The Frankenstein Project, Grade Four

Prologue

Prologue

The details of the disaster that hit Orin's Landing fifty years ago are sketchy.  Depending on who you talk to, it happened when something crashed into or blew up at the hospital, or at the police station, or at the paper mill....  Wherever it did start, it triggered a series of explosions that left the town in shambles.  The ground was too unstable for safe rebuilding, so the surviving residents decided to start over about seven miles west.  A fence went up around the perimeter of the original town, and it was abandoned.

Many a kid passing by on the two lane highway has claimed to see "the ghost lights" from inside that old fence.  But that was before you could watch movies in the car and play video games on your phone.  Doesn't happen so much anymore...except now, on that stretch of road, the reception tends to go out and the video screens get fuzzy.  So instead of seeing the ghost lights, the kids are focused on trying to get the movie to stop skipping or watching and waiting for the bars on the phone to come back.  No radio reception either.  And funny things happen to headlights as well.  If you happen to stall out, though, don't worry; the tow truck makes regular runs...sort of patrolling the area for those needing assistance.

It's an old beat up truck too.  Pale yellow with a big rusted grill.  The driver--and it's always the same guy--is just about the tallest person you'll ever see.  Deep set eyes, high cheek bones, pale.  Wears an old-fashioned hat, faded coveralls, and a tattered coat with the name "Mort" embroidered on.  Bony knuckles.  Doesn't talk much.  And his movements somehow make you think of a spider.  Sort of glides.  It's like the legs do all the motion while his body stays in place.

The population is low and there aren't a lot of visitors.  There's no television reception to speak of.  No cable.  You can get a couple of channels if you angle your old-fashioned antenna just right.  It's the only place I'm aware of where you still regularly see rabbit ears...

But there is a school.  And there is still a science fair every year.  And this year, Charlie Tukes has a project that folks are not soon going to forget.