Once Upon A Dystopia: An Anthology of Twisted Fairy Tales and Fractured Folklore
Page 26
“How much do we have left?” Jack asked.
Mother shook her head. “It’s gone. I spent the last for milk and bread for your supper.”
Jack put on his bravest face and smiled at his mother. This woman, who raised him and set his gears in motion, was at life’s edge, and they hadn’t a coin to spare.
That night, Jack didn’t drink his milk or eat his bread until his mother took half. They were in this together. Each other was all they had, and Jack worried that if he didn’t think of something, he would be left alone.
They ate slowly, both of their stomachs growling for more. His mother’s clock had slowed again, and the air hung silent. When her ticker skipped a beat, they both looked up, neither knowing what to say. Jack scooted his bowl over to his mother and let her finish his food. She refused, but Jack insisted, “I’m young, Mother, and I can find something tomorrow in the woods. Maybe by some fortune, it will get better.”
“No,” Mother said. “It’s time we made changes. If we continue like this, we’ll both perish. I’m old, son. My husband has left this earth, and soon, so will I. But you? You are still young. I know you are down, but you still have your entire future ahead. Don’t despair.”
“But, Mother…”
“But Jack, I am right. One day you’ll have a wife and children of your own, and if you can get away from the greedy giant, there is much left for you to do.”
Grabbing her hands, Jack implored her, “But don’t you see, Mother? That woman will be a daughter to you, and those children will be your grandchildren. We can’t give up now.”
Mother laughed. “Give up? I never said anything about giving up. I said we need to make some changes, and the first order is to get money to summon the Clockmaster. Then, we can find a way out of here.”
Jack let the air out of his lungs, glad that Mother still had hope.
“The antique clock,” Mother whispered. “It’s the last one. We must find a buyer and hope the clock brings enough to buy us milk and bread. If there is any more left, we will save to call for the Clockmaster and then leave this town for good. First thing in the morning, I want you to take it into town and trade it for coins.”
“I’m sorry we have to sell your mother’s clock,” Jack sighed, though he was glad she understood.
Mother smiled, and the sadness in her eyes made way for her silent determination. “Nothing to apologize for. My mother would not have us starve for a clock.”
Picking up the empty bowls, she turned to him. “First thing in the morning.”
Neither spoke another word. Once Mother decided, it would be done.
***
The next morning when the cuckoo reached five, Jack woke up and got ready for work before remembering what his mother told him. He made his bed and walked to the kitchen table, where no breakfast waited. Mother stared out the window, drinking a glass of water.
“Hitch up the wagon and take the clock at once. We’ll need our strength to get through this next part. Any son of mine deserves a hot meal for breakfast, and I won’t have another empty table for you. Not on my watch.”
Jack nodded at her. “You’re a wonderful woman, Mother.”
“And you are your father’s son. Do hurry and bring home some food for lunch.”
Once outdoors, though, Jack’s worries multiplied in the dank weather until he remembered his father’s charge. He must be brave. His mother had to live, because he couldn’t imagine a life without her. With determination, he reminded himself, “I will find the funds to summon the Clockmaster and get us away from here or die trying.”
Loading the clock took longer than Jack expected, but soon he grabbed the poles and pulled the cart behind him.
The morning rain was fresh on the ground, and the clouds wept, but as he walked, Jack imagined a brighter future. He pulled the clock and daydreamed down the lane.
Just before he got to town, Jack met a man on the road. Short and squat, he looked to be a salesman.
Jack greeted him. “Good morning, sir.”
The small man stopped. “Young man, I have wandered these streets now for many days, and everyone is too overwhelmed with their own problems to greet me as I pass.”
“They are probably thinking about the greedy giant,” Jack told him.
“And you?”
Jack laughs. “Well, I’m trying to think of a life without him and these horrible timers.”
“I see. Nice cuckoo clock, you’re pulling there. Does it keep the time?”
