A Hayu's Dream
By Beth Hoyer
Copyrighted Beth Hoyer 2012
Published at Smashwords
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Chapter One
“Ahh!” Screamed Annika waking herself from sleep in the hut shared with her mate dubbed Theo who was heard groaning loudly saying “Not those dreams again Annika.”
Annika rolled over adjusting the blanket over her gonoid skin tree barked colored dress and gave Theo a golden eyed glare who sighed loudly an annoying Human sound despite their species being dubbed Hayu by the forest moon world’s ruler Edenia herself.
She continued to glare at Theo who opened his eyes showing them golden like hers and he spoke “Simply write down those dreams like everyone else around here has been doing instead of keeping them to themselves anyway.”
She thumped a fist onto Theo’s shoulder who looked at her rolling over to eye her as she spoke “Spill it Theo on how I’m supposed to get some writing materials and something to write with anyway? Its such a fuss to make them off nature around here plus Edenia told us to reserve that habit for the offspring to learn stories of other places instead of this moon world Edenia.”
Annika glared at Theo who spoke in response “Simply narrate the story to the offspring instead. They’ve been begging Hayu around here to tell them a story instead of reading it by writing and seem to find that boring anyway judging by them nodding off mid way during a story read to them.”
Annika gave up a disgusted sound in response as Theo looked up and then added looking at her “Its morning anyway so time to get up and start our day. Excuse me I have things to do so sleep if you want.”
She glared at Theo who got up yanking off the blanket showing him clad in gonoid skin clothing that was a long sleeve top and pants along with boots on his form colored of the earth. She continued to glare as he wordlessly ignored her and left the hut which she adjusted her form to lie on her back glaring at the ceiling having a round hole for eater lights held by stones in a circle on the dirt ground.
She spoke out loud “Hmph narrate the story huh? Oh fine I’ll do that since writing materials is in short supply but first I got to get myself out of this hut and find someone willing to listen to me talk it to them.”
Annika got up throwing the blanket back and walked out of the hut to find others doing their work in the camp which she spied Nikolas seated on a log looking bored to her along with having various numerous Hayu offspring gathered near him on the ground looking the same too.
She sighed and went to Nikolas sitting down next to him and spoke “So what’s going on?”
She eyed the long cloud colored hair and cloud colored gonoid skin clad Nikolas who looked at her and spoke “Off springs bored with the same old stories I’ve been telling them mostly about my namesake Nikolas himself. I’m getting bored with the same old telling them over and over. It’s getting annoying anyway.”
Annika sighed and recalled her dreams spoke “Well I have a new story to tell you and the off springs so listen carefully as dictated.”
She saw that she got Nikolas’s attention along with the attention of the off springs who all stared at her attentively as she began the story.
Diary Starts
January 6, 2001 Monday
"To Lisha,
Happy nineteenth birthday, I hope you have a wonderful Birthday. I hope you use this journal for your imaginations.
Love Mom"
I can't believe I finally have a journal. I've wanted this journal since I saw it in the museum store in New York City. Oh, Mom and I took a train trip to New York City on Saturday in December to visit one of their museums. I wanted this special journal because I like Ancient Egypt. I didn’t have enough money to buy this journal and this Egyptian pen of a pharaoh too. I brought the pen instead. I'm so excited to write in here. Lisha is a nickname from my name Elizabeth. This is a brand new journal about over six hundred pages long. I found the inscription written by my mother Marina Zeskaya.
The journal is in my favorite color blue with golden writing in Ancient Egyptian graphics that translates: “Ra is between you and harm in all the empty places where you must walk.”
I also got a set of ten blue ink pens, which I got today from my mother as a birthday gift. This journal is small enough for my purse that I brought at a store in a mall with a lot of great stuff. The purse is a pink trailblazer back pack. It is smaller than a regular school backpack. One day mom and I went to a mall and I saw this pink backpack and brought it along with items for our train trip to New York City. I brought walking sneakers, thick black sweatpants, and a blue coat. I like the color blue.
I'm glad that I can write down my thoughts whenever I want to. I plan to write a lot but I tend to be a bit on the lazy side and might be skipping days whenever I write in here. Mom and I went to New York City to visit one of their museums. We took the train from New Haven to New York City. It was a great trip. At NYC mom and I went to a museum and explored it. I mostly enjoyed the Egyptian exhibit and the stores selling souvenirs. I went in a store and I saw this journal and wanted it but I also wanted to buy an Egyptian pen with a Pharaoh Head on it. Mom must have brought the journal when my back was turned because I saw her buying me something and she told me it was for my birthday at home in Hamden, Connecticut.
Let me introduce myself my name is Elizabeth Alina Zeskaya and I am deaf. I do have some hearing in my left ear that I can hear when I put a radio up near my ear. I don't mind being deaf for I can talk, lip-read and I know sign language which a language talked with the hands. I'm an only child and the only one deaf in my family. I wear hearing aids because I'm deaf, which is a hearing loss. Mom claims that I’m named after Elizabeth who was a classmate of hers who died before I was born.
