Chapter 6: Hung Up

Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay, but here's a bit more for you to read. Chapter 7 on its way! 

-Author

***

Nick's ears started functioning before the rest of his body. He heard the rhythmic trickling of a creek, the delighted squeals of birds overhead and the sound of voices; the latter being rather distant. He realised that he was lying flat on the ground, and tried to sit up. He groaned as he opened his eyes and looked around. He seemed to have fallen in some sort of a clearing.

About fifteen metres away from where he sat began a thicket, which seemed to be the source of much of the birdsong. He stood up straight, brushed himself off and looked around.

He could see a large number of people a distance away, and immediately got up on his feet, picked up his bag (which had somehow made it along) and ran towards them. 

Nick was feeling tired. And scared. But still confused. He had no idea why he was here, but somehow, after being assaulted by a pig army and sucked through a hose pipe, he had kept his cool and was far from a mental breakdown. And that is why, Nick, showing one of the true virtues of a hero, he carried on with a look of fierce determination on his face. 

As he approached the humans, he subconsciously noticed two things from a distance. 

Firstly, they were all kids, some his age, some older, and some even younger. 

Secondly, he noticed that there were about three hundred of them. 

As soon as he was about to approach the nearest boy, a thin lad with brown skin, his world turned upside down. His feet were sucked into the sky, and he was violently jerked upside down, and he realised that there was a strong cord around his ankle, latching him onto a nearby tree. 

Nick was thrown into a moment of absolute confusion after this. He vaguely remembered screaming his head off, little flecks of his own blood peppering his face and thrashing around until he had tired himself, and looked around with a murderous, savage look in his eyes.

The strange part was that the nearby children didn't seem too surprised by this. The older ones gathered round with expressions of mild amusement, while the younger ones just looked at him in utter confusion. Nobody seemed overly surprised to see him. Nick fixed his glare on the brown skinned boy, and he just stared right back.

Nick now got a good look at the place where everyone had gathered. It was a large clearing, among the forested area where he had woken up. Large trees lined the sides of the ground, with small groups of smiling kids enjoying the sweet sun under them. Patches of brightly coloured flowers were sprinkled around the whole field. Birds flew around from tree to tree, filling the air with their happy chirps, and occasionally swooping down to meet the happy children.

There was a sizeable group of them gathered around him, watching him, waiting for him to make the next move. He just stared at brown boy, subconsciously taking in all these facts. After a few minute of intense staring, he noticed where everyone was actually going. There was kind of an irregular line moving towards a little structure at one end of the clearing. He squinted a bit at the structure, no bigger than a bathtub, with people lined around it. Nick couldn't understand why, but everyone was generally facing in that direction, slowly moving towards it.

And as he watched closely, three students just fell through it, the screams still stuck on their faces.

***

Stay tuned for more!

Chapter 5: The Great Escape

Nick was utterly bewildered. He had absolutely no plan and was outnumbered and probably even outgunned. His big brain was working furiously to hold on to anything that would give him even a drop of hope.
A Drop.
He caught sight of an open tap and a hose some distance away, at the very corner of the barn. It was common knowledge that pigs hated water...So, Nick needed it.

He was not tied to anything, which he noted was extremely careless on the pigs' part. Even the dark brown muck had faded. It was just him and the water vs. the pigs. Nick had never been the athlete type, and he knew it would take him more than a handy mathematical equation to get him pout of here. So he steadied himself, took aim and sucked in all the air he could.
He closed his eyes and sprinted towards the pipe, each step feeling more helpless than the other.
Did I do the right thing?
Are my laces tied?
Too late to think about that now.

So Bring it on, Barnies!, he silently screamed in his head.

The Barnies had been taken by surprise. The big gruff pig (leader) just stared at him as he ran towards the pipe. But then, he managed to recover his wits and screamed as loud as his tiny piggy lungs would allow him.
"Capture the Human! I want the scumbag chopped to pieces!", he roared.
By now Nick was only a few strides away from the pipe. An uplifting feeling of slow ecstasy overtook the mountains of doubt in him. He could make it now. This was it.

He was unaware of the hundreds of heavily armed, highly trained, vicious and unforgiving pigs charging at him. He was unaware of the big gruff pig taking aim on his bow. He was unaware of the Pig Artillery steadying their aim. He only knew that their was a pipe ahead of him, and that was all he needed.

