Far from there (693 hits)
Category: Quotes & StoriesRating: 1.98 on 31 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Seralena (View user info) at 2004-11-17 20:33:38 EST
It's not necessary to read part 1, which is more of a prologue. Both can stand on their own.
(Part 1: http://www.ubersite.com/m/51728)
=======================
Jenny spent her entire life looking for something. It's too bad she never figured out what it was.
Her parents had enough money to get her what she wanted. Whatever she asked for, she received. As an only child, her parents were more than glad to make sure their little girl stayed happy. Little Jenny wants that doll? Mommy bought the doll. Jen (by the time she was 13, she refused to answer to Jenny anymore) wants a new car for her sixteenth birthday? Dad just asked what model.
She was the stereotypical cheerleading brat. Of course, she turned out totally hot, so she got away with shit that other people could only dream of doing. She could flirt or pay her way out of anything. Most girls like this are actually happy with their lives, or at least satisfied. Not Jenny.
The love of her parents could never satisfy her. As she watched their marriage fall apart, she knew that no love could be forever. Childhood memories of her parents walking together, holding hands as she played in the park, flew through her mind, as she became convinced that not even love is forever. Even diamonds are slowly, but surely, reverting back to coal. We may not see it, but it's there.
Screaming matches were a regular occasion. Jenny would hide in her room, listening to her headphones. She couldn't call her friends: they might overhear the yelling in the background, and she didn't want them thinking her life was anything but perfect. When they thought her life was perfect, however, she wasn't happy. But she really didn't believe that she'd be happier if they knew.
Some people believe in clinical depression; others think that people need to "just snap out of it". These others, they think it's the person's fault, that she hasn't tried hard enough to be happy. Jenny didn't know which was true. She just knew she wasn't happy. Something was missing from her life, and she didn't know what it was.
It wasn't any of the usual things she'd heard that other people needed. She obviously didn't need money. She'd had boyfriends, but nothing too serious. She didn't feel like she needed a relationship either. What could she be missing?
She realized what it was while she was talking to her friends. She needed someone to understand her. But she couldn't say it. She couldn't talk to anyone about her problems, so no one had the opportunity to understand her. Everyone thought her life was perfect; they probably wouldn't believe her if she tried to convince them otherwise.
Although she was bubbly on the outside, she was probably one of the few people with that trait who were nothing like that in real life.
And nobody even realized it.
Until Kara.
One day, some new girl was in Jenny's homeroom. Their teacher, knowing how popular and outgoing Jenny was, without realizing the vicious tendencies of high school cliques, asked Jenny to show this girl, Kara, around. Jenny politely agreed, and began asking Kara where she was from.
"It doesn't matter, I'm here now."
No one had ever given Jenny such an enigmatic answer. People answered her when she spoke, no matter what. Jenny already looked down on this girl. She was way overweight, and her face was covered in zits. Still, she was intrigued by Kara's seeming lack of interest in Jenny's approval.
As they walked away from the teacher's desk, Jenny told Kara, "Listen, I'm not doing this because I want to be your friend, but because he asked. This teacher's nice enough if he likes you."
"Sure, whatever. I'm not looking for friends anyway. Especially not your kind."
"Excuse me!" Jenny exclaimed. "My kind?"
"Yes. The popular people everyone loves. Oh, I've got nothing against you. I just don't care to be friends with you."
"Umm... okay. So, here's your first class..."
As she showed Kara around, however, the girl's careless attitude began to interest her. It was like Kara was expressing all the emotions Jenny felt inside, but was constantly hiding. Maybe she could actually like this girl?
"Jen? You're not happy."
"What? Wait, what? How did you... I mean, who are you to say that? Of course I'm happy."
"Your eyes aren't happy."
"My eyes are fine!"
"I didn't say they weren't. Why aren't you happy?"
Jenny just stared for a moment. "Because I never am."
"Hmm. I thought I was happy once. I like it better this way."
This girl was just odd. Jenny couldn't figure out what the hell she was talking about. What was with this depressing language? And how could she know what Jenny was feeling?
"I know because I was unhappy once."
"What the hell? How do you know what I'm thinking?"
"It's in your eyes. Rather obvious. Anyway, I better go to class." Kara headed off into the classroom.
"Wait... You never said where you were from."
"Ah, somewhere far away. That's all you need to know. Find me when you're ready to admit everything."
-------------------------------
Jenny sat in her trig class, trying to figure out what this girl was telling her. She knew Jenny was unhappy. That was absurd, even her parents and her best friends couldn't figure that out. Yet... With this girl understanding that she was unhappy, suddenly Jenny felt less alone. More than that, she felt the closest to happy she'd been since she was a young girl.
As she got out of class, she decided she wanted to search down Kara during lunch.
-------------------------------
Jenny was walking down the street, where she thought she had seen Kara walk. All of a sudden, she was excited. She finally figured out what she was missing! Someone who understood her, who could talk to her about what she was feeling inside, not what she was missing outside!
Just as she realized this, she saw Kara across the street. "Kara!" she called, as she stepped into the road, keeping her eyes on the overweight girl so that she wouldn't lose her in the crowd.
That's why she didn't see the bus in the lane closest to the sidewalk.
User Reviews
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-02-15 00:32:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Aw hell, I fucked up your streak, too.
I am Jack's seething sense of self-hatred.
Again, sorry.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-02-15 00:31:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Oh sweet Jesus, what am I, retarded? That should have been a +2...
...sorry...first day with the new brain.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-02-15 00:31:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I liked it. Abrubt ending, but that's okay. The only thing I didn't care for was the dialogue between Kara and Jenny. Seemed forced.
