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The Birthday Wish By: Cindygirl@hanson.net "Taylor!" Taylor moaned and closed his eyes. All he wanted was some peace and quiet. It was the night before his eightteenth birthday and his entire family was driving him crazy. It seemed like everytime he turned around there was someone talking about his birthday. Not that he didn't appreciate it, it's just that he wished they would give him some space for a while. If this is what today was like, what was his actually birthday gonna be like? He groaned again thinking about it, begining to wish that tomorrow was just an ordinary day. "Taylor!" All of a sudden his bedroom door flew open and his youngest brother Mackenzie ran in. "Hey Taylor...." "Mackenzie, what is the rule in this house? When a door is closed you knock first! It's rude to just barge in like that!" he snapped, getting even more annoyed. Mackenzie looked at his big brother with now sad eyes, "I'm sorry Taylor, I just..." "You just weren't thinking," Taylor finished for him. Mackenzie just stood there, not sure what to do or say, "What you want Mackenzie?" Taylor said. "Um, nothing. Nevermind. It wasn't important," the little boy said as he ran out of the room, leaving the door opened. Taylor sighed as he got up and closed the door, slamming it loudly. "Don't slam the doors!" he heard his mother yell. He ignored her walked back to his bed. Just as he was sitting down the door opened again and his sister Jessica walked in, "Hey Taylor." "What now!?" he yelled, not really meaning to. "Nothing. Forget it, geez!" she said as she walked out, closing the door behind her. Taylor sat on his bed and rested his face in his hands. He hadn't meant to snap at them it was just that he wished they would all just leave him alone for a little while. A few moments later he heard the door open yet again, "Now what do you want!?" he said looking up, "Oh!" he said, looking at his mother who had her hands on her hips and did not look too happy at all. "Taylor what's gotten into you? I have been getting complaints left and right about your attitude and I won't stand for it mister! There is no reason for you to be acting like this." "Give me a break mom." "You better watch it or you will be grounded for your birthday do you understand?" Now she was the one getting annoyed with her son's behavior. Taylor sighed, "I don't care mom." Trying not to yell, Mrs. Hanson decided now would be the best time to end this before she rang his neck, "Taylor go down stairs now!" "Why?" "Because it's time for dinner now move it!" Taylor sighed but did what he was told anyways. After dinner, while everyone was clearing the table and cleaning up the kitchen, Isaac and Zac started talking about his birthday yet again. "Man Taylor tomorrow is gonna be so awesome! I can't believe you'll be eightteen. I guess I'll be the only 'kid' in the band now," Zac said joking. Taylor just rolled his eyes. "Yeah," Isaac continued, "and the party should be cool too. At first we thought of making it a surprise party but then dedided against it because..." Blah, blah, blah. That's all Taylor heard. Isaac had given that same 'should have been a surpise party speech' twice before and was on the third time around. "So what do you think Taylor?" Isaac said, looking at his younger brother. "I think we should talk about something else for a while," Taylor said, hoping they would get the hint and change the subject. "But why Taylor. It's your eighteenth birthday," Zac said enthusiastically, "It a big day!" "Well this big day isn't until tomorrow so can we please talk about something else. Anything else?" Taylor said looking at them. "Why don't you want to talk about your birthday?" Isaac asked a little confused and concered. "Because I'm sick of hearing about it so would you please just shut up about it?" Taylor snapped, realising that there was no way to avoid them talking about it. "Hey!" thier father yelled, "I don't want to hear anyone telling someone to shut up!" "Well geez dad! For the past week all anyone ever talks about is my birthday! Enough already! Talk about other things please! Just forget about my birthday!" "You want us to forget about your birthday?" Zac asked. "Yes!" Taylor yelled. "Oh and I suppose you want us to forget about the party too them huh?" Isaac said, challenging his brother. "Isaac, I don't care about that stupid party! I don't care any more whether you have it or not! Cancel it for all i care!" Taylor yelled, hoping they would get the point and just quit talking about it for a while. "You ungreatfull little jerk! Do you have any idea how much work we put into this thing!?" Isaac yelled, getting in his brother's face. "I don't care.." "Boys! That's enough!" thier mother yelled, "Taylor why are you acting like this. I thought you were happy about tomorrow?" his mother asked, concerned that he may be sick or hiding something. "I was until you people shoved it down my throat! I don't care anymore whether or not you celebrate my birthday! As far as I'm concerned you can all just consider tomorrow just an ordinary day!" And with that, he stormed out of the kitchen, up the stairs and into his room, slamming the door. He flopped down on his bed and put the