Table of Contents
1. High Noon in Fears Corner
2. Mathias Bootmaker
3. Sandbox Harbor
4. The Right Fit
5. Walking the Path
6. The Fetcher
7. Voices in the Forest
8. The Village Darke
9. Into the Blockade
10. The Castle in the Sky
11. Oracle Darke
12. Prisoner of One
13. The Sandbox
MATHIAS BOOTMAKER
and
THE KEEPERS of THE SANDBOX
book one of three
It Is Said…
kindle edition
written by Edward Medina
illustrations by Niki Ciccotelli
copyright © 2011 Edward Medina
Author Information
bit.ly/loboed13
1.
High Noon in Fears Corner
It is said that every frightening moment that ever existed has taken some physical form and walked the dusty streets of Fears Corner. The people who conceive these anxieties in the flesh, men and women, young and old, the anonymous and the anointed have all at some time or another also trod its boards.
They bring themselves here in order to face whatever they fear most. They arrive here hoping and praying that faith in themselves will see them through. Those that have already passed this way would tell you that if you’re going through hell, you just keep going.
When the worlds were created, no one ever expected that such a lonely and desolate place would ever come to be. Other than the players in each nightmare, there are never any people here. The businesses are shuttered, the stables are all empty, the wind howls incessantly and the time is always high noon.
Once, with the help of a vicious prairie fire, the entire frontier town burned down to the ground. It was rebuilt. No one knows how.
Fears Corner still smells of scorched earth.
Recently a black blizzard had blown through town and buried everything in the dust and debris of the massive sandstorm. A cyclone came along afterwards and unearthed it.
Fears Corner, some say, is indestructible.
On this day there was rain, a light, steady, annoying rain. Far off in the distance, explosions of lightning began reflecting off of the surface of the dark, flat clouds that clawed at the horizon. Soft booms of thunder were heralding the impending arrival of another event.
Music is never heard here. Which is why it was odd to hear a slightly out of tune piano straining to play its last tune. You could almost hear the hushed voices of settlers that never ventured here singing…
Buffalo gals, won’t you come out tonight,
Come out tonight, Come out tonight,
Buffalo gals, won’t you come out tonight,
And dance by the light of the moon.
It was coming from the only place in town that it would if it could, and the last place in town where anybody should be – the Abandon All Hope Saloon.
Most frontier towns would build their most moving and meaningful structures at the heart of their communities. A steeple would reach up to the heavens for those of faith. A town hall would stand for those who believed in governance above all. A grand train station would be waiting for those who welcomed visitors from all points of the compass.
In Fears Corner, it was the Abandon All Hope Saloon that stood at the center of town.
There was nothing remarkable about this two story wooden building with its once fancy facade now faded away. Those that entered here weren’t looking for fancy facades, or welcoming embraces. They were looking for trouble and trouble was the rule of law.
The saloon’s large windows, now covered with filth, allowed anyone inside a full and direct view of the street. Those that dared to sit in this place liked to see danger coming. A wise gunslinger always sat with his back to the wall and a sharp eye on Main Street.
Alice sensed this as she stood watch at her post. She had taken the sleeve of her blouse, put it around her hand, and rubbed a clear spot in the window. She didn’t know how long she had been peering through that spot. It was best not to think of those things. It was best to concentrate.
But as long as that old clock on the wall kept tocking, as long as its weight kept swinging, Alice couldn’t help but think of time. She thought the piano would drown it out. She could hear the piano just fine, but between the notes, she could still hear that tocking, she could feel the weight swinging.
Daniel sat at the piano banging away at that tune. His fingers were tired, but he was determined to be done with this particular problem. And if he had to sit at that piano for a whole day in order to lure that monster in here, then that’s just what he was going to do.
Besides, he had faith in Alexander. Alexander had the idea. Alexander planned the plan. He believed in Alexander. As long as he was strong, Daniel knew he could be too.
The object of his belief stood tall at the center of the room. He stood there looking tough and stern-lipped. He was never more afraid in his life. Alexander was the leader of this little gang of outlaws, and when he first stepped onto the saloon battlefield, he knew this endeavor wasn’t going to be easy.
But he believed it was possible.
There were a dozen or so tables with their accompanying chairs scattered about the main room. Billiard and gaming tables didn’t provide much cover. Most of them had been demolished in the numerous bar brawls that had happened here. A balcony with once carpeted staircases on either side loomed above the bar.
Alexander chose to make his stand with his back to the large bar that ran across the back of the room. Behind it was a huge mirror. It covered the full length of the bar and rested in an ornately carved mahogany wood frame. He wanted that mirror behind him so that the thing that was coming could see itself when it faced Alexander down.
This was Bully Bob that was coming and he had to be shown a thing or two.
Through the rain, the sun, the haze and the filth on the windows, Alice had kept watch. Knowing that her friends were relying on her keen eyesight to spot the approach of this villain was an honor. She pushed her glasses back up and onto her nose and squinched her eyes to focus, but the thumbprint she had left behind on the lens made that impossible.
