Pumpkin Are Free (Reprise)

SIDNEY: “Casey Becker? She sits next to me in English.”

TATUM: “Not anymore.”

Casey doesn’t sit next to Sidney in English
anymore because Casey’s family decided
to buy an old spaceship, fix it and fly to Mars.
The family had such an interesting time on Mars
that they continued outward bound and visited
a settlement in the asteroids. Nobody
in the family really wanted to return home
so they continued even farther outward bound
to visit a research station on Saturn’s moon
and see for themselves the beauty of Saturn’s rings.

In fact I think on a blog or something like that
Casey’s grandmother Hazel wrote about their trip
and the family meeting where they all talked about
going on to Saturn rather than return home.

“Why? Why does anybody want to go anywhere? Why did the bear go round the mountain? To see what he could see! I’ve never seen the Rings. That’s reason enough to go anywhere. The race has been doing it for all time. The dull ones stay home—and the bright ones stir around and try to see what trouble they can dig up. It’s the human pattern. It doesn’t need a reason, any more than a flat cat needs a reason to buzz. Why anything?”

“When are you coming back?”

“I may never come back. I like free fall. Doesn’t take any muscle. Take a look at old Charlie. You know how old he is? I did some checking. He’s at least a hundred and sixty. That’s encouraging at my age—makes me feel like a young girl. I may see quite a few things yet.”

Dr. Stone said, “Of course you will, Mother Hazel.”

Roger Stone turned to his wife. “Edith?”

“Yes, dear?”

“What’s your opinion?”

“Well ... there’s actually no reason why we should go back to Luna, not just now.”

“So I was thinking. But what about Meade?”

“Me?” said Meade.

Hazel put in drily, “They’re thinking you are about husband-high, hon.”

Dr. Stone looked at her daughter and nodded slightly. Meade looked surprised, then said, “Pooh! I’m in no hurry. Besides—there’s a Patrol base on Titan. There ought to be lots of young officers.”

Hazel answered, “It’s a Patrol research base, hon—probably nothing but dedicated scientists.”

“Well, perhaps when I get through with them they won’t be so dedicated!”

Roger Stone turned to the twins. “Boys?”

Castor answered for the Team. “Do we get a vote? Sure!”

Roger Stone grasped a stanchion, pulled himself forward. “Then it’s settled. All of you—Hazel, boys, Meade—set up trial orbits. I’ll start the mass computations.”

Oh, damn, I got that wrong, that’s why Meade Stone left school.
I remember what happened to Casey Becker.

Casey doesn’t sit next to Sidney anymore
because Sidney’s boyfriend Billy murdered Casey.
Not just murdered. Billy splatter-movie killed her—
hung her from a tree, her insides on the outside.
Billy killed Casey as part of his larger plan
to also kill Sidney and her Dad and frame it
on Sidney’s Dad as a murder-suicide spree.
Billy wanted to get revenge for Sidney’s Mom
having an affair with Billy’s Dad and causing
Billy’s Mom to leave, breaking up Billy’s family.
Billy got the idea for the murder scheme
when Sidney’s own illegitimate half-brother
came by and killed Sidney’s mother the year before
because she disowned him while still loving Sidney.

I always mix up those two kids’ stories. My bad.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


Okay—Please!—nobody sue me.

The Sidney Prescott story is from
the famous kids’ movie, “Scream”
directed by Wes Craven.

The Meade Stone story is from
the famous kids’ book, “The Rolling Stones”
written by Robert Heinlein.

I wonder what stories
the next generation of kids
will be entertained by?


*


Pumpkin Are Free



You Damn Punk Kids


Ancient Cities Of The Moon



The Name “Gillian”


Preliminary Notes For A Space Opera


A Bird Who Could Fly To Neptune