by Tod Eten
‘What have you taken you muppet!’ George said laughing.
‘No straight up I am not seeing things, it was like a tiny human figure and it had these wings. Gary saw it he can back me up, can’t you mate!’ Colin said looking at Gary for help.
‘Well I did see some sort of light’ Gary said unconvincingly.
‘I am telling you it was a fairy’ Colin said in earnest.
‘You’ve both taken something haven’t you’ George said shaking his head ‘what was it, out with it and where can I get some?’ George said and everyone laughed.
‘But straight up I saw it!’ Colin now pleaded.
So the night continued in an alcohol fueled haze.
The next day Aiden woke with a thumping hangover and the realisation that he had to now work out what he was going to do next. Yesterday with a few beers inside him he had liked the idea of getting out, just escaping from the rat race! But in the cold light of a new day and with his head pounding things didn’t seem quite so clear cut. George was right what would he do when he was over there? If he worked in a bar he might just scrape by but then what! After all he wasn’t getting any younger. But on the other hand he thought you never know what could happen. He might get lucky and find a great job and maybe money was not the most important thing in life anyway. So the arguments played out in Aiden’s mind going one way and then back the other reminding him of the song by the Clash ‘Should I stay or should I go’. Aiden decided that the best thing for him to do was take a walk and clear his head it was another nice day after all. After a quick shower and a change of clothes Aiden set off through the streets of London and for no particular reason decided to make for Hyde Park. The streets were as busy as ever with cars and buses bumper to bumper and the pavements over flowing with shoppers and tourists alike. By the time Aiden got to the park his head felt much better. He looked about for a nice spot on the grass to sit when he heard a voice speaking through a loudspeaker followed by the roar of a crowd. Out of curiosity Aiden decided to see what was going on and followed in the direction of the clamour. He discovered on the other side of some trees a mass of peoplewho had gathered, many with banners and placards. They were now listening intently to a group of people on a stage in the distance.
‘I say to you all that we can’t allow this to go on!’ shouted a man on stage his voice through the massive speakers on either side of the stage echoing around the crowd. ‘Our elderly die from the cold because they can’t afford to pay their fuel bills. Our children have to pay for a university education, a burden that they will carry for the rest of their lives. Whilest the rest of us struggle to keep our jobs and pay for these ever increasing bills.’ The crowd roared as one in agreement. ‘And what about the powers that rule us?’ the speaker continued after the crowd went silent once more. ‘What about the politicians who sit comfortably in their ivory towers working out ways to feather their own nests and take even more money from the ordinary man and woman on the street, instead of the fat cats who bleed us dry every day!'
The crowd roared its anger.
'Did the bankers have to pay for their greed?’ the speaker now shouted.
‘NO!’ the crowd roared.
‘And are we being made to pay for their mistakes of the rich?’
‘YES!’ Roared the crowd
‘And are we going to stand by and let them destroy us?’
‘NO!’ roared the crowd.
‘Then we must show them all, we must stand together all of us for we are just a few of many! There are millions of us the length and breadth of this country that are suffering while the few live the high life on the backs of our sweat and toil. Are we going to let them do this to us?’
‘NO’ Aiden joined in with the crowd finding himself in full agreement with the speaker.
‘Then let us march and show these people that we will no longer stand for their greed’
With that the crowd roared and a band struck up somewhere in the distance.
Aiden saw from the banners and placards around him that there were many different organisations at the rally from trade unions to youth movements and even some mothers groups. Aiden thought there must be hundreds of thousands of people there, he then remembered that a big demonstration had been planned for today. Aiden joined in with the marchers feeling he wanted to add his support, especially after what had happened yesterday. There were Aiden realised many more people than he had first guessed and as they walked through the streets of London they brought everything to a standstill. There were lines of police on either side of the marchers behind which the tourists and shoppers stood staring at the spectacle. The marchers themselves seemed to come from all walks of life and were of all ages. They each had one thing in common which was the unfair way that they felt that they, their families and their friends were being treated. There were students who were angry at having to pay tens of thousands of pounds for an education that was once free. There were others like Aiden who did not have a job. There was group of lorry drivers angry at the high cost of fuel and there were yet more people angry at the pay cuts they had received and the extra hours they were being made to work. Aiden shouted along with the rest of the crowd releasing the anger that had been building inside of him. They marched on slowly through the centre of London their chants echoing around the buildings and streets until they came to a halt around mid afternoon and there they waited still chanting their protests. As the time wore on Aiden could see that people were beginning to get agitated and then a rumour swept down the line that the police had stopped the march and were trying to break it up. Aiden looked at the line of police next to him and he saw that there were more police in full riot gear pouring in from the side streets. People started shouting that they had a right to demonstrate that this was a free society not a police state and the crowd’s agitation grew even more.
