BishopNeo

Some assembly required

Cyber Mummies

(be gentle, this was written in about an hour on the train this AM.  I just learned about #flashfriday yesterday (thursday) and wanted to join in)

David sat on the couch. The television was on but he was reading the funnies from the newspaper while scratching behind Zena’s ears while she struggled to occupy as much of his lap a possible.

The noise served to distract him, as did reading the comics. His girlfriend has left him recently so he was trying to avoid thinking about anything as much as possible. She hadn’t broken up, just left. Moved to a different state.

She had come by, told him of her plans, hugged him, kissed him, said see you later and drove away. She didn’t ask him to come, and she didn’t tell him where she was going other than another state. It wasn’t that she avoided telling him, it just had somehow never come up.

As a result of his efforts everything was serving it’s purpose. The TV, AC, comics and Zena’s wiggling had kept him distracted for the better part of 10 minutes.

The piercing beep that started coming in from outside also distracted him. But it mostly distracted him from his distractions. Annoyed he grabbed the remote and punched the button to increase the volume.

In defiance the beeping increased it’s volume as well.

Grumpily David forced himself off the couch and went over to the window and closed it. The AC had been on for the noise, and he casually reached over and turn the fan up louder.

He stood there staring out the window in utter disbelief. In front of him was a truck. A big red rig with a flatbed. The truck itself wasn’t unusual, but the fact that it was in his driveway and backing up was.

He made his way down the hall to the back door trying to figure out what could possibly be happening.  He quickly thought of everything he might have ordered over the last couple of months, none of which seemed to require a truck this size to be delivered. He hadn’t ordered a hot tub or swimming pool or a new anything really.

David walked out the door with his head down deep in thought and barely saw Zena dash past him and leap down the porch steps, missing them all. At the bottom of the stairs he turned left to look at the truck, raised his head and stopped dead in his tracks.

There, in the reflection of the side mirror he saw the driver. Or what should have been the driver. Instead a gold face with two black spots in the area where the eyes should be, and a black strip running down the center of the face stared back. Carefully he turned his head and, for the first time, saw the figure on the back of the flatbed standing near what appeared to be a giant gold and black rectangle.

The figure had the same black and gold face, as well as a golden body with black accents in various places. The thing that most drew his attention was the what the figure was wearing: golden bandages wrapped around his body like a mummy.

David continued turning his head and saw yet another figure. This one was practically identical to the second except he was standing in Davids vegetable garden. Or more correctly it was straddling the fence that cordoned off the garden from the rest of the yard.

“Excuse me,” said David finally, “what exactly is going on?”

“Gnuh.” replied the figure straddling the garden fence.

“What? What did you say?”

“Gnuuh!”

“Look, I can’t understand a word you are saying but could you please get out of my garden?”

“Gar. Den.”

“Yes, garden. The thing your almost standing in. What are you? You look kind of like a mummy but your not human. Robot maybe?”

“Gnuh.” replied the garden mummy as he pointed to the box on the trailer.

“Gnuh,” he said again as he pointed to the garden.

“You want to put that thing in my garden?”

The garden mummy nodded.

“No chance! Thats’ my vegetable garden!”

“FFFoooood.” replied the garden mummy.

“Food. Yes, that is food.”

Suddenly the mummy on the trailer leaped to the ground which a huge thud. David jumped and stepped back as it walked over to the garden mummy and stood in front of it. It began emitting beeps and whistles and flashed some kind of light for a few seconds then turned to David.

“We are Cybex.”

“Cybex? What is that, some kind of nationality?”

“We are Cybex. We are not from this planet.“

“Wait… what? Aliens? From another planet?”

The second mummy nodded.

“Aliens from another world that look like robot mummies? Aliens from another world that look like robot mummies standing in my vegetable garden? Aliens from another world that look like robot mummies standing in my vegetable garden trying to bury a giant box? Wait, wait wait…”

“Sarcophagus.”

“What?”

“Sarcophagus.”

“What?”

“Aliens from another world that look like robot mummies standing in your vegetable garden trying to bury a sarcophagus.”

“That’s a… your trying to bury a sarcophagus? In my garden? Why?”

“Food.”

“Food? That’s your food? Your storing your food in a sarcophagus?”

David put his hands to his head and covered his eyes and shook his head and sat down. Meeting aliens would have been bad enough on it’s own, but meeting aliens named Cybex who were trying to bury a sarcophagus in his garden was a bit much. He had just had breakfast, it was too early for complicated thoughts.

