RIVE

Science made us believe that magic does not exist, but magic is too frightening to believe in. Magic is all around us, and also those magical creatures that stalk us in the night. You might be familiar with some of these creatures, even though you might have never seen them, but you might have heard about them; ghosts, vampires, werewolves and others.

As Jack twisted the golden door knob on the white door, suddenly the warm African sun lit upon his face. At that sudden moment he realized that lady luck was standing right next to him, because he knew very well that hot days like these were rare in the city of Cape Town during the cold winter season.

He called his personal assistant and told her to cancel all of his meetings, because he wanted to spend this day with his two sons. Something he rarely does.

Daniel, the oldest son, was not enthusiastic at all about this trip his father had planned. He despised every minute of this day, even though he was 21 years old he couldn’t say no to his father, because Jack had a tendency of being a very stubborn man and once he sets his mind into something he does it instantly and doesn’t allow any other distraction to happen that could spoil his plans.

Despite his brother’s attitude, Kevin, the youngest son at 17 years, was very happy and couldn’t wait to get there. Nothing seemed to chase his cheerful spirit away. He was a boy who loved nature and animals. That explained why he loved his father’s choice of spending this day by fishing all day. “I’m ready,” he said, smiling and walking towards the car.

“Alright then,” said Jack, smiling. “But I’m still waiting for Daniel to come down and help us pack some of these bags into the car. But we can still wait for him while we pack. Come on son, let’s move!”

Kevin felt his energy being drained away from his body by those words, but Jack couldn’t care less. “These bags are heavy like rocks, I won’t be able to pack them by myself,” said Jack. “Help your father, son.”

“Yey, dad, bags heavy like rocks. My favorite,” said Kevin, dragging his feet.

There was lots of fishing and camping equipment in front of his eyes; sleeping bags, fishing rods, charcoal bags and wood, tents and other numerous things that he wasn’t familiar with. Jack chuckled. “But where in the world is Daniel?!”

Daniel came out the front door slowly wearing a mask of disgust and exhaustion on his face, and carrying a backpack on his left hand.

“Speak of the devil,” said Jack. “Finally the sleeping giant has awakened,” he said looking at Daniel. “Hurry up, will you?”

“Don’t even start, dad,” said Daniel. “Where is the boat?” he asked. “I can’t see it, I want to go already.”

“It’s still in the garage, son,” said Jack. “I’m afraid, you’ll need to drag it out of there and bring it here. It’s waiting for you.”

“What?!”

“Yes, I’m serious,” said Jack. “Bring it here, and then we will leave.”

Kevin chuckled.

“What are you laughing at?!” said Daniel. “I’m going to crush you.”

Kevin laughed harder. Jack laughed too, “Stop that,” he said. “Daniel, just bring the boat already, and be careful with it.”

“That piece of junk,” said Daniel looking down, wishing he could spit.

“Its not junk, young man,” said Jack. “It’s the same boat I used with your grandfather on our fishing trips when I was a little boy. Precious and priceless memories lay there.”

“Do I look like I care,” said Daniel.

“Unbelievable,” said Jack, throwing his hands in the air.

After a short while, Jack and his son, Kevin had finished packing their fishing and camping gear. Daniel managed to pull the rusting boat and tied it to the car. They all got inside of the car.

“Is everything packed?” asked Jack.

“Yes, dad,” replied Kevin.

“Can we just go now, for Pete’ sake,” said Daniel. “I’m tired and we haven’t even arrived at this stupid lake,” he mumbled.

“Seatbelts everybody?” said Jack.

They ignored him. Daniel looked away and Kevin read his magazine.

“Well, okay then,” said Jack. “Alright then, let’s leave.”

Jack started the car and it went out the huge gates painted silver white. He waved goodbye to his two security guards that look after his mansion and his family everyday and every single night.

Few hours passed.

Jack’s Land Rover was accelerating in a straight road that stretched beyond the human eye could see. Tall and bushy trees were standing close to the wide road behind a short rusting barb-wire fence. The road seemed long, quiet and scary to Kevin. He took a stare outside through the glass, and he noticed that the trees that were close to the road seemed like they were moving in a slow dancing movement as if somehow they were trying to communicate with him. He closed his eyes and shifted his attention away to his magazine to block out the images of what he thought he had just seen.

Daniel was seated in the back seat. He was asleep, and drooling all over the beige car seat. Jack had already seen him from the mirror, but he pretended that he didn’t see anything at all, for peace’s sake. Besides, he was much wealthier than most men, and he could easily afford a new set of car seats in a snap of his finger.

