Alive
A fan fiction in progress by
Bryan Harrison
Pt 10
1
Time is not linear. Nor does it move unbroken from one point to another. It had once seemed so, when his heart beat with the mathematical regularity of a machine, and his days had passed seamlessly into night and then day again, unbroken by sleep or dreaming. But that was then. Now David realizes that time cannot truly be measured by numbers. It fluctuates; swells and folds in on itself, like a living thing…. or perhaps like flowing water might.
He had no words for this understanding but it came to him as he broke from sleep, still trailing the remnants of a strange dream, to find himself in darkness, shivering under a black canopy of trees. He tried to keep the dream images in his head, so to sort them out and understand the nature of that other world, and his odd realization. But all he could recall was a haunting world of undulating blue, before the visions finally dissipated.
He looked up to see starlight breaking through the trees, and the thin slip of a crescent moon already making its descent in the west. He heard the faint groans of man's technological empire awakening in the distance, and the closer sounds of wildlife in the dark about him. They too were awakening, preparing for another day of survival. He sat for a time, with his strange thoughts, listening to the musical clicking of the insects, the throaty grunting of frogs and the lonely howl of canine predators.
"What time is it Teddy?" he asked. He heard a thin metallic sound and knew the little bear was turning its head to look at him. David could not return that gaze for he could not see in the dark anymore. He felt another pang of regret.
"It is 4:35 in the morning,." Teddy explained. "That is very early, David. You need more sleep."
"Yeah," David replied. But he knew he could not go back to sleep. Martin's face had come into his minds eyes…as did the words the boy had spat at their encounter. The new, dangerous feeling came back too. It brought images into his minds eye; wild, angry visions that made him unconsciously grip his fists and clench his jaws tight. These thoughts always followed his memories of Martin. The acid feeling they left in his stomach was new and troubling. But there was pleasure there too, pleasure in the plans that had been forming in the dark places in his mind. In the conclusion of these fantasies, Martin was always left cowering, begging for forgiveness and… mercy.
Yes. Mercy.
"No, David, no," the cowering fantasy Martin would say. "Don't do it, please."
Don't do what? David was never sure.
Nor was he certain how many days had passed since he had seen the real Martin. He could not tell how far he had traveled as he he'd trekked slowly westward, following the path of the sun. But oddly, there were specific moments that stayed with him; sounds and images that he should have forgotten, being so unimportant considering the weight of his dilemma: The bright golden eyes of a tree creature that had stared down as he passed beneath its leafy abode; the melodious song of a bird that had caught his attention, but that he had never been able to find. The hint of an unknown history he'd seen in the broken remains of an old road he followed through the forest until their courses diverged.
And the suspicious smirk on the face of the young clerk at the supermarket where he had used Martin's money to buy food. He'd probably never forget that look.
"Excuse me," he'd said, standing close to the counter to obscure his dirty clothing from her sight. "What's good food for a boy?" he'd asked.
"What?" she'd said from behind the fortress walls of her register.
He'd quickly realized how absurd his question had sounded. "Ummm.. I don't… I don't usually shop, sooo…"
She'd paused a moment, regarding him with skeptical eyes. She must have noticed the disheveled hair, his dirty face and clothes. She must have known he was "vaggin'", as his young tormentors had put it the day before.
And what was that look in her eyes? Pity? Disgust? Would she shoo him off? Perhaps call the police?
After a moment she'd simply shrugged, and gestured to an aisle. "Cereal, chips, milk, orange juice… candy… whatever. As long as you can pay for it," she'd said before turning back to whatever she'd been up to when he arrived.
But though the clerks recommendations had excited his taste buds, and given him a surge of energy for a while, in the end they'd just left him feeling a weak and tired. Especially the candy. Teddy had made a fuss about David's purchases and offered its own, more logical, suggestions. But too late. However inadequate, David would have to make this food last as long as possible. He couldn't risk going among the Orga too often, even though he was now one of them.
This world spares one little time for tears. David had come to know this as his exile passed from one day to another and then another. He had seen how the creatures of the forest fed on each other, how the small and weak were devoured or left to die when they could not fend for themselves. He had watched in fascination when a large bird swooped down on one of the scampering creatures, wrapped it in large talons and took flight. The small thing had squeaked and fought to no avail. David had watched it disappear into the trees, trapped in the birds merciless grasp, knowing it too must survive.
From death, life.
Brutal, this world. Brutal and cold and ignorant of the suffering of its creatures.
And was he not now one of them? Was he not now among the hierarchy of the food chain that nourished themselves on the flesh of the weak?
Is this really what he had wanted?
No. It had been Mommy. She had been the reason for this life. And he would make his way to her. Somehow. No matter what.
He broke from his dark thoughts with a new determination, and rose to his feet. The hint of dawn had not yet graced the horizon.
"Which way is west, Teddy?"
2
Another day passed, as did he, westward through the woodlands that hugged the Orga freeways; the lush forests haunted with dilapidated ruins of forgotten townships. Another night fell, as did he, onto the mossy earth and into the waiting arms of sleep, to traverse the realm of dreams while Teddy stood in watch for strangers or predators, or amphibicopter's hovering through the sky, in search of a strange young fugitive.
The next morning greeted David with a sharp pain in his ear and the realization that he really, really needed a bath. He worked his way slowly though what was left of his last bag of potato chips, chewing gently to not agitate the new irritation in his ear.
