The Gold

by Krista Wagner

  "Hey!" She could hardly hear her through the instrumental rock music that was now piercing. "What are you, a pervert?" Amanda could only stare. As usual, her tongue stuck to her lips and she couldn't find her voice. Jane turned her eyes back to Westen, who simply smirked, and then she faced her again, waiting for a response.

  "I...I can't sleep." It was true, she couldn't sleep. Not anymore. Jane didn't seem to care they had awakened her. Like, somehow, this was Amanda's fault.

  "Go back to your room. Just wait until Dad finds out about your sneaking around."

  "Hey, take it easy on her." Westen poked Jane in the side. But he wasn't all too serious because right then he started tickling her, and then they started giggling, forgetting all about her standing there in the doorway. They fell on the floor and started rolling around, wrestling and laughing as if they were moving to the beat of the music.

  Amanda quickly hurried to her room. She wanted to block it all out—the music, her sister, Westen. She closed the door, but the music continued to submerge any silence that had once inhabited her room. Closing her eyes tightly, she crossed her arms over her chest, desperately trying to hear nothing but the sound of her heart beating. But the beat of the song just vibrated through her body, rattling against her teeth and thumping across her shoulders.

  Underneath the covers of her bed, tears burned hot against her cheeks. She looked at the ceiling as if in prayer. When her mom was alive, Amanda knew the sense of safety. Of warmth. And of something else too—peace. The music and the laughter from the living room only pushed the feeling of loneliness deeper inside her heart, just like the laughter from the kids at school had done. Jane stared at her the same way Shane did. Like she was stupid. Something sad and lonely squeezed inside her chest, grabbing her heart.

  Cougars roamed the trails deep within the forest. Bears and moose walked side by side like old pals. The gold heard the sounds of laughter. But it saw something else—tears swirling together like a tornado. The crying drowned out the laughing. Soon it found itself crying too. Sunlight poured in between the trees, a dazzling spill of golden rays. Ranch-style homes lined the sidewalk in the near distance, but the forest emanated a profound and sorrowful silence that isolated it from the rest of the world.

  The next day, Amanda and Jane traveled past the businesses on Acacia Avenue —an ice cream parlor, a flower shop, a tax office. Jane had driven them into town for their shopping needs earlier in the morning. Now, on foot, Jane made a sudden turn into a market. Amanda hurried to keep up. The family-owned grocery store was a modest market of locally grown fruit and vegetables, even homemade bread. A small display of fruit faced the corner of the checkout stand. The crowd was minimal, consisting mostly of elderly couples and young families.

  Jane hurried down the aisles, throwing food into the hand-basket that swung from her arm. Amanda walked quickly, finding it hard to stay close behind her sister. From the speakers, David Bowie was singing about dancing. They passed a teenage boy with a big Mohawk who was playing with a Rubik's Cube.

  "Hi. You going to the dance?" Simone, a teenage girl in a cheerleading outfit, bumped into them. She was one of Jane's closest friends. Amanda was always fascinated by the way Jane and her friends acted so confident. Simone wore big silver bangles on her wrists and was pushing a large shopping cart. She exhibited a carefree nature as she snapped on a piece of gum, popping a big pink bubble over her mouth.

  "Tommy just asked me today. He says Randy's gonna ask you this week."

  "No, he's not. Please tell me you're joking." Jane made a face.

  "Do these eyes look they're lyin’?"

  "Ugh. He's such an airhead. He knows I'm with Westen."

  "He says you're lookin' fine."

  "Oh, gross me out!" She shoved Simone.

  "Westen's gonna kill him when he finds out."

  A pop song came on. "Oh, that's my fave! I hope the music isn't lame like last year."

  Simone shook her head. "My cousin's friends with the DJ, so he'll make sure we get some Duran Duran and Madonna."

  Amanda wandered over to the produce section to look at BOP magazine. Her favorite band members had been interviewed this month. She wondered if Jane would let her spend her allowance on it.

