Finding Jack

By Jaidyn Elise

I love you. –Jack

I sat on the roof of the barn, reading the note over again. I didn’t know a Jack.

I’d already searched the school, asking every unknown boy if his name was Jack—yes, I’m that type of person.

No Jacks went to my school.

I’d shown the note to my family, and they’d asked co-workers, Walmart clerks, therapists—yes, they are that type of family. But everywhere we asked, no Jack!

I needed to figure this out.

“Well, when interrogating the country fails, there’s only one thing for it,” I announced to the wind. “I’ll go on an adventure. The quest to find Jack.” I climbed down the ladder and jumped off the third rung to the bottom.

I feel like Bilbo Baggins. I grinned, breathing in the chilly fall air. Bilbo was my hero. One day, I wanted to be a main character in someone’s book, just like him.

In the pasture, I jumped onto my cow as her calf watched us with sad eyes.

I grabbed her halter and rope, jerked it back a bit, and shouted, “Giddup!!”

She didn’t move.

“Sassy, c’mon!!” I drummed my heels angrily against her sides. Sassy pulled another mouthful of grain out of her bucket, idly chewing it. I got down and tried to drag the bucket away. Sassy shoved her nose deeper into the corn.

“We really—need to—go!” I tumbled backward, the empty bucket in my hands. We hadn’t even left, and I was tuckered out.

Wearily, I climbed back on. “Giddup.”

We rode into the woods until we came to a clearing. Pine thistles were scattered on the ground like a soft blanket. A tent, made of light brown cloth held up by some rusty poles, stood in the center.

“I’m not scared of nothing,” I whispered, shivering as I hopped off Sassy’s back. “I’m not scared.” I’d rarely been in this part of the woods.

“I love the tricks, I love the games. No one knows me, so I’m not to blame.” The song drifted from the tent, an eerie, lilting tune.

Maybe it’s Gollum! 

I crawled toward the tent’s opening, wincing every time a leaf crackled under my knees. I had a newfound appreciation for how Bilbo must’ve felt when he’d heard an unknown voice in the dark. And that turned out to belong to Gollum.

“No backing down now,” I muttered, throwing up the cloth flap. Inside, a boy, a mouse, and a lizard sat gazing into a candle. The boy looked up in alarm—then started laughing!

“What in the haybale!?” I exclaimed.

The boy, maybe a year or two older than me with freckles and shaggy brown hair, studied me with mischievous eyes.

“Hello,” he said, obviously trying not to burst into laughter again.

“Uhm…?”

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Where’re your parents? What’re you doing here?” I blurted. Scratches covered his arms; dirt smeared his cheeks.

“I moved here a week ‘go,” he answered. “But my parents threw me out ‘bout a decade ago.”

He has the adventurous life I’ve always craved, and yet… No family? That’d be terrible. I wanted to find elvish valleys, talk to dragons, or at the very least ride Sassy through an unknown part of our woods! But would any of that be worth it if I couldn’t come home to supper or to my family? 

“I’m sorry…” I searched for a way to express my sympathy. “…that must’ve been rough. What’s your name?”

He hesitated. “Jack.”

“Jack? Your name’s Jack. You’re sure?”

“Yeah…” He blushed.

“Did you send me that note?” My voice rose in excitement.

“Yeah.” He averted eye contact.

“Why?”

“I like giving people things to think about, seein’ them confused, then figurin’ somthin’ out.” He hurriedly explained, looking up.

“I definitely thought about the note,” I admitted, wondering if this meant my quest was over. “But next time I get anything from a ‘Jack,’ I’m coming for you.” I smirked.

“I’ll be ready.” He laughed.

The wind rustled the pine needles outside. The tent corner flapped, and the mouse sneezed into the candle.

“So, where’d you find them?” I gestured towards the animals.

“I found Dale and Ishmael ‘bout a month after I left home,” Jack replied.

The lizard coughed out something that sounded like “Hello.” The mouse said, “Hi!”

I skittered back. “They talk?” Maybe I should’ve expected it.

Bilbo wouldn’t have been surprised.

Jack nodded. “The talkin’ creatures, there’s not many of them left. They needed a home as much as I did, so I took ‘em in.”

My gaze drifted outdoors. I noticed the sun was going down, meaning my parents would be calling me in soon.

“I need to get going.” I reluctantly ducked out of the tent into the fading daylight. I wanted to stay and learn more about this strange boy with his talking creatures, but that’d be intruding.

Talking animals—absolutely fascinating! Aaaand slightly freaky.

I returned to Sassy’s back.

Jack tumbled out of the tent. “Wait!”

I pulled Sassy around.

“Take this.” He had something cupped in his hands.

He placed a hedgehog onto my outstretched palms. It must’ve been in the tent, but I hadn’t seen it.

“Thanks. What’s her name?”

“It’s a boy,” he clarified. “His name’s Edwin.”

I grinned. I liked that. “Thanks.”

He nodded, heading back towards his tent.

I trotted Sassy back to the farm, Edwin tucked snug inside my pocket. The whole way home, I thought about the boy in the woods without a home, a family, basically owning nothing but talking animals!

At the barn, Sassy reunited with her calf while I took Edwin from my pocket. He flipped onto his back, staring at me with eyes full of wonder and bewilderment.

“Hi. I’m Edwin,” he squeaked.

I shrieked, dropped him, and ran for the house.

Too much adventure for one day. It was time to be home. Bilbo would understand.

Can you guess which song from the 1990's inspired this story? Share in the comments!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jaidyn Elise

Author. Havok Wreaker. Flash Fictionado.