Write On Edge: Forbidden

This week's Write on Edge was about the forbidden or taboo. At first, I had a vampire idea come to mind, but even I get a little tired of vampires. Plus, I wanted to keep the focus on Snapshots. The idea came last night as I was trying to sleep.

This scene isn't in Snapshots because Cyc is only eight in this scene. Also, he's referred to as John because he hasn't been nicknamed Cyclop at this point and John was the name Tyler had put on his forged records. Cyc never liked it because of how faceless the name felt. It had no individuality for him.

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"Darryl! Jaden! If you don't get your sorry butts down and out to the bus stop I'll call Meemaw Cheryl... John, get away from the window."

Tyler marched to where I leaned on the back of the couch. He grabbed me by the back of my neck and hauled me away from the window.

"But Pop, I wanna see the bus!"

"No, there's too many people out there. I can't take that risk"

I got one last look out the window. A group of kids walked down the sidewalk. They each sported backpacks in an array of colors. One girl skipped along, her pigtails swinging.

Tyler steered me to the stairs. "Get up to your room. I'll call you if I need you."

He yelled for Darryl and Jaden again as I trudged up. At the top, I met my brother and cousin. Their shoulders were slumped and scowls on their faces. I glanced down when their gazes turned to me.

"So lucky you don't have to go to school, John," Jaden sighed. "I wish I had a gift that got me out of school."

"But I wanna go," I protested.

Darryl wrinkled his nose. "Why? It's boring and they make you work. Staying home and playing video games is way cooler."

"Not that cool," I muttered.

"Yeah, I guess if Pop interrupts a lot to have you look at something," Darryl replied.

Down the stairs, Tyler yelled again. Both Darryl and Jaden groaned.

Darryl held out his fist. "See ya later, bro."

"See you," I echoed halfheartedly and bumped Jaden's fist too.

Tyler rushed the two boys out the door. I waited until he had headed into the kitchen before sneaking to Darryl's room. I scrambled on the bed and lifted the curtain. Outside, Jaden and Darryl joined the group waiting for the bus. I watched the group laugh and goof off with each other. Jaden pushed the pigtailed girl down. She burst into tears which made the boys laugh harder.

Envy burned in my chest when the yellow bus appeared like a mirage in the morning fog. The group formed a line and one by one, they disappeared up the steps. The pigtailed girl was the last on, tears still running down her cheeks. The door swung shut. I pressed my hand to the glass. The world wavered as tears filled my filled my eyes. I struggled to see the bus through my tears, desperate to keep it in my sight as it rolled away.

"John, get down here. I need you to look," Tyler called as the bus vanished.