Excerpt from Suburbs

Suburbs

Inspired by the album, The Suburbs by Arcade Fire.

Part I: A city in the Suburbs

                  Chapter I: Owl walks & summer talks

                  I put down my pencil and stared blankly out my window. I sighed. Summer. The sun flitted through the leaves on the tree beside our house in the suburbs. And yet it just wasn’t summer. The cries of children running through the neighborhood, dogs barking, joggers, were missing. I shoved back on my rolling chair. A summer heat wave was currently devastating the suburbs. The grass was making a valiant fight for life but was failing and turning brown. Even my Aunt’s flower garden was withering away.

            “Danny”            

            “Coming, Aunty” I called.

            My parents had died in a car crash when I was 10. Ever since their death I’ve lived with my aunt Dorothy and uncle Rob and their only child, Anna. We had grown to be the best of friends over the long years. I was now 15 a week ago and Anna was 13. A two-year gap seemed to be nothing to us. We biked around and made mischief.

            I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling it across my forehead. I flung my door open and waltzed down my stairs. The hall held pictures of many old relatives of some sort or the other. I skidded into the kitchen and sat down for dinner. Anna came through and sat down opposite me talking non-stop to no one in particular.

            School had been out for weeks. Summer was in the air and burning in my blood. It seemed to me at the time that all of my friends had moved away. I’d had no contact from a single soul. I’d longed to burst free of my prison cell in NO. 4 Washington dr. and that’s exactly what I planned to do.

            “Hush” I whispered to Anna.

            We were on our way sneaking out of the house to roam the neighborhood in search of adventure. We grabbed sticks of various shapes and sizes. They found their way into sheaths and holsters. We were now armed for our adventure! Passing a nearby park I suddenly pulled Anna behind a tree with me. I had spotted an enemy soldier. I gave Anna her orders and pulled my shotgun out from the back of my shirt. I nodded to Anna and she moved her position. Then I made my break for it. As soon as I reached the closest tree I put my back to it and scanned for Anna. She was not three trees away and gave me a hand signal.             I nodded and spun around the tree and spotted my target. I blew him away instantly and inspected the area for additional hostiles. None were to be seen; he must have been a scout. I gave Anna a high five and we howled our victory in shrill voices. Continuing on our way we chatted genially.

            “Danny,” said Anna, “is this really what we waited for throughout the school year?”

            “No” I replied knowing exactly how she felt. “No this is not summer…summer is playing with friends all day and coming home to a nice meal. Summer is biking round the neighborhood and riding up and down the dirt piles that the dump trucks leave. That is summer” I finished chucking my last stick away into the street.

             It bounced several times before coming to a stop under a streetlight. An owl hooted feebly somewhere above us.  We were silent for a long while. The only sound was the sound of our feet shuffling on the empty street.  Then suddenly a horrible screech permeated the air. I knew that the predator had found his prey...