Guitar Strings and Dragon Wings

Chapter 16:

His Only Friend

Little Wallace strolled on his way down the small sidewalk. His neighborhood was quiet, though all of his neighbors were in walking distance. Each house had its own short driveway and finely cut grass. Some yards had sprinklers which kept the grass and the driveways wet all day.

It was a pleasant day. The sun was out and keeping his arms warm. Maria's house was just down the street from his and was about a three minute walk. They had just gotten out of school on the last bus of the day. He contemplated how he would go about doing his "difficult" multiplication homework.

"I hate homework…" he mumbled.

He came up to a yard where the sprinkler was aiming towards the street. Wallace timed his jump perfectly and made it over the fountain of water. He ruffled his brown locks of hair that drooped to his shoulders. The ends curled up perfectly which gave his hair the appearance that it floated in mid-air.

TROMP*TROMP*

He picked up his feet even faster as her blue house came into sight. She lived right at the corner of Fine Colors Way and Winguardia Street. The grass was cut even shorter than usual as small tufts were spread out over the driveway. Some grass stuck to the bottom of his wet shoes as he walked up to the front door. He ran his hands through his hair, shaking his head free of any knots. Then he reached up his hand and pressed the bell.

Ding*Dong*

I hope she can still play today, he thought.

The brown door opened to reveal a tall brown-haired man. "Oh hey Wally. Are you here to see Maria?"

"Why yes I am, SIR!" he shouted with glee.

"Heh, well okay. She's out back. The gate should be unlocked." The imposing man said. His voice was deep and commanding.

"Thanks Mr. Crestfield!"

He ran out to the back where the huge fenced gate towered over him. After struggling with the latch the large door finally opened and there sat the cutest little girl ever. Well… Wally thought she was the cutest, anyways.

"Hey Maria!" he shouted.

"Wally! I have something to show you!" the little girl yelled back.

The little boy ran over to her with joy in his heart. Surprises were the best.

"Alright you have to sit down and close your eyes." she told him.

"Yeah okay!" he did as she said. He sat in the grass which stained the bottom of his jeans. Wallace could feel her tie something around his wrist, but he couldn't tell what it was.

"Alright open your eyes!" she said.

As he looked around a few strings attached to his arm caught his attention and he looked up. The strands connected to three balloons, two were blue and one was yellow.

"Happy early birthday!" she yelled.

"Yes! I love balloons!" he yelled back. "Thanks for remembering too! No one ever does, since I have a summer birthday and all."

"Yeah I know…" she said glumly. Maria gave him a hug.

"Hey I like your dress today." he commented.

"Oh thanks, but I really only wear it because my mom makes me."

Maria had one of her pink dresses on that almost reached the floor and put a yellow bow up in her long brunette hair. In all honesty she found it kind of uncomfortable.

"Are you having a party?" she asked.

"Haha no… it's not like anyone would come anyways."

"Are you sure? It is your tenth birthday after all."

"Yeah I'm sure," he looked at his green shoes, "I don't really have any friends so it doesn't really matter."

"Oh come on Wally…" her gaze turned somber, "it's really not that bad! You just need to learn how to have fun." she assured.

"But I only have fun when you're around." he said gloomily.

"Hey look at me." she grabbed his chin lightly and turned his head toward hers, "you need to have fun and learn to be yourself, whether or not I'm with you." he stared glumly into her aqua-blue eyes.

"It's still really hard to have fun, because well I'm really bad at making friends. I don't know how."

"I'm sorry Wally but it's not really something I can show you, it's just something you have to learn by yourself. I'm sure you'll get it someday. I'll try to help you as best I can."

"Got any good stories today?" he asked, trying to change the subject. Wallace's favorite thing about Maria was her incredible love of reading. He always enjoyed hearing about a story she had recently read.

"Of course I do!" she said. "So this is about something called an Omega."

"What's an Omega?" he asked.

"It's a person or animal that can travel around the world after it dies." She had captured his attention.

"Can it leave space?" he asked inquisitively.

"Well…um maybe. I'm not sure! Maybe it can leave earth and space or even the universe!"

