With no livestock to attend to out in the barn exactly, no one came out for most of the day, but there were four-wheelers in the barn. Later in the afternoon, two teenage boys, Jason, age 15, and Scott, age 17, went out to take their four wheelers for a drive out in the woods on the path. For them, it was fun living in the country to be able to ride these four-wheelers and see and hunt wildlife at the appropriate times of the year.
Scott was the older brother and he had dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, stood at 5'5, and wore a red t-shirt and jeans. Jason was a little shorter than him, being the younger brother. He stood at 5'3 and had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and wore a navy shirt and jeans.
"So, Jas, you think we'll get some good deer this year?" Scott asked his bro.
"I don't know. We'll see what happens." Jason replied. "For right now, let's go enjoy the woods."
They got on and started their wheelers and took them out of the barn and took off for the woods. They were to be back home close to sunset. Their mother worried about them being out there on their own after dark. Their parents were divorced. The father had moved two states north and hardly ever saw his sons. He had been a very distant man and didn't want to hurt his family. He still sent payments to his ex-wife for his sons' education and such.
It was the weekend for the boys so they were able to enjoy themselves after their mom had made them help her with house chores earlier in the day. It was now late afternoon.
They drove through the woods for about 15 miles on the path. They lived pretty much out in the boonies, rarely ever going to town except for school and they rode the bus home on weekdays. Their mom had to work two jobs just to keep up with house payments and for stuff the boys needed. Scott wanted to get a job, but he had to take care of Jason most of the time.
Scott had a red Ford truck. Given they lived in the country, it was a four-wheel drive.
The mom was named Rhonda. She had dark hair, green eyes, and stood about 5'4. She was 42 years old. She worked as a waitress and bank teller. She tried to let her boys be independent but still worried about them out there in the woods. She knew they liked to hunt and ride their wheelers. They had no pets right now. They had had a dog growing up, a chocolate Labrador. He had gotten old and had to be put down humanely. He had also been a bird dog for them. Their father had hunted birds in the past before moving away.
Scott and Jason came home at sunset. They were pulling their four-wheelers into the barn when there was suddenly a loud roar that came out of nowhere. It almost blended with the sound of the engines but the boys heard it loud and clear.
"What was that?" Jason asked, startled.
"I don't know, little brother, but we better investigate." Scott replied.
They both killed the engines and picked up some pieces of wood there in the barn and went looking for whatever creature roared.
Brooklyn had woken up and he couldn't help but let out his usual roar when waking up. But now, he had heard the four-wheelers and he heard the boys talking. He had sunken down in trying to hide in the rafters from them. He didn't want trouble. Right now, he felt perfectly fine. He always did after waking up. He tried not to make a sound up there. He would leave after the boys left the barn, or at least he planned to.
The boys looked very warily around the barn and didn't see anything. Then, Scott looked up the rafters and didn't see anything but he was going to check anyway.
"I'm going to check up there." Scott said. "Be careful." Jason stated.
Scott nodded and began to slowly climb the ladder that led to the rafter. It was a wooden ladder.
Brooklyn knew this was trouble. He swallowed nervously. If he was found, he would try to make friends. That was all he could do. He wouldn't harm innocents.
Scott got to the top. He got into the rafter and he took out a flashlight. This was even more trouble. Brooklyn's eyes widened. No!
The flashlight was shone all over the rafter until it came to land in that corner and Scott spotted him. Brooklyn instantly hid behind one of his wings. Scott was shocked and scared all of a sudden.
"Uh, Jason, we got trouble up here!" Scott began backing up toward the edge, trying to head for the ladder.
"What is it?"
"A red creature! Get out of here!" Scott shouted.
Brooklyn knew he had to try to show them he was no threat now that he was seen. "Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," he said as gently as he could.
"And it talks!" Scott got too close to the edge of the rafter that he was in so much shock that he missed the ladder and started to slip off the edge, making him drop the wood he had.
Brooklyn saw this and immediately leapt into action. "Look out!" He jumped to the edge, spreading his wings and he grabbed the boy on his arm that had held the wood and he pulled him back up.
Jason now saw the creature from down below. He hadn't taken off yet. This strange creature had just saved his brother. "Whoa! What are you?" he exclaimed.
