A Tearless World (Editing!)

Chapter 5: Something New

As soon as I stepped through, I knew I wasn’t in the safty of the museum’s gardens anymore. I looked around, confused yet relieved that I was somewhere different and not looking like an idiot who’s playing in the trees. But at least I know that I was right and that there is different air between them.

I could feel that cool breeze surrounding me now. A pair of trees in my site look exactly like the ones I stepped through. I guess that’s my way back, possibly the only way.

After a few minutes of taking it all in, I went to go and explore this new place. When I came out the trees I saw the museum again, like in my world. I guess I hadn’t travelled at all. Maybe J was right after all. But, he wasn’t by the tree anymore. And the museum looked different, more colorful and lively then it did before. It was no longer a boring grey, but now it a dazzling emerald green that seemed to glow brightly in the sun light.

As I stepped inside, it seemed even more different than before. It was filled with hundreds of tourists, all buzzing with excitement, as well as many families simply looking around.

“Here, have a map and guide to all of our exhibitions!” Said a member of staff, with a big smile on her face. She seemed a little too happy for my liking.

“Um, thanks.” I replied, backing away.

I found an empty bench nearby and sat down while opening the map. As I stared at it, it was as if the diagrams shown became 3D. They all looked so real. I looked down at the list of exhibitions. They seemed much more exciting and interesting than the ones in the other museum. There was everything from the largest TV ever made to the plans for the weirdest buildings ever designed. Whatever and wherever this strange place is, it’s much better than the real world.

When the main hall I was still in had died down a bit, I stood up and went to go and look around. I started to walk towards the lift, to go to a random exhibit, when I saw this family coming towards me coming out of the lift. As I passed them, the young boy, looked no older than about nine, looked up at me bewildered. Like he hasn’t seen anybody like me here before. Then I suddenly heard his younger sister trip and start to grovel. Looks like he has the same problem with her as I do with Sarah.

“Uh, no tears Reena!” The mother said sternly, making me turn around to see what all the fuss is about. “Don’t you remember what happened to Alan?” She whispered as silently as she could, but still very crossly. Then the little girl stood up and began to hold back her newly formed tears and walk away with her mum and dad. The boy shook his head at me without saying a word then started to run after them. I don’t see what the harm is about a few tears. I mean little kids cry all the time, so what’s so wrong with that little girl crying? And who’s Alan?

In the end I decided to just ignore it and think that it’s just a strange family with a strict mum. I wished I still thought that now, instead of the truth.

After a while I grew bored of the museum and didn’t want to go back just yet, so I decided to go and explore outside. The wondered instantly before I got there if it’s any different to my world as so far, most things are. As I started to just wander around the streets, I saw that instead of people waiting for buses, they were stood in an orderly queue at the top of this tall building waiting for a hot air balloon! This is defiantly better than my world! After another few minutes of wondering around, and being amazed by most things that would probably be considered normal, I ended up in a local park.

And that was different to. Usually, apart from a really bad smell, the parks I know are always full of old stinky teenagers up to no good and lots of parents with either horrible or moody kids. But this is different, and a lot more exciting. As I walked through a row of trees in the shape of an arch, the wind started to blow and the blossom started to fall off the trees and circle me. It felt like magic.

When I’d passed through them, I saw a bunch of happy kids and parents in the distance just having a good time. In the distance I saw an empty bench so I just sat down and watched. Then I felt something unusual beside me. It was a pile of ashes with an oddly shaped ring on top. I was going to touch them, when I suddenly heard someone shout no. Then a strange boy suddenly appeared behind the bench.

“No!” He said again, covering the ashes and the ring.

“What? Their just ashes, aren’t they? With a weird ring on top.” I asked in reply, not understanding what’s so wrong with touching a pile of ashes. Then I went to pick up the ring, but he moved my hand away.

“It’s, it’s my brother’s ashes ok and I only left to get a bottle to put them in so don’t touch them!” This left my extremely confused. Why would a boy’s ashes be in a local park?

“Ok? But why are they here in the first place? He can’t have died here?” This made him look uneasy. “Did he? And anyway even if he did it can’t have been recently. I mean look at all these people they would have seen and you can’t incinerate someone’s body in a local park. That’s just mad!”

“What are you talking about?” He asked confused, gathering up the ashes and then sitting in their place. “Do you really not know how he died?”

“No! How could I I’ve only just got here!”

“But………” He stopped.

“What?”

“No, no you can’t be. That’s impossible.”

“What?” I asked again, still as confused as I was at the start.

“You’re an outsider aren’t you?” He asked, suddenly very sure of what’s happened. With one look in his tearful eyes, I turned away.

“Well, yeah I guess. But how did you…..” I stopped as I suddenly realized that he was gone as I turned around to face him again. This left me even less clear of what’s going on. After all that I hadn’t got one straight answer. As he’s gone, ignoring all his words, I leaned over and pick up the ring. I stared at it and rolled my eyes over every detail. It seemed just like an ordinary ring, with shiny silver metal that cover the shape. Only, the difference was the thing in the middle. It seemed like a tear drop shape. The blue seemed just right and it looked beautiful, for a strange ring. I stared at in great amazement for a matter of seconds. Then I saw it started to glow. I immediately dropped it back on the ashes and tore my eyes away. Then without a second thought, I ran.

When I stopped on an ordinary street, I decided it was time to get back to reality. As I made my way back to the museum, I kept a look out for that weird boy again, but I didn’t see him. There are still so many questions that I need answering, and something tells me he has the answers but isn’t letting them show. As I was making my way back, I still stopped and looked bewildered a certain building. It made my stop and sent a chill racing through my body. It was a large grey building, much like the museum in my world, that made me shiver. It looked tightly locked with high electric fences surrounding the building.

I was about to move on, back on my way, when I felt something by my foot. I stared down to see what it was. To my surprise it was a ring, but not just any ring. It was one that looked exactly like the one in the park with that boy’s ashes. But before I had time to study it properly, a man’s voice made me jump.

“Oi!” He shouted. I looked up to see a large middle aged man in what looked like a securities uniform. “What are you doing? No trespassing, this is privet property! “He continued, glaring at me.

“Nothing, I was just, just passing.” I replied, staring back.

“Ok then. Now hop it!” He said, raising his voice a little. No, I wasn’t leaving without answers.

“What is that place?” I asked solemnly, standing my ground. Then I looked up at the building again. I suddenly noticed a large sign saying TPC, ring for entrance. “TPC?” I said to myself. “But what is it?” I began to ask again but was interrupted by the guard shouting,

“I said, hop it!” He shouted, totally ignoring my question. I gave up after that and carried on my way back to the museum, still gripping the ring tightly. Whatever that building was, I guess it wasn’t one I’d ever like to go into.

Soon I reached the museums gardens. I’d given up looking for that boy and tried to figure out what’s happened. Then I spotted the two trees that I’d come through. I slowly put my hand inside them like last time, as I did I felt the misty stuffy warm air flow through them. Defiantly the right trees. Then with one swift movement, I was back into my world again, same as always.