Warped Pears

I awakened to my heart beating and the sound of my feet being drugged across the floor. Lights were flickering in and out. I thought to myself where I could be? Why can’t I move my body? A loud screeching noise seemed to fill the halls. How was I moving? Who had me? As I they turned the corner my body flew forward. Slumped down into my knees I could see my feet resting as if I was being pushed in a wheelchair. A hand reaches and yanks me back into a seated position. I could hear low muffles as I was being pushed down this long hall. All the doors seemed to be shut. How did I get here? I asked myself. I couldn’t remember the last thing I was doing. Or place I had been. What’s Happening to meeeeeeee!! My thoughts poured out of my mouth into a yell. “shhhh”, “you must be quiet”. Whispered a voice. “Where are you taking me”? I said frantically. “Shhhhhh”. “Who are you”? I asked. “Help, now keep it down or we’re gonna get caught”. “Where am?” I feel a pinch in the side of my neck. Everything became blurry again. Screech! Screech! Screech! (Darkness)

The sun has risen to its peak in the sky; casting a shadow on the most beautiful pear tree near the trail, I run past every day. No one has dared to eat from the tree in almost 25 years. The pears are perfect, and none ever fall from it. There are guards who keep watch, so no one ever tries to pick an eat them. “Are they dangerous?” I ask myself this question all the time. There are so many urban legends/myths about people before me who had eaten pears from this forbitten tree, none of which I feel are the truth. People tend to exaggerate or add in their own beliefs to the lies.; but it still kind of makes me wonder. What would one taste like If I did eat one, would I turn into giant? Will I get superpowers? Will I melt like a witch?” Nobody knows. But I had planned to find out.

Since everyone in the town heads inside around 10pm every night. I figured I’d make my way back to the tree around 11pm tonight. I can see the pear tree from my room window, and I’ve kept watch of the guards. They switch shifts between 10:45pm and 11:11pm. No eyes for 25mins. Tick, tick, tick, tick goes the hands on the clock. Beeeep, beee, I cut off my alarm. I begin my mission of sneaking down the stairs. My parents’ bedroom door is always open, and my mom is always up watching her shows. I took a chance and made my way towards their room which is right next to the stairs. I peeked into my parents’ room to see what they were doing; mom had just got up to use the restroom. I sighed with relief and made my way downstairs. I ran towards the door unlocking it. I heard the fire alarm beep for the first time, and I realize I must turn off the security alarm. I look up and mouth thank you! I opened the door made my way outside. I ran over to the side of the garage, where earlier I laid a short step ladder and a trash pickup extension pole. I looked around ducking behind my parents’ car and ran for the trail. As I got closer, it seemed, even at night this pear tree lights the night and I’ve never been close enough to simply just admire it. I rushed and sat the ladder under the tree. I began to climb, my watched buzzed, 5 min was all I had left on this mission. While standing on the top step of the ladder everything became slower as if time had slowed down. I could hear each beat of my heart. I could feel the sweat slowly run down my face. I pulled up the extension pole pickup stick and I grabbed a hold of pear. Time begun to move even slower. I see car lights begin to arrive at the beginning of the trail. I could hear the guards getting closer. It seemed they were moving fast but I was moving slower. I had the pear in my hand finally! I lifted my hand to bite into the pear. The guards seen me “HEY, HEY, YOU GET DOWN FROM THERE, NOW!” yells one of the guards. My teeth sunk into the pear. The guards are 5 feet from the ladder. “NO, NO, NO, NO” the guard’s yell. I began to chew. It was so sweet, so juicy it was perfect. I closed my eyes. It was like a bright camera had flashed before my eyes.” What in the Hell’ says the guards as they look at each other?

