Silent Mountain: Chapter 1-E
Ian couldn't sleep. He wanted too. He knew he should, but he just couldn't. He kept running over the events of the day in his head. He looked at the clock on his bed. The numbers seemed too large. 3:23. They glared at him. He had never liked large numbers. They always seemed oddly unnatural to him. It was decided he would get rid of the clock . . . first thing tomorrow. 3:24. It occured to him it was tomorrow. He closed his eyes again.
The sun was warm on Ian's face. He squinted in it's brilliance. Rows and rows of orange trees spread out before him. The sky was a bright blue, like the first day of spring. The air felt crisp and cool on his skin. Dew surrounded him; it was morning. He approached a tree, reaching for the largest fruit he could see. Its plump, orange sphere was covered in dew as well. The sun illuminated the beads of water. Eden must have been like this, he thought.
The sight of the trees made him smile. It felt good to smile. He heard a sound. Was it wind? He looked up in the distance towards the south. Smoke filled the sky. An orange glow spread across the horizon. The smell of smoke filled his lungs. He looked back at the tree. The dew seemed to be evaporating. Steams filled in around him. He looked back to the south. The dull glow had become a blaze. The trees were on fire. Five rows back. Four rows. Three. He couldn't stop it. He ran as hard as he could. The flames were catching up to him. He felt unnaturally warm. Smoke flooded his lungs. He couldn't breath. A clearing broke out in front of him. He ran as hard as he could. Slam! He had hit something metal, a gate. He grasped the iron bars. The fog cleared. He could make out a single letter, 'S', wrought in iron.
3:26. Ian awoke with a start. He couldn't breathe. He leapt out of bed and groped for the wicker basket where he kept his keys and other sundries on his dresser. He found his keys and wallet and rushed out his door into the night.
**********
Perry awoke to a piercing scream. It took her a moment to collect her thoughts. Her mind was sluggish, still caught in the grip of a strange dream.
"Helen?" She called, groggily, dragging herself out of bed.
She caught steam as she moved out of the room across the short distance between her and Helen's rooms. As her head slammed into the door she let out a cry and fumbled for the doorknob. The door flew open, smacking against the back wall. It was empty. Perry's mind spun. The window was open.
A cool breeze blew through the open window and across Perry's face, which turned pale as she stuck her head out, looking down the three stories to the ground. There was no sign of Helen. Something was moving, in the sky. Perry looked up at the dark figure, wing extended, moving north. It couldn't be. She closed her eyes a moment. She knew. She had to follow.
**********
David heard knocking. It was loud. What time was it? He rolled over to look at Jennifer who was still sound asleep.
"Someone's at the door," he mumbled.
She didn't move. Silence. He closed his eyes. The knocking returned. He took one last look over at Jennifer to make sure she was asleep, and rolled out of bed. He shuffled out the bedroom door into the living room of thier small apartment, tripping over a small pile of clothes in the doorway. As he kicked the clothes to the side, the knocking started again, louder.
"Coming," he growled, and made his way to the door.
The opening door revealed Ian, still wearing the tattered khakis and white T-shirt he slept in.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" David asked.
"About 3:40," Ian replied.
"Good," David answered ironically, "I had no idea. Why are you here?"
"Can I come in? It's a little cold out here."
"Right," David said, stepping out of the doorway.
Ian stepped in the living room and the two stood for a moment in silence.
"You do have a reason for being here, right?" David prodded.
"I had a strange dream."
"Okay." David was getting more perturbed.
"No," Ian continued, "I . . . It might be important. I don't know."
"How so?"
"Have you noticed anything strange?"
"Like you showing up here in the middle of the night?"
Ian shook his head, trying to compose his thoughts. "No. No. Like . . . I can set fruits on fire with my mind. Like that?"
"That was strange," David conceded, "You're not really making alot of sense though."
"What's going on?" Jennifer chimed in from the doorway.
"I knew you were awake," David shouted gleefully.
"What?" Jennifer answered, "Ian, what are you doing here?"
"He's strange," David answered.
"No," Ian interjected, "I think . . . we have to go . . ."
"Silent Mountain," Jennifer completed.
"Yes," Ian shouted, "That's it."
