This story was a writing assignment from the First Saturday writers of
Berlin, Maryland.
The story had to revolve around the word ‘horizon’.
“It's down this way.” Ed pointed down the street. “Just over the horizon. A few more blocks and we'll be there.”
Dunce waited as a diesel truck roared by in the same direction. He waved at the smoke and tried to shut his nostrils against the exhaust fumes. “I don't see any horizon. All I see are buildings going on forever. I remember reading that the horizon is nine miles away at sea level.” He gave the pistol in his inside coat pocket a reassuring pat.
“No, no, no.” Ed pulled on jack's sleeve trying to increase their walking speed. “See that big intersection up there two blocks away. It's sometimes called Horizon Avenue because it's at the top of a ridge and it runs dead north and south.” He paused as they crossed a street. “That's the horizon and what we want, is close by.”
“Do you think she will be there? I don't want to come up this way again.”
“What makes you think it's a she? The Oracle can be anyone.” Ed walked quickly along the street. “Or anything. Joe said the Oracle would point us to an easy job with lots of cash. Maybe even a few jewels”
They stopped at the red cross-walk light and waited for the light to change.
Dunce glanced up at the street signs. “Did you know we've been walking down Rainbow Street to get to Horizon Avenue.” He grinned at Ed. “Do you think there's a pot of gold waiting for us. I feel better just thinking about diamond and emeralds.”
Ed hurried across Horizon Avenue. “Above all, don't insult the Oracle or make it mad. We need it to give us an easy job.” He stopped for a moment on the other side of the avenue. “Joe was very emphatic about that. He said the Oracle can be evil if crossed.” He surveyed the street for a second and began slowly walking away from the avenue. “Here it is. The Oracle is down this alley.” He peered into the opening. “It's more like a big entrance to a cave or mine.” He glanced up at the ceiling. “It really dark in there.”
Dunce stopped in the dim light of the narrow alley. A rat scurried from a trash can to a pile of cloth materials. He ducked as something flew by his head and out into the street. “Did you see that thing. I think it was a owl. What in the hell is an owl doing in the middle of a city?” He skirted the trash cans and walked deeper into the darkness. “There should be a light switch nearby.” He ran his hand along the wall. He turned back to Ed. “Something is not right. How come this wall is warm?”
Ed stood beside Dunce. “Your imagination is running wild. It's warm in here because this wall is the back of a restaurant.” He pointed down the alley in the dim light. “There the door. See it at the end. There's a red light over it. Do you see it?”
“Yeah.” He walked ten feet farther into the alley. “Why would she have a red light over her door? Is she advertising?” He brushed at things hitting his face and ducked at the same time. “I swear that was a big bat that flew by. What kind of place is this. There's cobwebs, bats and owls everywhere.” He walked to the door and waited for Ed.
“Remember, be polite. Joe wasn't too clear about the Oracle and how it looked. But he was absolutely sure that it helped him.”
Dunce put his hand on the doorknob. “Just what exactly did this Oracle do for Joe? Did it give him money, line up an easy job or what? If she, he or what the hell ever, don't come up with a good job, I may have to use a little friendly persuasion.” He pushed the door open and stepped far enough inside for Ed to enter.
Ed sniffed the air. “What is that crazy smell? I've smelled it before but I can't quite place it.” He glanced at Dunce. “What is it?”
Dunce rubbed his hands together and began to grin. “It's the smell of money. New money. I remember this smell from the time I took a tour of the mint in Washington. I was drunk from the smell for a week. It was such a delicious smell.” He walked to the center of the room and pointed to the far wall. “Is that the Oracle?”
Ed stared at an old penny arcade glass enclosed box. A young wooden woman, dressed in a gypsy blouse with tiny bells and trinkets sewn into the fabric was seated behind a table.
“Well, I'll be dammed. An old fortune telling machine.” Dunce put both hands on the edges of the front glass. “I haven't seen one of these in years. I wonder how you operate it.”
