that it was too much and maybe he could just help them instead of doing it for them. They scoffed at him and said, "What kind of a friend are you?" They left and never offered him a second glance.

That's how he became the freak, the smart,geeky kid, the ugly one and sometimes, even the stupid kid, which is contradicting to being called the smart, geeky kid. He held his head down, walking through the corridors. He knew he couldn't stop them but he tried to drown them out as best he could. Although they were just murmurs and whispers, he could feel them pointing, he could sense them staring. He would hide in the lavatory, just to get away from it all. It got to a point where he started cutting himself. He never really understood why people did until he experienced it for the first time. The feeling that he got was overwhelming. It was intoxicating. He got so addicted that he did it up to five times a week.

His parents, concerned, took him to a therapist. He scoffed at the memory. It was just like talking to a robot. The psychiatrist was just trying to understand him instead of actually trying to help him. He went just because his parents wanted him to. He knew they were afraid for him but he couldn't help feel resentment. He hated the fact that they didn't know about it earlier. He hated the fact that they didn't notice. He hated the fact that he didn't tell them sooner.

The vision of secondary school became blurred and replacing it was the image of him entering sixth form college. It was somewhere he thought he could start fresh. He did at first. He was so busy with assignments and class that he didn't have time to think about anything else. And thankfully enough, he had kicked the habit of cutting himself.

The second semester rolled around and they had to start thinking about the kind of jobs they wanted to do. He remembered experimenting with a lot of stuff. He was sitting in his room one day and the notepad and pencil on his bed caught his attention. "That's right." He had thought. He grabbed the notepad and flipped through the pages that were filled with lines and lines of poetry. "This is what I want to be." He gritted his teeth as he thought to the genuine smile he had on his face. He felt disgusted with himself.

He optimistically and naively went and told everyone that he wanted to be a poet. The other sixth formers stared at him like he was some kind of lunatic. They laughed awkwardly and slowly but surely distanced themselves from him. Now, whenever he would walk up to a group, they would disperse like he's some sort of dangerous plague. He smiled but they never returned it and he called out to them but they never answered. They talked about the crazy kid who thinks he can make a living out of being a poet and he once again drowned them out, not all of them but, most of them. Even the teachers were saying that it was impossible.

Tears left a wet trail down his cheeks as he was sucked back to the present. He covered his face with his hands and muffled the wet sobs. He sniffled and looked up, his eyes red from the tears and not quite dry. He patted the lump that was showing through his jeans pocket. A bottle filled with pills was stashed in there. He smile at the thought that it will all be over soon.

"Hello?" He jerked his head towards that angelic, sing-song voice. Next to him stood a girl, about six years old. She had her hair up in a ponytail and she looked intently at him. "Hello." He answered weakly. "Why were you crying?" The little girl asked innocently. He sniffled and smiled at her. "I'm just upset with my friends, that's all." He answered. He couldn't tell a six year-old girl that he was thinking of suicide. "Why?" The girl asked again, cocking her head to the side. "They just said some things that made me upset that's all. And I don't think we're friends anymore." He didn't know why he was saying all of that to a little girl. The little girl stepped closer to him and placed a fragile little hand on his arm. "That's alright." She said reassuringly. "I'll be your friend." She beamed at him showing two missing teeth at the very front. It made him choke up. All of a sudden the resolve and the thought of suicide started to fleetingly escape his mind. He didn't expect someone so little and so innocent could have such a profound and empowering effect on him.

He knows that everything is not okay and he doesn't really know when it will but something about the little girl's smile reminded him that no matter how cruel the people he knows are, there are some out there, somewhere, who are ready to accept him for who he was. And so he smiled down at the girl and said, "Thank you." The little girl giggled delightfully. "You're welcome." Then suddenly, as if remembering something, the girl said, "I have to go. My mum is calling for me." He looked up to see a woman waving to the little girl, calling out, "Angela!" Angela let go of his arms and skipped away, waving as she did. He returned her wave all the way until she reached her mother.

He sighed a sigh of relief, as if all the burden had been taken off his shoulders. He smiled a weak smile, but a smile none the less, thinking that for once, maybe things were going to be okay, but he had to be strong. He never saw the little girl again, but she remained to him a reminder that not all are bad and some have the special ability to touch other people's lives, it's just that they don't know it yet.

I want to be LOVED

I know that you don't love me,

But, Can you please be fair?

And provide love for them,

As well as for me?

I know, I don't fit in,

And you won't care for me as much,

But don't leave out mummy and daddy, 

For they are part of this family,

I know they are more precious than me,

But how hard could it be,

For you to understand me,

And love me for me,

I know you can never love me,

But I pray every night,

That someday, somebody out there,

Will love me for me.

Creativity in me....

Creativity, something I don't expect you to understand,
Really dig deep inside,
Ending all doubts from whoever,
And for the most part,
The more you judge and hate,
In secret,
Vacancies in my soul,
Indirectly you've caused,
The worst is,
You're still forgiven;

An acrostic style poem by  me,Dedicated to  Miss Wong :) :
Mitchie;p

That night...

