Prompt #15

[Angel_Child_Of_Grace]

Hunched up against the wall, knees drawn close to her chest, Zeta watched the people walk by, unaware. Everything was so new to her, so diffrent. She rested her head, still alert of the people going past her. Things to do, people to see, why would they pay any heed to a child sitting on the street? It was normal for kids to be loitering around in the big city. The big city.... Zeta thought, What....What's happening?

Lost in her own thoughts, Zeta didn't notice the girl coming up from her side. Her footsteps were drowned out in the sound of chatting people, the sound of cars, and the everyday clamor of the city life. Zeta felt so alone, sitting there against the wall of a shop she's never seen before. "Zeta?"

The voice startled her out of her thoughts. Looking up, she saw a tall girl standing over her. She had deep cherry red hair that fell to her shoulders. she wore a lime green shirt and purple jeans. Her eyes were a swirl of diffrent shades of blue. "Zeta?" she repeated.

Zeta stared up at the child, not saying a word. Sadly, the girl knelt down in from of her and placed her skinny hands on her shoulders, shaking her a bit as if to wake her from a nightmare. "Zeta? Don't you remember me?"

Zeta slowly shook her head. No, no memory. The girl's eyes watered, like she desperatly wanted to cry, but at the same time, desperatly wanted to hold the tears back. "Zeta, it's me. Your sister. Please, don't you remember?"

Once again, Zeta shook her head. She was in no mood to talk, especially not to strangers. The red haired girl sighed and tears began to pour down her face. Taking Zeta's wrist, she pointed to the woven blue bracelet on it and then rolled up her sleeves to show an exact replica on her own wrist. "Remember?"

Zeta shook her head. W-who are you?" She asked, quiet and slowly as someone just waking up from a deep sleep.

"Zeta please!" The girl cried out, tears now running long streaks down her face. "Please Zeta! You have to remember! You have to remember me!"

Zeta, already numb from the harsh feeling of loneliness, just stared at the girl. No recognizition in her eyes. The red-head sobbed loudly, hugging Zeta desperatly. Zeta did not hug back. "It was a car accident!" She sniffed, "We were driving from our home to the city, to this city. We use to live in the country side!" She paused, words drowning out by the tears. "Mom and dad didn't make it, Zeta, but we did! We did! The hospital came, but they said you hit your head. That you'll lose memory of everything that happened every day except the day of the accident and before. Every night your memory drains of everything that happened!" Her voice rose to a frantic cry of an injured animal and the salty tears slid down her cheeks like melting ice. "They said, lots of people you now have been wiped clean from your memory. And I am one of them. Please Zeta please!"

Zeta, still hunched against the wall, just stared. "What do you mean?" she asked, almost in a whisper.

The crying girl sniffed loudly and wiped the tears from her face "Zeta. How old are you? What's the date today?"

"I'm 8." Zeta answered, drawing her knees even closer to block away the girl. "It's 2001."

The red haired girl shook her head and hugged her sister even closer. "No, Zeta. It's 2008, you're 15 years old."

Zeta didn't say a word. The red haired girl stood up and held out a hand to try to help up Zeta. Zeta didn't move, she just stared at the out-reached hand. Slowly, the girl put her hand down. "Zeta..." Zeta shook her head. "Zeta...." Giveing up, the girl turned and slowly walked away, with the small glimmer of hope that Zeta would follow. Zeta did not. Stopping a few paces away, people turning to not run into her, she said over her shoulder. "I understand Zeta. I'll try again tomarrow, and the next day, and the next day, and forever more. You are my sister Zeta and I will not let you go. I've been coming here every day to try to get you to follow me. Every day since the accident and you just sat here waiting." Zeta was still silent. "I tried. The doctors said they might be able to get your memory back, but we need you to cooperate. You never have so far, but I will try again until you do." Zeta still didn't get up.

The red haired girl waited for a few more minutes, then walked away, crying silently to herself, hating to see her sister spending every day hunched against the wall. Quietly she walked back home, but stopped when she felt something touch her shoulder. Slowly, she turned and saw Zeta standing at her side. Zeta's far-away look cleared to the loving child she once knew. Slowly, her mouth twitched into a smile. Putting her arms around Zeta's shoulders and lead her home.  

