Chapter 3 The Meanings of life
“POP POP POP POP POP POP!” The child screamed. The boy jumping in place, light blond hair standing straight up in a cowlick, blue eyes wide with excitement. He pointed over in the distance at a rollercoaster. The Behemoth, a metal coaster that boasts the most tuns and inversions ever. The rollercoaster that the little boy has already ridden at least ten times today.
“Hay, bud, your grandpappy can’t ride any more coasters for right now. You’ve beaten me, you little rascal!” the older man lay on the bench, face green, silver hair in even more of a mess then his grandchild. He clutched his heart, his pacemaker has been going off so much today, it has to be losing its charge. The boy shifted from being excited about going on the ride again, to consoling his pop, in a way that only a rightfully spoiled child can.
“Hay, pop, if you’re not feeling like you want to ride, then you can stay here while I go ride it myself. I’m a man now! I’m tall enough now to go alone!” The boy stretched to his impressive 48-inch height, puffing out his slim chest, fists confidently on his hips.
Seeing his grandson posing like a little superhero, drew a laugh from the old man. The pain in his chest now from laughing too hard. “Sure, Sure. You can go on the ride again but take Andrew with you.” The boy walked confidently to the impeccably dressed man standing a few feet away.
As the kid led Andrew away for another go on The Behemoth, Johns wife sat next to him. “Honey, you know you should do more exercise.” The old women told her husband. John shimmied over until he could lay his head on her thigh. John smiled up at her, taking in her lustrous black hair, and her smooth tanned skin. She was not the beauty he married all those years ago, but she has aged better than a fine wine. As John was admiring his wife, she stuffed a chili dog into his mouth (he may have been starting to drool.)
“Pervert.”
“Yes, Yes I am.” John tried to smirk around the hot dog. It didn’t work out that well. His wife started to munch on a second one.
Aira, blushed then scowled. John looked around and saw his granddaughter skipping up to them. The head of a large rainbow unicorn flopping around. A prize won from some stall, probably from one of John’s bodyguards.
“Hay little angle!” John turned toward his cute little granddaughter. Her Blond locks jumping in time with her skipping. Unicorn hugged close, squeezing all the stuffing into the glittery horn. The girl bounced next to her grandfather, chessboard smile for all to see.
“POP! Lizzy threw a baseball soooooo hard that all the glass bottles all broke! Then the mean guy, started yelling about some bad words that Lizzy said not to say. Then Lizzy showed her gun. Then the mean guy got scared. Then Lizzy let me pick out a stuffed animal. Then I saw the most awesome animal! Do you know what it was!” the fountain of words spilled haphazardly, and with great gusto, and extremely loudly (to Johns displeasure).
“I don’t know my little angle. Was it a unicorn?” John smiled at the girl. He really truly loved the little ball of sunshine, but her volume nob was always turned to eleven.
“NO! IT was a huge bunny! It was even bigger than me! I wanted to take it, but Lizzy said that it would be hard to carry! But I said that we could just put it in the car! But then she said that Tommy wouldn’t have a place to sit! Then I said that we could just put him on the roof! Tommy would agree!” Eliza excitedly continued, barely pausing for breath. Lizzy stood off to the side, trying hide a small smirk on her face.
“Eliza, darling, you know we can’t put your brother on the roof.” Aira gently told her granddaughter. Aira, finished with her hotdog, tossed the messy wrapper onto her husbands chest. Kneeling next to her granddaughter and pulling her into a hug. “Why would we let him ride on the roof when it would be so much fun to make him sit with the bunny all the way home?” she loudly whispered into Eliza’s ear.
His granddaughters smile beautiful smile transformed into something evil. Eliza bounced away, clutching a stuffed animal in one hand, an old devil in the other. Lizzy trailed behind both, not even trying to hide her big smirk.
John was one alone again, well as alone as he could possible be. Three of bodyguards are watching both him, and the surrounding area. He knew all of their names: Jimmy, Bob, Candice. All were veterans honorably discharged, turned mercenary, turned highly paid bodyguard. They needed something that they were good at, which included fighting, guarding, or weightlifting. They chose guarding, and he chose them out of the other hundreds of other applicants.