"What is the universe really?" he asked again.

"Are you gonna' let me finish the story?" she frowned.

"Oh OH! Yes of course! I'm listening Maria, honest." He calmed his own mouth and waited for her to start.

"Very Well…" she started, "There once lived an old man, who had no idea he was an Omega I might add! He had lived a long happy life with wife and children."

"One day his wife passed away and the old man was stricken with grief. His nights were spent with his children because they were the only things that could keep him happy."

Wallace listened intently. This story was not exactly what he was expecting.

"But as time went on the old man became sick and his children feared for his health. They had become successful living alongside him and he wished his wife could have seen them grow up. The days went by and eventually the old man was too tired to wake up one morning. He passed away in his sleep and astonishingly sat up in his own bed. He looked around with great surprise and walked throughout his house. Only until he walked back into his room and saw his body lying there did he know he had passed. He went to each of his children's rooms and quietly kissed each of their heads before he walked outside. He flew away, as a spirit. The old man was no longer bound by earthly laws."

Wallace never interrupted.

"The old man flew to all of the places he had visited with his wife over his lifetime. Once he was tired of this he flew as high as he could, to the top of the tallest mountains. Much to his surprise there was his wife, at the top of the world. He was so happy and they stood there for hours, happily hugging each other.

'Why did you come here?' asked the old man.

'Because it was most quiet here and I could watch over you' she responded.

'All of those years? You waited for me?' he asked again.

'Yes beloved husband. I'm glad to see that our children were raised well. I know they'll have perfect families of their own.'

'Please wife… can we visit them once more, together? It's all I've ever wanted since you left.' The old man pleaded.

'Of course husband, let us be off.'

The old man and his wife flew off into the distance, accompanied by a beautiful sunrise. They would watch over their children for many years to come, together just as the old man had always wanted. They were truly tied to the earth… and that's the end."

"Yes YES! That story was great Maria!" Wallace yelled.

"Heh I'm glad you liked it. Just remember to enjoy your life Wally, and don't be afraid to laugh every now and then."

"Thanks Maria. I can't wait to make new friends tomorrow!" Wallace found a new hope rising up inside of him. He stood up and wiped the dirt off of his pants

"Hey Wally, maybe I can throw a party for you!"

"That'd be awesome Maria!"

"Yeah I could ask my mom to help, and I could make more balloons and… cough*…" she cleared her throat. "…plates of cupcakes and candy and…COUGH*…cough*"

"Hey Maria are you alright?" Wally asked. She fell to the floor and started hacking and coughing all over the ground.

"Maria what's wrong!" Wallace yelled.

"wheeze*… get my dad… hurry Wally… COUGH*!" She struggled to make out her words and hold back more coughs.

Wallace tore off and pushed through the gate. He had never run so fast in his whole life. He stepped onto the porch and opened the door himself.

"MR. CRESTFIELD! MR. CRESTFIIIIIELD! MARIA NEEDS HELP!" He had never screamed so loud before either and his voice was cracking.

"I'M GOING!" he yelled. The old man went bounding out the back door to find his daughter barely breathing. He scooped her up in his arms and ran out to his car. He gently laid her in the back seat. Her breathing was faint. Wallace ran out the front to see them pull away.

The car drove off into the distance, leaving Wallace chasing behind the car. He knew where they were going and he ran after them. They were going to the hospital.

Wallace ran and ran, and then ran even more. He ignored the pain in his chest. He needed to see her, now.

What was normally a five minute drive he ran in just ten.

He stepped foot inside of the hospital and collapsed as his lungs gave out. Running at a full sprint for so long had taken its toll.

He could hear the doctor's frantically running in the background.

A woman in blue scrubs noticed Wallace lying on the floor. She ran over to his aide. "Oh my god! Are you alright, little boy?" she helped prop him up so he could look around. He was out of breath and could barely speak.

"Don't… huff*… help me…"

He weakly raised his left hand and pointed at the doctors surrounding a girl on a stretcher. She was being hurriedly rushed away with her father in tow.

"Please… help her."

He began to lose consciousness in the arms of the nurse. Exhaustion set in as he passed out cold.