Grounded On Juniper Island

"Welcome to the Great Bound"

The day was brimming with delight for the Bounders of Juniper Island. Everyone had their finest coconut husk bathers on, even though it was hard to tell what was their Sunday best. Mango ice tea  was the beverage of the day again. Idle chatter filled the air. Every now and then, sporadic laughter abounded from the crowd.

Boring, thought Oleg, utterly boring.

He was at the starting line with his Mother and Father, who were looking proud and honoured to be part of the day. Oleg was slouched, dangling his arms like a lifeless puppet. They were set to cut the brown ribbon to officially commence the start of the race. The  glint of the oversized scissors forced a section of the crowd to shield their eyes.

On a nearby podium stood a grey-haired woman. She peered over the lectern adjusting her glasses. The bathers that covered her frail body were tattered; a reminder of her seniority and years she had served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Great Bound. It was Matilda's thirtieth Bound and her face told the crowd she relished this moment. The attention it gave her made her important for just one day of the year.

"Good day to you my fellow Bounders, can you believe the Great Bound has come again?"

Some of the crowd replied with a cheerful no, while others chatted to themselves about how quick a year can go by in an astonishing fashion.

"Amazing how years fly by. I remember the day I participated in my first Bound. It was marvellous despite coming last. The high I felt was a feeling I can't describe. If bounding to the moon and back was possible, I guess that's what it would be like. The jitters in my stomach simply couldn't handle themselves. I flew high with my butterflies. But, let me talk about the history of the Great Bound!"

Oleg covered his mouth to shove an escaping yawn back into his mouth. Water seeped from his eyes. He was in for a long day.

"Thirty years ago a young Bounder by the name of Henry Howtown thought it was a great idea to set up a pile of boulders in a row. At the time no one knew what he was doing. His odd behaviour  piqued the interest of the nearby coconut farmers."

"Some thought he was using them to look for the best coconuts on the trees. Others thought he had set up picnic tables and started to bring their lunch to them. While a handful knew exactly what he was going to do. He was going to jump over them."

"Henry took twenty big steps from the first boulder. Upon realising he had a crowd, Henry waved at them all with glee. One of the farmers started a slow clap. Soon all of the farmers joined in. The claps became faster and louder encouraging Henry to run. His legs pounded the ground and his arms swayed slicing the wind. When he saw the boulder fast approaching, he bent his knees pushing down with all his might. He bounded so high you could swear he could touch the clouds. The boulder would have been a mere speck in his eyes."

"He did the same again for the next four boulders with each bound being higher than before. It was a glorious day! Magnificent day! The farmers all around him thought they could match his effort, if not be quicker or higher than him, but none prevailed."

"Harry had unofficially won the first bound. He had a started a craze that would sweep the entire Island in a bounding bonanza. And as I can see today it's still present to this day. Now come on everyone lets all praise Harry "High" Howtown!"

"Hurrah!" everyone shouted, including Oleg, who did so with less excitement than the others.

"Now please give a round of applause to the Yardells for setting up this years fantasticamico course!" Every face turned towards Oleg and his family. He stood closer to his Mother, while she waved to the crowd. Instinct told him to grip onto her. He turned into a shy little boy afraid of the big world.

"Now lets see who will be bounding today." In that instant everyone turned towards Matilda. Relief,  thought Oleg. A much needed relief. 

Oleg blew out his lips. He let go of his Mother and stooped in his typical fashion.

"Why if it isn't Jaxson Gonzola!"shouted Matilda shaking her hands in fury as if she was trying to shake down the sky.

A runt of a boy jumped out of the crowd landing behind the Yardells. His long hair blond and cherubic face, could confuse him as a girl.

"Lior Lieberg!"

He landed right beside Jaxson. He was a fraction taller and older than Jaxson with his curly, dark hair tied into a bun. His hair colour was rare amongst the Bounders. Lior pursed his lips, shrinking his pinched face even smaller. 

"Petra Yorton"

Tall, long blonde hair and sky blue eyes. The sight of her caused him to gulp. He had a crush on her for years, as did every other boy he knew. She floated through the air as if she had wings.

"Konnor Grumble"

A muscular squat boy. His mohawk made him look mean. A plume of dust rose from the ground beneath him. When it settled he flexed his biceps till they were taut.

"And we have saved the best till last. Kai Le Pure"

The sound of his name pulled the crowd to their feet. "Kai Kai Kai," the crowd thundered. 

To Oleg he was everything he wasn't: slender, fit, unblemished and graceful in the air like an agile cat. Each of his silver hairs shone with perfection on his scalp. Evergreen, almond shaped eyes that could stare into a person's soul. A body of a sculpture, unlike Konnor who could have exploded any minute.

He entered the course with a somersault executed with supreme precision. He was light on his feet, ready to bound to an inevitable victory.

"Yardells please do the honours," said Matilda gesturing to the ribbon.

Ivan and Ursula faces lit up as they moved to the ribbon. Oleg pushed down his hands on theirs biting his lip.

The ribbon came undone swinging to the side in two pieces. The bodies of the competitors sailed over them in a flurry. Kai was leading the chase. He chuckled as he bounded over the first mud hole.

The sight of his smugness made Oleg sick.

"It should be me," he muttered to himself, "Why can't it be me? Why do I have to be an Oaf?"

Envy swirled inside him threatening to tear him apart. He wanted to scream out at him, curse him for his gift, beauty and talent. He would plague him with all the misgivings he had in his life.

But Jane, he thought, Would she really like a monster?

Hey everyone this is another world building chapter, to help you understand the culture of the Bounders. Thanks for making it this far. There's an exciting race to come

Who do you think will win the Bound? Is Oleg right to feel the way he does about Kai?

Please read on, vote, leave comments and share the story :)