by Lee Taylor
“So, Si, you gonna be okay for me to pick you up around what, eight p.m.? I'm going to go change my clothes, grab a bite to eat, and I'll be back. You make sure you put an effort in. I want to set an awesome first impression.” Mike bobbed on the spot with anticipation, pleased with his Terminator expression.
“You are like an uber dork sometimes, man; makes me feel normal. Thanks.” I nodded my head in appreciation. “Yeah, I should be fine and ready; my folks said they wanted to talk to me about something. I think it's about a letter that they got. Hopefully it’s not about us mooning that bus full of cheerleaders.” With a sympathetic grin, I scratched my head.
“That was a riot,” Mike started chortling. “Okay, if there are any problems let me know. Oh, and if it is about that mooning incident and there were any pictures... Try and get me one so I can put it on my Facebook.” With a wink, he revved his engine and pulled away, swerving a parked car in front as he looked forward at the last possible second.
I could hear him blast an obscenity out as he drove off. Obviously, he thought it was the parked car's fault.
Opening the door, I threw my satchel to the side, knocking down a vase in the process. I cringed. My mom was sitting in the living room. Sorry, sorry, they call it a parlour. Hey, all I know is it’s the room with the big T.V. and a lazy chair. Her greying, red hair was tied into a bun. Dressed in light cream pants and a brilliant white blouse matching the décor, she looked up at me, placed her book on the glass coffee table in front of her and let out a tired sigh.
“Ursine, I thought I told you before not to throw your bag down as it could break something!”
I rolled my eyes; she was always worrying needlessly. It’s a good thing she didn't see it knock her vase or she would have been pissed” Yeah, sorry about that, mom, it has just been another great day at school. I learnt loads; you would be so proud of me!”' I arched my eyebrows to emphasize my sincerity.
“Don't think me a fool, Ursine. Remember you get your wit from me and your loutishness from your father. Now come over here and give me a kiss.” She turned her head, pouting and pointing to her cheek. With a sigh, I walked over to her and pecked her pale, shallow cheek. I casually strolled into the kitchen and grabbed a carton of juice from the fridge, consuming it with one hearty intake.
My thirst was momentarily quenched, I called out to my mom, “Hey! Uh, Mom, do you know what dad wanted to talk to me about earlier?”
“No, hon, I'm sure he will explain when he gets home. Oh, by the way, Ursine, if you’re going to have a drink, pour it into a cup for crying out loud.” Jeez, sometimes I swear that she has x-ray vision. I sighed in defeat.
With an exasperated grunt, I put the carton back in the fridge and pivoted to hop onto the counter of the breakfast bar. Snatching an apple, I took a large bite, quickly chewing and swallowing a piece before my mom found something else to nag at me over. Satisfied with the remedy to keep a doctor away, I turned my head towards the living room again.
“Mom, I'm going to go get changed. I'm going out with Mike tonight to meet some friends; I should be back around eleven, and if I'm any later I'll let you know,” I called out as I hopped off of the counter, apple in hand. I turned to dash along the hallway and up the staircase, putting my phone on the charger in the process; there still were no other messages. I guess I should text them again. With a yawn, I clumsily kicked off my shoes and knocked my lamp over.
“Crap!” I cried as I ran over to it, falling over in the process with the clutter on my bedroom floor.
“Yeah, that's just great. Looks like it's going to be an awesome night,” I said sulkily to myself. I checked the room for the apple that I had been eating; it had vanished.
Aww, forget it! I'll just have to do a big clean-out tomorrow. Disentangling myself from the mess that gripped me, I walked over to my wardrobe and grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with the saying “I have the biggest dick in the room” on the front and “Sorry, I mean, I am...” on the back. I did have more offensive ones, but I made the mistake of letting my mom wash them. When she hung them out to dry, she kind of freaked and binned them. I thought she was going to explode! My dad, well, he didn't care much, he just said I was childish. Yeah, he's a real hands-on parent. I swear my dad is still pissed at me from when he asked me a question when I was two, and I called him a booby and giggled.
