Nick Jacobs

Period 4

Beryllium

            Beryllium, quite a rather nice element, it had a variety of uses. Some people used it to mix with copper so they could make precision tools that didn’t spark. They also used it in cell phones and HDTV’s so they could get the energy they needed. People used it with copper for many, many things, but one day Copper had enough. Copper was jealous of his success with the nuclear reactor job that Beryllium scored after the 70’s.

            Copper had been used for quite a long time. Copper had been used for almost 7,000 years. Recently copper has had a big boost in use, but this also boosted the use of beryllium as well. Copper and Beryllium had been friends since the mid 1900’s they thought that they would never be apart. Then Copper started to think, “Hey, do I really need Beryllium? I mean he’s kind of drag.”

            Copper told Beryllium off and Beryllium was devastated. Beryllium was alone for the first time in a very long time. Beryllium went on a bad binge of associating himself with humans directly; this caused the humans to get sick. Beryllium was then wanted for attempted murder by poison. Beryllium didn’t know what to do and this is when the story started.         

            I woke up in a motel 6, my head was aching, I must have been mixing with water the day before. Whenever I do that I seem to just dissolve into it. I got out of bed and turned on the television, just by doing that I was reminded of Copper. That arrogant element thinks he can do what ever he wants. I sighed and turned to the news, they still had that exclusive on me and how I was on the run.

            “Just in today police have found that Beryllium or Beryl for short the serial contaminator might be in a motel 6 just outside of Chicago. They think he might be intoxicated with water in the room. Beryllium is the element that is used in such compounds as Beryllium Copper and Beryllium Bronze. Beryllium is also used to discover neutrons, and is used in nuclear reactors as a neutron deflector. Beryllium started to poison people in 1933. Beryllium, once a nice kind element has turned into a deadly contaminator,” said Anderson Cooper. The screen changed to a video feed of what seemed to be a helicopter over a motel 6. “Okay, just in the police have cornered Beryl in this motel 6.”

            “Wait, what?!” I yelled as I looked out the window. I saw three cop cars and a reporter out side of the room. “You’re kidding me! I didn’t even use my real name! I used my alias Berry Lillian. I’d never think they could see through that!” I put on some clothes and opened up the bathroom window. I slipped through the window and started to run. I ran all the way to my good friend Bronze’s house, I was very sure he could help me out. 

            Bronze lived in small quaint neighborhood that was just outside of Chicago. Bronze just did some small jobs every once in a while, people didn’t use him as much as they used to. He was very popular back in the Bronze Age, funny how that worked out. So anyway, I knocked on the door and his wife answered.

            “Hello? Who is it?” asked his wife. His wife was good woman; she grew up in Albany, New York, I think her name was Esther or something; anyway she seemed kind of stressed out.

            “Hey it’s Beryl, I was wondering if Bronze was home.” I asked calmly.

            “Bronze isn’t together right now, Copper left and he’s only Zinc and Tin now,” She replied.

            “Oh dear, that Copper is getting worse, he’s messed with me and now he’s split my favorite compound. Well, hey do you know where Copper is now? I need to have a talk with him,” I said to her.

             “Copper said something about going to Normandy, France to desecrate someone’s grave,” She said.

            “No way, no freakin’ way. He’s going to desecrate my father’s grave! I knew he was going to mess with me more! Hey, can I use your phone real quick?” I asked quickly.

            “Yes, yes, don’t mind Zinc and Tin there just playing video games. Come on in, if you can bring my Bronzy back together then I wouldn’t mind at all!” She said while opening the door.

            I dialed the phone number for my brother Chromium. It rang twice and then Chromium answered.

            “Hello?” Chromium answered.

            “Hey, Chrom, it’s me Beryl-“ I started to say.

            “Beryl?! What are you doing? I’ve been trying to call you for days, what’s going on? Did you really poison those people?” Chrom asked.

            “Hold on, hold on! Those people handled me, its there own fault for dieing, they know its poisonous to touch me like that. Now secondly, Copper has gone insane.” I yelled.

