The Brother in the Cell
(A Piece of Fan Fiction, Inspired by Roald Dahl's BFG and Jack and the Beanstalk)
We all know the story about the big friendly giant, who collects dreams and "trogglehumpers", we all know the story of his collaboration with a brave orphan girl called Sophie. We all know the story of "the nine" who were punished, but what we don't know, is why there was such a divide amongst the giants in giant country. Why were "the nine" so beastly to the BFG? Why did the BFG find solace in his vocation of dream catching? Why was it so forbidden for a giant to cohort with a human? Up until this point these questions have received no answers, but I hear him, I hear him, whose name is taboo, the last remaining giant, who dwells in the deepest pit in giant country for his crime. The brother in the cell. This is his account.
First off, his name isn't BFG it's Dreamweaver, I should know, I was with him in the old days, when we were mystical, feared, before the "Great Treason", but anyway, hear my words if you please.
Long ago before Dreamweaver ever touch a dream, he was quite like "the nine", though his appetite was smaller, and his ability for roughness was sparse in comparison to the others. The leader of "the nine" the Fleshlumpeater, was more of a mentor to Dreamweaver, rather than his bane, but no matter how hard Dreamweaver tried to be a typical giant, he just didn't cut it, and all the giants laughed at him for it. I didn't! I hated them, I still do, those nine are like the chains and bars that keep me here, cold, stubborn and so very blockheaded. Before I was imprisoned, I was the "Champion of the Giants", body guard to the Giant King, Gargantus, "the nine" believed in me, but disliked me, because I would not partake in their disgusting pastime, the slaughter and consumption of human beings. I hesitated to serve Gargantus, as his hunger out matched the whole of "the nine", but he kept the barrier safe, from other worlds, and that was good enough reason to guard him. Dreamweaver knew this, and him and I would have long discussions about it.
"Well, all we've got is Snozzcumbers then!" I'd hear from "the nine" but I knew that deep in the forest lands in giant country, there were ibexians and boaraks (giant deer and pigs to you), that I could hunt, a proper challenge, but "the nine" ahem "bless them", only picked an unfair fight, a fight that they would win, usually against a defenceless human.
Everything turned sour one day, the Fleshlumpeater, the Gizzardgulper and the Bloodbottler returned from another one of their invasions; to the human world, not only with full bellies and blooded lips, but with an air of uncharacteristic nervousness, as something happened for the first time ever. I went up to the Fleshlumpeater, and I knew.
"YOU GOT CAUGHT!" I yelled at him.
"Yes" his response was, and I saw him cowering for the first time, in fear, and the rest of "the nine" and Dreamweaver were catching this contagious panic. The rule was broken, they had broken Gargantus' law:
"Though we tower above, be silent as a dove."
Of course, this meant something had to be done. Telling Gargantus would have been the obvious (and now thinking back on it, the easiest) thing to do, but I had bigger fish to fry, I had to quash their past time, if they would snap out of their barbaric addiction to eating humans, this would all go away. So, I went up the Great Stair, to the House of Gargantus, with not information of their crime, but with an appeal for change.
"FI FIE FO FUM, ARE YOU SO STRUCK DUMB?" Gargantus screamed at me.
"NO, MY LORD! AS I KEEP SAYING THERE IS OTHER FOOD HERE!" I assertively replied, but no matter how much I reasoned with him, he would not budge.
All those generations of humans slain, just for the sport of giants, I felt guilt for the first time in my life, internal conflict like I had never experienced before, then it happened, the thought that would become my shackle: I had to help humanity. I remembered that amongst his possessions Gargantus had a singing harp, and a goose that laid golden eggs, maybe such tokens could be enough to act as apology, from my species to theirs, but I knew I couldn't just get them myself, I needed someone smaller. I thought about Dreamweaver, but even he was too big an entity to retrieve them, and I obviously had doubts about his ability to perform such a task anyhow. I had to find someone smaller, a human, and my prayers were answered one day.
I was hunting on the eastern ridge of the forest lands, until I saw a great stalk, piercing through the clouds, I hid, obviously not knowing what was coming, but what I saw dismount from the hulk of a stem, both tore me apart, and pleased me greatly. He, the answer, had finally arrived. Knowing that it was only me and him in the vicinity, I knew that I could greet him, without "the nine", Dreamweaver and most certainly not Gargantus interrupting. Understandably, he screeched to the point of fainting when he saw me, but after sprinkling some cold sky-water on him, I spoke to him as softly, and as clearly, as I could about my intentions. After our conversation, I heard a suspicious rustling, at first, I thought it was an ibexian or a boarak, but it sounded larger, like another giant. "Surely not" I thought, but I was too tired to make sure. He was a strapping young lad was this human, a credit to his species, and a heart of a warrior, I knew that he was the right human for the job, as he agreed to everything, I had requested of him.
"Tell me boy, what do I call such a small hero?" I jovially asked.
"Jack" he said with a triumphant tone.
"Tell me giant, what do I call such a big friend?" He questioned me.
"That'll will do. Friend." I said back at him smiling.
After I wished him good luck, we went our separate ways, with a hope, that we were in each other's thoughts. The rustling returned, this time I was more attentive, I scouted, tracked, and I finally caught my prey.
"Dreamweaver, I'm very surprised to see you here!" I said dumfounded.
"Oh ello, hope you is in a sqiffiling mood." He enquired, in a muffled and odd tone.
"Yes, yes." I responded, perplexed.
