Ciphers of Chaos

Chapter 1: In Which There Is A Perfect Day, And Horrible News Are Received

For a hundred years, all the children from our village, and many others, would attend a school called Oakwood Academy. This was of course, after completing five years at a town school, before moving away and living at the boarding school for about seven years, before returning home, finding a job, starting a family, and waiting about eleven years to send off their kids. Everyone in my village attended, yet it was still considered an honor to go, even though very few didn't get enrolled. Which meant, of course, my friends and I were to be going too.

I was twelve years old when I received my letter to attend, and only a week before classes began. Of course before I grabbed my duffle bags and climbed aboard the travel bus and waved goodbye to my childhood forever, I wanted to spend one final day in my village. One perfect day, before I moved away, only to return a man.

The sun was high in the sky as we gathered at the basketball court, ready for a day of fun. The village kids, Danica, (or Danny) Mendoza, Evan Berkshire, Chris Zambini, Connor Nott, Bryson Black, Houston Hargreeves, Drake Malloy, and I, Matt Riddle, were all buzzing with excitement. They had all received their letters too, and we were all ready to celebrate, well, all but Danny's sister Penelope, who'd rather be with her mother than us on the last day, possibly because her mother didn't go to the school growing up.

"Give it here, Matt!" Evan had yelled as he ran down the court. I laughed and threw the ball his way, the sound of it hitting the rim echoing through the air. We played for hours, our shouts and laughter filling the neighborhood.

When our stomachs started growling, we decided to head to the ice cream shop for a treat. "Cookies an' cream, please!" Danny had exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Danny has always been the only girl in our group, and we've never had a problem with that. She always was more boy than girl, and she had the best taste in ice cream.

We devoured our ice creams, sitting outside on the benches, sharing jokes and laughter as we enjoyed the cool sweetness. "Let's play hide-and-seek!" Connor suggested, bouncing with energy.

We dashed and giggled as we chased each other through the trees, the warm breeze rustling the leaves overhead. Danny found me first, her laughter echoing through the park as she pulled me into a tight hug.

"Yer it, Matty!" she giggled, darting away before I could react.

After the game, we made our way to Bryson's house for dinner. "Spaghetti and meatballs, my favorite!" Bryson and Chris exclaimed, in unison, their eyes lighting up.

We gathered around the table, sharing stories as we ate. Bryson's mom served up heaping plates of food, and we devoured every last bite. After dinner, we packed up the leftovers to give to the homeless in the park.

"They'll appreciate this," Houston said, his eyes shining with kindness.

As the night deepened, we made our way to the park, blankets in hand. We spread them out beneath a canopy of stars, the sound of laughter and chatter filling the air. "Let's play and dance in the rain!" Drake suggested.

We laughed and danced in the rain, our spirits soaring as we twirled and spun beneath the stormy sky. "To the treehouse!" Evan shouted, leading the charge through the wet grass.

We raced to Evan's treehouse, our laughter mingling with the sound of raindrops pattering against the leaves. Inside, we collapsed in a heap, our breaths coming in ragged gasps.

As the other boys drifted off to sleep, it was just Danny and me left awake, the sound of our hearts beating in perfect harmony. We lay side by side, our fingers intertwined, the world outside fading away as we whispered secrets and dreams into the night. Safe in each other's arms, we drifted off to sleep, the gentle rhythm of her breathing lulling me into dreams of endless summers and perfect days.