"Why . . ." David's voice trailed off, as he struggled to remember something, "I did have a dream."
"We have to go," Jennifer insisted.
"I'll drive," Ian offered.
After a quick change of clothes they were headed on thier way.
The sun was warm on Ian's face. He squinted in it's brilliance. Rows and rows of orange trees spread out before him. The sky was a bright blue, like the first day of spring. The air felt crisp and cool on his skin. Dew surrounded him; it was morning. He approached a tree, reaching for the largest fruit he could see. Its plump, orange sphere was covered in dew as well. The sun illuminated the beads of water. Eden must have been like this, he thought.
The sight of the trees made him smile. It felt good to smile. He heard a sound. Was it wind? He looked up in the distance towards the south. Smoke filled the sky. An orange glow spread across the horizon. The smell of smoke filled his lungs. He looked back at the tree. The dew seemed to be evaporating. Steams filled in around him. He looked back to the south. The dull glow had become a blaze. The trees were on fire. Five rows back. Four rows. Three. He couldn't stop it. He ran as hard as he could. The flames were catching up to him. He felt unnaturally warm. Smoke flooded his lungs. He couldn't breath. A clearing broke out in front of him. He ran as hard as he could. Slam! He had hit something metal, a gate. He grasped the iron bars. The fog cleared. He could make out a single letter, 'S', wrought in iron.
3:26. Ian awoke with a start. He couldn't breathe. He leapt out of bed and groped for the wicker basket where he kept his keys and other sundries on his dresser. He found his keys and wallet and rushed out his door into the night.
**********
Perry awoke to a piercing scream. It took her a moment to collect her thoughts. Her mind was sluggish, still caught in the grip of a strange dream.
"Helen?" She called, groggily, dragging herself out of bed.
She caught steam as she moved out of the room across the short distance between her and Helen's rooms. As her head slammed into the door she let out a cry and fumbled for the doorknob. The door flew open, smacking against the back wall. It was empty. Perry's mind spun. The window was open.
A cool breeze blew through the open window and across Perry's face, which turned pale as she stuck her head out, looking down the three stories to the ground. There was no sign of Helen. Something was moving, in the sky. Perry looked up at the dark figure, wing extended, moving north. It couldn't be. She closed her eyes a moment. She knew. She had to follow.
**********
David heard knocking. It was loud. What time was it? He rolled over to look at Jennifer who was still sound asleep.
"Someone's at the door," he mumbled.
She didn't move. Silence. He closed his eyes. The knocking returned. He took one last look over at Jennifer to make sure she was asleep, and rolled out of bed. He shuffled out the bedroom door into the living room of thier small apartment, tripping over a small pile of clothes in the doorway. As he kicked the clothes to the side, the knocking started again, louder.
"Coming," he growled, and made his way to the door.
The opening door revealed Ian, still wearing the tattered khakis and white T-shirt he slept in.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" David asked.
"About 3:40," Ian replied.
"Good," David answered ironically, "I had no idea. Why are you here?"
"Can I come in? It's a little cold out here."
"Right," David said, stepping out of the doorway.
Ian stepped in the living room and the two stood for a moment in silence.
"You do have a reason for being here, right?" David prodded.
"I had a strange dream."
"Okay." David was getting more perturbed.
"No," Ian continued, "I . . . It might be important. I don't know."
"How so?"
"Have you noticed anything strange?"
"Like you showing up here in the middle of the night?"
Ian shook his head, trying to compose his thoughts. "No. No. Like . . . I can set fruits on fire with my mind. Like that?"
"That was strange," David conceded, "You're not really making alot of sense though."
"What's going on?" Jennifer chimed in from the doorway.
"I knew you were awake," David shouted gleefully.
"What?" Jennifer answered, "Ian, what are you doing here?"
"He's strange," David answered.
"No," Ian interjected, "I think . . . we have to go . . ."
"Silent Mountain," Jennifer completed.
"Yes," Ian shouted, "That's it."
"Why . . ." David's voice trailed off, as he struggled to remember something, "I did have a dream."
"We have to go," Jennifer insisted.
"I'll drive," Ian offered.
After a quick change of clothes they were headed on thier way.
posted by Kiwifruits of Fire at 5:47 PM
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