pillow over his head. He few moments later, he turned his head and looked out the window and up at the bright full moon and all the twinkling stars, the pillow still resting on his head. He watch the night sky for a few moments. He then let his mind wander. He thought about all the screaming fans he and brothers had, being a famous band and all. He thought about how they would scream at him and call his name and declare thir love. He then thought of his family. They were supposed to be on vaction but instead it was just like on the road. Everyone making a big fuss over him. He saw a shooting star fly by, "Sometimes I wish they would all just forget about me, " he said, "Just pretend I don't exist." A few minutes later, he drifted off. He woke up the next morning, the sun shinging brightly in his eyes. He squinted and sat up. He noticed that his brothers beds were unmade and the room was empty. Considering no one was forced to make thier beds until after breakfast he figured that was where his brothers were. He wondered why they didn't wake him up. No matter what, even if they weren't speaking, which was rare, they always woke each other up for breakfast. He got up and changed clothes, since he woke up in the same clothes he wore the day before, then headed downstairs. He walked into the kitchen, preparing himself to hear about his birthday yet again. But, when he walked in, nothing happened. Everyone just went on doing what they were doing. His mom and Jessica were washing off some plates and Isaac was helping clear the table of the things that weren't being used. Everyone else was still finishing thier food. He walked up to Isaac, "Hey why didn't you wake me up?" he asked, trully curious. Nothing. Isaac just walked to the table, picked up the syrup and went to put it away. "Ok," Taylor said, deciding he would ask Zac, "Well why didn't you wake me up?" Nothing there either. Taylor smiled, "Oh I get it! You guys are still mad at me right?" Nothing. "Look I'm sorry. You guys were just driving me over the edge. I mean I appreciate everything you're doing it's just that I wished you wouldn't have talked about it so much." He then saw his little sister Avery get up and take her plate to the sink and walked right by Taylor, "What, are you mad at me too?" Taylor asked looking at her. Nothing. His mother then walked by and started to clean up thier baby sister Zoe. "Mom, help me out here. If they won't listen to me they'll listen to you. I just.." She turned and walked away like she didn't even hear him, "Mom!?" He turned to his father, now getting desperate, "Dad! Please! I'm sorry. Don't do this." Nothing. His father just went on reading his paper. "Ok I give up I'm sorry! You win! Now talk to me please!" Nothing. He then looked at Zac. He walked over to him and tried again, "Please Zac, I'm sorry. Please don't do this to me. Please forgive me man! Come on!" Nothing. "Zac!?" Still nothing. Taylor got mad, "Talk to me!" he yelled as he went to grab Zac's shoulder and his hand went right through Zac. Taylor eyes widened, "What?" he said in a whisper. He then turned around and decided to try his mother again. He ran to her, "Mom. Please I'm so sorry. Please answer me." Nothing. He waved his hands in front of her face, "Mom!?" he said getting panicked, "Mom!" he yelled and desperately grabbed at her shoulder, wanting nothing more than to hug her right then. But his hands went right through her as well. He took a few shocked steps backwards. "Mom?" he said, not understanding what what was going on. He then saw Isaac walking towards him, "Isaac, please I'm sor...." but before he got it out, Isaac walked right through him. He turned around and looked at his brother. Isaac acted like it didn't even happen. Taylor, full of panick, ran out of the kitchen, "What happening to me?" he asked. As he left the kitchen and entered the hall, a tall, dark figure appeared. Taylor yelped and stopped in his tracks. The figure stepped out of the shadows and Taylor saw that it was a man with white hair and a white beard. The man was dressed in a black trench coat and a black, durby style hat. "Who.. who are you?" Taylor stuttered. "I'm here to help you Taylor," the man said in a freindly tone. "Help me?" Taylor siad, now more confused. "Help me what?" "To get your wish." "What wish? What the heck are you talking about?" "You wish that everyone would forget about you. Would pretend that you don't exist. I'm here to make that so." "What are you talking about? I didn't wish that!" "Oh no? What did you wish last night before you went to sleep?" the man said, a coy smile on his face. Taylor stopped. He had said that. He looked up at the man, "This is a joke right? I'm not really here. I'm still in bed asleep. This is dream right?" "Don't be so sure of that. Why don't you take a look around. She how things are now that you don't exist." "What?" Taylor said. He laughed, "What are you talking about? I exist. Look at me. I'm standing right here in front of you, therefore, I exist." The man shook his head, "No Taylor you don't exist. We're not really here." Taylor then began to think the man was crazy, "What are you talking about? If we're not here then we're are we?" he said, wodering what kind of twisted answer