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?