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BROTHERS OF THE VILLAGE - THE BEGINING Part Two, a short story by actung. Date added: 2010-07-24. Times viewed: 966.

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Paul Goodman had been tapping all morning and hadn’t even made enough money for a cup of tea, never mind a breakfast, he couldn’t remember the last time he had a bed to sleep in. He would often look in shop windows and dream of a life he would so love to have but his day dreams would only last as long as it took for someone who worked in the shop to come out and move him along, but today was to be different. Today no one would come out and move him along. Today as Paul stood looking at clothing in this shop window he noticed the reflection of a man standing behind him.

‘I’m sorry sir, I’ll just be on my way, just as always’ Paul said with a little bit of fear and a lot of sadness.

‘I am not here to interrupt your daydream Paul; if you like I am here to give your day dream to you.’

Paul was shocked by this response and it only really allowed for his own fear levels to increase.

‘What do you want from me? And how do you know my name?’

‘It is ok Paul, I am a friend. My name is Jacob and if it is ok with you I would like to take you to your new home. I do not mean to frighten you. If you come with me you will see that there is no need for fear.’

Paul didn’t know what to make of this but he went with Jacob while filled with caution.

It didn’t take long for Jacob and Paul to get to the Village. Jacob explained as to where they were and what exactly the Village is while giving Paul the tour before eventually leading Paul to his new room. A room with a bed, clothing - the exact clothing Paul had been looking at in the shop window earlier that day, food and milk were in the room too. He ate before laying down in amazement of actually having a real bed to lay in. It didn’t take long before he fell asleep.

In the morning Paul was awoken by a voice speaking from seemingly out of nowhere ‘good morning Paul, did you sleep well?’

Not quite sure if he had actually just heard what he thought he had just heard or if he had just been dreaming, Paul raised his head and took a look around the room without seeing anyone, then put his head back on his pillow.

‘If you are hungry, you can go down to the canteen for breakfast’.

This time the voice made Paul jump right out of bed and in a panic he asks ‘Who said that? Who is there?’

‘I am not a who; I would be more of a what.’

The artificial intelligence system explained itself to Paul after which Paul would go to the canteen for breakfast.

As Paul made his way to the canteen, others from the village introduced themselves and shook his hand welcoming him there. Paul got some food and sat by himself still unsure of the situation he had found himself in. When he was on the streets he had himself, he did struggle to survive but he was his own person, and now even though he had more or less just arrived in the village he felt very weary of his surroundings.

Paul sat alone. He was approached by a man who asked if he could sit in the seat next to him. Paul told him he could do as he liked. The other man introduced himself as Gary. Paul shook his hand without telling Gary who he was. Gary continued by telling Paul that he had been in the village almost three months. Paul was totally uninterested in anything that Gary was saying until he mentioned Joseph Saunders and the hatred that Paul has towards Joseph, lead him to look Gary directly in his eyes and to reach out to once again shake Gary’s hand.

Gary used to be a police officer. Going after Joseph Saunders cost him his career, as well as his livelihood, ultimately leading Gary to be in the situation he finds himself in today. He is still obsessed with bringing Joseph Saunders to justice, and now being a part of the village and meeting Paul, Gary may now have another opportunity to go up against the crime boss with who had caused so much discomfort for Gary.

Joseph Saunders’s cronies regularly gave Paul a hard time when he lived on the streets so as soon as Gary mentioned the name of the crime boss and the fact that Gary wanted to go after him then Paul was ready and more than willing to get involved, not knowing that it was this moment that the village was to have its first group of brothers, and they were not alone. They would be in constant communication with the village artificial intelligence system as well as having the back up of the other occupants from the village.

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