Always a Farmer

[Mel]

My new fanfic that I hope to finish...
I hope you guys like it.

Chapter One- Young Jack

The earth moved with his hand, its warmth felt on his small, tan fingers. As he broke the pieces of loose soil from the ground, the scent of Mother Nature rose up to him. A lone leaf stuck through the brown floor with its light green skin shining in the bright sun. He stared at this small wonder, his eyes focusing so intensely that the entire object turned blurry.

A voice abruptly crashed through his thoughts, its agitation clear and strong. "Jack, you better come in for dinner or you'll be sorry!" A middle-aged woman with electrifying blue eyes looked down at her son, whose small hands were still in the fertile garden soil. "I told you not to get messy before eating," she said softly, eyeing the dark spots on his clothes.

"Sorry, Mom..." he sighed, raising himself from the small spot he had made in the grass.

"Why do you enjoy the dirt that much anyway?" Her nose was wrinkled in disgust. Or maybe it was annoyance. Or both.

Jack shrugged weakly. He looked once more at the small plant he had discovered, and turned to his mom with a small smile. "What's for dinner?"

She didn't seem to notice his question. Her eyes were staring in the direction of where Jack was sitting. "This is what you were so absorbed in?" With a decisive pluck, she pulled the tiny fragile leaf out of its home. Its stem drooped as its lifeless roots dangled helplessly, and a few specks of wet earth escaped the grasps of its powerless fingers.

With large eyes, little Jack stared in horror at his mother.

"This?" she asked again, shaking the leaf back and forth in front of him. "Why can't you spend some time with the neighbors? You know, make some friends."

The kids on his street never wanted to talk to him. To them, he was only some quiet boy who didn't enjoy the same things they did. Jack slowly shook his head.

His mom's shoulders dropped and with a heavy sigh, she turned to go back inside the house. "Wash your hands and come eat, Jack," she said over her shoulder.

Jack looked at the empty space where the plant had once buried in. The hole gaped ominously at him, its chambers no longer holding a living thing, but only air. He was only a child, so this small tragedy brought tears to his dark brown eyes. Hot streams escaped without hesitation, their innocent, young pain burning his cheeks. He kneeled down and with shaking hands, placed the remaining soil into the hole.

All of nature fascinated him, especially plants. The life of them were just as precious as human's to Jack. Their fragileness kept them from living for a long time, which was something he tried to not think about. Filled with the dream to become a farmer, Jack had the idea of the ground being a canvas and him being the artist, ready to paint. His mother never allowed him to plant anything, however. She saw the hobby as a waste of time, not even something to be considered a "hobby."

She couldn't see the life coming from these beings like he did. Taking one of nature's creations from the ground didn't phase her. She didn't look at it as taking a life. But, Jack did.

The boy glanced at the small, shriveled leaf on the cold concrete, and walked inside...

[May]

Good job! Keep going!

[pendulous threads]

Mel! I...I...wow. You're such a great writer. Perfect details and everything...very intersesting. I like your story so far, please continue!

[caspis]

VERY good! I'd even go so far as to say excellent, in fact... ;D

This might be the first fanfic I've seen that explores what Jack might have been as a child. His fascination/respect for nature was really touching... too bad his mom doesn't appreciate his interests.

Well, I'll definately be looking forward to your next chapter!

[Tsuki]

Wow this was fantastic!
I really like how you showed what Jack was like as a child.
Hope to see more soon Mel!

[Mel]

Wow, thanks everyone.
I'm glad you like it so far.
I hope to know exactly where this story is going to go soon. <_< lol

Chapter Two- A Slightly Older Jack

"Did you get all of your books?" Those same blue eyes were there, but a shade of gray circled her pupils. And, as always, they had a brightness about them.

"Yes, Mom. I told you that last night. I placed them all in my bag." Brushing the long hair from his eyes, Jack looked around him, seeing if he had forgotten anything.

His mother walked around the area and opened the refrigerator. "I just don't want your first day in high school to be a bad one," he could hear her say while half of her body was in the fridge.

Jack laughed. "Come on, even if I had forgotten a book or two, the first day wouldn't be bad. Actually, I'm more worried about the people there then what I'm bringing." As soon as he said this, his mom's eyes grew sympathetic.

"Oh, Jack..."

Even though she acted as if she cared, Jack knew that his mother would never fully understand how he felt. The teenagers around him were even worse. They were just really different; there was no other way to say it. Many times, he had tried to talk to them and "belong", but it always ended in failure. Ever since they had seen him planting seeds in his small front yard, some of them resorted to name-calling. "Hippie" and "Tree Hugger" were a few.

"Mom, I already know what you're going to say. Just drop it, ok?" He ran his fingers through his hair and was about to retreat to his room upstairs when he heard the voice call after him.

"You need a hair-cut, Jack, I almost forgot."

