Blue winter rose
wandering storyteller
prompt: no matter how much you want to you can't stop the dawn
wordcount: 1278
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Stopping Dawn
Thomas sat on the roof the morning cold, chilling him to the bone. He wasn’t supposed to climb on the roof. It was dangerous especially when it was dark with only the light of the street light to show his way. He knew that even though he was just six years old. He wasn’t stupid although, most adults thought he was. Even his parents seem to think he didn’t understand things. But, at least his mother understood him, most of the time. At the very most she always listened. But, she is dead now like his father.
The only one who he has left is his sister and now they were going to take her away as well. That was why he was here, on the roof. He had to stop dawn from coming. If dawn didn’t come, the car of his sister new parents would never come either. They would never take her away from him. Little Sophy was just 4 and she needed him. He couldn’t just let those strangers take her away. He had begged to take him as well. But, they didn’t want him. He would be stuck at the group home, waiting for other adults to pick him up. Maria said there be a pair out there for him as well maybe even a new sister.
But, he didn’t want a new sister or new family. He already had a family and those stupid adults just wanted to take that away. Thomas bit his lip, clamping his cold hands tighter around the window. He wasn’t going to let that happen. He promised and you can’t break a promise. Stubbornly he stared at the horizon. It was too dark to see much but, soon the sun would peek over the edge. But, not this time. Because this time he would make it stop.
“Dad, mom are you there?” the boy said his voice shaking. “They are going to take Sophy away, you need to stop the sun from coming, it is the only way” his voice went up, and he closed his eyes tightly shut. “Please,” he whispered, the magic word. That was all he could do, it had to work. Everybody said his parents were up there watching him. Surely they would be able to stop the dawn from coming. Or ask someone to make it stop.
It stayed dark behind his eyelids and a sprinkle of hope seeded in his stomach. He could almost feel his fathers hand on his shoulder. He did it, he did it. All the clueless adults would be so surprised that he pulled it off. Now they can be together for forever.
He didn’t dare to open his eyes yet, though. Scared it would break the magic. For Thomas, it seemed like he sat there for an entirety. Almost became a part of the house, like a statue.
Around him, birds started to sing, welcoming dawn, and he almost felt bad for them that it would never come. The boy took a deep breath and slowly he opened his eyes peeking at the world through his eyelashes. As he saw the red sky in front of him he closed them shut again. No, that couldn’t be.
His hands shook so badly he was scared he would slip and fall. Tears rolled over his cheek no matter how bad he tried to push them back. As the sound of car engine echoed through the early morning becoming louder and louder creeping up on him like the monsters at night his heart sunk.
A car door shot closed and a woman’s voice called out for him. Dawn has come, the car has come, they are going to take his sister, away. He had failed, they hadn’t listened to him.
Thomas pressed his eyes shut and pressed his hands over his ears. No longer was not falling a priority. Blocking the worried screams of adults was more pressing. More screams add to that of the woman. His name was called over and over mixed with the pressing message to get of the roof. But, he didn’t listen any more.
He just closed his eyes tight and prayed his parents would pick him up. Prayed he could just disappear right then and there. But of course, that didn’t happen. What did happen was that a strong hand grabbed his arms tightly, pulling him through the window he was leaned against. The hand wasn’t like that of his dad. This one was harsh and pinched too hard, hurting him. But, he wasn’t going to show it.
“No,” he screamed resisting the pull but, it was useless.
“Stop it, Thomas, are you out of your mind,” the sharp voice of Maria cut through his skull but, Thomas still didn’t listen.
“No, no,” he screamed as the man dragged him back inside. He opened up his eyes and looked right into the face of Sophie's new father. Angry he tried to kick the man but, the man held him too far away for him to reach.
“Stop it,” he said his voice loud and clear, almost like that of his father. Almost but, not completely.
“Why did you climbed on the roof, don’t you know how dangerous that is,” Maria asked him. She tried to be nice but, it was clear she was annoyed with him.
“I tried to stop the dawn from coming,” Thomas answered, staring right in the eyes of the sister-thief.
“Stop the dawn?” he asked, looking at him confused.
“Yes, so you wouldn’t come and steal my sister away,” Thomas spit in his face.
The man smiled as if it was funny, what it wasn’t. It wasn’t funny, stupid useless adults.
“I am not going to steal your sister. I am going to be her new family. I will take care of her. I promise” the man said in the same tone all adults put up when talking to him. He knew the way the man was looking at him. He thought he was crazy or stupid or both.
“But, I am her family. I will take care of her,” he answered.
The man shook his head, “she needs an adult to take care of her.”
“But, what about me?” Thomas said. He saw tears appear in the man’s eyes but, he didn’t understand why. Why would he cry? Thomas would be the one to cry. He was the one whose sister was stolen away.
“Enough,” Maria decided and pulled him away. “You will understand when you are older,” she said, “go say goodbye to your sister.” You understand when you are older, what a stupid reason. He wanted to scream it wasn’t fair. But, then Sophy hugged him from behind holding him tightly. She must have walked into the room, without him hearing her. Like she did more often.
Thomas turned around to face her, taking her in his arms, “I am so sorry, I couldn’t stop dawn. I am so sorry. I promise you one day, We will live together,” he said, “till then I will visit you as much as I can.”
Sophy looked up at him her blue eyes red of crying, “You would?” she asked.
“Yes, I would one day. When I am an adult, I will come and get you and build a very big house just for you and me,” he said.
“Can I get my own room?”
“Absolutely, an entire floor just for you,” Thomas answered his voice shaking.
