The Book

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           Brandon

The Years the Earth Stood Still

Brandon Sims

Intro:

If it had happened to you, you wouldn’t have believed it.  He didn’t believe, often I don’t believe it.  Humans, though, have a sixth sense, one that tells us what is real and what isn’t.  The only time that sense can be fooled is in sleep, in dreams.  When we slip down into that mysterious abyss we are controlled by that sense and almost all our feelings affect us as they would in our lives.

When we let those dreams take us by night we relive them in daytime.  They “haunt” us, if you will.  But that haunting isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It fills us up and may, in fact, be the very the heart of what helps us live through our days.

Our dreams are a very important part of who we are and without them we wouldn’t be who we are today.  There was a time when those dreams affected our world more than any of us now could know.

Chapter 1:

 Hugh huddled up in his corner.  Were he a lesser man he would be feeling the wind whip his beard across his face, he would feel the cold snow and the ice slap him cruelly in his eyes and he would hear his own moans.  But he suffered not these pains today.

He was widely known on the streets as “Animal” and he deserved it. More than a few times he had been mistaken by someone walking around his corner of 43^rd and Bucking as a bear escaped from the carnival and sheltered in a convenient place from the cold wind.  When he stood at full height he was an easy head and shoulders above anyone else in the town, and his never-cut hair and beard did nothing to remove from presence of size that betrayed his soft and calm nature. 

The night before he had appeared at the fighting rings in rags.  He stayed for hours and left with a bloodied face, a new coat and a new hat.  Hugh had betrayed his nature in order to keep warm, but today he smiled enjoying comfort that he did not often feel.  Today he had just woken up from three hours of the most peaceful sleep he had had in years. 

He slowly stood up and looked around his home.  It was dark, but he was not bothered by that.  Hugh had lived most of his life in the dark.  He had fought in a war for his country where he learned to live short nights and had trained his eyes to work in the dark.  He walked around his corner and down a cold street seeming to not be even touched by the wind blowing -6° air into his face.  He walked for several minutes with his head up watching his home sit still in the cold. 

Hugh moved fast for a man of such large frame and had you been watching him from down the street you would be surprised to see him walking and then seemingly disappear as he slipped into the grill where he had been recently given a job.  He had learned to cook in the military and was possibly known more for his ability to make a meal out of nothing than his size and strength.

He found his boss and friend, Ashby, already sitting in the kitchen with the single light bulb above his head shedding yellow light through most of the cold, metallic looking room. 

“Hello!” Said Ashby, his light voice brightening up Hugh’s just a bit more. 

“Mornin’ Ashby” replied Hugh.

 “Nice coat, where’d you get it?” Said Ashby

Hugh poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down in a chair across from his friend “I spent some time at the fights last night, didn’t bet though.”

Adrian nodded and continued to smile at his employee.  “And your hat I see, I like that.”

“Thanks.” Hugh smiled and removed his hat.  He fiddled with it as they sat in silence, each dwelling on his own thoughts.  They spent most mornings like this, they each enjoyed it.  Company did not mean an opportunity to talk for either as they were both quiet by nature.   

Occasionally a small conversation would develop but it always faded into silence after a few minutes.  After a while Ashby stood up and began preparing his kitchen for a busy holiday.  Hugh helped him and while they worked they talked. 

Ashby started the conversation “Sleep well Hugh?  It’s cold out there.”

“Aye to both.  I feel really well, but I didn’t feel the cold today.  Been blessed with this coat.”

“I understand that.” Ashby smiled pulling the milk in from outside the door where the milk man had left it.

Hugh began cooking the ham in large slices and cutting it up and as people started arriving he and Ashby’s conversation ended. Hugh often took a piece of ham of a spoonful of grits to satisfy his appetite.  It didn’t take long before he had shed his new coat and worked in his ragged shirt quickly turning out food worthy of a king in mass quantities.  Hugh knew he had this talent and was often proud of it.  He had hopes higher than most of the men of his ranks.  He had always had plans bigger than everyone’s expectations of him. 