  Suddenly, there was a commotion at the front of the store. Shane flew through the front door, followed by a group of five boys. They all carried skateboards under their arms and were shouting at each other and shoving one another. Amanda quickly hid behind the magazine, hoping they wouldn't spot her.

  Shane and his group rushed by her. Amanda turned down the next row.

  "Amanda!" It was her sister. Now they would know she was here for sure.

  Shane jerked to a stop and whirled. "Look, it's the bird who can't fly." He pointed at her. Amanda dropped the magazine and tried to run. "Chill. It's not like you can go anywhere anyway. Your wings are broken." His lips were curled into a sneer.

  Jane called out again. "Where are you?!"

  Shane threw down his skateboard and rolled away.

  "Why did you take off? I'm not here to chase you around the store. Why don't you ever listen? You. . ." Jane's words faded away as Level 42's "Something About You" took over Amanda's mind. Jane's lips continued to move but they played to the rhythm of the song. She grabbed Amanda's arm and yanked her to the checkout counter. The music disappeared and reality came back. Amanda rubbed her arm, forcing back the tears pushing against her eyes.

  "Need a date to the dance? You're looking fine." Some big jock came over from the next aisle.

  "Shut it, Randy. You know Westen's mine."

  "If you ever wake up from your dream, let me know." Jane swatted at him playfully before he took off. Amanda moved to the exit to wait. Jane came up to her a few seconds later, her face contorted in anger.

  "Next time I call you and you hide from me. . ."

  "I won't."

  Jane handed her a paper bag and took off down the sidewalk, leaving Amanda behind at the exit.

  "And next time you hide from me. . ." Shane's voice suddenly appeared. Amanda spun around but he was nowhere in sight. She began to cry. Quietly. There were so many tears. But she didn't care who saw anymore.

  A soft crying erupted from deep within the forest.

  Amanda was back in her bedroom again, the safest place she could be. The glow of a nightlight illuminated the picture of her mother, which caused Amanda to softly whimper. She would never see her again, only in pictures or perhaps in her dreams. But that wasn't the same. Pictures couldn't talk. They could only remind you of what you were missing.

  A snap of lightning flashed at the window, causing her to jump out of her reverie. The sound of muffled voices drew her attention to the hallway. Jane and Westen. She knew better this time to stay in her room and out of their way.

  Her hands touched the typewriter. “All was dark in the forest, and the little girl felt so cold. But then something warm touched her face. She looked up. The sun was far away, hidden in clouds. But from the trees, a strange glow—”

  "Dishes need to be cleaned. Now." Jane's firm voice yelled from the doorway. These were words Amanda heard all the time, but the hardness of them still cut into her heart.

  As she cleaned out the sink, she wondered about the pebble, if she really had heard it talk. It seemed so unlikely, but she knew she couldn't deny the truth of it. If she said something to Jane, would she laugh at her? Would she call Dad? Would they make her see a counselor? No one had ever heard a rock talk before. It didn't make sense, not even to her.

  Behind her, she saw Jane and Westen playing Monopoly. They were having so much fun. The dice clacked against the wood of the coffee table. Amanda used to play with her parents, but then her dad got too busy after their mother died. He was always on a business trip. Jane said he had gotten a promotion, but Amanda believed it was because it was too hard for him to be here without her.

  Chapter Five

  Mr. Ammons licked a piece of chalk and motioned at the board excitedly as h
e discussed the new math equations. His glasses kept falling down his nose with each thrust of his arm. In his hand was the yardstick he used to tap on the chalkboard. A big red apple sat on the corner of his desk. Her classmates liked to make fun of him. He was "weird," they would say. What kind of man, after all, licked chalk? Amanda thought it was quirky, but she liked him because he was nice to her.

  "OK, kids. It's show-and-tell time. Gina, we'll be starting with you." He laid the yardstick on the bottom of the chalkboard and sat down on the corner of his desk, folding his long fingers together over his lap.

  Gina, in her usual mode of confidence, strolled to the front of the classroom. Every eye watched her with respect. She calmly faced the room and placed a plastic sphere surrounding a rubber ball on the floor.