the man would give this time. "Well Taylor, we're here, but not in the physical sense. We're here in spirit you might say." Taylor just looked at him. "This is simply to show you what the world is like now that you don't exist." "Look dude, quit saying that. I exist. You exist. They exist," he said pointing to his family. "Oh yes they do exist, but we don't." Taylor was getting annoyed, "Look Taylor, why don't you take a look around. You may be interested in the way things are now. For example these picutures," the man said, pointing to a shelf that was full of family portraits and other events, "Notice anything different?" Taylor was annoyed but looked anyways, hoping that if he did the man would leave him alone. Suddenly Taylor gasped. He wasn't in any of the pictures, not even in the family portraits. He looked at the man wide eyed, "Where am I? I'm not in any of them. I should be in these. Where did I go?" "You can't be in these pictures because you don't exist." "Stop saying that!" Taylor yelled. "This is a joke right. My family set this up right?" Taylor shook his head, "I have to get out of here," Taylor said, walking away from the man and to the front door intending on going for a walk. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Taylor jumped, how did that man beat him to the door? He shook his head, not caring as he opened the door. "Ahhhhhh!" he yelled, grabbing hold of the doorway to stop himself from going any further. He looked around. There was nothing there. It looked like the house was floating in an endless sky. He was now terrified. He quickly slammed the door and leaned up against it, breathing hard from the shock. He then got curious so he leaned over and pulled back the curtain from the window next to the door. 'Huh!?" he said. He saw his front porch, the street, his nieghbors' houses. He then turned around and opened the door just a crack. There was the endless sky again. He slammed the door. "What the heck is going on!?" "I told you," Taylor jumped at the voice, "You don't exist. And since you don't exist in this world," he pointed to the window, "that world does not exist to you." Taylor shook his head, "You're crazy! Stop doing this to me! This isn't funny anymore! I'm scared ok. You made your point! You got me good! Now just leave me alone!" "Is that what you really want?" the man asked in a strange tone. Before Taylor could answer Isaac walked in and walked right through Taylor, "Stop doing that Isaac!" Taylor yelled, scared out of his mind. "He can't hear you Taylor. Why won't you understand that?" Taylor looked at the man, "Look, I told you to leave me alone! I don't want you here anymore. You are freakin' the crap out me! So just go away!" "So that's it? You want to handle this alone?" "Look I told you that you made your point! You scared me beyond belief!" he tunred to his family who were still in the kitchen, "Do you hear that guys, you won! I'm sorry. I'll stop being a jerk!" No response. "Oh very funny guys!" "Well, Taylor if that's what you want, then I'll give it to you." "Yes. That is what I want." Taylor said, trying so hard not to yell anymore. "Suit yourself." And then, right before Taylor's eyes the man disappeared. Taylor blinked hard not believeing his eyes. "Hey sweetie," he turned as his mother said. He smiled, "Mom!" But instead of talking to him, she too walked right through him. He turned around as she walked to Isaac. "Isaac will you do me a favor, when you go to the music store will you stop by the grocery store and get me a few things?" Sure mom, "Isaac answered her. "Thank sweetie," she said, kissing his cheek, "Oh and see if your brothers want to go. They have both been wanting to get out of the house." "Oh, I already asked them. Zac's going and Mackenzie says that the music store is no fun because they won't let him play the instuments so he doesn't want to go. So, I guess that's it." "Guess so," there mom answered. "What about me Isaac? You didn't ask me," Taylor said. Isaac ignored him once agian. His mom began to walk away and Taylor stood in front of her, "Mom. What about me?" She walked through him again. He got tears in his eyes, "Why is this happening to me!?" he yelled. He was just so scared and confused. "Why God? Why is this happening to me?" For many hours, Taylor tired and tried to get someone, anyone to talk to him. To acknowledge him. Nothing. No one paid any attention to him. And everytime he stood in front of someone, they simply walked through him. It was now sometime in the late afternoon. Taylor was sitting on the arm of the couch watching his little sisters and little brother play video games. He was just about to give up completely. Tears filled his eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. He turned as he heard a sound next to him. It was his mother. He stood in front of her agian, "Mom?" he said in a desperate whipser. She only walked through him. That's it. At that moment, he gave up completely. He sat back down on the arm of the couch and let the tears fall as he put his hands over his face. When he looked up again he let out another yelp. The man had come back, "Now are you ready to listen to listen to me?" the man asked. Taylor stood up and walked up to the man, "Why