What’s In Oonamb

The great mystery, of the town of Edenburg, is just that to some of those whom have lived to live. But, to the few whom have lived exceedingly, that mystery has enveloped their existence and engulfed their emphasis inside of deafened hearing. A weight is upon Edenburg and it is awaiting for the prophetic smothering. This prophecy is laden with souls, as old as eons and as young as centuries, gifted with the moment of involvement and cursed with the speculation of knowledge without the language to profess. Forces that are new and old, wretched and righteous, subtle and outlandish are all in place to bring Edenburg to its inevitable reach. A 100-year prophecy fulfilled. The war between the 500 and the Hundred-Somethings. A clock without a tick or tock left to give. A day… that is today.

“Say unc’, do you still have that tent,” asked Henry.

“It should be in the shed boy.”

“Cool.”

Henry goes off to rummage in the shed as his uncle follows him wondering why is he in need of his stuff. Uncle O has been a reflection of the man that Henry wants to become and their relationship has been inseparable ever since Henry’s birth seventeen years ago. Because of their close relationship, Henry has grown to learn to leave his uncle alone when he is upset. This week in particular has had his uncle on edge and today seems to have been amplified in intensity.

“You going to that party huh,” asked Uncle.

“Yea unc’.”

“You kids just don’t listen man.”

“Listen to what,” snapped Henry. “We’ve been hearing that same sad song all this year yo! What’s up with you old folks?”

“We figured it out that’s what’s up. There’s no need for spite when the elders are warning.”

“Damn that warning. We gonna have fun just like any other day,” Henry proclaimed.

“No son. Today is pivotal. Y'all mustn’t go to Lake Oonamb. Something is churning and it erupts today.”

“Yea, is that why you been pissy all week? You and Glennon have been weird but yet, y’all don’t wanna tell us.”

“We can’t find the words son. We’re looking.”

“Yea well I found the tent,” said Henry as he steps back away from his uncle to leave.

“Your decision. Please consider it,” Uncle O pled. “That lake… it’s no good.”

Henry confusingly goes back to the car where his friend Dev is waiting for him. Mulling what his uncle has expressed to him has stirred up some belief. What if his uncle and the elders are onto something and not actually acting out because their grandkids will be leaving for college? Are Glennon and Uncle O looking for actual words? He asks himself all kinds of miraculous questions while on the way to the lake. The more he asks, the more sense starts to seep through to his brain and for the first time… his conscious.

All of the teens and young adults in the town of Edenburg have endured a wave of rebellion in response to the increased paranoia and suspicion in the actions of the elder townfolks. The party at Lake Oonamb is their final act before they all leave for college. The exclamation to an agreement, that has become a part of their coherence, making whole to an indifference to never concede.

“Best party ever, kid!”

“You got it going on, kid!”

“Alright nah, baw!”

“Get it, girl!”

“That’s my best friend!”

“I’m yo best friend!”

“Hey, bestie,” said one of the partygoers as she has clearly stopped dancing to gawk at the cubic dropping falling from the sky.

“I see it.”

“They told us.”

“What the fuck is it?!”

“It was a cube,” Glennon said to Uncle O. His voice, more relaxed than it was on Tuesday. “That was a sloppy chance, but it was a cube.”

“I’m one hundred and ninety seven Glenn,” said Uncle O. “There’s a lot more words to find and I intend to take the long drive. I need someone like you on my team to take down that five hundred year old geyser.”

“Yea, I’m in. Do you think he knows we’re here?”

“He might know something,” laughed Uncle. “But it won’t be us. Plus that tent will have all the information those twerps need, so all they have to do is do their job.”

“Man their gonna be pissed when they wake up in the frozen lake,” laughed Glennon.

“It’s no joke man,” joked Uncle O.