In the wee hours, the small town of Gomberg was engulfed in an eerie calm. The same serenity that would settle over a ghost town. A strong gust of wind swept through the rolling hillocks of lush, green grass, flattening them towards the lee side with every wave.
Not far away from the foot of the hill, stood a house set on a basement of rough, undulating ground. A narrow strip of rusticated stone blocks led to the arched entrance. On either side of the pavement, lay irregular patches of yellowing grass surrounded by flower pots of common bluebell and tulips. An array of white, vinyl-framed bow windows stretched across both the faces of the doorway. The building was constructed on layers of tan brick up to the hilt. From a chimney that stuck out from one side of the roof, erupted a trail of white smoke. In its entirety, the mammoth structure stood still, unscathed for years together.
Charlie Scott swayed from side to side to capture a ray of light that escaped through a narrow crack on the window frame. Over his shoulder lay, Oscar, on a white, silky mattress with half an eye open.
“Didn’t get any sleep, huh boy?” sighed Charlie.
Oscar retorted with a raspy growl. He was taking the time to shed the sleep from his brain. Charlie returned to the window as he took a sip at his coffee.
“I must get back at him, Oscar” groaned Charlie.
He spent the previous night complaining to Oscar about his bitter encounters with Vinny. The latter had sullied his reputation in front of the whole class. It had started to take a toll on his sleep lately. Oscar would reply with small whines, trying his best to keep up with Charlie’s ranting.
Oscar was adopted as a puppy from one of his family friends, who had to leave town. His thick, glossy coat would barely go unnoticed. The feel of it was as iconic as the Coleman mattresses. Embellished with wavy, fertile hair of gold that stretched throughout his body, he could easily camouflage with the beach sand.
Charlie could not have asked for anything better. Over the years, Oscar had become his companion in times of joy and quiet moments. With every step he took, the fluffy little canine was right at his heels.
As Charlie thrust the window open, a blast of cold air brushed against his pale, lacklustre face. He took inspiration from his immediate surroundings and decided to take a quick stroll up the hill.
“Let’s head out, Señor”, whispered Charlie in anticipation as he gently prodded him in the back.
Oscar jolted into motion with a sudden spring, having quickly assessed the situation. Charlie donned his favourite jacket. In the moonlight, the fabric shimmered in deep-sea blue. It was cross-stitched with an embroidery of a lighter shade, finely-detailed, and minimalist. The entire piece was knit by his mother.
Melinda Scott. All of Gomberg admired her tailoring prowess. She had made a name for herself in the neighbourhood over time. Every household pursued her services and she took every contract with prudence. But above all, she was a caring mother. In a society run by patriarchy, she bedazzled everyone with her compassionate yet undaunted demeanour.
Oscar stormed out of the room and galloped down the stairs, leaving Charlie behind. His tender paws made his brief manoeuver almost inaudible to the ear. Charlie following his footsteps, failed miserably as he landed heavily on the floor. He then tip-toed off to the door with his shoulders shrugged. Oscar watched Charlie with his head cocked to one side.
“How do you do that, buddy?” squealed Charlie with delight.
After exchanging a few gestures of impatience, the duo set out on their journey.
As we started walking up the road, I locked my eyes with the moon. A sudden surge of calmness rushed through my body, taking the heat off my chest.
“Boy, we need to do this every morning! What do you think?” my voice tumbled out softly.
I watched him as he ambled along the side of the road at a jaunty pace. The sight of it alleviated my pain. A few meters ahead, we stopped by the foot of the hill. To the right was Harry’s house. Oscar let out a silent growl. He was very fond of Harry.
“Harry! Are you in there?” I called out loud.
Harry was more of a night owl. After a series of attempts, we managed to get his attention. He came out of his room to the balcony, covered in smoke. The nicotine made him function throughout the day. He approached the railing with a staggering gait. Oscar whirled in circles.
“Why you up so early, chump?” Harry asked.
“Nothing bob. Just a morning walk. Care to join?”
“Who’s bob?” replied Harry in a playful tone. (I normally referred to my friends as “bob”. A lingo I’d picked up from my cousin George. Harry found it weird every time I brought that up).
“Come on now, Harry. We need to be in school by 10”
Harry joined us and we headed towards the hill.
Having covered the distance, we stopped by the woods. Harry and I often played cricket there as children. We still did. But not as much.
“Have you been following the news lately?” asked Harry in a deep tone.
“Not really, bob. Something wrong?”
“They’re hinting at a possible invasion.”
“You mean like from outer space. Aliens?” I chuckled.