A young feminine voice emanated from the glass enclosure. “I am the Oracle. I operate myself. There is no need for you to do anything.” The voice paused and the room became dead quiet. No sound from the outside world penetrated the room. “All you need to do, Dunce, is tell me what you desire.”
“Did you hear that? That dumb chunk of wood knows my name.” He glanced at Ed standing beside the machine. “Have you been her before? Did you tell it my name?”
Ed silently shook his head. He leaned closer to the machine.
The young voice continued. “No, Ed did not tell me. Your time is running out. Tell me what you would like to have.”
Dunce thought hurriedly about money. “I'd like a wad of greenbacks. Also a---”
The voice cut him off in mid-sentence. “Be at the intersection of Fourth and Maple this afternoon at two.” A curtain dropped inside the glass enclosure. The lights went out except for the one red light over the door. A decaying odor replaced the money smell.
A few minutes later they were walking toward the intersection of Fourth and Maple. “How did that dumb thing know our names?” He glanced at his watch. “We have plenty of time. What did the gypsy woman tell Joe? Did she point him a way to get money?”
Ed was silent as they crossed a street. “Joe has been quiet about his encounter with the Oracle. But then again, he never was a loudmouth or bragger. I personally think some how he came into money.”
They walked along briskly for twenty minutes. Dunce pointed ahead. “There's Fourth and Maple. I wonder what riches are waiting for us.”
They waited at the intersection for five minutes. Dunce leaned against a lamp post and kept glancing at his watch.
“All right, it's two o'clock. Where is our fortune?” Dunce looked quickly up and down Maple avenue. “I don't see anything.” He looked at Ed. “How could we be so dumb to listen to a chunk of wood. We should have our heads examined.”
Ed stepped off the curb into the intersection. “Look what just turned onto Maple. It's an armored truck. The Oracle was right. Our worries are over. We'll soon be rolling in dough.” He grinned widely and stepped back onto the curb.
Dunce rubbed his hands in anticipation as the armored truck rolled to a dead stop for the red light. “What's going to happen? Do you suppose it's going to blow up and money is everywhere.”
“Wait. Something has got to happen.” The light turned green . The driver accelerated in a jerky motion, the rear door flew open and a bag tumbled onto the street. A hairy arm reached out and pulled the door shut.
Dunce was running into the street the instant the bag hit the pavement. “I knew it. We're going to hit the jackpot.” He scooped up the bag and stuck it under his coat. “Let's get out of here before someone calls the police.”
Ed led the way to a deserted building and waited for Dunce to open the bag.
Dunce hurriedly untied the draw strings and opened the bag. In an instant he was holding a loose handful of old worn dollar bills. He held them up to Ed's face. “What the hell is this? A few measly one dollar bills.” He turned the bag upside-down and shook hard. Two single dollar bills drifted to the the pavement. “I don't believe it. That dumb piece of wood is screwing around with Dunce Davis. I'll teach it a thing or two. Let's go back, right now.”
Dunce stepped out of the taxi
and walked briskly into the dark alley. “Come on. I'm going to rattle the Oracle's cage.”
Ed hurried to his side. “Don't do anything rash. Joe said the Oracle is powerful and can be evil if insulted or bothered.” He paused a second. “Please.”
Dunce pushed open the door and stepped into the room. The green smell of freshly minted money flooded his senses. Green ink, blue ink, black ink and the smell of newly made paper. As he walked toward the enclosure he could see bills of different denomination floating about. He felt hundred dollar bills under his feet. He swallowed the taste of Grant and Jackson. He stumbled against the glass arcade causing it to rock slightly. All the lights went out with a rumble of thunder. A bolt of lightning crackled through the center of the enclosure. A gigantic green female head appeared completely filling the glass cage. Dunce staggered back against Ed. “What happened? What the hell is that?”
Ed's voice was a faint whisper. “I don't know. Let's leave right now.”
The voice screeched and echoed around the large room. “What does the Dunce want now? Wasn't he satisfied with the money?” Her laughter caused Dunce's head to vibrate.
“I want real money. Not a small wad of old worn out dollar bills.” He put his hand on the enclosure and pushed. “Can't you do any better than that?”
