by Paul Vayro
Chapter Three
Brick entered the living room, dry and ready for rest. A sleepy haze had descended across his body, craving the comfort and safety of familiarity. He’d dressed for the occasion, wearing all his favourite lounging clothes. Everything was bigger than necessary, from his best curling up jumper to his oversized socks. He shuffled into the room, focusing firmly on the armchair he considered a close friend. He’d been imagining its welcoming embrace since the first shiver in the fountain that morning.
He waited an extra moment to ensure he fully appreciated what was about to come; then stepped majestically across the arm in to a fully upright position. Allowing his knees to bend he controlled his falling weight, folding his limbs beneath him as they planted themselves in various waiting indentations. Brick released a sigh of immeasurable pleasure in response to finally being settled.
Spiritwind had been observing the entire charade from the sofa, timing his next comment to inflict optimum annoyance on his friend.
“Pass us that glass.” Brick ignored the request. His comfort had reached a level that would be criminal to disturb.
“I will continue to ask until I receive a response.” Spiritwind popped a nugget of something deep fried and meat based into his mouth.
“Sorry. I didn’t hear you. I was far too comfy.” Brick remained still except for his lips.
“I asked if you’d pass me that glass at the foot of your chair.”
“I feel I must refer you to the rules on states of ultimate comfort; you know fine well it’s illegal to disturb such a position.” Brick quoted from the pair's self made bible.
“Okay then.” Spiritwind continued to dip his fried delicacy and stare at the television. Brick’s expected comfort eluded him as his mind wondered about Spiritwind’s intentions for the glass.
“Do you not want the glass then?” Brick tilted his head. The knock on effect saw his arm shift and his hips shuffle in an attempt to compensate.
“What makes you think I wanted the glass?”
“The fact you asked me for it.” The logic was watertight.
“I wanted to disturb you. How I did that was irrelevant.” Spiritwind scraped his dip bowl with smugness.
“That’s a bit harsh.” Brick had no choice but to lift his body onto its elbow. He continued to wrestle to restore his previous comfort.
“But funny. Don’t forget funny.”
“Not from where I’m sitting. Which I must stress is now decidedly less comfortable.” Brick continued to twist and turn. It was no good, the comfort had gone and chasing it only pushed it further away. He abandoned his foetal position and started again, sitting in a textbook chair posture and folding his arms in a huff. Maybe he could entice it back with nonchalance. Spiritwind verbally poked his friend further.
“If you’re no longer in a state of ultimate comfort do you think you could pass me that glass?” Spiritwind hid his smirk behind his dip bowl.
“One day my friend my life anger will boil over. The resulting actions will be spoken of in hushed voices to ears that cannot believe such ferocity exists. I tell you this because I expect you to be standing very nearby when it happens.”
“Is that day today?”
“No. I’m too tired to be angry.” Brick gave up on nonchalance and faced the problem. Running a number of back up positions through his mind he settled on the good old slouch. Anchoring his feet on the floor he prepared to slide towards them. His efforts were interrupted by a thump from next door followed by a bold sounding apology. “What are those two up to now?”
“No idea. They were in the garden earlier jumping around a frame they’d built out of old drainpipes. I offered them a bacon baguette each. Said they deserved something tasty for all that early morning effort. They said something about calories and the smell of humanity's security being reward enough. To be honest I’ve never smelt humanity's security, but if it’s better than bacon I want it on a butty.”
“There’s definitely something wrong with them. No ability to sit still, a much under valued quality.” Brick demonstrated the art of stillness to perfection as he settled in to his new position. “Never trust a man who can’t sit still, especially when he hangs around with someone else of a similar mental hindrance.” Brick tested how much comfier life was with his eyes closed. The answer was difficult to quantify without sounding like an over-exaggeration.
There was indeed something curious about Brick and Spiritwind’s neighbours, Rick and Biritvind. The pair trained without explanation or purpose for eighteen hours a day: fighting styles, gymnastics, electronics, gadget building, weapon construction and numerous other activities that defied sense or labelling. Perhaps the only thing more curious than their behaviour was the explanation behind it.
Rick and Biritvind were an essential part of the Earth franchise program. They were the inbuilt defence system devised by the designers to protect the planet from anyone wishing to seize control. Studies had shown armies to be ineffective when thwarting alien invasions, and so the Earth franchise company offered something different: two men trained for any situation that reared its head. Once activated the duo were programmed to search out other strays and survivors and form a small, cohesive group of bickering personalities, preferably with a fiery female one of the duo could slowly fall in love with. Such a unit stood an infinitely greater chance of victory than thousands of heavily armed men attacking each other.
Their existence was unbeknown to anybody outside of the company, Rick and Biritvind included. All they knew was something inside drove them to train for a time that may never come, a time that would right all that is wrong.
Brick and Spiritwind lacked such an inner drive, leaving conversation between the houses limited to pleasantries and bold statements of virtue and defiance.
Brick had no sooner finished his sentence than he began the deepest of sleeps. Involuntary twitches became his only message to the watching world. Spiritwind responded with restlessness. He’d flicked through every channel on the television numerous times and all he’d achieved was a sore thumb and slight rise in frustration. He’d often been told he was easily amused, yet as he sat looking around the room he failed to see the truth in such a statement.
A full ten minutes passed without even a hint of amusement for Spiritwind. Curiosity had reared its head only to be satisfied swiftly, leaving pondering to take over. It focused on the fundamental differences between pondering and curiosity. It decided curiosity was the more motivated of the two. It had a sense of drive behind it to find out the answer. Pondering was merely happy to be out and about doing something. Spiritwind decided he preferred the stress free nature of pondering and chose to continue; only now he couldn’t remember what he’d been pondering. Curiosity seized its chance and began probing for answers about what he’d been thinking. Spiritwind side stepped the whole issue and decided waking his open mouthed housemate would be the easiest and greatest source of amusement to hand, and he knew the perfect way to do it: an impromptu game of Yoghurt Bucket.
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