Before I could comment on what I saw Rose had jumped the fence. I must say I was impressed with her lack of apprehension at the scene in the field. I quickly scrambled over the barbed wire myself and picked up my pace so as to catch her up. By the time I did she was reaching into her back pocket, which I now noticed contained a small round bulge. True I hadn't been looking at her pockets last time I was taking in that particular view.
Rose pulled out a roll of metre liquorice, the kind you get in the two packs, and started to unroll the end. She broke a piece off with her teeth and handed it to me with out even taking her eyes off the surging black cloud. I took the offering gladly and stuffed the whole strap into my mouth. I really shouldn't. Last time I had eaten the stuff it had ripped out one of my fillings. But it was from her so i figured what the hell.
As we drew within a few metres of the circle the hairs on the back of my neck began to stand on end. It was rather peculiar and felt kind of the same as when you rub a balloon on your head and your hair sticks to it, except this was a lot stronger. Whether Rose noticed this or not I never asked. She just simply stepped straight into the ring and stopped. At first I thought something might have been wrong because she just stood there not moving. I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder.
"You okay?"
"Yeah fine, why?"
But I didn't get a chance to answer her I just doubled over in pain gripping the right side of my month and almost choking on my liquorice. For a split second it felt like there was an intense pressure building in my mouth, then pop! It was gone and my filling fell onto my tongue.
"Are you okay?" Rose was standing looking worried.
"I think that liquorice pulled out my filling."
"You are having a good day aren't you." She put her hand on my arm and I suddenly forgot about my mouth and the pain. For a few weeks after I even convinced myself she had some amazing healing power.
"Maggie is not going to be happy." I said looking at my filling.
"Who's Maggie?" She asked as she strolled around the flattened area.
"My sister."
"Why would she care?"
"Maggie is, well she is, it's complicated."
Rose glanced at me briefly then said, "Fair enough."
The crop circle itself appeared genuine enough. I had read an old book on the phenomenon that I had found in the tiny school library. The grass was all bent, not broken, and at a perfect ninety degree angle. It swirled around in a circle and I myself could see no foot prints or tracks leading into the area. A few times Rose asked me what I was doing or what I was looking for and I told her. She didn't laugh or look at me strange, just helped me.
"Do you s'pose any one else knows this is out here?"
"I don't think so, otherwise they'd be here." I said looking round. There was no sign of any one at all.
"Lets come back after school?" She looked at her watch, "crap, we're really gonna be late. Come on." With that she grabbed my hand and lead me back towards the road. As she pulled me out of the circle I had a strange sensation for just a moment, like she was pulling me across an ocean or from a great distance, then it was gone.
We made it to school and heard the bell ring. All in all we had only spent around ten minutes investigating our find and looked to be only a few moments late for first period. We both could not wait for the school day to be over so we could go back. As we made our way towards the front door of the B building. The doors erupted on all eight buildings and it seemed as if all two hundred and fifty odd students that attended the school came bursting out into the yard. All of them making their way out to the parking lot and piling into their parents cars or starting their long walks home.
Rose stared at me and I stared back. Although my reasons for staring may have been different. God she was pretty.
"Oh shit!" Rose had spotted him before I had. Mr Johnston was walking down the path towards us. To my surprise Maggie was walking with him. They both saw us and walked over. Maggie looked some what miffed and Mr Johnston couldn't seem to keep his eyes off Maggie's backside.
"I shall let you deal with Matt Miss Bennett. As for you Ms McLellan," He sprayed looking at Rose, "I will be phoning your parents tomorrow." And with that and a final look at Maggie's arse he moved off to the car park.
"What the hell was that all about Mags and whats the hell is going on here?" I said looking around the at the departing school crowd. She looked a little shocked when I said this.
"You are kidding right? You think you can just skip school and get away with it do you?"
"WHAT! What are you talking about? We just got here?"
"I know! and where the hell have you been all day?" She stopped for a moment and looked at Rose.
"Hi honey, I am Maggie, Matts sister. You must be Rose." With that Maggie shook Roses hand, turned around and stared at me.
"Well? I want some answers Matt and what have you done to your arm."
"What do you mean all day? The bell just rang. Me and Rose were on our way to english when every one comes pouring out."
"Thats what kids do when its home time Matt. My question to you is what were you two doing between eight and three o'clock today?..." She trailed off, looked at me then at Rose and back again. I thought I saw a hint of a smirk at this point but could not be sure.
"Not that Maggie! Jesus, we... hang on. What do you mean since eight till three?" I looked at Rose and she just stared straight back at me then looked at her watch.
"But it's only just past eight thirty?" She said looking at Maggie.
"I swear if you have be taking something your in big trouble buddy. We are not done talking about this Matt. Rose honey do you have plans this afternoon?"
"Mum and Dad aren't usually home till about seven..."
"Perfect!" said Maggie, "Then you'll join us for dinner? Yes?"
"That would be lovely, thank you. Yes." As if she heard my silent pleas.
"What happened to that arm Matt?"
We all piled into Maggie's little Datsun 180 B and she drove us home. We both stared out the window as we went past Kreen's Farm, the birds were gone but we could still make of the indentation in the dry grass, still undisturbed. When we got home Maggie told us to take a seat and turn on the telly while she made us a snack.
I flicked on the T.V and we caught the last of the news headlines. Same old stuff, war some where, people killing each other and something about a passenger plane off course on its way to Brisbane. Boring stuff. Pretty soon Maggie brought us a sandwich each and we both ate silence still extremely puzzled at what had taken place. It seemed that some how we had skipped a whole day of school with out ever meaning to.
Later we retreated to my room. Rose looked at me and was about to say something when my door opened and Maggie put her head round the corner.
"We'll just keep this open shall we?" To her credit Rose just giggled. I on the other hand shot Maggie a withering glance.
"Thank you sister dear." I muttered and she smiled and headed off into the kitchen to start dinner.
"I like her." said Rose.
"Yeah. She is great."
"So what the hell happened today? Did what I think happen actually happen?"
"Depends," I said "on what you think happened. Because could swear I only woke up about three hours ago."
"Some how we didn't just skip school..." She started.
"We skipped the whole day." I finished.
"But how?"
"Well the only other odd thing that has happened today is that circle. It has to have something to do with that."
"How though?" she seemed excitedly interested at it all and sat forward on the edge of my bed to look more closely at me sitting on the chair opposite. Suddenly I didn't know what to do with myself, finding my filling in my jeans pocket I started fiddling with it. Then it hit me.
"My filling!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah, its sort of nasty, you might wanna throw it away."
"No, I mean yeah it is but I don't think it was the liquorice that pulled it out."
"Then what?" Even more excited now and leaning closer.
"Those birds..."
"The birds pulled out your filling?" she interrupted.
"No, birds migrate, they use a special chemical in their brains to navigate. It has something to do with magnetic forces. The same kind of forces that could maybe pull a filling out of my head." She just stared at me. Then darted forward the remaining few feet separating us and kissed me quickly on the lips. I almost passed out right then and there.
"Thats very clever thinking." She said. "We should go back and check it out."
"Okay." I said still a little dazed. I tired to think of something else clever to say in hopes of another reward.
"I have a compass in my draw, we could see what happens with that out there."
"Great idea. After dinner then?"
"Okay. As long as Maggie is okay with it."
Rose just winked at me and said "She will be, trust me." and I did, completely.
To be continued...
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