by Darcy Fray
And the moon? The moon was the elephant in the room. Government lips were sealed. What had begun as whispers about a hollow moon had turned to exclamations, but the public’s interest in the subject lasted only as long as the headlines. The few who persisted were quickly labelled and discarded as conspiracy theorists. It astonished Gordon, how easily the public psyche could be manipulated. His psyche was a different story altogether. An unanswered question was a challenge, one that would not go unheeded. He picked up bits and pieces of information here and there, but it was apparent that he was a mere cog in a gargantuan machine.
The last conversation he shared with his father echoed in his mind:
“Can I trust John?”
“John is a pawn who thinks he’s a king. He’s stuck in the middle of a much bigger battle that he knows nothing about.”
“Is that a ‘no’?”
“It’s a ‘don’t trust pawns’...or kings, for that matter.”
Trust no one. It was a tough principle to live by.
Flowers in hand, Gordon walked down a busy hallway in the Pasadena General Hospital.
He hated hospitals.
At the tender age of seven, he’d fallen ill with a sky-high fever and severe abdominal pain. A visit to the Fort Huachuca base hospital ensued. After a quick once-over, Gordon’s family doctor requested a urine sample. A urine sample? Gordon’s limbs froze as the doctor offered him a clear plastic cup. He had never heard such a preposterous thing in his life and was absolutely appalled at the thought of having to carry out the repulsive request. He imagined himself slowly walking back from the bathroom with urine sloshing over the cup’s sides, and nurses, doctors and patients laughing in his wake. He responded with a firm, yet teary refusal. His mother and the doctor both looked on with amusement at the early display of his unwavering constitution. He had never cared much for hospitals, doctors, or urinating on command since that day.
Room 213. Gordon checked the number twice. The moment had played out in his mind an embarrassing number of times. His heart fluttered and stomach quivered with anticipation. He stole a quick glance through the window. She was awake and sitting up in bed. He knocked lightly before entering.
Her eyes. They were so like her father’s.
Gordon opened his mouth, but no words issued forth. On the bedside table sat an open bag of jumbo salted sunflower seeds.
No, it can’t be.
“Are those yours?” Gordon uttered impulsively as he pointed to the bag.
Harper’s knowing smile said it all.
“You must be Gordon.”
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Without Whom Department:
Wilder & Stephen. My boys. My heart. My inspiration.
My awesome family.
Family, friends and strangers who have offered assistance and support during Stephen’s battle with cancer. I will always be grateful. Thank you.
The good people at UCLA, Camp Kesem, Disney Oncology Rehab and WeSpark.
Steven Spielberg. Just because.
“A Big Thanks” Indiegogo Contributors:
Balfour-Lynn Family, Barchie Family, Benn Carr, Neville & Cindy Johnson, Alan Moulder, Tony Rancich, Stewart Family, Teggart Family, Matt & Marthe Vasquez and Patrick Woodroffe.
Book Credits:
Editor/Proofreader: Jill Bailin
Cover design by iamthinker.com
Cover font Vertigon by Andrew Bertram
Interior font Moonflower by Denise Bentulan
About The Author
Darcy Fray is a multifaceted American artist born and bred in the Endless Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. After graduating from high school with salutatorian honors, Darcy went on to earn a bachelor of music from the University of Miami, FL. She currently resides in Los Angeles, where she is the Director of Creativity at iamthinker.com, a multi-disciplinary visual boutique specializing in photography, film & graphic design. The Officially Unofficial Files of Dr. Gordon B. Gray is her first novel.