Ever since Rowan went 'missing' his mother always spoke about him.
His second brother, Sayle, had moved out to avoid her nagging. At the time of this story he lived in Llanllanllan with his girlfriend in a crumby cheap apartment and they worked dead end jobs at the cinema.
"Yes I'm fine." He told his mother down the phone. "Yes she's here. Amy says hi." He told his girlfriend, "Candy says hi. No, I've not heard from him, since you asked yesterday, I gotta go. I do, I gotta go, people just came in. I do! BYE!"
He helped some customers and off they went to their screen room. They said to themselves they weren't paid enough only to justify stealing from the counter. Both always had a coke at hand.
"Yo dude." Leon came in.
Leon was the only friend Sayle shared with Rowan, being between the brothers in school years. They all did the school shows, which was where Rowan and Sayle spent the most time together.
Everyday Leon wakes up, on the same day, everyday. Until Sayle came. It's confusing.
Except for that day, he was dragged along to his cousins party, who he and his friends were in year four.
"That sucks." Sayle laughed. "Wanna sneak in? I'll distract Jamey."
So Leon got in for the next two hours and watched the fourth Narnia movie.
"You wanna catch up sometime?" Sayle asked before Leon went. They shared new contacts and unknowingly set up the story you're reading.
Leon got home to find his house had washed up with the tide.
"Huh."
It was quite a nice house. At least nice enough to float, although I'm not sure that means anything.
Leon phoned Sayle. I couldn't tell you why.
"You wanna come to Glandeg? I gotta go find Rowan." Sayle told, he was eating sweets from the counter.
"Sure." Leon said.
"That was easy." Said me the writer, as now the plot can happen.
It wasn't Sayles idea to find him, he hadn't heard from his brother in months and it made no different to him, but Amy was on his back and he thought it easier at this point.
She agreed to pay for both him and Leon to go to Santana Park and for a hotel room in the town over (there was nothing in Santana Park).
"Everyday I wake up. I'm on a train, Sayle's with me."
"Are you sleep-talking? Are you sleeping right now?" Sayle asked.
"zzz." Said Leon.
Leon slept past Té Croeso... oops, so decided to join Sayle wherever he was going. Unfortunately for Leon it was a lot further then Llanllanllan.
So the next morning the two were off on the train.
"If he just picked up I wouldn't even be here the prat." Sayle huffed.
"Time off though?"
"Yea, from the same old day."
"You still going out with Caz?" Leon asked.
"No way buddy she's long gone. I'm with Candy. So much better. You still with Yasmine?"
"Ha! No." Leon laughed. "I left school
"So what you doing?"
"Surfing mostly. I imagine like you sail."
"Ha ha." Sayle said snakily.
Funnily enough, Sayle knew the least about Rowan (only behind Amy) so the more Leon told the less he believed. First the clocks, then the golden rail, then the tornado, then the sprinklers incident.
"That did not happen!" Sayle brushed off. "I would've heard." If only he knew this train line held The Golden Rail two years back. "Were you even mates with him?"
"Everyone's always asking me if I can row a boat." Leon said with a smirk.
"Everyone should tell you how funny you are."
"Do they?"
"..no."
"Where we staying then?"
"Travelol. Pennar, gotta get a bus into Santana."
There they confirmed the night at the hotel and went over to Santana Park.
As the two walked through the small town they saw how true it was that there was nothing in Santana Park. A family at the park, maybe a feminist in the one coffee shop there.
There wasn't a building taller then the other, everything was straight and uniform and so very boring, all except The Trick To Life. A building so out of place it must have fallen from the sky. It was bright and loud, and the sign on the front was larger then the doors.
'The Trick To Life' it read.
Only a peer inside explained where everyone was, but Sayle dragged Leon along.
He knocked on the address he was given and a woman answered to the two.
"Mrs Pan?"
"Is this a joke?" She said.
"We're looking for Rowan Aboat." Sayle told.
"Are they in?" Leon asked. "You're Piper Pans mother? Is she in?"
"No."
"No you're not her mother?"
"No she's not in, nor the boy."
"The boy?" Sayle laughed. "Ok. Here's my number, call me when they're in please."
"Oh they're never in. I have to go boys so if that's everything."
"Wait what's The Trick To Life?"
"Okay go away now." She shut the door.
"You had to ask." Sayle sighed.
She was rude but at least she took Sayles number.
The whole town seemed obsessed with this promise. Sayle had a hunch Rowan was there, and Leon really wanted to see it. The two figured it was worth a look, so in they went.
