Underground Rivers by Mike French Page A
Authors: Mike French
Tags: Fiction, Short Stories, Authors, Literature, Library, Writing, Anthologies (Multiple Authors), writers, Culture, Book Club, Local, Town, morecambe, Luton, bedfordshire
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confusion and panic.
Suddenly a voice from behind him snaps him back to reality.
FEMALE VOICE (O.C.)
Kevin? .. . Is that you, Kevin?
Kevin turns around to find the LIBRARIAN standing in the room looking at him with a combination of confusing and mild anger.
LIBRARIAN
Kevin, why are you back here? Come on? Out now before weâre all in trouble.
Kevin stands up, quickly tucking the book into his coat and begins to walk towards the librarian.
KEVIN
Iâm sorry, I was ... Trying to ...
LIBRARIAN
Iâm sure you had your reason, but I canât talk now. Not here about them anyway.
The librarian smiles at him.
LIBRARIAN (CONTâD)
Come on, I have those comics for you, that you ordered.
EXT. STREET. LATE EVENING.
It is late evening and the sun is beginning to set, KEVIN cautiously walks down the street. In his hands he holds some comics and the book.
Before he can react he is pushed to the ground from behind and crashes to the floor, the comics and the book scattering in front of him.
Turning around he see JEFF standing over him.
JEFF
Well look who I found .
Kevin struggles to get up.
Jeff kicks his leg and Kevin stops, half standing half kneeling.
JEFF (CONTâD)
You isnât getting up yet my fat friend. You fucked me off earlier, thinking it was funny to get Alan to whack me. I fucking hate when people whack me.
Jeff steps over Kevin and picks up one of the comics.
JEFF (CONTâD)
Look what we have here.
Jeff smacks Kevin round the side of the head with it and begins to laugh.
Kevin stands up, rubbing his head.
KEVIN
Get away from me.
JEFF
What was that?
KEVIN
I said get away from me ... You ... You prick!
Jeff shakes his head at Kevin and then throws the comic to the floor.
JEFF
You done it now, Iâm really gonna have to smash you up now.
Jeff approaches him and before he can react, Kevin pushes him and Jeff stumbles back, slipping on the comic and landing on the floor on his back.
Kevin lets out a small laugh.
Jeff looks up at him, his eyes filled with rage. His hands dart around for something and they eventual settle on the small black book from the archive.
The minute Jeff picks it up, Kevinâs face changes and he rushes forward.
KEVIN
No, get away from that... Donât touch it.
Jeff kicks Kevin away and stands up.
JEFF
Oh really?
Jeff looks at the book.
JEFF (CONTâD)
What kind of book just says book on the side? Huh? Is that a special book for retards like you? Letâs have a look eh?
Jeff opens the book and begins to thumb through the pages.
JEFF (CONTâD)
What is this? Thereâs nothing I ...
Jeff stops mid-sentence. Words and letters begin to spread up his arms like tattoos, eventually settling all over his face, spreading so that finally his eyes become as black as the night. For a split second, Jeff and Kevin just stand there, staring at each other, Kevin unsure what is happening or what he should even do. Then as suddenly as the letters and words appeared on Jeffâs arms, they disappear again and he collapses to the floor.
The book lands next to him.
Kevin rushes towards Jeff and kneels down next to him.
Kevin begins to shake him back and forward.
Jeff stares out at him, his eyes dulled, his shallow breathing just audible over Kevinâs frightened mumbling.
Kevin looks around for help, quickly grabbing his comics and lastly the book, he races down the street away from Jeff.
The Return
by Judi McKay
Rachel snapped her book shut and shoved it into her tote bag as she noticed the scenery outside the train window changing from trees and fields to houses and roads. She began fussing with her clothes, pulling her shirt down so that it lay smooth against her chest, then caught herself, stopped, and sat calm and still as the train slowed to a halt. Sheâd arrived.
She was not expecting to be met. She had not planned to take this trip and had only finally decided her destination when asked by the ticket seller
Suddenly a voice from behind him snaps him back to reality.
FEMALE VOICE (O.C.)
Kevin? .. . Is that you, Kevin?
Kevin turns around to find the LIBRARIAN standing in the room looking at him with a combination of confusing and mild anger.
LIBRARIAN
Kevin, why are you back here? Come on? Out now before weâre all in trouble.
Kevin stands up, quickly tucking the book into his coat and begins to walk towards the librarian.
KEVIN
Iâm sorry, I was ... Trying to ...
LIBRARIAN
Iâm sure you had your reason, but I canât talk now. Not here about them anyway.
The librarian smiles at him.
LIBRARIAN (CONTâD)
Come on, I have those comics for you, that you ordered.
EXT. STREET. LATE EVENING.
It is late evening and the sun is beginning to set, KEVIN cautiously walks down the street. In his hands he holds some comics and the book.
Before he can react he is pushed to the ground from behind and crashes to the floor, the comics and the book scattering in front of him.
Turning around he see JEFF standing over him.
JEFF
Well look who I found .
Kevin struggles to get up.
Jeff kicks his leg and Kevin stops, half standing half kneeling.
JEFF (CONTâD)
You isnât getting up yet my fat friend. You fucked me off earlier, thinking it was funny to get Alan to whack me. I fucking hate when people whack me.
Jeff steps over Kevin and picks up one of the comics.
JEFF (CONTâD)
Look what we have here.
Jeff smacks Kevin round the side of the head with it and begins to laugh.
Kevin stands up, rubbing his head.
KEVIN
Get away from me.
JEFF
What was that?
KEVIN
I said get away from me ... You ... You prick!
Jeff shakes his head at Kevin and then throws the comic to the floor.
JEFF
You done it now, Iâm really gonna have to smash you up now.
Jeff approaches him and before he can react, Kevin pushes him and Jeff stumbles back, slipping on the comic and landing on the floor on his back.
Kevin lets out a small laugh.
Jeff looks up at him, his eyes filled with rage. His hands dart around for something and they eventual settle on the small black book from the archive.
The minute Jeff picks it up, Kevinâs face changes and he rushes forward.
KEVIN
No, get away from that... Donât touch it.
Jeff kicks Kevin away and stands up.
JEFF
Oh really?
Jeff looks at the book.
JEFF (CONTâD)
What kind of book just says book on the side? Huh? Is that a special book for retards like you? Letâs have a look eh?
Jeff opens the book and begins to thumb through the pages.
JEFF (CONTâD)
What is this? Thereâs nothing I ...
Jeff stops mid-sentence. Words and letters begin to spread up his arms like tattoos, eventually settling all over his face, spreading so that finally his eyes become as black as the night. For a split second, Jeff and Kevin just stand there, staring at each other, Kevin unsure what is happening or what he should even do. Then as suddenly as the letters and words appeared on Jeffâs arms, they disappear again and he collapses to the floor.
The book lands next to him.
Kevin rushes towards Jeff and kneels down next to him.
Kevin begins to shake him back and forward.
Jeff stares out at him, his eyes dulled, his shallow breathing just audible over Kevinâs frightened mumbling.
Kevin looks around for help, quickly grabbing his comics and lastly the book, he races down the street away from Jeff.
The Return
by Judi McKay
Rachel snapped her book shut and shoved it into her tote bag as she noticed the scenery outside the train window changing from trees and fields to houses and roads. She began fussing with her clothes, pulling her shirt down so that it lay smooth against her chest, then caught herself, stopped, and sat calm and still as the train slowed to a halt. Sheâd arrived.
She was not expecting to be met. She had not planned to take this trip and had only finally decided her destination when asked by the ticket seller
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