Crying: A Dystopian Novel

Standing: Chapter 11

  ++++ ANNA ++++

"Anna, please forgive me. I'm so sorry." Michael stands in the bedroom doorway. I jump off my bunk to hug him, but when I do, he evaporates.

"Anna?" Eleise shakes me awake.

"What do you want?" I groan.

"Mom wants you in the radio room." I roll out of bed, get dressed, and jog to the radio room.

"Hey, sweetie. How are you?" Mom asks as I walk in the radio room.

"Don't call me that."

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"Anna, you haven't been the same since Mich—Michael left. You sure you're alright?"

"Don't mention him." I snap.

"Now, don't get mad at me. I'm just trying to get you to—"

"MOVE ON! I know! Stop trying to get me to stop caring."

"Anna, it's been four months."

"That doesn't erase two decades! I can't believe you! He's your SON!"

"He would have come back by now."

"Stop acting like you two were so close!"

"Anyone would have been back by now if they were coming back!"

"Stop yelling at me, you heartless woman! I'm sorry if you can't handle thinking about him at all, but that doesn't mean you can just forget him. I know you've probably done the same thing with Dad and Drew. Do you even know who 'Drew' is? Do you even remember Dad's name?" I run out before she has the chance to rebuttle. I run to the cove and sit there until I fall asleep.

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"Did you think about going with him?" I ask Grace at the tree house the next evening.

"Yeah." She swallows.

"Why didn't you? Do you think we should have?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think he's okay?"

"He's tough."

"What if something happened to him? Should we go look for him? I always hoped he'd come back, but... I don't know anymore." I bend over and sob into my knees.

"He'll come back eventually. He may just need more time." She squeezes my hand.

"More time than four months? What if he wants to come back, but physically can't?"

"GRACE!" John shouts and we run to find him. As we come closer, I see two figures jogging to catch up with him.

"Mom... Dad..." Grace gasps as she sinks to her knees. John reaches us and his parents kneel in front of Grace soon after.

"Grace." Mrs. Resmi smiles as she hugs her daughter.

"Mom... How did... Where did you go?" Grace stammers in disbelief.

"The pack took us." Mrs. Resmi replies. "Michael just helped us escape." My mouth falls open at her words and I run to my house.

"ELEISE! LAELYNN!" I call from the back door. They run into the kitchen. "Did you hear?"

"The Resmi's are back, we know." Eleise says.

"Did you hear where they were?" I pant.

"The pack had them, and they just escaped."

"Mrs. Resmi said that Michael helped them escape."

"Anna dear, come here please." Mrs. Resmi rushes onto the porch. "This is for you." She smiles places a crinkled piece of paper in my hand, then leaves. With trembling hands, I unwad it and together, my sisters and I read it.

Anna,

I'm sorry. I miss everyone like crazy. I was just so upset over the vote. I was so afraid it would end up getting one of us hurt and all I knew to do in my anger was leave. I'm so afraid that none of you will want me back because of how I left. I've spent so many nights in the tree house, preparing to come home the next day, but always decided against it. I hope you all forgive me. I want to come home. I love you, even if you don't want me back.

-Michael

"I miss you too..." I mumble. I imagine Michael in the tree house, so close to us, over and over.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Laelynn shrieks giddily.

"What? Where?" Eleise asks.

"The tree house, silly. If he's been going there and wants to come home, he must be there now or will be soon. If the Resmi's are already home, he must be close or already here." Laelynn's logic makes perfect sense, so we rush down to the tree house. It's dark now, and we can barely see the ladder as we climb.

"Michael?" I poke my head in the tree house.

"That's my name, isn't it?" He croaks from the far corner.

"Michael." I sob and crawl across the dark tree house floor. I hug him so tight I think my arms will fall off, but I don't care; I never want to let him go again.

"Anna, I—"

"It's okay." I stop him. Moonlight shines through the window and I see my brother's face; it's thin and beaten and his hair is sticking up everywhere. His eyes scream of sorrow and loneliness. Laelynn and Eleise come over and hug him too, and he closes his eyes. "Are you okay?" I ask him.

"I am now." He smiles and hugs us again.

"Please don't evaporate." I laugh, remembering my dream.

"What?"

"I kept having this dream that you came home, but every time I went to hug you at the end you just vanished." I explain.

"I promise I won't leave again or evaporate."

This is my family. We cry, but we don't live in our tears. We bleed and there are scars, but they are healing. We were on our knees at times, but now, we are standing. 

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I didn't realize I was already posting the last chapter, woah. 

Hi! I've had this written for ages, I just keep forgetting to post it. 

I have several things I'm working on at the moment that are much better than this one, so stay tuned and they'll (hopefully) be here soon! :)

~ Carrie