Matthew Orr

Awakenings

Mrs. Wilson’s soft voice droned on about the historical importance of somebody somewhere. As my thoughts wandered around not really hearing a thing she said, my vacationing brain was abruptly jolted back to reality as the teacher asked a question of the slack jawed masses.

                “What year did …?’

She was looking at someone at the front of the class so the rest of the question faded into the attempted answer given from Betty, or was it Sue. I couldn’t recall but was grateful I was not the unlucky example of the class’s ignorance.

The window on my left mocked me with freedom. What I wouldn’t give for some respite from this purgatory. My knees still smarted from this morning and my run in with that jerk George. If he wasn’t such a snotty pig I might get along with him.

I rubbed one of my scraped up knees with my hand and thought of how stupid it was that I had to walk to school. There was a forest between me and this drab building and anything could happen. My run in with George was proof of that. I knew my parents would regret moving here when they heard about it.

                I recalled George’s words to me as he almost ran into me. I had cut through the trail to school which lead from our subdivision through the grove of trees.

“You running late again new kid?” George said.

What a stupid thing to say. No, I am not running late I am just racing through the woods trying to run into random trees and wishing for you to come along and bless me with the obvious.

                “What do you think Captain 0bvious?” I said snidely. I barely gave him a glance because this country yokel sure didn’t deserve one and I just kept hurrying down the path. I guess he was psycho, violent and slow as well because he tripped me, pushing me off the forest path as I passed him. I slid a long way down the forest slope and was saved by a nice big boulder. I hung on to it just glad I was alive.

                “You all right” George asked?

My Knees, elbow and anger all seemed to flare up at the same time. “Yeah I’m great you stupid……” I’m not sure what I said after that but some of my words were defiantly four-letter as well as a few I made up on the spot.

I stood groping at anything I could reach to throw towards his smug little face and my hand found a nice smooth rock, perfect for my purpose. I stood and turned to throw it only to find him gone.

                He couldn’t even be bothered to help me after pushing me down the mountain.

I pocketed the rock and planned my revenge which mainly involved hitting him with a rock and throwing him off the path and then asking him if he was okay.

By the time I got to school, I was late. Not unsurprising as I didn’t try to hurry after my near death experience. Why bother? My knees hurt and I figured that hurrying would only make them hurt more. The rest of my journey to school was uneventful. My thoughts of revenge faded as I entered the building.  I made a bee line for the office. No sense in going to class only to have the teacher tell me “Go to the office.  You’re late.”

The lady in the office made a notation in some book, probably my “permanent” file and sent me on my way with a note saying that yes, I’m late but am allowed the privilege of still attending class anyway.

I glared at the back of George’s head and my hand went to the rock in my pocket almost instinctively with the urge to chunk it at him.  I knew I couldn’t but it felt good imagining it. I slipped the rock out of my pocket and ran my thumb across its surface. It was surprisingly smooth. I put the rock on my desk and couldn’t believe what I saw. The stone was a milky bright blue almost completely smooth and a little smaller than my fist which made it seem almost the perfect size to hold in my closed hand.

I looked around the class to see if anyone had noticed my stone but everyone was lost in Mrs. Wilson’s historical reminiscing about things long dead and gone.  I rolled the stone over and over in my hands looking at every side and angle. There weren’t any cracks or discolorations and as I looked at the stone the whole class room seemed somehow brighter.

                “So this is class, then” said a small voice.

I looked to the left and right but no one seemed to be paying any attention to me.

                “Down here” said the voice.

On my stone sat a diminutive blue figure only a few inches in height. He looked up at me with a calm unconcerned face.

                “Hello to you me boy, and how are you on this fine day” he said with some kind of odd accent that I had never heard before.  “Hi… What the…who are you… what are doing here” I sputtered trying to voice my swirling thoughts. He stood and bowed with a smile saying “I believe introductions are the best way to start. My name is Lasair of the Fay at your service, sir. And who might you be?”

