Kasen woke up early in the morning earlier than usual, not to the sound of a rooster from a nearby farm. But to the loud sound in the kitchen. There was clinking and clanking.
Kasen ran down the stairs forgetting to put his shirt on. He saw Velma in the kitchen under a pile of pots and pans.
“Where's your shirt?” Velma said blankly.
“That's the first thing you’re going to say to me this morning?”
“Yes, stick boy,” Velma smirked.
Kasen and Velma hear someone quickly running down the stairs almost like a stomp. It was their mother.
“Velma! It's pitch black outside! What are you doing?” Their mom exclaims.
She looks at Kasen and gives him a stare.
“Kasen, sweetie go get a shirt on.”
Kasen turned around to his room. As he was walking to his room his mom said.
“Maybe you should eat more at dinner too!” His mother exclaimed. Kasen blushed in embarrassment.
Kasen went up to his room. He closed the door behind him. Kasen turned to the small mirror that he kept in his room. He stared at himself in the small mirror which could only reflect a fifth of his body. Am I really that stick-like? He thought but chose to not continue them.
He chose to pick on a white crew neck shirt since he forgot to wash his clothes and that was his only shirt. He didn't like the shirt because it was itchy.
A knock was heard on his door. Kasen turned and opened it. It was his father.
“Son, today I need you to come and help at the train station right after school. Your mother agreed to pick up your siblings.”
“Yes, father,” Kasen said.
…
It was a sunny morning with the nice sweet smell of maple syrup oatmeal. Emerald woke up to the smell of it immediately because her family barely had maple syrup.
Emerald came downstairs already dressed for the day.
“Morning Emerald.” Emerald's mother said while pouring oatmeal into the bowls.
“Morning Mother,” Emerald replied.
Emerald sat down. Her father was sitting down across from her already taking spoonfuls of the oatmeal.
“I need to go to Chicago to trade crops.” Emerald's father said.
Emerald's mother was washing her hands but when she heard Emerald's father she quickly turned around.
“For how long?” Emerald's mother asked.
“A fortnight.”
“Alright,” Emerald’s mother dried of her hands on her apron. “You can ride Stallion. Emerald. Please go with your father after school to the train station to bring Stallion back.”
Emerald agreed and she and James headed to school.
…
Today Emerald wasn't late to school and avoided the attention of Mr. Henson. She sat down next to Roselle when it was time to start. Just before class started Kasen came in and sat in the same spot he sat in yesterday, next to Jeffrey.
Mr Henson scolded some kid sitting in the front about manners and then started the class. She tried her best to focus. When it was time for lunch break she grabbed her lunch and went outside as fast as she could without running, because the last time someone ran Mr. Henson screamed at them and made them write ‘I will not run at school,’ and made them take lunch break inside the classroom.
Outside Emerald sat with her the other girls like always, and the boys played ball. Emerald noticed that Kasen wasn't playing with them. ‘I'm not surprised.’ She looked around and saw him sitting by the school wall, reading a book. That didn't surprise her either. She sort of wanted to go over and talk to him, but then Rachel nudged her arm.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“You have a horse, right Em?”
“Yeah, why?” Mary picked up the conversation.
“Are they hard to ride?” Rachel asked
“Um, it really depends on the person. Why?” Emerald was confused.
“Because my uncle has a foal, and it is so cute.” Rachel clasped her hands together next to her face.
“How does that have anything to do with how easy it is to ride a horse?” Emerald said still confused.
Mary rolled her eyes.
“Have you been paying attention to the conversation at all Emerald?” Mary said with her hand on her hip.
Emerald felt a grasp at her arm and was pulled away. The person moved so quickly that Emerald’s hair covered her face that she couldn’t see the person pulling her. She saw that she was at the back of the school and the person was still tightly gripping onto her arm. Emerald used her other arm to clear her face of hair and turned around to see Roselle.
"Roselle, is everything alright?" Emerald was concerned and showed it clearly on her face. Roselle cleared her face of her hair and stood with her back straight. She looked at Emerald with disappointment. "Emerald... tell me the truth before I force it out of you myself." Her hands formed into fists. "About what?" Emerald said, hoping it was not about her and Kasen. Roselle turned to show Kasen. Emerald trembled inside trying to show no emotion.
"Kasen, what are you doing here?" Roselle said surprised and worried he was eavesdropping. "Oh sorry..." Kasen left. Roselle turned to Emerald and said “I…I… actually don't know why I’m doing this. I’m trying to get a secret out of you, but I know you would never hide anything from me.” Emerald gulps and grabs her hands together, because she has been hiding a huge secret from Roselle.
“To be honest I’ve been the one hiding a secret from you.” Roselle lowered her head.
Emerald saw that Roselle started crying. Emerald went straight into comfort. She gave Roselle a hug.
“It’s okay you don’t have to tell me.” Emerald whispered.
“No I should.” Roselle wiped her tears.