The giant head screamed in anger. It went from green to blue to red in a split second. It's mouth formed a violent sneer and then the head exploded.
They were at the door when a soft voice careened from wall to wall. “Why are you leaving? I have whatever you desire. Come closer and whisper into my ear all the things that will make you happy.”
Dunce crept up to the enclosure. He stared at the normal sized head. “Where's the giant head? Where did it go?”
The voice was suddenly harsh. “What head? Are you delirious?”
“A big ugly head was just here.” Dunce voice was shaky. “You know, the green head.”
“Why are you babbling nonsense? There is no big head. Your time is expiring. What do you want. Be quick about it. I don't have all day to waste with fools.”
Dunce backed to the exit and glanced at Ed standing by the door. “I want money, real money. Not a little bag of dollar bills. I'll take a cool million.”
Her face sagged and widened. Her voice lost the soothing quality. “Be at Fourth and Maple this afternoon at four. Your request will be granted.” The curtain fell with a crashing noise and all was dark.
Ed was standing in front of the alley wiping his forehead. “I think you pissed her off. That big head sure was ugly.” He laughed nervously as Dunce flagged a taxi.
“Well, here we are again at Fourth and Maple.” Ed stepped out into the street and looked all four ways. An armored truck pulled out of the same street as before. “Here it comes, just like before. Same truck, same street. Something is rotten here.”
“Forget it. A half-million bucks will make you happy. Who cares where the damn truck came from.” He watched the truck stop for the light. It moved in a jerky motion when the light turned green. The door flew open, a bag bounced on the pavement and a hairy arm pulled the door close.
Ed grabbed Dunce's sleeve. “Let the damn thing lay there. Did you see that arm. It was the same hairy arm.”
“The hell with that. There's a cool million out there in that bag.” He ran out into the street, stuffed the bag under his coat and ran back. He didn't stop until he was in the deserted building.
“Don't open it. Throw it away.” Ed backed away from the bag.
“Have you lost your mind?” He fumbled with the drawstrings a few seconds and snatched the bag open. He reached in and pulled out a bundle of freshly minted greenbacks. He stared at a bundle and then gave it a big kiss. “Look at all these thousand dollars bills. We're rich.” He danced a little jig and tossed a bundle to Ed. He began stuffing the small bundles into various pockets.
Ed removed one bill and held it up to the light. “It looks good, but it's probably counterfeit. The mint doesn't make too many thousand dollar bills. All are registered with the treasury and they know who owns one and where it is at all times.
Dunce's shoulders slumped slightly. “So what does that mean? They look awful good to me.”
“It means you can't spend them. Who do you think will give you change for a thousand dollar bill?” Ed handed the bundle back to Dunce. “The T-men would have you in jail about an hour after you try to spend one.”
Dunce began jamming bundles of bills back into the bag. “That dumb bitch. I'll fix her wagon. We're going back there right now. She'll never jerk my chain again.” He ran out to the street and hailed a taxi.
“Leave her alone.” Ed kept repeating a warning during the taxi trip. He climbed from the taxi and stood in front of the alley. “I'm not going in with you. She's bad medicine. She may kill you for bothering her three times.”
Dunce brushed Ed's warnings aside. “You don't think Dunce Davis is scared of a wooden woman or a big ugly head, do you?” He began walking into the dark alley. “Just wait a few minutes. I'll be back with good cash or a wooden head.”
Ed watched Dunce disappear into the darkness. Minutes went by. Ed strained his eyes and ears. The alley remained dark and the silence was deathly. He stepped into the darkness of the alley.
A distant rumble. A louder boom of an approaching storm. A crash of extremely nearby thunder. The end of the alley exploded in flames for an instant. Black smelly smoke billowed out of the alley for a few seconds and it too subsided.
Dunce came limping out of the end of the alley. His clothes were in tatters, sparks dropped from the edges of his coat, his hair was smoking and his face was covered in soot.
Ed ran in to give a helping hand. “What did the Oracle do to you?”
Dunce managed a feeble grin. “She broadened my horizons!”
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