                My brain promptly denied everything I was seeing and hearing and I looked around to see who was playing some kind of over the top joke on me; but I was unable to find the malicious offender. 

                Mrs. Wilson came over to my desk and asked “Are you alright James? I just asked you what year World War two ended?”

                “Tell her Aug 15, 1945” said Lasair.

I relayed the date to Mrs. Wilson and didn’t know if I was more surprised at getting the answer correct or her not seeing the little figure standing next to the stone on my desk.  

                “So James, It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance” Said Lasair.

                “Why didn’t she see you? How did you know the answer and what are you?”

My mind was filled with so many questions that they seemed to knock into each other, each one trying to get answered first. I had to fight myself to keep from asking new questions.

                “She cannot see me because she didn’t find me stone and because you have a touch of the gift.  Before you ask more, lean closer please, I have to give you the knowing.”

I sat forward hoping that he would make more sense but seriously doubting it. As I leaned in closer to my desk the stone lit up brighter and brighter. My eyes burned and I could not look away despite the pain. 

                “There that should do it” said Lasair.

                “Do what and why didn’t you warn me?” I yelled.

                “Now you’ve done it. Look out for teacher. She can still see and hear you” said Lasair.

I looked up and realized that Mrs. Wilson was not only looking at me but also coming over to my desk.

                “James what are you yelling about” asked Mrs. Wilson?

                “I .. I.. don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t yelling” I choked guiltily.

“I am not asking you whether or not you were yelling. I know you yelled and disrupted the class. Why were you yelling? Answer me or you will be going to the principal’s office right now” she said.

I looked in her eyes and realized there was no way I could get out of this. Mrs. Wilson would just send me to the office anyway if I told her that I was yelling because my stone sprouted a fairy who talked to me, burned my eyes and was even now looking at me expectantly waiting to see what would happen.

                 “I’m waiting” said Mrs. Wilson.

I got up and gathered my things together not even bothering to answer her. Lasair was no were to be seen but the blue stone still sat on my desk. I shoved it into my bag along with my other stuff.  I hoped I could think up a good answer by the time I got to the principal’s office. 

                “I don’t know why I was yelling” I told her.

                “Sure you do” said Lasair.

                “Shut up! You’re not helping things” I told him.

“James, go to the office right now!” said Mrs. Wilson.

I shut my mouth knowing that anything else I had to say would only make things worse. The rest of my class mates didn’t even register to me. I don’t know if they were laughing or staring at the new kid who finally went completely crazy. As far I was concerned it was Mrs. Wilson, Lasair and me. I kept my eyes down and left as quickly as I could in a daze.

The building was quiet and deserted. I looked around thinking that the hallways somehow seemed different. I looked in my bag as I walked towards the office hoping in vain that Lasair would show up and answer at least one of the dozen or so questions running through my mind.

                “Lasair where are you?” I mumbled the words under my breath but he was no were to be seen.

I walked down the hallway passing the cafeteria and library. As I headed toward the office for the second time today I came to the decision that I would just get rid of the rock. It was obviously no good. In fact it was the reason I was in trouble in the first place. I would just put it back where I got it and be done with it.  I was out the door and on my way down the path before I could change my mind.  

                “So is that it then?”  

I heard the words and turned quickly looking every which way but seeing no one around me. I knew that the voice was Lasair.  His odd accent was unmistakable.

                “Show yourself” I yelled to the woods around me, feeling my anger well up.

                “I am right here and have been with you the entire time if only you had really looked” Lasair said.  He stood on the ground no more three feet away from me still blue and five inches tall.

                “Now then, this is a much better place to speak freely of this and that” he said.

                I stood speechless unable to vocalize my mix of anger and curiosity. Then suddenly, I realized that something had changed; something intrinsic that I was unable to pinpoint.

This is the advice that Susan Butaud gave me.

Awakenings

Mrs. Wilson’s soft voice droned on about the historical importance of somebody somewhere. As my thoughts wandered around not really hearing a thing she said, my vacationing brain was abruptly jolted back to reality as the teacher asked a question of the slack jawed masses.