That day Thomas learned that time couldn’t be stopped. Time goes on and there is no way t make it stop or go back in time. No matter how hard you try. And no matter what there would always be a morning.
wordcount: 1278
-----------------------------------------
Stopping Dawn
Thomas sat on the roof the morning cold, chilling him to the bone. He wasn’t supposed to climb on the roof. It was dangerous especially when it was dark with only the light of the street light to show his way. He knew that even though he was just six years old. He wasn’t stupid although, most adults thought he was. Even his parents seem to think he didn’t understand things. But, at least his mother understood him, most of the time. At the very most she always listened. But, she is dead now like his father.
The only one who he has left is his sister and now they were going to take her away as well. That was why he was here, on the roof. He had to stop dawn from coming. If dawn didn’t come, the car of his sister new parents would never come either. They would never take her away from him. Little Sophy was just 4 and she needed him. He couldn’t just let those strangers take her away. He had begged to take him as well. But, they didn’t want him. He would be stuck at the group home, waiting for other adults to pick him up. Maria said there be a pair out there for him as well maybe even a new sister.
But, he didn’t want a new sister or new family. He already had a family and those stupid adults just wanted to take that away. Thomas bit his lip, clamping his cold hands tighter around the window. He wasn’t going to let that happen. He promised and you can’t break a promise. Stubbornly he stared at the horizon. It was too dark to see much but, soon the sun would peek over the edge. But, not this time. Because this time he would make it stop.
“Dad, mom are you there?” the boy said his voice shaking. “They are going to take Sophy away, you need to stop the sun from coming, it is the only way” his voice went up, and he closed his eyes tightly shut. “Please,” he whispered, the magic word. That was all he could do, it had to work. Everybody said his parents were up there watching him. Surely they would be able to stop the dawn from coming. Or ask someone to make it stop.
It stayed dark behind his eyelids and a sprinkle of hope seeded in his stomach. He could almost feel his fathers hand on his shoulder. He did it, he did it. All the clueless adults would be so surprised that he pulled it off. Now they can be together for forever.
He didn’t dare to open his eyes yet, though. Scared it would break the magic. For Thomas, it seemed like he sat there for an entirety. Almost became a part of the house, like a statue.
Around him, birds started to sing, welcoming dawn, and he almost felt bad for them that it would never come. The boy took a deep breath and slowly he opened his eyes peeking at the world through his eyelashes. As he saw the red sky in front of him he closed them shut again. No, that couldn’t be.
His hands shook so badly he was scared he would slip and fall. Tears rolled over his cheek no matter how bad he tried to push them back. As the sound of car engine echoed through the early morning becoming louder and louder creeping up on him like the monsters at night his heart sunk.
A car door shot closed and a woman’s voice called out for him. Dawn has come, the car has come, they are going to take his sister, away. He had failed, they hadn’t listened to him.
Thomas pressed his eyes shut and pressed his hands over his ears. No longer was not falling a priority. Blocking the worried screams of adults was more pressing. More screams add to that of the woman. His name was called over and over mixed with the pressing message to get of the roof. But, he didn’t listen any more.
He just closed his eyes tight and prayed his parents would pick him up. Prayed he could just disappear right then and there. But of course, that didn’t happen. What did happen was that a strong hand grabbed his arms tightly, pulling him through the window he was leaned against. The hand wasn’t like that of his dad. This one was harsh and pinched too hard, hurting him. But, he wasn’t going to show it.
“No,” he screamed resisting the pull but, it was useless.
“Stop it, Thomas, are you out of your mind,” the sharp voice of Maria cut through his skull but, Thomas still didn’t listen.
“No, no,” he screamed as the man dragged him back inside. He opened up his eyes and looked right into the face of Sophie's new father. Angry he tried to kick the man but, the man held him too far away for him to reach.
“Stop it,” he said his voice loud and clear, almost like that of his father. Almost but, not completely.
“Why did you climbed on the roof, don’t you know how dangerous that is,” Maria asked him. She tried to be nice but, it was clear she was annoyed with him.
“I tried to stop the dawn from coming,” Thomas answered, staring right in the eyes of the sister-thief.
“Stop the dawn?” he asked, looking at him confused.
“Yes, so you wouldn’t come and steal my sister away,” Thomas spit in his face.
The man smiled as if it was funny, what it wasn’t. It wasn’t funny, stupid useless adults.
“I am not going to steal your sister. I am going to be her new family. I will take care of her. I promise” the man said in the same tone all adults put up when talking to him. He knew the way the man was looking at him. He thought he was crazy or stupid or both.
“But, I am her family. I will take care of her,” he answered.
The man shook his head, “she needs an adult to take care of her.”
“But, what about me?” Thomas said. He saw tears appear in the man’s eyes but, he didn’t understand why. Why would he cry? Thomas would be the one to cry. He was the one whose sister was stolen away.
“Enough,” Maria decided and pulled him away. “You will understand when you are older,” she said, “go say goodbye to your sister.” You understand when you are older, what a stupid reason. He wanted to scream it wasn’t fair. But, then Sophy hugged him from behind holding him tightly. She must have walked into the room, without him hearing her. Like she did more often.
Thomas turned around to face her, taking her in his arms, “I am so sorry, I couldn’t stop dawn. I am so sorry. I promise you one day, We will live together,” he said, “till then I will visit you as much as I can.”
Sophy looked up at him her blue eyes red of crying, “You would?” she asked.
“Yes, I would one day. When I am an adult, I will come and get you and build a very big house just for you and me,” he said.
“Can I get my own room?”
“Absolutely, an entire floor just for you,” Thomas answered his voice shaking.
That day Thomas learned that time couldn’t be stopped. Time goes on and there is no way t make it stop or go back in time. No matter how hard you try. And no matter what there would always be a morning.
