LAND OF THE GIANTS
Prologue
The two pushed past huge ferns and weeds with a familiar ease on a day that was unusually mild and sunny. To the boy, Barry Lockridge, it felt like a warm Sunday on Earth-- calm, quiet, and peaceful. Alexander Fitzhugh, his older companion, admired the rays of the sunshine that split through the forest. The pair stopped at the one park edge which their group rarely ventured to. Beyond was a large expanse of a six-lane highway, flanked by a rocky mountain range. The range was relatively small to the giants who inhabited this far-off planet but was Rocky Mountain size to the crew and passengers of the spaceship-shuttle Spindrift.
"Nothing," Barry shrugged with an ultimate look of disappointment.
Fitzhugh, wearing the remainders of a blue Navy uniform they took from a toy store over two years ago, joined the boy at the highway. "Well, we'd better get back, then."
"I know. Dan will chew me out good if I miss that test he was going to give me."
"It's important you know how to pilot the ship. I guess Betty and Mark will learn next."
"I know it's important, Mr. Fitzhugh. It's just that, well, I had hoped to see a few today."
"If you ask me it was a foolhardy venture to wander so far from camp just to see some silly drag strip racers."
"Then why did you come with me?"
"To keep you out of trouble. You're fifteen today--I couldn't stop you coming and I knew you'd wanted to see them."
"If you had ordered me not to," Barry said as he looked at his feet, "I would have stayed near camp." He stared across the highway blankly, "...as always."
"Well for your information, it's not Dan I'm so worried about. The captain will be damned angry I accompanied you this far out." Fitzhugh felt sorry for the teenager. He did look pathetic in his old clothes-a bright yellow sweater over a light brown buttoned down shirt and khaki colored pants. At fifteen, Barry thought he knew less about cars than anyone his age on Earth. All he wanted to do was see a few of them. The worst part was that the boy realized his deprivation. He truly knew more about survival than about cars and girls his own age. As he drew older it seemed to effect Barry more and more--this lack of so many normal things. "Let's go. It's empty. Anyway, you can use your time to study before the test. Better than watching hot shot, hot rodders race up and down this track of highway."
"Or a bunch of horse on the racetrack," Barry quipped, more out of disappointment. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"None taken," Fitzhugh smiled and put a hand on the teen's shoulder, "Come on lad, time to..."
A jarring, rumbling sound and sensation tore through the area. Fitzhugh's now gray hair seemed to go grayer still. The cacophony of two grumbling engines emanated from the east side of the highway--to the pair's right. The cars were on the three lanes closest to the two little people. "Barry!" Barry ran closer to the edge. He could see two impossibly huge monoliths moving at unheard of speeds. One was a yellow car which was higher up on its tires than normal cars. The car farthest out in the far lane was a gleaming green roadster, smaller than the yellow car. The closer bore no hood, it was an open topped car, bearing many giants--all indistinguishable in the blur of speed. Shouts and laughter were heard over the working engines. They had to be even louder than the deafening din which indicated pressed down gas pedals. Since Barry was closer, he couldn't predict what was going to happen next. Fitzhugh could. The red car zipped into the middle lane--straight into the yellow car's side. The two cars tapped as the yellow one moved to avoid it. It tried to continue to avoid it as the red car once again changed lanes. The yellow roadster could only swerve toward the forest to not be hit again.
Much to everyone's amazement, Fitzhugh, in recent days, had lost a lot of weight. The land of the giants had a marvelous effect on all the bodies of the Earthers--toning them up from strenuous day-to-day living. Perhaps it was all the vegetables and fruit which went into their diets. The fact was everyone was of the Earth people were in better shape than if they had remained on Earth and followed their old routines and eating habits there. Fitzhugh had enough strength to reach Barry, who was about three feet onto the highway. He shoved the teenager and tried to run back.
A massive, black blur came between them ! The roadster meshed onto weeds and plants and skidded to a halt, partially in the forest, partially on the highway lane !
THE LONG WAY HOME
Act One
Barry saw what happened but too late. A shove from Mr. Fitzhugh made him realize it. As occurred often on the land of the giants, realization wasn't enough. The tire had headed straight for him and he had been on his back. Barry did what he could, by rolling backwards away from the tire. With no time to think, he couldn't imagine what the crushed animals looked like after they were mowed over by car tires. The only problem after the car stopped was that he was further from the park and exposed to giant eyes on the highway. The door to the driver's side of the car was uncomfortably close to him. About to make a run for it, Barry heard that door open and saw a thick object hover just overhead. A foot followed by a massive leg. Another leg appeared and then a trunk of a body--a giant teenager emerged.