“My…my parents are separating.”
Emerald went into shock and hugged Roselle tightly.
…
Emerald hustled home to take her dad to the train station.
James forgot about his dad leaving tonight, so James started running after he saw Emerald walking faster than normal. I don't know how his thought process led to that but it did.
James started running ahead of Emerald but a little too far.
“James! Wait up!” Emerald cried out running after him.
…
As Emerald and James arrived at their house Emerald saw her father already had his bags packed and ready to leave. He was in the barn attaching their carriage to their other horse Charles. Emerald headed inside to place her school stuff inside and to grab emergency lanterns and matches because she will be riding in the dark. She headed back to the barn where her dad was still attaching the carriage. The carriage was not in the best shape and did not look like a pretty penny. It was all wood not painted and splinters were everywhere. It looked like it could collapse at any second.
Her father was done and started hopping on and placing his bag on the carriage. Emerald hopped on and they started on their trip.
…
The trip was quiet; they didn't even speak once.
Emerald stopped Charles and her father hopped off; he didn't grab his luggage so it implied Emerald had to.
The train station was crowded and Emerald's father's bag was heavy and she was dragging behind him. They went inside. Her father went to the ticket booth. Emerald followed her quickly and quietly placed his bag next to him. She left sneakily.
On the way out she was heading outside of the train station and to Charles but right before she got on the carriage someone touched her on the shoulder. A white flash hit her eyes.
She wasn't at the train station anymore.
Emerald was looking down at her feet under it and she saw a floor pattern that she’d never seen before. It was like she was standing on a checkerboard.
She looked up and saw something, something, tough to describe to someone from the year 1900.
There was a row of bright red booths and windows that went from the floor to the ceiling. With metal tables with turquoise and pink trim. The walls were filled with posters(mostly of food) and bright neon lights. And on the other side of the place was a long counter that was colored turquoise with many stools right beside the counter. Behind the bar was a bright lit-up clock with the name of the place in the middle of it. “Chase’s diner. Established 1954” Emerald’s eyes widen.
“1954!” Emerald shouted.
“What do you mean 1954? It's June 9th, 1989.” Kasen says he points to a paper calendar on the wall. Next to the bar.
Emerald screams from not noticing Kasen earlier and that she's in the year 1989. “1989! What? How? It's the year 1900! How did we travel so far ahead?”
Emerald looks to the right of her. There was a huge window that showed a parking lot filled with bright-colored cars and cars without roofs which brought emerald to a surprise. Kasen saw a door leading outside next to him. He ran over to it and tried to push it open but it didn't let him out. A couple came in and walked right through him.
“Oh I forgot to tell you that we might be -”
“Ahh! I'm a ghost!” Kasen's face turned white out of shock.
Kasen stands there and thinks for a moment. He walks over to Emerald.
“But why don't we look like ghosts? Ghosts are translucent .” Kasen grabs Emerald's hands. “And why can I touch you but others can’t..”
Ring, Ring
A small bell rings to indicate a person is walking into the store. Emerald lets go of Kasen’s hands and looks at the girl. She was younger, she looked around eight years old. She skipped along to a stool at the counter. She sat down next to a boy which she seemed to not know since she didn’t talk to him. A waiter came over and asked them for their order. They both said “A chocolate milkshake with three cherries.” They quickly turned to each other right after they realized they said the same order. They both giggled. And they started talking to each other.
There were so many other people in the shop and talking filled the air but Kasen and Emerald focused on those to kids the most. After a short moment the same waiter came over to give them their milkshakes. The girl handed a dollar bill and the boy handed four quarters.
The quarters making a sound when they bang against each other reminded Kasen of when he was younger. He used to go to this man who sold ice cream for very cheap. Only 2¢ a scoop. Unlike when you went to the city and ice cream was much more expensive. It was 14¢ a scoop! Oh it was a treat for Kasen. He used to get it once a week, when his father got good tips he would let him. The man only had in flavor but it was Kasen’s favorite flavor, vanilla.
Kasen snapped back into reality. He was back to his time but saw Emerald was still in the year of 1989.
Emerald looked at the girl. The girl looks so familiar. Emerald thought to herself. The kids had finished their milkshakes. The two held their cherries in between their fingers. The boy held one and the girl held one they both said “one two three!” And they both plopped their cherries into their mouths.
Emerald was back in the year 1900.
…
Tick tock tick tock
Kasen was sitting next to the grandfather clock looking at the pendulum swing back and forth.
“KASEN!” Kasen immediately jumped up to his feet.
“I need help in the kitchen!” It was his mother.
Kasen hurried over to his mother since she was impatient sometimes.
“Could you please open the jar of cherries?” Kasen stared at the cherries in the jar. He went over to the kitchen table to start opening it. Those cherries look like those kids had in their ice cream. Kasen thought to himself. Kasen opened the jar and sneakily plopped a cherry into his mouth.