(This story was originally posted on the
Forum, but moved here)
PRELOUGE:
There was a war.
A big one.
And it split apart our nation.
But luckily, they came to an agreement.
East stay on their side, West stay on their side.
There are rules and guidelines for each side.
Differences and similarities keep them at bay.
But there is one big rule.
No one is allowed to cross sides.
CHAPTER ONE:
WEST:
"Duuude," yelled Turner. "You ready for the big game tonight?" He poured fresh popcorn into a bowl and shook piles of salt onto it.
"Almost," responded Darryl. He grabbed his foam finger, ball cap, and ran to the couch.
"Man, you took forever!" complained Reuben.
The three teenage boys were about to watch their favorite sports show, a game in which a small orange ball is thrown into various hoops strung from a ceiling. Scientists are still working on researching this strange, ancient game, but they believe that some may have called it "basketball."
The game begun with a buzz. Each player took a stance and jumped for the ball.
"Go, go!" cheered on Reuben.
A tall player from the home team sunk the ball into the basket.
"YEAH!" yelled Turner. "TOUCHDOWN!"
Darryl rolled his eyes. "That's football, smart one."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
EAST:
"Mother, I am home." said Sarah.
"Unpack your things."
Sarah sighed. She disliked living on the East side, where it was so boring and lifeless. Each day you always did the same thing, week after week, until you got so tired of it that you just became one of those emotionless robots.
"What's for dinner?" asked Sarah. Her stomach rumbled
Her mother gasped. "Sarah, you know it is against the East code to use contractions!" She whipped out a big, bulky handbook. "I believe it is time to refresh your memory on the East code."
Sarah took the book in her hands and grunted. She turned to the grammar and communication section.
"ALL SPEECH SHALL BE SPOKE IN A MILD TONE WITH NO USE OF CONTRACTIONS, NONEXISTANT WORDS, OR OTHER GIBBERISH SLANG."
"What a dumb rule," Sarah muttered under her breath. She slammed the book closed and put it back on the shelf, where all the other "mandatory books" were kept. Things like dictionaries, law books, and other boring reads were lined neatly in a row.
"Mother, I am going out for fresh air," she called out.
Her mother responded, "Do not stay too long, or else you may catch a cold."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I will not." She stepped out the door.
CHAPTER TWO:
WEST:
"Aw, did you see all those rebounds the Skrillers made?" asked Turner.
"Yeah, that was sick!" agreed Reuben. He made an explosion motion with his hands.
Darryl signed. "Hey, I'm gonna go out and uh, take a walk."
The two boys gasped. "Dude, you know how dangerous that is? There are freaky people out there."
"I know, but don't you guys want to do something other than sit around, eat pizza, and watch sports?"
Turner scratched his head. "I guess I haven't really ever thought about that."
Reuben nodded. "Yeah, I hardly ever pay attention to what's going on other than in the sports network.
Darryl shook his head. "You guys can go do, whatever. I'm just going to get some fresh air, maybe do something fun."
Turner shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever, man." He took a long sip of his root beer.
Darryl stepped out of the door and squinted at the sunlight.
"Man, I really DO need to get out more often." He began walking.
EAST:
Sarah shoved her hands in her pockets and glanced at the houses. They were an exact copy, a replica of each other. How boring.
The sidewalk was perfectly straight. Each individual blade of grass was the same height. There wasn't a cloud to be seen in the sky.
"Why is this so?" wondered Sarah. She began taking small steps towards.. well, who knows where?
As she continued walking, she realized that she wasn't really going anywhere. In fact, Sarah was simply extending her distance from the house.
She began waking in circles. "What's going on?" Her head spun around and around, until she couldn't take it any longer and finally dropped to the ground.
WEST:
Darryl looked around at the scenery. He sighed. All his friends ever did was sit on the couch and watch odd sports like football and basketball. Well, that couch WAS pretty comfortable, but still... they could at least take the decency to wash their clothes once in a while.
Since Darryl was born, he knew he was different. He didn't use the particular "slang" that everybody else used. He was always neater than his peers.
"Why am I such a weirdo?" he asked himself. "Why can't I just fit in like everybody else?"
He looked down at the ground, and decided to start walking. Just, walking towards who knows where. He'd never explored the outside world like this before.
As he approached the end of the sidewalk, he saw a fence.
"How weird," thought Darryl. It was no ordinary fence, however. This fence rose ten feet high, made of the highest quality barbed wire.
"I wonder what's on the other side of that fence."
He looked around for any sight of guards, but he found none. So Darryl peeked his head through the fence and nearly gasped.
On the other side, Darryl saw...
CHAPTER THREE:
WEST:
A girl. Darryl saw a girl.
