Rage against the calm

The rain and storm of the day swirled and howled against the order and comfort built by the humans below. Lights flickered in homes as the wind shook electricity poles. Windows rattled, rain battered against rooves and umbrellas were tossed around by the storm like cats tossed around a ball of tinfoil.

Greggory Smitt was preparing coffee when there was a knock on the door. Rain and mist shrouded the figure standing hunched outside the house. The figure wore a long coat and a brimmed hat. The collar of the coat was turned up to keep the rain off the neck. Greg opened to the door to reveal his next door neighbor, Henry Gearhart. Henry looked up with a warm smile. “Hellooo” He said as he leaned his “Os”.

            Everyone looked like ominous and suspicious figures while standing in the rain and the friendly neighbor was no exception. “Glad you could make it!” Greg exclaimed. Henry’s smile broadened as he stepped into the house. The home was warm and inviting. The front door led into the living room, then from the living room was a set of stairs to the second floor and in the back was the kitchen. The living room was decorated in earth tones with an emerald green recliner tucked away in the back by the television.

            Henry took off his brown loafers and proceeded into the living room. The smell of fresh coffee lingered in the air. The calm atmosphere of the home pushed back the raging storm outside.

            As Greggory led Henry through the living room, Henry noticed an old fashioned pistol hung on the wall. “Where did you get that?” Henry marveled. “It was my great grand father’s gun. Kept in the family and it still works too!” Greg said with pride. “Been getting much trouble on this part of town?” Henry joked. “No, nothing like that” Greg laughed.

            The two men walked into the kitchen, on the table was two cups of black coffee, a small bowl of sugar, a small carton box of creamer and spread across the table were papers. Henry stared at the papers as he removed his coat and hung it over the back of a kitchen chair. “Really glad you could help me with these taxes. Running my own business this last year has been a nightmare of paperwork” Greg said sheepishly. He didn’t like troubling his friends and neighbors for help but Henry was already thinking about the task at hand. “Oh no problem” Henry said with a smile and eyes that looked lost in thought. Henry snapped back to the present and sat down.

            As the two men sat down a knock was heard at the door. “I’ll get it” Greg said with a cheerful tone then walked briskly to the door. “I’ll just get to work” said Henry as he sorted through the papers. As Greg walked to the front door, Henry spotted the top of someone’s head move past the kitchen window. Henry stood up and walked to the window above the sink and looked down and around. The person was gone.

            Greg opened the door to reveal an ominous figure standing in the rain. “Hello, sir, can I trouble you for a minute” Asked the man in the coat. The man turned to Greg with a smile but the smile looked painted on. Cheerfulness was not this stranger’s default expression, which Greg discovered by noticing the deep frown lines on the man’s face. Greg was unnerved by the man but tried to remain polite. “I really am in the middle of something, sorry” Greg said hastily. The stranger stuck his foot against the door to keep it from closing. “It will only be a minute” said the man.

            As Greg spoke to the man at the front door, Henry heard the back door begin to open. Neither Greg or Henry were in very good shape but between the two of them, Henry had the natural strength and could have been an imposing figure if he wasn’t so lazy.

            Henry kept close to the wall and moved in on the door. The back door opened then a man in a dark coat entered the home. Henry hid behind the kitchen wall. A tree branch was pushed by the force of the wind outside and struck the side of the house. All four men were startled.

            The front door man jumped into the house, tackling Greg and slamming the door shut behind him. The man from the back door charged in. Henry panicked and saw an open door that appeared to be a closet. Henry charged from his hiding space and tackled the intruder into the closet. The intruder flew backward through the open door, which was the open door to the basement. The man was tackled then thrown down the stairs of the cellar, hitting each stair on his way down and landing on the concrete in a crumpled mess.

            Henry stood shocked for a minute but then ran to help Greg. Greg and the front door man were struggling and punching each other until Henry charged in and tackled the man. Greg scrambled to his feet and moved back into the living room while he watched Henry fight with the intruder. Everything was happening so fast that Greg didn’t have the mind to jump back in and help.

            As the two fought, the intruder wrestled in his coat for a weapon. The intruder pulled a knife from his coat and stabbed it down at Henry. The burly neighbor moved his head but the blade sliced his ear. The burglar tried again to stab Henry again. All of the grunting and struggling ended in a loud “Bang”.

            The intruder, who was on top of Henry, dropped his knife and clutched his side. Henry felt blood trickle onto his stomach. Greg stood there with a stern yet concerned face holding his great grandfather’s old pistol. “I told you it still worked”

The storm passed and the rain slowed to a trickle. The rage and chaos of the storm had tried to fight against the calm and serene atmosphere of the humans living below but the storm was gone and the houses remained.

Ambulance dragged away two injured burglars as police asked Greg and Henry a hundred questions. The calm air of Greg’s home was replaced with the feeling of rattled nerves and slowly calming adrenaline. As the police officers took pictures and wrapped up their investigation. A tired recruit in damp boots spotted the fresh coffee and in a hopeful voice asked “hey, can I have some coffee?”