            “What do you mean?” Chrom asked while what seemed to be making coffee.

            “He’s split from Bronze and from only god knows what else and is going to dad’s grave to destroy it! He’s getting his revenge for me getting all the money on that nuclear reactor job,” I said.

            “Well what can I do to help? I’m kind of short on money after some kid drank some dye that I was in and died. I had clear labels saying not to eat it. Anyway I could get a plain ticket to Normandy, but I don’t have enough to get you one,” Chrom said.

            “No, its fine, I still have some money banked from the reactor gig. I’ll just go to an ATM, but if we could meet up at dad’s grave, maybe we could fight him off,” I said while searching through my wallet for my ATM card.

            “Okay that’s good, I’ll tell my wife and then I’ll head out a soon as I can, but don’t you think we’d be too late?” Chrom asked while he poured a cup of coffee.

            “I’m sure Copper will pass by some US mint and have them make some more pennies, he does that a lot,” I said as I found my ATM card, “Okay I found my ATM card, I’ll head out now. Talk to you later.”

            “Okay then, bye,” He said while hanging up the phone.

            I hung up the phone and thanked Bronze’s wife and headed out to the bank. I went to the nearest bank, First National Element Bank. I got 500 dollars in 50’s and set out to Chicago International Airport. Surprisingly enough airport security wasn’t too tough to get though. I guess it helps not to have any luggage.

            After I got the ticket, went through the security checks, and got on the plane I relaxed. I saw that my old friend Radium from the reactor job, we talked for a short while and I told him about what was happening. He offered some help, but I couldn’t have him come along, if I did that might attract more attention. I also saw Ted from high school, he didn’t notice me, but that might have been because he was almost 200 years old so I wasn’t too surprised, but I was surprised he was still alive. The plane ride ended some 10 hours later and I was glad, the attendants kept on offering me some water.

            I took a taxi ride to dad’s cemetery; it was called “First National Cemetery”. I gave the taxi driver a couple Francs for his troubles and he spit in my face. I noted to not help French people again. I went to the grave keeper and he showed me to dad’s grave.

“It hasn’t held up very well,” I said to myself, looking at the grave, it just seemed to be a block of stone that read, “Here lays Louis Vauquelin that guy that founded those two elements.” 

“Beryl?” asked someone.

“Yes? Who is it?” I asked looking at where the sound came from.

“Its me Chrom-“ he said as he fell to the ground, he seemed to be bleeding from a stab wound.

“Chrom! What happened?!” I yelled as I ran to him, there was blood soaking his entire undershirt.

“Copper, he found me as I came here. He charged me as I tried to run away. He stabbed me in the side,” Chrom said as he coughed up some blood.      

“Hey, stay with me here! Where is Copper?” I asked while applying pressure on the wound.

“Be-, Be-“ Chrom stuttered.

“Yes I know my symbol is Be,” I said.

“No, behind you!” He yelled as he pushed me away. Copper swung a sword right into Chrom’s side.

“Chrom!” I yelled as I saw my brother die.

“Heh, I’m glad you came, this makes it much funner,” Copper said as he wiped his blade with a handkerchief.

“First off “funner” isn’t a word, use “better” instead it’s more grammatically correct and also you know you could never match me a fight, I’m lighter than you, I could dodge everything you throw at me,” I said while shaking my fist.

“That’s true… y’know I didn’t think of that, uh… well then I don’t want to die. So how about we just go back to working together?” Copper asked while tossing the sword away. Then Chrom got up and brushed himself off.

“Yeah, I forgot I can’t die, or even bleed,” Chrom said.

“Oh yeah, well then lets go back home,” I said while walking away.

“Yes, yes good idea,” Copper said while brushing himself off.

After that Copper went back to normal and we got back to being best friends. Copper went back to Chicago and reunited with Zinc and Tin to make Bronze. Chrom went back to West Virginia and got his job back at the dye plant, with some influence by copper. Radon went to France and reunited with his long lost wife and lived happily ever after in a hippie colony. Finally I name was set clear because they found Lithium and just took her instead.