            “What year did …?’

She was looking at someone at the front of the class so the rest of the question faded into the attempted answer given from Betty, or was it Sue. I couldn’t recall but was grateful I was not the unlucky example of the class’s ignorance.

The window on my left mocked me with freedom. What I wouldn’t give for some respite from this purgatory. My knees still smarted from this morning and my run in with that jerk George. If he wasn’t such a snotty pig I might get along with him.

I rubbed one of my scraped up knees with my hand and thought of how stupid it was that I had to walk to school. There was a forest between me and this drab building and anything could happen. My run in with George was proof of that. I knew my parents would regret moving here when they heard about it.

            I recalled George’s words to me as he almost ran into me. I had cut through the trail to school which lead from our subdivision through the grove of trees.

“You running late again new kid?” George said.

What a stupid thing to say. No, I am not running late I am just racing through the woods trying to run into random trees and wishing for you to come along and bless me with the obvious.

            “What do you think Captain 0bvious?” I said snidely. I barely gave him a glance because this country yokel sure didn’t deserve one and I just kept hurrying down the path. I guess he was psycho, violent and slow as well because he tripped me, pushing me off the forest path as I passed him. I slid a long way down the forest slope and was saved by a nice big boulder. I hung on to it just glad I was alive.

            “You all right” George asked?

My Knees, elbow and anger all seemed to flare up at the same time. “Yeah I’m great you stupid……” I’m not sure what I said after that but some of my words were defiantly four-letter as well as a few I made up on the spot.

I stood groping at anything I could reach to throw towards his smug little face and my hand found a nice smooth rock, perfect for my purpose. I stood and turned to throw it only to find him gone.

            He couldn’t even be bothered to help me after pushing me down the mountain.

I pocketed the rock and planned my revenge which mainly involved hitting him with a rock and throwing him off the path and then asking him if he was okay.

By the time I got to school, I was late. Not unsurprising as I didn’t try to hurry after my near death experience. Why bother? My knees hurt and I figured that hurrying would only make them hurt more. The rest of my journey to school was uneventful. My thoughts of revenge faded as I entered the building.  I made a bee line for the office. No sense in going to class only to have the teacher tell me “Go to the office.  You’re late.”

The lady in the office made a notation in some book, probably my “permanent” file and sent me on my way with a note saying that yes, I’m late but am allowed the privilege of still attending class anyway.

I glared at the back of George’s head and my hand went to the rock in my pocket almost instinctively with the urge to chunk it at him.  I knew I couldn’t but it felt good imagining it. I slipped the rock out of my pocket and ran my thumb across its surface. It was surprisingly smooth. I put the rock on my desk and couldn’t believe what I saw. The stone was a milky bright blue almost completely smooth and a little smaller than my fist which made it seem almost the perfect size to hold in my closed hand.

I looked around the class to see if anyone had noticed my stone but everyone was lost in Mrs. Wilson’s historical reminiscing about things long dead and gone.  I rolled the stone over and over in my hands looking at every side and angle. There weren’t any cracks or discolorations and as I looked at the stone the whole class room seemed somehow brighter.

            “So this is class, then” said a small voice.

I looked to the left and right but no one seemed to be paying any attention to me.

            “Down here” said the voice.

On my stone sat a diminutive blue figure only a few inches in height. He looked up at me with a calm unconcerned face.

            “Hello to you me boy, and how are you on this fine day” he said with some kind of odd accent that I had never heard before.  “Hi… What the…who are you… what are doing here” I sputtered trying to voice my swirling thoughts. He stood and bowed with a smile saying “I believe introductions are the best way to start. My name is Lasair of the Fay at your service, sir. And who might you be?”

            My brain promptly denied everything I was seeing and hearing and I looked around to see who was playing some kind of over the top joke on me; but I was unable to find the malicious offender. 

            Mrs. Wilson came over to my desk and asked “Are you alright James? I just asked you what year World War two ended?”

            “Tell her Aug 15, 1945” said Lasair.

