>•~Falling Upwards~•<

Chapter Eleven: Where Birds Fly

A/N: Okay, this is really random, but I wanted to share this because I'm still really happy abt it, even though it happened like last Tuesday or Wednesday or something (just keep scrolling if you don't want to read this)

Well it's not too random bc I always put in a small(-ish, haha) poem at the start of every chapter. Anyways, at my school, we had a poetry contest, and I won! They put it up on the wall or smthing in our commons, and I got a lil paper of the award

Maybe I will add it in sometime, maybe next chapter. I lowkey forgot what it was about; something with trees lol

Anywho, I am gonna make a lesson out of this as if I'm your parent, just bc I can...

So like that poem-thing was something I just added in, because we could put up to three, and I honestly thought it was really bad. I thought there was no way it could win, and that I should have put up another in its place because it just seemed like a waste of time. Buttt, it wasn't! So, if any of you are questioning to submit any kinds of work, just do it. I won't hurt to just try, and you may just win!

(okay im done thanks if you read this and thank you for coming to my ted talk)

——

Are you a bird,
Stuck in its nest?
Have you never,
Learned to spread your wings?

Have you been cooped,
Up in your nest;
Too scared to learn,
To spread your wings and fly?

Too scared to fall?
Too scared of the risks?
That may come,
With learning to fly.

Will you stay there?
Will you never feel the wind and air,
Beneath your wings?
Does your fear capture you?

Are you a bird in its nest?

*~*

~C~

  April continues. "Anyways, this place needs a strong ruler to bring it all together,"

  She motions to the land around us. I can't help but nod. I have never truly seen the chaos closer to where the Center is. I have heard how violent it is, though. Here, we are safe, I guess. However, I don't believe someone sane can stay in the same place...

Forever.

  "What do you mean?" August chimes in.

  She gives a one-shouldered shrug. April still stares off into the abyss around us. I wonder what she is thinking. Is she really so harsh, or is it a mask she enjoys wearing? Furthermore, if it is a mask that she wears, does she even like it? Is it forced?

  After a few moments of silence, April answers his question, "I mean exactly what I said. We need a strong ruler to fix the mess that has happened here."

  "What..." I am not so sure where I am going with this. To not end up in an awkward situation, I just finish with what comes to my mind. The questions that had been pecking at me recently. "What did happen here?"

  They both turn to stare at me. Like I am some dumb, small child. I blink at them. I do not know what happened — Is that such a horrible thing?

  August murmurs to me, "Do you really not remember—"

  April cuts him off at his last word. She goes back to her feisty self. "Of course she doesn't remember, August! She doesn't remember anything! — We could tell her that humans can shape shift into flying pigs, and this girl would believe every last word she said. She is useless!"

  I stare at her. The word "useless" echoes through my mind. The word also echoes through the valley, and adds a horrible weight to it. Am I useless? No, at one point I was not. At one point, I was someone, and that someone was not useless.

  I do get what she says though. Even if it hurts, and stings. I know what she means. I am gullible, which I guess does make me useless. Just as how I am blindly trusting these people, for an idea I believe them out to be.

  "April, that's too harsh," August mumbles.

  I retort back at him. "No it's not. It's the truth."

  I bite my lip to keep in a few loose tears. This is my feeble way of not making myself more of a fool. To not make myself look more weak. I want to get up, and to move. Yet, I am stuck. I cannot move.

  Again, I get this sense of my old self. My old self would never just sit there, and hold in tears. No, she protected others. She protected others who were just like who I am now; who I have become.

  My old self would be fed up with me now. She would probably have snapped at me, just as April had now. What happened to me? How come I am so, completely and utterly, weak?

What is my purpose?

Why am I even still around?

  August mutters some words to April. I can only catch: "no use... fighting..." Then, she sighs. Then, she rolls her eyes. Then, after a few moments, she pats me on the back.

  "Sorry, C." She states begrudgingly.

  I put on a smile. "All good!" I chirp out.

  I just decide to put my weariness aside. Too strong emotions will drag me down. Old-me would never have put up with my behavior. I know she would have also shoved away useless emotions. She would have locked them up in a closet, and slammed the door to it shut.

  Eventually, that lock had snapped. All of those pent-up, useless emotions, came spilling out. Now I am drowning in them. Now I need to lock them away again.

  I get up. "I will go water the plants," I say.

  "C, are you okay?" August asks me as I leave.

"Of course!" I reply, as I don't want to make a scene.