Slowly he stood, took a deep breath, wasn’t too sure he enjoyed it and let it back out rapidly through his mouth. He glanced at each of the three mummies in turnt.

Okay. First things first, how can you speak english?”

“Assimilated from listening to you speak”

“Okay. Second question, why are you trying to bury a sarcophagus in my garden filled with your food?”

“Not our food.”

“Huh? You said it was food.”

“Yes, food for the plants.”

“For the… you mean like fertilizer?”

“Fertilizer. Yes, it is fertilizer.”

“Okay, fertilizer. But why my garden?”

“It was there.”

David stared with his mouth slightly open. Shocked. Or surprised. Either worked.

“Let me get the straight. You, a bunch of aliens from another planet, want to bury a sarcophagus full of plant fertilizer in my vegetable garden, just because it’s there?”

“Yes.”

David stared again. He thought about all the possible options. One, let them. Two, don’t let them. That pretty much exhausted all the options he could think of at the moment.

He glanced between the mummies in the garden and the sarcophagus on the trailer and back again.

Then repeated it several times while rubbing his chin with his right hand.

Then repeated it several more times without rubbing his chin.

He stopped glancing and looked straight at the second mummy he had seen, the one that had done most of the talking and said:

“Okay”.

This entry was written by anthony, posted on August 28, 2009 at 12:09 pm, filed under Science Fiction and tagged . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Issues with image uploads at PM

If you’ve been visiting my Project: Magnus site recently looking for new photos and wondering if I’ve abandoned the site the answer is a resounding no.  The problem is that there is a consistent error when trying to upload images.  It’s apparently an ‘out of memory’ bug that I can’t seem to find and squash.  I am looking into it and will hopefully have it solved soon.  Ish.

This entry was written by anthony, posted on August 21, 2009 at 10:47 am, filed under Project: Magnus, Site. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Return of the Master?

I’m starting to wonder if the ‘death’ of the Master at the end of Series 3 was planned. And by that I mean planned by the Master himself. We know his wife is returning, and we know he was on Earth 18 months before the events of the series Drums, and we know the Doctor didn’t met him before that. So what if the Master planned that if things went wrong (because they always do) he had an escape plan. He was killed. And failing anyone else to do it, his wife would step in and take the shot. Perhaps he wasn’t really dead but drugged or something.

It might be that his resurrection is a result of being brought back by the TimeLords during the Time War. There is so much we don’t know about the TimeLord ability to regenerate that it is possible that he is able to delay the regeneration and when it does occur he is better able to control it and keeps the same face but with some physical characteristics different. (blond hair).

Remember, we never see who is actually wrapped in the white cloth on the funeral pyre. We just assume it is the Master.

A stretch I know but it’s the only thing that makes sense to me and accounts for all the odd variables.

I could also be way the frick off base and it’s something totally off the wall.  Remember, in Doctor Who, they have to be able to explain it, but it doesn’t have to actually make sense ;)

This entry was written by anthony, posted on August 20, 2009 at 10:09 am, filed under Television. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Lost and Found – Poetry and a story.

Ugh.  I can’t believe I’m about to do this.

So Beck mentions to me the other week that she found some of the stuff I had written here many, many years ago (okay, 10).  Most of it was poetry.  Now, I have no problem posting up poetry.  I love poetry.  Some of my favorite books are poetry.  Shel Silverstein, Maurice Sendak and Dr. Suess are great examples.

No, the problem I have with the poetry I’m about to direct you to is that it is so… well, sappy.  And by sappy I mean dripping, thick.  I mean pour over your pancakes thick.  I’m surprised I didn’t scare Beck away with it.

I will admit.  I’m a sap.  I’m a romantic.  Chivalry lives on so long as I do.  I hold doors, and say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’.  And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told not to call someone ‘sir’ or ma’am.  I even call my niece (currently 8) ma’am.

Point being, I’ve always been very flowery and sappy when it comes to certain things.  But some of this is way off my own deep end.

You can read them on the Poetry page.

The other thing she found was a digital copy of a story I wrote in high school.  It was submitted to the writing contests and won the school contest but lost in the regional.  It’s a true story about the day I found out my father had died.  I was 14 I think when it happened, on December 12th.  So you have an idea when Christmas isn’t my favorite season.  (Halloween is if you care to know).  The story is called Final Goodbye, read it here.

All of these can always be accessed via the Scribblings page.

