The Middle

The sky was darker than normal. The wind was blowing harder than usual for mid-April. Filmore, California was not known for being a region with many weather abnormalities. But this day seemed to carry something rare indeed in the atmosphere.

Joshua Rey, an abnormality himself, since he was healed a month ago from being a mute, walked into the local thrift store and asked the cashier if they had any umbrellas for sale. The sky looked as if it were about to unload its wrath any minute, and he didn't want to get soaked on his way home.

Every Saturday, his routine was to go to the grocery store for his mother. He looked forward to the short walk, because in April, the honeysuckle vines were in full bloom. But today, unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to enjoy their aroma.

He only had a couple of items in a plastic bag and thought about taking them out and putting the bag on his head. At least it would keep his hair dry. But since there were a few dollars left in change, he figured his mother wouldn't mind if he bought the umbrella.

After explaining to the cashier, for the third time this month, that he didn't know how his ability to talk was restored, she handed him the umbrella and said, "Take the umbrella. It's yours."

Having something happen to you, that many would call miraculous, does have its perks. But it can also be a pain in the rear if you are an introvert and feel uncomfortable speaking about things you don't understand yourself.

Josh accepted the umbrella from the clerk and offered an awkward smile as he walked out of the store. As the door closed, Josh stepped onto the sidewalk and turned left and headed for his house.

It was only about a half mile away. He normally took his time going home, but because of the uncertainty of the weather, he picked up his pace.

It wasn't long before he felt the first few droplets of water hit his hand. He opened the umbrella just in time. Because those small droplets of water quickly turned into a torrential rain so heavy he could hardly see ten feet in front of him.

Josh had a difficult time holding on to the umbrella. The wind was so intense, he thought he was gonna take off like Mary Poppins. This was one trip to the store he wished never happened. But, in light of what he had experienced over the past couple of months, a little wind and rain was nothing to complain about.

And if the townspeople thought his life was a marvel, just because he was healed and could talk again, they would really be blown away if he told them everything that had recently happened to him.

His house was around the corner. But the water was flooding in the street so high, forcing him to cross into the neighbors yard to get to it. Normally that wouldn't be a problem. But the problem was, his neighbor was not normal.

Mr. Chad Standsburg was a retired engineer. What he engineered was a mystery to Josh. But, if he had to guess, he would say he was an engineer of "Ornery." He had never seen Mr. Standsburg smile. Not one time. Not even a slight grin. He was always in a bad mood, especially if he discovered some kid was walking on his front lawn.

He went from a fast paced walk, to an outright sprint as soon as he hit Mr. Standsburg's lawn. But no matter how fast he ran, the wind pulling on the umbrella kept slowing him down. This, of course, only made Josh slip and slide on the lawn from hell. He was trying to go one way and the wind was taking him another. He couldn't get off that lawn no matter how hard he tried.

After much effort, and just when he thought he was free and clear, he saw Mr. Standsburg's front door open up and Mr. "Ornery" step out. He yelled at Joshua and said, "Boy, get the hell off my lawn! Do you hear me? Get off my lawn!"

"Good grief!" shouted Josh, as he walked under the carport, shaking the water off the umbrella. "Why did we have to live next to Satan?" Right then he looked up and saw his mother standing at the screen door with a smile on her face. "He's not so bad Joshua" she said. "He may be a little out of touch sometimes, but deep down, he's a nice man."

"Right" Josh said, as he opened the screen door and walked past her with a grin now on his face. She rubbed her hand on his head, as if to scold him in fun.

"Where did you get the umbrella?" she asked.

"I got it from the thrift store, seeing I'm made of sugar and I knew you wouldn't want me to melt." He placed the damp umbrella in a wicker basket with all the other umbrella's they owned, and left his wet tennis shoes on the mat beside it.

"The clerk gave the umbrella to me for free. So here is your change from the groceries." He put her money on the countertop.

"Well that was nice of them" she answered. "I wouldn't want you to catch cold or anything like that." She then paused for a moment and said, "You know, I'm glad you like to walk to the store. I respect that you want time to enjoy the environment and all. But, you can take the car if you want. That way you can avoid going through what you went through today."

Josh really appreciated his mother for all she has done for him. She tries so hard to make life easier for the whole family. And now that his dad was back home, after being away for two years, she was having a hard time allowing herself to slow down.

As a matter of fact, the past month has been challenging for all of them. They had all been through such a traumatic ordeal, that slowing down seemed almost impossible. Especially in their mind. Just trying to understand how it was even possible to transport to different realms. Plus, all the creatures they had witnessed. What do you do with all that inconceivable information?

"I know." Josh said to his Mother. "I appreciate it. But if I stop all the madness along the way, then what would I have to write in that great big journal of mine?"

She knew Josh was in the habit of writing everything down. He had been so dependent on writing as his main way of communicating to everyone for so many years. Now that he can talk, he writes out of habit. But he also has vowed to write down all of the visions and supernatural experiences he has had. He felt the need to document them. Somehow he believed they would be needful in saving humanity from a dreadful event that will take place sometime in the near future. What that event shall be, was still beyond his own understanding.

He went upstairs to his room and shut himself in. He turned his computer on and backed away from it. He never knew what to expect. With things like, lights and glowing hands coming out of its screen, like it did a couple of months ago. He thought it was smart to be cautious.