As I said Hugh was warm natured and friendly.  He was friends with everyone and he stopped at times in the morning to say hello to some of the regulars.  He often showed them his hat with the pride of a boy presenting his prize frog to his mother.  As the morning went by the workload decreased and after several hours of working he finally shut down his shift and waving goodbye to Ashby he slipped out the door and headed down the street to see what he could see. 

When the sun came out everything warmed up a little and the town livened.  Everyone had a little spring in their step and, since the holidays were upon them, there were a lot of people out.  He walked past butcher shops preparing meats for the celebrations that were soon to come and inhaled the smells coming from them.  He listened to all the sounds up and down the streets and watched the people running in and out and around him home.  When he reached his corner he found his fellows huddled around a fire opposite him, sharing from a bottle one of them had scavenged and laughing.  Hugh walked over and joined them and was readily accepted with cries of “Look it’s the animal!” He was loved by everyone in his circle and loved them in return.

He spent his day with these friends and the hours passed quickly till the sun set and people went to their houses.  The sounds of the street died down slowly and lights went out across the town.  When the time came and his friends had left the fire Hugh trudged across the street to his own corner where he laid down and curled up in his warm coat and closed his eyes and embraced a peaceful sleep again.

Chapter 2:

          He woke quickly the sound of shattered glass splitting the cold day.  All was still except a single green bottle in pieces still spinning across the street away from him.   Hugh leaped up and shook his head.  His hair was soaking wet and red blood stained a small part of his old battered hat.  He heard the wind whistle through the empty street and tried to figure out where he was.  He looked up at the sign in front of him that read in bold while print on one wide “43^rd Street S.” and on another “Bucking Street East” this is where he lived…

He saw across the street a tall building, one that he knew well, but with a larger section of a north facing wall ripped out and laying in pieces across the road.  Inside he saw burned walls and pieces of furniture littering the floor.  Fire burned somewhere in the distance.

 He ran across the road holding a coat of rags tight around him to keep him from the cold.  He looked around the pieces of the wall till he saw a body laying in the street covered in bricks and blood.  He rolled it over and saw what was left of a face, one that he knew.  Hugh stood up in fright and looked around frantically.

His heart pumping hard Hugh breathed a prayer and began to shout to anyone, or anything out there.  His ears pounded with the blood rushing to them.  His mind was clouded by wonder at what was happening.

The street lamps that he knew so well were in disarray, some still stood tall and some were bent or completely ripped away.  He hurried down the road looking and seeing nothing wrong except the lamp posts and that there were no people.  Last he remembers it had been Christmas Eve.  People were all around the streets and joy filled the London air. 

Hugh closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders against the wind and cold, the pain of his flesh outweighing the wonder of his mind. 

“What happened?” he wondered allowed. 

“It wasn’t my fault.” A voice spoke.

Hugh turned on his heel and shouted “Hello?”  He slipped on the ice and fell hard on the ground, and through it.

Then he woke up. A cold shiver drove down his spine and he looked up and yawned.  He pulled his coat a little closer around him and moved back against the building he slept by.  A milk cart drove by and Hugh looked around his street and watched the sun show just a little over the horizon.  He stood up and stretched slowly thinking about how much he loved his new coat.  Hugh rubbed his hands together against the cold and then held them in his jacket.  He shuffled his feet in the icy sludge that he had slept in and after a minute of rest trudged off down the street.

Everything was just the way he left it the night before.  He smiled and clapped his gloved hands as he worked one step at a time down the street.  As he walked under a street lamp the light flickered and died.  He glanced up and smiled at the light, probably hoping the warmth from his silent gesture would light the bulb again.  Hugh continued down the street and watched as everyone began waking up.  The sludge in the street would soon be crushed and splashed midst wagon wheels and the running footsteps of excited children. 