Submitted by BambiAmbi (user info) at 2004-11-30 14:55:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
The bus was a bit...unexpected. But I liked it.
Submitted by Slypher (user info) at 2004-11-25 19:32:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Dude, do I have to give you a Plus Two every time I wanna talk to you?
SHIT.
Submitted by mrwolf (user info) at 2004-11-23 09:01:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked both of these stories a lot... I couldn't figure out whether the ending was supposed to be tragicomedy, or comedy, or tragedy. It was sad, but it was almost funny like you got fed up of writing and then went boom everybody died... the end, like I do sometimes.
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-23 08:13:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh shit, it's so early I just +2ed my own fucking post.
Please disregard that! Please! I'm just fucking retarded this morning.
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-23 08:12:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No, Coley, I thought it was hilarious! I almost fell off my bed laughing when I read that. I was really happy that someone liked that cut off.
I wasn't insulting your comment. It's comments like that that make me happy.
Submitted by coley (user info) at 2004-11-23 02:51:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-22 23:14:05 (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Can_Always_Trust_A_Liar (user info) at 2004-11-22 23:01:56 (#)
Ranking: 2
You said you were looking for attention and feedback on serious writings? go here: www.pulsehead.com
=====
Well, I was pointing out how the shit posts get attention. I like Uber better. Especially when I get replies like, HAHAHAHAHA She got hit by a bus!!!
=========================================
wait..does that mean you DO or DO NOT like my comment?
I was just telling you my true thoughts...they're not ALWAYS deep, ya know!
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-23 01:09:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I'll get it eventually. I can't get the flow of the next part going yet. Maybe over Thanksgiving I'll manage it. I keep going to the gym and drowning my depressive thoughts in endorphins, so it's screwing up my tragic-style writing.
That's why I'm camping immy's posts. I have better muses there.
Submitted by Slypher (user info) at 2004-11-23 01:09:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
WHAT THE HELL?
I swear, I'm on AIM right now!
You're showing up as offline.
Dude, try to IM me.
revolverator.at.mac.com
Submitted by Shizae (user info) at 2004-11-23 01:07:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Here's the +2 I promised you.
Yeah, I know it means nothing now cause I haven't posted anything yet, but during this week I'll get around to finishing up copying my story from my handwritten copy to my computer.
Then I'll give you another +2, or many a few of them.
Hope to see the next part of this series coming out soon.
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-23 00:58:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
If you're talking about AIM, you've got me totally confused. I've been online for over a day straight now.
If you're talking about something else, I'm also confused, because I have no idea what the hell you're talking about.
Submitted by Slypher (user info) at 2004-11-23 00:51:02 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Dude,I'm telling ya, you're not ON!
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-23 00:24:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Slypher, when that away message (Here but otherwise occupied) is on, it means I'm probably reading Uber and don't want to be bothered by all the random people who IM me to say, "Hi, wassup, bye!"
Don't trust my away messages!
Submitted by Slypher (user info) at 2004-11-23 00:14:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Dude, you're never fucking on anymore.
I feel so rejected...
(COLLECTIVE "AAAWWWWW!!!!")
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-22 23:14:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Can_Always_Trust_A_Liar (user info) at 2004-11-22 23:01:56 (#)
Ranking: 2
You said you were looking for attention and feedback on serious writings? go here: www.pulsehead.com
=====
Well, I was pointing out how the shit posts get attention. I like Uber better. Especially when I get replies like, HAHAHAHAHA She got hit by a bus!!!
You're going both ways: don't pay attention to the shit posts, but don't post serious writings here? I'm confused.
I'll stick with Uber, and slowly gather hits and recognition through my competition of hair with LadyPlural.
Submitted by Kre8rix (user info) at 2004-11-22 23:04:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice
Submitted by Can_Always_Trust_A_Liar (user info) at 2004-11-22 23:01:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You said you were looking for attention and feedback on serious writings? go here: www.pulsehead.com
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-21 15:14:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Sorry Slypher, a file transfer crashed my laptop, and I gave up for the night. IM me again, I wasn't being mean to you, I swear.
Submitted by Slypher (user info) at 2004-11-21 02:16:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Where the hell did you go to?
Get back on AIM, dammit!
Submitted by Sepsis (user info) at 2004-11-18 19:11:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by coley (user info) at 2004-11-18 05:44:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
HAHAHAHHAHA She got hit by a bus!
You should be in UM next time!
HAHAHHAA
Submitted by mikethescottish (user info) at 2004-11-18 04:53:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
That ending was abrupt as hell, but I liked the story anyhow.
Submitted by Durae (user info) at 2004-11-18 04:29:09 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This is great! I just wish it was a happier ending...
The psychology of your characters is really convincing. Writing from experience? :)
Submitted by DanielH (user info) at 2004-11-17 23:14:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Outstanding writing.
It reminds me of Caitlin R. Kiernan (I would say her early writings but she's not yet 30. Google her and read some of her stuff, much online, i think you'll like.) The pic, well I would've left that off: your writing stands above that.
Submitted by Happy-Tree-Friend (user info) at 2004-11-17 22:08:02 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This was great.
Is there a sequel to this though? Or has she died?
Submitted by screamfeeder (user info) at 2004-11-17 21:26:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by catatonic (user info) at 2004-11-17 21:22:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good story.
I liked the suspense at the end and am looking foreward to the next one.
Submitted by Seralena (user info) at 2004-11-17 21:06:53 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Oh damn, I don't know how I screwed that up.
The line in the second to last paragraph is supposed to be, "...not just what she was SHOWING outside".
Submitted by GlitchCowman (user info) at 2004-11-17 20:58:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment