Cloud Riders (36 page)

"Welcome back to school, Paul Winsome.” He smiled, wide and toothy. “Your father spoke to me of your successful exploration into those treacherous woods to find your sister. You're very lucky, as is your sister. Not everyone could survive such an experience. But, why did you not ask for help to save her?"

"Vicki, Sir."

"I beg your pardon?"

"My sister's name is Vicki."

"Of course, Paul Winsome. I understand you will graduate from Morris Junior High at the end of this school year."

"Yes Sir. Then on to Morris High School."

"And Vicki Sue Winsome will follow your graduation next year.” He smiled. “She is very academically gifted."

"Yes, Sir. Why do you use my first and last name all the time?” Paul saw it as a ploy to maintain the status between principal and student. “Wouldn't it sound funny if I addressed you as Thaddeus Panion?"

Principal Panion pulled back his hand and placed it behind his back with his other. “You are much like your father."

"Dad and I are alike in more ways than you think.” Paul smiled.

"I welcomed Vicki Sue Winsome... Vicki, not more than ten minutes ago."

"Thank you, Sir.” Paul had no idea why the thought came to mind, nor why he acted upon it. He allowed his left arm to detach and fly onto the principal's desktop. He kept his expression blank and innocent.

The arm walked upright, using its index and middle fingers as legs to walk across the green desk pad. The separation point looked like a bloodless cover of reddish skin. His sleeve showed no signs of being ripped from his shirt, and just as magically defied gravity by not falling from his brave arm. It finger-walked across to the desk phone, climbed over it, to the intercom, climbed over it and to the desk's edge. It did a military about-face and retraced its finger-steps. In the very center of the desk the arm jumped and its five fingers kicked out like a leaping dancer, and landed on the index and middle finger. Paul quickly willed the arm to return and plug back into his body, maintaining his mask of innocence. The complete maneuver took less than thirty seconds.

Principal Panion stared at Paul, but gave no outward indication anything out of the ordinary had taken place. “Yes, you and your family are remarkable. You would never find me in Morristown forest; with its reputation of swallowing those who venture into it. How did you manage to find your sister, Vicki."

Paul hesitated before answering, his mind replaying his arm walk across the tall man's desk. He found it very difficult to maintain his guiltless facial expression when falling down laughing inside. “I have a neat sister and, believe it or not, through using my imagination as a guide.” His voice broke in its effort not to laugh. The arm and fingers took another walk through his memory. He laughed. “Funny thing happened.” It would be a perfect cover-up for his laugh if his mind could come up with something funny to say. “I saw a bear run into a tree."

"Really?"

"But I had fallen asleep and dreamed it, I think."

"Remarkable. The imagination can play tricks on a person, I find."

The tall man lowered into his chair, pulled some papers from a wire basket behind him and started to read.

Paul took this as a hint the interview might be over. Principal Thaddeus Panion, authority figure, perhaps found himself exhausted by his words of praise and his finger-walking arm vision of madness. Not once did he say Paul was his friend. Paul appreciated that.

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Out in the hallway, students hurried between classes. Lockers banged and voices shot around like bullets at the OK Corral. Many turned and stared at him. The attention left Paul divided between being thrilled by the boost to his ego and bothered at finding himself under the microscope of momentary fame. One voice caught Paul's immediate attention.

"Hey, Runt."

Paul whipped around and looked up into the face of Buster Lanson.

"I want to talk to you,” Buster said.

"What now, Buster?” Paul didn't want a confrontation with the large boy Did the bully realize he could do to him what he did to Bruiser Manly in the sky?

"Look. I wanted to tell you something.” Buster's voice didn't threaten or taunt. “I heard about what you did, going into that forest to find your sister and all."

Paul nodded.

"So, I wanted to tell you something about me. I'd sure like it if you didn't repeat it to anyone."

"You have my promise, Buster."

"I'm graduating this year, like you. High school isn't going to be any picnic for me, little guy.” He lowered his head. “Look, I'm telling you this because I guess I picked on you once. You stood up to me then, and I guess I respect that. Then going into the woods to find your sister, made me feel I owed you something. Look, I'm the big guy around here, but in high school I won't be the biggest or the toughest.” His eyelids crinkled, as if searching his mind for what to say. “You're what tough is. You don't seem to be afraid of anything.” He looked around, as if hoping no one watched or heard his words.

