Upside Down Universe

I'm Larrisa. I know that most people see the world right-side, down to up. Some stop and wonder if the world is true upside down. I know my universe, my world, is upside down. And I'm not talking about figuratively or imagining things, I'm saying that I physically live upside down. Not even kidding. No, my vision's not the problem. Or my brain. I have no gravity. My body is as if the world were upside-down.

My mom says that when I was in the womb, I was more up than down. My dad says when I was born, I floated up instead of staying in the doctor's arms. My mother says she felt the umbilical cord floating, but then it was cut. My mom also said she did not get to see me for two hours after I was born. I was put in an incubator with a lid on it so I didn't float up. My parents said I was still a happy little baby, but they were a bit scared.

My parents had me tested, and everything was negative. But I could still float. So, for the majority of my life, I was only allowed out of my house when my parents decided to put rocks in my backpack and have me walk around on the sidewalk. My parents did not want to be gossiped about. And then school was supposed to start for me. But I had to be homeschooled. I made no friends and I got lonely fast.

It got hot in the summer. My parents could not turn the fans on, for fear that I would get stuck or hurt. They had ground fans, but I couldn't enjoy those. My mom started putting fans on shelves. I started to like being by shelves a bit more. Now in the summer, my parents started to allow me to go into the backyard a bit more often. They hung a rope from two trees, held my hand, and made me grasp onto the rope.

I was about 14 when that happened. My parents realized that keeping me cooped up in the house was causing me serious depression. I was locked up in my room constantly. I yearned to be anywhere but my house, the doctor, or the dentist. I wished so much that I could be able to go somewhere. It was hard to know that if I wasn't careful, I would float up, up, and away. Never to be found.

The line was nice. I loved to do climb on it. Soon enough, I learned to be able to float in the trees and hang from it like it was a gymnastics pole and I was doing a handstand on it. I became very talented. Time flied, and before I knew it, I was an adult. Now as I had grown up, so had the lack of gravitational pull. When I was younger, I could walk on the ceilings, and that was my pull. Now, the pull up was so strong I could barely squirm from being wanted to be pulled higher.

Being fed was tough before. Now, my parents used their ladders and put the food on top. Sleeping was also quite difficult. I used to be able to roll over. Now the pull was so strong that I couldn't even do that. I was no longer allowed outside. Rocks used to work, after being put in my back pack. Now, they pulled me down a tiny bit. WIthout school, I no longer was able to focus on something. My life became nothing.

Until the new neighbors moved in. I found out from my parents that we were getting new neighbors. Now, our old ones baby-sat me when I was younger. They had kept our secret because we kept theirs. You see, they put up their only child for adoption years ago. They would be shamed if any one found out, and so were we. But they had to move out. Now, they had a son about my age. He kept to himself and it was clear his parents couldn't let him go. In fact, I think he actually did want to go to college. But his parents couldn't bear that.

Now, we did invite them in. I only got to hang out in the stair case. We didn't think there would be any reason for them to have to come upstairs. But then the son had to use the bathroom. Now I tried to move to my room, but I was not fast enough. He saw me and shrieked. "AHHHH! THEIR HOUSE IS HAUNTED!" I covered his mouth. But his mommy and daddy were running. I mouthed hide me and he freaked. Luckily, I hid in my room before they could see. They dismissed it and said to use the bathroom.

Once they were gone I pulled him in my room. I had no furniture, so he stood. Then I told him everything. "So you see, I'm not a ghost. I will not haunt you. But gravity affects me differently. I need you to keep this a secret. Our old neighbors knew, but they kept my secret. It gets lonely, but if anyone found out, my parents would be lonely and shamed. Please tell no one!" I urged.

"Ok. I'll keep your secret Larrissa. But you have to promise me one thing." He said slyly. I'm scared for what he's going to say but I nod. As long as my secret is safe. Anything to have my secret safe. "You have to be my friend. My best friend. So you aren't lonely." I grin. I nod and we pinky promise.

The next day, he came over to my house. We talked and had so much fun. My life had purpose again. I now had a friend. I knew someone that was not my parents, a doctor, or dentist. I had someone of my own age hanging out with me. Someone who cared for me. Who liked me not for the fact I could crawl on the ceiling and not have to walk, but for the person I was.