I stopped reminiscing and grabbed a cleaner pair of sneakers and checked my watch for the time; awesome. I had four hours to go, and I was pretty much ready. I would brush my teeth and hair around seven thirty, I decided. So I went downstairs to wait with my mom for my dad to get home. Boredom was already creeping in.
Wait hang on. I can keep texting my admirer! I grabbed my phone off the charger. It was still on full battery. With an impatient yawn, I trudged slowly back down the staircase and jumped onto the sofa by my mom who was back to reading her novel, Jane Eyre... again. She must read that book at least twice a year from cover to cover.
I was anxious at first, about texting my admirer.
What can I say? This annoyed me because I knew my phone was not psychic and could not hear my thoughts. Whoever was cryptically messaging me answered one question, only to make another. The message displayed said, *I will see you tonight*. I looked at it for a long time, thinking of how to respond.
Can this person really know that I am going on a random night out to see this band? Or do they think that I am going to be home when they come over? Weighing the options, I sent a reply. Not the smartest, but still.
*Who is this? I am really getting bored of playing this guess-who game.* I released a deep sigh, groaned with agitation and yawned, stretching grumpily on the sofa. Almost instantly, I got a response from both. The first was from my mom telling me to get my feet off the settee, and then my phone that vibrated and flashed as it received my newest message.
*If I told you, what exactly would be the fun in it?* With a grunt, I closed my phone and threw it on the floor, exasperated. It bounced off the cream shag carpet and landed weakly on the other side of the room, undamaged. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to focus on who the frigging text sender could be.
Who have I seen today? And out of those... have any been staring at me even slightly different? I yawned, beginning to feel more miserable; the romantic fantasy was rapidly retreating.
The room’s ambience shifted; a cool breeze washed over me as the walls dissolved. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes; the smell of moss and honeysuckle invaded my senses as my vision became less blurry. I could just about make out a figure as it approached. A flicker of lightning forked across the sky, bringing with it a cacophony of thunder that shook the ground where I stood. I was no longer in the living room or parlour... Instead, I was standing in a field. The sky seemed to be tinged violet; grey clouds crowded over the open air and even the ground appeared to be the same kind of sickly grey as the cumulonimbus clouds that blanketed over high above. It was as if I was standing on a plain of ash, drifts coursing in the breeze. My disjointed stare into space was broken when I heard a bestial grunt; I turned expectantly to look for the source. It was my mom, and what was even odder was the fact that she was standing there.
Her eyes looking upset and consoling, and yet she stood with a cat-like grin in place, pointing to where I had just been facing, and gesturing for me to turn. A tear crept down her cheek. So, slowly I decided to indulge her and turned. There was nothing there. I turned back, confused. In her place, a misty figure stood. An unsubstantial entity, not taking any specific form until it, at first, changed to a wolf then seemed to shed its fur and morphed into a bird, rising from the remnants scattered on the ground. It flapped its wings, slowly landing, and then it stretched out its wings, flexing its muscles and lay on the ground. Its body became absorbed into the earth.
A shadow crept from where the avian form lay, and the ground rumbled as it met with the chorus of thunder, great cracks appeared, splintering the earth as a huge Grizzly bear rose up from the deep. It clambe
red onto all fours, shaking out excess dirt and debris. Rising onto its hind legs, it released a roar that shook every molecule within range. I was mesmerized; watching in shock, goose-flesh cascaded down my spine. It lowered onto its front paws, slowly pacing towards me. I was too much in awe to run. When it sucked in a breath, I felt as if it stole the air out of my chest. Exhaling sharply it blew on my face; its warm, sticky breath swirled up into my nostrils. I winced, pinching my eyes shut.
It filled me with a thick feeling of dread and realization. I was about to become bear food.
I opened my eyes after what felt like a lifetime later, and the bear had vanished. The colours had returned to normal, the grass was a luscious green and the sky was a darkening blue with silver nimbus clouds, hanging like wads of cotton in the air. Standing before me was... Myself. Wait.