I relayed the date to Mrs. Wilson and didn’t know if I was more surprised at getting the answer correct or her not seeing the little figure standing next to the stone on my desk. 

            “So James, It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance” Said Lasair.

            “Why didn’t she see you? How did you know the answer and what are you?”

My mind was filled with so many questions that they seemed to knock into each other, each one trying to get answered first. I had to fight myself to keep from asking new questions.

            “She cannot see me because she didn’t find me stone and because you have a touch of the gift.  Before you ask more, lean closer please, I have to give you the knowing.”

I sat forward hoping that he would make more sense but seriously doubting it. As I leaned in closer to my desk the stone lit up brighter and brighter. My eyes burned and I could not look away despite the pain. 

            “There that should do it” said Lasair.

            “Do what and why didn’t you warn me?” I yelled.

            “Now you’ve done it. Look out for teacher. She can still see and hear you” said Lasair.

I looked up and realized that Mrs. Wilson was not only looking at me but also coming over to my desk.

            “James what are you yelling about” asked Mrs. Wilson?

            “I .. I.. don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t yelling” I choked guiltily.

“I am not asking you whether or not you were yelling. I know you yelled and disrupted the class. Why were you yelling? Answer me or you will be going to the principal’s office right now” she said.

I looked in her eyes and realized there was no way I could get out of this. Mrs. Wilson would just send me to the office anyway if I told her that I was yelling because my stone sprouted a fairy who talked to me, burned my eyes and was even now looking at me expectantly waiting to see what would happen.

             “I’m waiting” said Mrs. Wilson.

I got up and gathered my things together not even bothering to answer her. Lasair was no were to be seen but the blue stone still sat on my desk. I shoved it into my bag along with my other stuff.  I hoped I could think up a good answer by the time I got to the principal’s office. 

            “I don’t know why I was yelling” I told her.

            “Sure you do” said Lasair.

            “Shut up! You’re not helping things” I told him.

“James, go to the office right now!” said Mrs. Wilson.

I shut my mouth knowing that anything else I had to say would only make things worse. The rest of my class mates didn’t even register to me. I don’t know if they were laughing or staring at the new kid who finally went completely crazy. As far I was concerned it was Mrs. Wilson, Lasair and me. I kept my eyes down and left as quickly as I could in a daze.

The building was quiet and deserted. I looked around thinking that the hallways somehow seemed different. I looked in my bag as I walked towards the office hoping in vain that Lasair would show up and answer at least one of the dozen or so questions running through my mind.

            “Lasair where are you?” I mumbled the words under my breath but he was no were to be seen.

I walked down the hallway passing the cafeteria and library. As I headed toward the office for the second time today I came to the decision that I would just get rid of the rock. It was obviously no good. In fact it was the reason I was in trouble in the first place. I would just put it back where I got it and be done with it.  I was out the door and on my way down the path before I could change my mind. 

            “So is that it then?” 

I heard the words and turned quickly looking every which way but seeing no one around me. I knew that the voice was Lasair.  His odd accent was unmistakable.

            “Show yourself” I yelled to the woods around me, feeling my anger well up.

            “I am right here and have been with you the entire time if only you had really looked” Lasair said.  He stood on the ground no more three feet away from me still blue and five inches tall.

            “Now then, this is a much better place to speak freely of this and that” he said.

            I stood speechless unable to vocalize my mix of anger and curiosity. Then suddenly, I realized that something had changed; something intrinsic that I was unable to pinpoint.

This is a really good start!   

This is my original copy of the story.

Awakenings

Mrs. Wilson’s soft voice droned on about the historical importance of somebody somewhere. My thoughts also wandered around not really hearing a thing she said. My vacationing brain was abruptly jolted back to reality as the teacher asked a question of the slack jawed masses.

            “What year did …?’

She was looking at someone at the front of the class so the rest of the question faded into the attempted answer given from Betty, or was it Sue. I couldn’t recall but was grateful I was not the unlucky example of the class’s ignorance.