But something was not quite right about Dreamweaver, he was one to smile even when he was sad, but this time I saw tears, a waterfall of emotion.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, WHAT HAVE YOU DIDDLE DONE?" Dreamweaver yelped uncontrollably.
"What are you talking about D?" I said anxiously.
"THE KING, IS BILLIOWING AND BLOWING UP, AND THE NINE ARE TOSSING AND TURNING, AND IT'S ALL AFTER YOU TALKED, WHAT'S IS HAPP, HAPP, HAPPENING?" Dreamweaver continues his understandable hysterics.
After a deep breath, I told him of my disgust, of our species, of "the nine", the fact our King was no longer fit to be King, and the plan I hatched with a human boy called Jack.
"Don't you see, Dreamweaver, this is our chance to build bridges, to make amends, we have done so much wrong, but in this boy Jack, and me, this is a true giant leap forward" I say in a somewhat begging tone.
"Iz known you all my life, and you is a good friend, and an even betterer brother. I understand, and is relieved, to hear that you has a jiggling plan to brung down this owful teril. But you is not the only giant, to have secrets." Dreamweaver said in an air of wonder, the second half of his statement had me hooked.
"Glad to hear you're on board brother, but, secret, what secret?" I implored to him, with me now acting as his audience.
"I know a way, a wondrous jullifying way, to a place of enchances and wonderful buzzes. Dreams, they is there, and they is my friends, and they, I will use to bring as much fillifying fun to the whole world" He continued, with me still in bated breath.
"And with what you has told me, I know that dreams with re-mend, build these bridges, in all good time, I promise you. I 'ate them too, they is rotten dungtrodders, and bogswanglers!" Dreamweaver starts his tears again, I hugged him tightly in brotherly love, as I knew that he truly understood.
"A dream world, underneath our noses, well I'll be a boarak's tusk!" I staggered
"You don't believe me?" Dreamweaver whimpered
"In all the time I've known you, you have never lied. Of course, I believe you!" I reassured him.
Now that we had made a pact of secrecy, I had to tell Dreamweaver everything now, every last bit of the plan, that Jack and I had talked about, so I told him the bit that I had left out.
"When the boy Jack, takes the harp and the goose, the only escape will be down the stalk, knowing Gargantus, he would follow, so I have told Jack, in order to make sure that he can't get his big paws on them ever again, to cut down the stalk, even if Gargantus is still climbing down!" I stated to an overwhelmed Dreamweaver.
"MURDER!" Dreamweaver shouted.
"Yes, murder. And I know that it is the golden rule amongst us Dreamweaver, but it's the only way to get a fresh start in giant country" I said, with unfamiliar tears in my eyes.
"OK, so be it, but iz don't want to see you for a while" Dreamweaver spluttered.
A couple of days passed, then it happened, his booming voice showered all over giant country.
"FI FIE FO FUM, I SMELL THE BLOOD OF AN ENGLISHMAN!" Growled Gargantus.
"Jack, you've done it!" I thought, but then like an ibexian I felt cornered, hunted, like prey.
"WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS THAT TRAITOR? THAT SO CALLED CHAMPION!?" Gargantus thundered again.
I knew that my days of freedom were numbered, I knew that he knew, I knew that "the nine" knew. But I let him carry on with his chase, so that Jack could take our apology, and the life of our most "gracious" King.
Then a horrid shrieking sound gave birth, a loud decaying roar echoed in both giant country, and the human world, with an enormous thud as it's climax. Gargantus was no more.
Later that day, "the nine" caught up with me. I was beaten, stripped of my robes, and I was naked in a place, where I never thought I would be defendant, the "Court of the Colossus." Dreamweaver was there, sobbing, knowing what had to be done, had to be done. I wasn't sure whether I would be executed or imprisoned, but I awaited the decision of "the nine."
"AS LEADER OF THE NINE, FOR YOUR CRIME, I SENTENCE YOU, STORMBREAKER, TO LIFE, IN THE DARKEST, DEEPEST PIT, IN OUR LAND, TAKE HIM AWAY!" The Fleshlumpeater erupted, like a proud and angry volcano.
Dreamweaver bolted, to start what I would have thought, a dream collecting frenzy, to stock up on his munitions, for what I would imagine, his own battles in the future. The Fleshlumpeater and the rest of "the nine" had their suspicions about Dreamweaver.
"HE'S NO GIANT, HE WAS PART OF THIS, WE'LL MAKE HIM PAY!" The Fleshlumpeater delivered, his ultimatum of what he would do to Dreamweaver, when I was gone.
I have been here, for what it seems like centuries, for my act in the "Great Treason", known by "the nine" as the giant, who helped Jack "the giant killer", but not that well known I think, to the human world. It seems strange, I would have thought "the nine" would have come down and jibed me more often, it's as if they're all gone as well.
Wait…wait…there's somebody coming…
"WHIZZPOP, WHIZZBANG, MAKE THE BUBBLES GO DOWN!" I know that voice, a kind voice, Dreamweaver.
STORMBREAKER: I've missed you brother!
BFG / DREAMWEAVER: And iz missed you too!
STORMBREAKER: Where are they?
BFG / DREAMWEAVER: Wherez who?
STORMBREAKER: The nine?
BFG / DREAMWEAVER: Gone! Hahahaha!
STORMBREAKER: Really?
BFG / DREAMWEAVER: REALLY! Letz get you out of here, and cleaned up, you look like and ibexian's behind so you do… Oh yes, therez someone I'd like you to meet.
SOPHIE: Hello!
STORMBREAKER: Well now, what's your name little one?
FIN