“What?” It was the only word I could muster after standing face to face with that bear... I looked down at my hands; I was hunched over now, my body tingling. I lifted my hand; it was covered in a thick, russet fur. I had talon like claws, the version in front of me lowered its head and began to grin. I was overcome with rage. What the hell was happening? I swiped at the air. The figure turned to dirt and collapsed onto the floor in a heap. Parts of it drifted away, ample on the breeze. Screaming in frustration, the roar that I released shocked me. My body shook, and I had to force myself to draw in a few deep breaths, the anger still bubbling away inside of me. I pinched my eyes shut and released another bone-shattering roar. I was terrified of the situation; my veins throbbed with the blood that flowed through them...
One thought permeated my thick skull. I wanted to kill. The new emotions overpowering me so much that I wanted to scream. I gritted my teeth, trying to regain composure; deep aggravated huffs were released from me in the process. A chill began to creep through me. I felt a coolness wash over me; the sky had opened and was showering me with icy rain. I looked up into the heavens, blinking away the water landing on my eyelids. My rage had stilled for the time being.
I hadn't noticed that I had changed my form once, then back again, until I cupped my head with my now human hand. Dirt of what I assumed was remaining of my fur was washed off of me in parts, courtesy of the refreshing shower. I looked at the ground, still blinking the droplets clear so that my vision became less laboured. Looking in front, I could just about make out another figure... It was the bear. Its jaws gaping and strings of saliva flicked off its fangs as its front paws kneaded the air. I couldn’t help but shudder in anticipation. I was so terrified at that moment that I was paralyzed. Its gaze held my own; the treacle that ringed his pupils seemed to pulse with malevolence, and I could feel myself sinking into them like being snared in a tar pit.
“Are you okay, Ursine? Looked like you just had one heck of a dream! You were growling and crying. I had to wake you, hon. I was worried.” With a concerned look on her face, my mom had her hand on my cheek and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. Yeah, I guess I was a bit of a momma’s boy.
“Mom?” I muttered. “I just had one of the weirdest dreams... It was... So real...” she probably thought the dream was video game induced. I was still shaken; my mom seemed to be pleased that I was awake, but she still eyed me suspiciously. I reached for my phone to check the time then remembered I had thrown it across the room. With a sigh, I lay back. That dream had done a number on me, and my breathing was laboured as a result.
“It can't be weirder than that time when you were twelve and dreamt about the line-dancing tuna and the panda on a pogo stick. I still think you should have gone to a doctor for that one, dear.” With a warm smile, my mom rose back to her feet and paced towards the kitchen.
“How long was I out?” I sat up rubbing my neck and purposely ignoring her comment. “I think I am going to go shower and change again; I’m covered in sweat,” I said as she was just out of my line of sight.
“Just over an hour, Ursine; you got a few texts, too. Just who is this secret admirer of yours?” I could tell my mom’s curiosity was peaked.
“I wish I knew... Hey, mom, what have I said to you about going through my phone?” I frowned as I could hear her smug chuckle resonate from the kitchen.
“Sorry, dear, I can't hear you. I'm in the kitchen. Can I get you a drink?” I could hear her ask as she was taking a glass out the cupboard and putting it on the side. I grunted; that dream had me feeling like shit wrapped in cling film that had been chucked onto a hot plate.
“I know I've said this already, but I'm going upstairs for a shower.” I stood up, cricking my neck, “stupid sofa,” I whined. I hopped off the couch and marched up the staircase. I discarded my clothes and hopped into the shower, I didn't even check my phone. I felt too rough and didn't fancy being pissed off for the night. Standing in the shower, the water cascaded off of my body as I reached for one of the pheromone-infused shower gels that allegedly attracted the opposite sex. The only female it ever seemed to affect was my mom and all she said was, “Ursine, you've had a shower? You smell clean!” as if implying that I normally stink. Like I said, my mom's great.
Soapy lather was building on my body. Wow! These last couple of months it looked like those sit-ups had really been doing their job. I looked ripped. I scratched my left bicep absently, the tattoo of the five pointed star was bold as ever.
How exactly did Mike talk me into getting this tattoo done? Only he knew. Standing with my head down and the water washing the suds off of me, I recalled the dream in my mind.
