FABULA TEMPUS PART I | PART-II

CHAPTER-I

FUTURE

PART-I

How does every man imagine the future? Probably cars zooming through the air and people wearing strange silver and blue helmets. That is just imagination, right? How will it be? Will there only be advancements? The story ahead is set in the year 2044. Numerous wars have been fought. However, there is one oddity, no one knows the reason for these wars. They suffered under it but they don’t know why. All they know is that some bombs dropped and they lost their loved ones. Such a life was Bram Cape living.  He was tall and thin. He was always wearing a black t-shirt and a black pant. He lived with his mother, Elle, in a small house. Just enough for the both of them. Both of them had no idea where Bram’s father was. The only thing they knew was what everyone who knew Danny Cape’s name knew; that he was in the Army. Is that not like one of those stories in a movie or television series? Nah, I don’t think so. And believe me, neither will you.

Bram was unlike other boys of seventeen years of age. He just didn’t see anything ahead of this miserable life that he was used to. How long would it be until he would leave these rags? How long would he have to wait? For his father. He wanted to do something. It did not have to be something special but it had to be something. Sometimes he wondered if there was something for him out there in the world. All that was about to change with the sudden knock on the door.

His mother was exceptionally quick to attend to it. He was sitting at the kitchen table. He stopped all movement and alerted his ears. It was important, he had to be alert. Deep down in his heart, he knew that he cared for his mother more than he cared for anything else in the world, including himself. He had only to be given an option between his mother’s happiness and the rest of the world. As much as he wanted to do some work, he would never leave his mother. He would be on her side, even if she was wrong; because he didn’t care. All he cared about was that woman who had kept him close to herself in every time of crisis. The mother who worked for him and got the little money she could. She was a nurse. She used to go to houses asking people if they needed any help. He cried sometimes at night, thinking that there was nothing he could do except accompany his mother wherever she went.

Once, some thieves had come into their house, asking for food and water in a very large quantity. Bram threw away their knives and taught them a painful lesson. The thieves ran away, leaving empty handed. What intrigued Bram was that before he had stepped in, his mother was ready to surrender to the thieves. Was that what she thought? She thought he would let some crazy thief hurt her? Was that how her feelings were for him?

He knew that as he grew up, he would have to remain crushed under that debt which he could never compensate. He would never be able to do all that his mother had done for him. And that tore him.

“Madam, we are looking for brave young men who would help us in this time of peril,” a firm male voice said.

“I’m sorry. I am afraid you would not find anyone that interesting here? Not after what you people did to my husband,” Elle said. There was a lot of emotion in those words and Bram was afraid his mother would cry.

“Madam, I am very sorry. This matter is very serious…”

“Is there any problem? Anything you need, sir?” Bram came up with his eyebrows raised. The man looked curiously at Bram.

“Why, you are perfect.” He said, almost to himself.

“Excuse me?” Bram said.

“You boy, are what? Seventeen?”

“I am.”

“You are young. Do you not feel that urge of doing something for your nation? Make some name?” There was such force in those words that quietened Bram. The man stepped forward and offered his hand,

“I’m Elijah. And you are?”

“Bram Cape,” Bram said, shaking hands.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Elijah. But my son, you see, is not really into fighting,” Elle said. It was almost as if Elijah did not listen, he was looking at Bram with strange awe and wonder in his eyes. Then he returned his gaze to Elle and said with a serious look,

“Ma’am, I would appreciate it if you would talk to your son about this. You see, he has to do something for himself. Sooner or later, a time would come when he would have to support you. And if that is not enough, I would like to tell you something to settle your mind. I have knocked on every door in this area and asked the lads for their help. Ma’am, this is a time of crisis. Our Army is greatly in need of chaps like your own. They are about to support a great cause. Please take your time and discuss this matter with your boy.”

Elle was just about to speak further when Bram stopped her,

“Mom, I think he is right. Come to the kitchen.”

His mother looked at him with disbelief and then followed him to the kitchen.

“Mom, before you say anything, I want to ask you something. Do you or do you not want me to join this Army? I know it is all very hastened up. It needs to be. It is now or never,” Bram said.

Elle was looking at the ground,

“Bram, I have always cared for you. I always pulled you away from the thing that I knew could hurt you. now that I look at it, the truth is that I never let you what you wanted to do. You have always listened to me. I have never advised you; they were orders. You just never opposed them. Don’t think I will feel sad or be mad at you later. It is all up to you. You can go with this man today if you want to or you can stay here. Listen to me, my son, don’t make a choice that you will repent for later.” And with those words, she hugged him and sobbed. Then she left him and smiled,

“Now go. Don’t keep him for so long.”