The window on my left mocked me with freedom. What I wouldn’t give for some respite from this purgatory. My knees still smarted from this morning and my run in with that jerk George. If he wasn’t such a snotty pig I might even get along with him.

I rubbed one of my scraped up knees with my hand and thought of how stupid it was that I had to walk to school. There was a forest between me and this drab building and anything could happen. My run in with George was proof of that. I knew my parents would regret moving here when they heard about it.

            I recalled George’s words to me as he almost ran into me. I had cut through the trail to school which lead from our subdivision through the grove of trees.

“You running late again new kid?” George said.

What a stupid thing to say. No, I am not running late I am just racing through the woods trying to run into random trees and wishing for you to come along and bless me with the obvious.

            “What do you think Captain 0bvious?” I said snidely. I barely gave him a glance because this country yokel sure didn’t deserve one and I just kept hurrying down the path. I guess he was psycho, violent and slow as well because he tripped me, pushing me off the forest path as I passed him. I slid a long way down the forest slope and was saved by a nice big boulder. I hung on to it just glad I was alive.

            “You all right” George asked?

My Knees, elbow and anger all seemed to flare up at the same time.

            “Yeah I’m great you stupid……” I’m not sure what I said after that but some of my words were defiantly four-letter as well as a few I made up on the spot.

I stood groping at anything I could reach to throw towards his smug little face and my hand found a nice smooth rock, perfect for my purpose. I stood and turned to throw only to find him gone.

            He couldn’t even be bothered to help me after pushing me down the mountain.

I pocketed the rock and planned my revenge which mainly involved hitting him with a rock and throwing him off the path and then asking him if he was okay.

By the time I got to school I was late. Not unsurprising as I didn’t try to hurry after my near death experience. Why bother, my knees hurt and I figured that hurrying would only make them hurt more. The rest of my journey to school was uneventful. My thoughts of revenge faded as I entered the school.  I made a bee line for the office no sense in going to class only to have the teacher tell me “Go to the office.  You’re late.”

The lady in the office made a notation in some book, probably my “permanent” file and sent me on my way with a note saying that yes, I’m late but am allowed the privilege of still attending class anyway.

I glared at the back of George’s head and my hand went to the rock in my pocket almost instinctively with the urge to chunk it at him.  I knew I couldn’t but it felt good imagining it. I slipped the rock out of my pocket and ran my thumb across its surface. It was surprisingly smooth. I put the rock on my desk and couldn’t believe what I saw. The stone was a milky bright blue almost completely smooth and a little smaller than my fist which made it seem almost the perfect size to hold in my closed hand.

I looked around the class to see if anyone had noticed my stone but everyone was lost in Mrs. Wilson’s historical reminiscing about things long dead and gone.  I rolled the stone over and over in my hands looking at every side and angle. There weren’t any cracks or discolorations and as I looked at the stone the whole class room seemed somehow brighter.

            “So this is class, then” said a small voice.

I looked to the left and right but no one seemed to be paying any attention to me.

            “Down here” said the voice.

On my stone sat a diminutive blue figure only a few inches in height. He looked up at me with a calm unconcerned face.

            “Hello to you me boy, and how are you on this fine day” he said with some kind of odd accent that I had never heard before.  “Hi… What the…who are you… what are doing here” I sputtered trying to voice my swirling thoughts. He stood and bowed with a smile saying “I believe introductions are the best way to start. My name is Lasair of the Fay at your service, sir. And who might you be?”

            My brain promptly denied everything I was seeing and hearing and I looked around to see who was playing some kind of over the top joke on me; but I was unable to find the malicious offender. 

            Mrs. Wilson came over to my desk and asked “Are you alright James? I just asked you what year World War two ended?”

            “Tell her Aug 15, 1945” said Lasair.

I relayed the date to Mrs. Wilson and didn’t know if I was more surprised at getting the answer correct or her not seeing the little figure standing next to the stone on my desk. 

            “So James, It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance” Said Lasair.

