Here is the first chapter of a book I wrote, it is the story of a boy who enters a magical world the the toilet in his school. Enjoy.
Chapter One
Many people look back with fondness on their early years of school, they bring memories of a simpler time, a time without worries or fears. David Trinbal knew he was not going to be one of them.
David Trinbal, or Dave to everyone but his mother, was a small boy who had big problems. Two weeks into David’s fifth grade year at yellow rock elementary, David’s father got a promotion at work and he and his family had to pack up and leave. This was not so hard for David’s two small sisters; they were barely old enough to understand they were moving at all. But for David, this meant leaving behind everything he had ever known. His friends waved goodbye to him on his last day of school as his father drove him and his family away.
“Don’t worry son.” His father said, in that father knows best tone he so often used. “I’m sure that you’ll make lots of friends at your new school.” David hoped so. It hadn’t been so hard making friends when you were growing up with them, but now that he was going in as a fifth grader, he wasn’t sure.
David had only three days to get used to his new surroundings before he started school that Monday. Things are going to be great here. He told himself, though he wasn’t sure he believed it. He looked out the window of his new house. It was very different from his old one. His old house had been a large sprawling ranch with a huge swimming pool in the back yard. At a young age David had learned to swim, and he was a natural. He could swim back and forth the entire length of the pool all in one breath. But here in the suburbs of Chicago, there was no pool, and the neighborhood was filled with large cold two story houses that looked as though they had been squished together.
David had little time to get used to his new home, the three days flew past and soon he was being dropped off on the doorstep of his new school. Not just an elementary school like the one he had come from, but a combination Jr. High and elementary. He watched a boy walk by who had to be at least a foot and a half taller then him. David knew that this place was going to take some getting used to. While he was standing in awe of his new surrounding his mother, who was still in her SUV behind him called his name.
“David, hold on a second sweetheart.” David turned and saw to his horror that his mother was putting her car in park and getting out. Quickly he looked for somewhere to hide, what could be more embarrassing then having your mother with you on your first day of school? But before he could move his mother was walking briskly towards him, talking on her cell phone. David waited impatiently as she took what seemed like an eternity to hang up. When she finally did, she bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Alright, now I’ll pick you back up right here at 3:30.” She said.
“Yeah,” David mumbled. Willing her to get back in her car and drive away.
“You have my Cell phone number in case you need me.”
“Yeah mom.” David said, getting desperate for her to leave. He could start to feel the other kids eyes watching him.
“Alright then,” she kissed him again and tussled his hair. “My boy is getting so grown up.” After this final blow to his self-confidence, she finally got back in her SUV and pulled away calling. “Have a great day,” out the window.
David knew it would have been a much better day if she had just stayed in the car, he was feeling stupid, and embarrassed. But it was over now and probably no one heard her or cared if they had. And if a few kids laughed a little at his expense. Oh well, he thought. I’m sure that no one will remember by tomorrow. David started to walk towards the door to the school, thinking his problems were over when he heard someone start to laugh. It was a mean, throaty laugh, more like an animal’s grunt than anything a person should make. David turned David turned around and was faced by the biggest eighth grader he had ever seen. He was tall and thick, looking more like a caveman then someone from this century. He had a large square jaw and a broad squashed nose. His bushy eyebrows came together over his dark brown almost black eyes. David didn’t know it yet, but he had just made the acquaintance of Dwayne.
Dwayne the pain, or Dwayne Smith as the authorities knew him, was the school bully. He had a knack for finding kids who were on their own, kids who had strayed from the herd; and to him, David was a lost lamb.
Dwayne had been standing behind some bushes smoking with his buddies when David had arrived, but when he heard David’s mother his ears pricked up and a cruel smile spread across his lips. That was the end of David’s peaceful existence at Fairview middle school.
“So does little mommies little sweetheart need his mommy to protect him?” These were the words that echoed in David’s ears as he tried to block out the pain in his stomach where Dwayne’s fist had just been. Dwayne had cornered him later that day in an isolated section of the school after David had taken a wrong turn, and was now working out his teen angst using David as a punching bag. When the fight stopped, David was lying on the ground gasping for air. David had never been in a fight before, not that it could really have even been called a fight. It was a beating, and it had been brutal, much worse than Dwayne usually gave. He had found particular pleasure in hitting David, more so then any of his other victims. Dwayne leaned down and spoke in his barking voice so that only David could hear him.