Scott was staring at the red creature that had just saved him from falling off the rafter. "Don't hurt me!" he cried, backing away.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. I'm a friend." Brooklyn said calmly.
"What are you?" Jason asked again. "Some kind of demon?"
"No. I'm not a demon. My name is Brooklyn. I'm a gargoyle. I swear I won't hurt either of you." Brooklyn explained.
"What are you doing in our barn?" Scott demanded.
"I was just passing through and came inside because of the storm last night. I see it's gone." Brook said.
"Yeah. We just rode our four-wheelers and got back home from mud riding." Jason explained.
"Where did you come from?" Scott demanded.
"My real home is in New York." Brooklyn said.
"That's a long way from Colorado."
"I know and I'm trying to get back there, but I was kidnapped from my home and taken to Nevada. I wasn't going to be their test subject. I escaped and just want to go home." Brooklyn explained. "But you mentioned four-wheelers. What are those?" He was curious.
"You sure we can trust you, uh, Brooklyn?" Jason asked.
"You have my word. I know I look scary to you, but I assure you, I'm a friend. I protect. That's what gargoyles do." Brooklyn stated.
Scott was still suspicious. "Fine, we'll show the four-wheelers but no funny business." He went to the ladder and climbed down. Brooklyn used his wings to glide down to the floor.
"Wow! That's awesome! Wish I could do that." Jason was in awe.
"Thanks." Brooklyn gave a smile. Scott reached the floor and he and his brother showed the gargoyle the four-wheelers.
"These look really fun to ride." Brooklyn declared. "I once rode a motorcycle that one of my own brothers, Lexington, built. Can I ride one?"
The boys looked at one another and their mom wasn't home, so it might be okay. "Alright, but just around the yard." Scott said. He showed Brooklyn how to ride it after it was taken back outside. The light outside was fading on the horizon.
While Brooklyn was getting his bearings on the four-wheeler before he was going to ride it, Scott said to him, "Thanks for saving me from falling."
"You're welcome. It's what I do. And it's always nice to make new friends." Brooklyn replied, smiling.
Scott could see now that this creature wasn't so scary at all. "This is least I could do after you saved me."
Brooklyn got the four-wheeler in gear and he started riding around the yard. "Aw! This is so awesome! I'd forgotten how fun it was to ride something like this!" he exclaimed happily.
The boys watched as Brooklyn rode the four-wheeler around the yard for what seemed like ten times, making tire tracks in the yard. He finally came to a stop in front of the barn, getting off and letting Jason take it in.
"I haven't had that much fun in a long time." Brooklyn declared. "That was like riding my motorcycle again."
"Do you still have it?" Jason asked.
"No. It got destroyed the same night it was finished. I made the mistake of trying to befriend a biker gang and they attacked me. One of them shot my bike and ruined it." Brook replied.
"We might get motorcycles someday, but our mom won't let us right now. She says we're too young for them." Scott said.
"We get tired of being treated like small kids." Jason said.
"But we are still kids, bro," Scott stated. "You look like a teenager yourself, Brooklyn."
"I'm a young adult. But yeah, I was like you not long ago, being like a teenager. I still am in age, I guess, but I have adult responsibilities at home. Being the Second in Command in my clan and having been a leader before. I have to get home soon." Brooklyn explained.
The three of them went on to talk about interests and jobs they had.
"When are we expecting your mom to be home?" Brooklyn asked.
"Not until after ten. It's only after six now." Jason said.
"You want to come in and have some food?" Scott offered.
"Sure." Brooklyn replied. It had been awhile since he had had home-cooked food. He followed the boys to their house and was invited inside.
When he got inside, Brooklyn saw a collection of guns inside a case in the living room. His smile faded and he turned to look at the boys. "You kill things?"
"Yes, we hunt for food and fun." Scott replied.
Brooklyn just hoped the boys wouldn't go after him. He knew hunting was a necessity sometimes. But humans had never hunted gargoyles for food.
"We have heard about gargoyles being in New York in the news. Are you one of them?" Scott asked.
"Yes, I am. I wondered if you had known about that." Brook said.
"Of course we knew. We have never seen gargoyles before now. But they just showed that you had blown up the clock tower." Jason stated.
