The Pole Shift

Sean throws a Party

Sean had got all the bodies he could. It was a grim task, and as the days passed he was feverish and unable to rid himself of the smell of the dead. They entered his dreams, filled his thoughts. Who were they? Each had a terrible story, each life would never be remembered except for his few odd words at the top of the island.

        “It is the children that have lost.” He concluded, Sean thought that the world belonged to them, their dawn light instead of his late afternoon burn. He looked about him with something like peace.

        “The birds haven’t lost, they have found my place.” There were gulls and other seabirds he couldn’t name. They sat on his roof and were turning it white, there were pigeons and parrots, crows and magpies. They squabbled and fought running battles with each other, not used to each others company. A meanie of sparrows had gathered in the eves and seemed to follow him about. The only bird he couldn’t spot was his chicken, he suspected Tess had something to do with its absence.

        “Did you eat the chicken?” He roared, then laughed, confusing the dog. Alcoholism was devouring him and he was having strange ideas about himself and the island. There were only half a dozen bottles of vodka left, and he found himself hurrying through them:

        “Once they are gone I can get on with cleaning up the place, giving it a name or something, Fluke Island? Puke Island! Isn’t that right Prophet?” The AI did not answer and Sean fell into ideas dominated by mental pictures and flash backs rather than ideas based on his situation.

        Sean decided to throw a party after the last body had been seen to. He set up the 1000 watt generator and strung up Christmas lights wound around three of the Mountain Ash. They ringed the trees in spirals and he could not wait to see them at night. He imagined them to look like the arms of giants reaching through the Earth and adorned with glimmering bejeweled bangles. He dragged up the fifty inch LCD TV and bracketed it to another tree, he wanted to watch music videos, and maybe a movie for later. He went through his laptop picking out old favourites, and by the afternoon of the party he had everything in place. He had one bottle of vodka remaining, and a tin of stale weed. 

        He went through his cans and picked out two red salmon and one of ham flavoured baked beans. He would share it all with Tess, whom he felt he had neglected badly. He built a bonfire from all the wood he could reach from the wall and dismantled his dining table then reassembled it under the trees. Sean was glad, he felt like he would wake up to a new world after the party and that the Pole Shift had continued on within him, even though it had settled into new oceans without.

        Dusk approached and Sean started the party by glugging at the vodka, on a small fire he heated up the hammy beans and shared a handful with Tess. He fired up the generator and the christmas lights came on. He stood back and looked at them, they did look like bracelets on the outstretched arms of giants.

        “Beautiful!” He whispered and the alcohol's euphoria made his eyes glisten. He went and sat at his table, the party had started well. He swigged vodka directly from the bottle and he kicked the small fire into the bonfire. He put on his first song, it sang about people changing but the singer remained the same:

You say you wander your own land,

But when I think about it,

I don't see how you can.

        The song affected Sean and he felt emotion thrill through him. Everything seemed pure for the moment, the beans and salmon were much finer than the dozens he had consumed for lack of knowing what else to do. He put the TV on and the generator changed note then evened. He chose a film about two children getting lost in the Australian desert, its dream like tenor suited his mood, he inhaled harsh smoke from the bong he had made, and sat back to enjoy the party, unaware that two figures had clambered over the wall and sat watching the bizzare spectacle.