Rainbeau Island

• Beau Carmichael, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2008

It was a warm afternoon on Rainbeau island. Jake opened the door of his apartment to see out his window, a great view over the city and a Rainbow shining in the background. He went into his room, changed clothes and unpacked his school bag. ‘Mum, I’m Home!’ He shouted. He saw his Mum sitting, watching T.V. ‘Hey, Jake said to his Mum.
‘Hey Honey, his Mum replied.
‘What’s wrong? You look down,’ Jake said.
‘I didn’t want to tell you but, I got fired from work today.’
‘Oh . . . That’s terrible. Why?’
‘Well, my boss doesn’t like my work,’ his mum said sadly.
‘I know this isn’t the best time but arr, can I sleepover Chris’ house? It is Friday!’
‘Sure, that’s fine by me.’
‘Cool, thanks Mum.’
*
Jake stepped into the elevator and pressed 23. Chris’ floor. They lived in the same building. The elevator door made a creaking noise as it opened. He knocked on Chris’ door and waited for an answer. The door opened. ‘Jake!’ Chris yelled.
‘Hey,’ Jake said.
‘Come in, put your stuff in my room,’ said Chris.
*
Jake’s school wasn’t far from the apartment block he lived in, so he could walk. ‘Monday already?’ Jake moaned.
‘Went quick, most do,’ his best friend Chris replied.
‘Great, I’m looking forward to another one of Ms. Wallis’ boring lectures that always have some reference to Geelong or cycling!’ Jake said. ‘Oh and those creepy grovers littered all over the room. With their eyes, just staring. Fun!’ Chris said.
*
‘So where is your Mum goanna’ work now?’ Chris asked.
‘No idea.’ Jake replied.
‘Your Mum worked for that nutter Henry? Right?’
‘Yeah, Henry CO are weird people.’
‘Why’d she get fired?’
‘All she said was her boss didn’t like her work . . . Doesn’t give a whole lot of info.’
‘Well . . . There is one way to find out why.’ Chris said.
‘I don’t like the look on your face Chris.’
‘You know me to well, you know my facial expressions.’
‘Yeah and I know what the smug one you just pulled means.’
‘You know they’re suspicious, not what I’m thinking by making them.’
‘Actually, I do,’
‘What then?’
‘Your thinking: we break in to Henry CO, steal the information we want and then leg it!’
*
Jake flipped open his phone and opened a new text message. “Meet in lobby with gear in 5”. He sent it to Chris. His phone displayed a picture of him and his Mum in Russia 18 months ago. His phone said 12:17am, 10th August, 2015. Take was wearing full black to stay hidden. He even wore a balaclava with a black backpack. He slipped his phone into his backpack next to his water bottle. He spotted Chris and walked past him trying not to look suspicious. Chris followed behind. There wasn’t anyone in the Lobby at that time of night. They walked out the front door of the hotel and set off into a brisk pace. They walked briskly for five minutes and then they pulled out their electric scooters. They’re lightweight and quick. It took them another twenty minutes to get to the building Jake’s Mum worked at. ‘This is it.’ Jake whispered. He put his scooter away and pulled out a key card he’d stolen from his Mum months ago. Jake had planned the whole break in so there was no stuffing around. He got straight to work
*
‘Whoa! We nearly got caught by the guard!’
‘Well sorry, I have allergy problems. I can’t help sneezing.’
‘If we had of been caught I would have killed you Chris.’
‘Sorry, again, lets just get on with the plan.’ Jake pulled out his silent electric screwdriver. He drilled into the filling cabinet until it opened. ‘Gotcha!’ Jake smirked. He opened the file named Smith, Jane. ‘What? Mum didn’t get fired? She quit! Why’d she lie to me?’
*
‘Today class, we will be finishing our English sci-fi stories and I’ll hand out your assignments. I hope you all watched Geelong win last night!’ Jake and Chris’ English teacher Ms. Wallis announced.
‘Just one hour left, Just one hour left.’ Chris said to himself.
‘This is really boring.’ Jake said
‘So what’s happening with your Mum?’ Chris asked
‘Well I haven’t seen or talked to her yet. We didn’t get back until after two am. And I was out the door before she woke up.’
‘Oh . . . well, call me after school.’
‘Alrighty.’
*
Jake stepped out of the door of the elevator. ‘Cya’ Chris.’
‘Cya,’ he replied. As Jake walked down the hotel hallway he saw his apartment door wide open. Spray painted onto the back wall was, “If you wanna see ya mum again meet 2morro island paper road! 3:45pm sharp!”
*
‘It’s 3:30pm. We better go.’ Jake said.
‘You scared?’
‘Of course, who wouldn’t?’ Jake Replied
‘Whoa!’
‘Whoa what?’ Jake asked
‘I didn’t know they messed up your place so much!’
‘Yeah, everything’s stuffed – no T.V no hot water. It’s goanna cost tonnes.’
‘Island Paper is like two streets over. But according to your wall, it says sharp so we better go.’ Chris said.
*
There was nobody in the street. Jake and Chris sat nervously on the footpath waiting. A black van pulled up. Two thugs jumped out wearing balaclavas and black jumpsuits. ‘Jake and Chris?’ the first thug said in a deep voice. ‘That’s US.’ Jake said.
‘Right, your Mum, she knows to much for her own good. So we’ve got her at our place.’
‘Bring her here now!’ Jake screamed.
‘That ain’t goanna happen. You contact the police?’
‘No, I’m not dumb!’
