Sunday, April 26, 2009

Watercolor Memories

I don’t know how to begin….ah. Well, my name is Andy, Andy Riley actually and I’m a little nervous, never spoke to this many people before you know. I’m filling in for Martin Bartloff today who asked me to introduce myself to ya’ll and say a few things about fantasy and stuff.

I grew up in Virginia and lived there most of my life. At seventeen I moved in with my aunt in Baltimore. That wasn’t my idea and I didn’t want to, but my aunt made me. She threatened to call the police if I didn’t get on that train. I don't like her; she was very mean to me and treated me like a moron. I ran away after ten days of pure ugliness, got back on a train to Virginia. Not sure that was a good thing though. I made some bad decisions, but you can believe me, I’m not a bad kid!

Hey when I was nine I had a video game called Final Fantasy, does that count? No? Well the game sucked anyway and I joined a soccer team for a while to get out of the house. That reminds me. Have you ever been soaked in a rainstorm so bad, the wet clothes felt like you weigh three times as much as
normal? I have!

Once I went on a long trip with my friend Jason and his parents, the Mitchell’s. We drove on the Interstate for hours. I was so bored and stared out the window the whole entire time when suddenly I found myself in a fantasy world. I was at this beach and there was a humongous waterfall crashing into the lake. There were great looking girls all over the place, a ten foot table with the finest foods imaginable. My
dad waved at me from a balcony of a gigantic mansion and my mom was planting flowers in a garden as big as a parking lot. Great isn’t it? I think we were rich or something. I had my own yacht and the guys who used to bully me growing up were working for us as servants. They were preparing a bonfire for a huge party we were having that night.



Jason was there, fishing off a boat in the lake. He reeled in one catfish after another and they were all as big as sharks, just like he always said. It was a fantasy world with no worries. I leaned back in my beach chair, enjoying the great view, sipping ice tea. Then a female voice whispered softly through the sound of the waterfall. “
You…strong... Andy.” I couldn’t understand what the voice said, so I leaned forward. The voice became louder, repeating the same over and over again. “You have to be strong now Andy.” The voice was my mom's. I turned to look and my mom was no longer in the garden anymore, and there was no garden, mansion, or yacht. Everything was gone, only Jason remained on the boat in the lake, trying desperately to get my attention.

“Andy wake up, wake up dude wake up!”

I was scared so I yelled for my mom and dad, but when I opened my eyes Jason was right in my face.

“Mom, dad? Dude it’s me Jason, are you in a
coma or something?”

I thought I had dozed off in the car, but Jason said I was asleep for hours. His mom handed me a bottle of water from the cooler. I drank and closed my eyes again, trying to return to my fantasy world, and my mom and dad, but I realized the sound of the waterfall was fabricated by the worn door gaskets of the Mitchell's rusted car and that my parents had both
died.


If you want to know more about me you’re gonna have to read Martin’s YA novel “Torn from Normal” aka “Like a Snowflake in Summer.” I’ll be here all day, answering any questions you might have. Ask me anything you like, I’ve lost everything, time I got plenty.

Andy Riley.

Martin Bartloff - Follow me on Twitter

http://martinbartloff.blogspot.com/

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9 comments:

Ophelia Julien said...

Andy, your story is a heartbreak. I could just picture the scenes you conjured up with the waterfall and the party prep and your friend reeling in giant catfish. I know what it's like to curl up in a great dream, only to have it fade away and leave you back in dreary reality.

Someday, I hope you meet my buddies Jake and Philip. They three of you would have a lot to talk about.

Unknown said...

I dunno, on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, catfish have been known to jump out of the water at people on boats. At least one guy broke his nose this way.

So I like my catfish a little smaller.

Norm

http://fangplace.blogspot.com

Gayle said...

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your story, Andy. You might've had a horrible time with your aunt, but you're in great hands with Martin!

Martin Bartloff said...

Andy says thanks to, Ophelia, Norm and Gayle.

He hopes there will be others commenting :-)

The day is still young, thanks in advance!

--Martin

http://martinbartloff.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Martin you are unbelieveable !! Heather has been telling me what a great writer you are....... she was right. Sorry I took so long to check it out.


Cindy

Legendary Lights said...

Wow, Andy's recount is way different than what I expected to see on Teen Seen this past week! Sad tale and quite a different take on fantasy. I sincerely hope there is a happy ending to Andy's story in the upcoming book. Especially these days, readers need to look forward to some kind of HEA in order to stay with a book.

And I'm sure Andy is not a bad kid!

Pam
http://readingwithscissors.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Martin...this is a tear-jerker!! This is GREAT!!

Hampton City schools

unger92 said...

Your new blog is awesome! i can't wait to read the complete novel!

greets from germany

Martin Bartloff said...

Wow Michael, didn't expect to get a comment from you here. I'm impressed and honored!!!!!
THANK YOU!!

--Martin

http://martinbartloff.blogspot.com/