Somehow Daniel woke up instantly, and his eyes were immediately fixed on the tall and thick trees. He saw something he could not quite explain. He saw a running shadow of a man that kept disappearing in-between the trees. He scrutinized the sight and took a closer look again at the trees, but he saw absolutely nothing at his second attempt. He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger and took a soft sigh.

“What’s wrong son?” asked Jack and then smiled. “Had a nightmare?”

“No, it’s nothing major, dad,” said Daniel. “It’s just that. It’s just that I forgot my flipping phone at home.”

“Don’t worry son you won’t need it, because there is no signal reception where we are heading anyway,” said Jack smiling. “Kids these days can’t live without technology.”

“Okay,” Daniel sighed. “Okay, I get it.”

“I’m not kidding,” said Jack. “That is why they call it a forest, there is nothing but trees and animals there. No technology, no satellites, no computers, but rabbits and owls. You get the idea.”

Daniel stared outside, but then he had an ice cold chilling feeling down his spine telling him that he must look behind immediately. And with his curiosity ringing like an alarm clock in his head, he looked behind at the road. “What the hell?” he was shocked at what he saw. He tried not to panic, but fear had consumed his mind. “Dad, drive faster,” he yelled.

“Why, son?” asked Jack.

“Please trust me,” said Daniel, still looking behind. “You don’t want to know.”

Kevin looked back from the front seat, and he noticed something unusual and frightening over Daniels shoulder. “What the heck?” he said. “Dad, drive faster now!!”

“What’s wrong with you two?” said Jack, still looking forward to the road.

Jack took a look at the rear view mirror. He was shocked when he saw it as well. They all saw a flying creature, and this was not an ordinary creature. It was a bird of a different kind, it was black in colour, about the size of a VW beetle car, it had two pointy heads and had very sharp claws. Jack panicked, and swerved the car and hit the fence.

Daniel went out of the vehicle, and pulled out a gun from the behind of his blue denim trousers. Daniel shot his first shot, but he missed. The bird flew straight into him at a very fast speed. Daniel did not hesitate. He shot the creature three times, and the gigantic bird fell down. Daniel ducked as it was falling over him.

Jack was raging with anger and started firing him questions. “Why did you do that? Is that my gun? How did you open my safe?” he said. “Are you crazy, son?”

“No, dad,” said Daniel.

“I’ve never seen an animal like this in my life!” exclaimed Kevin. “What do you think it came from?”

“I don’t know, son,” said Jack.

“All I knew was that it was going to attack us,” said Daniel. “If I didn’t act soon enough and do something. Then maybe it could have killed us all. Who knows? It looked like a violent beast to me.”

“Maybe there is a lab somewhere around here that does experiments on animals,” said Kevin. “A lab that can create a new breed of animals, and maybe this one managed to escape.”

Silence surrounded them as they stared at this creature with clear concentration, but something unusual happened. The creature evaporated into a black, misty, thin smoke and disappeared in front of their eyes.

“What the hell?!” said Jack.

“What was that?” said Daniel. “Wow, can anyone explain to me now what we just saw?”

“Let’s get in the car,” said Jack. “Now!”

“Why are you all scared?” Kevin laughed. “This could have been just an illusion, you know. Magic.”

“Kevin, are you stupid?” said Daniel.

“Stop arguing and get in the car,” said Jack. “We are wasting valuable time. Something weird is happening here.”

“No doubt,” said Daniel.

They got inside the vehicle, Kevin wore the seat belt. Daniel exhaled a soft sigh. Jack drove away.

As Jack continued to drive, he passed a tall hill, then a river. Jack assured them that they were closer to the lake.

Jack turned his car to the left. Kevin was the first to spot the lake, and he was extremely surprised. He felt his body walking straight into a portal that led him into an unbelievable, amazing dream.

The lake was close to the size of a cricket field. Sun’s rays were reflected from the clear crystal bright water. The sight seemed magical.

Anyone who wouldn’t recognize the beauty the lake had brought to the forest that had trees that stood tall all around it with some brown leaves falling to the bright, clear water would be totally ignorant of nature’s true beauty.

Jack parked his Land Rover under one of the big, marvelous trees. And his two sons got out of the car and got to work. Jack untied the boat.

As the Goldmoon family started to unpack everything out of the car. Kevin decided to take one more stare at the lake, but he noticed a man standing from a distance at the edge of the lake. His face was hidden in the long, black hooded leathery rob that brushed the green grass when wind passed.

“Who is that?” asked Kevin.

“Who?” Jack asked. Kevin pointed at the mysterious man. “Him!” he said. Daniel looked too.

“Well, will you look at that,” said Jack. “I don’t know him at all. Maybe he is also here for fishing, who knows?”

“I don’t think so, dad,” said Kevin.