‘Attention attention’ Aiden heard someone shouting over a loud hailer, ‘this demonstration has been deemed in breach of the anti terror laws and as such is to be disbanded immediately you will all remain where you are, you will be told by the police when you can go and you will then disperse peacefully.’
A murmur ran through the crowd with people not knowing what to do next. Then from somewhere up ahead some people started chanting ‘We will overcome, we will overcome’ which was quickly taken up by the other matchers. Soon hundreds of thousands of voices were chanting ‘WE WILL OVER COME’ at the tops of their voices. Aiden was not sure what happened next but he read in the papers the next day that the police had been forced to charge the demonstrators because some of them had started hurling missiles at them. What ever the cause for the police charge it was not long before the violence spread down the column of marchers. Without warning the riot police that Aiden had spied earlier now rushed in on both sides of the demonstrators swinging their batons indiscriminately. Aiden watched in horror as he saw people being knocked to the ground in front of him blood flowing from the wounds on their heads. Some of the marchers now fought back and soon chaos reigned. Aiden then heard a young child screaming in terror and looking behind him he saw a young girl no more than eight years old clinging to her terrified mother behind whom were other women and children who represented some kind of single mothers group. Aiden saw that some of the other marchers had also seen the mothers and children and as one they formed a shield in front of these helpless people. Aiden stood his ground with the others for what seemed an age but luckily the main trouble was still some distance away from them. Finally Aiden saw a break in the police lines and immediately urged the group behind him to make their way through as he and the others guarded their escape. Aiden followed behind the group as they ran down a small side street away from the fighting. Aiden stopped and looked back at the scene behind him. He watched as the riot police attacked all who stood before them. Hemmed in the middle of these baton wielding thugs cowered the majority of the marchers who had no where to escape to! Already Aiden could see there were a number of marchers lying motionless on t
he floor as the police trampled over them but Aiden was helpless there was nothing he could do except bear witness to unfolding carnage.
Chapter 6 - Strange Creature
That night Aiden went to his local pub. He stood at the bar watching the evening news on the pub's TV. He especially wanted to see what they had to say about the march earlier that day and the appalling way the police had behaved. Aiden did not know it yet but he was about to get yet another big shock. The news reporter claimed that hundreds of people had been injured and twenty two killed as a direct result of a minority demonstrator bent on violence. She went on to say that the trouble makers had caused a stampede which resulted in most of the injuries and deaths. She finished by saying that the police had done their best to try and contain the violent protestors in order to protect the other demonstrators, and that if it hann't been for their efforts of the police many more would have been injured and killed! Adien listed to the new report open mouthed. According to them the vast majority of the injuries and all of the deaths were caused by people being trampled underfoot by the demonstrators! In fact according to the reporters, everything that had happened was a direct cause of the behaviour of the demonstrators themselves. But Aiden had been there and had seen with his own eyes what the police were doing! How could they get it so wrong he wondered? It also seemed to Aiden that the news about the violence was only of minor importance. The main news item being about problems with the Muslim community, where a number of riots had happened across the country with many people being attacked and seriously injured by gangs of Muslim youths. There were lots of interviews with people lying injured in hospital and then some interviews with a number of young Muslim men who all angrily claimed that they wanted Sharia law for their neighbourhoods. Sharia law it seemed was a strict Islamic code of law where people could get their hands chopped off for stealing or stoned to death for adultery. The young Muslim men also demanded that they were entitled to their rights and said that they were being victimised by the British community.
‘They should all be kicked out of the country’ Chand one of the regulars said, who was standing at the bar beside Aiden.
‘But aren’t you...’ Terry the landlord paused not sure how to finish his sentance.
‘Muslim! Don’t be daft my family are from India we’re Hindu. We hate the fucking Muslims’ Chand nearly spat.
‘Sorry I just always thought’ Terry apologised.
‘They have been screwing up India for years you know and now they’re trying to do the same thing here’ Chand continued. ‘If they want an Islamic state they should bugger off back to their own countries!’
‘I don’t disagree with you there’ agreed Ray another regular standing at the bar ‘If they don’t like how we run this country then they should all go back.’
‘Trouble is they won’t do that because their countries are all broke and you know why that is? It’s because all that their leaders are interested in is grabbing as much money and power as they can for themselves and leaving the rest of country in poverty. And the more those idiots remain in poverty the more they turn to their religious leaders who tell them its all the non muslims fault!’ Chand scoffed.
‘Seems to me that sort of thing happens here as well, our leaders grabbing all the money for themselves! Anyway so what you’re saying is that it’s not really their fault then’ Terry said cleaning a beer glass thoughtfully.
‘What do you mean?’ Chand said looking confused.
‘Well you said that it’s their leaders that keep them in poverty which is why they turn to religion so don’t that mean that it’s their leaders fault, not theirs like.’ Terry answered.
‘Well that don’t explain why the ones over here want a Muslim state’ Chand said not to be deflected.