"We never blew it up! Those were lies! That was Hunters that were after us. They blamed us. Now they call themselves the Quarrymen. They're the real threat. My clan is no threat to human safety, I promise." Brooklyn proclaimed.
The boys were taken aback by Brooklyn's explosion, but he had calmed down again.
"Please, I'm sorry if I startled you, but do you know what it's like to just be hated for how you look? We save more lives than we ever harm." Brook tried to assure them he meant no harm and how it felt to be hated just for being different.
"We have always been teased here and there at school, but we have a sense of humor and just laugh and make a comeback at it. We just like to goof off with our friends when we can." Scott declared. "We're teens. Sorry if we made you uncomfortable."
"It's okay. But I just wanted you to know that us gargoyles were innocent to what happened in New York. The Quarrymen will tell lies about us and no matter what, don't believe it. We aren't monsters. We are just different, like humans from Japan are different from ones that live here." Brook explained and gave an example.
"We get it and sorry. I'm going to cook us up some spaghetti. You like that, right?" Scott offered.
"Yeah. I like all foods." Brooklyn replied.
Scott did indeed cook up some spaghetti and the three of them enjoyed the dinner together. But when it would be time for Rhonda to come home, Brooklyn would have to scoot out the back way.
They played some video games until it was that time. The boys kept her distracted while Brooklyn snuck out the back door to the barn. He would stay for now.
Rhonda was always exhausted when she came home. She worked one job every day of the week and barely ever had time for herself. She worked at the bank during the week and as a waitress on weekends.
Rhonda had some oatmeal for her dinner and she was off to bed. She was too tired to stay up. After all, she had to work again the next day. If only her husband hadn't left her. She wouldn't have to be working this hard.
The boys could stay up for a little while longer, but they were to be in bed by midnight on the weekends. After their mom had gone to bed, the boys snuck out to the barn again. They were ever so curious about Brooklyn.
"Maybe we could show you to our mom sometime." Jason suggested.
"I don't know if that's a good idea. I can't stay here for very long. I'll stay for a few days to take a rest from all the gliding I've been doing, but I must get home soon." Brooklyn said.
"Wish you could stay." Scott declared.
"You are both really nice to have as friends." Brooklyn said. "It's been so long since I've had new friends in my life. Everyone always seems to use me and my clan in the wrong ways."
"Sorry to hear that. They're missing out on knowing a great person." Scott stated. That meant a lot to Brooklyn. He smiled in return. "Thanks."
"How long have you been trying to get home since your escape?" Jason asked.
"I'm not sure exactly. The nights all blend together anymore, but I think a little over two and a half weeks or three." Brook replied. "How far do you guys live from the nearest town or city?"
"We could even go into our town and have a night on the town." Scott suggested.
"That wouldn't be good for me. Humans can't be allowed to see me." Brooklyn said.
"It's ok. We can get some food and drinks for us and we can go to the basketball courts at our school and hang out. They have an outdoor basketball court there." Scott declared.
"Do we take the truck or can you fly us to town?" Jason asked.
"We take our truck, dimbo." Scott bumped his brother on the shoulder.
"I would like to know what it feels like to fly." Jason said.
"I could while I'm here. But I glide, remember? I would make sure not to drop you or anything." Brook replied. He was up to showing the boys how he glided if they were open to it. He wouldn't force anything on them. He was respectful about how some folks could be afraid of heights, though he had never been except maybe as a hatchling before he knew how to glide.
Brooklyn was glad he had made some friends. "What day is it tomorrow?" he asked.
"Sunday. We can stay up a bit longer to hang out." Scott said. "Our mom wants us in bed by midnight."
The boys weren't allowed to ride their four-wheelers at night. Since there wasn't much else to do, Brooklyn was glad to give Jason a feel for the gliding that he did. There was a tree in the yard that with Jason on his back, he used his talons to climb the tree and got to a limb before he jumped off of it.
"Whoa!" Jason cried in his ear. "That was fun taking off!"
Brooklyn smiled. "Yeah, it always is a bit much the first time someone feels the takeoff. But if they stick with us long enough, they get used to it."
"Hold on, Jason!" Scott called up to them. He was a little uncomfortable about his little brother doing this but had let him.