“It does, sir. The cuckoo doesn’t make a noise, but otherwise my mother has taken excellent care of it.”
Putting his hands on his chin, the man walked around the cart. “I used to have the same clock in my house as a child, and my mother treasured it always.”
Jack tilted his head, curious. “I’m told mine is only one of two clocks of its kind. Funny that you had the other.”
“No, no, young man. There are no coincidences. There is a time and place for everything. And this is our time. Come and look.”
From his pocket, the man pulled out a picture, old and bent. Jack looked at it. There, in a small room, was a table with goods. It must be the items the man sold to his customers.
“Now, look in the right corner,” the man said. “There you’ll find the clock of which I speak. So, you see, our meeting today is not of chance.”
Jack squinted his eyes, trying to get a better look, but it was hard to make out any details after years of the photo being pressed in the man’s pocket. But if he said the clocks were the same, they must be.
“Thank you for sharing your picture with me. My mother will be delighted with the story.”
“You misunderstand, son.” The man returned the photo to his pocket. “I have news for you, both good and bad. The bad news is the clock is worthless except for sentimental reasons. It will not bring you any money, but then you probably have all the money you need.”
“No, sir,” Jack assured him. “My mother sent me to sell so that we would have milk and bread. The rest we are to save to summon the Clockmaster for my mother’s heart.”
The man took his hat off and frowned. “Oh, that won’t do at all.”
Jack set the wagon down. What could he do? If he couldn’t sell the clock, his mother wouldn’t survive.
“Would you like to hear the good news?” the man smiled at him as he pointed his finger into the air.
Feeling there could be no good news that would outweigh the problem of the clock, Jack did not share his optimism. How would he break the news to his mother?
“Here, now,” smiled the man. “No use in being down. The good news is that though this clock is worthless to anyone else, it is priceless to me. It reminds me of all the good times with my own mother. I will buy it from you.”
Jack looked up, daring to hope. “You would? Oh, my mother and I are in desperate need, and it will help us greatly.”
“Not a problem, son. The deal is mutually beneficial. Now, I don’t have a lot of money on me at the moment, but I am carrying something of great value. Would you be open to a trade?”
Jack bit his lip. “A trade?”
The man reached into his other pocket and pulled out a black cloth. He unfolded it to expose an ancient gear.
“What is it?” Jack asked.
“It’s a magic clock gear.”
Jack looked again at the dull surface. “Will that restart my mother’s heart?”
“No, no, son. Shine this gear and it will reveal a giant clock that will stop the clocks forever.”
His breath slowly deflated, Jack cried, “What good will that do my dear mother?”
“When the big clock is ready. All the heart clocks will stop!”
“But that would be awful. We’d all die for sure.”
The salesman laughed. “Why would I want to die? No, starting the big clock again means that we will be immortal. We’ll no longer need the heart clocks.”
Jack pulled his head back, trying to picture people wit
hout timers on their chest, living without fear of the greedy giant, but he couldn’t imagine it.
A thought came to Jack. “Why don’t you start the clock then?”
The salesman leaned toward him. “Would you give up everything for your mother?”
“Of course!” The insult stung Jack.
“As I thought. That’s why I think you are the truest heart, and only the truest heart can start the clock. That’s you, Jack.”
“How did you know my name? I never told you.” Jack eyed him suspiciously.
The salesman held his arms out. “I know many great things, both big and small. If you want to change your destiny, you will make this trade with me.”
Giving it some thought, Jack shook his head. “But I need milk and bread for my mother. This will not feed her.”
“I have neither milk nor bread, but here’s a handful of beans to help you on your way. Eat half tonight, plant the rest, and don’t forget to shine the gear. Do as I say and you will live a life immortal.
Jack pursed his lips and stroked his chin. It wasn’t perhaps the best deal, but if the old clock was worthless, what choice did he have? At least with the beans, he could get them to grow.