‘It’s no good being nice to people they will just take more and more’ Ray said to no one in particular. ‘And we should send all the Eastern Europeans back home as well. I mean here we are in a recession and they all come over here to milk the system how can that be right’ Ray said looking at Terry.
‘I heard that the Polish are alright’ Terry said still polishing his glass.
‘The Polish?’ Ray said his turn to be confused.
‘Yes the Polish, I heard they were hard workers and don’t forget little Karina who works here’ Terry said
‘Christ Terry do you like everyone!’ Ray spluttered.
‘Well... I don’t like Tottenham much, what with me being an Arsenal fan and all that. But they’re not so bad either’ Terry said looking thoughtful.
‘Christ he’s a saint!’ Ray snorted looking at the others.
‘I just think most people are OK, sure there are a few bad uns. But on the whole if you are nice to people they are nice right back’ Terry said finally putting away his cleaned glass and picking up another one.
‘What do you think Aiden?’ Chand asked turning to look at him.
‘I think that they have hushed up the story about the march’ Aiden said surprising them all.
‘Hushed up ?’ Terry frowned looking at Aiden.
‘Yea I was there today! It was a peaceful march until the police waded in with their batons like the bloody Gestapo. They were hitting anyone who got in their way. I saw four or five innocent people that they knocked unconscious! But according to the news it was the protesters who did it to themselves. But it was the police that did it all, I was there I saw it for myself.’ Aiden said angrily.
‘Weren’t they all communists in that march’ Ray stated.
‘No Ray they weren’t communists they were mostly ordinary people. There were even mothers with little children there for Christs sake!’ Aiden said in exasperation.
‘OK, OK’ Ray said raising his hands in mock surrender ‘it’s just I heard that the communists and anarchists had organised the demonstration and that their sole intention was to cause as much disruption and destruction that they could!’
‘Well I was there and they looked like normal people to me’ Aiden said firmly.
‘OK I believe you, so why didn't they not report it like you said then?’ Ray asked.
‘Cover up most likely’ Terry said casually with a shrug.
‘Cover up what?’ Ray asked looking at the publican.
‘Well if what Aiden says is true, which I am sure it is of course Aiden! Then the government will want it kept quiet. That sort of thing can cause a lot of problems for governments you know the police going round beating up innocent people. So they will pull some strings and spin a few stories to make sure it’s hushed up like’ Terry said holding his glass up to the light to make sure it was spotless.
‘No way, the media can’t be controlled by the government’ Chand disagreed.
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that, you know how it goes you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. You know what I mean!’ Terry said tapping the side of his nose knowingly. ‘Media always got to be controlled you see. If they weren’t there’s no telling what they could do, bring down governments, start wars you name it they have the power to do it!’
‘Listen to this’ Ray interrupted pointing to the TV where there was a video of some strange creature that was swimming through the water. It had a long neck and a head like a horse and several more humps that stood out of the water behind it, you could clearly see the creature turning its head this way and that and see the wake it made as it ploughed through the water.
‘Video had just been released of a sighting of the Loch Ness monster, the footage was shot by an Australian tourist earlier today and seems to show what looks like a prehistoric dinosaur swimming through the Loch’ the newscaster said. ‘The video has already caused much excitement in the scientific community with experts suggesting that the creature looked like a Plesiosaur, a creature that was thought to have been made extinct over 50 million years ago during the KT Extinction period.'
‘My god it’s Nessie!’ Ray exclaimed.
‘A fake more like’ Chand said sceptically.
�
�Fake, you could see it moving its ears and turning its head, there look’ Ray pointed as they replayed the video footage, ‘that’s as real as I am’.
‘Computer graphics that’s all! You can do anything with computer graphics’ Chand said knowingly.
‘Looks pretty real to me, if it is a fake someone’s done a good job there’ Terry said agreeing with Ray.
‘Of course it’s a fake! I mean Plesiosaurs died out millions of years ago like all the other dinosaurs they’re not going to just suddenly come back to life are they!’ Chand said shaking his head in disbelief.
Just then the TV signal broke up and the picture became a mass incoherent of squiggles accompanied by the noise of static from the speakers.
‘Dam stupid solar flares’ Ray thumped the bar with his fist.
‘Might as well turn it off now news is nearly finished anyways’ Terry said picking up the remote from under the bar and turning the TV off.
‘I’m telling you that were real’ Ray said starting of the argument anew.
Aiden didn’t listen to what they were saying. Something was nagging him but he could not put his finger on just what it was. It had something to do with the sighting of the Loch Ness Monster but what was it Aiden thought to himself. Something about the Loch Ness Monster had a connection with something else and then he had it, Colin! Last night Colin had sworn he had seen a fairy and now today there is footage of the Loch Ness Monster. Seems that mythical creatures are coming back to life Aiden thought to himself wryly.
