The Golden Apple By Zavier Barnes
“Oww!” Carl’s eyes burned as the sun rose above him and his home in Green Bay Wisconsin. Just across the street was the giant bowl that cast a huge shadow during the middle of the hot, steamy summer days in Green Bay. The shadow of Lambeau Field had yet to do its job in protecting Carl’s eyes from the hot, steaming ball of gas with yellow coloring.
Carl rose from his bed and yawned, there was no going back to sleep since the sun had already risen in his eyes and through his maroon shades. He stepped into the ball of clothes on the floor. Most kids at 13 would have freaked out seeing so many clothes on the ground, let alone step in them. But, this was Carl's daily life… Wake up to a smoldering, hot ball of gas in his eyes, yawn so loud it probably woke the neighbors, then step in his clothes from months back. “Ahh! Shoo!” Carl’s sister screamed most likely shooing away the pigeons that came to their door every day in the summer. Carl walked downstairs to the enriching smell of bacon and pancakes. The big plate lay on Carl’s spot ready for him to eat like a person who has never tasted food. His mom’s analogy fit perfectly to his style of eating. But, there was one difference between the old plate that normally awaited him and the new one that sat before him. There, in the middle of Carl’s plate was a golden apple. “Uhh mom, is that supposed to be there?” Carl gestured toward the apple.
“ What honey?” His mom questioned.
Carl thought it was odd, but, since he was Carl, and his favorite thing besides sleeping was eating he ate anyway. The pancakes and bacon tasted delicious as usual. The grease from the bacon made Carl’s stomach rumble in disagreement, as for the pancakes the fluffy, buttery inside melted perfectly with the crusty but not too crusty outside. As for the golden apple, it had a sour taste that was slightly bitter, but despite Carl’s hate for bitter foods something in his mind told him to keep eating and that it tasted like pasta, his favorite food. Carl got up and went back to his room to get extra sleep on his soft, foamy mattress. But, even as he went upstairs to his room, he had a tingling feeling throughout his skin that something wasn't right. The sensation traveled up his spine starting at his feet and making its way to his head as he lay down, immediately falling asleep on his mattress. During Carl’s dream an old man showed up, he had a white cloak, his white and gray hair came together more to the right side of his skull. Wrinkles wrapped around his face and his eyes smooshed together and he had a crooked smile spread from ear to ear. He spoke, “ Young man, you have made a huge choice in your life. The gift and the consequences. Ah, where do we go from here? You, my friend, are invincible, no dying for you. Now, bad luck will be given as a great consequence of this choice, the grade of bad luck like a D in English or a passing of a loved one, we can not be sure, but we can be sure this will affect your life greatly. Peace young pupil!” He flashed the peace sign and the dream was over.
Carl shook his head vigorously as he woke up. His eyes bolted open, the dream was still in his head, the words that is. He took a deep breath and began to walk down the stairs. Then, he heard a shriek so loud that it could have been bloody murder. Carl immediately ran faster than he ever had in his life. Worry crept into his mind taking over his thoughts, suddenly Carl couldn’t think right anymore. His mind was fuzzy and his brain ached. As he reached the end of the staircase, he saw his family, his sister, mom, and dad all lay dead on the floor. Bent over his parents was a man with a watermelon over his head. In his hand lay a 9-inch knife, the killer turned to Carl, his eyes were blood-red with a hint of blue in the right-hand corner. The killer made a stabbing motion with his knife but, as it collided with Carl's forehead, it bounced off him harmlessly and the knife clattered to the floor. The killer's eyes went into shock and he got up and raced out of the room. Carl opened the front door and looked at the surrounding houses. What Carl saw before his blue-brown eyes was a mess. The whole neighborhood was in a cacophony. The craziness that Carl saw was houses wrapped in a deep green vine that surrounded all the houses. No citizens were left as far as Carl could see. Carl took a step forward and walked out into a world that no one seemed to know quite what to make of.