Anyway, enough for now.  I will post more on the development of the garden shortly.  Here’s a hint: I harvested some summer squash the other day!  I didn’t take pictures mostly because they met their fates later that same day :)

This entry was written by anthony, posted on August 12, 2009 at 11:27 am, filed under Site. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Darkness

Darkness falls harshly around me, the edge of my world only
a few inches away. I can again see the glowing eyes of my
fears coming closer.

The monsters gather around the edge of the remaining light,
probing and poking like half remembered dreams the that haunt
us in the early morning.

I reach toward a vision of love I had, only to have a demon
rip it from my grasp, leaving my soul empty and longing.

I don’t dare remember for fear of losing what memories I have left.

As I look around, I name the beasts that stand just beyond
my reach, tanting me, daring me to challenge them.  But I cannot.
Because I am once again afraid, afriad of losing myself, and my hope. 
A hope that is still new in my chest, still trying to find it’s fit. 
A hope given to me when my world was once lost and disguarded.

The icy grip of surrender grips me as I realize that I am
again alone in the night, facing down the same demons I have
faced a thousand time.  Staring out into the nothing that is
my future and my past I can see myself doing battle over and
over again.  Never giving up.  Things are different now.  I am
weak, tired.  Tired of figthing because I have forgotten what
I am fighting for.

I call to you, and you are not there.  Were you a dream? I pray
that you were not, for I do not think I would be able to fight
another fight against the creatures that plague my sould were
that so.  If you were not real then the love and faith that lives
within me would not be real either.  That is my salvation, my one
saving light in this world of unending darkness and pain.

Peace settles over me like a blanket, enveloping my heart with its
warm touch as I recall you standing before me.. face to face, our
hearts overflowing with love.  Then I remember where you are, and
I look out beyond the growing herd of beasts to the glimmering
castle beyond.  It is then that I realize that I will have to battle
my way thru to get back to you.

As I take a deep breath, I think of you, and of your smiling face.
I think if all the times I heard you say “I love you”, and of all
the times I knew, and you didn’t have to say a word.  I gather my
strength from the fact that if only in my dreams, I was loved
without end.. without question.

My sword is my belief in you, the only weapon I have. As I peer
out into the black that surrounds me I know deep inside that you
are with me.  I charge forward, not knowing wether I shall survive
this battle or not.  But knowing that no matter what the outcome,
I am loved.

This entry was written by anthony, posted on August 11, 2009 at 10:11 pm, filed under Poetry. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Untitled

Even in  the darkest of night you bring hope and joy to my heart.  You make me
smile and laugh.  You make me enjoy my life again.  But most important..you
make me happy to be with you.
I could search every library in the world and never find the words to
describe the way my heart jumps at the sound of your name.

———-

Time passes us all, and things change.
People pass in and out of our lives so fast we sometimes never knew they were
there.
Truths become fables, fables become myths, myths become legends.
Today passes into tomorrow, and tomorrow never really comes.
And thru it all we adapt and change to met the times.
We love and learn, hurt and hate.
But when you look beside you one thing will always remain the
same…………
I will be by your side.

———–
Even the deepest darkest fears flee when I am with you.  You are my rock, my
foundation.  The anchor to my soul.  You have brought back feelings I thought
long forgotten.
I want to thank you but words seem to fail me…….
Except for three..
I. Love. You.

This entry was written by anthony, posted on at 10:08 pm, filed under Poetry. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The Angel

My world long destroyed…
my heart long dead.
The dreams and hopes of a thousand lifetimes were hidden deep in my soul..
Peace an idea..
Happiness only an illusion.
Then came the angel…..
on wings of gold, and whispers of love she came to me.
With a smile of peace and joy….
she came.
She hide her own heart away…
and gave me her friendship.
She stood beside me when I needed a friend..
held me when I was in pain.
And still she tucked away her own love..
even thought my hurt was more than she could stand.
she never left my side..
never left me alone.
Then came the day….
she somehow found the courage to tell me her heart….
terrified of being hurt again she took the risk..
she told me she loved me..
and offered her heart
I was afraid.
“What could I be to someone like this”
I asked myself…
“How can she ever love me?”
The questions answered themselves…
I loved her.
My heart was reborn…
My world renewed..
My love grew.
I dream new dreams now…
Hope flows like a river..
Peace is my blanket..
Happiness my gift.
I gave her my heart..
and she took it with love.
You ask me if the angel has a name….
Yes, she does.
It is Bebe.
And I am finally home.

