We're Waiting for You - Part 1 (2145 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1.89 on 22 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by JMG114 (View user info) at 2006-08-24 10:31:31 EDT
John Morgan wiped his 12-year-old brow on his dark blue t-shirt sleeve, which was already sopping wet from previous such wipes. He glanced behind himself at the defunct three-story factory. As his eyes traced up the twin black smokestacks, his friend Robert ran around the building's corner.
"What're you waiting for?" Robert yelled, advancing upon John's position, "He's coming! He's right behind me!"
A tightness in John's stomach pulled him back around and into the field—a dried fen with tall weeds and cattails swinging lazily in the midsummer breeze.
With Robert's powerful footsteps just behind him, John shot straight through the meadow. His every intent to make it to base faster than Robert, he imagined himself turning into a cheetah and ran even faster.
Robert overtook him, screaming, "Run man, run!" There was desperation in Robert's voice, but a smile on his face.
A soft, dead reed lightly brushed John's outer ankle and he stopped for a moment to bend and scratch himself. Behind him, he heard approaching footsteps.
"Run!" yelled Robert's voice, from even further ahead.
John's fingers had begun to tingle, but he barely noticed. It was only a few dozen yards to base. Wiping his sweat away once more, he ran as hard as he could until he finally laid his hands on the rusty old drainage pipe at the edge of the field, where Robert was already sitting, none the worse for the adventure.
A moment later, Robert's younger brother reached his quarry, but too late. Robert and John had made it to base, and the game of hide-and-go-seek-tag was over.
"Damn it!" Noah kicked at the dirt. "I never catch you guys!"
Robert chuckled. "That's because you're slow as sh—" he glanced at John, then continued, "It's because you're too slow."
"Am not!" Noah protested, trying desperately not to cry, "You guys just run too fast!"
John smiled, enjoying the grassy smell on the air, the lightly cloudy sky, and even the argument between the brothers. He wondered if he'd ever be happier. Both of his arms were tingling.
"John!" Robert yelled, "Are you listening? We have to come up with something else to do, since baby here can't keep up with us."
"I'm not a baby!" Noah whimpered, blinking furiously.
John looked at Noah and said, "Let's have a race to prove who the fastest is."
"Yeah!" agreed Robert.
John continued, "But Noah gets a head start."
"All right!" Noah squealed, "From where to where?"
John said, "From here to the big elm tree. Near the old farm."
Robert grinned. "Ah, by the fork in the road. I know a shortcut right around there."
"No fair!" Noah cried.
John repeated, "Noah gets a head start. It's only fair." His upper chest was tingling. Something wasn't right. He blinked and shook his head slightly.
"Mark, get set, go!" Robert said, and took off for the elm tree.
"No fair!" Noah screamed, and started running after his older brother. A moment later, he stopped and turned to John, who had turned considerably paler.
"John," Noah asked, "What's your favorite color?"
Noah's question echoed unnaturally in John's ears. His legs seemed asleep, and he struggled to appear as if nothing was wrong. His favorite color was pink.
"Red," he answered.
Noah smiled. "Mine too," he replied, then turned back to the race.
John took a few steps, then collapsed onto the ground. Breathing was suddenly difficult, and he blinked furiously to keep the darkness at the edge of his vision from its unstoppable encroachment. He tried to roll onto his back, but he was too weak. For a moment, he dipped into unconsciousness.
At once, he felt better. He stood up, brushed himself off, and started running. Immediately, his footsteps became labored, as though he was walking into deep mud. He looked down and saw no mud, but reacted with horror when he found himself sinking into the dry ground for no conceivable reason. He struggled and kicked, finally freeing himself and jumping away. Then, he began sinking in once more, but he jumped and jumped and jumped away, until finally he was standing firmly on the ground.
He wasn't tingling anymore, but the sky, the trees, and even the very air around him seemed strangely rosy, as though he was seeing everything through a layer of pale pink cellophane.
"What the heck?" he whispered, then ran in pursuit of his friends.
- To Be Continued -
User Reviews
Submitted by cera (user info) at 2007-02-04 22:34:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
"He's coming! He's right behind me!"
BWAHAHAHAHAHA
Submitted by I_love_Kracka (user info) at 2007-02-04 22:18:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2006-09-02 23:03:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2006-08-29 12:16:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-08-25 11:25:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-08-25 10:35:29 (#)
Ranking: 2
Axolotl that kind of attitude makes the baby jesus cry.
I didn't know that. I just heard it was going to be made into a movie and was afraid it was going to suck.
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Sorry for my negativity, but HDM is one of my favorite books, and I can't see how they're going to pull off such a complex, anti-clerical book without either glaring omissions or a highly simplified story, both of which would do disservice to the book itself.
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2006-08-25 11:12:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
not bad man
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-08-25 10:35:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Axolotl that kind of attitude makes the baby jesus cry.
I didn't know that. I just heard it was going to be made into a movie and was afraid it was going to suck.
Submitted by Faith (user info) at 2006-08-24 18:58:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Part 2!Part 2!Part 2!
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2006-08-24 18:36:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Axolotl (user info) at 2006-08-24 18:22:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-08-24 12:23:23 (#)
Ranking: 2
In other news, did you hear that they are making His Dark Materials into a movie?
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It's going to suck, they're completely excising all religious references to avoid offending anyone. The religiousity of the book (ie deicide) was what made it unique.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-08-24 18:19:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I want more J-Date!
Submitted by whysenheimer (user info) at 2006-08-24 15:30:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ubetidid (user info) at 2006-08-24 12:37:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2006-08-24 12:23:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
In other news, did you hear that they are making His Dark Materials into a movie?
Submitted by Uberjunkie (user info) at 2006-08-24 11:50:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by alwayspeach1 (user info) at 2006-08-24 11:50:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
More please.
Submitted by GodChicken (user info) at 2006-08-24 11:14:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2006-08-24 11:07:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2006-08-24 10:53:13 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by w_t_a_y_s_t_r_m (user info) at 2006-08-24 10:39:40 (#)
Ranking: 2
Quite cool. Look forward to reading more
Submitted by sexualchocolate1984 (user info) at 2006-08-24 11:00:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
A bit ghey, the kid has blatently dropped some E's!
Submitted by Beano312003 (user info) at 2006-08-24 10:53:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by w_t_a_y_s_t_r_m (user info) at 2006-08-24 10:39:40 (#)
Ranking: 2
Quite cool. Look forward to reading more
Submitted by w_t_a_y_s_t_r_m (user info) at 2006-08-24 10:39:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Quite cool. Look forward to reading more
Submitted by VileSin (user info) at 2006-08-24 10:37:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 for now - don't fuck it up with a bad continuation.