Alice took off her glasses and used the edge of her blouse to clean the lenses. Her little hands were shaking. An honor was one thing, but pressure like this was quite another.
She had put her favorite lucky rabbit’s foot on the chain around her neck, on which she also hung a gold four-leaf clover. This was a gift from her grammy, and as long as she had it, she would be safe. At least that’s what she kept telling herself.
Satisfied that the lenses were as clean as they were going to get, Alice put the glasses back on and returned to gazing through her spot. As soon as her eyes focused through the rain, the sun, the haze and the filth on the windows, she saw him. Just on the outskirts of town. Riding slowly towards Main Street.
Alice knew this was Bully Bob. She had seen him a thousand times at school picking on some poor defenseless kid. She knew it was Bully Bob, the terror of the Theodore Roosevelt Grammar School and Kindergarten. But here in Fears Corner, sitting tall in the saddle, looking like the devil himself, she could only think – that’s the Man in Black, and this whole thing was a really bad idea.
“He’s here!” she half whispered, half screamed.
Daniel froze. He couldn’t remember the next note. He couldn’t even remember his name.
“Keep playing,” Alexander quietly ordered, never taking his eyes off the saloon doors.
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He remembered this scene from every western he had ever read. The villain would soon be at those swinging doors, and the showdown would begin.
“Keep playing Daniel. I want him to know we’re here and waiting for him.”
The old clock on the wall began to strike noon.
Daniel just sat at the piano still too afraid to move. Alexander and Alice could only stand there staring at his back. They both knew that if this part of the plan didn’t work, the rest of it wouldn’t either. They both found themselves breathing to the rhythms of the chimes.
The last one sounded. Then there was nothing but silence. Not a single tock from that old clock. The weight stopped. Time was up.
Daniel took a deep breath, reached deep down inside himself, found his courage, and began to play.
Hoping that the Man in Black was gone, Alice quickly returned to her spot. But he wasn’t gone. He had stopped just at the end of Main Street. She could see his coal black horse was restless. She could see its hideous yellow eyes darting back and forth as the horse shifted its weight from side to side.
She watched as the Man in Black pulled back on the reins to control the beast. It wasn’t enough. He wrapped his black leather covered fist around the horse’s mane and pulled at all that long black hair. That was enough.
With the animal back in his control, the Man in Black started down Main Street straight towards the saloon. The rain began to pour.
“He’s coming!” she said - but no one heard her.
Only her lips had moved. Her voice was caught somewhere in her throat. She tried to turn around to say something, but she couldn’t move. She couldn’t take her eyes away from the Man in Black, not for a single moment.
Alice jumped when Alexander’s hand touched her shoulder.
“Don’t worry. I see him,” he said.
She looked up at him as he finished clearing away his own spot on the window.
“We never should have come here Alex.”
He looked at her, and smiled.
“It’ll be okay. Your turn is next. Just remember, wait for the signal.”
With that Alexander turned and walked back to the center of the room to wait for the Man in Black.
“That’s enough Daniel,” he said as he took his place. “He knows where we are now.”
Daniel was relieved. He had done his part, and he was proud of himself. But for now, he would continue to sit at the piano with his back to the saloon doors. The less he saw of this bully, the better he would be at his next task.
Alexander’s focus, however, was completely on those saloon doors. He couldn’t see the Man in Black, but he knew he was there tying his coal black horse to the hitching post. He couldn’t see him, but he could hear his black boots splashing in the muddy street. He could hear the creaking of the boards as the Man in Black stepped up to the doors of the Abandon All Hope Saloon.
This day was Alexander’s thirteenth birthday. His friends Daniel and Alice were younger than he was, but not by much. They were his best friends and that was all that mattered. A boy begins to become a man when he turns thirteen and a man takes care of himself, his family and his friends.
The Man in Black was standing tall and dark against the harsh haze and the sheets of rain. The brim of his black hat cast a shadow over his face, but his eyes were clearly fixed, focused and glaring at Alexander. Only the saloon doors and a bit of distance stood between them.
Things were changing for Alexander. This was his last day playing in this particular sandbox. He would soon be moving on to the world of men, and his friends needed to learn that they would be all right without him. They needed to know that they could be brave and take care of themselves.
The Man in Black took one step forward.
“Before you come in here,” Alexander explained, “we want you to know, we don’t want any trouble. If you ride on, right now, you’ll suffer no consequences for all your past actions.”
No one moved as the Man in Black put his hands on the saloon doors. They could hear his black gloves stretch as his fingers clenched the rotting wood, and his knuckles bulged up against the tight leather.
“But if you come through those doors,” he continued, “well, I can’t be responsible for what fate has in store for you.”
The Man in Black stood stone still. He had one foot over the threshold by just the sharp point of his black steel tipped boot.
“Ride on,” Alexander said sternly.