I have blue eyes and blond hair but I don’t like my hair. I have to keep it up because my Mom thinks I don’t brush my hair right. I think my eyes are green/blue but my Dad insist their blue. My blond hair is so pale that I was considered an albino. Actually it was a joke in high school, people would come up to me and ask me if I was an albino but the doctor I went to tells me I’m not an albino. Good thing because some people in high school were teasing me. It took me several weeks of begging my parents to let me go to a doctor to see if I was an albino. My parents thought I was fine but I wanted a doctor’s appointment to see if I was an albino. I went and the doctor took one look at me and told me outright that I was not an albino but someone who looked like was from California with my long pale blonde hair. I was shocked at that. My parents somehow told me that they were right that I wasn’t an albino. I admitted right then and there that kids in school were teasing me for looking like one. That was before my parents abruptly divorced. I have no idea why they divorced. They wouldn’t tell me. Told me that it was their business and it was not my fault that they divorced. Dad (Alexei Zesky) told me the reason that he and Mom couldn’t get along was they stopped being in love with each other.
Today I turn nineteen years old as a student in college who has a couple week breaks for the semester. Northwestern Technical College has a great deaf program that I'm glad about. Their program offers interpreters in sign language, tutors and note takers for the deaf and disabled. The college is the college I’m currently going while in Port Monaco, Connecticut.
As for my birthday, Mom came over to Dad’s house and it was Mom’s idea that I live with Dad in Hamden because she claims he could provide for me. I say claims because Dad and I have been fighting lately. Arguing about my choice for college, when my Dad wanted me to go to one in a town called Wolfville near Gramma and Grampa Najinov, Mom’s parents, but I wanted to go to Port Monaco for their deaf college where I live in a rented room in someone’s house.
Mom watched me open gifts from dad which were two shirts in my favorite color blue and I thanked dad for the shirts. The kitties Victoria and Demeter named after two characters from a musical were interested in the wrapping paper. Their antics were funny watching them play with the wrapping paper that I found myself laughing. Which reminds me, of a funny cat memory; one time the tub was full of water and Demeter jumped in the tub. I think she did that without knowing that there was water in the tub, poor kitty. The water scared her that she jumped out so fast. Boy she sure looked scared. Mom and I gave Victoria a bath once for fleas. We wound up having to chase her all over the house just to dry her. That happened awhile before my parents divorced. I also find the kitties Vicky and Demi look cute when they sit in the bathroom sink. I took a picture of Vicky sitting in the bathroom sink once.
After opening the gifts from Dad, Mom took me to her large two room apartment home, in Winsted and I opened gifts from her. I got crew-necked sweaters and chocolate candy and this journal. It was hard to hide my disappointment in mom. Whenever I wear a crew neck top I feel a gagging sensation, so I started wearing rugby tops and "V" neck tops. I guess I would have to adjust the tops by cutting "V" in the collar areas. As for the shirts from Dad, one was rugby and the other was zipper necked with a crew neck collar. The candy I received from Mom was chocolate which I love. Yum. Then Mom drove me to Gramma’s, her Mother's house some time away. I really hate it when it takes so long to get to Gramma Nadjinova's house. Gramma lives in a forest area of Wolfville, Connecticut. It was great seeing Gramma and Grampa Nadjinov. From Gramma and Grampa, I got earrings, money, and clothes. The clothes were a turtleneck sweater from my aunt Svetlana. I also got a "V"-neck T-shirt of a wolf on it from my cousin Mahalia who goes by the name Zoya in our family, who's few months older than me. Svetlana who is her mother insists on this, don’t ask me why. Zoya is hearing and is going to a college in Wolfville. I got zippered sweaters from Gramma plus some money from Grampa. All right thanks for listening. The money will go to the bank in my checking account. It’s saved for my rented room near the college I go in Port Monaco. The earrings were a set of twenty pierced earrings, a big deal for me. I have pierced ears and I'm constantly trying to find earrings to wear. I'm very picky on what I put in my ears. I had for dinner, which was one of my favorite tator tots and chicken nuggets. I got a Vanilla cake, a Russian tradition in my family. Don't ask me who started the tradition or why we do it. It's traditionally given on holidays and birthdays. I asked Gramma why when I was a little kid. She wouldn't tell me.
Told me "Lisha I'll tell you when the time is right but not today."
Oh well another mystery. As for the cake I made a wish I'm not telling and blew out the candles. Cousin Zoya had her nose in a book. She's reading of those books about astronomy. I already read it. Then Mom drove me home to Dad's house and didn't stay long before going home. My best friend from High School, Suzanna "Sue" Ulian came over. We squealed of joy when we saw each other. We're really close like sisters. She gave me a video of our favorite five girl pop band that we watched it together. The best thing was the music video was closed captioned which I loved. Then after the video Suzanna went home for it was quite late around 11pm. I had a very nice birthday and felt it was great. I feel turning nineteen is okay with starting twenty hood next year. It's sad that it's my last year as a teenager. I guess I better enjoy being nineteen as I can. I might as well write the journal entries as a series of letters to Anne because it’s the name of my favorite tutor at college. I figured I might as well dedicate the letters to her for helping me so much in my class work.
January 7 2001 Sunday
Dear Anne,
Today I worked at the local department store called Bradlees working there once a week on Sundays doing an eight hour 9am to 5pm shifts. I'll be watching my favorite soap opera during the week days. I managed to set up my schedule so I’ll be able to watch the soap opera at home. If they assign me hours for me to work during the soap opera, when I don’t have college then I’ll set the VCR and tape it, I also do the same if I have a tutor or class scheduled around that time. I think since it’s my college vacation that I'm sure I'll be assigned more work hours. I'm not sure but I'll have to wait and see. I can't guarantee this because two years of working there is quite a long time working at the store.
