My Sister's Gameboy Pocket

When Mama would go to sleep I'd always go to the kitchen with my Gameboy Pocket to play it under the light on top of the oven. I had to be extra quiet so Mama wouldn't hear me.  If she did I would be grounded and I would cry, so much the house would flood.

This Gameboy is was actually my sister's she used to play it a lot, and I would watch. It was always hard to see though, the screen didn't light up like new phones do so I had move a lot to see what she was doing. But you could always tell what game she was playing because of the clear color, Link's Awakening was her favorite. She would always name the file Thief so when she stole from the Shop guy and everyone called her Thief it wouldn't matter. I miss her a lot, I always wonder if she would've given me this Gameboy if she could have. Maybe not, she never let me use it before, no matter how much I asked.

I would start up the game boy and lean my head all the way back until my chin was on my chest. Then that Ba-ding sound that takes me into my game rings and I cover the speaker to quiet it. Mama would hear it if I didn't, she could hear me lie at school from her work. The game starts, Pokemon Red, this was my first game that wasn't my sisters. It's fun but it doesn't save so I have to start all over every time. My sister had a friend who could fix it, but I never met him.

I talk to Professor Oak and name myself Thief like I always would before I finally got to pick my starter. I love Bulbasaur and almost always pick it. When I don't I like I did the wrong thing, like I lied to my teacher, but I like Charmander and Squirtle too so I try to use all three. The Gameboy would die sometimes and I knew it was the battery.

I couldn't ask Mama she would know I was playing when I shouldn't be, so I had no choice but to wait until she gave me knew ones. That was my allowance, it was that or some candy.

I had to check the clock a lot when it said 3:00 I had to run to bed, that's when Mama gets up. She would then "wake" me up and we go to her work. I would sleep by her desk until six when she would take a break to go take me to school. My sister used to watch me before and take me to school, but she can't anymore so I have to go with Mama. It wouldn't be so hard is my sister stayed, if she didn't go with the Army. Then she wouldn't have been called and-. I miss my sister.

Uphill

      "Hey how long have we been hiking," a short man with dark skin, wheezes out as he takes another
heavy step up the moutain.
      "Why? You getting tired," A skinny man with long, straight hair playfully responds
      The two men continue there trek up the side of a mountain, aiming to reach a small plaza at the top
      "What the hell do you think, we’ve been walking for a while now," his gasping only amplifies with
each step.
      "Nah dude, it’s been like 10 minutes," the skinny man jokes as he waits for his friend to catch up
      "Shut the hell up, I know it’s been at least an hour.
      "Nah, but honestly it’s been a while."
      "Man I’m getting pretty thirsty, it’s pretty hot right now," the short man complains as his voice
cracks like dirt does when the water it holds dries up.
      "Hotter than the morning that’s for sure, it doesn’t help there aren’t any clouds," the skinny man
looks at his shadow as if using himself as a sundial.
      "Do you have anything to drink."
      "Just my bottle of water," The skinny man pulls out his red water bottle from his backpack.
      "C’mon man give me some I’m pretty thirsty."
      "Nah man it’s mine," he then returns it to his backpack
      "Give me some."
      "You’re gonna have to beat me in a game, not like you can."
      "Shut the hell up, I can beat you. "
      "Nah, you’re a scrub."
      "Seriously, give me some water," the short man's wheezing turns into a dry cough.
      "Fine, let’s take a break, over there, there’s a cave over there let’s just get out of the heat"
      "I’m cool with that."
      The two men walk into the mouth of the cave and while the skinny man leans against side the
short man drops himself onto the floor.
      "Can I have some water now," the short man half demands, half begs.
      "Sure, here," the skinny man hands over a blue water bottle.
      "The hell, that’s different from the one you had"
      "Yeah man, I have two."
      "Why the hell did you say you only had one."
      "Cuz."
      "Just 'Cuz.'”
      "Yee."
      To tired to argue his weak point the short man chugs the water. Meanwhile the skinny man's eyes
take him to the path they walked.
      "How long do you think it will take," the short man gasp having pulled the water bottle away
to take a breath, water running down his chin.
      "I dunno man, where almost there," he pauses for a second, "Hey it’s kinda pretty from up here."
      "All the dirt and cactuses, naw."
      "I guess."
      The two remain in the cave for a bit until the short mans breathing returns to normal.
      "You ready to keep going."
      "No, I’m tired man."
      "C’mon dude, stop being a crybaby."
      "Shut the hell up. Fine let’s keep going."