He finally reached the pipe. It was no longer dripping now, in fact the land around it seemed parched; rain was now a stranger. He looked around frantically for a tap, but in vain.
By now the pig army was barely twenty feet away from him. His heart pounded desperately in his chest, each beat resonating in his head.

The pigs were dying to get Nick. Not all of them had tasted human blood, and those who had were in no mood to share.

Nick's hands met with a small red valve on the underside of the pipe, cleverly concealed. He twisted it, expecting a jet of cool aqua too wash his cares away. Literally.
Instead the pipe just sputtered, coughed and died. Nothing came out, not even the tiniest of drops. Cornered and helpless, Nick was really in trouble now.

The pipe was making odd noises now. "Water, water, water", Nick muttered under his breath.
The pigs did not seem afraid of it, though it had made them a bit more hesitant. They were chanting now, a slow, rhythmic chant that sent shivers down poor Nick's spine.

The pipe was making louder noises now, and Nick wasn't sure whether to be assured or angry. So as he stood there wondering what to do, he felt a small pull at his legs. It was the pipe. It was pulling him towards it, gradually getting stronger. Nick tried to fight it, but gave up realising that he had nowhere to go.

So he was sucked into the pipe, travelling through it so fast that he felt the skin on his face would peel off. Back in the barn, an arrow now stuck out where his head had been a few moments ago.

He was pulled along helplessly, into a land unknown.

                                                          "Stay tuned for more"-Author

Chapter 4: Barnyard Baloney

Nick woke up to a round, pink, staring face with two beady black eyes blinking at him at five second intervals. He sat up groggily, and tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He realized that his feet were secured to the ground with some dark brown muck. A quick look around told him that he was alone in a barn except for the pig.
The PIG.
It stood a few feet ahead of him on its hind legs. It kept wringing its hands (or hooves, whatever), as if it were anxious or in tension. The pig's head was tilted to one side, and it regarded Nick with a mix of terror, pity and a tinge of sadness.
Now that can't look pretty on any face.
Unaware of the consequences of his next action, Nick continued staring back at the pig, his mind working furiously trying to grasp on anything to get him out of this fix. Unfortunately, the pig did not take well to this gesture, its face abruptly losing all traces of sympathy.

Scientifically speaking, a pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. 

Suddenly, the Baryard exploded with hundreds of 'even-toed ungulates'; most of them bursting through gates Nick had not noticed before. The pig in front of him was now staring at him with an expression of anger, disdain, and possibly arrogance, as if Nick were the animal who hadn't showered for three weeks.

Now, our friend has been presented with a very peculiar situation that we would not really associate our heroes with. Confronted in the middle of nowhere by an army of dangerously annoyed pigs with not even a twig to defend yourself?
'Ahem', Nick cleared his throat.
'Keep shut you pathetic creature, have patience while we decide your sorry fate!' , the pig snapped in rapid piggish.
'Excuse Me, But I don't speak piggish', replied Nick in perfect piggish.
'I see', said the pig, obviously not seeing anything.
'Eh'
'So how do you walk on two legs?'
'Uhm...'
'Ha! I knew this fellow was useless...'
'SHUT UP! Both of you!' Barked another gruff looking pig. This time both Nick and the pig obeyed.

But this was just some chit-chat Nick was having to buy himself some time to think. Unluckily, his mind was absolutely blank. Only a miracle could save him now.

And so it did...

Chapter 3: Good-bye, Mr Chips!

Although there were still seventy-two long hours to go for his departure, Nick's bags were packed and he was ready to leave at a moments notice. He often found himself checking his things and going over all the details, which his parents seemed rather reluctant to give. Unfortunately, the reason and logic behind his actions were best known to him.

For the past few nights he had been reliving the same incident over and over again. Well, it wasn't actually just any incident, but more of a weird dream.

He sat at his nearly empty desk, head on hands, waiting for the time to leave. Inevitably, he fell into the world of deep slumber.

He was back in the small park that he would play in when he was young. It had treelined pathways, and lacked on playing equipment. So he would play with his imaginary and occasionally real friends. The other people who visited the park were usually other neighborhood residents. But one fine day, his parents' favorite bench was inhabited by an old man in a top hat, complete with suit and tie. He had a compressed face like all the features had had to be squeezed in to fit them, and his mouth was nothing more than a thin line between his cheeks. Naturally, his parents sat on another bench but the old man in the top hat kept staring at Nick during his play. As was in his inquisitive nature, the five year old's brain could not help throwing up a question.
Why is he staring at me?
He went over to the man and stood there, waiting for him to make the first move. The man leaned forward, until his face was about an inch from Nick's. The young lad stood there, barely scared, merely curious.
Then the old man in the top hat leaned forward and pointed at a spot about twenty meters away. The boy turned and looked, not quite getting the gesture.
The old man continued to point.
Nick went and stood there, and suddenly, an electric blue bolt of lighting came from the clear sky, and engulfed the boy.
It disappeared abruptly, taking with it old man, top hat, and all.

