Stranger Tides

by Jack Castle

  He decided to go to City Hall first. Leaving his stolen truck curbside, he jogged up the steps and pulled on the door. Locked. All the pounding in the world did nothing to alleviate his growing frustration.

  The sheriff’s office was next door and beyond that was the barber shop, complete with the candy-striped carousel for a sign.

  A honking sound caused him to jump and turn back toward the street. He was surprised to find the street suddenly filled with passing motorists going up and down the street. Even the stoplight was now working. Nearby, kids were laughing, and playing a game of stickball in the park. Women went in and out of the beauty salon across the street. Just as he was beginning to wonder if they could see him too, for maybe he was the ghost, a man wearing a fedora tipped his hat at him.

  In fact, all the men were wearing hats. He needn’t have worried about whether or not they could see him, for now he was attracting attention. The passing pedestrians seemed to take notice of the fact that he wasn’t exactly dressed the way they were in these here parts, but thus far, they were too polite to say anything about it.

  George spotted the milkman’s truck parked by the curb. After a few seconds, the same milkman he’d seen earlier climbed out of the truck. Now that he saw him up close, George could see he was a scarecrow-thin of a man and had this creepy smile that reminded him of a Halloween Jack-O’-Lantern.

  “Hi George.”

  George felt his eyebrows knit together. How did he know my name? he wondered. The scarecrow man’s nametag read, SIMON. “Do I know you?”

  Without dropping his creepy smile, or intense gaze for that matter, the milkman said, “No friend, but I know you. I believe what you’re looking for is the Stranger residence.”

  George nodded. His Spidey-sense was definitely tingling. This guy was just plain creepy.

  “The Stranger residence,” George repeated. The milkman nodded briskly.

  “That’s right. You’ll find it at the edge of town.” The milkman began to turn away, but then, as though deciding something, he added, “You’ll want to speak with the boy.”

  Without warning, George felt something crash into him. Turning toward the aggressor he saw a young woman pushing a baby carriage. She seemed aghast over running into him.

  “Oh, I’m terribly sorry. I really should have been watching where I was going. Are you alright? That is to say, I hope I didn’t hurt you in any way. Did I say I was sorry?”

  George nodded. “You did ma’am.” He turned back toward the milkman only to see him driving off.

  The woman spoke up again, “I really am sorry.”

  “That’s quite alright, ma’am. It really just startled me more than anything else.”

  “You must be new in town.”

  “Yeah, in fact, I just got here.” Not knowing what else to say he asked, “You?”

  The baby in the carriage began crying, and she removed his blanket and took him out. “Looks like little-baby Barnaby is waking up from his nap.”

  Barnaby, why does that name sound familiar?

  The woman removed a very chubby and very ugly baby from the carriage and held it up for him to see. She then hugged it fiercely. George was glad she didn’t ask him for his opinion of her baby. He hated lying and was never very good at it. Smiling sweetly, she finally answered his query, “Fourth generation Safe Haven. I lived here my whole life.”

  “Really, no kidding?”

  She nodded. “Are you going to be attending the barbecue this Saturday in the park? I hear the band is putting on a real hum-dinger.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it,” George answered, trying to sound as cheerful as possible. In truth, it was easy being nice to the young woman. With the exception of the creepy milkman, what wasn’t there to like?

  She studied him a bit longer and seemed to take in his appearance a bit more. “I’m sorry for saying so, but you appear a bit lost. Do you need any help, or assistance?”

  George smiled. Had folks in the 1950’s really been so cordial? If so, he’d time travel back there in an instant. He was about to tell her that he was fine, but then realized she could help him with something. “I’m looking for the uh, Stranger residence.”

  The young woman put a finger to her lips and thought about it for a second. Then, “Oh sure. You must mean John and Belle Stranger. My goodness, you are lost aren’t you. You see that stop sign at the end of the street?” When George nodded that he did she continued, “You simply go down there and make a left. Then you go on for, I don’t know, five or six miles. Don’t go left, don’t go right, you just go straight ahead. You keep going until you see a little farmhouse right there at the edge of town. You can’t miss it.”

