If You're Ever On Earth...Look for the Welcome Home Sign (1390 hits)
Category: NoneLabels: planetseries
Rating: 2 on 25 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Steve used to have a House of Pancakes (View user info) at 2005-11-18 06:06:22 EST
The air tingles. It burns like the bubbles from a mouthful of root beer.
The gravity settles around me. It's the invisible hand holding me down, stopping me from floating away.
Awkward. I'm awkward in my skin again.
Must be home.
The people around me are shells on the outside and jelly on the inside. They're massive walking bugs where people should be. They're so busy trying to keep the jelly from leaking through the exoskeleton that they never found time to force a grounded, cheap life.
At least the nurses let me paint. Keeps me from thinking about what the bugs do when I'm asleep.
My mother likes to see me smile. She likes to think I'm happy. She likes to think she's the impetus for my happiness. She's not really. I just like to make her feel bad. That's a terrible thing to say; it's a terrible thing for me to think. But the dark truths are always the easiest to explain. The truths we wear on the outside are the enigmas. Like a comfy coat, we wrap ourselves in the obvious mysteries. Why is your hair cut that way? The simple answer isn't simple. It's not because I like the style. It's not because it was cheap. I don't know why my hair is that way and why does it matter in the grand scheme of things?
My father is the mountain. Hasn't change. Won't change. Won't move until the world moves around him.
He hates the paintings.
"What's this?" His voice croaks from too many years of bad cigars from bad father's day presents my brother bought at the drug store.
I cock my head, making that strange face that causes his fists to curl. "Neptune."
"But it's nothing...It's just...blue."
I smirk and point to a smudge of black in the corner. "And an ice cream shop on the rings."
"I like this one," my mother's voice is too chipper. It's from too many mornings of making bland sandwiches for her bland children and the other one - the one that didn't like sandwiches. I just liked the peanut butter put in a plastic bag.
"That's Saturn. All the garbage makes up the ring...See?"
She doesn't see. She just bobs her multi-coloured head.
"That would look nice in your brother's house."
I crinkle my nose. "I think he'd like Pluto more."
We sit down on the too hard furniture. They don't want you too keep still too long. You look less crazy sitting down. Unless your crazy is the sitting down kind.
"When are you coming home?" My mother asks while my father ponders the window. It's still glass, dad. You can still see through it. Just jump already
Out through that window, just one jump away, is what I've been running from. My little trips. My little adventure. The boy. My star. It's real if you remember it, envision it and create it.
Not in this white washed world. They invented God to create vices. Sin isn't real. Just like everything else in this plastic world, it's a fabrication.
White walls. Green window. Grey sky.
I look back to my mother's green-grey eyes framed by pale white skin.
Where does the plastic end and the person begin?
But it's all in my veins too.
And I know she likes to see me happy.
A faker can fit in from time to time.
I sit up a little straighter and after one last glance at the Moon painting I make my reply. I can feel invisible eyes on me as the words come out. I left her on the moon and I put him in the stars. They're watching me go home. As long as they're with me, I'll be whole. The unreal will make the real easier to swallow.
For now.
Deep breath.
"I'm done travelling now."
The world shifted slighty, but the mountain didn't move.
I hope she still knows how to put peanut butter in a bag.
They pick their favourite paintings. My mother takes two more for my siblings. I can't take them all. I never needed to take them all. They're just snapshots anyways. Why take the snapshots when you've already got the album? I take one. The best one. My favourite one.
Mars. I always liked Mars the best.
If you're ever on Earth, you've come to the place where you can become anything. You can make anything. The world around you is a pallet and you are the painter. The clay and the sculpture. The plucky young lad and the coach from hell. Make something. Say something. Be something.
But some people are thumb-less, colour-blind, monkeys in the dark. You have to make it for them.
The longest journey I took was falling back to Earth. I came back for my imagination. Not for my mother, my father, my siblings or my paintings. Or even my sanity. Imagination. That's all I needed.
That and the nachos. Earth's got some damn good nachos.
The Moon: http://www.ubersite.com/m/78384
Uranus: http://www.ubersite.com/m/77981
Jupiter: http://www.ubersite.com/m/77452
Venus: http://www.ubersite.com/m/75715
Saturn: http://www.ubersite.com/m/75497
Pluto: http://www.ubersite.com/m/73401
Mercury: http://www.ubersite.com/m/72428
Neptune: http://www.ubersite.com/m/71494
Mars: http://www.ubersite.com/m/70839
User Reviews
Submitted by darko (user info) at 2006-06-24 02:55:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Was a solid series.
Submitted by ilikesteak (user info) at 2006-05-25 14:06:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
...Wow...just...wow
Submitted by jagmcmanus (user info) at 2006-01-02 04:35:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Wisher (user info) at 2006-01-02 03:47:43 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
You're weird and wonderful, like an undersea sunset.
Submitted by stevie_says (user info) at 2006-01-02 02:55:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
*SIGH*
Submitted by BananaPhone (user info) at 2005-11-27 18:50:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
*speechless*
*single tear runs down cheek*
P.S. If you're ever on Omicron Persei 8....
Submitted by El_Jeffe (user info) at 2005-11-22 21:27:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by William_Q_Percy (user info) at 2005-11-22 21:15:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2005-11-18 18:39:47 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Whiplash (user info) at 2005-11-18 14:02:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
you are king
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2005-11-18 13:11:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Confuzitron (user info) at 2005-11-18 12:02:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
on crack
Submitted by forensicgirl3 (user info) at 2005-11-18 10:10:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
More brilliance!
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2005-11-18 09:48:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I really enjoyed this series. I like the way you (mostly) manage to work it to be really bleak and empty sounding, rather like space (I am so observant) and then the random kicker at the end which cheered me up somewhat. That made no real sense, but whatever, I understand me.
Submitted by Ferretnose (user info) at 2005-11-18 09:17:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2005-11-18 08:40:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
is the sun next?
Submitted by Flying_buttmonkey (user info) at 2005-11-18 07:08:44 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
yup
Submitted by Dreg (user info) at 2005-11-18 06:40:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I know, who would think it?
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2005-11-18 06:39:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
funny seeing you here on a stevo post thar blirko
Submitted by Dreg (user info) at 2005-11-18 06:37:39 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Now you can get back to writing about your badass dad.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2005-11-18 06:32:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
thank god you finished this
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2005-11-18 06:21:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by stevie_says (user info) at 2005-11-18 06:12:25 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I wanted to go to the Sun. But I needed to finish this before it drags onto another solar system.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2005-11-18 06:11:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
If you're ever on the Sun?
Submitted by stevie_says (user info) at 2005-11-18 06:11:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I'm not wearing my glasses.
That explains all the spelling mistakes.
That and I can't spell.