"Look," called out Jack excitedly. "A pub!"
"We're eleven years old!" replied Charlie exasperatedly.
"Come on!" Jack urged, running in the direction of the tavern.
Jack hurried towards a top-heavy pan-tiled building that looked like it might fall down any second. Thick orange smoke puffed from a single chimney. There was an ancient, rusted sign dangling awkwardly above the solitary wide, bowing window:
The Venus Arms
Milo Aphrodite, Proprietor
Charlie stopped Jack beneath the sign. "We've just stumbled on the most incredible, jaw-dropping, insane place on the planet – and you want to spend your time in the pub?!"
Jack paused. "They might sell really weird, cool stuff that's all,"
"Like what?"
"I don't know do I?" said Jack in frustration. "Fish beer?"
Charlie was not impressed. "And you'd drink that would you?"
"You know what I mean!" implored Jack. "Maybe the barman's got two heads or something!"
"Or maybe it's just a pub," sighed Charlie, reluctantly following his travelling buddy round the side of the crumbling building.
"What is that?" cried Jack excitedly, pointing through the coach yard entrance.
"Wow," said Charlie, his eyes widening. "That is one big bug!"
It was simultaneously the most beautiful and scary creature that Jack and Charlie had ever seen. Tied to a horse post was the biggest damselfly either of them had ever laid eyes upon. Its head was the size and shape of a tractor tyre. Judging from its dimensions, its wingspan must be twenty feet. The insect's wings were folded into its side as it rested. The thorax was a cerulean blue that shimmered in the light and reflected topaz, emerald and amethyst. It reminded Charlie of expensive paint jobs on pimped-up cars. Perched high upon its back, between its wings, was a well-worn saddle. Hanging in front of the creature was an upside down, oversized clear glass bottle, like the ones Charlie had seen hooked on to pet shop rabbit hutches. The damselfly was feasting greedily on the honey-coloured liquid inside, sucking contentedly at the bottleneck. It smelt like the unwashed rugby kit currently heaped in the bottom of Charlie's wardrobe. The liquid. Not the insect. The insect did not really smell of anything.
"Are you any good with knots?" asked Jack with a devilish grin.
"Don't you dare," hissed Charlie.
"Dare what?" smiled Jack innocently.
"Try to release that thing!" warned Charlie.
"Don't be silly," replied Jack. "I don't want to release it."
"Good," said Charlie with relief.
"I want to ride it!" he revealed with a hungry look in his eyes. He slowly and deftly untied the tattered rope that was tethering the insect.
"Don't be a muppet, Wilson," said Charlie urgently.
"We can't get into any trouble here, surely," replied Jack cheekily. "We don't exist. And, I don't see any insect traffic cops, do you?"
Charlie sighed. "If you fall off, try landing on your head. It will cause less damage."
"I won't fall off," answered Jack jumping with ease into the saddle. "Mum and dad paid for horse riding lessons. How hard can it be?" He adjusted his posture in the saddle and fixed his white Air Jordans into the metal stirrups. "I wonder where the start button is?" he smirked. He tried kicking the flanks of the damselfly, but its wings barely moved. "Giddy up! Ride 'em, cowboy!" He bounced up and down in the saddle.
"Your parents paid too much for those lessons," said Charlie with a grin. He looked along the fence line and saw a metal bucket hanging from the final post. Inside were three large feather dusters. Maybe... Charlie wondered as he plucked out the largest fluffy yellow stick from the bucket.
"What are you doing, Wood?" asked Jack, still springing up and down.
"I've got an idea," considered Charlie. "Hold on tight!"
Charlie moved to the rear of the damselfly and proceeded to tickle the tip of its swollen tail with the feather duster. The quiet buzzing stopped, and its head shot up from its feeding station. Its wings began to tremble uncontrollably along its sides.
"It's working," declared Jack, gripping the leather reins more tightly.
Charlie grabbed a second feather duster in his other hand and furiously began to tickle the back end of the oversized insect. Its six legs began to quiver, and it arched its back and stepped away from the fence, unfurling two pairs of beautiful, translucent, delicate wings, which began vibrating in unison.
Charlie was about to start another round of tickling when the insect lowered its body to the ground and sprung into the air, knocking Charlie over with its swishing blue tail. "Yee ha!" yelled Charlie victoriously, flailing his arms and legs as he lay flat on his back in the dirt and watched the insect rise at phenomenal speed.
Jack was hanging on for dear life. His cheeks were wobbling from the upward force. His feet had come free from the stirrups and his legs were flapping out behind him as he wrestled with the insect. He managed to hold on and wrapped the reins round his wrists until his fingers tingled. He struggled back into an upright position as the damselfly flattened out. He clumsily shoved his trainers back in the stirrups.
"This is awesome!" he yelped with delight as he began to take control of the creature. The reins worked exactly like his horse riding lessons and he was soon able to command its movements. "I think I'll call you Stephen," he shouted over the beating thrum of the wings. He directed Stephen up higher and higher until he could reach out and scrape the stained-glass ceiling of the dome with his fingertips. Suddenly, without instruction from Jack, the damselfly began to nosedive towards the ground.
"Whoa, Stephen!" cried Jack, pulling the reins in all directions. The insect gained speed and Jack felt dizzy. "Where are the parachutes?" he screamed at nobody.
Gratefully, he felt the sensation of the insect beginning to slow and it levelled off, darting over a lush, wooded area, its feet grazing the tops of the leafy canopy. Something fuchsia pink caught Jack's eye, glistening low to the ground and moving at great speed in between the thick trunks of the trees. It was another damselfly, but smaller and more delicate than Stephen. The pink insect had no rider or saddle. It was darting from tree to tree performing an elaborate dance. Stephen slowed as he approached the ground and landed perfectly on a broad leaf facing the other creature.
"Have you come to save a damselfly in distress?" questioned Jack, laughing to himself before he felt his stomach lurch. He leaned over the side and threw up all over his pristine Nike trainer. When he sat back upright, he saw that the pink damselfly was now directly facing Stephen. There was a sweet sickly smell in the air, like raspberry jam.
Jack watched the insects as they cocked and rotated their heads whilst fluttering their wings gently. He felt Stephen's tail rise behind him and then a second scent wafted into his nostrils. It smelt like his grandma's apple pie.
"Are you flirting, Stephen?" asked Jack with a grin. "You naughty love bug," he laughed.
Before he could come up with his next joke, the female damselfly leapt into the air. Stephen immediately followed. Jack's stomach sprang into his mouth again.
"Stephennnnnnnn!" he screeched as the creature gave chase upwards through the branches of the trees. Jack lifted his arm to protect his face as branches whipped about his head. He lost all control of the insect as it matched the pink blur ahead, move for move. They were travelling twice as fast as before and zigzagging frantically. Both damselflies burst through the top canopy of the trees in a flurry of leaves.
"Stephen, no!" wailed Jack. "At least buy her dinner first!"
He felt his feet slipping from the stirrups again and his grip loosening on the reins. Both feet came free, and his right trainer scraped off his foot and fell away. He could not hold on much longer. He was feeling lightheaded and was losing sensation in his fingers. He could barely keep his eyes open as the two insects continued to tear through the sky.
Down below he thought he could see a large floating basketball. He was losing consciousness. His hands cramped and he let go of the reins. He felt a grazing, tickling sensation on his cheek as his body slithered down the length of the damselfly and he dropped off its tail. He was falling through the sky.