  “Well thank you for your time, Ma’am.” He made a hand motion to tip his non-existent hat, but when he realized he wasn’t wearing one, this made her stifle a giggle with her white-gloved hand.

  He turned to walk back to his truck, but what he saw there caused him to freeze in his tracks.

  An overweight man in a business suit was standing next to the blue pickup with two policemen. When the truck’s owner spied him, George overheard the man say, “That’s him officer. That’s the man who stole my truck.”

  The two police officers, one young and the other a bit older with a gray mustache, locked eyes with him. The older one yelled out, “You sir, I’d like a word with you.”

  George didn’t like the sound of that, especially since the older policeman was removing his wooden billy club from his belt.

  “I can explain,” George began.

  Following the senior officer’s lead, the younger man also removed his heavy, wooden billy club and both began walking briskly toward him.

  The people on the sidewalks, the cars passing in the street, even people on the other side of the big glass pane window in the malt shop had all frozen, and then slowly turned toward him. The police officers however did not freeze and were already racing across the street.

  George figured himself trapped until he saw an alley made of brick next to city hall. He took a few cautious steps toward it. When he did, the younger officer let out a quick shrill from his whistle, while the older man cried, “I said halt right there!”

  George ran.

  Chapter 21

  The Death of Maddie, Traxx and Henry

  “Henry, will you stop worrying? Once we get back to the Hopper we have nothing to worry about.”

  As he exited the abandoned shopping center, Henry adjusted the heavy sack filled with their stolen supplies so it carried better on his shoulder. He glared back at Traxx and grumped, “That’s what you said inside the mall!”

  Maddie dropped her own sack of loot onto the edge of the loading platform, hopped down, turned around, and snatched it back up again.

  “C’mon, Henry, there’s no way we could’ve seen that coming.” When he didn’t respond she added, “I’m sorry, okay?”

  Henry dropped down beside her. “You’re sorry? Sorry for what? Nearly getting me eaten by a giant rabbit?”

  Traxx hopped down next to him. Trying to lighten the mood, he responded, “If you ask me, I think it was more like a giant Easter bunny.”

  Henry pursed his lips and gave the younger boy his most venomous stare yet.

  Seeing this Traxx said, “But… that’s probably not helping.”

  “Just leave me alone.” Henry hefted his own sack on his shoulder and stomped off.

  Constantly checking over their shoulders for pursuers, they began their long trek around the mall back to the Hopper. As they walked, Henry noticed Maddie had lost a bit of her swagger. At first, he thought it might be good for her to lose a step or two. But now, he was beginning to wonder if she was beginning to doubt herself. He soon realized he had found a measure of faith in her confident leadership style, and now that it was gone, he was already beginning to miss it. He hefted the heavy sack up onto his shoulder again and thought, I think I liked it better when she was more sure of herself.

  They turned one corner of the
mall, and then another, and after walking down the street for a few blocks, the Hopper was soon in sight. He thought he could never possibly be as glad to see the dingy-yellow hovercraft as he was now. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t shake the image of the Not-So-White Rabbit from his mind. For him, the last few hundred yards were going to be the worst. At least Maddie and Traxx walked with their guns drawn, and down by their sides. For all the good it will do us if the Misfits attacked again in force.

  As though reading his thoughts, Maddie turned her chin over her shoulder and said back to him, “We’re almost there. Just keep moving.”

  Henry was so angry, he refused to respond. But when his eyes met hers, he immediately saw the alarm on her face. She wasn’t looking at him, but rather behind him.

  Henry turned and saw a trio of hideous orcs, casually appearing in their wake. They were short, with upturned canines and dressed in medieval leather armor. Soon others were peeking out over the tops of various mounds of rubble and joining them.

  Maddie must’ve seen the pack of Misfits too for she tightened her grip on her sack, put her chin down and increased her speed. “C’mon guys, pick up the pace.”