“If you think this was bad, tell your mommy what happened and next time you’ll know how bad it could be.” And with that he straightened up and walked away, leaving David to catch his breath and gather up his schoolbooks. Dwayne had been left back a few grades but he wasn’t altogether stupid. He hadn’t hit David anywhere that it would show, making it easier for their encounter to be hidden. David didn’t tell anyone what had happened either. He hoped that if he kept quiet maybe Dwayne would get bored and leave him alone, also he believed Dwayne when he said things could get worse. However, the next day at school Dwayne cornered David again and the incident of the day before was repeated. The Dwayne occurrences became so regular in the next few weeks that David had taken to hiding during all free periods. This made him even more isolated from the rest of his classmates and an even bigger target for bullying. David was sure one day that he had found a good hiding spot at the back of the library, Dwayne seemed to be allergic to reading, so what better place could there be? But Dwayne was an animal, and it never took him long to find his favorite prey. It only took two days before a thick, prematurely hairy arm reached through the stacks and gripped David by the back of the neck. Dwayne threw him onto the ground and by the time David looked up Dwayne was standing over him. It was probably the first and last time Dwayne enjoyed picking up a good long book, If David could have learned by osmosis, he would have known “War and Peace” by heart as it was continuously brought down on the top of his head. The beating didn’t last long, as an old librarian started to shelve books in the next aisle. The usual threat of “I’ll catch you tomorrow, was left ringing in his ears along with the bell for next period.
This was how things had been going for the last three months. An ongoing game of hide and seek, with penalties if you got caught. The longest David went without a visit from Dwayne was the week Dwayne was suspended from school for dunking Johnny Conrad head first into a toilet. But David knew that when Dwayne got back Johnny would be in more trouble than he had been before. This was the reason that he hadn’t told anyone. The reason that when his parents asked what was wrong he told them lies. Things could get worse he thought, things could still get a lot worse.
It had now been three days since his last run-in with Dwayne. He was considering himself lucky. Maybe some other poor soul had become his new favorite punching bag. He wouldn’t wish that on someone else, but his lack of contact had given David some courage. Maybe things were going to be different. Maybe Dwayne had been expelled! David even ventured out onto the playground during lunch, though he was still shunned by his fellow classmates. No one wanted to be friends with a bully magnet. He resigned himself to sitting on the swings, slowly rocking back and forth until it was time to go in. It was during this time of rocking that he really began to think. Why is all this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? David was an exceptionally bright boy, regardless of the countless head injuries he’d received lately. He knew the answer. Nothing.
He had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If only he hadn’t come to school on that day, if only his mother hadn’t said that, then it was possible he would be playing tag with his classmates instead of being alone rubbing his still bruised chest. His deep thoughts were interrupted by the distant sound of the bell ringing. David pushed back on the swing and let it continue without him. It had been a good day so far. Maybe things might start to change for the better.
He started in with the rest of the school. They all lined up in single file and marched their way past the gym teacher who had been watching over them. The rest of the day passed without incident. That is to say, no one picked on David and he had no contact with Dwayne.
The next day David awoke with a good feeling. The sun was shining through his window making the particles of dust appear as if by magic. He walked over and opened the window. A cold blast of air rustled his dark brown hair, making him feel awake. He crawled back in bed and pulled the covers up over his shoulders. He wished that he could stay in bed forever, but it was only a few short seconds before he heard his mother calling him down for breakfast. It was cold milk and cereal, not that he minded. His father had already left for the office and his mother would soon follow. His two baby sisters would be dropped off at daycare as soon as he was at school.
“Big day, mom?” He asked. His mother was looking even more frazzled than usual. She had started a new job not long after they had moved and it seemed to occupy most of her time.
“Yes.” His mother said between feeding his youngest sister Sally and her slightly older twin Susie. “I’ve got a big client coming in today and I don’t know what…. David stopped listening and went back to his cereal. He had heard this speech from his mother many times before.
