Bad Luck Goose (On Hiatus)

PREFACE

Chase was only five years old when he was tricked by the Goose.

He had been feeling morose that day. It wasn't supposed to rain. He was looking forward to playing with Marie and Bron. He had picked out his favorite toys and had been waiting eagerly by the door all day.

But now their mother had called to tell Chase's mother they couldn't come out of the house because it was pouring. He couldn't wrap his head around the concept of missing playtime for anything.

He had been sulking for the past hour. His mother had tried to play with him instead and also tried making his favorite hot chocolate but he was just too sad.

He could barely reach the window sill. He kept his fingers on the sill and kept staring at the dark clouds. The rain made it impossible to see far. He was angry at the sky. He wished it would stop raining immediately. He wanted to play.

He wanted to play dinosaurs with Marie. She made the best dinosaur sounds, exactly like he had seen on the TV. Bron told the best stories. He would stage situations and posed questions and made enemy attacks sound so real. It was up to Marie and Chase to choose their actions and use their brains to clear the games Bron made.

Chase himself was not good at anything so he always played the human companion. But he didn't care. He loved to play with them. It was exciting. Every time he thought this is the best time he had had, next time he had even more fun.

But they lived far to his house and could only visit once a month. He had to wait an entire month just imagining what games would he play next.

Today was the worst. He missed them. Nothing could make this better.

It took a few seconds for Chase to realize what he was seeing. Even to his young brain, it seemed wrong.

The rain had stopped. But also it had not.

The droplets of water hung in mid air.

He got on his tip toes and reached out his pudgy hand out of the window. Raindrops were suspended in air. Nothing fell on his hand. But when he moved around, he could feel his hand touching rain drops.

It looked like a drawing he had seen in one of his uncle's galleries- Rain's embrace.

He drew back his hand in wonder, all gloominess escaping his body. He looked at his hand and indeed his hand was wet. He looked around to tell his mother excitedly and that's when he realized.

Everything had gone deadly silent.

There was no sound anywhere. Not the rain. Not the clouds. No ticking of the clock. No music that was earlier playing.

Chase suddenly felt afraid. He ran to the kitchen to find his mom. The hardwood floor that creaked when he walked made no sound as be ran with all his might. He tripped on his own legs and fell hard on his hand. It cut and started bleeding. He was terrified now. He started wailing loudly.

He picked himself back up and ran to the kitchen still crying and calling his mom. But she was not there. He checked the bathroom and the bedroom. Not there. He was alone and in pain.

"Mumma!" He cried loudly and ran back to the room he was in before.

But this time it was not empty.

There was something there. Something moving.

For a brief second Chase thought it was his mom.

But the momentary relief relapsed as he stood there frozen on the ground looking at big pool of black eyes.

The next thing Chase knew was opening his eyes and looking at the white bright ceiling. His mother was beside him.

As soon as she saw him opening his eyes she exclaimed and swooped him in her arms. Chase could see his mother crying and calling his name. His father was beside her. Shocked and pale. His lip was trembling . He opened his big arms and hugged both of them.

Chase was befuddled. He could not guess why his parents were crying. He looked around himself. This wasn't his home. Slowly he started making sense of what his mother was saying,

"Baby ..my dear baby. Thank God. There was so much blood. You didn't open your eyes for a week. I thought you.. I was so scared you would never..." But she was too emotional to say anything else. His father just nodded.

This was so confusing. What happened? What was going on now? Chase could not remember anything. What was he doing? Why were his parents crying?

His body felt week and numb. He slowly moved his arm to tell her mother to stop crying. He was a big boy now. He didn't need coddling.

His eyes fell on his hand and like a crushing wave he remembered everything.

Rain's embrace.

No sound.

Big eyes.

Impossibly long mouth.

The Goose.

His hand was drenched in blood and as his mother detached herself from him she recoiled in horror . Her front side was drenched in blood too.

"The scar... was healed. I checked...what" and then she screamed. His father rushed outside the room shouting for a doctor. The machines attached to Chase started beeping wildly.

In an instant he felt it all. The pain. The terror.

His head started spinning and with an intense wave of nausea he blacked out again.