Should or Shouldn't

I reach for the bird from underneath the desk
It chirps and chirps as my hand grows ever closer
It doesn't fly but It doesn't sit still
It's blue wings aren't clipped but still it refuses to fly
The bird chomps at the giant worm that is my index finger
Should've just left it

I ignore the bird from underneath the desk
It chirps and chirps but I refuse to respond to it's cry
I can hear it jump around but I don't hear flapping
I can't hear much else, why doesn't it just fly away
I walk away feeling my chest begin to get heavy
Should've tired getting it

I know there's a bird under the desk
What would happen if I tried to catch it
What would happen if I left it alone

Stream of Conscious Edited: The Biggest Thirst

It was another sweltering day. The cold was always my friend, my pal but the heat was the bully I avoided at all cost. A Drink! Water, soda, wine, heck I'd even down a gallon of milk. The ocean would be better than this, to swim along the whales and sea beasts. I loved to go and cool off with the ocean cradling me back and forth, back and forth just like a baby is rocked to sleep. The only thing I can focus on is the biggest pot of water I could get my hands on, so big I could I'd could live in there with a roommate. I bet it's shady in there, make me forget the sun. I wish it was night, I like the night. Nice and cool and even tons of suns in the sky, so far the sky doesn't turn blue. I'd like to freeze the first bottle of water so that it became a giant ice cube. God, if I where in the arctic I wouldn't even bundle up right now and just dance in it with a tank top and shorts, and I won't even shiver. I feel something cold touch me, it's a cup of something but I'm too thirsty to care what it is or who gave it to me. I don't even care Imma enjoy this.

One Eye Filled

I slip on my mask, look in the mirror that covers one of the locker room walls and chant to myself "I AM A LUCHADOR." With each shout I crouch further and further towards the mirror "I AM A LUCHDOR" "I AM A LUCHA-" the door opens but I can't stop yet. "-OOORRR." The room goes dead silent, meanwhile I'm posed like a crab burly keeping my balance, but I don't move. "Y-your on next DarumaMacho." the employee-lass says before quietly closing the door as if she walked into something she shouldn't have. My balance finally fails and I fall forward landing on my head and yet, even still, I keep the same pose. That's skill I tell ya.

The employee-lass meets me outside, obviously still shaken by my pre-match ritual. She just doesn't understand. She then leads me to the match ring. "A-are you prepared for your first match" she ask. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't" I say. I'm so pumped and ready, my first match is gonna be awesome. With no warning I begin to fist pump towards the ceiling. One fist pump, two fist pump, three fist pump, four f-. "Yeowch" I hit a pipe that was lower than the rest of the wall. My hand begins to redden and I can feel the blood pumping through it. "Hahaha, guess I'm just too pumped." I smirk looking towards the employee-lass. I can tell she want's to ask if I'm okay but I interject before she can begin. "Don't worry, I'm all good" I give her a thumbs up with the hand I hit. She looks distraught. Ops, maybe I shouldn't have used that hand. "Hey it's like my hands like a real daruma, wait darumas don't have hands." I was smiling before I realized it didn't make sense. "What's a Daruma anyway" Ooo, she asked my favorite question. "In Japanese mythology a daruma is a little figure that you ask for help to accomplish something. You fill one of it's blank eyes before starting the thing you want help with and the other eye once it's complete. You're giving the Daruma sight for helping you." "Is that why you only have one eye hole." "Oh yeah I do don't I?, I always forget since the other side is actually see through from the inside."

 I hold on hoping she ask my second favorite question "Why a daruma theme?" I doesn't come up but it's not like it matters now I'm at the end of the hall. Pumped up once more I lift both arms. "Aggha" The walls here are also shorter. I tear up a little but shake it off, and dash towards the area. "I AM A LUCHADOR" I shout forgetting I wasn't set to enter yet.