The head officer scowled and Greg almost started to laugh. Instead of laughing, Greg just gestured to the coffee maker and said “help yourself”

Nature's change

Summer in the hills, green grass flowing as far as the eye could see. Sunlight shimmered off the water of Star Pond. The pond was large, located on the top of the tallest hill in the area and at night you could see the reflection of stars in the water.

Small cottages dotted the landscape, warm and cozy at night, a roaring hearth located in each little home, and cool and breezy during the day. The hill land ended abruptly at a valley where the mounds of earth of every size suddenly dropped off and made way for flat emerald green land. The tall grass of the valley swayed in the wind like waves in the ocean.

The warm days of summer and swimming in lakes gave way to the Fall season. The Fall colored the grass and trees with warm yellow, orange and red. The tall grass dried and looked like a golden wheat field. The best food of the year was harvested, stored and feasted on.

The valley had more cottages and houses clustered together. The terrain was forgiving and ripe for farming. At the edge of the valley was a great and mighty forest. Few forests in the world could be described as ‘mighty’, but the Ancient Wildwood not only covered a large section of land but the deeper into the forest the stronger the trees grew. The tall old trees were as big around as a cottage and the bark was as strong as iron. The people of the Valley would harvest the trees on the edge of the forest but no one ever successfully chopped down a tree in depths of the Ancient Wildwood.

The tall and ancient trees still bowed to nature like all trees do and their leaves we awash with bright orange and red. The Wildwood was so vibrant in the fall it could be seen for miles and looked as if it had caught fire.

The leaves of Autumn fell as the days grew cold. Late Autumn rain, cloudy skies and the bare branches of ancient trees made an eerie yet beautiful sight. A man carrying a lantern walked through the deep Wildwood, his small light bounced with each step. Through the forest and onto the edge of the land was a steep cliff side. The sheer cliff would have been impassible if not for a small winding trail that lead from the forest down to the sand beach below.

The path was steep and one false step could lead to a deadly fall to the shore below. Down the path and onto the windy beach, the rain from the season mixed with the cold of the ocean. Waves crashed against the sand, rain fell from the sky and wind blew in from the furthest reaches of the world.

Autumn drifted away like a falling leaf and winter blew. The rain was replaced with snow and the cold air mixed with the warm exhaling breath. Visible steam like breath puffed from the traveler’s nose and mouth as he stepped aboard a large ship. The ship was leaving this land and off to explore the unknown.

The chill brought in from the ocean heightened the cold of winter. Back in the forest the animals hid inside the great trees for shelter. The Ancient Wildwood might have lost its leaves but it would not bend to even the coldest winds of winter. The Wildwood lasted hundreds of years and stood against hundreds of winters. The people of the land did not worship the Ancient Wildwood but they did treat it with respect and hoped to also be as sturdy and enduring as the forest itself.

The snow had settled in the valley, the wind from the ocean was broken by the cliffside and tall standing forest. Trails of smoke lifted up from a dozen chimneys, the smoke curled and twisted on the breeze as it floated away.

From the Valley to the Hills, the snow had settled everywhere. The hills were so covered in snow that it was hard to tell where the snow stopped and the rock began. Star Pond had frozen over, the ice shimmered like glass and the pond took on an even more mystical aura as if it were a giant mirror hidden away in the hills.

Night in the hills was clear and every star was visible. The cold of winter sent chilling wind blowing over the glassy Star Pond. The people in the Valley often told stories of highest hill and Star Pond. They worried that on winter nights, when the air was cold and the sky appeared larger than normal, it would be possible to fall up into the blackness of space.

Just as night faded to day so did winter melt away. Spring crept in, slow and with caution. The snow turned to puddles, the Pond turned from icy glass back to water and the earth turned damp and muddy. The gray skies, rainy weather and muddy ground was far from the bright bloom of spring that most wished for but the damp weather meant water for plants and the plants did grow and eventually they bloomed. The bright blooming flowers and trees sprung up across the Hills and Valley. The Ancient Wildwood turned emerald green and the ocean by the shore calmed to a more reasonable pace.

            The people of the Hills and Valley were happy, they began their planting of crops, the children played in the muddy valley and swam in the cold water of Star Pond. The land and people grew another year older and observed another year of natures changing beauty.

Grunts

Grunting echoed down the hallway, the guttural sounds bouncing off the walls and smooth polished floor. Ethan the intern nervously fixed the collar of his shirt as he walked briskly toward the source of the noise.

The sound grew louder, the sound resembling a gorilla trying to break free from a cage or the sound of fighting to the death. Ethan was the lowest ranking employee and he was told to investigate. The poor soul knew the source of the sounds and shivered at the thought of it.

