After All the Endless Reveries

Monday was the end... at least, it was supposed to be. The offer came to them about a month ago; the skinny, well-dressed man with the funny hat had promised them a change of situation! Charlie "Charcoal" Grey's little sister Anne Grey – she was awfully sick – laid upon an unpleasant bed, hearkening the scurrying rats inside the bleak pale walls, whimpering hunger every few minutes. The odd man gave them a peculiar coin, and promised them it would change their lives by Monday, for in his words: "Hold on to it. If it is still safe and sound in your hands by Monday, fortune will be upon you." so on to it they hold. Charlie's older brother, Arthur Grey, Jr., worshiped that damned piece of metal; every second of every day he would inquire relentlessly regarding its whereabouts. Charlie normally wouldn't care much for such hopeless endeavors; their mother, on the other hand, kept insisting they should sell it.

Charlie said to her with a bit of an indignant tone, "The man lies."

"What? Have you fancied him an answer?" One of her hands held her chest, trembling with fear, her eyes as if she had just seen a phantom of the night.

Arthur Grey walked into the god forsaken room, "Where?"

"In safe hands Arthur, now sit down." A gathering of kin was upon that small room, where they sat before a tiny, wobbly table.

"We have, for God has abandoned us all, a curious coin, but I can see what it does to us." said he, "I have worked tirelessly down in the mines, the dust and dirt upon my face speaks plenty. Now I beg you all some common sense!"

"What do you think it's worth?" their mother slowly put on a spine-chilling smirk, "Oh I bet enough for a lovely house! With splendid gardens and verandas!" Her reveries amused her undoubtedly. There she was, in the living room of her humble house, where rays of the morning light breached through her windows, painting opulent artworks like a saint of Da Vinci! The smile she displayed as the perfect streaks of paint betrayed her very doubts; whilst humming to the sweet melodies of Swan Lake by the brilliant Tchaikovsky. She could create anything! Mountains, rivers, lakes, castles, beasts, and many more. Away she was! Away in her splendid world.

Across her sat Arthur with an enigmatical persona slowly overtaking the room; his countenance was getting sour. The small room wreaked a cold and gloomy pestilence, for a smell of gun smoke was in the air, a very shadow of death. Inside the ruminating mind of Arthur Grey, were a number of cars beyond count. He was surrounded by beautiful women upon a mansion, twice that the size of Buckingham! Inside was a fancy party of some sort, many wealthy men and women mingled with fine booze and music. A bit of jazz perhaps, getting quicker and quicker as the night grew older. Politicians, businessmen, and bankers of the like filled the room with plenty of laughter and intellectual colloquies. Then, as the clock pointed to the long-awaited midnight, Arthur burst through his doors in a grand manner. Standing proud and tall he did, for the many praises and claps brought forth a melody to his march. The words "Man of the hour!" wailed about the room, echoing throughout the high ceilings; for he was also, away in his world.

A lengthy silence was now upon them.

"Dad would've told us, if the coin is of his doing." said Charlie.

"Gold from the tunnels? The Somme had neither gold nor glory. His bloody medals merely acquitted a murderer." continued Arthur.

"What do you know about the war? What do you know about your father?" Mother spoke of denial, "A sad sot he was."

"Our father died an honorable soldier, of noble gallantry! Deep down we miss him. And in the desolation of desperation, this gold that I hold shall hopefully be the ticket out of this hell hole." he then let his deceitful mind take control, for a sudden knock fell onto the door. Upon opening it they saw before the blinding lights of the morning sun, a fine man of the war. It was Charlie's beloved father with medals on his lapel and a fine hat between his hands.

"Good to see you, my son."

It was all Charlie needed to hear...

Suddenly a gunshot pierced through their eardrums like a fine blade through sinew, and the eyes of that man blackened as his skin turned white. He fell into the ground in a flash, creating a deep, dark hole where the sewer rats dwell in those god-damned tunnels, and dragging every life and merriment down along with the screaming souls of those who died in the war. The smell of gun smoke had now only gotten stronger. Out of that hole, out came a hand covered in dirt. It seemed that an offer to meet his father once more was upon him. Oh the awful thoughts! The thoughts that had engulfed his mind! His open hand reached out slowly towards the offer, to which he was then dragged down in the blink of an eye.

But up above, is a sight a mother would never want to see. Her son had finally reunited with his father. The floor is now red. Out from the door was a rather corpulent man, with a funny hat and a grim face. The smell of gun smoke was stronger than ever, the very incarnation of death. Arthur and his mother sat there motionless with unimaginable consternation.

"The coin, or your puny little lives."

The man, slowly pacing to and fro around the room, walked towards the bed on which was a bed-ridden little girl, coughing without stop.

He put his face near her, "What a poor little girl..."

Right then and there she sneezed right on his face! "Why! you little-"

Mother was suddenly awakened by her instincts, "Have a heart for an ill child! the doctors have been useless." she cried, "I swear if you touch her you'll feel my husband's wrath!"

"I'm afraid your husband is now with your son, isn't that right Mrs. Grey?"

Her eyes were of poor despondence. The man's goons quickly took her away. Arthur was left terrified as a gun was pointed at his forehead.

"Young man," he uttered, "where is the coin?"

"I don't know where it is, I swear! Out of all the times I've asked, this time he didn't tell me where!"

"He who?"

"Charlie! I-I–It's on Charlie!"

Charlie was searched thoroughly, but no coin of the sort was found. And unfortunately, God had sent them all on to a family reunion.

"And the girl sir?"

"Leave her be. Not long will she live." The man betrayed the small room unsatisfied, for the whereabouts of the curious coin remained a mystery. But upon his hunched gait were a few coughs as he left the building.

In the sad, small room, there were no paintings, no mansions or fancy cars, and no long-awaited fathers. Anne Grey was left stone cold on her bed for days before neighbors started reporting to authorities due to an awful smell. A famed detective, sent in from London, all the way to Birmingham was allotted to solve this curious case. On a stuffed teddy bear, held dearly by Anne Grey, was a suspicious stitching. From it, they pulled out a familiar looking piece of gold. They have finally returned, an infamous "cursed" coin stolen months ago from Gettysburg. Authorities had described the culprit as skinny and well-dressed, but was seen wearing a funny hat. But after all the endless reveries; it appears that in life, things are never the way they seem.

THE END.