Running On Empty

Chapter 3~Jaylin

The first memory I have about my childhood would be a little boy who had a smile on his face. He looked to be a younger me, with blond hair and grey eyes that matched his father's eyes.

The father was laughing and the mom was smiling as well. The boy had on a helmet and knee pads and was on a bicycle with training wheels. It had been the first time the boy had ever rode a bike. He had a huge smile on his face. His father looked proud and the mom stood there holding a baby in her arms. It was the brother's new born sister named Lilian. She cried a lot and the boy hated it because he didn't like the loud piercing sound that rang through his ears. The little baby seemed curious this time, she was only nine months and she cried out in joy as she clapped her tiny chubby hands. The father pushed the boy and then he shouted," Petal Jaylin, use your feet! You can do it, son!"

The boy had felt a sense of pride when he felt his legs moving up in down in a rotational motion because he was able to go faster than he had ever before. He loved the feeling of the wind brushing against his face and seeing the trees pass by him within a split second, he felt like a bird soaring through the endless blue sky.

"Jaylin, look out, there's a car coming!" He heard his mom's voice shrieking out to him.

His head snapped back into focus and then he realized that he was in the middle of the street  as a car was speeding towards him. He had felt like a deer stuck in the headlights. He didn't know why but his body stood still, even when his mind had told him to petal. Within two seconds flat, the screeching of the breaks in the car could be heard then the big crashing sound could be heard for miles around. The boy had fallen off his bike, he saw dark red liquid spilling out. He heard his father calling his name out and the mother starting to sob. He heard his infant sister starting to cry in that piercing sound he had hated. He saw the blurry shadow of a young guy looking panicked and full of terror. He had been stuttering and the boy saw tears spilling out of his eyes

"I'm so sorry....I didn't....I'm sorry-"

Everything had then gone pitch black then.

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'

"Master Jaylin, please wake up," It was Madeline's voice.

I was still in my wheelchair; that's why I had trouble sleeping. But why was I sleeping in my wheelchair though? I ran my fingers through my hair and yawn a little.

"Madeline, did I call you yesterday?" Madeline was making up my bed, when she turned her head to look at me. "No Mast-"

"Please don't call me that, just Jaylin would be fine." I had put my arms up straight up in the air when Madeline came to take my shirt off.

"You did not call for me last night, Jaylin. Was everything alright?" She had that worried look on her face that I had known ever since my accident.

"Um, yeah....I guess." I rubbed my eyes and Madeline was at my side, helping me out of my chair and into the bathtub. She had 5 buckets of water lined up and a bottle of shampoo and soap.

"Come on, we have to get you washed up, you need to be clean." She settled me down in the tub and poured the first bucket of water on my hair.

I didn't say anything and neither did she. She just continued to hum lightly and made sure to shampoo my hair well. I had been sure that something had happen had night, but what would have it been?

"You know, your father had gone out on a business trip today. Your mother said she would come and check on you." I only nodded my head, still lost in thought.

The weekly required bath was done within the next five minutes and I was dressed in fresh, ironed clothes. I looked as good as new. I was placed in my wheelchair again and Madeline had poured a cup of green tea for me and placed it on my dresser.

"Will there be anything else that I can assist you with?"

"No, you may take your leave now," I said waving her off.

She bowed her head and turned to walk out the door. I heard her black shoes hit the ground on the other side of the door and the click of the door as she had gently closed it behind her.

I had time to myself to think again. I tried to recall what had happened the night before. There had been the normal sounds of a party last night, so that was not off. Maybe it was something I ate that was making me feel odd. I wheeled over to my dresser and took a sip of green tea.

Then, I tried to pull myself out of the wheelchair to lay down in my bed again. I put both hands on my bed and shifted my weight over my arms. I could feel my legs get a little longer than I grabbed the bars of the sides of my hand and pulled my body out of it. I kicked my feet off the foot step of my wheelchair and crawled closer to the middle of my bed with my elbows. Then I rolled myself on my back and looked up at the ceiling. I knew I would fall asleep again. My mom would come here around 4:00 before she had made her way to dinner. It was the same old thing and I had nothing to do but sleep, so that's what I did.

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I opened up my eyes when my ears had picked up a knocking sound at my door. It must have been 4:00, although it seemed to pass by faster then I thought. I lifted myself up to sit up straight in my bed.

"You may enter, "I called out and the door opened slightly.

"Are you awake, Jaylin?" The voice was one that seemed fairly new, but like the one I had heard once before.

"It's me, Silya, from yesterday."

That name was it and I was suddenly reminded of a girl that was tall that had suddenly barged into my room late last night. We had talked and I had asked her some questions. She had introduced herself...... and then, I experienced.... my first handshake with her.

She is...Silya Emerson, the first person that came into my world and taught me the meaning of a feeling called...

Warmth.