Here’s some information on Sue who is a fellow employee and a great friend. She has almost black colored brown hair and brown eyes. She wears her shoulder length hair mostly down with bangs in her face. My hair is longer and nearly down my waist. I prefer to wear it up in a ponytail just to get it out of my face. I wonder how she does it. I can't stand to have hair on my face so it's up a lot. Sue's been my best friend since freshman year at High school. We met during soccer practice. We were on the High School soccer team. I was doing my stretching exercises when she came up to me and I remember her telling me this:
She said "Hi, I could use a friend"
I replied "Sure"
She became my friend, I'm not sure why but I guess we saw each other as a great person and became friends. I suspected it was arranged between our parents because I lip read Mom talking on the phone, awhile before Dad and her divorced, to someone named Ulian and then Sue came to the school as a new student. I was told from some soccer teammates that she has been asking a lot of questions about me. Such as what are my interests and my classes schedule is. We both played four years of high school playing soccer that I received a high school jacket.
Sometimes during work, Sue and I often will have chats and sometimes laughing about things in life. We mostly talked about boys, such as a five all boy bands, soap opera hunks and clothes such what Sue and I got for our birthdays. Sue is nice to be friends with. I didn't do much at the store and I felt quite bored. I was wandering around like a customer looking at things instead of looking alert waiting for a customer to come up to me.
Oh I wear a red apron that says “How may I help you?”
This is a requirement for employees. I had customers come up to me today and ask me for something. I did my best to help them but today they were mainly interested in the bathroom.
I got questions from customers asking me this: "hi where's the bathroom?"
Over and over again, most of them were parents with kids that looked like they had to go themselves. What a pity. I don't know if I would be a mother someday. It's interesting I guess.
Oh I forgot to mention that Sue's nineteenth birthday was on January fifth. I gave her a video of her favorite five-girl pop band which she also gave me the same video for my birthday. We really didn't spend the whole day together. We had a conversation about that on the phone with me on the TTY a phone that’s like a typewriter for the deaf. Sue is hearing so she uses a relay operator to call me so I can use the TTY to talk to her. Some of our conversation I remember was:
Sue: "I didn't pass some tests in classes. I've been feeling sick lately."
Me: "Oh I hope you feel better. Remember I'm always there for you."
Sue: "Thanks for being my friend."
Me: "Me too".
Sue: "So I spent my birthday doing tests at Northwestern for the winter session classes."
Me: "I'm hoping that you'll do well next semester."
Sue: "Me too"
Me: "Sorry to hear about that."
Sue: "After the test my boyfriend Kurt took me out to eat at a fancy restaurant."
Me: "Good for you."
Sue: "He gave me a Pearl Necklace. My mother when she saw it said it wasn’t real."
Me: "How outrageous of your mother. Anyway it was good to get something thoughtful"
Lucky Sue because she has a boyfriend and I don't. Humph. I have to admit that I have a little bit of a bad memory when it comes to quoting people’s conversations. I admit the TTY had a print out that printed most of the conversation down. Then awhile after the phone call, Dad told me this, Mom called and told him she was coming over tomorrow, which I wrote:
Dad: "Lisha, your mother is coming over tomorrow at 2pm. Look for her"
Me: "Okay dad"
Oh good I can't wait to see her.
I confess I spent the days when Sue wasn't working in the break room. I cheated a bit and had an hour for my two required breaks. I work for eight hours and I get three break times. Two fifteen minute breaks and a thirty minute break for lunch. I confess I sometimes cheat by doing an hour break two times. I haven't been caught yet but I'm waiting to be caught. I wonder why I haven't been caught yet. It's very weird. I guess it's the boss Leslie Sasa. She's been repeatedly asking me if I was sick or something. Am I that pale or what? I looked in the mirror and I don't look like I'm tanned. I look like someone who's tired with circles under my eyes. I think Mrs. Sasa knows I'm goofing off but I think she's letting me get away with it. She was firm with other employees goofing off. Sue told me she overheard her docking one employee's pay. I’m tired. I need some sleep. I might as well go to bed now. I stayed up too long.
Yours truly,
Elizabeth
January 9, 2001 Tuesday
Dear Anne,
Yesterday Mom didn’t come. I spent most of the day shivering outside in my warmest clothes freezing my “seatie” (Mom’s term) off in the cold on the porch steps waiting for Mom. It’s because Dad’s house isn’t equipped with a doorbell sensor. Dad kept promising me that he’ll get a doorbell sensor light that would go off whenever the doorbell would ring. I was still sitting outside when Dad came home around 5pm from work. Dad called Mom to find out why and he wouldn’t tell me why Mom didn’t show up. I lip read him saying something to do with a religious ritual Mom couldn’t pass up. I suspect it’s the reason why my parents divorced. Mom is a believer of New Age religions while Dad is believing in something else that he refused to explain to me. It explains the candles in Mom’s apartment. She has them scattered all over her apartment. Oh on my birthday Mom made me make a wolf head drawing on a big blue candle and light it while saying some words in Mom’s native language of Romania. I had no idea of what the words were. Just a little background, is that her family Gramma and Grampa Najinov at first came from Russia to Romania where Mom was born. Then they moved to America to Connecticut to live and that’s where Mom met my Dad in college.
Dad wasn’t very pleased. He was practically yelling on the phone that I couldn’t lip read him except snatches of him telling Mom that I spent the day outside waiting for her. As a result I wound up going to bed early.
