“Think of a time you were surprised, or Angry, because of something, or someone’s actions. That is your assignment for the weekend! Have a nice  Friday, Hasta Luego!” My English teacher said, as the last bell rang. A flash back popped up in my brain.:
No, this is my house, he don’t belong here anymore. The thoughts coursed through my head like a raging river. I remember the  feel of tears on my cheeks. I’d walked over to my mother’s room.. As I held my knuckles up to knock, I was overcome with confidence, like a Lion about to roar. I couldn’t hold it in. I slammed my fist through the door. But I felt nothing, but pride bursting out of me. I heard rustling and whispers. I removed my fist and opened the door, to see my father in his work clothes, khakis, and a polo, holding a small  ginger-haired women, in nothing but black laced panties, and a  black see-through V-neck shirt. Even though I already saw all this coming, before it actually started.I was still angry with him, but also at myself, for being so naive , to actually think he’d just stop.

“You are disgusting! How could you just trade us for this woman, this woman you barely know?
“Frankie, lemme explai-”
“No! You can't just fix things, just like that! Not just by explaining. You have damaged something that can never be fixed,EVER!“
“Frankie, please”
Don't you "Frankie" me! Just get out! You and your ginger! You don't belong here with us! Not anymore!  You are not my father, I refuse to have a father like you!  You have no place ever speaking me, or my mother ever  again!”
He came to hug me, but before he could  I screamed.
“NO! DON’T TOUCH ME, YOU SLEAZEBAG!”

I remember hearing a huge smacking sound. Followed by a punch. It took me a while to figure out that is was me, making these sounds. One after another. My bloody knuckles slammed against his cheekbone. I could hear it crack. But I didn’t care. He deserved it. The no good cheater.
I remember my hands getting tired. I’d stopped. But then there were footsteps coming toward me. I looked up, and to my surprise, Izobel had her hand up. There was a part of me that was smart, who said “Just dodge her swing, and go. Make a run for it”. Then, there was a new voice telling me “Give her what she deserves, she knew from the start, that what she was doing was wrong. She brought it upon herself.” Then there was a clash of thoughts. I decide to swing at her.

“You have some nerve, raising your hand upon me. In my own home.”
The words came out like a low growl. Then another flash, of me. In someone’s arms. I heard a tender voice. It whispered: “Hey, hey. You’re tough, right? You’ll be fine. Don’t cry. It’s not your fault, things happen, right?” The voice was calm and soothing. Then  there was another. The same one who told me to swing at The Ginger,  it said ”Crying’s for sissies, are you a sissy ?”
No . the thought coursed through my head. Then it was gone. That night, there was a monster. He lurked around my bed, nipping at me like a ferocious cat. But it wasn’t a cat. It had unusual colors, and crazed glowing yellow eyes. It prowled my bedside, and hissed and lounged at me every time I moved, like sick game of freeze dance. I never went to sleep before  9'o clock after that night . The Cat came back almost every night since then. Then my mind abruptly returned to reality.

“Francesca?” I heard my name.
I turned around, to see, my childhood friend, Angelo.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“So, track season is coming up, and I was wondering-”
“Race?” I interrupted.
“Yeah.”
We walked out of the school, and into the parking lot. We stopped where the sidewalk met the lot. My  black hair  was tied back in a slick ponytail. I had on my jean capris, my  thin black sports jacket over my purple boxing uniform top that read  NAPOLIELLO on the back, and my  blue and green nike running shoes I got for my  last birthday. Which reminded me; the date was coming up.
“Hey, what are  you getting me for my birthday?” I asked
“It’s a surprise.”
“You forgot, didn’t you?”
“I’ve got it covered.” He dismissed it with his hand.
I plugged in my ear buds, and switched to my running playlist.
“Ready?”
He nodded.
“1,2,-5! “ I yelled.
And thats when I bolted.
“Cheater!”
I heard from behind me.
”Go back to kindergarten, learn how to count!”
But I could hear his red Adidas pounding onto concrete, right behind me. After that, I heard nothing but music.I swung my legs up sidewalks. I lived for the feeling of wind in my face, and my legs flying against the ground.  I ran away from from school,and up the streets. The Sun looked beautiful, against the  trees on the horizon. The air was crisp. That was the only way you could tell it was spring.  The Sun was already setting, and the trees on the horizon looked absolutely stunning.This is the best time of the year to be outside, before you burnt to a crisp, or froze, like a popsicle.