Christmas time was a good season for Hugh as he thrived on the joy of his surroundings and never was there a larger abundancy of joy than this season.  He smelled the sound of ham and toast frying as he walked past a busy intersection and smiled to himself again.  The city slowly passed by and as he turned onto the street where the grill was Hugh sighed to himself.  He opened the door with one hand and stepped in to find Ashby already cooking.  The city had woken up early this morning and it demanded nourishment.  Hugh quickly took his place beside Ashby dropping his coat on the table in the middle of the kitchen as he walked past. 

“Hello Hugh! I’m glad you’re here.”  Ashby smiled at his friend and turns some ham over on the grill he was using.

“ Aye, I’m glad this day is on us.  Always something to be grateful for.” Ashby started cooking toast and eggs in front of him.

“There is.  Oh! I found your hat on my table last night. You must have left it there yesterday.” Said Ashby.

“I did? Could’a sworn I’d had it last night. Oh well.” Hugh shrugged and began preparing food again in his swift and accurate manner.  He watched the grease pop and listened to the chatter of people in the other room as he cooked.  He continued working with Ashby by his side and would often hum under his breath.  He thought about things He wanted to do with his life. 

The day passed quickly and when everything was wrapped up Hugh left quietly this time remembering his hat.  He walked quickly down the street headed north.  Hugh walked quickly avoiding children running quickly up and down the street. He wondered to himself what tey thought about as he smiled while they ran in circles around their mothers or the more daring ones slid down the ice all along the street. After a while he slipped into a bar he would often frequent when he had a little bit of money on him. He ordered his favorite drink and found a chair along a table with a few other men talking among themselves. He needed company tonight. He listened to their voices as he thought about what was happening outside and how he wished he had someone to spend this time with.

Left to his own thoughts, Hugh did not notice the man who was now sitting across from him until he was greeted by him.

"Hello, Hugh?" Said the stranger.

"What? Aye, thats my name. Who are you?" Hugh eyed his new found acquaintance from across the table.                                                                                                                      "It doesn't really matter. I'm here to tell you something important." The man across the table was build tall and thin. He had a light beard of reddish hair matching that on his head. He wore no hat and the look on his face msde Hugh think that God's fortune must not have shined on this one recently. The man smiled and nodded at Hugh a little."What might that be.?" Replied Hugh                                                                                    "It's very important Hugh, and it's not something everyone would want to hear." The man said.                                                                                                                           "Oy? Alright. What is it?" Hugh had a curious tone in his voice already.                  "I can't tell you here. Tonight, I will see you tonight." The man's smile had faded quickly during his last sentence and Hugh's mind was buzzing.                                               "Why not? Wait who are you?" Said Hugh.                                                               "You'll understand. Just wait." The man replied. "Just wait..."                                  Then he was gone.                                                                                          Q         Hugh looked around the room quickly. He saw nobody except for the men at his table and the barman scrubbing the bar in front of him.                                                    "Oy!" He leaned into the group in front of him. "Who was that just now?"                          "Who, now?" Said one of them.                                                                                        "Him." Hugh pointed at the chair across from him. "Was sittin' right there not a minute ago."                                                                                                                                              The men looked at him with mild interest and a little more annoyance on their faces. The one who had taken the innitative earlier was quick to assure him that their had been nobody else at this table except for them.                                                                           "Aye, I didn't see anybody when I got up to get our drinks. Just you yourself." Said one of the others, a comically short Irish man with a top hat perched oddly on his head.                                                                                                                                             Hugh couldn't help but chuckle when he noticed the man. "Aye, must've had a little too much already. Thank you though."                                                                                   "Anytime." they Chorused at him as he stood up to leave. He laid a coin on the table and called out to the proprietor notifying him of his method of payment. The man tilted his head in something of a small nod of acknowledgement. Hugh walked out the door and smiled as he saw the sun setting behind the buildings across the street. He heard the clock strike seven times and laughed to himself.                                                               "I reckon that was enough time for me to be seeing things." He chuckled to himself as he turned down the walkway heading south toward 43rd street. He walked past several intersections and when he turned he was greeted with a chill blast of wind. Hugh lowered his head and hunched his shoulders against it as he walked east toward his corner. "Changes direction every hour." he mumbled.                                                                      Hugh glanced up to see where he was after several minutes. He saw a sign for Alpine street and laughed and shook his head out to clear his thoughts a little. The wind didn't bother him as he turned around and went west on 43rd street until he reached Buckley. He was home again one more night. He had made it through another Christmas with relatively few exitements, and that was enough to set his soul at rest as he huddled up against the cold again in his coat moving around very little till he found a comfortable spot. Here he fell asleep, and here he would dream.