Maybe if I remain still, he wouldn't spot me crouched in the road, Barry thought. Under the car, Fitzhugh felt like a crushed animal that was hit by a car. He looked up at impossibly titanic car parts. The engine, the radiator, the anti-freeze valve. All spotlessly clean. Chipper ran on top of his chest, for he was on his back. Fitzhugh regained composure, another common experience one needed to survive on this land where one was always facing breath taking events. He scooped the dog into his arms and scurried out from the front of the car toward refuge in thick bushes. It was then, Fitzhugh spotted Barry.
The boy giant, dressed in a gray-blue polo sweater, looked only at the engine of his car after raising the hood. His voice boomed out, "It looks okay."
Barry was about to make a dash for the forest when another giant boy, dressed in red leaned out of the car with a third. "Gary, get back in here. Another car could come speeding behind us and smack right into..." he turned his head toward the road behind them and obviously spotted Barry. At the same moment, a loud crash startled Barry. It was the hood of the car smashing down. "Gary..." the other boy began.
"Yeah, I see him," Gary moved, grabbed up Barry, then stood straight up again and jumped behind the wheel of the car. To get his hands on the wheel, he put Barry on the seat of the car next to him. Before Barry could fully stand up, one of the two female teenage giants in the back seat with the other two males, leaned forward. She took Barry. Gary whipped the car backward, completely onto the road.
From the bushes, with Chipper whimpering in his arms, Fitzhugh watched helplessly. "Barry," he said defeated. "Barry." He saw the car screech its tires and once again careen down the highway, heading west as before. Fitzhugh moved out to watch it diminish from sight--down the road, so far from him even it looked small--a trick of the horizon. "Barry," was all Fitzhugh could repeat. He opened his walkie-talkie radio.
In the palms of the pretty blonde giantess, Barry pondered how a car so loaded own with seven massive aliens could possibly move. But it did--and fast. He couldn't see past the heights of the car doors even though the girl, Judara, was half-standing and not holding him very carefully. The second male teen grabbed Barry from her. Judara laughed, "Stop that! Gee, he's cute, ain't he ?"
This second boy, Nordo, had Barry in his left hand and began to try to balance him on his knee. Barry tried to stand up but the cup of Nordo's hand kept bouncing into him. Grateful it kept him from falling, Barry was humiliated by this boy--who as Gary himself seemed seventeen or eighteen, a few years older than himself. "Cute?" Nordo laughed.
"He is," a long haired brunette girl said from the back, "Don't handle him like that, you'll hurt him!" She sounded genuine. The only one who did.
"Cute," Gary snatched Barry, roughly, from Nordo's knee and made a fist around him, "I'd outta toss him out to the road." The brunette, Helga, gasped, "No, Gary!"
"Then we'd see how cute he'd look all splattered and gushy in the road like one of em' squirrels you see," he held Barry out over the edge of the car door, just past the side mirror. He held Barry in his right hand, across his own body, while steering with his left. Amazingly calm, Barry thought how carelessly these youths spent their lives. Gary could have easily switched him to the left hand, yet chose to drive in this awkward position. As the car picked up speed, terrific winds blew Barry's breath away. Behind him his feet dangled in the side mirror. Fleetingly, he glimpsed a blur of road far below. The feeling was that of a roller coaster ride only this ride made him wait to be smacked into either the rear of the car or the hard cement below if the giant let go of him. Neither fate rushed into him. Helga had reached out across a back seat teen and grabbed the Earth boy from the laughing Gary.
Gary continued, "Aw, come on! I could get him squashed real squishy."
"Poor little boy," Nordo mocked, "So deprived."
Barry felt the comfort of normal breathing and a safety in Helga's firm but comfortable grasp. He puffed and sat in her opening hand, "Thanks." As he caught his breath, Barry studied her face. Warm, open, yet somewhat sad, much friendlier than the mocking faces. A voice jarred him from the pretty visage.
Gary smirked, "They'll be a price for his life."
Barry was sure this teenager did not refer to the usual reward the Giants who captured them were always after. None of these looked poor. More like upper middle class. And if Gary's clothes could be an indicator a few of the boys were actually rich. None needed or cared about a reward for turning Barry in.
Something in the girl's eyes looked frightened. Another face moved behind Helga's. The other girl, sneering, sarcastically peered over Helga's shoulder, munching on crackling gum. "What'll we do with him, Helga ? I got some ideas."
Nordo laughed, "The first ones she's ever had."
Helga reminded Barry of a girl the Spindrifters met a long time ago during their first year here. That girl had risked her life to save them and he didn't even know her name. At least he knew this girl's name--Helga. A strange name but then again, some of the giant had odd names quite unlike any Earth names he'd known; while others had names very akin to names on Earth.
"Nothing," Helga said, "Why can't we just leave him alone ?" She looked down at Barry, "Are you hungry?" No one could hear her because Gary had pulled alongside another sports car, challenged it in the non-spoken gestures of racers and revved up his engine in anticipation of beating his opponent. Barry, as well as the other passengers of the car, was deafened. He wondered just how far west on this highway he had traveled.
