How I started to tell my families story

 My sister came back to me in my dreams. I decided to call myself Green again. I told her that I didn’t think I could live without her, she told me she was with me forever. It was my birthday. I turned 16 and I went up the hillside. There were more and more lights to be seen on the other side of the river. People were moving back to the city. The city was being rebuilt. By the end of the growing season I would be able to bring my vegetables to the city. Someone asked what my name was and I said Green. It sounded so sweet to say out loud. I looked down at my half heart that I shared with Diamond and it was green around the edges and red on the center. The lady told me that I was the ink and write, as you want. So I found a ream of white paper and sat down and started writing. Then and there I began to write my families story.

Pg. 109-116

My time with my friend Diamond

Diamond didn’t speak and I could hardly see; maybe that was why we got along so well. Other people could not spend enough time with Diamond. When we listened to the wind together, we under stood exactly what it was saying. When we sat close in the dark, we could feel each other’s broken hearts. Together we stopped being hungry. We ate the bread that I baked. Diamond made soups out of beans and rice. I had no idea that Diamond was working on a portrait of me until he gave me the painting. I told him I didn’t look a pretty as he made me look. I started to do another tattoo. This one was going to be a black heart. Diamond had come in the house when I was half done and took my hand. He took the needle and held it to his heart. I knew that he wanted me to do the other half of my heart on him. So I did. Diamond was leaving me to look for his mother. He kissed me and then he left.

Pg. 85-105

My new friend

When I went to look for chestnuts in the woods, when I heard something. Onion(my sisters dog)  would growl and I would crouch down and I could feel foot steps. There was never anyone there. I always think it is my mom, sister or my dad, but it never is. So I drop to my knees not worrying about the sticks. I could feel my thorns in my jacket and leggings. I didn’t have any dreams last night. From now on I brought a loaf of bread just in case someone really was there. Onion’s paws were still tender so all he could do is trot. Before I realized where we were headed, we had arrived at my neighbor’s house. I left the loaf of bread at my neighbor’s door. I meet a boy last night. I told him my name was Ash. I also told him that he could sleep in our barn with blankets pillows. When I told him my name he nodded as though it was a gift. Because he couldn’t tell me his name I called him Diamond. He liked that name. He was like having a moonlight again.

Pg. 57-80

How I deal without a family

I started to sleep longer and longer. I still slept under the table because I felt safer there. I tried toe not let any light in when I slept. Every night I dreamed about my sister. She was at my side and I could breathe better I never went into my mothers medicine cabinet. Even in my dreams I wouldn’t search for clues. When I was dreaming I would sweep, collect water from the well and counted the jars of jam that was left. Every night I would tattoo ravens, roses, and bats on my body. Soon I would run out of food soon. I have to figure something out. I started to collect berries and asparagus from the marshes. My sister’s dog followed me everywhere. Everybody thought I was dead but no one came to look for me. In my dreams my sister called me by green but I didn’t answer to that name anymore. So when I looked for her I was all alone.
Pg. 35-52

The way my family left this world

Today my mom, sister, and my dad went to the city to sell our vegetables. I was not able to go because my sister was not old enough to stay home by herself. When I was done pulling the weeds in the garden I go my lunch and went up the hill where you could see the city. All of a sudden a fire broke loose and I started to run back down the hill. When I got to the house my clothes were torn from running through the brambles. I waited for my family to come home. I slept under the dining room table. When I realized that they were not coming home I came out and looked outside. About a week later I started sewing thorns on my dads jacket and nailed nails into his boots. I cut my hair and put tattoos on my body. My sister’s dog peed in the corners of the house. I never really cared or cleaned it up.

Pg. 5-31