What's Wrong with Being a Girl

I stopped at the same boutique that I stopped by everyday on my walk home from school. It's a small, honestly unappealing boutique, if it wasn't for the sign I would have thought it was a Goodwill. It's family owned, probably, I never actually made sure but I would be surprised if I was wrong, then again I never did check. Regardless, I love it, I always make a detour from school to reach it, although it's only a slight detour, adding maybe a minute or two to my walk. I entered as I always do, I rarely find myself actually buying anything, sometimes I end up spending more time than I'd like to admit deciding if I should get this blue buttoned shirt that shares the same shade as the sky on a day where it might rain or that almost banana colored pair of jeans that I'd swear would work with the right top and shoes, only to come home with nothing. Most days I'm in and out since I've been there the day before, almost like I'm checking on the clothes, as if they where pets in a pound and I was glad to see their smiling faces and hoping they would find good homes.

Today however, after entering I see the cutest dress. It's perfect, call me cliche but I love pink and this particular shade of pink is my favorite, it always reminded me of strawberry milk when you don't add enough syrup and because of that it's really pale, closer to white than it is a real pink. The dress is that shade of strawberry milk with white pleats that fall from the hip down to, on me at least, my knees and black trimmings that outline the dress the same way a cartoon character is outlined, it's simple but that's what makes it so perfect. I think about it and decide not to get it, I don't need it, but I don't really need anything if I think about it, but I can save my money for something else, I stop. But it's perfect, no, no, I don't really have room in my room. I take a single step outside the boutique, then feel sick to my stomach. What if someone else gets it! I run in and immediately get it.

I glad I did end up getting it, I think to myself as I stare at it with this dumb smile that just won't go away, I'm too happy to care. I finish my walk home with dress folded in half on my right arm. When I enter I hear a ruckus in the kitchen. My sister's "friends," she's in college and joined a group that's very liberal, you know the ones who fight for rights no one cares for, they hate anything that follows the status quo. I quickly step towards my room. "Stop," one of the girls says. Oh no! I forgot about my new friend I'm carrying.

Gotta Pick Up the Kids

The alarm blares the same piercing noise that I've know all to well. I hate that stupid alarm and I hate the stupid reason behind it. "Well you see if it were anything else you couldn't hear it over the equipment." That's what the higher-ups tell me but I don't buy it. I get it being loud but I swear it's gonna give me a heart attack one day. I sigh then return to my work just to finish what I was doing and head out. I hate how long it takes for me to get out of my work clothes. I work with "dangerous materials," bah, it's only dangerous if your an idiot. And thanks to all those idiots and these stupid kids I have to wear all this. Stupid gloves, stupid goggles, stupid hardhat, stupid apron.

 "Yo, Bill you done for today," my co-worker says just as I'm at the door. I don't actually know the guy's name, never came up often enough to learn it. It's surprising how long you can go, knowing a guy and have no name to his face. "Yea, I'm came in early so I could pick up my kids from school." "Ah, how are they?" He starts up. "You know I don't like to talk about my personal life" I try to stop the conversation. "C'mon man, give me something, I see you everyday and know nothing about you. I wanna at least know your kids' names." He urges. "Karla and Roger, that enough for ya" I don't even try to hide how irritated I am. He clearly has no idea where to go from there, It's actually a little funny. "See ya, tomorrow" I say as my hand slides off the door which causes it to close behind me.

 "Arf, arf" The hell, what's a dog doing here. I turn towards the sound. Pity is my first thought, dumb dog looks like it was ran over. I take a few steps toward the disfigured pup. No, it wasn't ran over but it's left behind leg is shattered, kinda reminds me of a shattered CD. Tail is also pretty banged up, but that's about it. Oh well, life happens. I start going towards my car when I hear a whimper and look back. Stupid thing is hobbling towards me. Of course this would happen. I pick it up, it's maybe twice my hand. Kids wanted a cat maybe they'll enjoy a dog.