"Buster, I wasn't making fun of you on that rope. I was only stoked I could do something better than you, because of my size.” Paul reached out his hand. “Friends?"

The large boy gave Paul's hand a couple of firm pumps. “Just wanted to get that off my chest."

That afternoon, Paul met Vicki in the main corridor. Groups of students passed and Paul noticed more than one stared at them. Several smiled. He acknowledged each with a return smile, as did Vicki.

"Sis, this place has changed."

"I think it's us who have changed."

"But now Buster is my friend. Principal Panion. I guess he gave you his welcome back to school speech too, huh?” He stared at his sister. Her smile indicated a happiness beyond the moment.

"My king! I've got something to show you.” She tugged on Paul's arm, pulling him down the hallway between dodging students. She pulled open the door to the dance class. The large room contained one person practicing at the mirror. She wore pink tights and had flowing silk-like auburn hair.

"Fawn?” Paul raced into the room.

Vicki stood in the doorway and hugged herself.

"How do you know my middle name?” Fawn asked. “I don't use it."

"I'm Paul Winsome."

Fawn seemed startled. “Everyone knows you. You're the one who saved Vicki Sue in Morristown forest. Paul Winsome, I'm overjoyed to meet you. Vicki Sue and I are friends. She and I are in the same dance class this year. I just transferred from Meganormis Junior High Four. My parents decided they wanted to get away from such a huge place and settle down here in a smaller community. I'm Mary Fawn Tiffan.” She broadened her smile. “You may call me Mary.” She paused. “I didn't mean to give you my whole life history."

Paul's stomach lurched, not unlike it used to do in front of Principal Panion. “Would it be insulting if I called you Fawn?"

"Fawn is fine with me. Vicki Sue calls me Fawn also. I think what you did was braver than—"

"Fawn, don't you remember me?"

"I had a dream about you. How did you know? Of course, Vicki Sue told you.” Her face flushed, as did Paul's. “A silly dream. We were up in the clouds.” She laughed and touched Paul with an isn't-that-just-too-amusing smile.

Paul sucked in a gulp of air to keep his composure. He looked over at his sister, who shook as though she giggled on the inside. He turned back to Fawn. “Would you like to tell me about the dream?” Paul held his breath. Somehow her next words assumed an importance beyond reason.

"I'd like that."

Paul wondered what part of life was more weird. Earth reality—his parallel-imagined-life—detaching arms and legs to defeat a bully—saving the solar system—or being a hero for saving Vicki in the forest when he actually saved her in the sky? No, none of these things were as strange and scary as meeting girls. Hero? If they could see the tangled feelings skipping around in his stomach because of Fawn's three words, ‘I'd like that', his panic would be exposed for all to see.

In the end, Earth reality won as the bell sounded. They had to leave for classes.

Paul gave a quick thought about Saturday and the ritual with his dad. A cloud-watching day would be different now. He wondered if he could tell him about Fawn before Vicki. One thing he knew for sure. Now his dad and he were on a much more level playing field.

Saturday morning the sunrise painted Morristown Park with a golden-red glow. Paul and Harry Winsome leaned back on the grassy knoll and studied the cloud formations drifting across the sky high above them. Father and son, cloud gazing and comparing observations. The shapes were real, but that reality depended entirely on whose parallel-imagined-life observed them at the moment.

"I love the early morning,” Harry said. “By now, you know I informed the school you found Vicki in the forest.” He looked at Paul and beamed. “We do not need to mention your cloud-riding experience to anyone."

"I'm catching some flack for going it alone,” Paul admitted. “I'm kind of famous all of a sudden. Don't know what to tell everybody about going it alone."

"Tell them you wanted to bypass the waiting period for the police to declare someone officially missing.” Harry sighed. “Sometimes details help, sometimes they get in the way."

Paul smiled and searched around for anyone nearby. It appeared he and his dad had this section of the park exclusively to themselves.

"I understand you have a lady friend. Fawn?"