are you doing this to me?" he asked in a pain filled voice. "I'm afraid you did this to yourself." "I want my life back. Please just stop this." "This is what you wished for Taylor. This is how things are now," the man said matter of factly. "I don't want this. Please just make things the way they used to be." "I can't do that Taylor. This is what you wished for." "Then I wish I had my old life back!" Taylor yelled desperately. "I'm sorry but your old life does not exist anymore." "Stop saying that!" Taylor yelled, putting his hands over his ears. The man grabbed him by the wrists and pulled Taylor until they were face to face, "Did you ever hear your parents tell you 'Be careful what you wish for'?" "Well yeah but.." "No buts Taylor. It's true. You wished for this and you got it." "But this isn't what I wanted," Taylor said, the tears still falling. "Then you should have been more careful." Then, thier surroundings faded into blackness. "No! Wait! What's happening? Where did my family go?" Taylor said, even more panicked. "I'm sorry but it was hurting you too much to be there and I am here to look after you." "Take me back please!" "It's not the best thing for you right now. Please just calm down. You've got to realise that you don't exist to them so no matter how hard you try they won't answer." "I still don't believe all this bull about me not existing. This has to be a dream. I mean, for example, Isaac said he was going to the music store. Why would he go there if he wasn't part of a band?" Taylor asked, thinking he had finally found a way to beat this guy. "Isaac and Zac are in a band," the man stated. "Well then how can there be a band if I don't exist? We each supply key sounds so if one of us isn't there the band just won't work!" "Which is exactly the why they have such a hard time finding gigs." "What?' "Taylor, would you like for me to give you a brief summary of your family's life now that you don't exist?" "Please do," Taylor said, wondering what this would be like. The man then began the summary, "Since the band does not work with just two poeple, your brothers tried to get someone to join them and make it more solid. No one wanted to waste thier time so it's still just the two of them. They tried and tried to get gigs. Sometimes they would get hired but more often then not they didn't because most people wanted to hear bands that can play music with multiple sounds in each song. Most people just don't consider two poeple a band." "So, what happened to them? I mean, you're talking in past tense." Taylor asked. "Well, Isaac has a parttime job at a video store that a friend helped him get. He plans to maybe go to work with your father after he finishes college. Speaking of which, the reason he is home right now is because it's spring break. Most of the time he is away at college. Therefore the band is no more." "Man," Taylor said, not believing what he was hearing. "What about Zac? "Zac is still playing his drums and is glad that Isaac is finally home so the two of them are spending as much time together as possible. Even playing a little music together. But unfortunately, they gave up trying to get gigs bacause, like you said, the band just doesn't work if one of you isn't there." Taylor couldn't help but feel a little bad. He knew how much music meant to them. "What about the rest of my family? What'll happen to them?" "Well, you father still works for the company he worked for before you guys became famous. He is in a new position that has him doing alot of traveling. Unfortunatley his company only supplies him with one ticket per trip, so the rest of the family stays here." "So that's why he ran outta here this morning wearing a suit," Taylor said, remembering how he had tried to stop his father, only to have him walk right thought Taylor and out the door. "MmmHmm," the man said nodding. "Well what about the rest of my family?" "Well, you're mother still stays home and teaches the children. I guess that's one thing that didn't change. The girls practice dancing and ballet. Zoe, we'll she's about the same since she is only two. She isn't really old enough to have this affect her. Although, the family does have bit of trouble getting her to sleep sometimes. Tell me Taylor, when you still existed, who was the only one who could get her to sleep on those nights?" Taylor sighed, "Me." "That's what I thought," the man said in an creepy tone. "Well what about Mackenzie?" "Well, he is a little bit lonely. You see, he's very shy so he doesn't talk to other kids alot. He gets to nervous. He afraid they won't like him. So he really doesn't have any friends. So, tell me something else Taylor, no matter how many times people tried to help him get over his fear, who is the one who had that little talk with him that gave him confidence, resulting in him talking to another little boy and making a new best friend?" Continue.... About | Rules & Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Because you are a Hanson.net member, you have been added to this newsletter automatically. If you do not wish to receive any further issues, please contact us at info@hanson.net with "unsubscribe" in the subject and you will be removed from the list. © 2000-2001 The Hanson.net Gazette