HUMAN NATURE
by
Paige Doskas
(age 15)
Today should be interesting. My thoughts were interrupted by my platinum silver hair cascading down my face. I finished putting my makeup on, and put my contacts in. My mom always complained about how much makeup I wore, but she knew why and didn't question me on it when I rounded the corner into the kitchen. She was in her Wednesday clothes - black leggings and a grey silk shirt, with her makeup perfectly done and her beautiful black hair thoroughly tucked into a sleek bun. "Good morning, my sweet Nike!" I hear my mom sing out to me. She is in a good mood this morning. She usually calls me by my full name Nicolette ,which I hate.
"Hey, Brosky," I replied to her in a lack luster tone, pulling out one of the stools at the kitchen island to eat my breakfast and hitting the small button in front of me. "Protein shake with dragon fruit, quinoa, and a shot of pumpkin spice," I spoke into the microphone that had popped up.
"Right away, Miss!" roared a robotic voice from the speaker that hung on our stark white wall.
"You could at least try to be a decent person, Nicolette," mom voiced, and there it was. Her happy mood didn't last long.
"Brosky, it isn't 2020 anymore. When you are as successful as I am, kindness is of the past "
"One day you will realize that kindness has no time line, and money can't buy happiness, Nicolette Angout, and until you do, you will have a very hard life."
"Mm-hum, that's nice, but the cylinder is going to pass the house any second now, and I have to get to work." I walked to the over-zealous wall portal, pulled open the small glass door to get my protein shake, and slumped over to the pod teleporter. As I was climbing into the large metal pod, I heard my mother say, "Nicolette, just remember- some people are so poor they only have money." I decided that, being as it was a thirty minute ride to the sector building ,I would catch up on the latest episode of 'Keys to Success' Suddenly my cylinder came to a screeching halt. Then the door flew off of it and landed with a metal clang on the ground. "WHERE THE HECK AM I?" I screamed at no one in particular. Nothing was working. As the pod light ran out, the darkness from the world around us slowly creeped around me.
Weighing my options, I felt that there was only one thing I could do. I hadn't done it in a long time, but knew it had to be done. I must go outside. It was my only option. I couldn't stay here. The darkness would take me. I had to venture into the world on my own.
My mother had always been there with me to talk me through every step I made. How was I supposed to do this without her? Then I remembered what my mom had told me every night since I could remember. "There will be a day when you will have to be without me. And you won't know that day until you are so deep into it that it seems impossible to get out, but remember this, my love - kindness is the strongest weapon." As I trekked along the empty street, I came across a little boy. He was slumped against a wall at the end of a gloomy ally.
"Excuse me." The young boy coughed . "Could you help me? I am lost, and I need to get home."
"Um, where are you from?"
"The East Sector originally, but I have been here so long that I don't know any more."
"I am from there too. I would take you, but my pod has broken down, and I have no light left my meter."
"Do you know what the meter runs on?" I tried to recall the childhood science lessons.
"Kindness," the boy said. "The meter runs on kindness."
"Hey, Brosky," I replied to her in a lack luster tone, pulling out one of the stools at the kitchen island to eat my breakfast and hitting the small button in front of me. "Protein shake with dragon fruit, quinoa, and a shot of pumpkin spice," I spoke into the microphone that had popped up.
"Right away, Miss!" roared a robotic voice from the speaker that hung on our stark white wall.
"You could at least try to be a decent person, Nicolette," mom voiced, and there it was. Her happy mood didn't last long.
"Brosky, it isn't 2020 anymore. When you are as successful as I am, kindness is of the past "
"One day you will realize that kindness has no time line, and money can't buy happiness, Nicolette Angout, and until you do, you will have a very hard life."
"Mm-hum, that's nice, but the cylinder is going to pass the house any second now, and I have to get to work." I walked to the over-zealous wall portal, pulled open the small glass door to get my protein shake, and slumped over to the pod teleporter. As I was climbing into the large metal pod, I heard my mother say, "Nicolette, just remember- some people are so poor they only have money." I decided that, being as it was a thirty minute ride to the sector building ,I would catch up on the latest episode of 'Keys to Success' Suddenly my cylinder came to a screeching halt. Then the door flew off of it and landed with a metal clang on the ground. "WHERE THE HECK AM I?" I screamed at no one in particular. Nothing was working. As the pod light ran out, the darkness from the world around us slowly creeped around me.
Weighing my options, I felt that there was only one thing I could do. I hadn't done it in a long time, but knew it had to be done. I must go outside. It was my only option. I couldn't stay here. The darkness would take me. I had to venture into the world on my own.
My mother had always been there with me to talk me through every step I made. How was I supposed to do this without her? Then I remembered what my mom had told me every night since I could remember. "There will be a day when you will have to be without me. And you won't know that day until you are so deep into it that it seems impossible to get out, but remember this, my love - kindness is the strongest weapon." As I trekked along the empty street, I came across a little boy. He was slumped against a wall at the end of a gloomy ally.
"Excuse me." The young boy coughed . "Could you help me? I am lost, and I need to get home."
"Um, where are you from?"
"The East Sector originally, but I have been here so long that I don't know any more."
"I am from there too. I would take you, but my pod has broken down, and I have no light left my meter."
"Do you know what the meter runs on?" I tried to recall the childhood science lessons.
"Kindness," the boy said. "The meter runs on kindness."
(assignment for Lesson #5)
If you are between the ages of 12-18,
(or know someone who likes to write stories)
I would like to post your story here.
Send me an email. I'd love to read your story!
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