[Angel_Child_Of_Grace]

I tried to leave the story off that Zeta stayed sitting against the wall and her sister left her there, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  

[serephemeral]

Hunched up against the wall, knees drawn close to her chest, Zeta watched the people walk by, unaware. Everything was so new to her, so diffrent. She rested her head, still alert of the people going past her. Things to do, people to see, why would they pay any heed to a child sitting on the street? It was normal for kids to be loitering around in the big city. The big city.... Zeta thought, What....What's happening? (Put her thought in italics)

Lost in her own thoughts, Zeta didn't notice the girl coming up from her side. Her footsteps were drowned out in the sound of chatting people, the sound of cars, and the everyday clamor of the city life. Zeta felt so alone, sitting there against the wall of a shop she's never seen before.

"Zeta?" (put speech on new lines.)

The voice startled her out of her thoughts. Looking up, she saw a tall girl standing over her. She had deep cherry red hair that fell to her shoulders. she wore a lime green shirt and purple jeans. Her eyes were a swirl of diffrent shades of blue.

"Zeta?" she repeated.

Zeta stared up at the child, not saying a word. Sadly, the girl knelt down in from of her and placed her skinny hands on her shoulders, shaking her a bit as if to wake her from a nightmare. "Zeta? Don't you remember me?"

Zeta slowly shook her head. No, no memory. The girl's eyes watered, like she desperatly wanted to cry, but at the same time, desperatly wanted to hold the tears back. "Zeta, it's me. Your sister. Please, don't you remember?"

Once again, Zeta shook her head. She was in no mood to talk, especially not to strangers. The red haired girl sighed and tears began to pour down her face. Taking Zeta's wrist, she pointed to the woven blue bracelet on it and then rolled up her sleeves to show an exact replica on her own wrist. "Remember?"

Zeta shook her head. "W-who are you?" She asked, quiet and slowly as someone just waking up from a deep sleep.

"Zeta please!" The girl cried out, tears now running long streaks down her face. "Please Zeta! You have to remember! You have to remember me!"

Zeta, already numb from the harsh feeling of loneliness, just stared at the girl. No recognizition in her eyes. The red-head sobbed loudly, hugging Zeta desperatly. Zeta did not hug back.

"It was a car accident!" She sniffed, "We were driving from our home to the city, to this city. We use to live in the country side!" She paused, words drowning out by the tears. "Mom and dad didn't make it, Zeta, but we did! We did! The hospital came, but they said you hit your head. That you'll lose memory of everything that happened every day except the day of the accident and before. Every night your memory drains of everything that happened!" Her voice rose to a frantic cry of an injured animal and the salty tears slid down her cheeks like melting ice. "They said, lots of people you now have been wiped clean from your memory. And I am one of them. Please Zeta please!"

Zeta, still hunched against the wall, just stared. "What do you mean?" she asked, almost in a whisper.

The crying girl sniffed loudly and wiped the tears from her face "Zeta. How old are you? What's the date today?"

"I'm 8." Zeta answered, drawing her knees even closer to block away the girl. "It's 2001."

The red haired girl shook her head and hugged her sister even closer. "No, Zeta. It's 2008, you're 15 years old."

Zeta didn't say a word. The red haired girl stood up and held out a hand to try to help up Zeta. Zeta didn't move, she just stared at the out-reached hand. Slowly, the girl put her hand down. "Zeta..." Zeta shook her head. "Zeta...." Giveing up, the girl turned and slowly walked away, with the small glimmer of hope that Zeta would follow. Zeta did not. Stopping a few paces away, people turning to not run into her, she said over her shoulder. "I understand Zeta. I'll try again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, and forever more. You are my sister Zeta and I will not let you go. I've been coming here every day to try to get you to follow me. Every day since the accident and you just sat here waiting." Zeta was still silent. "I tried. The doctors said they might be able to get your memory back, but we need you to cooperate. You never have so far, but I will try again until you do." Zeta still didn't get up.

The red haired girl waited for a few more minutes, then walked away, crying silently to herself, hating to see her sister spending every day hunched against the wall. Quietly she walked back home, but stopped when she felt something touch her shoulder. Slowly, she turned and saw Zeta standing at her side. Zeta's far-away look cleared to the loving child she once knew. Slowly, her mouth twitched into a smile. Putting her arms around Zeta's shoulders and lead her home.



Good for your first post! ^.^ Remember, though, show not tell.