  "What is that?" The students whispered to one another. With a happy smile, Gina set her feet on the plastic platform and hopped in the air. Up she went at least three feet in the air. "So cool!!" All the kids shouted.

  Mr. Ammons mumbled.

  Gina bounced around the desk. Kids started getting out of their seats to get a clearer view. "You can bounce around all over the place with this, so when your parents ask you to clean your room and you really don't want to, you can at least have fun along the way." Her words wobbled with each thump of the pogo ball.

  Mr. Ammons was impatient. "All right. Back to your seats. Thank you, Gina. It's time to put the. . ."

  "It's a pogo ball, Mr. Ammons."

  He shook his weary head. "Right. . . put it up." He wiped his forehead with a tissue before consulting a sheet of paper on his desk. "Next we have Shane."

  Shane leapt up in the air and onto a skateboard, rolling between the aisles to the front of the room. There were shouts and hollers and lots of snickering. "Mr. Smith," Mr. Ammons said matter-of-factly, "I hardly see how a skateboard may be considered show-and-tell. We see you riding this every day."

  "Yeah, but have you seen me do this?" Shane tramped on the end of the board and the whole class watched as it shot up six feet, slamming down on the ground, before he hopped on it, skidded to the door, and swiveled. A loud burst of applause followed with whooping and cheering, except, of course, from their teacher.

  "OK, Mr. Smith, you have given us your fair share of a show. Now, why don't you tell us the purpose of this display?"

  Shane jumped off the board and kicked it up, catching it in his left hand. "You got to look good if you want to earn respect. No one's gonna think you're cool if you don't have moves."

  Mr. Ammons opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, his eyes blinking several times. "Right. Thank you. You can have a seat now."

  The class clapped again and some of the boys slapped Shane on the back as he made his way back to his seat. Mr. Ammons cleared his throat and the class became quiet. "Next up, Amanda."

  Amanda reluctantly headed to Mr. Ammons's desk and faced the class as she held up a Cabbage Patch doll. All she could hear were snickers scattering across the room. Only Connie looked disinterested in the chaos.

  One of the girls leered at her. Shane's friend. "What are you, a baby?"

  "This is fifth grade, not kindergarten," said another girl—Bridget, Amanda thought her name to be. She had fiery red hair and a mean stare.

  Mr. Ammons wouldn't have it. "Hush." Both girls looked down. "Go ahead, Amanda. We're all ears."

  These were kids she saw every day of the week. There was no reason to be afraid, but her hands grew warm beneath the doll and her face began to feel sweaty. Her throat became dry and sticky like it was tangled up in the branches of a sap-infused pine tree.

  Darla was staring at her with those green eyes, like magnets. She never said much of anything, but it made her nervous nonetheless.

  Amanda's doll swung lazily from her grip, its face peering up at her as if waiting for her to begin. "This is Emily. My mom gave her to me last year for my birthday." She clenched the doll tighter, the yarn-like touch of its hair brushing against her fingers. The inside of her mouth was no longer sticky, having been replaced by a warm dryness that now traveled its way down into her stomach.

  Silence filled up the room. Bridget and the other girl hid their faces. Shane looked nonplussed. Connie was smiling. Darla's eyes shined with something like kindness. None of them had ever looked at her like this before. What did it mean? Would they laugh next?

  Mr. Ammons broke into her thoughts. "Amanda, what a wonderful gift you brought today. Emily is lucky to have you in her life. Thank you." His smile sent sunshine into her chest.

  Relieved, she hurried back to her seat, eyes down, a little uncertain about this new attention, but not before noticing how Connie was watching her closely, that same grin still pasted to her lips.

  After school, Amanda watched the school buses pull up to the curb. Luxury cars filled the parking lot and most of the students ran across the pavement to them.

  A single black cloud floated over the liquid orb of a sun. Amanda hugged Emily and the books close to her heart. She thought she heard footsteps softly thudding against the pavement from behind her, but when she turned around all she noticed were a bunch of kids running around the school grounds.