As he was dropped off for school he crossed his fingers that today would be a good day, he even crossed his toes for good measure. He entered the school with his head held high, but soon it dropped down to its usual position of looking at his shoelaces. He was trying not to look at anyone. If no one made eye contact, there would probably be no confrontations. This plan seemed to work until he walked straight into a wall and was knocked backwards. He quickly tried to get up and act as though nothing had happened, hoping that if no one had been looking at him, no one saw him fall. But as he got to his feet he realized that people were watching him, but they weren’t laughing. They weren’t even smiling. Papers and pencils seemed to be scattered about the floor, with a few sheets of paper still fighting gravity. A moment of confusion overwhelmed David, then all thoughts were replaced with a strong surge of panic, the wall wasn’t a wall at all. He had run straight into the backpack of Dwayne the pain and it had exploded, showering the hall with its contents.
The pain he felt next came moments after the punch itself. He dropped down to the floor. The silence that had been almost been absolute was now a deafening roar. The crowds of kids around him were all shouting. This was the first time that Dwayne had hit David in front of anyone but his two cronies John and Frank. David didn’t know what to do. Should he lay still and wait for the assault to be over? Maybe one of the other kids would get a teacher and stop it. But another thought came to him. This attack was in front of everyone; maybe Dwayne wasn’t thinking clear, What if the teacher came too late? What if Dwayne didn’t stop till he killed him, or paralyzed him? He had to fight back. Without looking, he stood and raised his fist straight into the air clipping Dwayne on the chin. The roar died as quickly as it had come. David looked up to see Dwayne looking down at him; apparently Dwayne didn’t have a glass jaw. Dwayne’s massive fist pulled back ready to strike. David closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable, but it didn’t come. After a second David opened his eyes to see two teachers hauling Dwayne off to the principals office. He wasn’t going quietly.
That was the end. Not just the end of the fight, the end of David’s life at Fairview School. A teacher came back and asked him if he needed to go to the nurse’s office, David lied and said he didn’t. He wanted to make as little of this as he possibly could, but he knew that there was nothing he could do now. Dwayne wouldn’t stop until he made him pay, and no other kids would dare to make friends with him now. He was a leper. Even more outcast than he had been. The rest of the day was a blur. No kids talked to him, but everywhere he went kids were talking about him. When the school day ended his teacher gave him a note to give to his parents. He read it on the way to the car where his mother was waiting for him.
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Trinbal,
David was involved in a fight today at school,
We have reason to believe that he was only defending himself
As the boy he was fighting is a known bully.
No disciplinary action will be taken against David, but we
feel that it might be better for him if he comes to see a counselor tomorrow.
Also David refused to go to the nurse to be checked out, but if would be
best to have him looked over just in case.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Philips
“Hi hon, what’s wrong?” His mother had noticed the look on David’s face. For a moment he almost told her, he wanted to tell her everything, to have her protect him from everything, have her hold him in her arms and kiss his forehead. But he simply looked at her with a longing stare, and stuffed the piece of paper into his pocket. He had no desire to go to a counselor.
“Nothing, my stomach just hurts.”
“Oh, we’ll get you something for that when we get home.” His mother smiled kindly at him. She had no idea that her son had being a victim for so long.
The next few days he played sick, he knew what the kids at school would be saying, and without him there to be seen, rumors would be flying. But he didn’t want to go back. He wanted to stay where it was safe. Home. But he couldn’t keep up his fake ailments for long and soon he returned back to the lion’s den, hoping that the lion was still banned from school.
The day went on as if nothing had happened; no one talked to him, but they didn’t talk about him either. He was back to his non-existent state. Everything was going fine until lunch. David asked his teacher, Mrs. Philips, if he could stay and help her clean up the classroom; not that he wanted to, but at least nothing was going to happen in here. But she just smiled and said,
“No thank you, David, go out and play with the other kids.” David grudgingly went out onto the playground, trying to stick close to the door in case he had to get inside quickly.
The next few days went on as if the Dwayne incident never happened.