This entry was written by anthony, posted on at 10:07 pm, filed under Poetry. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Future Dreams

The future will be forever told,
in a ball of crystal and a cup of gold.
The clouds are dark and trouble looms,
The lightning cracks and thunder booms.
Where will we be at summer’s end,
when the winter growls as it begins.
Standing beneath a shaded tree,
arm in arm, just you and me.
Forever at peace within, without,
the love we have never in doubt.

There are hopes and dreams left untold,
in a ball of crystal and a cup of gold.
Dark clouds break and the sun shines bright,
and joy is echoed even in the night.
What will we do when the winter dies,
when summer brings the world alive.
Stay together thick and thin,
and let the cycle begin again.

The future is new and the past is old,
in a ball of crystal and a cup of gold.
The clouds are gone and the skies are clear,
and you know in your heart that no storms are near.
Who will we be when the summer does wane,
when the trees change color and we walk in cold rain.
Who we were meant to be outside and in,
and the love in our heart has no end.

Passion silently unfolds,
in a ball of crystal and a cup of gold.
The clouds have gathered and the storm is here,
but in your heart you no longer fear.
The passing of time and giving of hope,
for love is eternal inside of both.
When the summer cries, and winter screams,
that is the tale, of future dreams.

Love is young and life is old
in a ball of crystal and a cup of gold.
When peace does come in the dark of night,
and the passion of life still burns bright.
Holding tight the world now seems,
to anticipate the future dreams
And in the shadow of the waning tide,
I will always be at your side.

This entry was written by anthony, posted on at 10:02 pm, filed under Poetry. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Paper Hearts

Moonlit stars that shine so bright, in the darkness of deep night
Carry with them hopes and dreams of the tragic in-between.
When hope and faith are washed away, and fear consumes the live long day
That is when my soul is bare, to give to you…. forever share.

In the place of longing thought, where the struggle is for naught.
Seek for me and you shall find, that the trouble’s far behind.
Conquered, beaten, victory toss; it is not a savory loss.
Left in tangles soaked in tears, forever and a thousand years.

Courage filled with endless hope, with the earth star far below.
Makes the past seem out of time, and the passion forever shine.
With sun and cloud in endless war, the pace of life goes as before.
Pricked with cupid’s poisoned darts, shaped by fate and paper hearts.

This entry was written by anthony, posted on at 9:55 pm, filed under Poetry. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Final Goodbye