"Mary Fawn Tiffan, Dad. I always call her Fawn. Vicki introduced us."

"Vicki told me. Do invite her to dinner, but ask your mother first. I gather Fawn doesn't remember your cloud visit."

"Vicki told you about that too, huh. Fawn does remember, but thinks it was a dream.” Paul looked toward the clouds. “I think she's a dream."

"Son, I've said that very thing to your mother.” He pressed his lips together in a slight grimace. “Maybe not enough lately. Up there I knew you would be watched over by Maken.” Harry's voice lowered. “It has been many years since my visit. I had to save Earth, a fact I guess you are aware of by now. We Winsomes have had some very special destinies, recorded within the cloud worlds of this solar system."

"You mean written in that book of Maken's."

"One leads to the other."

"You tell me about yours and I'll tell you about mine,” Paul said, the memories of his experience flashing through his mind. “You saved our planet, right, with a machine Calamity Horrid built?"

"Once there was a giant asteroid by the name of Globe Wacker."

Paul fell back on the grass and let out a burst of mirth. Globe Wacker?

"Globe Wacker was headed for Earth and had to be stopped. Calamity Horrid actually built a large hut of ice capable of dancing out of Globe Wacker's way. But her plan had a flaw. Do you see it?"

"You had to dodge it so it wouldn't hit Earth, not just dodge the hut, right?"

"Yes. But unknown to that strange lady, I had a plan. A Maken Fairchild invention that could shoot an invisible ray to deflect Globe Wacker's path so it would miss Earth.” Harry stared at the sky. “So, is Calamity Horrid still running the hut and smiling with that crooked mouth of hers?"

The smile on Paul's face increased until it became almost painful. “Keen Aware is in charge now. He's got six eyes and an eight inch nose. The nose talks because he doesn't have a mouth. Calamity Horrid now has a huge ice castle. She built that herself too. Horrid Ice Castle, where I found Vicki. And, Dad, I know how she does it."

"What, Son?"

"Build stuff, and grow and shrink in size and rule over her domain and has a King Kong pet and her own private gold cloud. She goes into the future and imagines what she wants and it happens in present time. That's what she told me,” Paul pushed out words as fast as they would go.

"I wondered about that. When she built the ray machine to shoot into Globe Wacker, once I told her how Maken said to build it, it just appeared. I thought maybe Maken did that, but now, I'm guessing she did. Anyway, Son, what happened up there? Maken will fill me in, but I'd like to hear it from your perspective."

Paul took a deep breath and told his dad everything that happened, with the exception of his remarkable arms and legs and what they could do.

"Paul, in this morning's newspaper there was a story about lost girls all over the world being found, girls once given up for dead. All on the same day. So, congratulations. And mystery of mysteries, each household had a clock stolen from them upon their return.” He gazed at his son. “This imagined adventure of yours seems to have had some real effects down here on Earth.” He turned his attention back to the sky. “I don't remember a ride ever having an effect on Earth, other than for saving it."

Paul scanned around him to insure their privacy, and allowed his left arm to depart his body, shirt sleeve and all.

Harry's face turned white and his mouth dropped as Paul's valiant arm flew to his chest, pushed him back onto the grass and held him down, copying the maneuver he had used on Paul for years.

Harry glanced over at Paul and gave him a half smile, his arms signaling surrender. He stared at his son's armless left side.

Paul quickly allowed his brave limb to return and plug into its rightful place.

Harry's mouth moved but remained speechless.

Next Paul told of the extraordinary abilities of his arms and legs. And he passed on what the wizard juice taught. It didn't matter whose imagined-parallel-life propelled their adventures. All that mattered is what they imagined could be real if they desired. They were happy, and when the future would bring its inevitable life-wars rot, they would be happy anyway.

Above, clouds drifted by, patiently waiting for new riders.

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Don Hurst is a funny little man who has no hair on the top of his head; a humorous streak wide as a dragon's hindquarters; the imagination of a 5 year old exploring pigeon droppings; a 74-year-old-body and a 15-to-100 year-old-mind. He lives in Northern California, USA; has a BA in Expressive Arts and has never married because of a fear of anything resembling reality.