It's a kind of random story about a girl who likes to write stories...I started it a while ago and got to chapter three...I didn't know where to go from there...I wouldn't be surprised if there was a big break between chapters three and four. Don't worry, it'll come out eventually. For now, here's an ultra long chapter one. For once, no prologue.
Elizabeth's Story
By Batya Zamansky
Chapter 1
The Clearing On The Hill
"Beth. Beth? Elizabeth! Get your head out of that notebook and get over here!" I looked up. Marni was shouting at me. I quickly closed my notebook and ran over to Marni, still holding it.
"Honestly! You treat that notebook as if it was a baby! I need your help setting up the tables." Marni said. It was July 4th and we were having a big party for all our neighbors and friends and family. We had a big yard, so we were setting up outside. Mom and Dad were inside cooking, so they assigned Marni, my older sister, and I to set up outside. I had volunteered to help with the cooking, but Mom said that Marni couldn't set up on her own, so I had to help.
"Where do we set up?" I asked. Our land was curvy and there wasn't much flat land to set up the tables. Our barn covered most of that land. But Marni had other ideas, judging by the look on her face.
"We take the tables down into the valley
and set up there, near those three trees bunched up together. There is shade there and the ground is as flat as we're gonna get." Marni said. I groaned inwardly. Moving all those fold able tables into the valley! And then after the meal is over, moving them all back. Gosh.
"All those tables?" I asked, suppressing a groan.
"No way! We're going to do it buffet style. We only have to move these three tables, and all these chairs." She said, moaning. "It's going to take all morning!"
"Then we better get started." I said.
"You should put your notebook down on the porch so you won't drop it. I don't get why you take it everywhere with you."
"You don't?"
"You never told me."
"You want to know?"
"Of course!"
"Okay, then, this is why." I said. "When I found this notebook in the store a few months ago, I knew I needed that notebook. I saved up and was only able to buy it a few weeks ago. It, well, it is calling to me. It wants me to write in it, but I can't figure out what."
"A notebook wants you to write in it?" Marni said. She giggled. "Next you'll be telling me that your pencil moves in your hand. What next, Beth?"
"Do we need to move these tables or not?" I said, gently placing my notebook on the porch railing.
"Okay, lets start with the big one. Lets go." Marni said, and we walked over to the garage to take out the tables.
*****
"Elizabeth! Marni! Grandma and Grandpa are here!" Mom shouted upstairs. We had finished the grueling task of moving tables and chairs and had grabbed a few muffins to take upstairs where we could eat without any interruption. We shared a room. I had half of the room and Marni had the other half. The door to our bathroom was in between our halves, marking the center. I had climbed into bed with my muffin, ate it, and read my book. Marni had gone over to her desk and began instant messaging her friends on her laptop. I had a computer of my own, but I preferred to read. I had hoped that we could just stay upstairs until dinner, but I guess I was wrong.
"Elizabeth! Marni! Get down here now or do I need to come up there!" Mom yelled. I jumped, quickly slid my bookmark into my book, and jumped out of bed, only pausing to slide my notebook under my pillow. Marni snorted.
"Are you coming or not?" I asked her. She snorted again and closed her laptop. She got up and we slowly went downstairs.
"Marni! Beth! Come over here and give me a hug!" Grandma had sat down on the couch and she raised her arms to invite us to hug her. I walked over and hugged her. She smelled like flour, like fresh bread. I got up and hugged Grandpa. I walked over into the kitchen, where Mom was making roast pork. It smelled so good.
"Beth? Can you set up the table cloths and bring out forks and knives and napkins, you know, eating stuff." Mom said. I knew it was a bad idea to go into the kitchen.
"Sure, Mom. Which tablecloths should I use?"
"The red checkered ones. And use the paper napkins. And bring out a big stack of plates, the disposable ones. And the plastic utensils."
"Okay." I said, walking out of the kitchen. I opened the side door and walked outside.
"And don't forget the table cloths!" Mom called after me. I ignored her and entered the garage to get the table cloths and other stuff. I grabbed three table cloths, the box of paper plates, the box of plastic utensils, and the box of paper napkins and put all the boxes on top of the table cloths. I grabbed it all and slowly walked out of the garage and walked down the hill to the tables and chairs.
"Dang it!" I said as the boxes of utensils and napkins came tumbling out of my arms. I took off after them, dropping the other supplies onto the tables as I past them. I raced down the hill after the boxes, only pausing when I caught up to them. I bent down and picked up the boxes. I got up and put them on the table. Then I took them back off so that I could spread the tablecloths. Oh joy, the wonders of July fourth. I set up the tables and went back inside.
"Oh, Beth! Where have you been? We just got here!" Aunt Cora exploded. She, Uncle Ali and my two cousins were standing in the living room. Rachel, my older cousin, was 16 and was talking to Marni, who was also 16. Brian, my other cousin, was around my age. Normally, he would play with Mike and Frank, my 10 year old cousins, but they weren't here yet. Brian was 11. I was 13. I went up to Aunt Cora and hugged her.
"It's nice to see you, Elizabeth." Brian said to me. I looked at him and smiled. He could be nice to me sometimes.
"Is anyone else here yet?" I asked Dad, who was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Mom probably shooed him away from the chocolate cake while she was icing it.
"Not yet. But they should get here soon. Why don't you and Brian start bringing food out? Marni? You and Rachel can guard the tables, just make sure nothing flies away." Dad said.
"Sure, Uncle Bill." Brian said.
"Yea, sure Dad." I said. Brian followed me into the kitchen and I saw Mom was, indeed, icing the big chocolate cake.
"Dad told us to start bringing food out onto the tables. What's ready?" I asked her. She looked flustered.
