I'd like to thank my dear friend Lizzy-Chan, who urged me to start this story and kept me on track. Without her, I doubt I would have gotten anywhere with this project.
And now, please enjoy the first installment of 'Light My Footsteps'.
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Stardate… well. I don’t know what the Stardate would be for today. What would a Stardate be if you were not among the stars, zipping along at warp speed, saving the universe every other day? Would it be a proper Stardate if this were in real life and not of the Star Trek universe? Would it technically be a negative Stardate, because Stardates weren’t even implemented until the year 2250 or so. I might as well figure it out later. I’ll have to find a formula for it, or figure one out myself. It would help if it were an accurate Stardate.
It’s Sunday. It’s September. I return to school in two days, after Labour Day.
I guess I should tell you a little about myself. My name is Abigail Sypher. I am a thirteen-year-old girl. My Mom and I live with my Grandparents. It’s safe to say I don’t have siblings. I’ve lived in this little community called ‘Parallel Bend’ my entire life. I own two dogs, and two rabbits. Just the average sounding kid, right? Well…
I’m a geek. I like stuff only ‘losers’ and boys are supposed to like. I don’t know what that makes me, but I’d much prefer not even thinking about it – someone’s bound to come up with some ‘ingenious’ name for it sometime or later. I’ve tried to keep this interest in Star Trek tuned down a bit, so they don’t insist on calling me ‘Trekkie’, but it’s rather challenging. Anyways. School. Ah, yes. I might as well explain my little situation. In the past couple years of Elementary School, I was bullied mercilessly for the last painful three. I refuse to name names, as it is the past now, but the toll of those people’s actions have reeked a terrible price on my very soul. Every whisper, rumour, nasty name directed my way ripped a little bit of me away, until I was a battered, torn-up being, only a fragment of what I once was. I had little to no self-esteem, and no strength to fight anymore. When I ‘graduated’ from that school, it was like the first breath of fresh air I had had in those three long years.
This year, it will be a brand new start. I’m going to high school! I don’t know what to make of it. Should I be afraid, of those potential people who could reopen those carefully concealed emotional scars? Should I be relieved, that we specifically set this up so I wouldn’t even be attending the same school as my former bullies? How should I hold myself when meeting others? Should I go with what my gut feeling is?
Please don’t misunderstand me – I do have very good friends. The downside is, they don’t go to the high school I will be going to. You see, in this town of Kamloops, British Columbia, there are only a couple of high schools that are decent. The school which I am attending this year is a small school, and unfortunately, those good friends aren’t going there. I’ll be all on my own.
I sort of wish I had a friend going there, but this time it will be my fresh start. My chance to become free once again, and be who I am, not what someone has forced me to be.
Who am I to be? I don’t know. I am afraid.
Yesterday, I had watched a huge marathon of Star Trek movies. I always thought my Mom and my Grandpa were insane for liking such movies (As Star Wars, to me, when I was younger, much more interesting.) but after I actually sat down and watched this intriguing show, I was definitely hooked. We went out to see the newest addition to the movies, ‘Star Trek’, the ‘reboot’ one, back in May and I absolutely loved it. Ever since, I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible about this wonderful series.
Personally, I prefer the Original Series and the Reboot. Particularly the Reboot, as it is the first… true Trek material I have ever seen and paid any attention to. I suppose it is more appealing to me, as the characters are younger. Of the characters I was introduced to at the start of the summer, three caught my attention (Although, I adore all of them quite a bit. Even that Nero guy was sort of cool.) – Spock, Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Chekov. In my absolute frenzy to get my paws on something Star Trek after we came out of that movie theatre, we went to Wal Mart. I bought a six-inch Warp Series Sulu toy, and he’s stood guard over my room, proudly set up on his silver ‘limited edition’ stand with his phaser in hand. I like to believe he’s protecting me and my room from possible Romulan intruders, or unwanted cleaner-uppers (Hi, Mom.).
Summer passed. I watched more Star Trek. I relaxed. I enjoyed myself.As school approached, I hoped more and more I wouldn’t mess this chance up. I prayed that I would have a friend who would see me through, who’d listen to my fears, and give me the strength I knew I would need to heal from my previous pain.