The grunting grew louder. The grunts were joined by the sound of clanking metal and a deep thud of the floor. Ethan grew more worried. The specimen sounded very large and Ethan knew he didn’t stand a chance if the situation turned hostile.

Ethan walked down the linoleum hallway, the smell of floor cleaning invaded his senses. ‘Lemon Fresh’ shook Ethan by the shoulders and demanded to be noticed. ‘lemon punched in the face’ would have been a more aptly named product.

Finally Ethan reached the large double doors and pushed one open. He entered into a large room full of people. Ethan looked and saw the source of the grunting, a large man lifting weights. Ethan nervously shuffled over to the man. Ethan straightened up his back, summoned up his courage and said “Excuse me sir, you have been, erm, grunting too loudly. It is bothering the other members” Ethan used his most official voice. The man looked embarrassed “Hey, sorry about that. Making noises helps me lift heavier weights” Replied the man. Ethan was surprised by how polite the grunting gym member was. “No problem, Sir. Just please keep it down” Ethan replied, then briskly walked away.

Ethan had never worked at a gym before and never once in his life did he think he would have to ask someone to stop grunting loudly. The situation turned out much better than expected but he suspected this wouldn’t be last time he had to remind someone not to grunt so loudly.

Another day at the office

The air was stale, florescent light penetrated every corner of the room and Jeff was talking about another television show idea. Ted worked in a group who came up with ideas for TV shows. They sat around a table with room temperature cups of coffee and talked.

“People are bored with us, they have all of these streaming services and shit and don’t care about cable” Jeff said in an attempt to energize his workers. “Cable television is actually still doing well but if there is a problem its because these streaming services try new ideas while we continue to produce the same kind of show.” Ted explained as he looked up from his pile of papers. Ted was not feeling pumped up to be at work and was annoyed that only he looked at the data gathered. “Ted, Nobody likes the ‘well actually’ guy” Said Jeff. Ted twisted up his face for a second then relaxed it. He muttered under his breath “Well nobody likes you Jeff and your stupid fucking mouth”. No one heard Ted and the meeting continued.

“So what about a show about people in the city, their different struggles as they deal with a world that only glorifies the rich and diminishes the poor. I think it would get praise for its social commentary” Suggested Frank. Frank had dark hair and wore a purple tie. “No, we don’t want to sound like socialists or something. Besides, being rich is great!” Jeff told Frank. “Yes, I am sure being rich is great but almost no one gets to experience that. Wouldn’t it be better to have a show to help people see a real struggle than to glorify the rich?” Asked Ted. Jeff let out a long annoyed sigh “Listen, Ted, if you want to be some kind of communist whatever, its fine, it’s a free country, but  do it on your own time” Jeff said.

“What about a show about a clumsy girl from the Midwest who is hapless but is somehow making it on her own in the city?” Mark suggested. “YES!” Jeff cheered. “See everyone, Mark has it”  Ted spoke up again “I have the data here, in fact we all do. That kind of show is done to death and people aren’t responding to it as much. We need something new!” Ted chimed in. Ted was part of the creative team and was hired to give insight and new ideas but then found out that no one wanted to hear his ideas.

            Jeff stared at Ted, Jeff’s face twisted into some hideous angry version of itself. One second passed but it seemed like an eternity. “That was the best idea all day. People like the familiar. They don’t like new, they don’t like being reminded of their problems like whatever crap you keep talking about!” Jeff shouted. He then calmed down and straightened his tie.

            “What if it’s a guy from the Midwest instead of a hapless woman?” Asked Anne, who was wearing black and had her red hair pulled back into a bun. Jeff gave a condescending smirk like a child was giving out ideas. “No one would believe it if it was a guy. Guys are less likely to be clumsy and get lost. We wouldn’t have as many opportunities for jokes” Jeff replied in a calm voice. It was at this moment Anne wondered if she could get away with murder even with five witnesses.

In her mind the headline reads “Jeff Aourenbough dies of knife wounds, room full of people all say they saw nothing. Mark Applebottom also dies mysteriously. Anne smirked to at the thought.

            Everyone had pretty much checked out at this point. Jeff was satisfied with another successful meeting while the rest of the group wondered why they even bothered to have meetings.

            The workday was over and Ted was one of the first ones to leave. He emerged from an elevator that took him to the parking garage. Ted saw Jeff walking to his car, Ted thought about waving or saying goodbye but decided against it. Ted walked to his car with the posture of a man carrying a hundred pound rock on his shoulders. He pressed the button on his keys and unlocked his car. Then he heard an engine revving and a car coming up from around the corner. A tan sedan was speeding entirely too fast through the parking garage, rounded the corner and was driving straight at Jeff. Jeff was walking to his car and didn’t notice right away. He heard the car’s engine and turned just as the car stuck him. Jeff rolled up along the hood of the car before falling in a broken heap on the ground.

            Ted sighed, then got in his car and drove away. It was just another day at the office.