The next two days were repulsive and bizarre. The weather was turning hot and it was odd for Eric, the planet which has only cold months and the people could hardly bear the temperature which is 30 degrees Celsius. It was horrific, there were a few fire attacks already, and the fire brigades couldn’t calm it down! The fire was swelling nonstop and the water wasn’t working against it. In that tremendous situation, people could hardly believe it’s true.
The Eric year was coming on. People say that on this day, Eric was created by substances (but the religious people believe by the Life God, Adore) and on that day Mr. Hugo Brackenstall has promised a very jovial party. Mr. Roar and his other relatives were invited (even the whole community), albeit unwillingly when he thought about the weather. The nature was restless because of the heat. Tom who survives in the cold wasn’t much happy with the circumstances and he could hardly believe Hugo was throwing a party in this condition.
Tom still muses about that bad dream. There wizard Anna said that her amulets are stolen. Is it true? Perhaps because of that these horrific things are happening? But he hadn’t had a clue.
On the Eric year day, Tom woke early by a loud knocking on the door. Wiping his sleepy eyes, Tom pulled the door open, it was Hugo. He had gone out at dawn to get the party foods.
Hugo was settled on that he’ll call the Roars to cook, but then he hadn’t laid his eye on Tom either. Tom won’t be bad.
The banquet hall was decorated massively by fog lamps and special paper dishes, with lots of weird pictures and course with the Modals Miki’s favorite sort of big heart shaped balloons and a large table in front with Tom’s baked plump Chocolate cake and a strawberry too, beef corns, Hummus with meat, Special chocolate beans and toffees, zubs (Chicken , cooked with a special sauce only found in Eric called, Hub), fried potatoes, fried rice and lots of tasty treats and I forgot; there was a crowd of people in the hall since the whole community was invited ; it was the Roar’s and Brackenstall’s plan.
On that very special evening, everyone gathered around to sing the New Year song:
Oh, the New Year, we salute you,
Bring us some joy and content us with your blessed skills
Which you give us every year,
May every year be like this one, truly!
Cheerful and relieved of an old year,
Help us oath the path to goodness
And Whatever the New Year pleases,
Newy New Year!
As the song was concluded, Tom felt a flush of allay run though him. There were lots of boys and girls of his age.
Oh he might be thinking that, about making friends. He would never make a friend.
During his old preschool ages, when he was five, he was loathed and detested by everyone. He was the most learned boy in school, always tried hard to make friends, but he would get no results. Without any friend, without someone to talk, he would get angry and sullen and sometimes a terrible breakdown. Carpel, one of the preschool boys had inked his favorite color book once, when Tom was six. But no one really seems to like him much. The only friend of Tom is his diary who never cheated with him. The diary was his best friend in his every lonely and delighted situation, bringing more joy to the lonely boy, even when his age is now ten.
Tom shielded his eyes to look at a blanch boy, with sharp small , green eyes which flashed, with terribly untidy black hair as he sat more stiffly like someone being forcefully fed a giant tomato.
Feeling demoralized, Tom sat beside the boy in the chairs.
“Hey.” He opened his mouth as the other boy yawned.
“Oh, yes hi. You are Tom right? Everyone’s being talking about you.” Said the boy. He had a very light voice.
“Me? “ Tom groaned feeling if he’s popular or not.
“Yes. They are saying you are tall like some what a small giant. Why are so tall? I could hardly reach about your neck.”
Tall. This is the only thing Tom hates. A rage was building inside him.
“And you prepared the food? You have really impressed the land lord.” The boy chuckled, gleefully.
The rage calmed down. “Yes…umm...” Tom wondered what to say next.
“I’m Bruce Hyena, nice talking with you.” Smiled Bruce. “You’d know my dad, he’s the oldest one here, and my mom’s the youngest if you ask me. She puts a lot of cream to look young anyway, but she’s getting fat or perhaps fatter. I have a sister, she’s Candy and she’s spoiled. She’ll keep on aggravating you, until you shout with some rage and put some cross remark on your face and oh yeah you are parentles-er- err, sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
A rather moving remark was building on Tom’s face. He didn’t like it by the way, when he’s called parentless, it always panics him. He didn’t know why, when he hears the name orphan, a flow of regret passes through his paralyzed body.
“Yeah, I am not hurt, well, err, where do you live anyway?” asked Tom, turning to be normal.
“In this place, house no 1, it’s the most ruined house, I tell you. Oh here comes Candy.”