Someone listened.The storm outside raged. It was one of the most freakiest weather phenomena I have ever known – this lightning gale came from nowhere, as far as I can tell. I’ve taken shelter down in my room in the chilly basement, using a flashlight to read a horse magazine I get in the mail every few months. A particularly loud clap of thunder shook the house and I cringed, scooting a little farther under the thick, warm duvet. I never liked thunderstorms.Every few seconds, lightning flashed behind the blinds. It was followed by a crack, like a whip. If I knew better, I’d have sworn it was directly outside my basement window. The electricity had long since stopped; the lights flickered out at least three hours ago. I secretly was hoping that perhaps this storm would delay my trip to ‘school’ the day after tomorrow, but I doubted it.
I glanced over at my beloved Sulu toy. The plastic figurine stood, gazing unbrokenly and keeping his watch over my room. I always felt just a little safer when I look up at him. I know it’s strange, but sometimes a ‘security blanket’ is not a stuffed bear or an old ragged blanket you’ve had since you were little, but something newer.
All of the sudden, there was a huge exploding boom right outside my window. The room lit up impossibly, blindingly bright and I shrieked in terror, covering my head with my arms. Had lightning struck the house right outside my window? That was physically impossible, as it should have hit the large pine and oak trees long before even coming close to hitting any house at all. I hoped it hadn’t sparked a fire, although, the rain would probably douse any flame created anyways. The water was coming down in bucketfuls. It was eerily silent after that. I peaked out at my window, looking for any signs of damage, but to my shock, there was none. I checked over my shelf just to the left of my bed, and with a pang of worry, realized my poor Sulu toy had… fallen.
It’s Sunday. It’s September. I return to school in two days, after Labour Day.
I guess I should tell you a little about myself. My name is Abigail Sypher. I am a thirteen-year-old girl. My Mom and I live with my Grandparents. It’s safe to say I don’t have siblings. I’ve lived in this little community called ‘Parallel Bend’ my entire life. I own two dogs, and two rabbits. Just the average sounding kid, right? Well…
I’m a geek. I like stuff only ‘losers’ and boys are supposed to like. I don’t know what that makes me, but I’d much prefer not even thinking about it – someone’s bound to come up with some ‘ingenious’ name for it sometime or later. I’ve tried to keep this interest in Star Trek tuned down a bit, so they don’t insist on calling me ‘Trekkie’, but it’s rather challenging. Anyways. School. Ah, yes. I might as well explain my little situation. In the past couple years of Elementary School, I was bullied mercilessly for the last painful three. I refuse to name names, as it is the past now, but the toll of those people’s actions have reeked a terrible price on my very soul. Every whisper, rumour, nasty name directed my way ripped a little bit of me away, until I was a battered, torn-up being, only a fragment of what I once was. I had little to no self-esteem, and no strength to fight anymore. When I ‘graduated’ from that school, it was like the first breath of fresh air I had had in those three long years.
This year, it will be a brand new start. I’m going to high school! I don’t know what to make of it. Should I be afraid, of those potential people who could reopen those carefully concealed emotional scars? Should I be relieved, that we specifically set this up so I wouldn’t even be attending the same school as my former bullies? How should I hold myself when meeting others? Should I go with what my gut feeling is?
Please don’t misunderstand me – I do have very good friends. The downside is, they don’t go to the high school I will be going to. You see, in this town of Kamloops, British Columbia, there are only a couple of high schools that are decent. The school which I am attending this year is a small school, and unfortunately, those good friends aren’t going there. I’ll be all on my own.
I sort of wish I had a friend going there, but this time it will be my fresh start. My chance to become free once again, and be who I am, not what someone has forced me to be.
Who am I to be? I don’t know. I am afraid.
Yesterday, I had watched a huge marathon of Star Trek movies. I always thought my Mom and my Grandpa were insane for liking such movies (As Star Wars, to me, when I was younger, much more interesting.) but after I actually sat down and watched this intriguing show, I was definitely hooked. We went out to see the newest addition to the movies, ‘Star Trek’, the ‘reboot’ one, back in May and I absolutely loved it. Ever since, I’ve been trying to learn as much as possible about this wonderful series.
Personally, I prefer the Original Series and the Reboot. Particularly the Reboot, as it is the first… true Trek material I have ever seen and paid any attention to. I suppose it is more appealing to me, as the characters are younger. Of the characters I was introduced to at the start of the summer, three caught my attention (Although, I adore all of them quite a bit. Even that Nero guy was sort of cool.) – Spock, Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Chekov. In my absolute frenzy to get my paws on something Star Trek after we came out of that movie theatre, we went to Wal Mart. I bought a six-inch Warp Series Sulu toy, and he’s stood guard over my room, proudly set up on his silver ‘limited edition’ stand with his phaser in hand. I like to believe he’s protecting me and my room from possible Romulan intruders, or unwanted cleaner-uppers (Hi, Mom.).