Jack and his sons stopped what they were doing, and stared at the man. The mysterious man threw what appeared to be black powder to the lake’s water, and said a few unknown words. The whole huge lake turned into a black colour, but then again the lake’s water quickly returned to its original colour, crystal blue, in a split second.

What in the name of the Lord is he doing out there? Jack thought.

Jack was curious, he wanted to ask and confront the man. But as soon as he took his first step forward. The man turned and then walked straight forward and towards them.

“Dad, is he coming straight to us?” said Kevin.

“Don’t worry, son,” said Jack. “He is not going to do anything, I swear.”

“Don’t worry little bro. He is one and we are three,” said Daniel. “I’m sure he won’t do anything stupid. I got your back.”

Jack felt confident, “what do you think you were doing back there?” he shouted. The man ignored him and continued to march forward. Daniel gulped. The man walked straight towards Jack.

Jack started to feel sweat running down his forehead. The man stopped in front of him. “What were you doing back there?” he asked again, demanding a straight answer.

The man remained silent, but Jack could feel the man’s strong and intense dark, negative energy even though his face was hidden beneath the thick layer of black leathery hood.

Jack stepped aside and allowed the man to pass. The moment that man passed him Jack could feel his spirit trying to break ties with his human body. And he didn’t dare to look back.

“The show is over,” said Jack. “Let’s get back to work. Daniel comes here and helps me untie this boat and of course you will push it to the lake. Kevin gets the bait, fishing rods and brings them to me at the boat. We are going to need them. And oh, don’t forget you will need to start the fire for the fish, and even if we don’t catch any. There is still a backup plan. I bought some juicy beef earlier at the butchery today.”

“And what are you going to do?” asked Kevin.

“Young man,” said Jack. “Just do what I tell you to.”

Daniel pushed the boat to the lake. Kevin brought the bait and the fishing rods as he was asked. Jack looked at Daniel smiling and said, “Son, let’s make a bet. Whoever catches more fish gets whatever they want. Do you agree?”

Daniel thought for a short while, “you mean I could choose what I really want?” said Daniel happily.

“Yes, indeed,” smiled Jack.

“Wow,” he said. “Then what if I say I want your Ferrari f360 spider?”

“Ah, oh well,” said Jack. “You can have it, but if you win.”

“But what would you want in return?” said Daniel. “Let’s say if you did manage to win the bet.”

“Nothing much really,” said Jack looking away. “I want you to come and work for me. There is a great position that is waiting for you there. I know you did not want people to see you as a person who did not work hard for what he deserves. But you have to understand that this is a family business, and only the family needs to run it.”

“I understand dad, but-”

“No buts,” said Jack. “But since when you gave a shit what people think? This is about you, and nobody else. This is your life.”

“Okay then,” said Daniel. “Deal”

“Shake on it.”

“If you insist,” said Daniel, shaking his father’s hand. It has been a long time since Jack tried to convince his son to work for him, but on so many occasions Daniel had turned him down. Jack smiled and Daniel too.

Hours passed, not a single fish was caught by a single member of the Goldmoon family. Daniel looked at his watch, “it’s been over an hour now,” he said. “Are you sure that fish are still swimming at this lake?”

Jack looked concerned, “be patient son,” he said. “When I was a boy I would’ve caught a huge amount of fish by now, but times are changing.”

“I don’t care,” said Daniel. “After all a deal is a deal.”

Daniel took off his sneakers and his white printed t-shirt and dived to the lake to fetch for the fish himself.

The deep splash that Daniel made left silence on the boat. Jack looked down carefully, with hope that Daniel could not come out with any fish in his hand.

Kevin looked around the lake and thought, it’s been over 30 seconds now. “Dad, come on. It’s been a while now,” he said. “Call out Daniel,” he begged.

“Don’t be foolish, Kevin,” said Jack. “That would be cheating. Daniel will have to come out at his own time, when he has accepted defeat.”

“Come on dad,” said Kevin.

“Give up, son,” yelled Jack. “You are not going to get that car.”

What they didn’t know is that all the fish that were in that were all dead, after that mysterious man arrived. Suddenly there were no bubbles in the lake, or any signs that there was still life somewhere beneath that water.

The thought that his son was still under that water for over two minutes started to scare Jack, he studied the lake and somehow the lake’s colour was changing and turning into the pitch black colour again, and it was spreading very fast to cover the whole lake.

Daniel’s hand reached out the water. Jack pulled him out with urgency. He came out coughing very hoarsely like he was choking hard from the lake’s water. And his mouth was not opening and was finding it hard to breathe.

“What’s wrong, dad?” Kevin asked.

“I’m not sure,” said Jack. “I really don’t know, son. Please forgive me, Daniel”

“Come on, dad,” said Kevin. “He needs to go to the hospital.”