I spent some of today resting. I had a weird dream of a white wolf. The dream was that I was surrounded by clouds while on a mountain top and then a white wolf came to me from behind me. I turned around to see the white wolf sitting there staring at me. Then the wolf walked into the clouds and disappeared. I woke up to feel claws on me from one of the kittens kneading my stomach, Hmph darn cat.
Mom being very religious would consider the dream an omen, weird. I was well enough to walk to the bank in a grocery store to deposit my birthday money. I'm glad to earn money. I love it when I get money and I hate it when I'm greedy. I brought two magazines one about soap operas and the other about famous people in Hollywood. I buy both magazines every week because I love reading them. Then I walked home. Since it snowed last night I wore my boots while my feet felt like heavy blocks.
At home I read my two magazines before the soap opera came on. As I looked out the window, I saw Mom's car pulling in the driveway. I turned the TV off and opened the front door to let her in. It was great seeing mom. I'm so glad I looked out the window. Mom came in to warm herself. She apologized for not showing up but wouldn’t tell me why when I pressed her with questions. Then she suggested I come along to go shopping. Shopping is one of my favorite things to do. I love to spend money on things when I should be saving my money.
First mom drove the car to a museum in New Haven. I didn’t want to go but Mom insisted that we go anyway. We looked at the Dinosaur skeletons including life models of animals from the pass millenniums ago. During the looking Mom kept trying to tell me something but we kept getting interrupted by a security guy with some white streak in his hair and a weird mean look on his face. He kept insisting on looking through mom’s big black bag. Then we went shopping at the museum store with the security guy following us and spying on us, really rude. I brought a pen with rocks in it, like a gem pen. Then we went to one of Mom’s favorite stores that sell fabric. Mom loves fabrics and she’s always buying them to make scarves, and skirts too. After that Mom drove me home as Dad pulled up while Mom was leaving. I saw Dad make a rude sign with his fingers in sign language as Mom drove away. I think he’s still mad that I was outside all day yesterday.
I watched two TV shows on TV with Dad. They were about wolves. Dad insisted I watch them. They were on an animal channel. I saw them and I admitted to Dad that I liked wolves. Dad was about to tell me something but the phone rang and went to answer it. I think I'll go to bed now. I'm feeling really tired. I had an exhausting day. I haven't slept much because of breathing through my mouth. My nose oddly got clogged up which is strange for I usually don't get a stuffed nose. Because of the mouth breathing I've been keeping a bottle of water on my night stand next to my bed. I find I've been drinking lots of water during the night. I also had wake ups in the early hours of the morning too. I suspect it had something to do with sitting outside in the snow all day yesterday. Humph.
Yours,
Elizabeth
January 10, 2001 Wednesday
Dear Anne,
Today I went to a library where Dad works. He came home for lunch at noon and he took me to his work. I asked last night him that if I could go with him to the library. One thing I hated was missing was unknowingly a love scene between my favorite character Lucky and his girlfriend Elizabeth. No joke her name really is Elizabeth. I wonder sometimes if Mom really named me after the Elizabeth in the soap opera Mom watched for years. I guess I have to hope there will be another love scene later. I went online the computer at the library. That's where Dad works as an assistant Librarian. The computer internet here is faster than our service at home. By the way our service at home is lousy. It takes five minutes to load up my e-mail account site. I don’t have the patience to wait five minutes to check my e-mail. I prefer the library’s computers. So I was glad I got to check out my two e-mail accounts. One account I share with friends and family and the other is for strangers. I don't like to give out my e-mail to strangers. I got mostly junk email and stuff about the website such as a website about wolves which Dad insisted I check it out. I just don’t get it why Dad is pushing this wolf business on me. He also started pushing this story about skin walkers’ people who can change into wolves or any animal, weird again.
I found a lot of web sites online on my interests, such as gymnastics and a TV show which I watch a lot. Dad tapes the episodes and I watch the videos. The show is on at a late hour on Saturday nights. It was Mom's suggestion that Dad enforces, on Saturday night to tape the episodes and I watch the videos after work. I had a snack of chocolate candy and soda one of my favorite snacks in Dad's office. It's an unhealthy snack but I had cravings for chocolate. I checked out the local college's gymnasium a short walk from the library and I saw some of the women's college gymnasts. I didn't see them do any gymnastics because they were busy stretching. I do hope if I have kids, I would want them to be gymnasts. I love the sport of gymnastics. It's my favorite sport I went back to the library and I typed a journal entry on the computer. I could type more but Dad came and told me it was time to go home and I managed to save the journal entry on disk. I hope I can still nose breathe as I sleep tonight. I've been feeling cranky all day that dad asked me this:
Dad: "Lisha, Why are you being Cranky?"
Me: "Oh I didn't sleep well"
I watched a TV show at 9pm.The TV show is in its final season. I didn't want to miss it.
Yours,
Elizabeth
January 11, 2001 Thursday
Dear Anne,
A cat Demeter I think slept on my bed with me. Demi usually sleeps on the bed with me for warmth. I'm sure it was Demi. I fell asleep a few times after waking up. I have been tired lately. I don't know why. I guess I'm really not a morning person. I'm more like an afternoon person for I’m wider awake. Dad and I went to the nearby mall. I had fun walking around shopping that I brought a paperback book and some earrings. I felt like I really should spend time with Sue but she's busy. She is taking make up classes to make up schoolwork because she failed some classes at Northwestern. I wonder why. Makes me wonder what’s going on. Sue wouldn’t tell me why she’s not doing well. I did well in college so I don't have to make up any classes. Sue and I plan to take three classes next semester. They are mostly focused on writing. I liked to write stories and I always wanted to become an author of books someday. Dad and I ate lunch at the mall and we walked around a lot. It was good to get exercise for the legs. After the mall, Dad and I went home then Dad went to work. It was nice of him to take several hours off to spend time with me. I watched my favorite soap opera that it's my favorite. I like one character named Lucky the most. Sue knows I got a crush on the actor who plays Lucky. I could ask for his autograph via mail.
