Chapter 1 — A small and quiet suburb
With his cheek pressed against the glass, Rick gazed at the majestic glowing hills in the distance. He had tried to fall asleep, but with the jolts of the chaotic road, it was impossible to close his eyes. His bus had been running for almost two hours, and according to his uncle's map, the trip would soon be over. In about half an hour, he would arrive at Peach Creek, his new home for the next few years. The road to get there was narrow, half-graded, and lined with thick trees. Rick had never been to this area before, but the rural landscape seemed soothing. It was already a positive thing to notice.
With each tremor, the passengers fell back hard on the plastic seats. The vehicle echoed with laughter and shrill cries. The driver kept grumbling while chewing his tobacco. Driving on this strip of asphalt was hell, and he was not shy about letting it be known. From his place, in the corner of the backseat, Rick could count the number of people in the car. He estimated that there were at least thirty of them. A few seats in front of him, a group of merry men were playing a well-known song with joy. But they were having fun transcribing the lyrics in their own way, making the whole thing a bit more vulgar than it was at first. Although silent, Rick found it amusing and could not hold back a smile.
His neighbor on the left, on the other hand, was much less discreet and was writhing with laughter. Rick still hadn't started a conversation with him, but he had had plenty of time to observe him. This guy must have been twelve years old, and the poor kid was already suffering from a well-developed bald spot. The way the little hair was arranged on his head made him look like a living cactus. But the most surprising thing was that strange handcrafted puppet that accompanied him. The child was holding a wooden board on which he had drawn a smile and two deformed eyes.
Weird buddy, thought Rick. At the same age, he remembered that he had already abandoned imaginary friends and tried to make real ones instead. Anyway, I don't know him, and who am I to judge him ? To each his own...
Suddenly, the bus stopped with a horrible squeal of brakes. Rick was thrown violently against the front seat, but he had the reflex to use his arms as a shield. More fear than harm, he took the shock without too much pain. His neighbor, unfortunately, was less lucky and fell head first.
« Ey dude, are you okay ? »
« A little shaken, but I've seen worse. Plank broke my fall. »
Tetanized behind his wheel, the driver's face was horrified. His skin was pale, covered with hideous blisters. Everything suggested that he had just come face to face with Satan himself. It was then that a particularly brutal collision nearly toppled the vehicle. Something massive had just slammed against the left wall. Screams of terror went up as the passengers realized what it was. The driver may not have seen the devil, but it was pretty close. Outside, a titanic bear was smashing its large clawed paws against the surface of the coach. With each blow, the impact grew. The monstrous furry creature was frantically trying to capsize the vehicle. It let out horrible guttural roars, and its mouth oozed a thick, yellowish, disgusting saliva.
« We're going to die, we're all going to die ! » said Rick's neighbor, clutching his board.
In spite of the ambient panic, Rick made his best to keep his calm. Maybe he could do something to prevent the slaughter, but he had to act fast. Taking advantage of the fact that the bear was busy at the front of the bus, Rick opened his window wide and grabbed the sharpened sword he always kept with him. Taking support on the metal wall, he threw himself out of the bus and jumped towards the huge animal, blade grabbed. The bear only saw him coming at the last moment and could do nothing to counter his strike. As he fell back, Rick adjusted his sword, which sank deep into the neck of the voracious beast. The blade sliced through the head of his target, who collapsed in a great bloody splash. Rick landed on his feet and moved away to avoid being crushed by the big carcass of the dead beast.
Looking up, Rick could see that the other passengers were watching him through the windows of the bus. The general anguish seemed to have ceased at the same time as the killing of the bear. Now everything was quiet. Some people were still tagging along, but they weren't shouting anymore. Others could not integrate what had just happened. A kind of samurai coming out of nowhere to decapitate the threat was not exactly the most likely scenario. Most expected to be slashed, torn apart, or even eaten alive. But the trouble was now behind them, to their great delight. Except for a few broken windows and smashed metal, nothing serious was to be reported. No passenger had been seriously injured, at least physically. The first of them to regain his composure was a man in uniform who left the bus to join Rick. The guy was almost six feet tall and his body was as muscular as it was imposing. He was wearing a hat and had a gun strapped to his belt.
« Sheriff Derek. » He introduced himself, holding up his badge. « Well done soldier, you prevented the disaster before I could even intervene. »
« Well... Thank you, sir. » Rick replied, a little taken by surprise.
To avoid any misunderstanding, he quickly showed his weapon licence. The lawman nodded his head in agreement. During a short moment, Derek looked at him. He would swear to have already seen this young man somewhere. Could it be that he is... Yes, it's coming back to me now.
« Tell me, are you Hooper's nephew ? »
A nod of the head confirmed his questioning. Derek had never met him before, but he had seen his face in some of Hooper's family pictures. On the bus, the passengers stared at the duo in disbelief. A terrifying bear had nearly killed them, its bleeding corpse lying next to it, and the two reckless men were chatting cheerfully as if nothing had happened. Were they crazy or just stupid ?
