Ivory clouds hung in the air in a sea of ripples while enveloped within a light orange sky. With the wind blowing in all directions, the clouds all moved toward various spots. Some ran into each other, forming misty mountains of diverse shapes and sizes. Others were spreading out creating a seemingly unlimited fog plains with the sun shining down from the top, coloring the cloud world with gold. The place was vast. It was great.

My hair flew behind me as I dodged in and out of the vapor peaks. My wings brushed against the soft, cotton-like clouds, creating white streaks across the vault of heaven like a flying jet's exhaust smoke. I looked down. The continents looked small. From this altitude, people and things resembling civilization had disappeared almost like magic. Eagles were circling below me, hunting for food. I smiled. I was free. I didn't have to put up with all the intense emotions coming from everybody. My heart, my spirit, was lifted up high along with my physical body.

I was flying! No one could disturb me from up here. No one could interfere with my life from up here. Up here in the sky, I was the King in the aerial world...

"Tobieaz!"

I woke up with a start when someone shook me roughly. Dazed, I fumbled around with my half-closed eyes for a second, registering the information around me. Finally, my eyesight was restored and I saw my Mom's angry face.

"Why are you sleeping on the couch with the television not turned off?" She slapped my head and told me to get up. "I got home five this morning only to find you sleeping in the living room like some sloppy kid."

"Sorry, I guess I must have dozed off..." I mumbled an apology.

"Don't give me that!" She snapped back. "Hurry up and clean up the room. Officer Jen is coming over today and I won't allow an unkempt place shown in her face."

Complying, I rolled off the couch and began picking up magazines and coke cans.

"Mom, have you make any breakfast yet?"

"What do you think I am? A maid?" Oops. That was a dumb question. "I have six meetings to go to in three hours, and I don't have time to feed a lazy pig like you."

Geeze, what was her problem? I thought with irritation. She just went berserk this morning. I checked the clock: six o' clock. Dad was not home, again. He must have slept in his office with a mountain of forms on his desk. It was still early, and I felt groggy. When I reached out to grab a piece of paper from the ground, I felt as if a needle was injecting itself into my muscles on my back. Groaning, I fell onto the carpeted floor and just stayed there trying to get my breath back.

"Hurry up! Tobieaz! We don't have much time left. Jen is coming soon!" Mom yelled with frustration from the kitchen counter when she saw me slumping on the floor. She was putting on her gray, formal outer coat.

Grunting, I forced myself up with my elbows. Slowly reaching out to grab the paper, I grimaced with pain. What was wrong with my back? It felt as if someone was tearing the tendons out of the skin.

Propping against the couch, I got up. My face was red and my body was wet with sweat.

"No. Mom, you don't under-"

"Tobieaz Redil! If you don't finish cleaning up the living room in exactly three minutes, I swear to god I am going to ground you for the rest of your life!" She threatened, refusing to listen to me. Then she disappeared once again.

Groaning, I pushed myself over the edge working my hardest to tidy up the place. My eyes were seeing stars from the severe pain on my back muscles and shoulder blades. Something was trying to get out, but I didn't know what it was! I felt a sense of chilliness flowing down my body. Something was trying to get out? How gross!

Shaking my head, I finally finished my task. I staggered up the stairs with my back hunched, and got into my room. Not daring enough to flop onto my back, I lay on the bed with my stomach. The excruciating throbbing sensation continued. My shoulders were numb. Suddenly, a wave of nausea swept over me. I fell into an unconscious slumber.

It must have been only half an hour had passed. The reason being I could hear voices downstairs. The pain had decreased a little, but it was still there. I had to walk slowly to the door while gritting my teeth. Opening a crack, I could hear everything.

"Oh Jen, I really appreciate how you support my bank like this. Sending over twenty thousand dollars? My gawd, that is a large sum of money," my Mom giggled as she talked.

"Oh Linda, you know that my husband and I would support your company anytime. By the way, where's Tobieaz? I thought I'd seen him yesterday afternoon," Jen Treven inquired about my presence.

"Well. I think he is a little bit under the wind, if you get what I mean. That boy, he is nothing but trouble. Do you know how many times I have to yell at him to clean a small room?"

Small? Mom! You called our living room small? It was never small! It could easily fit two cars! I growled under my breath as I listened to my Mom bad-mouthing me. I gently moved my arms back and forth to lessen the tension building up on my back.

"Oh dear! Would you look at the time?" My Mom exclaimed. "I'm terribly sorry, Jen, but I have meetings that I must attend to. Perhaps you can come over next time for a cup of coffee?"

I turned around and looked at the clock: eight o' clock. I heard Officer Treven accepted the invitation as she too, got up from the couch and headed toward the front door. Mom said a goodbye as she closed it.

Stopping at the base of the stairs, she yelled: "Tobieaz! I have to leave now. Make your own lunch out of whatever's in the fridge, okay?"

"Yeah!" I answered back hastily lest I get another scolding. "Oh! Um, Mom? Can you drive me to the doctor or something when you come back? I am not feeling very well right now." I decided to test my luck.

"Tobieaz, is this one of your-"

"Mom! I really have to go see a doctor! My back is sore, and I don't feel good!" I cut her off. I was at the border of my patience.

"Oh, fine! But it'll be rather late. I won't be back until ten tonight!" Her voice trailed off as she trotted toward the basement where it led to a garage.

I closed the bedroom door and sat down on a seat. The moment that my back came in contact with the chair support, I screamed in agony. It felt as if a sledgehammer had found its mark on my shoulders. I immediately got up and grabbed a stool from the corner instead and sat on it. Sank downward, I sighed. What was happening to me?

It was nearly noon. As I was reading the X-Man comic series in my room, I heard the doorbell rang. Delicately, I got to the door and answered it. Jake was standing there, smiling.

"Yo!" He said.

"Hey. What brings you here?" I asked while grimacing.

He looked at me for a while, inspecting my face. Finally, he said: "You don't look too good. Your face is white, and you are sweating. Are you running a fever?"

Shaking my head, I managed a laugh. "No. Just... feeling kinda weird that's all."

"As if you are not weird enough." Jake laughed at his own joke. Me? I was in no mood of laughing really. What, with my condition, I could legally be called as a "handicapped person".

"Anyway," Jake continued, "I am just checking on you to make sure you are not angry at me. I know that I have laughed at you yesterday, but you know how it goes with me."

Nodding, I rubbed my face with my hands. "It's all right. I was never upset. I just didn't feel too good that day, that's all."

"Cool!" He clapped me on the back of my right shoulder. Big mistake.

I screamed as I fell onto my knees and doubled over, holding my right arm with my left hand. I felt like being shot with a shotgun. Jake looked as if he had killed me. He quickly got onto his knees and held me in his hands.

"Oh my god! What happened? Did I hurt you? Where?" He shouted nervously. "Hey, don't joke with me, all right? Yo! Tobieaz!"