The Open Door

 

Two boys riding, on a mission from the Father of Lights, though they don’t know it yet. One youth rather glamorous in his coltish way and the other darker and not so noticeable.

Through the increasingly shabby streets they rode, dashing and carefree, jumping curbs and calling out to and heaping jolly abuse on each other.

At last, on Cherry Street, they reached Rupert Jones’ old radio station and came to a stop at his green door. The door was open, and Rupert was not in sight. He didn’t leave his door hanging open ever.

They rolled their bikes into his front room to park them, because bikes were much too valuable to leave out on the street in town. Everybody rode bikes.

Gabriel called out, “hey, Roops, why is your door wide open, what’s up.”

“He’s here, but he’s asleep I think,” said Jeremy catching sight of the big guy in his rattly old wooden office chair. Roops had aged since he was last seen by us. His hair matched his beard now, all salt and pepper. He was still bigger than a small bear, but pouchier. Nevertheless, he did not move when approached by Gabe and Jeremy. Nor did he move when Gabriel shook his shoulder. They were afraid to check for a pulse.

“I don’t know what to do, Jeremy,” said Gabriel finally. “I don’t even know if he is alive or dead.

“I wonder why the door was open. I wonder if someone was here who should not be here. Maybe he needs a doctor. But we can’t move him!”

In the Milltown of those days there was no emergency service, or any hospital. There were a few people studying medicine out of books and being taught by a few surviving physicians. To get a man of Roops’ size to a doctor was a daunting concept. It would be easier to bring the doctor to the mountain.

Looking around the room they saw that things had been moved and some things were missing. Much of his decoy electronic equipment was just plain gone. Other equipment was overturned. Someone had been here for sure, looking for something, but what?

Right about then Roops emited a large, muffled groan, sat forward and put his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. It was like watching a sort of mountain wake up. Not a happy mountain. He sat like that for a few minutes and the boys just stared at him and then at each other. He was alive anyhow!

“What the hell was that” said Roops faintly, rubbing his head. He sat up and looked at the boys and asked “when did you get here? Did you see anyone?”

“No, Roops, when we got here your door was open and we didn’t see anyone, not even you until we came in,” said Gabriel.