  The sound of glass breaking was heard above, and Henry saw a man in a superhero costume lean out of a two-story window and make ready to drop something large and made of concrete.

  “Traxx, look out!” Henry screamed. When he realized Traxx didn’t see the cinderblock about to drop down onto him, Henry dropped his sack and barreled into him.

  Both of them went sprawling. Henry felt a tremendous amount of pain in his shoulder.

  Maddie soon appeared above them. Her weapon was drawn, and she was taking aim at their pursuers, which even now were gaining in number. Without looking at them she asked, “Henry, Traxx, you guys okay?” Before they could answer, she raised her pistol and fired a few rounds at the three trailing orcs.

  Henry grabbed his left shoulder with his right hand and massaged it profusely. It hurt badly, but it didn’t feel broken. His suit was torn and his shoulder was scraped badly underneath, but he figured it must’ve been a glancing blow or it would’ve been a whole lot worse.

  Traxx, wide-eyed saw the broken cinderblock only a few inches from where he lay. “Thanks Henry,” he breathed. “If that had been any closer, it would’ve killed me for certain.”

  Maddie fired off another round and yelled down to them, “C’mon you two, get up. You can braid each other’s hair later.”

  The bravado was false, but Henry was grateful for it just the same. When Maddie saw him go back for the sack she barked, “Leave it. The only thing that matters now is getting you both back to the Hopper.”

  “Agreed,” Traxx said, leaving behind his own sack.

  They quickened their pace and Henry saw at least twenty more Misfits trailing behind them. They were of every variety too: Army men from various countries, space men wearing bulbous helmets, a bunch of firemen who also happened to be vampires, and an athletic woman wearing high-heels and a cape.

  “C’mon, the Hopper’s just around this pile,” Maddie said leading them onward, but even before she finished navigating it, she slid to a sudden stop.

  Henry finished rounding the pile and his worst fears were confirmed. As many Misfits that were behind them, there were at least twice that number blocking their path to the Hopper. The Misfits were everywhere, in the windows overhead, and strewn all over the mountains of debris around them.

  Henry struggled for breath. They were surrounded. He figured the Misfits would pull them apart, and then what, eat them? Regardless, it was hopeless. Maddie and Traxx couldn’t possibly hope to shoot them all.

  Traxx swallowed and said to no one in particular, “All that noise we made inside the mall must’ve attracted them. We might as well have rung the dinner bell.”

  To his surprise, Maddie didn’t seem very flustered. If anything, she seemed to have regained a bit of her confidence back. She called over her shoulder, “Traxx, you got this?”

  “I got it,” he answered. He immediately flipped open the hatch on his data pad strapped to his thigh and began punching in code.

  “Sorry about this guys,” Maddie said apologetically, and hit the dirt.

  Henry wasn’t sure why she dove to the ground but after seeing Traxx dive down too, he figured he probably should as well.

  Henry watched as a large panel unfolded on the Hopper. Twin cylinders mounted on a platform slid out from within. The noise they produced was deafening, but their effect was even more devastating.

  Henry lifted his head to the Misfits surrounding them.

  Maddie shouted, “Henry! You trying to get your head blown off? Stay down!” When he didn’t comply fast enough she dove on top of him and shoved his face down in the dirt.

  Overwhelmed, Henry couldn’t help but peek, at the mayhem exploding around him. The chain gun rapidly spent hundreds of shells in mere seconds, its automatic-targeting system cutting down ninjas, robot-tigers and a pack of raptor dinosaurs in mere seconds. The shadows in the upper ramparts that didn’t retreat fast enough, were either blown backwards into the shadows from whence they came or were blasted from their perches.

  The chain gun ceased firing, but continued searching for more targets.

  Several more minutes passed before Maddie eased her grip on him and allowed him to get back up. His ears were ringing something fierce, but as he surveyed the carnage, he was pretty sure he heard Maddie say, “Alright Traxx, I think you got them all.”