“Okay, but don’t you think he will be fine soon?”

“Come on, dad,” said Kevin. “Be serious. He is weak. I’m not ready to lose my brother.”

Jack roamed the boat. The boat reached the surface. Jack threw Daniel over his shoulder and ran as fast as he could to the car.

Kevin was running behind him. He opened the back seat door for his father. Jack placed down Daniel with care, “get in, Kevin,” he said. “We’ll come back later for everything.”

“Including grandpa’s boat?”

“Yes,” said Jack. “Let’s hurry.”

“Alright dad,” said Kevin.

Jack drove the car as fast as he possibly could. Luckily for them there was a community hospital that was nearby and Jack knew it.

Jack saw the hospital, and it was a small white building and three cars were parked outside along with a red ambulance. Jack rushed out of the car as if his body was injected with a special dose of adrenalin. Kevin tried to keep up with him. He opened the backseat door for his father. Jack pulled Daniel out of the car and carried him in his arms and ran to the entrance.

Jack kicked the door, and yelled, “I need help. Somebody please help!!”

Two nurses and one doctor approached him with a stretcher. “What happened?” asked the doctor. “Please put him over here,” he said, helping Jack to put Daniel on the stretcher. The two nurses pushed Daniel to the nearest ward.

“I don’t know what happened, doctor,” said Jack. “He took a swim at the lake where we were fishing and then he came out coughing and then that’s it.”

“Daniel can swim, he swims all the time at home in the pool,” said Kevin to the doctor.

“I can assure you this has never happened before,” said Jack

“Are you both sure about this?” the doctor asked. “It’s possible that he must have swallowed lots of deadly bacteria and other microparticles or he could have gotten a poison of some kind. But we are going to run some tests first before we make a diagnosis.”

“But how?” said Jack.

“It’s possible,” said the doctor. “Maybe perhaps the water was dirty or contaminated. But what I need from you right now sir is to wait in the waiting area and I’ll get back at you soon. We are going to run some tests.”

“Alright, doc,” said Jack. “I understand.”

“What will happen now?” Kevin asked his father.

“We wait.”

Jack was a very impatient person, and all of his staff at Goldmoon corp. knew that well, but no one understood that in that hospital.

He moved up and down impatiently in the passage hall of the hospital. Kevin tried to calm him down by telling him that everything will be alright but those words were not enough for Jack.

Minutes later, the doctor came to speak with Jack. Judging by his facial expression, Jack knew he was carrying bad news for him, and he was not prepared for them right now. The doctor exhaled a soft sigh before he spoke, “I’m sorry, sir,” he said.

“Yes,” said Jack.

“I fear but I have bad news for you.”

“What is it, doc?”

“What’s wrong doctor?” interrupted Kevin.

“No, Kevin let the doctor speak,” said Jack. “Doctor, what is wrong? Get on with it.”

“I can understand that this must be a hard time for you and your son,” said the doctor. “And I hate being the bearer of bad news, but I’m afraid your son has slipped into a coma. At this stage we cannot determine how it happened. But we are still running some tests as I said before. Mr Goldmoon, this could be a temporary thing.”

“I told you before my son took a swim and that was it,” said Jack. “How can someone be in a coma just by taking a swim? This doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know,” said the doctor. “But we want to know what might have caused this. I strongly advise you not to worry too much as the situation could be not as serious or fatal as it looks.”

“But-”

“I’m sorry, sir. But I have to attend to other patients right now.”

Kevin looked down, his mind was not here except for his stiff body. His mind started to get flashbacks and kept seeing good memories he had with his older brother. He couldn’t even start to imagine what could happen if he could lose him so soon to the heavens above him. Jack interrupted his daydream. “Kevin we have to go,” he said.

Kevin was surprised and he looked up at his tall father, “what do you mean?” he said. “Are you serious? Are you saying that we should leave my brother behind?”

“You heard the doctor,” said Jack. “Besides there is not much we can do from here. We are not abandoning him, son.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“Daniel wouldn’t want us to be weak like this and squirm over him like a bunch of sissies and especially feel pity for him,” said Jack. “He would want us to continue as if he is not at the hospital. You know that too.”

“That is what you would want, dad,” said Kevin, his eyes were red from the tears that kept falling down in his cheeks. “You don’t know what Daniel wants or me for that fact. All you care about is your precious clients and the deals that you want to close, and yourself. Don’t pretend that you care about us,” he said. “You don’t know us and you will never know us. You don’t even know your sons,” he said finally and walked away to the exit.

Jack watched at his own son as he turned his back away from him and left him standing alone in the long, quiet hallway.