"Do you have human friends in New York at all?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, we do. Not many. Quarrymen ruin our reputations so much. I wish they would go away." Brooklyn replied.
"Maybe we could help reach out to them."
"Yeah, Elisa Maza and Matt Bluestone are some that are my friends. They're police in the city and we help them often stop criminals."
As they were gliding around the property, suddenly, Brooklyn got a dizzy spell and a bit of nausea in his stomach. "Oh." He moaned softly and held his head.
"What's wrong?" Jason asked.
"I don't know. I…" Suddenly, he lost his balance and he began to fall. Jason screamed loud enough in Brook's ears that he got a second wind in him, opening up his wings in time to catch a draft that they stopped falling.
Scott had seen what happened and he gasped. He knew it had been a bad idea. He ran around. "Come down here now!" he ordered.
Brooklyn heard him from below and knew it was time to land. He gently flew down to the ground and he let Jason off his back. "Sorry about that. I don't know what came over me." He said.
"I knew that was a bad idea." Scott declared.
"What happened up there?" Jason asked.
"I don't know. I just got dizzy and nauseated for a moment." Brooklyn said. He held his head.
"My cooking isn't that bad." Scott scolded him.
"It's not that. Oh, I've been having these problems from nearly the time I left the scientist's facility." Brooklyn stated. "They might have put something inside me. This normally wouldn't happen to me."
"Then perhaps you shouldn't be gliding." Scott said.
"It's my fastest way of traveling. I don't have much choice. I never know when a train might be available or where I could end up from my stone sleep." Brooklyn said.
"Maybe you should stay here until it passes." Jason suggested.
"That's very kind of you. I'll be happy to rest my wings for a few nights." Brook replied.
The boys could have some fun with Brooklyn while he was here. The boys reminded him of Lexington and Broadway and the fun they had when they were younger, before the adult responsibilities came along and a female took Broadway's heart.
Brooklyn still longed for that female love, but he would settle for any kind of entertainment. It was so lonely being on this journey home alone. It was like he was back with his brothers in a way. He wouldn't let his loneliness get to him while he was here. He had to make the most of his situation.
Scott went back to the house and he got Brooklyn some headache medicine to try to control the headache coming on. Brook was glad for the medicine, hoping it would help.
But afterwards, the boys had to go to the house to go to bed. Brooklyn went to the barn to get some rest. Every night, this struck him at some point. He jumped back up to the rafter and laid down, hoping for the dizziness spell to pass. If it passed, maybe later he would make a patrol around the property to make sure it was safe enough. He laid down, using his bag as a pillow.
A few hours later, Brooklyn woke up from his nap and he felt much better. He sat up and stretched, but then, a wave of nausea hit him. "Guess I sat up too fast," he said. He rubbed his belly.
Brooklyn got up and jumped down from the rafter and warily went outside. The outside air felt nice. The house overhead was dark. With nothing else to do, he went to the nearest tree and got himself airborne. It would be good to stretch his wings even though he was going to rest them from long-distance gliding for a few nights. He wanted to see if his ailment would pass first. It had been bothering him ever since his escape.
He found the road that led away from their house and followed it a ways. About two miles down the road, there was finally a highway. He didn't see any lights too far away. They must really be out in the country. He would talk to the boys tomorrow night and ask where to go. They would know more about this area. Then he headed back to the farm. He went back in the barn and hid on the rafter again. It was better to get some more rest while he could. But how he longed to watch some tv or play a video game or something.
Before dawn, there was another bout of nausea as he woke up again. "Oh, what is happening to my stomach?" Brooklyn asked himself, rubbing it. "If this doesn't go away, I'm going to need to get help soon." He talked to himself.
He was really worried about what had been done to him back in Nevada, remembering the time of his belly surgery. Ray could have put anything inside him! So far, he hadn't thrown up which was good, but why was he constantly getting dizzy and nauseated? Normally, such things never bothered him that often. There had to be a reason behind it. But he was far from home and there was no doctor around here that would see him, he was sure of that. They would be too afraid to help him. He had to get home soon. He might have to reveal himself to the boys' mother and chances probably were that she'd shoe him away or try to shoot him. Scott and Jason would have to be around if he ever tried to meet her.
Sunrise soon came and he turned to stone again. He hoped the stone sleep would heal him.