Again, Barry was jarred from his thoughts. Pressure from the speed built up. One didn't get long periods of thought while trying to survive impossible predicaments--and it was those times when thought was provoked the most. Barry fell forward onto the girl's wrists where he noticed slash scars of a suicide attempt. He looked up, fully, at Helga.
One of the boys in the back cheered, "You blew him away, Gar."
"What else?" Gary was smug.
"Gary, I...I don't feel well," Helga coughed. "Stop the car."
Gary nodded it off, "Oh stop."
"No, no. I mean it. Stop the car. I don't feel well, I think I'm going to..."
Judara didn't like the sound of that, "Gary, she's right. She don't look too well. Pull it over."
"First you give me..."
"Hurry, Gary or it'll be too late!" After she slipped Barry into her deep dress pocket, Helga held her stomach with one hand and her mouth with the other as if to prevent it.
Gary lurched the car toward the left side where there was no curb, only dirt and matted grass. Other cars had stopped there before--it was one of many sections without a concrete divider--only shrubs, trees, and very large bushes. Gary's desire to protect his car made him fling open the door as Helga climbed out quickly. The car was not fully out of the left lane of the highway, causing fast riding cars in that lane to have to avoid it. Motorists, none too happy, had to swerve to go around Gary's yellow monster.
Helga reached a spot near trees where she pretended to be sick. She leaned over and feigned a hand to her stomach. Instead, she reached lower--into her pocket and removed a swaying Barry from the enormous folds. She put him down on the dirt. He stared at her, unmoving. She gave him a few gentle pats away from her, intending for him to make a run for it. As she did, she said, "Go on, get out of here." She faked a gag.
Gary called, "Hurry up! I'm wasting gas!"
Judara put a hand on his shoulder, "As if you needed to worry about money." She smiled.
Helga grew mad now. "Go on! Run, you're free."
"But what will happen to you ? If he..."
Helga shoved him, brushed him aside. He fell to his hands and knees. She yelled-whispered, "Move it!"
Gary squirmed free of Judara's hands and hopped from the car, "What's taking so long !"
Barry looked at Helga angrily. Angry that she had floored him--the very thing he wished he could do to that Gary and Nordo if he could. His eyes caught compassion from Helga's. Then he felt sorry for her, understanding her sacrifice. He screwed up the left side of his mouth and stood up. He ran, without looking back...and ran and ran.
He was far from them---from Gary. Helga was not. What would happen to her ? What terrible price would she have to pay for saving him and letting him free ? He heard loud shouts from Gary, then Judara, possibly defending her girlfriend or perhaps Gary. He also heard the car screech off and away. At a safe, far distance, Barry turned around, with small ferns as cover. It couldn't be ?
In his fit, Gary had endangered all the lives of his passengers as well as his own and other drives on the road. He endeavored to drive his car the wrong way--east on the west bound lanes ! He swerved the car across three lanes to make his turn, then headed east. Barry almost laughed. It was a futile attempt to find him. Gary would have had better luck ordering his minions to search for him on foot but not much. This stretch of forestry was thick and wide with many boulders and mounds of dirt to hide behind. Helga's delay had allowed him to come a far way forward and inward. Yet, he then inched out to see the highway for signs of what happened to Helga. A total disregard for lives on Gary's part met him there. No one in the car looked for Barry including a red, hot faced Gary, who was on the farther side from the human. Nordo made a grab for the wheel and spun it. Gary, plucked from his frenzy by a near collision with a large van, made a new U turn. The van had also been traveling too fast for the law here. Gary's new turn endangered traffic once more but many motorists had stopped to save themselves from his previous move. They shook their heads but continued on after Gary righted his car.
Barry felt the tension in his stomach and arms flee. He relaxed with the knowledge that physically, Helga was safe. She was in the car, alive, not beaten or abandoned by the giants. At least for now she was safe. He leaned on two twigs sprouting up from the same trunk. Helga still had a price to pay, an even greater one now. It wouldn't be pretty.
Rather coldly he thought, Barry forced himself to focus on his own problem. He knew what lay ahead: a long trek home--to his home--the Spindrift where his friends were. They were his friends. Barry knew this but felt they didn't fully understand him. Who ever would ? For that matter did anyone ever fully understand anyone else ? Barry looked southward--nothing but trees and dirt mounds. Still, if he avoided the mounds it could be crossed. He didn't want to waste time crossing it only to find there were six more lanes of yet another highway. To the north were the three lanes, a divider, and three more lanes going east--the way he wanted to go. Crossing the westbound lanes to reach it was out of the question. Once there, he would be in danger from both sides--even if the divider eventually vanished further east. He decided on a southeast course through the terrain. It would be safer to head Spindrift-ways through the southeast forest. Unfortunately after an hour and a half of walking quickly, Barry heard sounds of new traffic even before he reached a metal guard rail that was dangling above his head. It had been speared off by a recent accident. He stood before another highway.