« Great ! Look Plank, he's the one who checked out the big monster ! » enthused the almost bald kid as he rushed over to Rick.
Then he put the piece of wood near his ear, pretended to hear it talking quietly, and spoke again :
« Plank wants an autograph, does anyone have a pen ? »
« Oh boy, this is getting really unforeseen... » Rick muttered between his teeth.
Seeing his discomfort, Derek stepped in to enlighten him.
« Ah, don't pay attention, pal. Jonny is always like that, but you'll see, you get used to it after about three months. »
« Ok... Wait, three months ? » Choked Rick.
The bus ends up being emptied little by little. The passengers got off in single file without jostling each other, under Derek's supervision. After making sure everyone was okay, the sheriff went to the driver who was inspecting the engine of his vehicle.
« Something wrong, Mike ? »
« Yeah, we have a problem, and not a small one, I'm afraid. This damn Teddy Bear hit the front end hard, and it damaged the whole structure. Unless there's a mechanic among us, this old piece of junk won't start again. »
Derek turned to the crowd and asked if anyone had some mechanical knowledge. A look of despair came over his face as they all shook their heads from side to side.
« Hey, Plank knows well this stuff ! He'll get us out of here. » Jonny interjected, proudly lifting his wooden friend.
« Thanks dwarf, but I would have preferred someone with fucking hands. Holy crap... » Mike grumbled, sighing loudly. « Tell me Derek, do you think another one of these scumbags might come along and continue his little dead buddy's work ? »
« Normally, this kind of bug only hangs out in the no-go areas. This one had to leave his pack to go on a solo trip. In any case, if there are other onslaught, the ninja and I are on the case, aren't we ? »
Rick gave a thumbs up in agreement. The sheriff immediately took charge and called a tow truck, as well as several cars to transport all these people to their various destinations. Until the rescuers arrived, he ordered everyone to stay together and not to move away from the bus for safety reasons. The wait time was estimated to be about an hour. This had annoyed many people, and some were particularly noisy and unpleasant to point out.
Derek could understand them, but he was no miracle worker. At least, no one would have to camp out here, fully exposed to the wild and hungry forest beasts. In order to keep an eye on everyone and to have a good view of the surroundings in case of any sneak attack, Derek had isolated himself a little from the bulk. Sitting on an old tree stump with Rick and Jonny, he was scanning the environment like a sentry. At the slightest suspicious thing, he would take some action. Rick always had his sword drawn, ready to use if needed.
« By the way Rick, what brings you here ? It's not the kind of place that any random drifter comes to voluntarily get lost. » Asked Derek
« I'm going to live here with my uncle. At least, until I come of age. »
« I see. And why is that, if it's not too intrusive ? »
« Well, let's just say it's complicated. The best thing to do would be to ask Hooper directly, he'll explain it to you much better than I can. »
« Okay, I'll have a word with him about that. Anyway, it's nice to see some new faces. Here, the tourists are not lining up at the door. I would have warned you about some of the local bullies, but considering what you did earlier, I'm not worried about you anymore. Did Hooper teach you how to handle a sword like that ? »
« Yes, my uncle has been training me in various fighting styles since I could walk, and he puts a lot of effort into it. »
« Ah ! I'm not surprised, that's just like him. » Derek ironized.
Finally, the waiting was done in an almost Olympian calm. The most virulent passengers had finally soothed and found occupations to kill time. Some of them were reading, others were sitting in small groups to discuss, and a few silly folks were having fun taking pictures of the decapitated bear with their phones. Except for the disgusting smell of the bulky corpse, nothing disturbed the mood. Soon, the helpers finally appeared. The passengers bound for Peach Creek were invited to enter the many police vehicles. Rick and Jonny boarded side by side, squeezed in the back with Mike and another random guy. Before the car left, Rick waved goodbye to Derek. The sheriff seemed very friendly, and since he also seemed to be a good friend of Hooper's, he would surely see him again. Another piece of good news he could take note of.
As the journey progressed, the wooded background was distilled to give way to vast green expanses. Giant sunflower fields stretched as far as the eye could see. Without the long trees to block his view, Rick saw the distant granite behemoths with their sharp chains of peaks on the horizon. Some of the mountains rose so high that they disappeared beyond the clouds. Unfortunately, the scenery quickly faded as the car sped into some bleak suburbia. A rickety sign at the entrance read « Welcome to Peach Creek ». Two "c" and one "h" were almost erased, so that from a distance it read « Pea.. .reek. ». The area didn't look particularly inviting, and Rick immediately missed his old family home in Lemon Brook. Still, he decided to stay positive. He liked his uncle a lot, and maybe the kids next-door would be nice dudes. At the corner of a street where a candy store was displaying its colorful facade, the vehicle stopped its race.
« End of the line, everyone gets off. » announced the policeman who was driving.
