Artificial Earth

                               

                                 42

Kennebeck Stadium

         "JIMMY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? JIMMY!" Earl cried out.
          "I'm fine!" Jimmy cried back, crawling out of the carton full of balls.
"Almost missed it...." he added.
            "That's musta've been the most stupidest thing..... ever." Earl said, looking at Jimmy below.
             "Yeah, but it worked." Jimmy said, picking himself up.
             "How do I get down from here?" Earl asked.
               "Just give me a minute...." Jimmy said, looking around. "There must be something in here that we could use." he thought.
                 "Just hurry up man, It sucks to be alone up here." Earl said.
               "Give me the flashlight..." Jimmy said, moving directly below the vent.
                 "Here...catch." Earl said, dropping the flashlight.
            Using both hands, Jimmy caught the flashlight then pointed it around the room. The Sports Store was quite large, much like a mini grocery. Behind the counter was a door with the word private on top. Jimmy walked towards it and tried the door, it was open. Inside were rows of shelves, on them were various neatly arranged tools, Screwdrivers of different sizes, several Hammers, Nails of all sorts, small shoe boxes with labels and on the far end, a long foldable aluminum Ladder.
             "Jackpot." Jimmy thought.

      Up on the vent, Earl was patiently waiting in pitch darkness. Every second that passed felt like an eternity, fuelling his anxiety. He tried to focus on happy thoughts, like the time his dad gave him a bike on his tenth birthday. Earl just got back from school that day, his dad was sitting on the couch reading a newspaper, totally oblivious of his arrival.
     "Hi Dad!" Earl greeted his father.
     "So...How's school today?" his father asked, not bothering to look up.
      "Ummm...it's okay. Mr. Martin let us out early." Earl replied.
       "Good..good." his father said, very much preoccupied with his reading.
         "Dad? Ummm...do you ummm...know what day's today?" Earl hesitantly asked, taking off his shoes.
           "It's Wednesday." his father flatly replied.
             "Oh...ummm...thanks dad." Earl said, heading towards his room. "Maybe dad forgot my birthday.." Earl thought, totally disappointed.
             "Oh Earl?" his father called out.
             "Yes dad?" Earl asked, turning around.
             "Could you go to the garage and fetch me my tool box...It's on top of the shelf." his father said.
             "Sure dad." Earl said, walking out the door.
              Earl went to the garage and opened the door. Inside was a beautiful red bike with a large sign up front saying "Happy Birthday Son" on it. Earl was so surprised and happy, tears started bursting from his eyes. Suddenly from behind, a large hand gently touched his shoulder.
            "Happy Bithday Earl." his father said.
              Voices. Up ahead of him, farther down the vent, snapping Earl back from his reverie. Unable to stop his curiosity, Earl crept quietly forward to the direction of the sound. As he drew closer the voices got louder, a faint light, probably another window or openning. Earl peeked through the closed grill of the vent, below were five commandos dressed in black army fatigues with red armbands.
           "Our orders are clear. We take control of the evaciation center, no one's allowed to leave." one of the commandos said.
    "How about the Major and Lieutenant Greene?" asked one of the other commandos.
      "Major's dead. We're still looking for the lieutenant."
       "And what do we do with the evacuees?"
        "We'll divide them into two groups, we're still waiting for the list......Keep the A and B class then start executing the rest."
           "And you're okay with that?"
           "We follow orders."
             "On whos authority?"
              "Captain Stuart and the Secretary."
             "Who else is involve upstairs?"
             "We don't have that information."
              "Right. Okay let's go join the others...Anything else we need to know?"
              "We go round up the lieutenants men, disarm them then put them in a holding cell...if they resist, shoot them."