A bossy- looking girl appeared. Her short brown hair and a very interventionist-type black sunglass on her livid white face were looking very clever and dominant. She looked a lot like Bruce.
“Hi, Are you messing out here too, Bruce?” sneered the girl.
“Yeah, just making some important affairs with my new friend and also giving him a taste about how blemished you are, Candy. “Scorned Bruce.
“You should have also told him first about how much indiscreet, frustrating and brainless you are, Mr. Hyena. “
“Mind your own business, Candy. AND DON’T MESS AROUND” shouted Bruce.
“I haven’t got any business, want to share your business with mine? “Derided the bossy girl smiling, dimly.
” GET LOST” roared Bruce.
“Dare not say me those!” the girl snickered “You know I’m going to mama, MOM, brother’s maddening me, too much. Even you know he failed in the Rorsology test, got 23 – “
“STOP IT CANDY “yelled Bruce Hyena.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m minding my own business now; I shall take your advice poor, thick, obtuse, daft, silly, foolish, and injudicious boy!”
Candy sauntered happily perhaps to blurt to her mom that Bruce had failed.
“What’s Rorsology, anyway? “Asked Tom.
“Study of creatures. Disgusting “said Bruce
“Have you really failed? “ Tom asked.
“Oh no, not really, eh, just got 42, does that mean fail? “ Bruce beamed weakly.
“I never failed in my life. “ Tom smirked happily.
“Yeah, I know there are few students who are study worm, and you know you can’t have everything in life,” laughed Bruce. “Look at the Boot’s family, they are all full of vice, and they are so bad, that they won’t mind disregard you in front of the public, and their son Dex, look at him, first in every class. That’s how the thing goes, Tom”
Anyway, Bruce seems friendly enough Tom just as Tom seemed friendly to Bruce. ‘I’m not dreaming again, I hope’ thought Tom when suddenly a question came in his mind.
“Are you going to Omega? “ He asked very fast.
“WHAT? “ Bruce thundered “How dare you know? Are you a WIZARD?”
“I was right? “ Tom uttered without conviction “I just guessed. “
“ Father said that only students who are good from their heart, meticulous and a bit studious only get the chance to go to Omega, the largest school in Amensia , you know. “ supposed Bruce. “Well, I’m not much cautious or studious, I tell you. “
“But you must be a very good human being. It is a way important than being good in studies. “
“Well, my exam remarks say ‘meet standard’ and they aren’t much bad. I only detest that what, yeah Rorsology. All you have to do is learn by heart and keep on learning and learning until your grade becomes Excellent. I always get satisfactory in that, eh.” Said Bruce in revulsion.
“Have you seen the news yet? The weather’s boiling. “Said Tom.
“Yeah” Bruce consented.
Like friends, Tom related Bruce about the bad dream he had.
“WOW!” Bruce thundered again, shaking dust from the ceilings (a few people gazing at him). “Amulets! You know about Anna? “Asked Bruce as if Anna is his aunt.
“No.” murmured Tom.
“She is the greatest Witch who is also called ‘Wizard’, the only title given to the greatest Rorsologers.” Grinned Bruce. “My dad is her fan. He works in the Burgs Bank, I must tell”
“But she said to Richey Campbell that her Amulet of life, Amulet of Moon, Amulet of Sun, Amulet of fire and Amulet of ice are stolen. Without-“
“those we can’t control fires, ice will melt and there will be more heat and the moon (means accident in Eric) will go bigger right? I wonder what will happen about the Amulet of life. “Bruce completed.
A flash of intuition, stroked in Tom’s mind.
“Hey, you know the weather’s boiling and people can’t control fire! “
“So what? “Bruce replied stupidly.
“Oh, Bruce! It’s all because of the amulets. It’s because they are stolen by someone and he is using the powers of that Amulet to do these!” Tom blurted out, and few people looked at him suspiciously.
“It can be, I appreciate your words. “ Bruce inquired “But why you dreamt about that? “
“ Perhaps…” Tom’s brain was running or may be galloping like a steady horse “Richey or Wizard Anna might want help from me, Bruce!”
“Oh… “Bruce said miserably “Well, why you? She could have called on you, and she told you in dream?”
“Perhaps the circumstances are risky and very precarious” Tom twitched his head. “I wonder if Sultan is hiding in the faded lighthouse. Well, do you know who R is?”
“OH! NO “Bruce thundered again, now shaking apples from the plates.” I know it’s all a bundle of jokes and hogwash. I’m not a bit interested in all these JUNKS”
“Alright, no problem. I am not talking about it again “Tom said grudgingly but feeling very excited.