Once he saw nothing out of the ordinary took place, he sat down and began to journal his days experience.

He opened the file on his desktop that was titled, "The World As We Know It." Josh thought that was an appropriate name for a file that would hold the crazy information he was putting into it. The world was definitely not as we have known it to be. It is filled with wonders beyond our comprehension.

He wrote,

"September 12, 2017"

"As I do every Saturday, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items for my mother. I ran into Alexander Stiles, the town mechanic. He asked me how the family was doing. I told him the usual. Everyone was fine and dandy. But, just a usual, he started in with the same old questions."

"So tell me Josh, how is it that your dad is alive. I was there at his funeral, remember? He supposedly died from cancer. And how are you able to talk? You went for years not being able to speak a word! I'm telling you, there are some freaky things happening over on your side of the woods, and it's not just me who is asking the questions either. The whole town is bewildered by it all."

"I just walked away, as his questions faded into the distance between us. But I didn't get too far before Mrs. June Ratherton saw me coming towards her on the sidewalk. Her mouth started moving before I could even think to cross the street to get away from her."

"With her hand waving at me, as if her mouth couldn't get my attention soon enough. She said, Joshua, Joshua."

"God! What did I do to deserve this? I thought to myself, as I surrendered my will to her cackling, annoying voice. She sounded like a mother hen that smoked three packs of Marlboro cigarettes every day."

"Hey Joshua, I am so glad I ran into you today. I was just talking about you and your family to Mr. Taylor Smarthass."

"I couldn't hold back the grin that flashed on my face for a brief moment. What a strange name for a man to have. Everyone in town knew him as, SMART-ASS TAYLOR, the town's Clothing Seamstress. He was as arrogant as he was a master at fitting clothes. There was no one in town who thought they knew as much as he did, about EVERYTHING! And he would be sure to let you know it too."

"She continued talking, (unfortunately), saying, He and I are both really concerned about what you and your family are going through."

"Right. I thought to myself. These two were the biggest gossips in town. Their conversations together, I was convinced, are what kept the town flowers in bloom. There was so much fertilizer spraying out of their mouths, in all directions. Nobody in town could get away from the Bull*** that divulged from them."

"She continued saying, as if I were continuing to listen."

"All the great societies in town have decided to have a potluck dinner in your family's honor. We are going to take up a small collection of funds to help during these trying times you all are facing. Of course, I am heading up this operation because I feel I am the most qualified in the area of organization. My mama used to say how proud she was of me because of the special effort I used to make around the house when I was a child."

"And so it began....She got lost into herself, as she always does, and tried to sweep me away into her glorious memories of childhood grandeur." It didn't work... I just disappeared into a conversation I started in my own mind. At least I could be swept away by my own Bull****."

"Five minutes must have passed before I realized Mrs. Ratherton was staring at me with this bland look on her face. As if she were waiting for me to respond to a question she asked."

"Did you hear me son?" she asked.

"I did what I always do when I find myself in situations like that. I lied. I said to her, 'Yes ma'am, I understand.' Although the truth was, I didn't understand a word she said. But, I did figure out what I wanted for dinner and what movie I was gonna watch tonight. It's wonderful what you can see when you take the time to think to yourself. I don't always think at the expense of others, but sometimes, it turns out to be more beneficial in the end. At that point, I just walked away without giving her another opportunity to continue the conversation."

"After that fiasco, I went into the thrift store. Darcy was working the counter again. She is a couple of years older than me, I think. I also think she has a crush on me. Every time I step inside the store, she comes running from the back, and treats me like I'm an angel floating on a heavenly cloud, who is there to deliver a special message just to her. That doesn't really bother me too much. In the end, she always gives me whatever I ask for. I never ask for much, mainly because, I don't want her to get into trouble with the owner of the store. Of coarse, her dad is the one who owns it, so..."

"After that, I walked home. It started to rain."

"I was caught walking on Mr. Standsburg lawn...again. He started up his usual rant, yelling at me to get off his lawn! Mother says he's a nice guy. Not quite convince of that yet, but..."

At that moment, Josh heard their voices come out of their bedroom and go downstairs. He wasn't sure what to think about having two new companions staying in his house. Especially being girls. But Kate and Bailey had nowhere else to go. They came from another place and another time. It was from the late 1800's. A place called, "Stockton, California." He wasn't sure if it were the same Stockton, California that wasn't too far from where they lived. But either way, what Mr. Alexander Stiles said was true indeed, there were some crazy things happening at Josh's house!

Josh didn't know how to explain the events of a month ago to his own mind, let alone to anyone else. He just knew, that somehow, he had to figure out a way to get those girls back home and how to solve the mystery of the rings.

He continued typing in his digital journal.

"Today I'm gonna give more thought to the rings, and what their real purpose is. I'm not sure where they are. I know who took them. That girl. Who was that girl? I must find out who she is, and where she is. I must find out why she needed them, and how she knew we had them. Where to start? I don't know! But what I do know is, those rings have power. Those rings, all of six of them, hold the answers that the world will need in the very near future. I just sense danger. I can't explain how I do. I just DO."

Josh paused for a moment. He was starting to feel hopeless. He just felt like he was a young man with no direction to go in. He let his hands fall heavy to his thighs and leaned back in his computer chair. He sighed real deep and dropped his head to his chest.