"Yay! I'm so excited!" Gina exclaimed. She and her dad were on their way to their hometown to pick up Gina's mum. "Calm down, we're not set to arrive in another 4 hours." her dad, Mr Michael said amused by his daughter. " I know that dad, but I just can't wait to see mum, grandma, grandad and everyone of my cousins."
"I know that. But, I can't concentrate on my driving if you don't sit still."

Mr Michael and his daughter Gina decided to surprise Gina's mother, Mrs Michael who was on vacation in her hometown. It was already 6 o'clock in the evening when they set off from Kuching, it was going to be about a five hour drive for them.

Halfway there, the weather started getting nasty. Thunders were rumbling, there was lightning, and the rain was unbelievable. Nobody would be able to see a thing in that kind of weather, especially at night.
" Bad luck, I can't see a thing." Mr Michael said as he tried really hard to see where he was going. " Why don't you try your spotlight dad?" Mr Michael did as he was told. The problem was that it made it worse. "Oh no, it's making it worse."
"You know what? Why don't you help me look out for a shop or someplace for us to stop." continued Mr Michael.
"Yeah sure."

So, the father daughter carefully made their way through the pouring rain.

A few miles later,
"Dad, you just missed it!"
"What? I didn't see anything."
"Dad, it was back there."
"Looks like we are going to have to stop at the next place we find. This time though, make sure that  you warn me earlier ok?"

A few moments after that, Gina noticed something from the corner of her eyes.
"Dad, what was that?"
"I'm sure it was nothing. I mean it's dark."
" Yeah, I guess you're right."

But, in her heart, Gina knew that she just saw something.She just couldn't quite put her finger on just what it is.
So, she did as she was told and kept her opinions to herself.

"Dad, about a mile from here there is a rest stop."
"Great. We can finally have something to eat."

So, they found themselves stopping at Lacau. Thankfully for the both of them, the shops were still open at the time. Mr Michael was glad to just stretch his legs after the long drive. Gina on the other hand, well she was feeling a bit uneasy to say the least. Little did she know that she was going to feel more uneasy. Mr Michael bought food for the both of them.

"Gina, why are you not eating?"
"Um, maybe later? I'm just not hungry yet."
"Ok. I'll save some for you."
"Yeah."

And then it happened again.
"Dad! Did you see that?!"
"What?"
"I think I saw someone over there."
"Gina, there is nobody here except for us and the storekeeper."
"But, I just saw someone over there. I think the person was dressed in black or red I couldn't tell."
"Gina, please stop talking nonsense."
"But,I....."
"Stop it or you'll be grounded."

It was so frustrating that her father did not believe her. She wished that her father could have seen what she has seen. Oh no, there goes that feeling again. She just felt unsettled. It's like something was telling her not to go on with her journey.


                                                       *So stopping right here*

Spread the word. please???? THANK YOU. I'm going to write about what this is all really about in the next part, which is part 2 of this story:)

Think before you act

Just another day...Carol always hated waking up in the morning. To her it was frustrating having to wake up that early in the morning. Then, there was school. On somedays it was great, over the moon as they say it. On other days, it was as miserable as hell. But, there was this one particular time that Carol knew she wouldn't forget. And it goes a little something like this...

Carol arrived at school early on a Monday morning. Same old routine at first. She puts her bag down in class then she heads down to the foyer to wait for her best friend,Riana. She always does a little light reading while waiting for her friend. So, there she was, reading her book and then suddenly,

Riana : Carol!!!!!!! (Riana screamed like a mad woman)

Carol :  Huh?

Riana : You won't believe what just happened! You know my bf?

Carol : Yeah, Alex.

Riana :Oh my gosh he just got a record deal with a local recording company!

Carol :Owh...That's great....   (really nothing else to say)

Riana :I'm going to be the girlfriend of a superstar!

Carol :Are you sure you can handle it?

Riana : What do you mean?

Carol : I mean,wouldn't it be hard for you guys to maintain a stable realtionship? You know, because of all the work he

            has to do? Plus, he'll probably get lots and lots of female attention.

Riana :I'm confident we will pull through. Besides he is the most charming guy in this whole school.

Carol : What ever you say...  (while reading her book)

Riana : Is it just me or does it seem like you are not taking this seriously?

Carol :It's not that, it's just, you know, I'm telling you what I think.

Riana :Well, I think you're wrong.

Carol : Whatever you say....

Riana : See? There you go again.

Carol : Riana, this is the way I talk... Ok, I don't see the problem with that.

Riana : The problem is my best friend does not take me seriously!

Carol : I do Riana! What's gotten into you?

Riana : Hold on, I know what this is all about! You're probably jealous tha I'm going to be the girlfriend of a future star.

             You're jealous because no boy in their right mind would give a second glance at you. I know I wouldn't look back

            at a chubby girl like you. Plus, I have the most good looking boyfriend on earth, maybe the entire universe! 

Carol :It's finally happened. You've finally lost your mind!

Riana :I'll tell you what I lost. Someone who I thought was my friend!

Carol : What are you talking about? Iam your friend I still am.

Riana : Well, from now on, you're not. I'm going to enjoy life with Alex while you sit here all alone by yourself.

Riana turns around and storms her way to the class.Leaving Carol all alone by herself thinking about a friend that she had just lost.

                                                                            *To be continued*

 Please spread the word. Thank you!!!!!!