By the way the news annoyingly interrupted the soap opera to say something about a flu-virus epidemic happening in Massachusetts. It's said an angry madman with a gun and a bed sheet covering him robs department stores spreads the epidemic. I hate it when the news interrupts my soap opera. Ugh it annoys me to no end when the news interrupts soap operas for stuff that they could wait till the news hour for this. Glad I live down south in Connecticut. So there should be no problem of getting sick. I really hope not. I don't know what would happen to my parents if I got sick because I’m an only child. Sue, who called, whom I'm grateful because after meeting me she took sign language classes at a local deaf school, part of our conversation was about going to the mall with names changed on Saturday on the phone through a TTY operator:
Sue: "Do you want to go to Westland mall on Saturday with me?"
Me: "Yes, I'll tell Dad our plans so he won’t worry."
We talked about soap operas keeping each other up to date on what's going on them. Then I told Dad when he got home about her driving me to the mall "Dad, Sue wants to drive me to the Westland mall."
The mall was up North near Hartford. Dad called Sue. He wouldn't let us go to that mall we wanted to go to. He was afraid of me getting sick from the madman. The news said another madman with the sickness-said flu-virus robbed a store near the Westland mall we wanted to go to. Dad told us to go to Milly Mall. Sue and I agreed to go to the Milly mall on Saturday. Sue and I spent awhile on the phone talking about what we're going to do at the mall. We planned shopping for clothes, books and other items that attract our interest. I don't know what I'll be doing on Friday tomorrow. I'll probably do what I did today. Sleep late, and watch soap operas plus lots of TV too. I can't wait for Saturday. I want to go shopping. I got a lot of items in mind that I want to buy.
I got a stomachache and a headache. Owe Dad called someone on the phone talking to someone. I don't know who. I think it was mom because he wrote me a note.
"Your Mom coming at 12:00pm noon if she's not sick. Look 4 her please."
He actually wrote the number four instead of spelling out the word. I set my alarm to 10:30am. I hope Mom comes tomorrow because it’ll be worth it getting up early after feeling sick. Dad set the VCR to tape a movie then he went grocery shopping. I was feeling too sick to go. I can't wait to see Mom tomorrow. I just hope she's not sick.
The TV irately talks about that flu-virus epidemic in Massachusetts. Ugh. Is that all they have on the news lately? I checked the movie Dad was taping. It’s on but it’s a boring movie a murder mystery according to the TV guide. Boring I don’t feel like watching it. I got hungry and helped myself to some carrots. My stomach feels better. I think eating something helped settle my stomach. The headache is a bit less than it was awhile ago. I don’t feel like going to bed early because of a headache. Whenever I have a headache I go to bed early and sleep. Later Dad came home with groceries. He put away the groceries while I was on the computer. I do feel sorry for not helping Dad put the groceries away. I was busy trying to go online the computer but wound up with problems. I hate the Internet service we have here. It stinks because it freezes up a lot. I'm not feeling well. I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. I felt like sneezing a bit today.
Yours,
Elizabeth
January 12, 2001 Friday
Dear Anne,
I sneezed during the night and slept with a stuffy nose. I kept a water bottle on my nightstand for my dry mouth nearby. I woke up coughing today with a dry mouth and gagged on some water. Dad didn't come up to see me. He was at work. I watched out the window as Mom came around noon. It was nice seeing her. Dad came home from work on his lunch break. Dad told me to go to my room upstairs and he closed the kitchen door. I could hear with my hearing aids that they seemed to be yelling about something. I don’t know what it was because I went to my room and sat watching a noon soap opera on my TV. Then dad came and got me. Mom and I left to go to the Milly mall Sue and I planned to go tomorrow. Mom actually got lost on the way. She didn't know where the mall was so we went to another mall, which it’s an outdoor mall and was freezing. This mall was farther south away from the Milly mall. Mom and I walked around in the mall looking at stuff. I kept telling mom to make up her mind on stuff, she looked mostly at chinaware and candles. Mom has a thing for candle stuff because I think it’s related to her religion. I asked Mom about that and she told me to learn about it myself and decide on what religious beliefs I should be.
I brought some cheap paperback books to add to my growing collection. Suzanna has a collection of books too but she collects the hardcover books. I wanted to eat something but Mom told me to save my money. So we left the mall and went to my home. Dad wasn't there and I missed my favorite soap opera. Mom dropped me off then she went home.
I fed the always-hungry kittens around 5pm, cute. I can't wait for Saturday tomorrow. Sue called on TTY. She forgot to tell me what time she's coming over to pick me up. She's coming over at 11:30am, which means I better be ready by 11am. I think I'll go to bed now. I could use some sleep. I was tired all day. Mom noticed me yawning all day. I'm not sure why. I usually sleep better than I've been doing lately. Am I depressed or what? Or I'm just coming down with something? I think I'm coming down with something. Might explain why I haven't been myself these days. I think I might want to go see the doctor. I'm not sure when. I'll do it on Monday. The doctor's office is closed on the weekends. I'm feeling practically tired. I don't have much energy right now. I could barely stand in the shower. Ooh, sneezed a bit. I can't wait for this cold to go away. I'm sick of it. I've been drinking a lot of water, which makes me use the bathroom a lot. I'm getting tired and sick of it. I might as well get some rest for tomorrow. I have a busy day tomorrow. I have to get up early for a trip to the mall with Sue.
