A Nickel

A Nickel

By Jameson McConnell

This was to be a terrific afternoon for young James Kenton, an afternoon of fun and excitement, and despite a bit of rain, it was to be a day he would never forget. But I caution you as I tell you his tale, for a young boy's anticipation of a day was just that; anticipation. James would never see this day through completely in light, nor would he ever fully recall it in haze.

The day had finally come, James and his family of five were to take a trip to the local carnival. James could picture it all. Cotton candy, the singing calliope, but what James was most excited for was the horses. He would finally have the opportunity to ride one of those gentle beasts.

The first thing James noticed was at the carnival entrance, which was a rather peculiar sight. Two gargoyles were perched at opposite sides of the gate. They all dismissed this casually. The sky was gray and it was cold and damp. This was a rather odd day to go to the carnival, but it wouldn't be in town for much longer. James' mother gave him a few nickels. " Now Jimmy, I want you right back here a quarter past three, you hear?" "Yes mama." "Alright you go on and have fun."

James played numerous little games and enjoyed several cotton candies. After nearly an hour of this he found what he had been looking forward to the most; the horses. James ran up and got in line. When he finally reached the man in charge, James handed him a nickel. "Thank you young man. Now what horse would you like to ride?" James looked at the horses, so many to choose from. A beautiful red mare caught his attention. "I want to ride that one!," said James pointing at it. "Oh son, she's a little wild. You might want to pick another." "No I want to ride that one!" "If you say so kid."

The man opened the gate and James immediately ran and mounted the mare. The man shouted. "Now if she gets out of hand just pull back and say "whoa"." James had already departed the ring and was on the provided trail. It was incredible! The wind in his face, the speed, James was exhilarated!

After nearly a minute this speed increased. Faster and faster and faster went the horse, from a trot to a full on gallop. James' joy quickly turned to worry and then to total panic. The speed was too much. He looked behind him and neither the ring nor the man in charge were anywhere to be found.

Absolute terror quickly ensued as the mare entered a remote wooded area. "Stop!", cried James. "Help me!" "Somebody help me!" Branches passed by at alarming speed. Branch after branch after branch. Ducking under a precariously low one, James was thrown off the horse and knocked unconscious.

James awoke in a daze. After several rapid blinks, he found himself to be in what appeared to be some sort of dungeon. It was cold and damp, not much different from the carnival. Rusted chains hung from the moss covered walls. What was this place? How did James get here? "W-where am I?" James' entire body ached. He had managed to crawl to the opposite corner when he heard a loud crash. A deadly heat came over James as he anticipated what was responsible for that crash.

"Who's there?" he shouted. There was no reply. "I said who's there!" Just as James finally managed to stand up, a voice broke the silence. "Halt!" Just then a figure of a man dressed in a black cloak with no discernible facial features approached. "Who are you?!" James cried. Silence. "Who are you?!" The figure responded. "That's not important right now." James was confused. "Come with me and meet your new friends." What was this place? How did James get here? The figure pushed away a few stone bricks and a hallway presented itself. James was led down it.

The figure spoke. "I see you have a great interest in my identity, and have found that I've one in yours. What is your name?" James thought long and hard. It was quite strange. He couldn't seem to remember. In fact, he couldn't seem to remember anything prior to waking up in that room. "I-I don't know." "Who am I?" "You will soon find out," said the figure with a grin. The two continued down this hallway until they approached a door.

"Before we enter, I must discuss something with you," said the figure. "I have long been expecting your arrival." "What do you mean?" asked James. "I have been watching your life unfold since the day of your birth. In fact, I have been assigned to the task of being the prime overseer of your life." James interrupted. "Why did I come here?" "Ah yes, I was getting to that," the figure continued. "I have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make you part of my family. This was an opportunity I couldn't let pass. You have the gift, young boy. You must come and be one of us."

The figure then opened the door. People of all ages sat in an enormous room, from infants to the elderly. There was an old man with the numbers "2345" written on his arm. There was a young boy with the numbers "1840" on his arm. "Join us, boy."

The figure then took a lump of coal and wrote the numbers "1933" on James' arm. From that day forward, James spent his time watching over a boy's life, watching his memories, watching his every move. Year after year James spent every waking hour of his own life watching over one of another person. Each day he felt increasingly like nothing more than an empty shell; a pair of eyes with no brain to process these images. He knew not who he was, nor did he know the reason he was forced to occupy his time in such a black and white way.

A few years passed, and both James and the boy whom he was watching became teenagers. James became increasingly fascinated with this boy's life. James' existence suddenly became exciting. He wanted this life. James thought of a plan to escape this place. He would befriend this boy, bring him here and return to his world with him. James would have an identity again.

He chose to invite this boy to his world one day after the boy got out of school. His name was Roger Jennings. As he was driving home from school that day, something seemed a little off. He saw some buildings that he had never seen before. Roger drove down this road nearly everyday. To add to this, he had been seeing odd things all day that day. Roger couldn't seem to recognize any of his teachers. He knew he had seen them before, but they just seemed strange.

As Roger turned onto the street of his house, a dead end appeared. He hit the brakes but it was too late. He crashed into a wall.

Roger awoke in the same cold damp room as James did. The walls were of the same stone and the same chains hung from them. There was a loud crash and shortly after, James appeared out of the darkness. "Who are you?," Roger shouted. "Where am I?" "I can't answer either of those questions, but I hope you can answer mine." Roger was baffled.

"Can you take me back to the world from which I brought you here?" asked James. "What world?" "I know of no other world than this one." "What do you mean?" shot James. Roger responded. "This is home." "We don't leave home." Roger then pulled out a gun, pointed it at James, and shot him.

Coughing up blood, James awoke lying on the rain drenched ground. Police crowded around pushing back bystanders. Above him were his parents. "Jimmy, look at me." "Jimmy!" "Mama?"

An afternoon that promised so much joy delivered much more pain. James rode that beautiful mare, and beautiful indeed she was. James left the carnival with his family. In the distance he saw the same dark figure he had seen earlier waving. He looked away. They passed the horse arena. James saw a kid handing the man in charge a nickel. "No!" Shouted James. He and his family were too far away for the kid to hear him.

A few days later the carnival left and life was normal again. James didn't think he would ever want to return. On a hot summer day a man selling ice cream came by James' home. James' mother gave his brother a few nickels and told him to get some for his brothers and himself.

On his way out the door James' brother dropped them and they rolled off the front porch into the grass, nowhere to be found. How lucky was he?