"The salads, the pork dish, the appetizers, anything that's out." She said. I grabbed a salad and Brian grabbed the big pork dish. I led Brian out the back door and into the yard. He followed me to the tables and he placed the roast pork in the center of the middle table, the biggest table. I put the salad onto the first table, next to the napkins and plates. We headed back up the hill to get more food. Just then, a minivan pulled into the yard. As soon as it stopped, Mike and Frank jumped out, each carrying a water gun, and ran over to Brian, each of them prepared to shoot.
"Don't hit the tables or chairs or food!" I shouted at them as they and Brian ran off to the far end of the yard. I sighed and went back inside to get more food.
*****
I sank down into my chair upstairs beside my bed. I had escaped the crowded living room and run up here. I hated crowds. I reached for my book and began to read it. But then I heard Mom shout at the top of her lungs.
"Elizabeth! Get down here this instant!" I jumped and ran downstairs.
"I just had to go to the bathroom! The one down here was occupied and even if I managed to get to it, people would stop me." I lied crossly as I stomped downstairs. I stood at the foot of the steps and looked at Mom expectantly.
"As you all know, this is our annual fourth of July party. Marni will show you to where we are eating." Mom said. "I hope you enjoy yourselves." She looked at me, annoyed. "Elizabeth, you should change into something more appropriate. This is our party." I stomped back upstairs, cross. I slammed the door to the room I shared with Marni and threw myself onto the bed. I knew that Mom really wanted this party to be a success. So I decided to do as she said, even though it bugged the hell out of me. I got up and walked over to my dresser, opening a door. I looked through the drawer. I needed a nice tank top, something that would work with jeans. I found a pretty flowered red top and pulled it out of the drawer. I changed into it and slipped on a pair of sandals that had no heels. Then I went outside to join the party. I hoped that some of the roast pork would still be there when I arrived.
"Hullo, Bethy." It was Grandpa. He was walking slowly across the yard. Grandpa and Grandma were both 70 years old, and Grandpa was turning 71 in two weeks. He was very fit and he could have run down to the tables faster than anyone else, but he had decided to stroll slowly, enjoying the view. I slowed my step so that I could walk beside him.
"Hi, Grandpa." I said. I swung my arms around. "It's a wonderful day."
"It sure is, mouse." Grandpa always called me mouse. It was my nickname. I loved it. We strolled down to the tables and Grandpa went over to sit next to Grandma. I crept away to a tree stump and sat there, waiting for Mom to let us eat. But, oh no, she had to do her speech first. Oh, wonderful.
"It is July fourth, the day our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. It is...." and she went on and on. I stopped listening after a while, but continued to look as if I was. I didn't need another public appearance today. After about ten minutes, she stopped. "I can tell that none of you were listening, but it's okay, I won't start over. It's a family tradition to make a long speech on the fourth of July. Just bear with me for a few more minutes."
After about five more minutes, she stopped. "This meal will be different. My daughters and my nephews will be waiters and waitresses. You will each get a menu and they will get the food for you. Elizabeth? Marni? Can you hand out menus?" She said. I groaned inwardly. Wonderful. Now I won't get any of the roast pork.
"Here, Grandma. What would you like to eat?" I asked. I would behave the perfect waitress so that Mom wouldn't get on my back about being rude to our guests.
"I would like a few slices of that roast pork," I suppressed a moan. "a small pile of that salad, and get me a slice of that chocolate cake for me and I will save it for you. If you're fast, there might be a bit more of the pork left on my plate for you to try." Grandma said. I grinned. She knew that I loved Mom's roast pork, but she only made it for special occasions. I took the order and got Grandma her food. I went off to get Aunt Cora's order. It was going to be a long afternoon.
***
"Thanks, Grandma!" I said. Everyone had been served, but all the food that was left was a few scraps of pork and a bowl of salad. I had given Grandma an extra big serving of pork on purpose, and she knew it because she winked at me as she took the first bite. The slice of cake she promised me was still on the plate, although a small piece had been eaten. I grinned at Grandma and dug into the roast pork on her plate. It was delicious, and I cleaned her plate of it, and the chocolate cake disappeared in a minute. I took her plates and walked them over to the last table where we were storing the plates until we could throw them all away.
"Wonderful idea, Beth! How about you and Marni collect the plates, let your cousins have a rest." Mom said. She had stuffed herself with pork and salad and appetizers and a slice of cake and didn't bother to do a bit of work after that. I moaned, pulling a face, and then walked over to Aunt Melissa and her family to collect plates. Marni only got Mom and Dad's plates before sitting back down to talk with Rachel. I walked over to where Brian, Frank, and Mike were sitting on the grass. Mike still had a small piece of cake left.
"Hey, Beth! Want some cake?" He asked before shoving it into my face. I spit and wiped at my eyes frantically. Then Brian and Frank jumped up and began throwing fatty scraps of meat at me. I screamed as everything about today pressed in around me, I couldn't think clearly, I was suffocating. I ran, hardly able to see where I was going, and I ran straight out of the party. Wiping meat out of my eyes, I ran towards a gap in the trees that surrounded our home. I ran down the path, away from the boys, away from the crowds, into a small clearing, just off the path. I ran and ran until I fell on a rock. I hit my head, hard, and the world started spinning. I struggled upwards. I looked around. I couldn't see through the trees, I was so deep in the forest. The trees around me spun in circles, I saw people, tons of people. I was as big as a galaxy, as small as a cell on a leaf. The world tilted and I fell, into crowds, into darkness where I couldn't see anything, into nothingness.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
Chaos
Friends, family, all chaos
Only reality
Normality
Has a chance
At having
Order
1 comment:
ididnt beg yu!!
yu owed meee
yu promised to have three posts by the end of spring break!! BUT YOU DIDNT!!! SO i am awesome1!!
:D
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