A woman’s shout rung in their ears.
“Who’s that? EH? Tom?? Was it you? “Bruce asked suddenly.
“Do I look like girls or my voice is like that” Tom said, feeling very wrung.
“OH NO!” Someone shouted.
“It’s coming from there. “Shouted Bruce as he tugged Tom to go.
The two boys ran in the track to the Hall. It was just in the right.
A blazing, vindictive inferno was shooting from the lilac curtains, hissing like Lord Luna. The fire enlarged as all the people ran towards the most horrible kitchen burned terribly, few crying away madly. Such a disaster!
The kitchen table was smoldered badly, and the drapes were black, which clearly told Tom that it was curled and whorled by the brutal fire, which was frightening the crowd of people. Tom stared at the fire, it seemed very beautiful to him. Bruce cried out; looking at his mother who…
It was the worst day in Tom’s life. Such preparations, such jolliness were ruined by the fire. No one could tell how the curtains were fired up; it was Candy who discovered the curtain blazed. After that, there was probably something near the curtains which made the fire swell and burn everything. Tom couldn’t talk to Bruce, but he could understand how Bruce could feel. The fire had burned up the whole hall, and somehow Tom and Bruce had escaped from the dodgy place. Bruce couldn’t run his eyes were full of water; Tom had seized him away.
Hugo was also alright except a painful scratch in his leg, which occurred when he had grabbed himself to run. Bruce was okay too, and Tom had only got a big cut on his knee, which could reveal flesh clearly.
The charred Banquet hall was lost forever, but Tom could feel that the fire was a threat. A warning before something, seeming to say; be aware, it’s only the start. After all, all these happened in the Eric year day! This means this year is going to be shocking…more shocking for, perhaps Tom?
Tom was looking forward for buying his year’s school books with Hugo. So on the next Saturday, Tom dressed in black and Hugo in green had paced into the Lobstock Omegan Area.
It’s the place all the bookworms’ dream of, and all the book haters nightmare on it. But Tom was book lover which proved good in his coming years.
The large Toad Book shop shaped like a toad, Madam Jiffy’s favorite Geo sticks and a set of Map book could really come handy for the 1st Graders. There were a few pieces of interest, the Shamanism Books, with gold and silver pointy handwriting which seem to say it was a hand written book.
Tom walked into a big book shop without Hugo, as Hugo had come across one of his favorite Celebs singing the song’ Live for paradise’ beside the Omegan Area on the Sunshine Butter Mellow park so he had loped away straight without a natter.
The shop was very dusty and putrid with a pile of books upon stools and there wasn’t much room in the Bookshelves. In an auburn stool, stood a tiny little witch .Tom had made sure it wasn’t a boy- selling shop again.
“Welcome… The witch asked in a very kind voice.
“Yes, the 1st set of books please.” Tom muttered and wheeled to see two twins nattering about something funny.
“Hullo! It’s the Jacky bobbling again!” The 1st twin replied to Tom who was having a surprise.
“I’ve never seen twins. “ Tom answered.
“Yea, you’re right you may have never seen twins like us.” The second twin said “Me, Crax “
“Trick Dings, honestly pops, can’t even call you a Ding “
“Sorry, err”
“Tommy. “ Tom answered feeling very silly.
“You couldn’t have found a place like Omega where none of the teachers permit you to blow up the Ice Mountains. Brother Charlie once said he had set fireworks on a teachers head.”
“Oh…” Said Tom still feeling very dense “I could’ve hardly shoved up a mountain.”
“It’s easy. Learn to Use the psychic power ‘bleak ‘and Blow up the school” Crax said with a sort of little snigger.
“1st graders?” Trick asked.
“Yes...”
“Terrific. You’re heights…”
“5 foot 6 inches…”
“Yes! A very tall boy ages ten? Tutu “Crax sang “My name is Crax and I know a Tommy and we’re-”
“Such a wrung voice “Tom whispered to himself.
“What?”
“Nothing, I mean you have a sweet voice “
“Ready, dear “Tom moved his head upwards to see a packet bearing his 1st year books. He was so excited he forgot to wish the two twins bye and came out of the shop and checked his letter list. It says that you need to buy three Plant soaring Sticks for the plant class, Two Shamanism Stones (one bigger and another smaller of crimson color).
He found the rest things on a shop called ‘Welcome to all Shamanism and students’ and came out at once.