Maybe he’s been expelled for good! David thought, though he didn’t really believe it. Perhaps it was this thought, or that it was Friday, but David was in good spirits that day. The morning passed and he felt that things might be changing for the better. He answered some questions in class, and Johnny Conrad asked him at lunch if he wanted to trade his peanut butter and honey sandwich for Johnny’s tuna fish. David hated tuna fish, but traded anyway, grateful for the interaction.
The day went by quickly, and soon he found himself thinking that things really weren’t so bad. The bell rang and David left his class with the other students. It wasn’t until he was almost two blocks from school (his mother had an important meeting today and couldn’t pick him up) that he realized he’d left his homework there.
“Its always something.” David muttered to himself as he started back. Being a Friday, it hadn’t taken long for the school to be almost deserted. David had to try four doors before finding one that was left open. He entered and made his way to his classroom, hoping that it would still be unlocked. As he rounded the bend in the hall all thoughts of homework vanished. Dwayne and his two cronies were standing in the hall, Dwayne was writing something on a wall while the other two kept watch. David had realized what was happening too late. Frank shouted when he saw David and Dwayne let his marker fall. The two of them were off, David had a good lead but Dwayne was twice his size and was making ground fast. David had to find a teacher or a place to hide. He called out “Help!” but the echo of his and Dwayne’s footsteps was the only reply. He almost made it to the outside doors, but from twenty feet away he could see they were already chained for the night. Desperately, he looked for any means of escape. He was across from the gym but it was locked as well. Dwayne rounded a corner and spotted him. It would only take ten seconds to cross the distance between them. David bolted for the basement door, praying that it was still unlocked. His hand felt the cold metal of the knob and he turned it. The door opened. He closed it behind him and ran down the stairs as fast as he could, only remembering the lock too late. As he looked up from the bottom of the stairs, Dwayne’s large face was looking down at him from the doorway. David ran for the bathroom. It had the latch at the bottom of the door. He crossed through the piles of unused junk and wrenched open the bathroom door. A second later it was closed, he pushed the latch down and the small metal slid into place. A tremendous thud was the next sound David heard as two hundred pounds of Dwayne met the old wood door. David scooted back away from the door.
The words “When I get in there I’m gonna kill you,” rushed through the door and into David’s ears. He hurried to the last stall in the basement, hoping he could reach the open grate and climb out. But he was too short. A tremendous crash made him jump to the floor. The small metal holding the door closed snapped, causing the door to swing into the wall. David held his breath. Any moment he was going to have the beating of his life – or worse. Dwayne didn’t say anything as he entered the bathroom. He was stalking his prey. David tensed up; he wished that he were somewhere far away, somewhere far, far away from here. BANG! The door of the first stall flew open.
“That’s one.” Another bang came a moment later. “That’s two.” Dwayne was counting down the stalls until he got to David’s. David shut his eyes tight, so tight that colors floated before him. In the back of his mind he thought he heard water. He started to feel sick. A few bangs later, David heard Dwayne call out “Six!”
David was going to be sick, he turned his head to the toilet.
“Seven!” For a moment the fear he felt diminished. There staring back at him was not an empty toilet bowl, but one filling with a glowing green liquid. This didn’t make any sense. What was happening?
“Nine!”
An image was appearing in the green water. It was a castle, and a place he had never seen before.
“Ten!”
David leaned in closer, he felt a pull from somewhere inside him. It was as if something in the back of his mind had been hooked and was now being reeled in. David pulled back, fighting the sensation.
“Eleven!”
David looked into the bowl again. The image was crystal clear now. He leaned in close. The pulling sensation was stronger now. He was being pulled into the water. He put his hands on either side of the bowl to keep from being sucked in.
“Twelve!”
In a panic, David realized that Dwayne was almost upon him. The choice took only a second. David gripped the sides and thrust himself into the water. He felt his body being squished into a strange shape. He was sucked into the toilet. He turned around and looked up to see Dwayne kicking in the door of the stall.
“Thirteen!”
But if the look on Dwayne’s face wasn’t worth the risk, David didn’t know what was. He was spinning out of control in an unknown stream of color, but he was happy.