            “Why didn’t she see you? How did you know the answer and what are you?”

My mind was filled with so many questions that they seemed to knock into each other, each one trying to get answered first. I had to fight myself to keep from asking new questions.

            “She cannot see me because she didn’t find me stone and because you have a touch of the gift.  Before you ask more, lean closer please. I have to give you the knowing.”

I leaned forward hoping that he would make more sense but seriously doubting it. As I leaned in closer to my desk the stone lit up brighter and brighter. My eyes burned and I could not look away despite the pain. 

            “There that should do it” said Lasair.

            “Do what and why didn’t you warn me?” I yelled.

            “Now you’ve done it. Look out for teacher. She can still see and hear you” said Lasair.

I looked up and realized that Mrs. Wilson was not only looking at me but also coming over to my desk.

            “James what are you yelling about” asked Mrs. Wilson?

            “I .. I.. don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t yelling” I choked guiltily.

“I am not asking you whether or not you were yelling. I know you yelled and disrupted the class. Why were you yelling? Answer me or you will be going to the principal’s office right now” she said.

I looked in her eyes and realized there was no way I could get out of this. Mrs. Wilson would just send me to the office anyway if I told her that I was yelling because my stone sprouted a fairy who talked to me, burned my eyes and was even now looking at me expectantly waiting to see what would happen.

             “I’m waiting” said Mrs. Wilson.

I got up and gathered my things together not even bothering to answer her. Lasair was no were to be seen but the blue stone still sat on my desk. I shoved it into my bag along with my other stuff.  I hoped I could think up a good answer by the time I got to the principal’s office. 

            “I don’t know why I was yelling” I told her.

            “Sure you do” said Lasair.

            “Shut up! You’re not helping things” I told him.

“James, go to the office right now!” said Mrs. Wilson.

I shut my mouth knowing that anything else I had to say would only make things worse. The rest of my class mates didn’t even register to me. I don’t know if they were laughing or staring at the new kid who finally went completely crazy. As far I was concerned it was Mrs. Wilson, I and Lasair. I kept my eyes down and left as quickly as I could in a daze.

The building was quiet and deserted. I looked around thinking that the hallways somehow looked different. I looked in my bag as I walked towards the office hoping in vain that Lasair would show up and answer at least one of the dozen or so questions running through my mind.

            “Lasair where are you?” I mumbled the words under my breath but he was no were to be seen.

I walked down the hallway passing the cafeteria and library. As I headed toward the office for the second time today I came to the decision that I would just get rid of the rock. It was obviously no good. In fact it was the reason I was in trouble in the first place. I would just put it back where I got it and be done with it.  I was out the door and on my way down the path before I could change my mind. 

            “So is that it then?” 

I heard the words and turned quickly looking every which way but seeing no one around me. I knew that the voice was Lasair.  His odd accent was unmistakable.

            “Show yourself” I yelled to the woods around me, feeling my anger well up.

            “I am right here and have been with you the entire time if only you had really looked” Lasair said.  He stood on the ground no more three feet away from me still blue and five inches tall.

            “Now then, this is a much better place to speak freely of this and that” he said.

            I stood speechless unable to vocalize my mix of anger and curiosity. Then suddenly, I realized that something had changed; something intrinsic that I was unable to pinpoint.

            Part of my inspiration for this story was my daughter because she enjoys reading fantasy stories.  Getting her to help me with ideas when I was writing the story was a nice window into what someone her age sees and I am pretty sure she is writing more to the story on the sly as a surprise to me. The class discussion was really good and everyone gave my some very positive feedback as well as new directions I can take the story in future chapters.

 I have added the additions in punctuation to my story and have adjusted several words which helped to tighten my story. I am keeping the name George as the boy James interacts with because I think I am going to utilize the commonness of that name in expressing his character and also contrasting James himself later in the story. I have not been able to decide what to add to the end and my daughter said she liked it and felt I shouldn’t change it.  I really enjoyed the reading and felt that the experience as a whole was beneficial and productive.