Her hair was a dark shade of brown, with no tangles or knots. It was perfectly straight. Her eyes were open and dazed, a pitch dark black. Her lips were like blossoms, soft and fragile.
"Um, hello?" asked Darryl.
The girl immediately stood up and brushed the dirt off her...uniform?
"Hello there," she said. "What is your business being here?"
Darryl scratched his head and attempted to tidy up his hair. "Uhm, I was just, yanno, taking a walk.
The girl studied him. "Do you ever wash your clothes?"
Darryl looked down at his shirt, which was blotted with ketchup, soda, and other questionable stains.
"Oh, sorry 'bout that." He studied the girls uniform once again. It was neatly pressed, a white shirt, black skirt, and flats.
The strange girl spoke again. "Why do you speak such irregular language?" she asked.
Darryl didn't know what she was talking about. "Huh?"
"Using nonsense words such as 'um, yanno, 'bout'."
Darryl blanked out. "Ain't those regular words?" He eyed her. "And why are you, like, so formal?"
The girl blinked. "All beings shall be formal and have proper etiquette. Have you not studied the code of polite behavior in society?"
Darryl was still dazed. "Err... we don't do that where I live."
The girl shook her head.
Darryl tried to smooth things out. "Yanno, you never told me your name."
The girl cleared her throat. "My name is Sarah. And you?" She held out her hand
"Darryl." He didn't know how to react to the strange gesture, so he did a sideways high-five.
Sarah pondered. "Darryl, what a strange name."
EAST:
"Well, I guess I better go." said the strange boy Darryl.
"Me, too." She started walking back to her community. But as she kept walking, Sarah couldn't get over the boys caramel colored hair, his bright, gleaming blue eyes, and that goofy smile on his face.
In fact, these emotions were so strong that Sarah didn't even know what to call them. Compassion, admiration, and affection were the only words that came to mind.
But the emotions she were feeling were much stronger than that. More stronger than anything she'd felt before.
She shook the silly thoughts out of her head and went back home.
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS:
"You fool," hissed Chief Tom. "Why did you let them communicate?"
"Sir," stammered Agent Luke. "There was nothing I could do, it was out of my power."
Chief Tom shook his head. He rushed to the computer and typed in a series of numbers into the computer database.
"You see these levels, Luke?" he yelled. "Those are off the charts. We have to stop this madness before it happens."
"Sir, I do not believe there is anything in our power that we can do." said Luke.
"Don't be silly, agent." replied Chief Tom. "In fact, I already have a plan in mind."
CHAPTER FOUR:
WEST:
"Woah, you never will believe who I met today!" said Darryl when he arrived at the house.
"Who?" asked Reuben and Turner in unison.
"This girl named Sarah. She wasn't from here, though."
Turner scratched his head. "What do you mean, not from here?"
Darryl searched for the words. "Well, uh... she spoke differently, and dressed differently."
Reuben gasped. "And you know what we call those people?" He paused.
"ALIENS!" Turner and Reuben burst out laughing.
Darryl sighed. "Guys, this is really serious!" He looked out the door.
"I'm going to bring her here."
Reuben gasped. "But... duuuude. She's not even from here. She could be one of those secret government agents."
But Darryl was already out the door, bolting for the fence.
As he approached the 10 foot tall wall, Darryl searched for Sarah.
Then he spotted her. Same as always. Same perfect hair, flawless skin, and crisp uniform.
"Sarah?" he called out.
Sarah turned around and gasped. "W-What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you," he responded. "What are you doing here?"
Sarah's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. "Same thing."
Darryl took a deep breath and gathered all the courage he had. "I'd like you to come meet my friends."
Sarah was wide-eyed. "No, I am sorry, but I cannot."
"Why not?" protested Darryl.
"Because, it is very complicated," she said, and turned around.
"No, you have to." He pounded his fist on the fence.
"But, how will I get over this wall?" said Sarah.
"Here, I'll show you." Darryl began carefully climbing up the fence, one footstep at a time, until he was at the top.
He then took a giant leap off and landed with a soft "thud" in the grass.
"Are you okay?" asked Sarah.
"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Here, let me help you over," said Darryl.
He gestured towards the fence and Sarah began climbing up. Darryl pushed her feet up and gave her a lift when she was towards the top. Then he, too climbed up.
"Wow, you can see miles from up here," said Sarah.
"Yeah, it's pretty awesome." Darryl pushed her playfully off the fence. He jumped off at the same time and they both landed in the dirt.
Sarah laughed. "That was fun."
Darryl smiled. "I know." He lead her to the guy's house.
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS:
"This is bad. This is really, REALLY bad," stressed Luke.
"Are you kidding me? This is great," said Chief Tom. "They're falling right into my plan.
"But when are we going to do the procedure, sir?" asked Luke.
Chief Tom smirked. "Soon, my apprentice. Soon."
