Bouncing Ball

Bouncing Ball

“Jimmy, Jimmy, get over here. Sit here with Mom, Terry and me and watch this incredible sunset.

Of course, Jimmy being 17 and a senior in high school, had little interest in the sunset. He was too busy trying to catch a fish with his hands in the fast-moving little stream next to the cabin on Pike’s Peak. It was the last day of their vacation and he still had not caught a fish. He didn’t want to spend time with his little sister who was blind, but heard everything

Terrence and Marlene were sitting comfortably in the lawn chairs when Jimmy said, “Wait, that’s not right.”

“What’s not right, son?” Terrence looked over at Jimmy with a puzzled look on his face.

“Dad, can’t you see it? The sun is bouncing off the horizon. It’s coming back. It’s the weirdest thing. Something is wrong. See it?”

“You been smoking dope again?” asked Terrence.

“Of course I have, but not today,” replied Jimmy.

“Now, c’mon dear,” spoke up Marlene. Neither Jimmy nor Terrence knew who she was talking to. Terry giggled.

“Jimmy, I thought the sun was halfway down, but now it looks like it’s sitting on the horizon. Did you see it at half way down?

“Yes, yes, that’s just what I saw.” Jimmy was jumping up and down. I don’t know whether to be excited or terrified. What does it mean?”

The sun was now slightly off the horizon and seemingly rising higher. There was a space between the horizon and the sun.

“Dad! Call somebody. We got to report this!” Jimmy was looking very frightened.

His dad said, “Yeah, right.” He picked up his cell phone and dialed for information. 

“Welcome to AT&T information. Unfortunately, in the last five minutes our lines have become so overextended that we have had to place a recording on this line. The enormous number of calls regarding the status of our sun and the solar system is overwhelming. Every military phone line and police phone line is likewise affected. Please try to remain calm and we hope to have something to report soon.

“Oh my, god,” exclaimed Terrence. “It’s real. Phone lines are dead. There is no way to reach anyone.”

“You two stop fooling around. You are just gaslighting me right? The sun is rising, it’s setting.” Marlene was looking a tad distressed.

“Jesus fucking God, Marlene, don’t you see this? The sun is rising in the west. This is abnormal and everybody is freaking out. Everybody is on the phone at the same time and we are stranded here in the mountains.” Marlene started to cry.

“Terrence, Terrence, are you home?” John and Eileen, from the next cabin over, came running into their yard. “Lord help us. Are you seeing this? It’s terrifying. We can’t get anyone on the phone. What is happening. Aren’t you an astrologist Terrence? What’s going on?” Eileen had tears streaming down her eyes and John simply looked out of it.

Hey John, Eileen. I’m sorry I can’t tell you anything. I have been trying to reach my office and can’t get through. I can get through to anybody---NASA, U.S. Air Command, the Governor, my boss, anybody. My god, look how high the sun has risen.”

The sun was in the approximate position of nine o’clock if it were in the eastern sky. Maybe three o’clock in the afternoon. By this time, every one was in pure panic. They could hear the sounds of multiple sirens echoing up from the valley. It was impossible to understand what the sirens were meant for. There was no damage being done. Except for the absolute uncertainty and fear of what was happening, there seemed to be no immediate consequence of this event. Everyone was asking the same questions. “Has the earth reversed its rotation? Is the sun actually moving on its own. Is this a mass hallucination? Is the air filled with LSD?” A million questions, no answers, a half planet filled with terrified people and the other have frightened by what they were hearing from the other side.

“Dad,” yelled Jimmy. “It looks like the sun is flashing. Is it going to explode?”

Terrence turned from John to look back at the sun. He was shock. It didn’t look like the sun was flashing, it looked like the sun was, well, hmm, blinking. “Son, I think the sun is blinking.”

“Blinking,” yelled John. “What the hell does that mean?” He stared at the sun and gasped. “Terrence, you’re right, It looks like it’s blinking. What?”

Eileen spoke up through all her tears. “Oh gosh, look, it seems to be sinking. I swear.”

