Philosophy 101

Title: Philosophy 101; 1/6

By: Tammy

Category: Other/Multi POV

Summary: One by one, everyone in Roswell answers the question: If a tree falls in a forest, but nobody is around to hear it, does the tree make a sound?



* * *


Part I

If a tree falls in a forest, but nobody is around to hear it, does the tree make a sound?

~*~

Isabel

When somebody close to you dies, you’re supposed to feel

Denial

Sadness

Anger

Hysteria

Or any other number of emotions until finally you reach

Acceptance.

But can you move right past the others and move onto acceptance without experiencing some repercussions?

Yes.

I have. I cried for a few hours after the news was broken, grew hysterical as I told my brother, and laughed with friends and family while memories were shared. And then the next day I woke up and went throughout my day as if everything was normal.

Normalcy, of course, is a relative term. Deals with perspective. How one perceives things.

I moved straight onto acceptance. And I never looked back.

I accept that Alex is dead because I know that he is dead. But I never dealt with his death.

Ay, there’s the rub.

And I choose not to. Instead I wake up, go through my daily routines, only to fall asleep once more at the end of the day and repeat the same actions the following morning.

I know Alex is dead and I accept it. But I’ll never really accept it for there’s no reason to.

Because I pretend that day never happened. Quite easy in fact when you realize time is another relative term. Deals with movement and perception.

So I pretend.

I pretend that day never happened. I pretend that Alex is going to call me tomorrow...tonight...in a few moments. I pretend it isn’t my fault. I pretend that Liz and Maria aren’t crying.

I pretend.

And I accept that as my truth.

And if that is the truth, then there’s no reason to go to therapy. No reason to talk about my feelings. No reason to answer the inane question of “How I’m Doing.”

Because my tree didn’t make a sound.

~*~

Tess

When your husband betrays you, has an affair, falls in love with another, you’re supposed to feel

Denial

Sadness

Anger

Hysteria

Or any other number of emotions until finally you reach

Acceptance.

Did you know that you’re supposed to feel these same feelings when someone dies, when you’re hurt...basically whenever you feel wronged. Max could be an alcoholic and I’m still supposed to feel the same way. They’re called steps. Steps. Ha. You move from one to the other until you reach the top.

Wouldn’t it be easier to take an elevator?

Or even stay on the same step and wallow in self-pity. But then you wouldn’t be following protocol. I read about what you’re supposed to do in a book. But can a book dictate how you’re supposed to feel?

Why can’t it?

Why won’t it?

It would be a hell of a lot easier if that damn yellow book told me what to feel, what order to feel it in, and for how long until I can reach this damn “Acceptance” and be done with it already.

Maybe I’m already there.

I cried.

I yelled.

I called Liz a “bitch.” And now I’m being hurled through space carrying my former husband’s baby.

But if I’ve accepted that Max doesn’t love me, why haven’t I stopped loving him? Stupid book. Probably written by a human whose intelligence is equal to none other than Liz Parker.

Apparently my anger hasn’t subsided entirely.

But, then again, what if he really does love me?

Apparently neither has my denial.

So don’t mind me. I’m just an alien wanton who came to town to break up the world’s greatest couple, get pregnant, and kill any human who stands between me and my way home.

Am I evil? Why don’t you ask the tree?

After all, I’ve been falling for years, but nobody’s heard me.

Part Two