He didn’t mind always being watched, after all, whatever happened to him would be worldwide news. It always was for the extremely rich. Johns companies, well, the monopolies that his companies command generated more money then most other countries. He tried to run a company ethically at first, but that had got him nowhere. In order for him to be nice, he first needed to have the money to be nice. And so that is what he did. He used all of his acumen to gather wealth, always with the intention of spending it to make the world a better place. But, buying yachts, private jets, islands, amusement parks, and whatever else was his fancy, always seemed to put philanthropy on the back burner.
Which was why he and his family was at this amusement park. His plan was to enjoy it, then buy it out, and turn it into something that would help others. He didn’t know exactly what it would be turned into, but if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t care. John knew that he had the money to waste, and even if he bought the park for 150% more than the asking price (which was already extremely generous), it wouldn’t even put a dent in the pocket money that his grandson carried.
John stood, at least what he considers standing nowadays. His once attritive six-foot frame now bent to five foot six. What seemed like all of his bones cracked, his knees hurt from standing (or now that he thought of it, just existing) his back ached from the stone bench he laid on. His crooked fingers wrapped around his gold and platinum decorated carbon fiber cane. His clothes that would bankrupt most anyone, stained from his wife’s hot dog trash. Jimmy came forward and offered an elbow which John took. Now steady they set off to find his grandson.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
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When John arrived at The Behemoth, he spotted Tommy and Andrew in the front of the coaster. Nobody else is at the park except a few of the employees. After all, if you can’t screen all of the guests to ensure that they are not kidnappers or serial killers, then it’s easier to close the park for the day just for this little outing. It wasn’t as fun without some people to watch, but it definitely cut down on the wait times for everything. Which John knew Tommy and Eliza loved.
After Tommy rode The Behemoth at least ten more times.
“POP, I’m huuuuuungry! I want a funnel cake!” Tommy begged his grandfather. Not wanting to disappoint the hungry child John acquiesced. Wondering the park, following their nose to find the sweet treat the group also found the girls. They were just wondering the park, probably concocting schemes to make Johns life just that much more exciting and stressful. Lizzy’s face still openly sporting a smirk, a twinkle in her eyes, knowing just exactly what was being planned.
After much wondering, and then berating to look at a map, John finally completed his quest to get a funnel cake for his lovely grandson… And granddaughter, and wife, and 5 bodyguards, and himself.
As everyone sat at a picknick table near a fountain, the cool mist making everyone (read not Aira or Eliza) sticky from some “accidentally” spilled sugar. John saw a bold of lightening flash in the sky. He thought it was odd to see such lighting on such a beautiful clear day but thought nothing of it as Aira blew a straw wrapper into his open mouth. This caused uproarious laughter from everyone below the age of 70 and everyone over the age of 70 to glare at their 69 year old wife.
A second more noticeable bolt of lightening flashed across the sky. A peel of thunder stopped all laughter, replacing it with anxiety and fright. Looking toward his wife who was always deathly afraid of thunder, hiding underneath blankets and borrowing into his side whenever a storm came. John decided that todays fun would be over, and it was time to go back to one of the homes that he has in the area.
The group quickly made their way to the park entrance. Bright flashes of lightening immediately followed by ear bleeding thunder. The sky darkened, huge black clouds obscuring much of the it, casting everything in inky shadow. Wind started to blow, strong enough that The Behemoth would be jealous. Eliza, Tommy, and Aira all tightly hugged John. Who was struggling to walk, all of the legs and hugging coming from his loved ones impeding his cane. John didn’t mind. He wasn’t scared of the weather.
The limo came into view. It was parked right outside the entrance for the park. A large white plush bunny could be seen through the tinted windows. The group let out a sigh of relief, Eliza started to run towards the limo. Yelling about getting the seat ready for Tommy. He was still holding his grandfather. Johns free hand resting on the boy’s head, giving him much needed pats.
The wind started to pick up, blowing huge gusts of wind. One forced John to stumble, his cane tangling with Aira legs. John pitched forward only to be caught by his wife, deep brown eyes frightful, on the verge of crying. She paused, looked past John. He turned.
There, only a stone’s throw away was a black circle. Deeper than anything John could imagine, a bright ring of light surrounded the disk, he could feel that all of the air was being sucked into the hole. John started to call for a bodyguard, but they were already closing in. Andrew tried to grab Tommy, Lizzy grabbed at Aira, Jimmy ran towards John.
All were too slow.
The darker than black disk came towards John. He could feel his shirt being sucked towards it. He could see his wife’s hair being sucked horizontal pulling her head back. John could feel her grip tighten on his arm. He shoved Tommy towards Andrew. Tommy stumbled, but Andrew quickly caught the boy and immediately started sprinting towards the car.
