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The Majestic 12
By AlanGrant5
THE MAJESTIC 12
A Novel by Devin Da Graca
CHAPTER ONE
Mayberry, Maine
December 8th, 1957
The day was cold, even with a sun rising high above the tree lined sky, shinning unrelentingly on the ground beneath. It was a little past 3:30 P.M., when Daniel Dunne began his walk home from Mayberry Elementary. At the age of ten, walking home alone might seem dangerous, but Mayberry County was one of the safest cities in the entire state of Maine, as reported by the Derry (Me.) Daily News.
Passing through a portion of wooded forest, Daniel had yet to encounter any wild life that could pose a danger to him. Nothing was presumed living in these parts, except for the occasional deer and the swiftly paced squirrels found leaping from tree to tree every now and then.
December had fallen upon Mayberry, causing leaves to depart from their branches, leaving the trees in which they once belonged, naked and barren. The forest was split in two, with an old rusted railroad track running right through it. Corrupted power lines lead Daniel to his suburban street and by the look of things, he had a little under a mile to go, as he had just passed Emmerson Lake.
Shuffling through newly fallen leaves, Daniel gazed at the shimmering lake. Shades of amber reflected off the pool, with light fragments illuminating the dismal atmosphere the woods had once projected. The walk home was something Daniel looked forward to, as his views on school were similar to that of prison.
Being an only child, raised by a single mother, Daniel was used to living a life on his own. His mother, Kelly Dunne, was a waitress at Mel’s Diner and worked late hours, leaving Daniel home alone, with his only babysitter being a twenty inch television screen planted in the living room. He had Gunner, a three year old English Bulldog, to look after him, but usually ended up looking after Gunner, as the dog was more than a handful. Daniel suspected that it wouldn’t be long until Gunner be shipped off to some other household, for the mutt had taken a liking towards the consuming of moms high heel pumps, especially the ones that were fresh out of the box.
Growing up without a father wasn’t as difficult as one might think. Daniel’s father, having died when he was just four years old, wasn’t around much, or so his mother proclaims. All Daniel knew, was that his father worked for the Government on dozens of cases which were held top secret, from both the public and his very own family. Daniel’s mother had insisted that his father, Michael Dunne, would have made a terrible father, as he was rarely ever around. “It wouldn’t be any different than it is now,” his mother had said.
Before Daniel could cross the heavily rusted railroad track, the boy stared at a sight which drowned him in curiosity and maybe even a little fear. The only house found in Mayberry Woods, was a two story home, with trees towering high above its deteriorating roof. Probably once sporting a fresh coat of white paint, the seemingly abandoned structure was now grey, its windows boarded. Time had forgotten the house. It was a remnant from a time unknown.
Crossing the track, his gaze fixated on the dilapidated eye sore, Daniel slung his backpack over his shoulder and continued on.
“Daniel Dunne. Son of Michael Dunne?” a raspy voice sounded from up ahead.
Daniel froze, unable to view the source which made the statement.
“Who’s there?” the boy asked.
Suddenly, just yards ahead, a man stepped out from behind a tree. Wearing a nicely tailored suit, the old man blew smoke into the afternoon air, tossing a cigarette onto the ground, with his foot quickly being pressed on top of it, smearing the bud into the dirt. His hair, what remained of it anyway, was white, buried onto a scalp which sported many a crease. His eyes were emerald blue, able to be seen from a great distance.
“You heard that?” the man asked, stepping forth.
“You said that?” Daniel asked, stepping back.
The old man smiled, “No, I didn’t say a thing.”
Daniel was confused and a little bit disturbed by the mans sudden appearance. “Yes you did. I heard you say–”
“No, you heard me think,” the man said, walking towards the boy. “You look just like your father; same eyes, same face... same gift.”
“My father? How do... did you know my father? Who are you?” Daniel asked, questions cluttering his speech.
“He and I used to work together... back in the day.”
His uneasiness settling down to a slight discomfort, Daniel replied, “You mean for the government?”
“Something like that,” the man replied, heading for the house in which Daniel thought was barren. “Go ahead and come in. Your mother won’t be back for another five hours or so. The diner is going to be a full house tonight, especially with our very own Mayberry Ravens winning home game.”
“I’m sorry sir, but I’m not supposed to talk to strangers... besides, I have a lot of homework to do.” How in the hell did this guy know so much about him? Daniel thought. This guy was beginning to creep him out.
“My name is Jacob Gellar. I am sixty-four years old, am the last remaining member of my family, and enjoy eating refrigerated pizza while watching Saturday morning cartoons... do I still qualify as a stranger to you kiddo?” he asked, with a smile forming at the edge of his lips.
Daniel thought a moment, as another question plagued his mind. “That football game doesn’t even start for another hour... how do you know we’ll win?”
“Call it a hunch,” Jacob said sarcastically, while opening a screen door, leading into the ivy covered structure. “Can I get you a soda pop?”
Before he knew it, Daniel found himself walking up the porch stairs. Setting his book bag next to the door, the boy inspected the interior of the house from the outside. Very little light had allowed him to see barely anything much of interest. A ray of sunlight had managed to sneak its way through a crack in the boarded windows, allowing small particles of dust to be seen floating around.
“Sure, I’ll take one,” Daniel replied, still studying the eerie man’s equally eerie residence. Being a stranger, Daniel felt as if he could actually trust this man, despite the amount of creepiness Jacob Geller was able to give off.
Walking down an elongated hallway, with a single ray of light briefly illuminating his face as he glided past a window; Jacob, a bottle of Rootbeer held firmly in his hand. stopped, and looked at the boy. He watched Daniel take observation of the houses interior.
“Creepy, ain’t it?” the old man said, handing him the ice cold Rootbeer.
“I didn’t know anyone lived here. I pass it everyday walking home from school... I’m surprised we’ve never crossed paths before.”
“Well, I wish I could take credit for the wonderful condition this house was left in, but sadly, I cannot. I’ve only been here for a few days.”
“A few days? Why? This isn’t exactly a dream getaway,” the boy said, taking a sip of the cool beverage.
“True, but it’s a getaway nonetheless... tell me Danny boy, what do you know about your father?”
“I know he worked for the government... top secret stuff. He was involved in a car accident a while ago and died soon after. Other than that, I don’t remember him all that well.”
Gellar nodded his head, almost shaking it, as he made his way into the kitchen. Daniel followed as he saw the old man pull out a chair. He looked tired, saddened even.
“Years ago I had made a promise to your father... just before he died actually. I had promised him to tell you the truth... to not leave you out in the dark about what happened. And now it seems as if I’ve waited too long.”
“The truth? The truth about what?”
“About who he was... about who I am; what we were apart of. They draw near Danny boy. For six years I’ve been in hiding and each day that goes by it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid them. I fear that I’m running out of time, which is why I must talk to you now.”
That overwhelming sense of uneasiness had returned, as Daniel grew silent.
“I don’t expect you to believe anything I’m about to say and I don’t want you to be frightened... just listen. You’ve been shielded long enough boy, it’s time someone told you the truth. Are you willing to listen Danny boy?”
Daniel grew cold, setting his Rootbeer aside. As he looked into the old mans eyes, he knew he was sincere. “I’d like to know what happened to my father,” he whispered, as if he had just unlocked a door to a terrifying truth.
Copyright © 2002 by Devin Da Graca
9/16/2002 1:05:30 AM
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