Summer passed. I watched more Star Trek. I relaxed. I enjoyed myself.As school approached, I hoped more and more I wouldn’t mess this chance up. I prayed that I would have a friend who would see me through, who’d listen to my fears, and give me the strength I knew I would need to heal from my previous pain.
Someone listened.The storm outside raged. It was one of the most freakiest weather phenomena I have ever known – this lightning gale came from nowhere, as far as I can tell. I’ve taken shelter down in my room in the chilly basement, using a flashlight to read a horse magazine I get in the mail every few months. A particularly loud clap of thunder shook the house and I cringed, scooting a little farther under the thick, warm duvet. I never liked thunderstorms.Every few seconds, lightning flashed behind the blinds. It was followed by a crack, like a whip. If I knew better, I’d have sworn it was directly outside my basement window. The electricity had long since stopped; the lights flickered out at least three hours ago. I secretly was hoping that perhaps this storm would delay my trip to ‘school’ the day after tomorrow, but I doubted it.
I glanced over at my beloved Sulu toy. The plastic figurine stood, gazing unbrokenly and keeping his watch over my room. I always felt just a little safer when I look up at him. I know it’s strange, but sometimes a ‘security blanket’ is not a stuffed bear or an old ragged blanket you’ve had since you were little, but something newer.
All of the sudden, there was a huge exploding boom right outside my window. The room lit up impossibly, blindingly bright and I shrieked in terror, covering my head with my arms. Had lightning struck the house right outside my window? That was physically impossible, as it should have hit the large pine and oak trees long before even coming close to hitting any house at all. I hoped it hadn’t sparked a fire, although, the rain would probably douse any flame created anyways. The water was coming down in bucketfuls. It was eerily silent after that. I peaked out at my window, looking for any signs of damage, but to my shock, there was none. I checked over my shelf just to the left of my bed, and with a pang of worry, realized my poor Sulu toy had… fallen.
The toy itself was in an odd position. With the joins in it’s arms, legs, boots, shoulders and sort-of joints in it’s hips, I was sure it shouldn’t have been in that position at all. For it’s slightly limited range of mobility, it was in an unusually impossible angle. The helmsman toy was draped facedown over the little watch box I had set him on. It twitched slightly, groaning.… Wait, what?I leaned forward to get a closer look, tentatively extending a hand. I was just a little bit afraid. Was this some sort of illusion? I watched as my Sulu toy, the one I had bought at the start of the summer, the one who had stood ‘guard’ over my room… struggled to his feet, shakily leaning up against my lamp and looking around with wide, brown, and very much alive eyes.
“… Ow.” That was all he said, before passing out and slipping sideways, dangerously tumbling off the shelf. I moved forward and caught him before he fell off said shelf and placed him gently on my pillow.
How did one go about helping a toy? I didn’t know what happened. I still don’t know. I was afraid to touch him, because I was afraid of accidentally hurting him. Right now, I wished I had grabbed that ‘Warp Series Cadet McCoy’ toy, because Bones always fixed stuff (And he always said, ‘Damnit, Jim! I’m a Doctor, not a -RANDOM OCCUPATION HERE-’, too, which was awesome.) but then realized it probably wouldn’t have done much good because even if I had a Bones toy, and this lightning-thing happened, he’d probably just as out of it as poor Sulu was.Hikaru Sulu. Helmsman of the USS Enterprise. He was now about as tall as my hand was long, and lying unconscious on my pillow. I had no clue what to do. Mom stuck her head into my room to see if I was all right. I scooted forward to block her view of my pillow – I don’t know why, but… I didn’t want her knowing about my… toy?
“You alright, kiddo?” Trust my Mom to give me a nickname that made me feel like a two year old, but right now I guess it was alright.
“I’m fine, Mom. Go check Grandpa and Grandma.” I urged her, and she turned on her heel to hurry and check on the two old people upstairs. I breathed a sigh of relief.
– And soon I was once again left alone. It seemed she hadn’t realized that the lightning had struck right outside the window, which I was grateful for.
I just had to figure out what to do with him. It was seven or so in the evening. I didn’t want to move him. I didn’t dare move him. I did my best at keeping him warm in the cold basement by covering him up with one of my soft, warm, woolly socks I save exclusively for winter or so, and settled patiently nearby, tensely waiting to see if he would even wake up or not. It would really suck if whatever happened killed him.
To see if this was real or not.
End Log.