John looked at his wife, his life with her flashing before his eyes. He loved this woman with everything that he could muster. He pried her hands from his arm. Usually, he could never move one of her fingers. This time she gave no resistance when her hands were removed and given to Lizzy. Lizzy picked up Aira like a small doll and rushed towards the car.
Only Jimmy and John remained near the disk. Jimmy tried to pick up the old man. But John was too heavy. He could see the terror in Jimmy’s eyes, knowledge that they were going to die. John knew he looked the same. Jimmy hands fumbled, unable to get a purchase anywhere on John. Jimmy’s frantic hands tearing at Johns cloths until John tried to push the bodyguard away.
Jimmy stopped. Looking directly into Johns eyes.
“GO! I’LL BE FINE!” John screams just barley heard above the wind. They both knew that John could not be carried away. Jimmy ran away.
John sat, staring at his love. Her head poking above Lizzy’s shoulder. He felt remorse, that he couldn’t make his wife smile, he couldn’t hug his kids one last time, that he would never see his granddaughter smile with all of her teeth, that he couldn’t teach his grandson to be a man. He knew he was going to die, and he hated that it would be without any bit of warning.
He felt the ground lift away. Lightening striking near him, flashing around his body. His ears bleeding from the sound of the thunder. He couldn’t fight, what was there to fight against. You can’t threaten a hole, and no amount of money could force this one stop. John was use to loosing, but this was the first time he lost everything.
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John was trapped in the dark place for what seemed like hours. Not very long, all things considered. But it was long enough to wonder where the hell god was. Long enough to wonder if this was what hell was like. Long enough to wonder if this was some other religions type of afterlife. And long enough to get board of all the wondering. His mind turned his life.
He remembered his wife, all the trouble trying to get her a citizenship. He remembered working and staying awake all night to take care of their baby girl. He remembered the first time he was hired to be a CEO for some failing manufacturing company. He remembered failing that company, telling all the staff that there was no money, and will not be any money. He remembered all the nights he cried away his sorrows in Aira’s arms. He remembered all of the other companies, some he succeeded in turning them around, others went the same as the first.
He remembered when his daughter brought her first crush home. Both the girls were a wreak, both crying, convinced that he would disown her over something so petty. The second, a boyfriend, being an angry atheist. Annoying but it was also a phase that John himself went through long, long ago. The third boyfriend was a religious nut. From some sect out in the mountains, he didn’t last long. He remembered walking his baby girl down the aisle. Both of their makeup ruined from tears and snot. He remembered his first grandbaby laughing.
The dark space he was trapped in, tore him away from his life. He hated it more than anything he has experienced in his life. Then he felt pain. A searing headache, more than any migraine he could have ever experienced before. Then it was more than a migraine. His bones felt like they were on fire, like they were breaking and healing and breaking all over again. The pain agonizingly slowly moving out, his muscles, stomach, skin. It burned, this time he knew he was dying. Whatever this black space was, it wasn’t death. He knew now that he was dying. John started to cry, screams destroying his voice.
Suddenly he felt fine. No pain, no hurt throat, not even his knees. Which was strange, Johns knees have always hurt him. He was in a fetal position, laying on some metal platform. He stood, some alien strength lifting him up. He felt more powerful then at anytime in his life. He looked forward.
John was stared at four men; all were bleeding from their ears. The two that were closest to John were also bleeding from their noses.
“Oh, Glorious Hero! We have summoned thy to help this once great kingdom to rise again from the ashes it has now fallen to! Oh, wise Demon chosen by the Lord I beseech you to help reclaim what has been lost!” The man with a long red robe hoarsely yelled.
John more confused than he has ever been in his life, continued to look at them. Then almost instantly some puzzle pieces snapped into place. These four monsters before him, they stole him. They killed him. They brought John to this weird computer mainframe room.
John saw red. His anger, at being forced from his family, at the pain he saw in his wife’s eyes. The certainty that he would never be able to see her again. He let all his emotions out.
“Where am I. Why did you take me! Where is my Family! I swear to all that is holy if you hurt them, I WILL DESTROY ALL THAT YOU CHERISH!” His voice starting from quiet quickly became deafening just like that terrible thunder.
And so, his anger rising John stood waiting for an answer.