‘Not tellin’ the cops was a smart thing to do. You’ll get her back if you don’t dial those three bad numbers.’
‘Your insane! You can’t keep her!’
‘What cha goanna do bout it?’ The second thug walked up to Jake. He was about 30cm taller than Jake. He punched him in the nose and the two thugs jumped in the van and drove off laughing.
*
‘What are we going to do? They have my Mum.’
‘Well you need to calm down. At the moment there isn’t anything we can do. Just go get some sleep and I’ll be up here tomorrow morning.’
*
‘Schools over?’
‘Yeah, it went quick, even for me!’ Chris laughed.
‘Still haven’t heard from Mum! I’m freaking out man. I think it’s time to call the cops.’
‘Are you sure? Hey! That’s the same van from yesterday!’
It pulled up right in front of them. The back door opened and Jake’s Mum flew out and hit the bitumen. ‘Mum!’
*
Jake flipped open his mobile. “CALLING CHRIS”. ‘Hey Jake,’
‘Hey,’
‘What’s happening?’
‘Mums still not talking. She won’t say a thing about what happened. I’m thinking . . . That we get jobs at Henry CO and snoop around.
‘Ok, Let’s have a look for jobs tomorrow!’
*
A Bright Rainbow set across the sky. ‘3:30’ Jake thought to himself as he watched the glimmering light. He walked into a waiting room and saw Chris. ‘I’m in next’ Chris said.
‘Oh, alright.’
‘I think your after me.’ A women walked out of one of the offices and called ‘Chris?’
‘That’s me’
‘This way please.’
*
‘Hello, this is Karen calling from Henry CO employment. I’d like to notify you that you got the job. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘Thanks, did my friend Chris get a job?’
‘Yes. I’m about to call him now. Goodbye’
*
‘So, what will you have us do today?’ Chris asked the women taking them to their assigned positions. ‘You’ll be assistants.’
‘Cool, to who?’
‘Electronics manager.’
*
‘Your soooo boring!’ Chris said.
‘Yeah, well, so, who cares?’ The electronics manager said.
‘What do you even do?’ Jake asked.
‘Everything from TCI boards, E.M.C sonic environs to simple stuff like the lighting in the whole building.’
‘You what?’
‘Me, Fixes, Computer!’
‘Ahhhhhhhhh!’
*
‘You upload that file to his laptop?’
‘Yep, ok let’s get out of here!’
‘He’s always making video calls, so we watch from your laptop tonight, to see what he’s planning to do.
*
“Outside network adaptor Connected” Jake’s laptop displayed.
‘Ok, were up! Got the popcorn?’
‘It’s ready’
‘Oh, Oh, Oh, he’s getting a video call!’ Jake said
“Progress Report:” Henry said.
The screen displayed two pictures, one of Henry. Jake pulled up another picture. ‘Hey! That’s my dad! What’s he doing?’ Chris said.
*
‘HENRY’S MY DAD!’ Chris screamed!
‘Yep, and that guy who you think is your Dad, is your Uncle.’ Jake said. ‘Look we goatta go! You saw what Henry’s planning! If emits that gas everyone on the island is dead!’
‘Why would my DAD do that?’
‘He want’s this island real bad but I don’t think he’ll ever reveal why.
*
‘Let’s get to work.’
‘Ok, I’m getting nervous.’
‘Quick, there isn’t much time, he said you have to breath the gas in for at least 20 minutes.’
‘Well, as far as we know, he hasn’t let that gas go!’
‘We need to call the cops.’ Chris yelled
‘Ok, I’ll do it now!’
*
Jake and Chris ran into the Henry CO Main building. ‘I understand now,’ Jake said, ‘My mum quit because she was forced to back up this plan. And if she told anyone, they’d kill her and probably me.’
‘Lucky we hacked his computer!’ Chris said.
They went into the elevator. ‘Top floor right?’ Jake asked.
‘May as well.’
‘We need to stay unseen.’ Jake said.
‘Lucky I got this on me!’
‘What is it?’
‘Home made taser!’ Chris smirked.
‘Dude, you’re so dangerous!’
‘Well if I hadn’t then his guards will kill us!’
‘I’ve got a knife’ Jake said.
‘That’ll help, but not a whole lot.’ Chris said.
The elevator door opened. The peeked their heads around the corner and saw two guards. ‘I’ll get the one on the left and you hold back the one on the right until I can tase him.’ Chris ran out, tased the one on the left but Jake stood in the lift. ‘Come on!’
The other guard pulled out a steel baton. ‘Jake! Catch!’
He caught the taser, ran behind the guard while Chris distracted him.
‘Gotcha!’ Jake smirked as the guard passed out on the ground.
*
‘HANDS UP HENRY! WE TOOK DOWN YOUR GUARDS! NOW STAND UP AWAY FROM ANY BUTTONS!’ They heard the police sirens outside. ‘I can’t believe you, are my Dad!’ Chris said. He turned the taser and aimed at Henry. ‘HES GOT A GUN CHRIS!’
‘Don’t worry, he won’t shoot his son.’
‘But he’ll shoot me you retard!’ Jake threw the knife at Henry and just as he did, Henry turned around brought the gun to aim at Jake. The knife hit Henry in the Chest. Then four police personnel burst through the double doors of the Henry’s office. Henry died.
*
“We are gathered he today to remember one, HENRY KNITE. He lived a full life.”
‘Come on, Jake.’ Chris said ‘I don’t wanna be here’
‘I killed this guy, how do you think I feel?’