CHAPTER FIVE:
WEST:
Darryl pushed open the door of his house.
"Well, here it is." He lead Sarah into the living room.
Reuben and Turner were sitting on the couch with a huge bowl of nacho dip and chips.
"Hello," said Sarah. She gave a polite wave.
Turner nodded in response. Reuben lifted his hand in the air.
Sarah carefully stepped around all the trash and wrappers that cluttered the floor. She sat on the couch very carefully, crossing her legs.
Darryl jumped on the couch. "Well, what do you think?"
"It's nice." Sarah nodded. She abruptly stood up.
"Listen, thanks for everything and all, but I really need to go."
Darryl jumped up. "Why? You just got here!"
Sarah shook her head. "I really... need to go." She started walking towards the door.
Darryl grabbed her wrist. "Wait - before you go, I want to take you to this really awesome carnival. It's just across the street." He began pulling her along.
Sarah didn't resist.
They ran down the street and finally arrived there - big, bright flashing lights. The smell of sweet sugary delight perfumed the air.
Darryl pointed to the photo booth. "C'mon, let's go!" Together they ran inside the small booth.
Sarah sat down. "And how exactly does this work?"
"You just make funny faces at the camera," explained Darryl. He pressed the start button.
A bright flash of light blinded Sarah. She covered her eyes with her hand.
"What was that?"
"The camera flash," said Darryl. "Nothing to be afraid of."
They struck a funny pose and laughed.
Darryl pulled her out of the booth. "C'mon! This place serves the best corndogs."
"Corrrrrn doogss?" Sarah tried to pronounce.
They arrived at the booth where the sweet aroma of savory meat filled the air.
"Two, please," Darryl told the cook.
He handed them each a corn dog. The breading was a nice caramel brown.
"Go ahead, try it."
Sarah took a small bite out of the corndog. She chewed it thoughtfully and then responded, "This is delicious!"
"I'm glad you like it!" said Darryl. "Now let's hurry to the ferris wheel before the carnival closes." He led her to the ride.
The wheel rose nearly 100 feet in the air. Each seat was a different color, and a small string of lights wound around it.
"Wow," breathed Sarah. "It is amazing. We do not have such wonders where I live."
The carnival worker led them onto the ride. He closed the door and they started ascending.
Sarah looked down. "This is amazing, Darryl. I am having a wonderful time."
Darryl smiled. "Me too."
Sarah sighed. She looked at the horizon.
"What's wrong?" asked Darryl.
She took a deep breath. "If you knew something bad about me, you would still be my friend, right?"
Darryl blinked. "Of course. You can tell me anything, Sarah."
Sarah begun. "Well, I was meaning to tell you..."
Suddenly, the ride buckled. There was a huge pop, and sparks flew everywhere. Smoke billowed from the bottom of the ferris wheel.
"What's going on?"
Their seat unlatched from the hinges. Sarah clung on the edge.
"Darryl!" she screamed.
"Sarah!" He tried desperately to pull her up, but the seat was too wobbly.
"Sarah, climb up!"
"I cannot," she said.
"I can help you!" said Darryl.
"No," she sad. "It is for the best." Her fingers let go of the seat's edge. Down, down, down she fell, until she was just a small speck among everyone.
"SARAHHH!" screamed Darryl. He hung his head in his hands. "Oh, Sarah. What have I done?"
CHAPTER SIX:
WEST:
Darryl sat with his head hung low in the police station. He was taken in for questioning.
A tall officer stepped into the room. "Sir, we need you to come with us, please." Darryl was lead into a small, dimly lit room with stone walls. In the middle of the room sat an old table with two rusty chairs on either side.
The officer sat on one end, while Darryl took the opposite chair.
"So," the officer began, "what is your name?"
"Darryl." He swallowed hard and wiped the sweat off his palms.
"Darryl," repeated the officer. "And where were you on the night of the incident?"
He took a deep breath and tried to recall all the events that took place. "Well, I was on the ferris wheel with my friend. And we were just sitting there when our seat came unlatched. Then, I don't remember much, but she fell -"
"She?" interrupted the officer.
"Yeah, she. Her name was Sarah."
"Sarah. What an unusual name for one from the West side." He stroked his beard. "Please, continue."
"Well, she kind of fell off, and I didn't see her again." Darryl pressed his lips together. "That's all I have to say."
The officer pondered. "Interesting. Could you describe your friend, Sarah?"
Darryl searched for the memory. "Uhm, dark brown hair, black eyes, pale skin."
The officer typed up on his computer. "Do you know her last name?"
He thought and thought, trying to pull back a memory. Darryl sighed. "Bishop. Sarah Bishop."
Again, the officer typed away on his laptop. "Well, this is interesting." He turned the screen towards Darryl.