Wind gushing and it feels as if my body was falling. I opened my eyes and saw a plane above me. I begin checking my body when I realize my hands aren’t my hands, they looked like a man’s. I begin hyperventilating. A woman yells “Troy!” in my ear.” Are you okay? You need to calm your breathing.” My body starts to flip over, as I’m turning, I could see the women speaking to me in my ear. I look down and I see a pear falling just a couple feet below me. Its turning and I see that it’s missing a piece as if someone bit into it and dropped it. Flashbacks came pouring in. I begin reaching for the pear my body began picking up speed. “Atta boy” the woman says.” I thought I’d lost you for a moment there.” I grabbed the pear and bit it. My vision goes white and I’m standing in a room of mirrors. I start walking trying to figure my way out. It looks to be a maze of mirrors. I’m freaked out. I begin to see blood drizzle from the top of the mirrors, down to the floor. I think to myself, what is happening? A pear appears in my hand with 2 missing bites. I looked into the mirror at myself, and I took a bite. (Whoosh!!) My body thuds hitting the ground. I immediately began Screaming from the top of my lungs, trying to catch anything that’ll help me break free from whatever it is/was that’s dragging me towards a forest! Digging my hands into the dirt, kicking, and screaming, tossing back and forth. I finally flipped onto my back and seen that there was no one there. I heard my voice loud and echoey “Stop fighting and Let go”. I just kept repeating myself, “Stop fighting and Let go.” “Stop fighting and Let go.” “Stop fighting and Let go.” I was afraid but my body had seemed to relax but my mind was still scattered. I took a deep breath and stopped fighting. I closed my eyes. I felt as if I was flying through a tunnel. I opened my eyes, and it was to my understanding I was traveling through some sort of time dimensional portal. The lights and colors were so beautiful, everything appeared fast, but I moved at a regular pace. I passed myself at the tree and I could see the entire town surrounding the tree. I seemed to have been frozen in the air in mid chew. That bite was delicious. I closed my eyes again and it felt like time had stopped.

My body felt very heavy. I tried opening my eyes, but I couldn’t. my heart begun beating very fast. My mind stops, I awakened to my heart beating and the sound of my feet being drugged across the floor. Lights were flickering in and out. I thought myself where I could be? Why can’t I move my body? A loud screeching noise seemed to fill the halls. How was I moving? Who had me? As I they turned the corner my body flew forward. Slumped down into my knees I could see my feet resting as if I was being pushed in a wheelchair. A hand reaches and yanks me back into a seated position. I could hear low muffles as I was being pushed down this long hall. All the doors seemed to be shut. How did I get here? I asked myself. I couldn’t remember the last thing I was doing. Or place I had been. What’s Happening to meeeeeeee!! My thoughts poured out of my mouth into a yell. “shhhh”, “you must be quiet”. Whispered a voice. “Where are you taking me”? I said frantically. “Shhhhhh”. “Who are you”? I asked. “Help, now keep it down or we’re gonna get caught”. “Where am?” I feel a pinch in the side of my neck. Everything became blurry again. Screech! Screech! Screech! (Darkness)

(Thud! Thud.) I could hear cars passing by. I could hear a blinker light. (Click,click,click) I woke to my body popping up and down as I if I were in a trunk of car. I immediately began screaming, kicking, pounding. “Let me ouuuutttt! Please don’t kill me”. I Pleaded. The car begins to slow, I feel the car make a right turn. A gate sounds like its opening. The car pulls in and about 10 seconds. It stops! Footsteps begin to approach the trunk. My hearts begin to pound as I scurry to the back of the trunk, looking up at the trunk as it is popped open. I’m afraid. The light from the sun fills the trunk and a hand reaches out and an older woman appears. Her voice so soft and inviting “Everything is going to be, okay?!, your home now.” She said with a smile. “Home!” I replied.

As I grabbed her hand removing myself from the trunk. I began to look around. I noticed the biggest mansion I had ever seen. Home? I said to myself. A door opens to the mansion and out walks a young boy. “Did you happen to eat a pear from the Pear Tree?” said the boy. He seemed to have a similar face from pictures I’d seen growing up. In that moment I felt my body begin vibrating as if I were been pulled apart from the middle out. My body bounced back as if it realigned itself. I felt different. “Did You Eat A PEAR From the Tree?” He said again. With my head up, I stood tall “YES, yes I did.” The older woman asks “what’s your name honey? “Amari”, I Replied. “Where Am I?” “What is this place?”. “Well, I’m Vanessa, and this is here is Leroy. We will help you to get settle in and situated. You the first in 25 years to have come from the portal which Leroy and Ryan came through. You will soon meet others like you who’ve eaten time warped fruits,” says Vanessa. Time warped? So, Leroy are you still the same age you were when you left?” I asked. “Yea, and so will you.” he said. I looked down at my hands and picked my head up and watched myself in the mirror as I walked past it. I thought to myself, “how could this possibly be true?” Will I ever get to see my Family again? How do I get back? There must be a way back? (hyperventilating) Are these people my new fami. Leroy shakes me, “Snap out of it! You’re here now. Make the best of it! You made your bed now you lay in it”. Vanessa chimes in. “So, this is your room. I will bring you clothes and anything else you need. Take a shower and lay down and maybe get some rest it’s a lot to take in, I know. Come downstairs when you’re comfortable. We’re so happy to have you here Amari. I’m sure you’ll fit right in.” She closes the door and walks away. (Footsteps recede down the hall)