I run past houses, and I avoid tourists. I counted the blocks to my house. Three, Two, Two and a half, One.   I spotted a ledge, that was unusually rounded.  A gutter ledge. I thought But my legs had grown a mind of it’s own, not stopping when I told them to stop.I could feel my knee bang against the cement, then my head. And I was out. Cold. Well, I felt cold. Then I felt hands around me, on my head,  and my knee. The hands were soft, and warm. Like the ones holding me after the Ex- Father crisis.I recognized his voice. Angelo.

“Frankie? You okay?”
But I couldn’t answer ,words failed me. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t see. I was frustrated.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get help soon.”
And that’s when I saw something. White, small, fuzzy. I saw something gleaming gold. And then, it stopped. I finally recognized what it was. A bunny . With a watch. A pretty classy one I might add.
“Why thank you! My grandfather gave it to me!”
How’d he know I thought that ? He seems quite familiar though, not sure why.
“I’m your conscience, and we’re in your head. If you don’t where I’m from, think very hard, You’ll remember.”
Well that’s nice.
Then I heard a voice. Serious and hard.
“She’s been diagnosed with a coma, and it’s not likely she’ll wake up. She lost a lot of blood from the fall, and fractured her rib cage, knee cap, and a has a mild concussion. We'll give her three days.”

I panicked. Coma means sleep.As in long-term sleeping.. As in I get to see none of my friends or family. Not that I have many of either, but this still sucks. And my birthday. And Angelo, he’d be broken just by thought I’m sure. I wanted to cry, but the tears didn’t come. The bunny caught my eye once again.
“Please don’t be sad, we haven’t seen you in s forever, this is so exciting ! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must find Madsie, to tell him we’ve got company!”
Excuse me ? Madsie?  Who the heck is that?
He hopped away, and was back in a white flash“Oh , he says he’s on his way. They all want to meet you, , we’ve all  wanted to gather at the back of your mind to share the moments with you ! ”
Was this bunny high? what was he talking about, sharing the moments with me?! And who’s they?
“First of all, not I’m not intoxicated, two ,’ he clears his throat,
”I’M A RABBIT ,NOT A BUNNY!”
  He seems to be a bit hyperactive at this point, but he composes himself. He straightens his green tie, and  black vest.
“Three, every moment is important. even the smallest, ones, are never really insignificant. And four, You have 4 consciences, they play a very big role, in your decision making patterns. ”
“Hey, you got that from me!”
I heard a deep calm voice rise from behind me. I jumped. I realized I could move. But only in my consciousness. But everything else was white. Like an art gallery. I see my drawings up on the walls, from my first scribble, to my latest artwork of graffiti on paper. I stood there, just admiring. Then I turned around, to see a huge lion standing before me, its tail swayed calmly. I stared. He smiled.
“I suppose I can't expect you to remember me, I was in your dreams when you were small.I was the one that helped feel tough after the whole incident. I helped you punch through that door.”
Tears sprung from my eyes. This is him?  If he got me through it, He deserves a hug at the least. So, I hugged him.  He hugged me back, toppled me over.licked, and purred.
Hey big guy, don’t kill me!
“Oh, I’m quite sorry! I just haven’t seen you in such a while. I’m sorry if hurt you.” he apologized. I scratched him behind his ear. He purred. I noticed I couldn’t talk. At all. But they could hear my thoughts. Wow, that’s pretty cool.

“OH! FOR SHE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW, FOR SHE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOW, FOR SHE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELLOOOOOOW, WHICH NOBODY CAN DENY!”
Then I heard a clink. I turned around and to my surprise, I saw a man, with teacups chained around his waist,frizzy black hair, bags under his eyes,and a tea pot in his right hand. He sported a top hat with a checkered blue and green ribbon wrapped around it, black loafers with the soles barely intact, fuchsia pants, a white dress shirt, a yellow tie, and orange vest. He grabbed  my hand and danced in a circle with me , of course I didn’t mind, since he looked like a walking rainbow. He did seem a bit mad in the head though. Then he stopped to drink some tea. This must be “Madsie” or the Mad-Hatter as others would call him. Don’t tell me, this is the guy who helped me get myself together. I’m guessing the rabbit is the me before the “Ex-father” incident. Trimmed, and primped. Punctual, and polite, except for when they were called cute, or in his case a bunny. I thought

“Quite right my dear friend! Now that you have things figured out sit down, so we can share the moments with you.”

