Beyond Sandstone

2020, July  · 

‘Beyond that wall nothing happens. Not a soul, not a pristine body of nature breathes there’ Spike the sculptor tells the young soul Callum who at the age of fourteen is prone to go beyond the fixed lines that the Castlelords have set for each willing participants of the new world. Well, new world! When I mutter that, does not mean it’s the real new world, but only a fraction of what has been managed to be saved.

Spike has this habit of coming really close to the walls of the castle with a special access given by the lady of the castle Gemma-the-manager. She has a soft spot for the redeemable and ever useful Spike. He does everything for them. He tends the gardens and manages the cortex of the castle. During the day, when in free spirit and no other obligations or duties to carry out, she allowed him to pursue his passions. Sculpting is amongst the passions he endears and loves. All of the works of course goes for all the happyones of the castle.

‘The world out there is dangerous. Is full of unwitting species. We don’t know how much poison and danger is there but one thing is very evident’ Spike mumbles to Callum ‘…there I have seen a number of scary shit creatures and I tell you what I have been scared. You hear their screams and their sneering howling and whatnot’ whilst he continues his never ending mudsticking on this perky face.

Callum isn’t convinced but asks Spike if he could borrow the binoculars to see for himself ‘or I freaking jump the castle wall and go to see it for myself’ he jokes.

Spike stares at him incessantly.

‘You can have them but don’t spend too long on them as you need to finish your homework before your mother finds out that you haven’t done any shit for a while now’.

Binoculars are these unusual set of double vision digital instruments for the untrained eyes of whom they wouldn’t work.

Spike switches the infrared phosphoric mode on so Callum can see further and clearer before adding ‘Just so you hear this from me, once again. I would not dream of jumping walls over there if you are planning to do anything stupid’.

The intrepid flatlands further away don’t show much. Only a lump of trees sticking in the middle of a dip miles away hiding a lake in the depths of the valley show its face and the wind knows how easy it can shake these huge trees and shake them violently. Callum wants to see more but his time is up and Spike makes sure that he is done with it and that he heads for the Cortex without any hesitation.

Spike gesturing that he is getting ready to leave as well, asks Callum if he could help him with all the working tools. Spike lives not far from the Cortex area, just underneath it. His place is not palatial but liveable and very dash. Callum spends more time with Spike in his quarters than in the Cortex area.

‘This is heavy Mr Spi’ as he likes to call him.

‘huh, you’re only carrying a fraction of my tools and always moans and complains’ Spike responds to Callum’s muttering.

‘only just saying. If something happens to me…you know what will happen…’ Callum wittingly responds.

‘huh, I have a lot of life insurance on these shoulders’ and they both laugh and head for the sub-Cortex area called the Lillipond.