Complaining,
Elizabeth
January 13, 2001 Saturday
Dear Anne,
I woke up feeling weird like detached from my body. Strangely odd and I saw a grey wolf lying on my bed asleep. Then I was back in my body and it wasn’t a wolf body but one of a Human. I slept okay but I woke up at 5am in the morning due to the sun shining in my window. My eyes are light sensitive. I'm a bit cranky but I hope Sue won't notice. I can't wait to go shopping. The Milly mall I hear has great clothes. I've been there with Dad. I got some nice ideas for fashions and stuff. The clothes I'll buy will be rugby and v neck tops. I plan to find pairs of sweatpants. I also will be buying books too. I love reading books. I think I'm a bookaholic. Ha ha. I made up a word. I also got a thing for animal and romance books. I like to daydream a lot thinking of many scenarios. They make great stories for future books I plan to write. Dad has been telling me to type the stories onto computer and sent them to a publisher. I guess I'll do that soon as I can. I just can't wait to do this. I hope I can get around to doing it. I'm lazy when it comes to typing in my stories. I just need to learn to type stories from the top of my head instead of writing them down.
I sat outside watching for Sue who came and her car is a grey color with the interior is red but I can't figure out what car brand it is. It wasn’t easy to write in a moving car with Sue telling me to stop writing in sign language and talk to her. I told her to concentrate on driving because I don't want her to lose concentration while driving and cause a car accident. She got her license at sixteen, lucky her. I’m still learning how to drive a car and I can’t wait to get a car and my license. Sue had the radio on. She was listening to pop music. She told me its pop music. I love pop music, it's my favorite. There's a five-girl band we both love and their clothes. The Milly mall has a store that sells clothes exactly like the five-girl band. I can't wait to try on some clothes and buy them. I always make sure I try on the clothes to see if it fits. I never buy clothes that don't fit. Our tastes in clothes are the same. We're both are wearing exercise pants, a rugby top with a v neck top over a rugby shirt with winter jackets. My pants are white and the v-neck top is a light blue color but the Rugby shirt is violet and the waist length winter jacket is black. Sue's pants are violet color. Her v-neck is white and her rugby top is light blue while her winter jacket is the same as mine is in the color brown. My long hair is up in a ponytail while. Sue's hair is down framing her face. We're both wearing sneakers of our favorite brand. The sneakers are the same brand one of the five all girl band wears, their imports from Great Britain and cost a little expensive. I saved my money for them and I'm wearing them. Sue brought hers before I got mine but their same brand and color.
At the mall; Suzanna had a hard time finding a parking space. We saw a car backing out and Sue drove in the parking space. The space isn't far from the mall. I'm glad I'm wearing sneakers. I can't wait to shop at the mall. I'll write more in here later. I hope I'll be fine.
Yours,
Elizabeth
Chapter Two
January 15, 2001 (I think)
Dear Anne,
"I hope I'll be fine?!"
Humph. I'm in a hospital ward. I can barely write this but I must. I don't have a watch so I don't know what time it is. I think today is a holiday. I'm not sure with my mind is feeling fuzzy. I can remember on Saturday, I believe, after yogurt we went to a store that sells clothes. We were looking at a top on a rack when the next thing was chaos. People were running around screaming. They were running away in all directions. They were waving their arms in panic. I could see people's faces in panic with looks of terror on their faces. They were screaming and looking really scared. Then I saw someone with a gun I don't know what type of gun while covered up in a gray bed sheet. Both Sue and I panicked. We ran away from the gunperson. While running we ran into some racks and fell to the floor. Ouch, it hurt when we did that. I pulled down some clothes on top of us as the lights went out then went on. In the chaos of terror, I started to feel sick and we both started to cough. Then I felt intense pain that was awful. I felt like I was out of it. Then I saw the robed gunperson again waving the gun. I couldn't tell what gender the robed gunperson was. Then next I remember was the store was covered in smoke and was really foggy. It made me sleepy that I fell asleep. I felt Sue shaking me as if to wake me but I blacked out. Then I woke up in a tented area with people covered up in plastic. Their plastic outfits were like space suits. A doctor told me via erasable pad that Sue and I caught a flu-virus from the madman. I asked who the madman was because I was confused.
The space suited doctor replied "The person in the bed sheet with a gun"
I felt shocked but I asked about Sue who I noticed was lying on the bed next to mine. The doctor wrote to me that we both caught the virus and got sick. I'm lucky they left my purse, which has my journal in it. So I can write down what happens to me. (Coughing) hack, hack. Sue is on a bed next to mine asleep. Sigh. I hate this cough. My nose is stuffed and I can barely breathe. I'm mouth breathing. I feel like I have a cold. My throat feels like it has a tube in it. It’s like my head is fogged with a headache. I also feel like my ears are stuffed. I'm feeling awfully stuffed up. A nurse, dressed up in some plastic space suited material, I think came in the room. Seeing it was a woman I asked her about my parents. She told me via erasable pad that they can visit but must stay behind the see through tent walls. The nurse left. I know it's January fifteen because of a calendar on a desk next to the bed with the days crossed off. I can't wait to see my parents. I feel sorry that I caught this (coughing) hack, virus from the madman. Oh I feel crummy trying to suck in some oxygen. I think that's what the tube is for, gives my lungs oxygen. Aw. I can't believe it. I think I'll sleep now. I hope no matter what happens I'll still have this journal with me. One odd thing is that during the chaos I felt like I was out of my body and watched myself my human body change into a grey wolf. It was very weird.
