BATTLEFIELD

Monday Morning

David did not wake up till past twelve noon on Sunday afternoon. He did not even shower or comb his hair. It was a lazy Sunday and outside it was cloudy, rainy, and a little hazy. A fog rolled into town around 5pm, so after eating six pieces of pizza and two pieces of chocolate cake, David went back to bed. His parents decided to take it easy all day and no one went outside, except for Uncle Clifford, who had left early for his farm around 8am. 

David didn't really do anything on Sunday, except for playing video games on his Atari 5200 and reading some war comics. Then of course, he did find some time to play with his Guns of Navarone toy soldier playset for a little bit and played more with his new toy soldier packs. He kept the radio on all day to his favorite radio station, XZ-91 FM, listening to all his favorite rock songs of the day from Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Men At Work, and Michael Jackson. Also, when David was done playing Atari, he kept the TV on and watched MTV, because he thought MTV was the coolest channel ever and could not get enough of all the music videos from the Eurythmics, Men Without Hats, Bonnie Tyler, The Police, Hall & Oates, and Flashdance. 

Monday morning! David woke up feeling rather refreshed and actually excited of going back to school. This was unusual! David did not hate school, but going back to school was always such a chore, because his parents always left for work early in the morning and he was on his own. He had no parental supervision  or assistance in getting ready, eating breakfast, feeding Napoleon, locking up the house, and no parents driving him to school. Today, however, he did not care, because today was his first day in school as a 14 year-old!

It might sound silly, but he was tired of being a 13 year-old and now in junior high school he could proudly say he was a 14 year-old. 

David took a shower, got dressed, and ate his breakfast, a bowl of  Rice Krispies. David left the kitchen table, washed his bowl and spoon in the kitchen sink, then went back to his room and turned on the TV to watch some MTV before going to school. He had time. He sat on his unmade bed looking at his new Airfix and Matchbox toy soldier boxes, then he remembered he better make his bed and brush his teeth.

David went over to his TV and turned down the volume knob and then turned on his stereo radio to XZ-91 FM, so he could still watch MTV and listen to other music at the same time, while making his bed and later brushing his teeth. First David moved the toy soldier boxes to his nightstand and started pulling off the bedsheets. In the background, he heard the song, Love Of The Common People by Paul Young, but then he bumped into his drafting swing lamp, which still held the medallion! 

David sat on the bed and stared at the medallion as it dangled and gleamed from the lamp's arm. Another song on radio played, 99 Red Balloons (The German Version) by Nena, but David barely heard the song, he just kept staring at the beauty and glitter of the medallion.  Another song played on the radio, I Want To Melt With You by Modern English and David held out his right hand. He lightly grabbed the medallion into the palm of his hand and marveled at its greatness. The Medallion seemed to have an allure to it and David felt as if the medallion was communicating or commanding him. The medallion was bonding with David for the first time and the medallion wanted to go to school.

The medallion began speaking softly to David in a slithering garden of eden approach, "David, show everyone how special you are, tell them all that you are now 14 years-old, tell them all about  your new birthday gifts, tell them all about your ancient gold medallion. 2,600 years of history belong to you. What gods, generals, kings, and emperors once owned, is now yours! I belong just to you now. Bring me to school and show everyone. They will all want to be your friend. I will make you famous. Bring me to school David!"

For a moment, he froze, all his inner thoughts shut off and something foreign and old, very old, yet powerful beyond belief, took over. David stood up, raised both his hands, and removed the medallion from the lamp arm. A new song played on the radio, A Million Miles Away by The Plimsouls. David now had the medallion sitting in his right hand, but it was not David who removed the medallion from the lamp. David's mind did not disappear, but it was far away watching the medallion taking control.