That was how Bram Cape left his house with the satisfied Elijah Satler. It was a feeling of more sadness than joy. He just wanted to stop her tears, just stop them and hug her for one more time. As he walked away, his heart got heavier and it sunk deeper and deeper... He waved her goodbye. The wave that seemed to last forever…

 

 

 

PART-II

Bram was now standing at the gates of a seven-story building. Rebuilt many times, that was clear. And even now it looked like it was made long ago. It was painted all grey and black. Bricks were scattered all around. Bram was afraid that it might fall as he stepped in. Elijah said,

“Come on in. It’s much better inside.”

Bram followed him inside, they walked a few steps and Elijah stopped abruptly. Bram frowned and then it was as if the floor slipped from beneath his feet. He was dropping down; the floor was dropping down. This went on for a few minutes until it stopped with a jolt. In front of him was a very cool hall. It was very dark. Bram’s head was spinning. He said,

“God, what are you people doing here?”

“You will find out. Till then, you will have to stay here.”

“What? Elijah, what is this place?”

He felt a sharp push on his back that made him stagger and fall. Elijah left with the left ascending. The lights switched on. The area was now brightly lit. He stood up with a start as he saw almost twenty other children staring at him. Not all of those eyes looking friendly. Some eyebrows were raised, some eyes were piercing through him. Bram said,

“Um… what is this place?”

“Your home, from now,” A loud voice said and everyone dispersed. Bram looked around and saw that it was a very large hall in which he was standing. It was empty, there was no solid object in the hall except for the fourteen children. Fourteen, Bram had counted. He was still confused. Perhaps even afraid. The lift was nowhere to be seen right now. Slowly, he started realizing the truth.

God, I’m trapped here.

His thoughts were broken when a boy came up to him. He was taller than Bram and a lot thinner. The boy smiled and said,

“Don’t feel afraid, man. You are so not alone here. I’m Samuel Hale, by the way.”

“I’m Bram Cape. Why are we being kept here?”

“I am extremely sorry to tell you that no one here knows the answer to that question. 

Don’t feel miserable just yet. Half of the boys have been here for two years.”

“You have no idea about what is happening?”

“As I said, no one does. All I know is that they pick up a kid once in a week and that kid never comes back.”

“Wow, that looks like that old 2020 movies.”

“It’s real. There is only one person I remember who came back.”

“And?”

“His left leg was burnt off. Man, they do some crazy experiments here. But I am pretty sure it has something to do with the war. Something important in the war. You will see for yourself tonight. Someone will be taken.”

Bram was just about to answer back when that same loud voice that had answered him earlier said,

“And how would you like that, a new bird? Coming back here with your leg burnt off?” A boy said. His eyebrows were very dark. He had a pale face.

“Ah, Bram! How can I forget? This here is our very own bully, Gregory!” Samuel said.

The smirk on the boy’s face changed into an expression of rage and he pounced on Samuel. A heavy punch landed on Samuel’s face. Another was just on its way when Bram got hold of Gregory’s shirt and pulled him back almost making him fall. Gregory said,

“Big mistake, new bird. You are getting away with this time. Well, we are all in the same room, are we not?” And with those words, the smirk returned on Gregory’s face and he went back into a corner.

“Thanks for that, man. He would have killed me for that introduction of his I gave to you.”

“Don’t matter anymore. Hey, I wanted to ask you something. You said that may of the boys here have been here for a long time. What about you?”

“Me? Don’t ask, man. I was one when they brought me here. They murdered my grandfather.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no. That is not the end of the sad story. After that, my father killed himself. Then they brought me here.”

“You must miss them a lot.”

Sadness was evident in Samuel’s eyes now. He said,

“Every day. I would give up just anything to bring them back. After my father’s death, my mother was a terrible sight.”

Bram understood. Who could understand this better than him? Losing his father, losing hope. As that conversation brought sadness to both boys, it was a friendship that was born. They talked for the rest of the night. And Bram did not even realize when he fell asleep. The next day, Samuel said to him,

“You missed the show. Gregory was taken last night.”

“Gregory?” Bram said with wide eyes. Samuel nodded.

“What were you doing awake?” Bram asked.

“Now that I think we are friends; I can tell you this. It is some strange thing that I think that my father would come to visit me at night.”

“Oh, man. You are hurting yourself. Don’t keep thinking of them, the pain will get worse.”

“Wow, you speak with such experience.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I lost my Dad too. Like you, I remember only fragments of him.”

“I think that there is this category of boys like us who have lost their fathers.”

They laughed. That was just when a cracking voice on the speaker said,

“Please keep clear of the lift. It is about to descend.”

“I didn’t know there were speakers here,” Bram said.

“You know, once an announcement was made to keep clear of the lift and a boy just stood there. You would not want to know what happened next.”

The lift slowly settled on the ground. Standing on it were five soldiers who were wearing black uniforms and had guns in their hands.

“Are they coming towards us?” Bram said.

“They are, indeed,” Samuel answered.

The soldiers stood before Bram and Samuel as if waiting for some sign. Then one of them motioned Bram to stand up. Bram did and then followed the soldiers to the lift. And the lift ascended.

TO BE CONTINUED......