Tired,
Elizabeth
January 16, 2001 Tuesday
Dear Anne,
I didn't sleep well due to people poking and prodding me. I had coughing spasms that hurt painfully. I woke up to see an astronaut cross off Monday on the calendar. The astronaut left before I could ask why. I haven't seen a clock so I still don't know what time it is. I saw the nurse and I asked her. She didn't have a watch. Sue is still asleep but she woke up some time ago to say "hi" to me then she fell asleep. I saw Sue coughing in her sleep. Her spasms look painful to me. Their painful every time I have a spasm. It hurts badly. It also hurts that I can barely suck in air. I feel like there's tightness in my chest. My parents came with Sue's parents and her fourteen years old younger brother. They saw us. I saw Mom writing some thing on a paper pad. She handed it to a nurse who gave it to me.
Mom wrote: "With a heavy heart we decided to have you and Sue frozen. The cure to the virus is in the works. We hope with prayers that it'll be curable in our lifetime. We are upset yet sorry. Sue knows about this."
I was shocked about this. Mom wrote,
"You'll be frozen tomorrow. Which is too soon for me I don't know how long it will take until the virus is cured I will always love you. Love mom".
Then they left with Sue's parents and Brother Max.
I asked the nurse "Can I keep my journal next to me when I'm frozen?"
The nurse wrote on a pad "Don't worry you won't be frozen".
Uh? Hello? Mom wrote that Sue and I would be frozen. It doesn’t make sense. I asked the nurse about the process of being frozen. She looked at me strangely like I asked her a dumb question. Then she left the tent. I wonder what the heck is going on. I'm getting confused. To be frozen or not I'm glad I have the strength to write down stuff. I'll miss my family and cats Victoria and Demeter. I miss the many things but Sue will be with me frozen. I’m tired. I better go to sleep now. Yawn.
Yours,
Elizabeth
January 17, 2001 Wednesday
Dear Anne,
I asked a nurse about being frozen she wrote something I can't read. It's like this "slkfjow ejfjkljfo jo fjlksngjoj ewkfjk jojwojf"
Whatever the heck it is. I was very confused with her look on her face. She seemed like I asked her a dumb question. I talked to Sue about being frozen. Sue thinks the nurse doesn't know what's going on. I think they kept the nurse in the dark. Humph. I don't think she was helpful. Mom and dad came with Sue's parents and brother. They stood outside the tent. I was happy to see them, which calmed me down. I still don't know what time it is. Well it doesn't matter to me.
Mom wrote "You'll be put to sleep so the doctors will fjslkj foiwj kjogj”
“Uh Hello I can't read this.” I wrote to mom
"The nurse wasn't helpful explaining the process of being frozen."
Mom wrote "Sorry djkfo ieulmflj vojejlsml ljoleoss oelsjf jjoejo"
I can't read this. Mom had a confused look on her face when I asked her my question. She seemed confused. What's going on? I feel like their hiding something from me. I feel like I need to talk to Sue about this. Sue woke up. We talked about being frozen and what the future might be like. I mentioned not being able to read what Mom wrote and her being confused. Sue confessed that she asked her Mom the same question and got confused looks on their faces. Sue also added that her Mother tried to tell her something and she lost her hearing. Practically went deaf when her Mom told her something. She had a hard time lip reading what her Mom told her. Her eyesight fuzzed up. I'm wondering what's going on? We did some guessing about the future after being frozen. I guessed Mars would be colonized in one hundred years Space travel will be conquered. Sue guessed we might colonize some planets other than those in Earth's solar system. It's funny. One thing about being frozen is we won't know how long it'll take until we are cured. I hope it's in my parent's lifetime. I guess it might not be in Victoria and Demeter's lifetime. I really hope so. Sue went back to sleep. A doctor came and injected us with something. I'm feeling sleepy now. I hope I can finish writin……..
"No matter what happens your family will always love you Lisha. I hope you forgive us for the choice of sljfo ejolso you. We wanted you to live life at its fullest. Sjlfo wjoe you both was a hard choice we made. I hope one day you'll wake up cured in sjofjow jle. I write this message in case it's not slsojeoj soelosoweo. Never forget your parents always love you. I thank you for the joy you gave us in our life. We plan to pray and hope you'll be cured. We really hope so. Victoria and Demeter will miss you. I hope you can see them grown up when you’re cured. Love Mom and Dad”
(Day and time unknown)
Dear Anne,
I can't believe it. I found this letter from mom and dad written in my journal with some gibberish that I can’t read. Oh well, Sue and I was frozen for one hundred years. Things we know are already gone. Our parents and friends are gone. I'm grateful that Sue is still here with me. She's lying on a bed next to mine asleep. I better start at the beginning.
