14 - Rumors - Erin
"There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space, and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow-- between science and superstition. And it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the TwilightZone." ~~ Rod Serling, creator of the Twilight Zone
**Throughout my story, there is this symbol: ~*~ . To make life less confusing, I use this to symbolize a change in time or place.**
Taylor Hanson lazily flipped through the magazine that had come in the mail for his younger sister, Jessie. Taylor and his brothers had just gotten home after countless interviews, concerts, and what not, and, to be honest, Taylor wasn't really enjoying the time off. He WANTED to do interviews and concerts; the hype that came with them was mesmerizing.
"Tay?" Taylor jumped. He'd forgotten that Isaac was in the kitchen with him.
"What?"
"How do I cook this?" Ike asked, quizically looking at a box of rice.
"Put some water in the pan, put it in, and turn on the stove, for starters."
"Oh...I knew that."
"Genius." Taylor muttered, playfully rolling his eyes and smiling. He turned his attention back to the magazine. The page that he was on-- page 18 --said RUMORS in big, red letters across the top.
"Ha. I should get a kick out of this." He said under his breath. He chose out a rumor and read what was printed.
ISAAC HANSON IS IN THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE HE BURNED HIMSELF?
UNFORTUNATLY, THIS IS TRUE--
The article went on to explain more about Ike's "accident", and Taylor laughed out loud. 'Wherever this magazine gets it's information, it's totally crazy!' he thought.
"Hey, Ike, look at this!!" He held up the magazine and turned to face his brother. "IKE?!"
~*~
Taylor sighed and stared down at his older brother in the hospital bed. Minor burns covered his body, face included. The accident had been simple enough; Ike had accidently turned the flame on on the stove too high, causing the water in the pan to overheat. When he went to put in the rice, the hot water had splashed on him.
Suddenly, a flashback of the rumor on page 18 of that stupid magazine entered his mind. 'No, that was pure coincidence.' he thought. 'Pure coincidence."
~*~
It had been about a month since the accident, and the burns on Ike's face were just starting to heal. Even so, the doctors had said that scars were still possible.
Jessie had gotten yet another magazine in the mail, this one featuring Hanson, as did the one before it. Curious about the pictures, Taylor opened up to a random page and looked at it.
Funny. He had opened right up to the rumors page again, but this time it was on page 13. Since he was already on the page, he decided to kill time and read it.
ZACHARY HANSON ACCIDENTLY CUT HIS ARM WITH A KNIFE AND HAD TO GET 20 STITCHES?
DEPRESSING, BUT TRUE.
Taylor shook his head. Where did the media come up with this stuff?? All lies. All of it. Why, Zac was just down in the kitchen making himself a sandwich, wasn't he?
~*~
Taylor looked around the all-too familiar hospital, and then down at Zac. Zac scaredly returned the look as the doctor stiched up his arm. He winced as the doctor put the needle in his arm again.
"I didn't even know what I was doing, Tay...I didn't even know I had a knife..." Zac whispered. A single, almost unnoticable tear fell from his eye.
~*~
A month later, Zac was pretty much back to normal. Well, as normal as Zac can get, anyways. With the exception of the pain in his arm that he STILL complained about, even after the month was over.
Strangly enough, another magazine came in the mail exactly one month after Zac's inncedent, and exactly two months after Ike's. But Taylor didn't realize it until late in the evening. The magazine had been sitting in his room all day and for half of the night, which was also odd because he'd though he'd put it in Jessie's room, it being hers and all.
Taylor had just woken up from a dream, only to face the blackness of the night. Resting his arms behind his head, he stared up at the bottom of Ike's bunk. He needed sleep. For the past month, all he was able to think about was how creepy this whole "rumor" thing was. Sighing and deciding once and for all that it was probably pretty much all in his head, he grabbed for the magazine. Maybe reading a little would help him to fallasleep.
He opened to the rumors page by pure accident. Now it was on page 15. Weird. He read the first rumor.
TAYLOR HANSON WENT INSANE?
Snickering a little bit at the stupidity of the question, he read the response.
SADLY, THIS IS TRUE...