Chapter 3

He woke again in the cold.  He pressed his body against the back of the building and huddled into his Coat.  Hugh knew cold, but this was worse than he had ever known before.  He opened one eyes and saw the foot that had kicked him awake just moments ago.  Behind that foot was his street.  The foot moved to kick him again and Hugh reached out and grabbed it proclaiming that he was awake.                                                  "I'm awake.  No need for that." Said Hugh                                                                     "Good. Get up." The owner of the foot said in a light voice that did not sound like it belonged to someone who would walk around kicking large street men. Hugh stood up and smiled at the man.                                                                                           "Wasn't sure if you'd make it or not." He said.                                                  "I told you I would, now come with me.  We've got work to do." The man said as he turned away from Hugh.                                                                                                        Hugh stood easily a foot above this man and they made a strange pair as the made their way along Bucking street until they reached the quiet intersection onto 40th.  There they turned east and Hugh though about how he used to take this path every morning to go work at the Grill.  He thought about Ashby and all the times they had spent together and he thought about the food he had cooked and how often he had taken pleasure in feeding people and seeing the joy on their faces on Christmas morning.     "When's Christmas Chuck?" Hugh said from behind his friend.                                        "Tomorrow.  Why?" Chuck glanced back.                                                                 "Oh I dunno, just wondering."  Hugh watched his feet as he walked.               It had been a year then.  A year since everything that had ever been worth mentioning, had happened.  People stayed in their houses on cold days like this, it was probably the memories that kept them in.  It had been, and was a hard time for all.  But they would make it through.  They had made it this far and they did not plan to stop.    Hugh kept a peaceful appearance but behind his great beard and the hard, yet gentle, lines of his face a great mind buzzed.  His mind had done more for the world than any  had expected.  He hoped and prayed that the gifts he had would be always useful to people.                                                                                                                                       Hugh walked in silence firs behind, now beside Chuck who had a determined look on his face and seemed to be thinking deeply.  Hugh looked down the street and as they walked he thought about everything that had happened  to him in the last year.  He thought about the people he had met and he thought about all the things they had done together.  He thought about the nights he had spent with no sleep and about how he had got what he always wanted.  Then Hugh thought about the things he still had to do.  His fight was far from over and he knew it.  Though he had made it through the hardest part, but the hardest part is never the only part.                                                                             Chuck turned into a tall building and as Hugh looked up he saw printed in large shiny red lettering running vertically.                                                                               "Carlton."                                                                                                                                They were in the hotel.  Hugh had spent time in here before but he didn't know what to expect this time.  He knew it would be different though.  Everything was.  He nodded at two men almost as large as he was standing at attention on either side of the door.  They saluted him in unison and he gave them a smile.  Hugh's friendly character had not been compromised over the last year and he didn't intend to let that happen now.  Both of the men smiled back at him and Hugh stood beside Chuck as the stepped inside the second set of large wooden doors and into the busy open court.  He smelled the smell of cigars and thought about the last time he had been here, Hugh didn't smile.  There were guards positioned all around the room and when the Hugh looked up at the large balcony that held the main Suite of rooms and meeting rooms he saw a cluster of several men in uniforms.                                                                                                                              "He's up there is he?" Hugh looked over for Chuck.  He wasn't there. "Oh!"  he hurried over to the table where Chuck was walking to. Several men sat around this table eating and talking.  The short Irishman glanced up and his familiar grin lightened up his face as he gave a comical salute to Hugh.                                                                          "Oi Hugh!" said the little man.                                                                       "Mornin' Skippy!" Hugh smiled at his little friend and then turned his attention back to the table of men gathered together in front of him.                                                                       