“Still nobody there.  Maybe it’s already come.”  Jordan said as he peered out the doorway at the corner down the street.
It’s seven o’clock.  We missed it again.”  David squatted beside in front of the living room window and glared at the huge oak tree blocking his view, ” I hate that tree.”
“I better call mom and let her know.”  Jordan closed the door and walked over to the phone.  Slowly he dialed the familiar phone number.
It rang twice before it was answered by the young switchboard operator.  Jordan ask to speak to his mother and the line was transferred.
“Hello, Victoria Connell.”
“Hi mom.”
“Jordan?  What are you doing home, it’s after seven?”
“We missed the bus again.”  Jordan squirmed at the thought of his mother getting angry, and with good reason, this was the second time this week they had missed the bus.  And it was only Tuesday.
“Jordan.  how many times have I told you that you and David were going to have to get up earlier on school day’s?”
“I’m sorry.  We’ve been watching the bus stop for almost an hour and there hasn’t been anybody there.  And we haven’t seen any kind of bus.”
“Well, you and David get that house clean before I get home.”
“Yes ma’am.  Bye.”
“What did she say?”  David had moved from the window and was on the couch flipping through the T.V. channels.
“Oh, the usual ‘Clean the house.’ You know the deal.”  Jordan hung up the phone and started down the hall.
David had not moved when he returned to the living room.  In fact, Jordan wondered if he was going to move since he was staring at the t.v. so hard.
“Your going to go blind doing that.”
“Bite me.” replied David without even looking up.
“Anything good on?” he asked as he dropped into the chair David had been trying to watch the corner from.
“Nope.  Here, you try.” suddenly, and without warning, David tossed Jordan the remote control and jumped off the couch heading for the kitchen, “I’m hungry. What’s for breakfast?”
“Whatever you fix I guess.  There is some cereal in the cabinet and pizza in the ‘fridge.”  it was Jordan’s turn to become absorbed by the flashing picture’s on the t.v.
“The pizza’s mine!”
“Bring me a piece.”
“You want some, come get it yourself.  Contrary to popular belief I am not your slave.”
“Quit bitching and bring me some.” Jordan shifted slightly in the chair.
“I’ve said it before and I will say it again.  Bite me.”
“I swear to god, you are such a pain in the ass.”  Jordan tossed the remote across the room and stormed into the kitchen.
“Maybe so, but at least I do my job well.”  the plate rattled as David placed it on the table.  He sat down with his back to the sliding glass door as Jordan entered the room.
Jordan walked to the refrigerator and jerked the door open, almost knocking the jar of pickles to the floor.  He then glanced up at the counter and saw the empty Coke bottle.  He grabbed the bottle and twisted around to face David.
“Did you drink all the soda?”
“No.”
“Do we have bottle?”
“No.”
“Then where is the rest of it?”
“In my glass.”
“You said you didn’t drink it all.”
“I’m not done yet.”  David laughed as he took a sip of the coke.
Jordan reached back and threw the empty plastic bottle at David’s head.  It bounced off with a hollow sound and hit the glass door behind him.
“That hurt you bastard.” snapped David as he rubbed his head.
“It wasn’t suppose to feel good you idiot.”
Now it was Jordan’s turn to laugh as he poured himself a glass of milk, and went back into the living room with a plate of pizza.
“What the hell?”
“What’s the matter?”, David jumped from the table and ran into the living room.
“I thought I saw the bus go by.”  Jordan had sat the plate and glass on the t.v. and ran to the window.  As he looked out he realized he couldn’t see because of the giant tree, “Damn I hate that blasted tree!”
“It is the bus,”  yelled David as he opened the door,” and it’s late.”
“No kidding.  There’s still nobody up there.”
“Now we really missed it.”
“Well, I had better call mom again.”
Jordan walked over to the phone and again dialed his mom’s number.  Again it was answered by the operator, and again it was transferred.
“Hello, Victoria Connell.”
“Mom, it’s Jordan again.”
“What is it Jordan, I’m at work?
“The bus just ran.”
“I thought you said that you missed it?”
“I thought we did.  I mean there is still nobody at the stop, and it’s almost eight o’clock.  School’s already started.”
“Jordan you have got to quit lying to me about thing’s.  If you missed the bus, fine.  There’s nothing you can do about it now, but there is no need to lie about it being this late.”
“But, I’m not lying.  It just ran.”  Jordan became a little upset and almost started to cry.
“I don’t have time to talk about it right now I have work to do.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Just get the house clean before I get home or your ass has had it.  Do you understand?”
“Yes ma’am.  I’m sorry.”
“Fine.  Bye.”  Jordan’s mother hung up the phone and the line went dead.
Jordan just stood there and stared at the receiver in his hand for a few second’s before returning it to it’s cradle.  He sighed carefully so that his brother wouldn’t know that he had been crying.
“Well, she is now officially pissed off at me.”  Jordan said as he picked up the plate and glass headed back for the kitchen.
“Why is she pissed at you?”
“Because she thinks that I’m skipping school, and that I’m lying about the bus coming just now.”
“But, you’re not lying.”
