I can still hear you when you drown.”
— Smashing Pumpkins
—
December 16, 2069
It had snowed and already melted, and now everyone lamented that there wouldn’t be a white Christmas this year. It was Stephanie’s tenth birthday, but they weren’t having a party. There were Christmas gifts to buy and dinner arrangements to plan and a large extended family to invite, but she could have Justin over for dinner and then they would have cake and ice cream and birthday candles later. Justin brought her two presents, each wrapped in different paper, because it was her birthday and everybody else was thinking about Christmas. “I didn’t want you to be sad,” he told her, and it made her heart feel warm. She hadn’t told him, or anyone, that having a birthday nine days before Christmas made her sad.
“Come back before dark,” her mother said, and she and Justin ran out the back door, bundled up in their winter coats like brightly colored marshmallows. They had hardly any time before the sun would set, just minutes after five. Fifteen hours of darkness, the darkest time of the year. They ran out into the woods behind Stephanie’s house, looking for adventure. They found a concrete drain pipe, discarded and long forgotten in the woods. They found a black plastic trash bag. Justin knelt down to poke at it. Stephanie imagined mice bursting out, or miniature-sized alien creatures with slimy green skin like toads. She shivered. “Open it,” she said. He broke open the plastic and found newspapers.
“Wow,” she said, picking one up. “I bet they’re from a hundred years ago.”
The date said 2045, so they lost interest in them. Instead, the firm black bag became flight control. Justin scooted up into the drain pipe, stretching out a leg on each side of the bag, taking invisible gear shifts and steering wheels into his hands. “Prepare for lift off,” he announced. “Ten, nine, eight—Steph, you gotta get your harness on—seven, six, five…”
Stephanie scooted into the pipe behind him. Stephanie was ten now—she was too old for space invaders—but Justin was still nine for a few months more and he should be allowed to play. He swooped left, a whole body swoop, and she did too, to avoid a plummeting asteroid. He swooped right, and she did too, so not to collide with another space ship. “Whoa,” he said. “That was close. But weren’t not out of danger yet, we’re still being chased. Gunner, on the right.”
“I don’t wanna be the gunner,” Stephanie said.
He stopped flying the ship for a minute and turned to look at her. “Do you wanna be the space invader instead?”
“No.”
“Who do you want to be then?”
“I don’t know.” Stephanie shrugged. “Just a passenger, maybe.” She just wanted to float in space. Stephanie lay on her back and put her feet against the top of the pipe, like walking upside down, like how it must feel in zero gravity. She wanted to go to one of those moon resorts, but her parents couldn’t afford that, and Justin’s family couldn’t afford it, either. Not yet, her parents said, but maybe one day. But she wondered, could they go to the moon if they didn't go to Disneyland instead? Sorry, honey, they told her, it’s way more expensive than Disneyland.
The drain pipe grew dark as the evening wore on. Stephanie’s phone glowed a pale shade of lavender with a message and she read it. “Mom: It’s getting dark, time to come in now.” Stephanie answered the message, then she climbed out of the drain.
“Ahhh,” Justin cried out, “I didn’t land yet, you broke the air lock, you’re in space, you can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, we’re dying!” He tumbled out of the drain pipe with his arms flailing.
Stephanie laughed and started to run, crunching dead leaves and crusty snow piles under her feet, and Justin ran after her. She spread her arms as she ran, not sure if she meant to be a bird or a space jet—either would be fine, as long as she could fly. Justin had his wings out now too, flying after her, racing ahead and coming up beside her, flying in tandem. Dusk had fallen and the woods were dark. The lights of the neighborhood twinkled ahead of them like all of the stars in the universe.
“Come back before dark,” her mother said, and she and Justin ran out the back door, bundled up in their winter coats like brightly colored marshmallows. They had hardly any time before the sun would set, just minutes after five. Fifteen hours of darkness, the darkest time of the year. They ran out into the woods behind Stephanie’s house, looking for adventure. They found a concrete drain pipe, discarded and long forgotten in the woods. They found a black plastic trash bag. Justin knelt down to poke at it. Stephanie imagined mice bursting out, or miniature-sized alien creatures with slimy green skin like toads. She shivered. “Open it,” she said. He broke open the plastic and found newspapers.
“Wow,” she said, picking one up. “I bet they’re from a hundred years ago.”
The date said 2045, so they lost interest in them. Instead, the firm black bag became flight control. Justin scooted up into the drain pipe, stretching out a leg on each side of the bag, taking invisible gear shifts and steering wheels into his hands. “Prepare for lift off,” he announced. “Ten, nine, eight—Steph, you gotta get your harness on—seven, six, five…”
Stephanie scooted into the pipe behind him. Stephanie was ten now—she was too old for space invaders—but Justin was still nine for a few months more and he should be allowed to play. He swooped left, a whole body swoop, and she did too, to avoid a plummeting asteroid. He swooped right, and she did too, so not to collide with another space ship. “Whoa,” he said. “That was close. But weren’t not out of danger yet, we’re still being chased. Gunner, on the right.”
“I don’t wanna be the gunner,” Stephanie said.
He stopped flying the ship for a minute and turned to look at her. “Do you wanna be the space invader instead?”
“No.”
“Who do you want to be then?”
“I don’t know.” Stephanie shrugged. “Just a passenger, maybe.” She just wanted to float in space. Stephanie lay on her back and put her feet against the top of the pipe, like walking upside down, like how it must feel in zero gravity. She wanted to go to one of those moon resorts, but her parents couldn’t afford that, and Justin’s family couldn’t afford it, either. Not yet, her parents said, but maybe one day. But she wondered, could they go to the moon if they didn't go to Disneyland instead? Sorry, honey, they told her, it’s way more expensive than Disneyland.
The drain pipe grew dark as the evening wore on. Stephanie’s phone glowed a pale shade of lavender with a message and she read it. “Mom: It’s getting dark, time to come in now.” Stephanie answered the message, then she climbed out of the drain.
“Ahhh,” Justin cried out, “I didn’t land yet, you broke the air lock, you’re in space, you can’t breathe, I can’t breathe, we’re dying!” He tumbled out of the drain pipe with his arms flailing.
Stephanie laughed and started to run, crunching dead leaves and crusty snow piles under her feet, and Justin ran after her. She spread her arms as she ran, not sure if she meant to be a bird or a space jet—either would be fine, as long as she could fly. Justin had his wings out now too, flying after her, racing ahead and coming up beside her, flying in tandem. Dusk had fallen and the woods were dark. The lights of the neighborhood twinkled ahead of them like all of the stars in the universe.
—
I love this. Do you think this would be the opening scene of the novel? I think it's such a great way to introduce the characters!
ReplyDeleteHa, yes! You totally read my mind. This will be the opening scene. A prologue, I suppose, since the next scene takes place 13 years later. (I love being a self-publisher and being able to say, with authority, "Yes, there will be a prologue! And yes, this will be the opening scene!")
DeleteI have the second scene mostly drafted too. It involves Justin puking his guts out in the snow after a night of angst drinking, and it's very charming, lol!
It really evokes the feeling of being on the brink of leaving being a kid, and the poignancy of her being so much more cognizant of her limitations than Justin.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that the best age!?! I have such nostalgic memories of being that age and first being really aware of the world. And my son is that age now, too.
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