  Something bright flashed over her, followed by a deep rumbling sound. The footsteps grew a bit louder. Closer. Amanda began to walk, though not too fast. Sometimes her imagination went wild, so she didn't want to appear afraid or strange, like she was running from something invisible. But the steps drew nearer and they now slapped heavily against the pavement, much like the thrumming of her own heart. She began to walk faster, nearly dropping the doll.

  The footsteps fell in place right behind her. She could hear the distinct sound of heavy breathing. Amanda ran. But she only made it a few steps before someone shoved her. Her body collapsed to the sidewalk, landing on her books. The edges of her history book jammed into her neck and a jolt of pain shot across her shoulders. She quickly scrambled to pick up the books and Emily, and without turning around, continued to run forward.

  More black clouds drifted across the sky just over the forest. Amanda ran away from the dark woodland and headed toward the street. But she wasn't fast enough. Hands grabbed her shoulders and pushed her toward the woods, fiercely, cruelly.

  "Let go!" she screamed. She was so afraid to turn around, but she did. Shane stood there, his face frozen with malice.

  "You belong in the forest with all the animals. Only they can understand you and your stupid doll." His lips were curled into a sneer of disgust and he was pointing his finger at her. It seemed like a magician's finger, for just as he aimed it at her, a zap of lightning burst overhead.

  But there was something odd about the lightning way up there in the sky as it flashed like a broken tail of a kite, though she wasn't quite sure what it was. Shane didn't notice or care, and he continued pushing her until she collided with a low tree stump and stumbled over it, her knees landing in a thick patch of grass.

  "Please stop. Please." But Shane kept pushing her toward the entrance of the woods and then suddenly he took off. Amanda was quivering. She sunk to her knees, sobbing. A blast of lightning lit up the trees in an erratic flash. Leaves swirled at her feet like a mini tornado. Amanda closed her eyes, wishing it would all go away, hoping this was just a bad dream, and that when she opened her eyes she would find herself safe inside her room.

  Then came that same weak watery voice. "Hello again."

  "What?"

  "It's me. From the other day." She wiped away the tears and scanned the forest, trying to detect where the pebble was.

  "How did you know I was here? Where are you?"

  "I'm next to that same patch of grass. I could hear you crying. No one else ever comes this way."

  "Oh. H-how long have you been here?"

  "I don't know. I don't have a sense of time. Every day is the same for me." It sounded so sad, and more tears sprung from her eyes. She sniffled as she crawled to the grassy area to peer down at it. The tiny pebble slightly moved.

  "I
don't see any ears," she whispered.

  "Ears?"

  "You said you could hear me crying."

  "You might need a microscope."

  "Why are you here? I mean, are there others?"

  "Others?"

  "Like you."

  "Oh, you mean talking rocks."

  She nodded, then realized it couldn't see her. "Yeah."

  "I haven't met any. I do have the pleasure of other company though."

  "Like bears?"

  "Well, there are those, sure. But also moose and birds. I like the birds because they fly down to the ground so I get to hear them softly chirping to each other. They sing these wonderful symphonies."

  "That sounds nice." She continued to whisper.

  "But a lot of the time they don't stay too long for fear of the bigger animals. Plus, they have to travel far from home to find dinner so they are always in a hurry."

  "How do you know so much about them?"

  "Because that's what they tell each other."

  Amanda was surprised. "You mean, you can understand what they're saying?"

  "Yep. Why are you whispering?"

  "I just don't want to hurt your ears."

  "I hear all kinds of noises, loud noises like the thunder a few minutes ago. I got used to sounds a long time ago. Don't worry. You won't hurt my ears."

  "Wow," was all she could find to say. Just then the thunder tore up the heavens as if it heard its name. Rain came rushing down upon them. "I better go. I don't have a raincoat."

  "Be careful."

  "I will." She hurried to the place where Shane had pushed her, and she gathered the doll and her books.

  Suddenly, she didn't want to leave. Acacia Avenue was almost empty. Amanda passed only a dog on her way home. It was a golden retriever that was running to keep up with its owner who had jogged out of sight.