“Why’s that funny? I have a premonition that it might be true”
“Those mad scientists always come up with bogus claims. You should know better than to believe that crap.”
“This isn’t a joke. The neighbouring towns have reported a few cases of missing children” refuted Harry as he took the last puff of his cigarette.
For a moment he had me. But then, I evaded his speech in disbelief.
The air got colder and the woodland seemed unusually quiet. I sucked in the air in a relaxed motion to steady my nerves. With the rising of my chest, I felt pumped and rejuvenated.
“It sure does feel good to come by here, huh bob?” I asked with delight.
“Ah! The woods bring back memories” he replied.
“Let’s sit down for a while,” I said pointing to a thick wooden log.
We sat down reminiscing the good old times.
Charlie and Harry spent almost an hour engaging in small talk. It was quite obvious that they enjoyed each other’s presence. That they elevated each other’s frame of mind. They were pals since childhood.
“I don’t feel like going to school bob,” said Charlie in a faint tone.
“But the exams are not for 2 months now. Shit, you need to take a chill pill.”
“It’s not that! Vinny! I’d like to wipe that smug look off of his face”
“Charlie, you need to focus on what’s important. Don’t let him get the best of you. He’s a schmuck.”
“They taped me down to the toilet the other day. He and Nick ought to be taught a lesson bob” I said nervously.
“We’ll take care of them. I have a plan in my mind. It should teach them a lesson”
“Sometimes, you’re just full of talk Harry”
“Brace yourself, Charlie. We are going to put an end to this”, he reassured. Charlie felt relieved. Oscar remained in silence, following their head movements.
After a while, Charlie got up to take a leak. He swaggered in a free-style motion as he headed towards a tree. He yanked his trousers down, humming a jolly tune. Oscar, lifting his leg, marked his territory at the bark of a tree near him. The two burst into laughter as they watched Oscar finish his deed. As Charlie buttoned his trousers and walked towards Harry, a shrill, deafening sound broke out in a distance.
“What was that sound!” yelled Nick.
Oscar whimpered in fear. Charlie slowly shifted his neck to look at the sky. He witnessed a ginormous flying object that receded into the clouds. His heart raced as adrenaline flooded his system. He stood still like a corpse with fear gaining on him.
“What are you staring at you nincompoop?” shrieked Harry.
“I’m coming” yelled Charlie as he came to his senses.
They bolted down the woods in the direction of the noise. Oscar sprinted alongside. In about a hundred meters, Harry stopped by a tree where a huge branch had been knocked off to the ground. The massive piece of log was split in almost half, horizontally, with both the ends touching the ground. Brown remnants were scattered around it.
“Harry, you need to — ”
“Charlie, look there’s something under the branch! Help me lift this thing!” Harry exclaimed in shock without waiting for Charlie to complete his sentence.
Charlie furrowed his brow in concern as he nodded.
The duo squatted down and lifted the hefty piece of wood away from the object. They stared at it with bated breath. It lay there just as heavy as a common rock. In the twilight of the approaching dawn, it shone brightly like a jewel.
“It looks like a communicating device. Look at the antennae sticking out from its head” said Harry.
“I think so.”
“Charlie, I guess the reporters were right after all” declared Harry
“Yeah bob” responded Charlie, gawking at the 15-pound gizmo.
They exchanged vacant stares as Oscar watched from between Charlie’s legs, whining in fright.
“Let’s take this thing to the Science Freak! He should know how to activate this.” asserted Harry.
They lifted the object and carried it to Charlie’s house.
I raced down the street on my bike, pedalling as fast as I could. Harry said that he would wait for me by the school gate with the gadget. Kyle Cook lived next door. He was a genius, always meddling with electronics and all the science stuff. The teachers’ pet and a young prodigy. Harry and I were in hopes that he could help operate the machine.
“Crossword South” read the school board. Almost every kid in Gomberg enrolled in there for education until they left town for college. On approaching the school gate, I leaned forward and raced towards it at full speed. Harry transformed from a tiny figurine to an athletic, six-foot-tall, blonde, with the advent of my bike.
“Charlie, you need to have a look at this” Harry insisted with discomfort.
“Did you talk to Kyle?” I asked
“Forget Kyle for now and follow me.”
Harry dashed into the school premises and I kept pace with him. In the centre of the right side of the quadrangle, I saw a group of classmates in a circle, looking down at something. We jostled our way to the heart of the crowd. To my surprise, I found Vinny’s clothes laying on the concrete, drenched in blood. My brain stuttered for a moment as my heart skipped a beat. With the evanescence of the whispers that broke out in the crowd, I zoned out with dreadful thoughts plaguing my mind.