Carl’s first thought was to visit his neighbor's houses, but he was traumatized enough with the fact that his parents and sister were dead, he did not need to see the whole entire world deceased in front of his eyes. As Carl examined the damage a familiar voice filled his thoughts. “You, my friend, are invincible, no dying for you. Now, bad luck will be given as a great consequence of this choice, the grade of bad luck like a D in English or a passing of a loved one, we can not be sure, but we can be sure this will affect your life greatly.” The old man had spoken correctly, for Carl’s whole life he thought old men were dumb and stupid. Carl regretted it immediately for this man was correct. Then a bright light flashed before his eyes and a faint image appeared. The picture flickered and a crackly voice spoke. “ If you, my friend, kneel and sacrifice your finger to my spirit right now, your life will return to normal, your family will be brought back and the neighborhood will come back to life. But, you won't be invincible. Choose wisely.” Carl bent over and thought. He never thought he loved his sister and family so much that he would give his finger for them. He knew this would ruin his dream of being an author, but he had to. Without the world, there would be no writing for him. Carl spooned his finger into his pocket and picked up a small, pocket knife. He always carried it around in case of an emergency. Like the time he triple knotted his shoes and had to cut the laces with the knife. His mom hadn’t been too keen on that since those shoes were 150 dollars. His hand pulled it out and he made a swooping motion to his index finger and it collided with his skin. Making a clean cut right through his skin. It cut through the bone and fell to the floor. It disappeared in a matter of seconds and the voice spoke,“ You have made a good choice.” And light flashed. Carl looked around him and his family appeared rushing to his aid. “ Carl what happened to you!” His sister screamed. She cradled him in her arms and rushed him to the hospital. The blood poured all over the backseat of their Corvette but his sister didn’t care. Before Carl knew it he was laying in a bed as doctors taped the gaping hole on his finger. Carl woke the next morning to the same sunlight. The thick shades had not done their work yet and he rose. Carl tapped his nubby index finger and then got up. He stepped in a ball of assorted clothes. He looked down and noticed a bloody shirt, the one he wore yesterday and he smiled. He had made the right choice and saved him and his family from a disastrous life. He opened his door and walked down the creaky stairs. When he turned the corner he saw his plate of breakfast. Pancakes and sausage but no golden apple, Carl smiled and let go a sigh of relief. This day would be normal, he just knew it.
“Oww!” Carl’s eyes burned as the sun rose above him and his home in Green Bay Wisconsin. Just across the street was the giant bowl that cast a huge shadow during the middle of the hot, steamy summer days in Green Bay. The shadow of Lambeau Field had yet to do its job in protecting Carl’s eyes from the hot, steaming ball of gas with yellow coloring.
Carl rose from his bed and yawned, there was no going back to sleep since the sun had already risen in his eyes and through his maroon shades. He stepped into the ball of clothes on the floor. Most kids at 13 would have freaked out seeing so many clothes on the ground, let alone step in them. But, this was Carl's daily life… Wake up to a smoldering, hot ball of gas in his eyes, yawn so loud it probably woke the neighbors, then step in his clothes from months back. “Ahh! Shoo!” Carl’s sister screamed most likely shooing away the pigeons that came to their door every day in the summer. Carl walked downstairs to the enriching smell of bacon and pancakes. The big plate lay on Carl’s spot ready for him to eat like a person who has never tasted food. His mom’s analogy fit perfectly to his style of eating. But, there was one difference between the old plate that normally awaited him and the new one that sat before him. There, in the middle of Carl’s plate was a golden apple. “Uhh mom, is that supposed to be there?” Carl gestured toward the apple.
“ What honey?” His mom questioned.
Carl thought it was odd, but, since he was Carl, and his favorite thing besides sleeping was eating he ate anyway. The pancakes and bacon tasted delicious as usual. The grease from the bacon made Carl’s stomach rumble in disagreement, as for the pancakes the fluffy, buttery inside melted perfectly with the crusty but not too crusty outside. As for the golden apple, it had a sour taste that was slightly bitter, but despite Carl’s hate for bitter foods something in his mind told him to keep eating and that it tasted like pasta, his favorite food. Carl got up and went back to his room to get extra sleep on his soft, foamy mattress. But, even as he went upstairs to his room, he had a tingling feeling throughout his skin that something wasn't right. The sensation traveled up his spine starting at his feet and making its way to his head as he lay down, immediately falling asleep on his mattress. During Carl’s dream an old man showed up, he had a white cloak, his white and gray hair came together more to the right side of his skull. Wrinkles wrapped around his face and his eyes smooshed together and he had a crooked smile spread from ear to ear. He spoke, “ Young man, you have made a huge choice in your life. The gift and the consequences. Ah, where do we go from here? You, my friend, are invincible, no dying for you. Now, bad luck will be given as a great consequence of this choice, the grade of bad luck like a D in English or a passing of a loved one, we can not be sure, but we can be sure this will affect your life greatly. Peace young pupil!” He flashed the peace sign and the dream was over.