It’ doesn’t matter to her whether I’m telling the truth or not.  I stilled missed the bus, therefore she is mad and assumes everything else.  I don’t fell like talking about it.  I’m going to bed.”  Jordan left the kitchen and turned down the hall headed for his bed room.
“I’m going to watch cartoon’s”
“Fine.  Do whatever you want, I don’t care.”
David watched as his brother disappeared into his room and wondered, not for the first time, why their mother hated Jordan so much.
—————
The plane dove and fired on it’s target.  Jordan jerked his joystick desperately back and forth trying to avoid the hail storm of bullet’s.  Suddenly, the plane lurched sideways as the right engine exploded.  The radio crackled to life as Jordan silently swore to himself.
“Jordan?  Jordan?!”
“What?  I’m kind of busy up here.”
“Are you alright?’
Just peachy, and you?” Jordan jerked the plane left to avoid another attack.
“No jokes son.  Can you make it back on one engine?”
Jordan could hear the sincere concern in his captain’s voice.  This had become more dangerous than anyone had expected, and he was to far away to make it back under the current conditions.  But he refused to allow the fear to overtake him as he prepared to fire on his assailant.
“Don’t worry about me, I could probably make it back on no engine’s”
Suddenly the plane was rocked as another plane joined the fray and laced Jordan’s plane with holes.
“Oh, shit!” yelled Jordan as he rolled  the craft to avoid another attack.  Unfortunately he passed into the first planes line of fire and was fired upon again.  The barrage hit his left engine, and after several vicious puffs it too died.
“Oop’s.”
“Oop’s?  What oop’s?  Jordan what do you mean oop’s?”
“Remember that no engine thing I was talking about earlier?  Well, it look’s like I’m about to try it.”
“Jordan.  Don’t try to be a hero, get out of the plane.  Do you hear me, get out.  Jordan?  Jordan?  Jordan…………..”
“…Jordan?  Jordan, get up?”
“Wha-? came the sleepy reply.
“Get up.  Dad’s home.”
“Dad’s home?  What time is it?”
“It’s about eleven o’clock.”  David jerked the cover’s off of Jordan’s bed as he walked out of the room.
“What’s he doing home so early?  Hey!  Asshole!”
“Why don’t you ask him.”
Jordan stood up and stretched him arms above his head.  He had a good dream again but couldn’t remember what it was.  It was like that a lot lately, being unable to remember dreams.  He walked into the hall after David.  The curtain’s in the living room window were open and he could see the familiar Buick LeSabre his dad had painted brown in the driveway.  He noticed with curiosity that the trunk was open.
Together the two brother’s turned into the kitchen and started for the door that lead to the garage.  Suddenly, just as they were about to reach the door, it swung open and their father stepped through the door.  He stood only slightly taller than Jordan who towered over his brother, and had a old fashion military crew cut on hairstyle on his head.  His blond and red hair stood straight up from his scalp, a fact which had amazed Jordan for year’s.  His square framed glasses sat high on the bridge of his nose and although he wore a blue mechanic’s uniform he had the look of dignity and wisdom around him.  He also carried an authority that Jordan feared.
“What are you two doing home?”
“We…….um……..missed the bus.’  Jordan squirmed at the thought of telling his father the story.
“Why?”  his eye’s seemed to frown.
“Well…we were waiting to see if anybody showed up at the bus stop and…..when nobody did we thought we had missed it and called mom.  Then it did run….a-and we didn’t know what to do, so we called mom again and she got mad.”  Jordan overcame the shock of his father coming home unexpectedly, “How come you’re home early?”
“I got off early.”
“Why?”  David finally spoke.
“I’m going to North Carolina to get grandma.  She’s coming here for Christmas.”
“Alright!  Can we go?”
“Not this time.”
“Why not?”  David’s disappointment showed in his voice.
“Because I can get there faster if I go alone.  Besides, both of you have school tomorrow. ” Jordan’s father walked past them and across the kitchen.  Jordan and David parted to let their father pass then followed him into the bedroom.
“Why can’t one of us go?  We can miss one day of school.”
“You’ve both missed two day’s already this week.  You’re not missing anymore.”
“Please, I want to go see grandma!” David cried.
“No.  Now that’s all I want to hear about it.  Both of you are staying here and I don’t want to hear another word.  Do you understand?”
Both Jordan and David shook their head’s.  They knew it was better not to push their father too far if they wanted a chance to go with him.
“Can we help you pack then?”  David asked and smiled at his brother.
“I packed last night, but you can help carry everything to the car, as long as you don’t fight over everything.  I’ll be back in a minute.  I have to get a few things from the bathroom.”
Jordan looked up from the handle of the suitcase at the bathroom door his father had gone into.
“You’re leaving right now?”
“I have to if I want to get there before it gets too dark,  his father called from the bathroom over the clanging of razor’s and aftershave that would go into his case.  ”Grandma will be here by tomorrow night.”
Jordan lugged the suitcase down the hallway, their father looked out the bathroom door at the boy’s and let one tear fall down his cheek before he smiled.
With a loud thud Jordan heaved the suitcase into the car trunk and closed the lid.
“All ready, Dad!”
“Good.”  Their father walked through the doorway leading from the kitchen and closed the door behind him.