He took the deal. He placed the beans in his pack and polished the gear in his hand as he ran home. And when he entered the house, it surprised his mother to see him so soon.
“Have you sold the clock then, Jack? Did you bring the milk and bread?”
Jack explained. “I don’t have milk and bread, Mother. Instead, I have beans to plant for you. And I also got this as well.” Jack showed her the now shiny gear.
“That’s nice, too,” she said of the gear, “but how much did you get for the antique cuckoo clock? Will it be enough to hold us until we can find our way from the greedy giant?”
Jack shrugged. “These, these are what I got, Mother. The old clock was worthless. These beans will feed us, but this gear will make us immortal.”
The look on his mother’s face was strange for a moment, her brows quirked and her mouth pursed, but it did not last long. A fire lit in his mother’s eyes as she turned her head to the side. “You gave your dear grandmother’s clock for some beans and a shiny gear?”
The bitterness in her voice made Jack look down at his boots, ashamed. “Yes, Mother.”
“Jack, you’ve been had, and your gullibility will be my death. You have all but put the nail in my coffin!”
“No, Mother. You don’t understand…” Jack mumbled.
“No, Jack! It is you who doesn’t understand.” Mother grabbed the beans and the gear in her hand and threw them out the window. “You’ve squandered our last chance.”
As she rushed from the room, Mother cried.
Jack didn’t know what to do. Was it true that he’d been had? But the salesman was so sure. Now, Jack had to wonder. Had he squandered their only chance?
With no actual way to know who was right, Jack stepped out to look for the gear, but he couldn’t find it. What he found were the beans. They were all he had left.
Jack thought. “If Mother is right, then we are done for, but if the salesman is right. There’s still hope.”
Doing what he was told, Jack buried half the beans right where they lay. The rest he made for dinner that night. But his mother wouldn’t touch them, and so Jack spent the evening alone.
***
The next morning when Jack awakened, there was a light shining from the window. Confused, Jack rushed over and sprung the sash. In one spot, the cloud had lifted, and the sky was bright blue with ribbons of sunlight cascading over the hill. It was absolutely gorgeous.
Rushing outside, Jacks saw two things of wonder. Where he planted the beans, a thick beanstalk had grown tall and reached into the sky. Jack ran to the gear and looked up to where the light beam bounced off the gear and pierced the stratosphere. His shiny gear, which had reflected the sun and cleared the clouds, lay on the ground in front of a golden clock with a golden pendulum so high Jack couldn’t see the top or the clock face.
Jack slid the gear into his pack and hopped onto the beanstalk. He only got a few feet when his mother called from the window. “Jack, Jack, foolish boy. What is this? What are you doing?”
When she came outside, Jack stepped down to try and explain. But his mother was at her wit’s end. She put her foot down and wagged her finger. “You are not climbing that beanstalk, my son. You know nothing about it, and it might be dangerous!”
“But there is no milk or bread for breakfast, and we’ve nothing left to sell. Besides, the salesman told me that this would bring immortal life. I have to see for myself, Mother, while I am strong enough to climb. Perhaps I’ll find my heart’s desire.”
Mother shook her head, but there was doubt in her eyes. Jack pounced on the moment of weakness. “I’ll be careful. I will. And soon we will have everything plentiful. Just you wait and see.”
He blew her a kiss and climbed the beanstalk.
It was a long way up, but Jack only stopped to rest once. Above the pendulum, he saw the clockface was stopped.
After a few hours, Jack reached the top. To his surprise, the salesman made his way through the clouds toward him. “There you are, son. I’m so glad you’ve come. Follow me. I have something to show you.” Jack followed him with many questions, hoping to get answers for his mother. But the salesman wouldn’t hold still long enough to ask him.
Jack found the man pointing off in the distance between the clouds. Through the opening, Jack saw the largest house he’d ever seen. This one looked big enough to hold his entire village, perhaps the whole countryside.