He looked at it, and could just barely make up the tiny letters on the screen that spelled out, "NO MATCHES."
The police officer chuckled. "According to these results, your little 'friend' has never existed."
CHAPTER SEVEN:
WEST:
"What do you mean she never existed?" Darryl screamed, slamming his hands on the table. He began to panic.
The officer's eyes widened. "Woah, calm down little dude." He slowly moved hand towards the taser on his belt.
Darryl sat down again, choking back the tears. "I saw her. I talked to her. She is real, and I can prove it."
The officer consulted him. "Sometimes, our brains tell us things are real when they really aren't. Sarah could've been just a dream."
"NO!" Darryl shouted. Hot tears began streaming down his cheeks. "You're wrong! You're all wrong! Sarah is real and I'll show you!" And with those words, he ran out of the door and bolted for the fence.
EAST:
As Darryl arrived at the fence, he didn't hesitate to climb up and jump over it. He landed with a thud on the ground.
He sprinted towards the middle of the city until he reached the school. Darryl pushed open the door and headed straight towards the office.
"I'm...looking for... Sarah Bishop," he said between breaths.
The secretary looked up from her paperwork. "Do you belong here?" And she resumed stacking various envelopes from her desk.
Darryl flared his arms. "THIS IS SERIOUS!"
The secretary was taken aback. "We - We have never had a Sarah Bishop in our school."
"What are you talking about? She is real. I swear."
"Well, I have no idea who you are speaking of, but I can certainly search it on the school's computer." The secretary typed up a series of letters and numbers on the keyboard."
Darryl shook in anticipation. It seemed like she was writing a book or something, by how much she was typing.
Finally, a small receipt printed out on the printer. Darryl pulled it off and quickly read it.
"SARAH BISHOP. NO MATCHES."
"GAHHHH!!" He crumped up the piece of paper and ran out into the hall.
Suddenly, he bumped into a girl about his age, with brown hair and pale skin. It was funny though, she was wearing the exact same uniform as...
"Sarah!" screamed Darryl. People around him stared in awe at this new and strange person.
The girl turned around. "Hello? Can I help you?"
"It's me, Darryl," he said. "Sarah, what happened to you?"
She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "Nothing. I do not think you belong here, human."
"What are you talking about? It's me!" Darryl struck a big, goofy grin. Several others around him chuckled.
The girl spoke again. "I do not know you."
Darryl's shoulders dropped. "How do you not know me? We were best friends." Suddenly, an idea struck him. He pulled out a photograph from his pocket and showed it to the girl.
"Remember? We went to the carnival together. We took pictures in the photo booth."
The girl stared at the photo for some time, until shaking her head and turning away. "I am sorry, Dairy El, but that is not me."
"Of course it is!" He pointed at her face. "Look! Same eyes, same hair, same face!"
Another girl glanced at the photo, and then back at the girl. "No, I do not see it."
"C'mon! You have to remember something, anything," cried Darryl.
The bell rung.
"I think it is best that you leave," said the girl. She walked into another classroom, and soon the other students started filing in as well.
Darryl slumped to the ground, leaning his back on the stone wall. He watched the minutes tick by.
Five.
Ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Fourty.
Ring!!
The bell to signal third period was over and there was passing time.
Darryl abruptly stood up and smoothed out his hair and clothes. His eyes scanned the crowd in search for Sarah - or the girl he once knew as Sarah.
CHAPTER EIGHT:
EAST:
Darryl caught the shoulder of the mysterious girl.
"Hey," he began. "I want to talk."
The girl turned around and caught his eye for a split second, quickly looking away.
"Just leave me alone, okay?" She shrugged off Darryl's hand.
"What happened to you?" he asked.
"Nothing!" she shouted, backing away slowly.
Darryl sighed. "Listen Sarah - "
"Why do you keep calling me that?" the girl pleaded. Tears slowly started streaming down her face. "What do you want from me?"
"You!" Darryl shouted. "The old you, the Sarah I know!"
"Stop calling me that!" She clutched the books in her hands tighter.
"Sarah," he said again. "what's happened to you? You've become...someone else. A person I've never met before. What became of us?"
The girl looked down at the ground and turned her back to Darryl.
"Things change, Darryl. The girl you want me to be is just a memory." She looked into Darryl's eyes.
"Go. Go look for that girl. I'm sure she's amazing."
"She is you! You are... her!" argued Darryl.
"I'm nothing special," admitted the girl. "I'm just a girl with a geometry test next period and I forgot to study." She backed into the shadows of the hall, leaving Darryl standing alone.
Darryl's phone buzzed. It was a text from Reuben.
"dude, u up for pizza n football 2nite?"
He shut his phone and slipped it in his pocket.
"She is right. I need to look for Sarah."
And without looking back, Darryl ran through the halls and out the door.