« By the way, Jonny, I've never been here before, so maybe you could help me find my way around. I'm looking for Hooper Flicker's house, do you know where I can find it ? » Asked Rick.
« Sure buddy, he's my neighbor. He lives with us in the cul-de-sac. Follow me, it's this way. »
« Thank you very much, it's nice. »
With his suitcase in one hand and his sword in the other, Rick followed his makeshift guide through a maze of alleys where all the houses looked alike. The atmosphere seemed grim and mournful. Mike had gone his own way, swearing, without even greeting his occasional companions. A little on the outskirts of the small town, the road split into two paths. Reading the billboards, the left side led to the local high school, and the right side led to the Park 'N' Flush, a filthy trailer park.
Rick felt Jonny's fear when he saw this half-ruined display. Did he have any problems with some residents of this park? Whatever, it was none of his business. At least for now. On their way, the duo hardly met anyone. The lanes seemed unusually deserted, and that was not reassuring. If there was not Jonny at his sides, Rick would have almost believed himself in a ghost town. After having walked about ten minutes, the two young people engaged in a long street which finished by a circular dead end.
« We are there. » warned Jonny. « You see the house over there, at the bottom ? That's where Hooper lives. »
« Thanks, friend. By the way, tell me, is it always so... silent around here ? »
« Well, you know, this is a peaceful place and we're not overrun with tourists. And since summer has just started, everyone is taking the opportunity to relax, so it's even quieter. »
« I see. Remark, it is not more bad. Well, I'm going to empty my bag. Do you want to come ? »
« I would love to, but Plank has a psychiatrist's appointment and we're already late. So, I have to go. See you later ! »
« ...Ok. »
Rick watched him run away without turning back and disappearing between two blocks. This strange fellow looked a bit special, but at least he seemed just as friendly. If the other residents were like him but a little less quirky, things could take a very pleasant turn. Rick walked up to his uncle's house. It was quite large, with two floors, a garage and a garden. In fact, it looked like any other house in the neighborhood. It seemed af if they were mass-produced in a factory that specialized in cloning. Rick walked to the entrance and pressed the bell. He couldn't wait to unpack and get some rest. As soon as the door opened, two arms as wide as tree trunks embraced Rick, lifting him slightly off the ground. Hooper could be quite extroverted when it came to greeting people he cared about.
« Rick, my little nephew ! You're here at last, I almost waited ! »
« Ugh... I'm so glad to see you too... But now you're crushing my lungs, Hooper. » managed to articulate a Rick on the verge of asphyxiation.
« Oh, sorry about that, I got carried away. » Replied the uncle by releasing it from his tough grip. « Otherwise, how you go ? »
« I'm doing pretty well, but on the way here, we had a little... traffic problem. »
« I know, the sheriff just told me about it by phone. So you sliced a grizzly bear ? Goog job man, I guess my training paid off. But please, come in. I'll show you my place. »
Hooper took his guest to the second floor, where his room would be. His new headquarters for his very long stay at Peach Creek. From there, he had an unobstructed view of the garden, the river that bordered it, and the Park'N'Flush not far behind. The room wasn't very spacious, but Rick certainly wasn't going to complain about it. It suited him perfectly. He put his luggage and his saber on the bed and went to join Hooper to continue the visit. He showed him the kitchen, the bathroom, the cellar, and the large living room equipped with a television and some playing consoles. Although Hooper felt his job was underpaid, he still managed to make a decent living as a game warden.
« So, what's the verdict ? » The uncle asked as he flopped down on his couch.
« It's great, I love it. » Rick replied. « Thanks for hosting me, especially after... what happened. It was not very simple recently. »
« Well, don't worry about it my little friend. I'm on the spot and I'll do everything I can to shed light on this murky affair. As for you, just get back to a normal life, you need it. »
« Thank you uncle, fortunately you are here. »
« Now, why don't you go out and socialize a bit while I make us some good food ? You'll see, our neighbors are a bit... unusual. But you should be able to fit in without too much trouble. And remember what I taught you. If someone bothers you, beat them up until they beg you to spare them. Survival of the fittest is the only language that thugs understand, remember that. »
« Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. »
« I know you haven't. Now go get some fresh air and make a lot of friends. »
Too bad, Rick would have preferred to sleep for an hour or two. He will have to wait until tonight for that. The young Flicker went to get a spare shirt that was not impregnated with the appalling smell of dead yeti and left the house. I'd better not bring my sword, it might scare the hell out of everyone. Outside, there was a bit more hustle and bustle than before. In the middle of the road, two teenagers had placed a kind of skateboard ramp and were having fun jumping and doing tricks.
Rick thought they were pretty good. There was a boy who looked to be about two years younger than him. He was wearing a green shirt and a red cap. The second stunt performer was a cute blonde girl about the same age. As soon as they saw that Rick was watching them, the two dropped their equipment - a bike for one and rollerblades for the other - and went to meet him. Now, it' s time to avoid looking like a weirdo.
To be continued