I came too conscious feeling myself in a bed that felt weird cause of a humming like vibration. It seems to emanate throughout the room. I woke up lying on a bed and saw Sue lying on a bed next to mine. We were in a room that is square and all white. Then a wall slid open to the side let a man who came in. Sigh, he's human with brown hair and brown eyes. He reminded me of a male version of Sue. Sue woke up and we asked him what happened. He said with Sue interpreting that his name's Mathew Ulian Sue's descendant. We were still confused. He told us we were frozen for one hundred years and the date is January 19, 2101 cured of the virus. We're on a ship that is going to take us to a planet for people who woke up from being cured of fatal illnesses. It was on the order of a new Earth government. The Planet is called Terra is in a solar system of seven planets. It's the sixth planet from the sun. The planet is like Earth but only colder. The both of us were really shocked but Mathew told us the doctors couldn't give me hearing because it's heredity. They did invent a new hearing device for me. I'll be fitted with it in a while. I asked him what time it is. He told me the clock time is different from the time I used one hundred years ago.
I asked him "What happened in one hundred years while we were in the freezer?"
We all laughed except his laugh seemed forced judging by the look on his face. He told us Mars was colonized in fifty years along with moons in the Earth system. The moons were colonized because they had minerals and gases valuable for Earth and other colonies. A new trade system was put in place to ensure that each colony got their fair share. I can't believe I guessed right about Mars. Cars with gas were outlawed. People invented ways to travel at the speed of light in space. The government made a law to allow people, who were frozen, cured of diseases and viruses to have a whole planet for them.
I asked him "How many people frozen?"
He told me "Three hundred. You’re the last ones."
Then he added, "The planet we're going to is named Terra".
Then he talked to his wrist watch. I lip read him speaking about us being awake and telling us what happened. Sue told me she was shocked that she had a descendant. I asked for my journal. Mathew went to a wall and put his hand on the wall. It opened showing our backpacks. Mine is colored of the sky blue, but Sue's is dark purple. I felt a creepy feeling when I saw Sue's backpack. He handed us the backpacks. I looked through my backpack and found my journal and several pens, which still works after a century of no use. Mathew told me People invented a better way to write journals. I told him I got this journal for my birthday and I want to fill it up first before I use the new way journals. I opened my journal and I read what I wrote one hundred years ago. Then I found a written note from my parents written in my journal in Mom's handwriting. Mathew told us he'll be back and then he left the room. I told Sue I found a note from my parents. She told me she got the same thing, a note from her parents and brother. Our backpacks are like time capsules with stuff from the twenty first century. My backpack has my journal, ten pens in blue ink, a magazine and a book of my favorite author, my favorite blue V neck sweat shirt and purple sweat pants along with underwear, white socks and my favorite pair of sneakers.
I asked Sue "What's in your bag?”
She showed me that she got the same thing I have in my bag her favorite magazine, book, and sweatshirt, pants and underwear along with sneakers. I forgot to add we're wearing some big white T-shirt. Uh I feel ridiculous without any um you know on underneath. I notice I had markings on my left arm. The markings are numbers, 299. I asked Sue if she had markings on her left arm. She got the number 300. I can't wait for Mathew to come back I want to know if the numbers are removable. I looked over at Sue who's asleep. Speaking of sleeping I'm tired. I'm still feeling shock with this wake up call. I do feel like crying for the deaths of my parents who never lived to see me awake. I still don’t know what time it is when I woke up. I don't know if I should care about the time.
Mathew came back with a laptop computer. He said it was voice active. Sue was still asleep so I looked in the computer checking out stuff. I checked out my family tree. My divorced parents didn’t have any children the rest of my family line died out. Nuts. Mom died in 2050 and Dad in 2049. I’m sad that happened that I can’t believe it. I checked on Sue’s family tree. Lucky! Her brother Max got married and had three kids. Two boys and a girl named Suzanna. The boys are named Michael and Nick. Max died in 2099 unfortunately two years early. The kids are alive and grandparents now. I can’t believe it. Cars are gone replaced with hover and electricity cars. Houses are powered by electricity and solar power. Computers are voice active. I looked up Terra. There are differences from Earth. Terra is mainly cold with ice caps of winter while Earth has all kinds of weather. I looked up the ship we’re on. The ship's name is Christa. The ship crew slept frozen for twenty years while the ship traveled to Terra. Some things I learned about the ship have rotating parts for gravity and are quite big enough to fit three hundred people on it. I can’t believe that science has created this so fast in one hundred years. It’s utterly amazing. I discovered that there are cures for AIDS and several deadly diseases. Gasoline is a thing of the pass. Sue woke up and I showed her what I learned from the computer.
Yours,
Elizabeth
January 20, 2101
Dear Anne,
Sue was impressed with the stuff on the computer I showed her. Mathew came back he told us the date is the January twentieth Earth date then he asked us how we're feeling. I told him I felt fine and so did Sue. He told us we should be fine enough to get out of bed. I asked him feeling embarrassed for the restroom. I can't believe I asked him that. He went to the room's corner and opened a door, which slid open. He gestured. Then he left the room. I got out of bed and nearly fell to the ground. My legs felt like rubber. I couldn't wait change into my twenty first century clothes. It was nice to change. When I came out I found Sue had changed her clothes too. I don't know what I'll do with the big v-neck shirt. Sue told me Matthew said we could keep them. I stuff the shirt in my backpack while Sue folded hers. It was nice wearing something that is oddly one hundred years old. I can't believe the material feels like new. I also found a comb and a brush in my backpack pocket. I can't believe the surprises that keep popping up. I crossed off the days on the calendar I found on the wall. It eerie looked like the calendar the space suit nurse crossed off. I managed to brush my hair and put it up in a ponytail. Sue used the restroom and came out with her hair up in a ponytail. We think alike. Mathew came in. Said it’s time for dinner.