And with that I saw where I was. In a hospital. There was man hunched over in a blue cushioned chair. His hair was graying, and his eyes were old, but a brilliant blue.There was a scar on his left cheek, and a mark on his cheekbone. I gave him that. This guy is my father. No, Ex-Father.  I thought
“He’s still you father by birth.” Madsie reminded me.
Then I heard his voice raspy and despondent.
“Francesca, I’m so sorry,“
Tears come down both my father and my own face. But no, I couldn’t cry , he is my Ex-Father.
“You needed a father, but I was too busy chasing my own desires, when what all I really needed was already in front of me from the beginning.”

He was right. He could’ve helped me with alot, like when I needed help with homework, and sports. My mom was always so busy, so I never asked my mom. He could’ve at least come to my games. If he was still with us, he could’ve helped me with my college funds. Not that I wasn’t getting a scholarship for sports and my grades and things like that, but at least I’d known he cared.
I couldn't help but sob. Even after hating him for so long, I was still his daughter. Because he still loved me.
That’s when I heard honks. I turned around to see two of my consciences  blowing their noses and sobbing. Madsie was a different case. He looked pretty satisfied that there was an apology that was said. Madsie poured me a cup of tea.

Then the next person comes into sight. My mother. Thank goodness my father was gone, or I’d have a panic attack. She sat by my side, and drew little stars, on what I realized was a cast, on my knee.  I smiled. She was the only thing I had after Dad left. She confronted him and gave him a run for his money the day after the incident in the house. But now she looked tired. Her hair was in a messy bun, and her clothes were wrinkled.

“I love, mi bambina, wake up soon, we have your birthday planned all planned.”

I silently cried. She looked so broken, like one of Madsie’s teacups. so beautiful, yet obviously damaged.I looked down. Rabbit sat in my lap. He adjusted his silver monocle. Madsie was to my left, and Aslan to my right. They all looked so crestfallen, but to no point did they cry. The white art gallery turned into a movie theatre. I looked up at the screen, and Angelo appeared.
He sat down beside me, and kissed my hand softly , then released it.

“Always have to be a step ahead of the game, huh?” his voice was full of tears
“Ever since your dad cheated, you couldn’t let something surprise you like it did at your house, huh?.“his voice was shaky now.
“You better wake up! I can’t just leave you behind! You can’t just sleep forever! And with you being addicted to caffeine, that shouldn’t even be possible!”  he looked almost hysterical, but then he breathed.
“There were so many things I never got to tell you.”  He kissed my hand softly again.

He looked so broken, which made me feel like I was being bent to the point of no repair. The guy’s just crying his eyeballs out, and I’m here, sitting here on a rug, with the Mad-Hatter, Aslan, and Rabbit. I wanted out, now. But wait, what did he mean by , “so many things I never got to tell her“? If he was going for the whole “I Love You” thing, he better think twice. I mean I love him too, but if he wants me to understand, he better do it right.

“I think he’s a keeper, don’t you agree?Don’t be so hard on him, though.” The voice came from behind my ear. I turned around to see a kid, about my age. He wore a purple and  pink beanie,and sweater. He also sported black jeans. His vans had moving purple and pink stripes.If I didn’t recognize him, I would’ve thought he was cute, in that hipster kind of  way. He had his whiskers wiggling, which gave him away. I jumped up. I pointed. I felt my heart race. I backed up, trying to avoid stepping on Rabbit.
“YOU! YOU ARE THE REASON, I LOST SO MUCH SLEEP! YOU LI’L CREEPER!” I yelled. I tried to keep my voice accusatory, but it shook like an earthquake.

“Oh? Sei così dire. .And on the contrary, I lost so much sleep, spending my time on you! You were just so fun to play with!””