Nick was greeted by the shaking of his shoulder and a voice ringing in his ears.
Wake up Nick, Time to go ,the voice said.
I do not know what is happening, so I will not move an inch ,his brain replied.
What's the matter with you! The voice sounded angry now.
This voice sounds oddly like my mother's ,his brain noted.

His brain jolted him back into reality and activated the rest of his body, which isn't often a pretty sight. His eyes focused and saw his mother standing in front of him with her arms folded. She didn't look too happy.
And that, cannot be good at all.
'Get up we're leaving now'.
'But I have three full days!', he whined.
'I said MOVE!' ,she shouted, and went out of the room.
Oops, he thought usually mom is snappy only when something bad is gonna happen.

Sometimes it's amazing how correct a person can be, isn't it?

He picked up his bags and walked to the door. Although he looked quiet on the outside, he was thinking of all the possibilities on the inside.
What can happen? Nuclear Blast? Unicorn Stampede?
Outside his house he saw a pure black sedan waiting for him. He glanced at his parents, who had managed to put on very sombre faces.
His mother called him close, and whispered 'Promise me you'll be a good boy'
'I will', he replied. Suddenly his throat felt abnormally dry, and he felt a tear on his cheek. He wasn't sure who's it was.
Nick glanced at his father who gave an encouraging nod with a small smile. He walked him to the door of the car and sat him in. He heard his mother shout 'Goodbye Nick! Keep writing'

As odd as it would seem, his brain, most likely prompted by the previous sentence, threw up a random thought.
Good-bye Mr Chips!
What was that about! he wondered.
Then, the driver turned back at Nick and winked.
In fairness to the gravity of the situation at hand, I feel I should describe the wink in slow motion.
When the driver's eyelid was a quarter of the way down, Nick felt a cold sweat break out on his spine. His eyes flashed out, but nobody was there.
The eyelids had progressed towards the halfway mark, and he felt all the sweat dry on his spine, probably the only thing holding him straight.
The wink was complete now, revealing two large teeth on the driver's jaw. Nick felt very cold and then hot. Then he started shaking very violently yet uncontrollably. He was as clueless as you are.

But it was at that very moment that the pigs arrived.

The PIGS?

Chapter 2: Surrounded by Fools

Nick Bolt is an ordinary boy just like you and me. He has piercing blue eyes, which never seemed to find peace in their sockets. This was also the case with his dark black hair which seemed to grow faster after every unfortunate trip to the barber. He was not too popular or social, and had picked up the nickname 'brain boy' at school. Not just because of his exceptional grades, but also because of his ability to turn unpleasant situations in his favor.
Allow me to illustrate with an example.

Bully: Well look who's here! You got somethin' to say, Brainboy? Coz my fist is lookin' angry.

Nick: Why hello there, Bob!

Bully: Bob?

Nick: Did you say something Rob?

Bully: Rob?

Nick: Would you mind speaking a bit louder Tom?

Bully: I don't no see any Bob, Rob, Tom or Jim here Brainboy, but I'm in a bad mood right now and you seem to be the cause. So stop messin' with me.

Nick:  (innocently) But I never mentioned Jim.

Bully: You playin' smart with me Brainboy? I'll beat ya' black and blue!

Nick: Oh! I'm utterly terrified my friend! Whatever shall I do now?!

Bully's a-bit-more-sensible Friend: Shut up Nick. You're like the start of a bad joke. 

Nick: Doesn't that make you the punch line?

By now the large crowd that had gathered to watch is laughing and a few are calling out for more. The poor bully's tiny brain catches up and realizes that it is the butt of all the jokes. You could almost see the steam coming out of his ears as his brain overheated trying to process all this information. But then again, he's helpless in front of the crowd. I almost feel sorry for the effete fellow. Almost.

Thus Nick always manages to get away unscathed. It is always his most proud moment of the day. 