  Henry saw Traxx punch a few buttons on the keypad on his leg and the chain guns folded neatly back into the Hopper.

  Henry held his shoulder where the cinder block had hit him as he continued to survey the carnage around them.

  Closing the hatch to his leg computer, Traxx asked, “I’ve never seen a pack that large before, have you?”

  Maddie shook her head, “Nuh-uh. I’ve never even heard of anyone encountering so many. They were like a small army, and so organized.”

  Henry saw a face pop out from the top of a pile of debris, and then another. A few seconds later a pack of lions casually strolled out of the nearby parking garage and narrowed their eyes at them.

  Seeing this, Henry tapped Maddie repeatedly on her elbow, “Uh, Maddie.”

  Maddie saw them too. Before she could say anything, Traxx bellowed, “Already on it.” He began punching in codes in his thigh computer, lifting his head at the Hopper, but nothing was happening.

  Now Maddie seemed nervous too when she said, “Anytime Traxx.”

  Traxx kept repeatedly punching in the same code. “I’m trying, I’m trying. Something’s wrong.”

  Maddie moved over to him, “Traxx, now would be an excellent time!”

  Traxx shook his head. Eyes wide with fear, he gazed up at her, “It’s not working, Maddie!” Now they could all see where progressively more Misfits began closing in. Where there had been fifty before, there were now a hundred Misfits, if not more.

  Maddie shook her head. Clearly, she did not know what to do. Henry picked up a pipe and yelled at the nearest of them, a jester-looking fellow, and told him to stay back.

  In the end, Maddie and Traxx would shoot every last round they carried on their person. Henry would swing his pipe until his very last breath. They were finished, and they knew it. The Misfits knew it.

  It was time for their little adventure to be over; it was time to die.

  The first explosion propelled five Misfits twenty feet into the air. The second missile strike had propelled dozens. Strike-after-strike, each missile had exploded with deadly accuracy, blowing apart nearly every last attacker. The few who survived the onslaught quickly retreated from whence they came.

  Maddie was the first to speak, “Traxx, did you… ?”

  Traxx shook his head indicating he did no such thing.

  Maddie looked over at him and scrunched up her face, “Henry, you didn’t have anything to do with this? Did you?”

  Henry held up his hands in supp
lication. “Are you crazy? How would I… I don’t even know…” Words were hard to come up with so, he settled for just shaking his head.

  “Hello children.”

  The words echoing on the wind had practically been sung.

  All three of them turned to see The Leftenant standing behind them, her hands clasped firmly behind her back.

  “I do hope you enjoyed your little excursion, but it’s time to put away your toys, collect your things and come home.”

  Stupefied, Maddie asked, “Leftenant, you did this?”

  The Leftenant purposefully waggled her eyebrows at her, (something she’d been practicing, but still hadn’t quite got the hang of), and replied, “Yes. Fortunately for you, an orbiting defense satellite was within range. Were it not, I’m afraid that pack of miscreants might have carried you off… in teensy-tiny little pieces.”

  Traxx flashed her a look of confusion. “I don’t understand. I disabled you.”

  “Please,” The Leftenant replied, kicking a decapitated ninja head with the toe of her boot. “As if I could be outsmarted by a child, even one as clever as yourself.” She straightened out her jacket, marched past him.

  “Now, if you are all quite finished mucking about in the rubbish, the defense satellite has now moved out of range, so I suggest you recover your absconded properties and we return to the Hopper at once, post haste.”

  Henry felt himself nodding profusely. “Sounds good to me.”

  Chapter 22

  Henry Stranger Residence

  George had given the cops the slip.

  ‘I bet there’s something you never thought you would say.’

  Jimmy Stewart’s voice in his head was right. George had been a law-abiding citizen his entire life, he never thought he’d find himself running from the law. After spending years working alongside The Leftenant, he had no doubt those holographic cops would easily cave his skull in with the billy clubs they so menacingly clutched in their outstretched hands. Whatever game Stranger World was playing, he knew he couldn’t do anybody any good if he got locked up in jail.