“That was once your family’s home, and you must take it again from the greedy giant if you ever wish for your people to be free.”
Jack turned to ask him just how he planned on setting them free, but the salesman was gone. Jack couldn’t find him anywhere.
He cautioned himself. The expansive mansion made him imagine a life free from the restrictions below and a life immortal. If Jack could overtake the giant, he could free his village from the evil reign.
Jack sneaked up to the house, careful to avoid any servants, but he found none. Surprised, Jack crept around to the back entrance where there was a smaller door and entered a large room filled with food.
Spying the giant loaves of bread, Jack opened his pack to put some in when a hand grabbed him and pulled him up through the air. Jack found himself looking at an ugly old ogress.
“What might ya be?” she asked him. “Never ya mind, you’ll make a might fine supper.” And with that, she put him in her pocket.
Before Jack could poke his head out, a bellowing voice proclaimed. “Tick, Tock. I hear a clock. A human’s heart is beating.”
“No, no,” the ogress patted her pocket, “You hear only the old wood stove clamoring on the floor.”
Jack peeked to see the biggest man he’d ever seen. Broad and ugly, with fat cheeks and bloodshot eyes, the giant called to the ogress. “Bring me my dinner!”
But before the ogress could leave the room, Jack jumped onto the table and scrambled behind a teacup. When she returned, Jack peeked around. The ogress looked flustered, probably from having lost Jack. She set a golden serving plate in front of the giant.
The giant said, “I wish for roast beef and mash.” He tapped the plate twice and opened the dish to find his wish granted.
Now, Jack was hungry, and he knew he left his mother hungry as well. With that dish, they would never hunger again.
Jack waited until the giant was sleeping, balanced the big plate on his head, and carried it to the beanstalk. Using vines, he lowered the plate down and climbed down below the dark clouds.
Mother was there waiting for him. She hugged his neck. “Oh dear, Jack. I’m so sorry I was cross. I thought the greedy giant might eat you.”
“No, Mother. Not at all. And I’ve brought this dish back for you.”
“It’s lovely,” Mother said. “But will it fetch money for milk and bread?”
Mother furrowed her brow. “Well, I’d wish for a glass of mead and meat pie, but Jack…”
Jack didn’t let her finish. “I wish for mead and meat pie” and tapped the giant plate twice.
“Now, look, Jack,” Mother started, but she never finished because Jack pulled off the golden dome and revealed enough mead and meat pie for the village.
“Oh, Jack. You’ve done well, son. Very well, indeed. We will eat our fill and carry the rest into town so that everyone will feast.”
***
The golden serving plate did a great service for the townspeople. They fattened up their children and themselves, and it didn’t take too long before people forgot what it was like to be hungry.
Jack loved the adventure and was pleased with the food that restored the town’s health. But the sky was dark. The people were gloomy and overworked by the greedy giant, and Jack still worried about his poor mother’s heart. He decided to sneak up the beanstalk and see what else he could find.
Soon after, Jack stepped on the beanstalk again. But his mother must have known. She called from the window. “Jack, we have enough to eat. What else would be worth the danger of the greedy giant?”
“It is true, Mother. There is plenty to eat, but there is something more. I’m hoping to find it at the giant’s castle. And we are not yet immortal.”
Mother sighed, but she had seen what good Jack could bring, and dared not stop him.
Jack climbed and used the same small back door. Sliding in, he saw a coin lying on a coffee tin. Jack climbed up to get it when the ogress swept him up and asked, “What might ya be? Ah, never ya mind, you’ll make a might fine supper.” And she put him in her pocket.
Jack stayed until a bellowing voice proclaimed. “Tick, Tock. I hear a clock. A human’s heart is beating.”
“You hear only the rattle of the pantry keys,” laughed the ogress. Looking up, Jack saw the greedy giant standing there, broad and ugly, with a pocked forehead and hair shooting out his nostrils.
He called to the ogress, “Bring me my money!”