"Aw, Mom...."

"Now, young man." It was the end of the discussion as he knew it. Defeated, he crossed the tile floor of the kitchen into the living room. At least he had a fresh new start in this new school. Maybe, just maybe, the other students would forget about calling him names, and just let him be on the same level as them as new-comers to high school.

Yeah... maybe.

- - -

Jack flicked on the light to his room, and walked towards his small bookshelf. With one finger, he skimmed through the titles until he found what he wanted. "The Life of a Farmer," he whispered the name and slid the book from its slot. Flipping through the pages, he looked at the small pictures. He had already read this many times; he could say the order of each chapter with ease. His eyes swept through his favorite book as he stood there, wonderment etched in his face.

In a flash, the excitement was gone. He was no longer looking at the book in his hands. All of the thoughts of the next day overwhelmed him as he stood there, pressing down on him. The more he thought, the harder it pressed. There is no one like me...

In his small room, Jack felt terribly alone. The book in his hands felt cold and dead. He had his books, his dreams, but that was it. He was able to think of everything he wanted after high school, but there was no one to confide in. To Jack, the possibility of finding someone who would listen to him was very small.

Too small.

[cheerios]

Oh wow, that's fantastic Mel. Great job!

[Mel]

Thanks, Stephanie.

[Tsuki]

Amazing Mel, I'm really liking this!

[blueislandssecret]

WOW! This is REALLY great, EXCELLENT! Ever think of becoming a writer someday, because I bet your books would become best sellers. This is so great, please continue. I really can't wait for the next chapter, keep writing!

[Mel]

Thanks for the nice comments, guys.

Chapter Three- A Pointless Dream?

Delicate, creamy petals were opened elegantly, flaunting their yellow beauty. The dew twinkled on sturdy arms, and the green hands stretched out to catch the warm sun. As the wind blew softly around this single flower, its whole body shivered against it. A pair of eyes were a few inches from this miracle, their orbs wide with awe. "There you go." His breath caused the stem to move backwards, easily affected with its light weight. Careful to not touch it, Jack used his finger to wipe away some extra soil at the bottom of the stem.

"I really wished you wouldn't baby that flower so much, Jack."

He turned to see his girlfriend, Sarah, staring at him with her arms crossed. "You built that flower-box to have some flowers, not start a family," she joked, walking to him.

"Did you see it, love? It's fully in bloom now..."

"Jack, I think we need to go out. Go do something."

Jack looked down at her and saw that her green eyes were pleading.

"Please, Jack."

"Alright, let's go. But, if I come back, and my baby has died..."

"What?"

"I'm kidding! Come on." After helping her into a large coat, Jack opened their apartment door to the outside. "After you."

Once in the car, Sarah stared out the window. She always daydreamed while in the car. Not talking wasn't considered rude to them. They understood that while in the car, they just wanted to think to themselves instead of conversing.

Jack was grateful for these times. His mind was free to think about the dreams he had ever since he was a child. He thought about how it would be to have his own land and be able to mold it into anything. Also at this time, he would think about how lucky he was to have Sarah. Damn lucky. He grew up without anyone, feeling as though no one would ever listen to him or give him a chance. She gave him a chance, and he was in her debt. She tried her hardest to have as much enthusiasm as he did when it came to plants, but he could always tell when she was faking it. He loved her for trying, though.

As he sped up while driving on the road, Jack's head spun with thoughts. He was happy here. Or am I? Yes, he had what he wanted. But, do you have everything that you want?

He squinted while driving, trying to stop these thoughts from taking over. The dream I have is pointless. I've had it since I was a child, but every kid has an immature dream of what they want to do when they grow up. How would I be any different? It's just a dumb dream.

Just a--

Two blinding lights shone into his eyes like daggers, making him only see white. A high-pitched scream sounded near him, turning his blood to ice. With a quick swerve to his left, Jack turned the truck so that there was a chance to not collide with the in-coming car. As their truck changed direction, a loud crunch was heard on his right. He could see the door bending into the cabin, the metal screaming as it scraped with the other car. The car's windshield shattered violently, glass raining down on them and cutting their faces. The car had collided into the passenger side. Where Sarah was. The large force knocked him into the door, and stars danced in front of his eyes. His head pounded as his cheek felt the cold glass of the window. He could hear no sound from his right. No voice.

Then, all went black.

[cheerios]

Oh my gosh. That's suspensful. =O

[blueislandssecret]

Oh my gosh, what happened to Sarah?! I can't wait for the next chapter, I bet its gonna be great!

This chapter suspenses me so much that I love it! I love suspensful stories! And its dramatic too, never forget too mention that! Keep it up!

[Tsuki]

Suspense. Great for a story, to keep readers hanging.
Can't wait for more Mel!

[Kikyou Saya Rin-Ren]

It's great, Mel!!

Is Sarah... dead?