"You need to see a doctor, David," Teddy suggested when he noticed David moaning and cupping his head.
"Good idea, Teddy!" David snapped. "Why don't we just go back to the hospital? There's plenty of doctors there!" But the outburst made his ear hurt and there was now an audible pitch, like a far off whistle, in his head. Teddy was right. He needed help. But how?
"I'm sorry, Teddy, I…" but he couldn't finish the thought. He really didn't understand his anger. He rose and tossed the empty bag of chips into the trees, cursing his pain and the fragility of this flesh body. If he had only known; if the Blue Fairy could have somehow warned him about….
A movement of caught David's attention. He turned to see a boy, crouching near the base of a tree. He looked younger than David, thin and grim faced, the tattered remnants of some kind of uniform hugging his lean body. There was another movement and David saw another boy, this one taller and with white blond hair and a hint menace behind his bright blue eyes. Then came another… and another. Tall boys. Short boys. Fat and thin. They were of different ages and hues, but all sharing the same determined look… one that did not impart any warm reception.
David wanted to say something, to introduce himself and explain his presence, but his mouth would not form the words. It was no longer anger that filled him, but fear. He was trapped, surrounded by a ragged band of vagabond boys. They approached him slowly. He tried to back away but there was no escape.
"I'm sorry" he finally managed to say. "I mean, if this is your woods, that is. I was just sleeping. I didn't mean to…"
But the boys suddenly pounced on David and he found himself tossed to the ground. He felt a pinch on his cheek and screamed out. "He's skin" someone yelled. Then he felt his clothing being searched. He kicked and screamed at the assault, but his ear began to ache so he relented and surrendered to their inspections. The attack was over as quickly as it had began. David sat up, cupping his ear, to see that the boy's were still encircling him, but now with hands on hips or crossed over their chest, looking on him with some strange sort of disappointment.
"He's skin, Sy, but he ain't got much," one of them said. "Couple newbucks and a Supertoy. It's kinda old, but we could get something for it." It was the young one who had spoken, the thin, grim-faced boy who he'd seen first. David looked up at him and saw that the boy was addressing someone out of his line of sight.
"Good work, Wizzy," said a thick voice. David turned to see who had spoken. His fear was quickly renewed.
The man was standing in the shadows of hanging braches. His flesh was deep brown and his shoulders huge. His thick clothing was ragged and torn. His large head was bald and so smooth that it seemed to reflect back the scant light of the forest. He regarded David coolly through hooded eyes.
David felt a gasp escape his throat. He had no idea what this stranger wanted, but was fully aware that he was too small and weak to resist whatever it might be. The vision of the little scampering thing, captured and dying in the grasp of the hungry bird's talons, came back to him.
Was he prey now, too? Softly, he began to whimper.
"What's this now?" the man asked, disbelief in his deep voice. His eyes tightened on David. "Where you from, boy?"
David opened his mouth to respond, but the pain in his ear flared and he paused. "I am just trying to get home, mister," he finally managed to say. "I really need that money. And Teddy… I mean the toy. Please," he said with a catch in his voice, hoping that this might incite some sympathy. But the man just raised his brows in amusement, and the boys began to chuckle and then laugh outright.
"Well ain't you just pathetic as all get out," the man named Sy said. More laughter. "But I asked where you was from, boy, not where you goin'," he said after the humor had died down.
David pointed weakly over his shoulder. "I was in a hospital back that way," he muttered. To his surprise this announcement was greeted with knowing grunts of what seemed like understanding, if not sympathy.
"Yeah, yeah." Sy said, nodding his large shining head, as if this story was all too familiar. "But what I really want to know is, is anyone lookin' for you."
David didn't know how to respond. Would it be good or bad if they thought someone was looking for him? In the end he settled for a compromise.
"I'm not sure anymore. I mean, they were but… I think they gave up… maybe."
The ambiguity of this response caused some more dark glances to be exchanged between his captors.
"Did anyone follow you?" the man asked pointedly.
"No," David replied quickly, hoping it was the right thing to say, and that the certainty of his reply would have a different effect.
The man chewed on this idea for a silent moment. The boys watched him for some kind of signal. Then he took a deep breath and shot a quick glance at them. One by one they began to disappear quietly into the woods.
"Wait!", David cried, "I need that money! I need Teddy! You don't understand!"
But his cries were ignored and the boys vanished into the brush, taking Teddy and what was left of his money. Only the man named Sy remained, shaking his head, as if in pity.
"Got no time for tears, boy… and no time for dallying. Not in this world. You take what you need or it'll slip on by without you. Ain't you old enough to know that by now?"
David had no response. His anger and fear had blended to form an empty pit in his stomach. He cupped his painful ear, and placed his head in his hands so the man would not see his tears. He heard the man sigh and say something that he didn't make out. Then he heard the rustle of the bushes as the man turned and began to walk away. But the sounds suddenly stopped and, after a moment, David glanced up to see Sy looking expectantly over his shoulder. And there was something else in his face… something amused and impatient at the same time.
"Well, didn't you hear me, boy?" the man said, brows twisted in mock indignation. "You hungry, ain't ya? Want to get that pain out your head? Wash some of that stink off you?"
David stammered and then nodded.
"Then what you dallyin' for? Get that butt in gear and c'mon!"
David didn't pause to consider. He jumped up quickly, pressed a hand against his swelling ear, and followed the man, hoping it was the right course of action, but knowing he really had no choice.
There was no time for dallying.
(cont...)