by Paul Vayro
Chapter Eight
Brick stirred from his slumber to discover a mildly wet sock atop his chest.
Turning blearily to his right he saw Spiritwind smiling back at him from the sofa.
“That’s not funny you know.” Brick shook his torso in an attempt to dislodge the offending footwear. He didn’t wish to lose his position of comfort again.
“It made me chuckle.” Spiritwind peeled another egg as the door knocker knocked.
“Who could that possibly be?” Brick continued to wrestle with the sock. It sat on the brink of sliding down his body to obscurity.
“We both know there’s only one way to find out.” Spiritwind dipped his egg into a bowl of soy sauce as neither moved. The knock returned. It sounded forceful.
“That’s a very determined request for entry. I fear they aren’t going away without an answer.” Neither moved as Brick put forward his case for staying sat down. “As I’m in the midst of dealing with a problem of your making, I cannot do anything about the door situation.” A final shimmy brought a smile to Brick’s face as the sock disappeared down the side of his body. It coincided with Spiritwind standing up. His curiosity of who the visitor may be far outweighed his need to out stubborn Brick.
“Who is it?” Brick fired the question as Spiritwind stepped into the hallway. He knew nothing had been revealed yet. Spiritwind didn’t answer his friend with anything other than a scornful facial expression.
Returning his face to its default setting, Spiritwind swung the door open. His two neighbours stood before him.
“Hey, neighbour.” Rick and Biritvind from next door stood proudly on the doorstep. Both had jaws and frames that resembled Victorian furniture, they promised the same inherent pride and strength you could expect from any wardrobe and dresser combination. Not a hair sat out of place on either. Their teeth beamed from their chiselled, battle ready faces, as a twinkle sat in their eyes awaiting any females in the area. After much grinning, Rick spoke. “I and my peer in arms were outside training when a little exuberance took over. An object of ours has found itself within the realms of your property. We seek permission to return it to its rightful home?” The duo swung their arms in joyous camaraderie as the sentence ended.
“Are you asking if you can get your ball back?” Spiritwind went straight to the heart of the matter.
“Who wants their ball back?” Brick had decided to investigate for himself.
“Fellow neighbour.” Rick took the role of speaker once more. “We were just informing your comrade here….”
“Comrade?” Brick looked at Spiritwind. A subtle shake of the head told him he didn’t know either. Spiritwind didn’t wish to hear the story again and interrupted.
“…That’s fine. Do you want to come through and get it?” Spiritwind stood aside in a welcoming gesture.
“Neighbour, we appreciate your permission and shall retrieve the object, but we have a plan in mind to do so.”
“You can just come through the house and get it if you like.” Spiritwind wished he’d brought a pre dipped egg with him. This was taking far longer than it needed to.
“The road of easy answers leads to watching the world pass by rather than straddling its back and riding it for all it can be. Our plan will suffice. Good day to you.” Rick turned to leave before Biritvind reminded him of something with a tilt of his head. He returned to the door before Spiritwind had chance to close it. Rick’s body language suggested he was whispering, although his volume remained at a general conversation level. “Should the power to your abode suddenly disappear, and your home be plunged into darkness, do not despair. It will only last for thirty one seconds. By the time it returns the object which blights your outdoor space will no longer be a burden in your life.” Rick and Biritvind turned and left as one. Their stroll down the path had an air of determination that felt somewhat unnecessary.
“What was that?” Brick needed a synopsis of what just happened.
“That was our next door neighbours informing us they’d thrown something into our garden by mistake, and asking if they could get it.” Spiritwind closed the door and headed back to the living room as he explained.
“So why didn’t you just let them come through and get it?”
“Were you not paying any attention? I offered but they said they had a plan.”
“Must have missed that, I was too busy staring at his utility belt. Did you see all the gadgets he had on it?” As Brick prepared to take his seat the power went off. A thud emerged from the darkness.
“They said this might happen. I’m going to watch.” Spiritwind grabbed an egg and headed to the kitchen. He wasn’t about to be caught snack free so soon after the last episode.
“Why am I on the floor?” Brick picked himself up and followed his friend. After running into the wall, Brick finally made it to the kitchen window to stand next to his housemate. “What’s happening?”
“Nothing yet.”
As Spiritwind replied a shadow flashed through the garden, quickly followed by a second. Both were careering through the air in gymnastic fashion before coming to rest within twenty feet of a metallic object half buried in the ground. It resembled a medieval ball and chain covered with excessively large spikes. The shadowy figures blended in to the ground, until one leapt and back flipped its way towards the chain. The second headed in the same direction in similar fashion. The first picked the chain up mid flip and used his momentum to fling the ball high into the night air. The second shadow flipped over the first, grabbing his shoulders on the way and throwing him back to the garden whence he came. With a few fancy dives and rolls the second shadow skipped onto the fence, balancing on one leg whilst pointing his head in the direction of the mace. With a quick tense he leapt fifteen feet straight up and caught the medieval weaponry before spinning and releasing the silver object back towards Rick and Biritvind’s garden. The mace disappeared into a bag held by the now waiting first figure, a subtle twist taking the power from it. The other shadow landed back on the fence before dismounting with a triple salchow. As he touched the ground the power to Brick and Spiritwind’s house returned.
“There really was no need for all that.” Spiritwind turned to his friend.
“I guess some people just weren’t born with the gift of common sense we possess.” Brick validated the comment with agreement and a nod.
“Seen as I’m in the kitchen I might fix myself a snack. Fancy anything?” Spiritwind put the spectacle behind him and focused on his own plans.
“Get something to accompany a good film. I’m in the mood for some pointless stunts and explosions. I’ll go and pick one.” Brick similarly felt no further discussion of the event was required. He headed back to the living room, running their movie collection through his mind, all the time strolling with the wariness of an action hero in hostile lands.
“If we’re having a film night I may just have to make a few special dips.” Spiritwind rubbed his hands and began gathering ingredients.
“Film and dips. You can’t tell me they aren’t more fun than rolling round a garden. Well you can but expect to be called delusional in response….”
The two continued with their evening, happy living by their simple philosophy: the easy way is the obvious way. One day the world would bask in their wisdom, but for now it had nothing to offer the duo except disappointing glances.
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