What documentary brought those animals into my head? I pondered, that bear was like A.A. Milne’s nightmare. A homage of what happens to fantasy bears when they don't get their honey... I snickered.
After spending minutes of remaining stationary in the shower, I finally looked at my raisin-skinned hands. I decided it was time to move on, the water had succeeded in washing the unease away. Turning the taps all the way off, I noticed how the steam was clouding the room. I was finally feeling more at ease. Drawing in a deep breath, I scuttled forward taking hold of a couple of towels. I carefully placed one on the tiled floor, laying it neatly in front of the shower. I scrunched the other in my hand and strolled over to the sink. I grunted as I faced the foggy mirror. I reached out and wiped away some of the condensation. Turning my head from side to side, it looked like I could avoid shaving at the moment. I dried off the droplets running down my back before drying the rest of my body. I was never fond of the whole flossing motion, so I opted for a more of a dabbing approach.
Wrapping the towel around my waist, I charged out of the bathroom. I forgot about the towel which I left outstretched on the bathroom floor. I slipped and slid my way to the door. My body was still tingling when I gingerly plodded into my bedroom. I had the foresight to pause and step over my game controller. I accomplished the great task of walking in my room without stubbing my toes on any of the junk laying around. I reached forward and opened my curtains to check the light outside.
There was a neatly stacked pile of clean clothes on my bed; obviously, my mom had been about. Picking through the pile, I searched for something to wear. I was mentally ticking off a list in my head of the essentials: Boxers, Tee-shirt, jeans and socks, but there was no sign of the top I was looking for...
“HEY... HEY, MOM! DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY ROOSTER TEETH HOODY IS?”I bellowed.
There was a moment’s hush before she responded: “What?”
“I SAID, DO YOU KNOW WHERE MY ROOSTER TEE--.”
She interrupted me. “Isn't it up there on the pile of clean clothes?” Her voice was getting closer.
“DON'T COME IN, I JUST GOT OUT THE SHOWER!” Recoiling in horror, I quickly regained my wits and dove for the bedroom door, slamming it shut.
“Ursine, dear, I used to change your nappies, you know, and besides, it's nothing that I haven't seen before. You are, after all, your Father's son. Now, please try to use your indoor voice.” She chirped. I did listen to her and lowered my alarmed tone.
“You did not just say that... I hope you
know that I am going to be drinking tonight to try and repress what you just said!” A sick feeling was swirling around in my stomach. Why do parents always know the things not to say, but say them anyway?
“Stop being so silly, Ursine. I remember a time in the third grade when you had a problem with not showing yourself, you were quite the exhibitionist. I can remember it like it was yesterday. You were reading Thomas Edison’s part in your third year school play, and you forgot your lines so you...”
“MOM, WOULD YOU SHUT UP? JEEZ!” My indoor voice had all but vanished as I was stunned by the memory.
“Sorry, dear, but it was very funny, and you were so cute! My name is Thomas Edison, and I discovered electricity... and nervously played with myself in public, apparently.” I heard her chuckle in the hallway to herself. I sneered.
“See, mom, this is why I never bring any friends over! I would have to kill them, or I would die of embarrassment.”
“Oh, stop being so wet, Ursine. Have you found the top you were looking for?” My mom asked.
“No, mom, I have been preoccupied holding this freaking door shut...” I was defiant to say the least.
“Well then, Ursine, how about you move, and I'll show you where it is?” With a sigh, I stepped back from the door, pulling the towel around myself. I was defeated.
“Okay fine... Come on already, I'm getting cold!” I grumbled.
“Must you always be so difficult?” Opening the door, she looked over at the pile of clothes, “Isn't that it by the windowsill? I guess you never took it down to be washed.” She sighed.
“I didn't see it, mom. Thanks I guess; don't worry about washing it now, it's fine. I have deodorant; that should work. Thanks again, mom... You can go now.” I held the door open, my brows were raised, and I tried to give away as little emotion as I could.
“Oh before you go, Ursine... there is one more thing.” Pursing her lips, I wasn't sure if she was being serious or not.
“What?” I asked. Curiosity had me intrigued.