He walked to the passenger window and tossed the small shaving case into the window onto the seat.  Jordan noticed that it didn’t make the clinking sound that it usually made when the bottles bounce against each other but gave it no thought.  His father walked around the front of the car and opened the driver’s side door.
“You two promise me you’ll be good and mind you’re mother when I’m gone.  Okay?”
“Yes sir.” came the dual response.  Jordan thought it was a weird thing for his father to say since he would only be gone overnight, but dismissed it.
“Aren’t you going to say good-bye to mom?”  David asked from his father’s knee.
“I say my good-bye’s to her last night David. Now you guy’s be good for her and I will se you soon.”
“Are you sure we can’t go with you, please.”
“No.  I told you why I was going alone.  If you two had been in school I would have been able to leave without you harassing me..”
“But, you will get there way before dark.  Why do you have to leave so early?”  Came Jordan’s plea.
“I’m running out of time Jordan, I have to go now before it’s too late.”
“But……”
“No more buts.  Don’t argue with me Jordan.  I’m not in the mood for it right now.  Both of you hug me so I can leave.”
They each in turn hugged their father and watched him climb into the car and start down the driveway.  He glanced at them standing in the garage doorway together side by side and again let the tear’s come.
“Bye. Bye!” shouted Jordan as the car pulled away from the drive and started up the road.
“Have a safe trip!”  yelled David.
—————
Jordan stepped down from the bus onto the sidewalk in front of the school.  Several of his friends were waiting for him just outside of the glass doors.
“Did you do your homework Jordan?”
“Yes, Patrick, I did my homework”
Patrick was one of the first people Jordan had met when he had moved here three year’s ago.  He was the typical nerd.  He had the glasses with the tape around the nose, pocket protector, high pant’s, even the nerd laugh.  Jordan considered him one of his best friend’s.
“Why, Patrick, you weren’t going to copy Jordan’s homework were you?  Now you know that’s cheating.  It wouldn’t do to have Patrick cheating now would it Jordan?” mocked Nicole from behind Jordan.
“Why no.  It would ruin all our plan’s.”  Jordan smiled as Nicole joined the conversation.
She had been another one he had met at first,  and he liked her.  She was two year’s older than he was, and had experience.  At least more then he did anyway.  She stood a little taller than Jordan, and walked around with an attitude.  She had also protected him a couple times before,  but that was never mentioned between them.  In fact, that was how they met, and he fell in love.
“Come on Nicole, we better get to class or we are going to be late.  Again.”  Nicole and Patrick pushed their way through the crowd.  Patrick turned at the top of the stairs and waved at Jordan, who waved back.
Slowly he walked into his class.  Other’s were filing in and out of the room through both doors.  Some greeted Jordan as he walked in, other’s either ignored him or acted as if he wasn’t there.
He took his seat in the back of the class just as the bell rang.  The teacher began to discuss the homework from the night before, but Jordan paid no attention.  He allowed his mind to wonder and soon began to think of the thing’s he wanted for Christmas.
It was only the twelfth  of December but he had to hurry. Time was running out.
Lost in thought he didn’t at first notice that the bell to change classes had rung.  As he stood to go he glanced out the window and noticed his father outside the lunch room door.  He seemed to be lost but was heading toward the stairs that lead to the office.
Jordan darted up the aisle and almost collided with two other students as he reached the door.  He made his apologies and weaved his way around others in a hurry to reach the front office.
Carelessly he flung the door open, almost knocking over the teacher behind it.
“Oh, I’m so sorry Mr. Cathers.  I didn’t see you there.”
“That’s okay Jordan, I needed a little wake me up this morning.”
“What’s so important Jordan?” asked the receptionist behind the desk.
“Have you seen my father?” Jordan gently closed the door behind him and walked to the front of the small oak desk.
“No, I haven’t.  Should I?”
“Yea, he was just outside heading this way.  I couldn’t have run that fast.”
“Sorry, I haven’t seen him, and I’ve been here all day.  Are you sure it was him?”
“Yes ma’am.  At least I think it was him.  He was …………”  Jordan pointed to the wall where he thought he had seen his father,
“Maybe it’s all the excitement.”
“Excitement?” asked Mr. Cathers from behind a steaming cup of coffee.
“Yea, he left yesterday to go pickup my grandmother and bring her here for Christmas.  I haven’t seen her for two years.”
“That’s definitely something to look forward to.  Oh, you better get going or you’re going to be late for your next class.”
“If I’m late again I’m a dead man.” Jordan grabbed his book’s off the desk and started toward the door.  As he opened it the noise from the hall flooded in.  He stopped to wave before he slipped out and disappeared into the crowd.
—————
Jordan sat in the back seat of the bus as his friends made their way, seat by seat, to the girl in the middle that was the target of the day.  The plan was simple; They would bombard her with paper balls from every direction one by one.  As each one ran out it was Jordan’s job this time to resupply.