Carl shook his head vigorously as he woke up. His eyes bolted open, the dream was still in his head, the words that is. He took a deep breath and began to walk down the stairs. Then, he heard a shriek so loud that it could have been bloody murder. Carl immediately ran faster than he ever had in his life. Worry crept into his mind taking over his thoughts, suddenly Carl couldn’t think right anymore. His mind was fuzzy and his brain ached. As he reached the end of the staircase, he saw his family, his sister, mom, and dad all lay dead on the floor. Bent over his parents was a man with a watermelon over his head. In his hand lay a 9-inch knife, the killer turned to Carl, his eyes were blood-red with a hint of blue in the right-hand corner. The killer made a stabbing motion with his knife but, as it collided with Carl's forehead, it bounced off him harmlessly and the knife clattered to the floor. The killer's eyes went into shock and he got up and raced out of the room. Carl opened the front door and looked at the surrounding houses. What Carl saw before his blue-brown eyes was a mess. The whole neighborhood was in a cacophony. The craziness that Carl saw was houses wrapped in a deep green vine that surrounded all the houses. No citizens were left as far as Carl could see. Carl took a step forward and walked out into a world that no one seemed to know quite what to make of.
Carl’s first thought was to visit his neighbor's houses, but he was traumatized enough with the fact that his parents and sister were dead, he did not need to see the whole entire world deceased in front of his eyes. As Carl examined the damage a familiar voice filled his thoughts. “You, my friend, are invincible, no dying for you. Now, bad luck will be given as a great consequence of this choice, the grade of bad luck like a D in English or a passing of a loved one, we can not be sure, but we can be sure this will affect your life greatly.” The old man had spoken correctly, for Carl’s whole life he thought old men were dumb and stupid. Carl regretted it immediately for this man was correct. Then a bright light flashed before his eyes and a faint image appeared. The picture flickered and a crackly voice spoke. “ If you, my friend, kneel and sacrifice your finger to my spirit right now, your life will return to normal, your family will be brought back and the neighborhood will come back to life. But, you won't be invincible. Choose wisely.” Carl bent over and thought. He never thought he loved his sister and family so much that he would give his finger for them. He knew this would ruin his dream of being an author, but he had to. Without the world, there would be no writing for him. Carl spooned his finger into his pocket and picked up a small, pocket knife. He always carried it around in case of an emergency. Like the time he triple knotted his shoes and had to cut the laces with the knife. His mom hadn’t been too keen on that since those shoes were 150 dollars. His hand pulled it out and he made a swooping motion to his index finger and it collided with his skin. Making a clean cut right through his skin. It cut through the bone and fell to the floor. It disappeared in a matter of seconds and the voice spoke,“ You have made a good choice.” And light flashed. Carl looked around him and his family appeared rushing to his aid. “ Carl what happened to you!” His sister screamed. She cradled him in her arms and rushed him to the hospital. The blood poured all over the backseat of their Corvette but his sister didn’t care. Before Carl knew it he was laying in a bed as doctors taped the gaping hole on his finger. Carl woke the next morning to the same sunlight. The thick shades had not done their work yet and he rose. Carl tapped his nubby index finger and then got up. He stepped in a ball of assorted clothes. He looked down and noticed a bloody shirt, the one he wore yesterday and he smiled. He had made the right choice and saved him and his family from a disastrous life. He opened his door and walked down the creaky stairs. When he turned the corner he saw his plate of breakfast. Pancakes and sausage but no golden apple, Carl smiled and let go a sigh of relief. This day would be normal, he just knew it.
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