“Play? With you? A psycho little cat ? You scared the crud outta me !” I poked my finger at his chest. “You are the worst,  and you know it ! You call that fun?! I have insomnia every night, because of you !”  I’ve been addicted to caffeine because of him.
I felt a noogie on my head.
“Oh, c’mon, I was just teasing.” I couldn’t help but feel tears sting my eyes. He scared me almost to the point of madness. I felt arms around me.  “Sh, sh, sh, sh, it’s okay. I ‘ve got you.” he whispered. I could feel his breath on my ear. Before tears filled my eyes, I saw his tail swish back and forth. Cheshire. I thought. “Madsie, I thought you said she was tough, what happened to that ? She’s such a sissy.’”
I pushed him hard. Nobody calls me a sissy.  I thought.
He looked surprised, but I’m not sure why, I’m not the kind to take crap from people, unless it’s Angelo.
“Okay, Okay! I’m sorry!”” Before I could do anything else, he hugged me again.
I struggled to get away from him. But eventually, I gave up and hugged him back .I  broke away after a few seconds.
“Okay, I want out, NOW.”
They  all looked at each other. Cheshire took my hand.
“I’m afraid we don’t know of a way out, my dear.”
But there was twinkle in his eyes. Something is rigged here, I thought. I felt his hands shift onto my waist, . He pulled me to him and purred quietly, as if he’d already gotten used to me being there. I tensed up, as he nipped at my ear playfully. I my eyes searched frantically. There is no way I’m staying here with this psycho cat! I thought. This is an art gallery, which means it has to have an exit. And if there is none, and this is an art gallery; I can draw one!  I  stepped away from Cheshire, and with my right finger, I drew a door.
I looked at them all, and smiled
“I won’t forget you guys.“ I said, wiping a tear. “and you,” I pointed to Cheshire,”I will be ready for you.”  And with that I walked through the door, and into reality. And as I did I heard Cheshire’s voice say: “ I knew she was smart,””
“Oooh, that’s bright” I said immediately. The hospital lights shined down on me, making  me go blind for a second.
I heard a yelp come from beside me. I turned, to see Angelo still sitting there. With a blanket. How long has it been?
“About two days.” he answered.
Did I say that out loud?
“Yes” he laughed.
He hugged me, and tears sprung from our eyes.
“I couldn’t just leave you alone, like that. “ I whispered.
He pulled away. His face was full of surprise, then it softened. That’s when the pain came. In my back, my knee, my head , my chest. I screamed. I noticed the IV machine, and the bandages wrapped around my chest, There was a cast on my right knee. I had a headache. In the corner of my eye, I saw his eyes stare at me with heat. But his voice said something different.
“Woah there, Doctor’s orders are for you to sleep. We can talk later.” He said, his voice full of concern.
“When I wake up, you better have my present, and those things you wanted to say to me” I said .“Don’t beat around the bush either.”
Before I knew what was happening, his lips were on mine. They moved slowly. His lips were soft, and warm  against mine. I lifted my hand up to run my hand through his soft black hair. I ran my fingers through his hair and tugged. I felt his arm wrap around my waist and scoot me closer to him.I lowered my arms to his shoulder, and rubbed circles on his neck.  His hands felt like cold fire, as they held my waist. I broke away.
“ Hey, looks like you were in a coma for a while too, huh ? Remember, I’m injured. I can’t just forget about my injuries, and-”
He stopped me with his kiss once again. I responded by kissing him back. Then he broke away.
“You know you like it, don’t pretend. And I’m sorry but you just looked really cute after waking up,” His voice husky. “But really go to sleep, you need your rest.” His eyes were a deep blue, then they turned a tainted navy blue “We can continue, when you wake up.” He winked.
“You’re full of it.” I scoffed, then I yawned.
I heard a chuckle, and then a door close quietly.
Before sleep could take me, I heard my mother, and father talking. I heard the trade mark “I’m sorry”’s and “who do you think you are”’s ,but then there was  hugging, and then I heard sobs. I could tell Madsie was sitting on the rug, looking smug. I could tell Rabbit was crying as well as Aslan. I could tell Cheshire was somewhere devising some  plan to scare me while I dream. That moment,  that very small one, I was at peace. It was the best moment of my life.