But behind this is a small foible. Nick believes himself to be a bit more intelligent than all others. He easily loses focus at important times and is attracted Often, while unsuccessfully trying to explain his complex ideology to others, he comes across the same phrase.

I am surrounded by fools.

***

For the past few days Nick's 'laugh-ability' had been running drastically low. Either his jokes weren't funny anymore, or he wasn't making funny jokes, or both. Whatever the cause, he was still on the decline.

Today he had been scolded by his teacher for not paying enough attention in class. The truth, very much contradicting the teacher's claim, was that he had been closely following the progress of an ant crawling on his friend's sleeve. Even his talent to wriggle out of this fix had abandoned him.

As he sat at the window, mulling over the day's events, he heard his mom call out.

'Nick'

'Yes mom'

'Get down here.'

'I'm on my way', he muttered while flying down the stairs. Literally. Mom didn't like to be delayed.

Had he known what news waited for him, I'm sure he wouldn't have moved an inch.

When he reached he found his parents seated on the sofa, quietly talking. 

'Have a seat Nick', said his father in a very unfatherlike way. 

As he sat, his mother spoke up. 'Do you like your school?'

Nick shifted uncomfortably. 'What do you mean?'

'Are you happy with your schooling?'

'More or less'

'I want a yes or no.'

Nick thought about it. The next word he spoke could have several implications. His brain said that he should stay, but his heart said that it was terribly unhappy.

He had to listen to one of them, doesn't he?

So he said 'No'

His mother sighed, 'I've found an excellent place for you to go'

'Is it a boarding school?'

'Unfortunately yes', his father replied.

Nick's brain groaned internally, but his heart rejoiced at the freedom granted.

'What is it called?', he asked.

'BreakNeck Heights'

'When do I leave?'

'In two weeks.'

'You'll love it there', his father said in a consoling tone.

I seriously doubt it. was his one and only thought

Chapter 1: Questions

Before you start reading this book, I'd like to say that questions are very important things. A single question can lead you to give out long lectures, crisp one line answers, or even shake your head at its stupidity. A question can be answered by another question which may or may not have an answer. A question's questionneess or questionability can also be questioned with a questionable answer or even an answerable question. How would we be without questions?  Would we be question less perhaps? Do you realize you are being asked a question about another question?
So we can wrap it all up by saying that questions are very important things.

Aren't they?

***

The echo of the clip-clop of a horse's hooves resonated across the valley. A few vultures circled overhead, musing how this unfortunate messenger would taste. The messenger wasn't feeling even one bit scared and nor was his horse. In fact, there was nothing wrong with either of them. The horse was one of the finest available in the province, although many of them weren't left. Messengers were usually entitled to Needlebacks, who as the name suggests, had very spiky and occasionally poisonous needles on their backs. They had barely enough brainpower to fly properly and obey orders. Nevertheless, they were very reliable beasts who had never heard of disrespect. But then again, those needles do hurt. Coming back to our messenger, he had been sent straight from BreakNeck Heights, by an important person and was heading for a small inn. He was feeling rather proud of himself, partly because of his horse, and partly because of what might follow if his news was taken well. He kept thinking and smiling all the way.
I'm so lucky. Imagine what the others would say if the saw me.

and

I do hope Madam's in a good mood, I might even get invited to their party. 

He shuddered to even think what would happen if madam was not in a good mood.

But all the while, the same question kept nagging him.

Why have I been chosen? What's so special in me?

He spent the rest of the journey talking to himself, chuckling over his own jokes and congratulating himself on his horse. The horse on the other hand, proved to be a bit more sensible.

After a while our friend reached and looked around warily. He spotted one boulder above the door, two string traps and a hidden nest of red ants. Particularly nasty. He sighed.

Typical of innkeepers, so secretive.

He tied the horse to a nearby tree and carefully went inside.  A few other NeedleBacks eye him suspiciously, but he had learned to ignore it over the years. His knock was answered on the first go, and then his dreaded Madam opened the door. She stood there, grinning down at him distastefully.

'Well, what have you got for me?'

'A message Madam', he knelt.

'Blurt it out.'

'Your master calls for your aid.'

Madam lifted his face with a long, painted fingernail, searching for nonexistent signs of a lie. The messenger noticed that her eyes were wide, fearful, grasping for anything to prove him wrong.

And suddenly, as unlikely as it would seem, Madam fainted, leaving the man pleasantly confused.

Rather short conversation, don't you think?