The Man in Black turned his head, lowered it slightly and spit on the ground. He chuckled a little, mostly to himself, as he pushed open the saloon doors and took one step inside.
Alexander took two steps towards the imposing form they all chose for the thing they feared most.
“We don’t want to fight. But you won’t stop picking on us and that’s not fair.”
The Man in Black surveyed the room, looking down at each child with indifference as he sized them up. He turned his attention back to the tall thin boy.
“I’m not afraid of you, mister. You and I both know you’re just a coward, a yellow coward.”
The Man in Black spoke for the first time.
“I know you are,” he growled. “But what am I?”
It was Alexander’s turn to chuckle, mostly to himself, and then he quietly said, “Now.”
The spitball that hit the Man in Black surprised him. He turned to his right and eyed the little blonde girl by the window. She was crouched low behind a table. The straw was still at her lips. He wiped the spitball from his face and glared at her. She pulled the straw from her mouth and stuck her tongue out at him.
A loud sound from behind the Man in Black caused him to spin on his heels. The quick turn to his left revealed that the chubby boy at the piano was up to no good. He had thrown open the top of the piano and was reaching inside. Recognizing his true target, the Man in Black advanced on the boy.
Daniel was standing on the piano bench, half inside the piano and half out. His prop, which he had cleverly hidden, was stuck. No matter how hard he pulled, it just wouldn’t come loose and the Man in Black was coming. He could feel his presence with each step. Daniel closed his eyes, grabbed the object with both of his little hands and pulled as hard as he could.
The Man in Black was almost on top of the boy when the child suddenly turned. At first, he didn’t recognize what the boy was holding. But he could see that the boy was not in control of the device and he was fumbling with the trigger.
When Daniel turned and opened his eyes, he got his first full look at the Man in Black. This was not the Bully Bob he knew. But in that monster’s eyes, he could see the essence of every bully there had ever been. Daniel raised the seltzer bottle in his hand and pulled the trigger.
The blast of bubbly water hit the Man in Black square between the eyes propelling him away from Daniel.
“Now!” Alexander shouted.
A dozen children stood up from their hiding places behind the bar. Each one was different. Boys, girls, tall, short, chubby, skinny, brave, and not so brave. They all held their seltzer bottles up, pointed at the Man in Black and fired.
The overwhelming spray of water drove him towards the saloon doors. He stumbled backwards reaching for anything in his path that might stop him. Nothing worked. Then the streams stopped.
The Man in Black had managed to get a hold of the saloon doors, and he held on tight anticipating another blast. But none came. He turned slowly and surveyed the room again. Same saloon. Different odds. He was grossly outnumbered.
In this situation, the Man in Black instinctively knew that the best tactic was to strike at the leader. He let out a scream so loud that the windows shook as he rushed the boy.
Alexander stood his ground. Knowing that the end was near, he smiled at the maniac rushing towards him.
“Now!” he screamed.
Suddenly, there were children everywhere. They popped up from behind the dilapidated billiard tables. They came around from behind the broken gaming tables. They
appeared at the railing of the balcony and every single child held a water balloon in each hand.
The Man in Black never stood a chance. Balloons filled with water flew in from all sides. Burst after burst. Splash after splash. All saturating him in wave after wave of water.
It was a clump of mud on the bottom of the Man in Black’s right boot that brought the final moment upon him. All that water had dissolved that clump and let loose the tiny pieces of rock that slid under his heel. Down he went. Flat on his back.
The Man in Black lay there quite still and quite wet. Through the fog of defeat he could see a wrought iron chandelier hanging above his body. This was not a good place to be. He tried to roll to his left, but there was a child their standing over him. He tried to roll to his right but there were more children there, standing over him. He slowly sat up and found himself surrounded by children.
Alexander, Daniel and Alice pushed their way through the pack and looked down at the Man in Black.
“Say it!” Daniel ordered.
The Man in Black sneered at all of them until he noticed Daniel was still holding his seltzer bottle, and it wasn’t empty.
“Uncle,” was the last thing the Man in Black would say to them.
The children started cheering. Their screams of happiness and shouts of victory filled the saloon. They had defeated their bully and better days were ahead.
The Man in Black watched all of this with a stunned disbelief. In one moment, the Man in Black thought of revenge. In the next moment those thoughts faded as all of the children, one by one, began to vanish until the Man in Black was all alone.
Lightning struck close by and lit the windows with bright white light. The deafening roar of thunder followed, shaking the saloon through to its rafters. Taking its cue, the playerless piano began a twisted little tune. The final note hung in the air as the piano disappeared.
The old clock on the wall began to chime. It was high noon once more.
With each strike a little of his world was taken from him. Bong. Gone were the tables. Bong. Gone were the bar and its beautiful mirror. Bong. Gone were the balcony and its once carpeted stairs. So it went until there was nothing left but the old clock on the wall, and on the very last bong it vanished as well.
It Is Said (Mathias Bootmaker and the Keepers of the Sandbox) Page 1