Originally he had thought they were talking about a strategy of some sort but upon further investigation he found them all enjoying coffee and talking and laughing with eachother.  He smiled at this friendly gathering as the men began standing up around the table to greet him.  He shook each of their hands and talked to each man for a moment.  He was no longher known as the animal.                                                                          After all the greetings were over with Hugh sat beside Skip and watched everyone take their seats around the large round table. He accepted a cup of coffee from one of the servants and began to talk to his friends around the table.  He talked with Skip and he talked with Chuck mostly because he didn't know most of the other men.  They all knew him but he had never experienced the same things with these men as he had been through with Skippy and he hadn't spent the time with them that he had with Chuck.  He watched them and listened to their voices, taking in all the information he could get.  After being out of the loop this long Hugh knew he would have to learn everything about what was happening as soon as he could.  After a few minutes Hugh looked up at the balcony where he had seen the guards huddled together.  He saw the same guards in a line along the rails of the balcony, each standing as stiff as a statue.  He wondered if he would see his friend on this trip, but he doubted he would.  Hugh turned his attention back to the ground floor and listened in all all the conversations happening around him again.  He was starting to get the general idea of what was happening.  But he would need at least a briefing.                                                                                                                                    He turned to talk to Chuck after a minute and asked him what he was going to be doing today.
"I think we'll let you get settled in before you do too much.  Just learn your lay of the land today.  Everyone is glad your back, just talk and get to know everyone." said Chuck.            "Alright. I'm gonna need to know what's happened around here, it's been a while." Hugh was still looking around the room while talking.  Last time he had been here the balcony had been on the ground, the whole place had been in shambles.  Now the hotel was back in itt’s original state with bright red carpet and new chairs everywhere. He knew they would be fixing it, but he never thought they would have been able to do this much in such a short time. "How long has it been?" Hugh finished.                                                Chuck looked over at him for minute thinking "Almost six years now Hugh." he finally said.                                                                                                                             Hugh's eyes widened as he looked down at his coffee in his hands. "Wow." he looked up at the men around the table. "It doesn't feel like it. Are you sure?"                   Chuck nodded and watched the activity around the room.  There were men in every chair and standing in all the corners and all along the bar.                                     Each one was engaged in their own conversation or enjoying themselves. No one that he saw here was sad or hurting. Which was unusual. He was glad but it was still unusual. After several minutes Hugh leaned over to Skip.                                                     "Is he upstairs?" Hugh asked.                                                                                                           Skip beamed up at him and nodded in his usual manner. "Yes he is. You gonna go see him?"                                                                                                                                  "That’s the plan." Hugh stood up and placed his hand on his little friend's shoulder. "I'll be down in a bit."                                                                                             “I might go up there if your up for too long, have some business to see him about myself." Said the little man.                                                                                                      Hugh had already walked off toward the foot of the stairs and he looked back and nodded at Skip before he went up them. When he took the first step Hugh looked around the room again for a minute thinking about when he had been here last. He shivered thinking about the circumstances and when he finally put his foot on the next step he did it reluctantly. He knew that things changed but nobody, except for himself, could have predicted what had happened over the last few years. As he continued up the steps Hugh listened to the chatter in the room, picking out individual voices and listening to them for a moment at a time.                                                                                                                             He needed a break, and he knew it. Hugh paced up the stairs slowly, seeming to think about every step. And when he got to the top he turned toward the group of men standing in a cluster in one of the corners. He pulled his large left hand out of his pocket and tapped one of them on the shoulder.                                                                           "Eh?" the man turned around. "Hugh!" he exclaimed and embraced the mass of flesh in front of him. "It's nice to see you again!"                                                                               "Who? Oh! Will?" Hugh smiled his huge smile behind his beard and returned the embrace, being very careful with his friend's frail body. "How are you feeling, man?"                 "I'm fine. How are you? Will stepped back and looked Hugh over. "I didn't know you were coming back today!”                                                                                       "Well, I'm here. And I don't intend to be moved for a while." Hugh continued smiling through his beard and gently patted Will on his shoulder.                                                     "I'm glad! I'm so glad." Will smiled right back at Hugh. "Now what was it you wanted?"                                                                                                                                 "Oh! I was wondering which room I'd need to go to find a Ashby?" Hugh's smile faded just the slightest bit as he took his hand off his friend's small, bony shoulder and back into his own pocket.                                                                                                      "Oi him. He's right back in the second room down the hall." Said Will.                    "Alright. Thanks Will, it's nice to see you again." Hugh turned to look at the hallway.                                                                                                        "It's about time!" Will called after his friend and smiled as he walked down toward the hall.                         Hugh smiled to himself as he turned slowly down the hall and walked deliberately into it.                                                                                                                                          He walked down the hall watching the dimly lit nhall pass by him. He didn't want to see his friend right now but he knew he had to. Hugh looked up at the cieling and saw a single lightbulb burning and occasionally flickering. the hall he was on was not very long and it ended after several steps. Hugh stopped at the dead end and asked one of the guards standing there which way he needed to go.                                                               "You going to see him?" The man asked.                                                              "Aye." Hugh responded.                                                                                             "He's down to the right, about ten doors down there's another hall that turns left and you'll take it to the very back of the building. He's in the last room, you'll know when you get there." Said the guard.                                                                                           "Thank you." Hugh nodded and proceeded to follow the directions he had been given. He watches his feet and as he walked the carpet underneath him gave way to large tiles. There were lights now regularly every few feet along the wall and each one's reflection went past him as he walked, and turned and turned again. Hugh finally turned onto thee final hallway where his friend was staying at the end of. This hallway had not been completely rebuilt and it, like the one he had just come off of was tiled and had large flourescent lights every few feet. Hugh thought to himself about the things that had happened. Everything he had done had some kind of consequences. He realized that now. And that was going to change the way he would live and act for the next years. Hugh walked so slowly down the final hallway, on every side of him there were doors stagered at different spots along the walls. He tried not to think about the what he had too next. He was going to rest. He had to rest. If he didn't there was no telling what would happen. Not that he knew what would happen anyway but he would have just a little more control over his actions if he rested now. Hugh had many regrets, but he knew as he walked down that empty hallway toward his past that he would have a chance to redeem himself soon enough.





Chapter 4

He jumped. Hugh woke up quickly to a quick kick in the side. He opened his eyes, his mind reeling with what had just happened. He was awake now, he realized that. But what had he been thinking about? Had it been a ddream? it must have. It had felt so real, but isn't that what everyone said about dreams like that? Who was kicking him? Hdn't someone kicked him in his dream? He opened his eyes quickly and saw the boot coming back at his face.                                                                                                                        He reached out to grab the boot before it came back to kick him again.                                   "I'm awake!" Hugh lied. "Who are you?" He looked up.                                           "It's James, I told you I’d be here tonight." The man said looking down at Hugh.               Hugh's mind flashed back to the day before and he remembered meeting th man in the pub. "Aye, I remember now. Sorry." Hugh sat up and rubbed his neck.      "Good." there was a small fire going beside the man and Hugh's eyes went from it and up to the man.                                                                                                      "What's so important?" Hugh began looking around and realized it was still dark.