The bus driver had become accustom to the attacks and said nothing as long as the paper was picked up off the floor.  It was all in fun and noone seem to mind the assaults, in fact several little groups had sprang up to challenge, but Jordan’s friends had devastated them quickly.
They turned down Rollings Street. Probably the longest street in the county, Jordan often thought.  It ran from downtown where
the projects were being built and continued for several miles outside of town.  Jordan lived at the end of the route so he was the last to get off, that made it his responsibility to make sure all the paper was up.
He glanced out the window at the clock tower on the edge of town.
Good, he thought, only twenty more minutes and he would see his grandmother.  Meanwhile his friends were ready to attack.
It was set up so that when they turned off Rollings Street the first time, the attack began.  Nobody knew who the target was going to be before hand, and it was only until everyone was on the bus that they were chosen.
Slowly the assault team rose up and zeroed in on their objective.  The turn was made and the sound of paper pummeling flesh was heard throughout the bus.  Nicole was the first to run out.  Jordan grabbed the bag that held the reserves and headed for the seat behind her.  Jason was the next to need replenishing.  The rest quickly followed, with Peter receiving the last of the paper balls.
“Clean!” shouted Jordan as he returned to his seat.  That was the signal that all the paper was gone and the attack was over.
Leslie, the girl that had suffered the barrage, had sunk deep into her seat and began to laugh out loud.
Several others picked up the paper and began a paper fight that soon consumed the entire bus.
The remainder of the ride was largely uneventful for Jordan.  He stared out his window watching the houses pass by.
The bus turned another corner, this time it was back on Rollings Street.  It was time for Jordan to get off.  The trees on the edge of his house gave way suddenly to reveal several cars parked in the driveway.  Immediately his spirits rose.  He jumped out of his seat, grabbed his bookbag, and ran down the aisle to the front of the bus, wondering if he had beaten David home today.
“Christ Jordan, relax.  She’s going to be here for awhile.  There’s still two weeks until Christmas.” said Steven, the boy who lived behind Jordan.
“Maybe,” replied Jordan, “but I still can’t wait to see her.”
The bus stopped.  The driver opened the door and smiled as Jordan leaped all three steps getting off the bus.  Jordan ran across the street and into his yard.  His brother came out of the house to met him.
—————
They met in the front of the big oak.  Jordan had not noticed Carla, his mothers friend following David.  They stopped just short of each other.  Jordan noticed the tears falling from his brothers cheeks.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s dad.  He’s dead”
“No!” Jordan yelled as he threw his bookbag across the yard.  He fell to his knees crying.
Carla helped David pull his brother to his brother to his feet.  They struggled to get him to his room where his mother, aunt, and several of his mothers friends were gathered.
“Mom”, Jordan began weakly, “what happened?” Jordan collapsed on the bed.  His mother sat beside him.
“Your grandmother called this morning.” started April stepped forward and took his mothers hands in hers.
Jordan’s mother hugged him tightly.  When she released him he stood up and walked over to the lone trophy that sat atop the television.  He returned to the edge of the bed and sat alone holding the trophy in his lap.
“She said they were on their way here, ” his mother stood up an walked to the other side of the room, fighting back the tears,
“They were passing through Mt. Olive when he decided he wanted to get some flour.  You know haw he hates the flour down here.  Anyway, they stopped at the Piggly Wiggly to get some.  He went to the Family Dollar to see Judy and say hi, and then headed over to the grocery store.
“She said he fell to the sidewalk in mid-stride.  He hit his head on the little bench where we found Blackie that time, remember?
Well, the emergency crew said that he was dead before he hit the pavement.  His heart just stopped.”
Jordan had not moved since his mother had begun talking except for the bouncing of the trophy.  For a moment noone was even sure that he had even heard her.
“You know,” his words came strong, “he helped me win this.  ’To the Most Improved ’80-’81′ is what it says.  I was the most improved and it was because of him.”
Noone responded to Jordan.  His gaze was fixed on the trophy he held in his hand.  Everyone watched him carefully, wondering what was going on inside his mind.
“Did it hurt much?” David at last broke the silence.
“Noone knows for sure, but they said it was quick so he didn’t suffer long.”
“We said good-bye to him.” Jordan said
“What honey?” asked his mother.
“We said good-bye.  We actually got to say good-bye to him before he left us.”
“I don’t understand, son.”
“I do, ” said David from the corner.  He walked forward and stood in front of his brother.  ”Yesterday, when we missed the bus, he came home to get his things.  When he left we said good-bye.”
Jordan looked up at his younger brother and began to weep.  Their mother started forward to embrace her sons when April stopped her.
Slowly Jordan stood up and slipped his arms around David’s shoulders.
The two brothers embraced and together they grieved.

This entry was written by anthony, posted on at 9:51 pm, filed under Non-Fiction. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.