The Boy and The Psycho

Run Boy Run

17 years ago

I'm standing at the top of the stairs waiting for Mom to ring the dinner bell. I stand in the line in number order behind Vanya. Then the ring echoes through the house.

My siblings and I push through each other trying to be the first ones at their chair. I run and stand behind my chair while sticking my tongue out at Klaus who's standing directly across from me.

Father comes into the room and stands behind his chair at the head of the table. He pulls it out and stands between it and the table.

"Sit."

I quickly sit down and begin eating my dinner in front of me while highlighting in my textbook.

We all eat in silence doing our own things while Dad's record plays in the background.

All of a sudden, Five slams his knife into the table causing everyone at the table to jump in their chairs and stare at him with wide eyes.

"Number Five?" Dad asks calmly.

"I have a question." Five states, clearly upset for some reason.

"Knowledge is an admirable goal, but you know the rules. No talking during mealtimes. You are interrupting Herr Carlson."

"I want to time travel." Five says as he pushes his plate away forcefully.

"Five, stop it." I glare at him and Luther grabs my wrist to quiet me down.

"No," Dad says simply.

"But I'm ready. I've been practicing my spatial jumps, just like you said." Five says raising out of his chair angrily. He space jumps from his chair to Dad's side and we bring our attention to Dad.

"See?"

Dad picks up his wine glass not even fazed by Five's new location.

"A spatial jump is trivial when compared with the unknowns of time travel. One is like sliding along the ice, the other is akin to descending blindly into the depths of the freezing water and reappearing as an acorn."

"Well, I don't get it."

"Hence, the reason you're not ready."

Five looks up at me and I shake my head trying to get him to stop. But he ignores me and turns back to Dad.

"I'm not afraid."

"Fear isn't the issue. The effects it might have on your body, even on your mind, are far too unpredictable."

Dad throws his silverware down onto his plate clearly upset with Five's bugging.

"Now, I forbid you to talk about this anymore."

Five stands next to Dad for a moment and then turns and walks out of the dining room.

"Number Five! You haven't been excused!"

Five begins running out of the house ignoring our father's comments.

"Come back here!"

--------------------------------------------

"I survived on scraps, canned food, cockroaches, anything I could find." Five explains.

Vanya, Five, and I are sitting in Vanya's living room while Five explains this 'apocalypse' to us.

"You know that rumor that Twinkies have an endless shelf life?"

Vanya and I both slowly shake our heads confused as to what he is getting at.