John, Terrence, Marlene and Jimmy all stared at the sun and kept staring at the sun. Sure enough, it looks as if it has to dropped to four o’clock in the afternoon. Also, it looked like it was sinking back into the horizon and it had stopped blinking. “Oh please, God,” thought Marleen. “Let it go down and end this madness.”

The sun continued to sink and sink, just like a normal day. All the folks were eagerly watching it, hoping for resolution. When it reached about halfway down, Jimmy exclaimed. “Dad! It looks like it’s coming back up. Look.”

“Oh no,” groaned Terrence and he almost fell to the ground. “No, no, no,” screamed Terrence, “this can’t be.” Terrence looked over at John whose face was contorted into the shape of a Japanese hannya mask. Eileen fainted.

The sun was definitely rising again. All the neighbors had gathered in Terrence and Marleen’s yard and were making quite a variety of noises. A bit of sobbing from both men and women. They all stood and watched the sun slowly rise. Two other women besides Eileen had fainted. Everyone was yelling at Terrence because they all knew he was an astrologist.

“Shut the fuck up! All of you. I don’t know what is going on and I can’t reach anybody. But, my guess is that it wouldn’t matter if I did. No one has ever seen anything like before and I am unaware of any contingency planning for this rare event. I don’t know anything more that you do. Go home!!!”

Nobody moved. The neighbors all looked around at each other and let out small little chuckles. “Ha ha.” “Ho ho.” Well, I’ll be damned,” “Likely,” said someone laughing.

By then the sun had reached the nine o’clock or three o’clock position. “Look,” shouted Jimmy, “it’s blinking again.”

“Yes, so it is,” quietly spoke Terrence. John shook his head in agreement, “What do you think that is supposed to mean? If anything?”

“It’s Loki,” laughed Terry.

Terrence ignored her, sighed and said, “It almost looks like the sun is laughing at us. I just can’t believe it.” And, the sun started to sink again.

Three more women and one man collapsed, That put seven people in the dirt. The ones left standing were simply shock stricken and fell silent.

The level of silence had risen to an enormous proportion. Nothing; no bird, no animal, no human, no insect, no tree, not the creek, nothing was making a sound. The entire sunny side of the planet was quiet. Half of humanity watched quietly in a full state of shock and fear.

As the sun approached halfway down the horizon again, a thunderous noise struck the air around the neighbors in the mountain. Suddenly, an enormous figure dressed as an ancient Norse god appeared on the ground near Marlene. “Loki,” he snarled, “get out of the woman, now.”

Another ancient Norse god appeared, rising up out Marlene. Marlene’ body sort of shimmered and she grew quiet again. Terry giggled again.

“Thor, how nice of you to join me. Isn’t this funny? Look at all these confused and frightened people. Sadly, it’s only half the planet. Oh, certainly there are plenty of people on the other side watching TV, but it’s not the same. Anyway, did you see how this whole half planet went still watching the bouncing ball? What a laugh. You’ve never done anything that funny.”

Thor looked very angry. He scowled at Loki and said “Loki, the human beings are not playthings. You have caused exceptional trauma. Odin is angry and wants to see you right now. Let’s erase all their memories and return to Asgaard. You are just a fool.” 

“And you, Thor, are such a bore. Ha, rhymes. Thor is such a bore. That was fun. Your humans are pathetic. I don’t know why Odin made them. I mean Earth has rats, dolphins, giraffes, wolves, dogs even cats who are all smarter than humans.”

“Enough Loki,” said Thor, “I don’t know how I got such a trickster for a brother. Your cruelty is appalling. I hope Odin locks you up for good.”

“Fat chance,” replied Loki.

Thor raised him magic hammer and he and Loki raised up into the sky.

The people on the ground slowly rose and looked around. “What? How did we all get here? Terrence, Marlene, are you throwing a party.

Jimmy looked at this dad and could see that a vestige of the memory still existed in mind but was fading, just like his. He laughed, “Yeah everybody, we are leaving tomorrow and Dad and Mom wanted to say ‘goodbye’ and wish you all well.”

“Dad, I’ll get the beer,” yelled Jimmy and ran into the house.