1. Tears
By Kenny Lu May 9, 2013
My name is John… at least, that’s what they used to call me. Then Fear
came along. But I guess I should start from the beginning...
The day was only just starting, but I was already exhausted. I was tired
of being normal. No one really noticed me, talked to me, sat with me. My
only real friend was Charles Wallace. I called him Charles; others call
him Walrus, which made no sense, as Charles was a very small person
who looked more like a seal than a walrus. I guess he was a little like me,
as in nobody noticed him. But at least he could get insulted, unlike me.
I wish he were here right now.
Charles always said I was different, although he never said why. But he
was right, because one day in the 8th
grade hallway, I saw something. It
was shaped like a shard of glass, but through it I saw something that
wasn’t part of our world. It was a small window, but I managed to see
roads made of some strange orange material, with neat little houses along
both sides. It seemed normal, but something about it chilled John. A
second later, he couldn’t understand why.
“Charles! What’s that?” said I.
“What?” Charles seemed confused.
“That…thing! Right there!” I exclaimed, keeping my voice low.
“Are you feeling all right? I don’t see what you’re talking about.”
John was confused. Was something really wrong with him? It was not a
welcome thought considering his low position on the popularity chain.
But he walked towards it, and as he got closer he swore he could feel
something, some kind of dark presence not around, but through the shard.
Do I wish that I had not gone? Yes and no. It gave me wisdom,
knowledge, a greater understanding of the universes, but at a price. At
the price of Charles Wallace, of my family, of my world. I still wonder,
was it worth it?
The moment I kneeled down to look through the shard, someone shoved
me over and I fell through, dragging Charles in with me.

2. As I fell, tumbling and twisting, I saw images, images of other places, of
my placem, although these were growing smaller. I realized that I was
falling (or rising?) to the image of the orange road with the neat little
houses. But then, I felt a sharp jerk, and suddenly I was sucked into
another image, into blackness.
“Is he alive?” said a voice. If snakes could talk, that’s what they would
sound like, thought I.
“Of course. I know what I’m doing sometimes.” This voice sounded
kinder, but for all I knew it was the same person. Then, suddenly, the
“world” rushed back.
“Where am I?” John said.
“You are on the planet of _______.” The first voice said something that
would be impossible to translate into the human language of words.
“And we have brought you here, for we need you.” Said the other.
They need me? I thought there had been a mistake.
“I think you grabbed the wrong person.” I said.
“No