Moonville

George sat there next to the kitchen table with an empty Coke bottle, double sided sticky tape, straws, card, and a plank of wood watching Blue Peter. He watched avidly listening to every word the presenter said. Their immaculately presented materials on their white clean table and the “here’s what I did earlier,” demonstrations. George was hooked. Although he was struggling to keep up, this wasn’t today’s society of pausing the programme. George hurriedly stuck all the pieces together. The mess he created in the kitchen was horrendous. Bits of tape stuck to the table, the back of the tape scattered across the floor. He’d accidentally knocked the box of straws, cascading on to the floor. He was too busy to finish his project to pick all it up. He felt pretty chuffed with himself when he eventually finished and grinned like a Cheshire cat full of pride.

In walked his mum. “George,” she exclaimed, “what happened?”

George, full of smiles held up his handiwork, wanting, waiting for approval.

Her hand clasped over her mouth towards the mess George has created. It was going to take forever to clean up, she throught, as she placed a couple of shopping bags on the work surface, exasperated! George still positioned himself with his work waiting for a response. She turned, feeling she ought to comment. In doing so she switched off the television, disgusted that she allowed it in the first place, and pick up George’s work.

A piece of wood as the base with straws standing at one end to hold a rolled piece of paper angled at 45 degrees, from the other end of the wood resting inbetween the straws. And the coke bottle inside the paper cylinder. A rocket and rocket launcher!

“Well done George, let’s get this kitchen tidy,” mum asked as George groaned. The worst part of all his creations, inventions is the tidying up. After chatting non stop they finished with his rocket launcher sitting proudly on the window sill for everyone to admire.

As the week ticked on many a conversation was held in reference to the rocket. George wanted it to shoot off and set about with this mum to make it fly. With careful attention they set up the kitchen table with vinegar, baking soda, a balloon, a rubber band, pin, a marker pen and cling film.

George and his mum filled the rocket with required amount of vinegar, then they put backing soda into the cling film and wrapped it like a parcel, but not too tight, so it could loosen inside the rocket. George carefully placed a dot on the balloon and poked a hoed through it with the pin, putting it to one side. With his tongue sticking out with concentration and his mum behind him he placed the soda parcel carefully in the neck of the rocket and fixed the balloon tightly over the rocket neck with the rubber band. Both of them slowly took the rocket and launcher outside and set it down on the concrete slabs.

“Now, George, be careful not to get the baking soda in the vinegar just yet.”

“Ok, I won’t,” George beamed with excitement.

Very slowly he tipped the rocket at the angle to fit inside its launcher, stood back, and waited. His mum holding him, she’d not done this before. They waited for the parcel to drop into the vinegar, unravel and work its magic.

Whoosh! A white cloud shot in the air followed by the rocket.

“Wow,” gasped George.

“Incredible,” gasped his mum also.

“This is brilliant mum, can we do it again,” he pleaded as the rocket floated down to the ground.

“It was good, wasn’t it,” his mum stood open mouthed.

George tugged on his mum’s cardigan and pleaded again, “can we? Again please mum,” bright eyed and smiling.

The afternoon was filled with whooshes as George continued his quest.

The next day whilst his mum and dad were busy gardening George took it upon himself to have more goes with his rocket, making more soda parcels. This time he carefully stuffed in two. Unfortunately it malfunctioned, reacting together too quickly as he was catapulted into the air screaming. He shot up and up. “Arrrgh,” he yelled as he continued higher and higher, and looked downwards to see his house getting smaller and smaller. But as he flew higher and higher he was beginning to enjoy himself. “This is cool,” he smiled continuing to grip tightly onto the rocket. He zoomed quickly into the white fluffy clouds. “Urgh, so wet,” he explored, seeing the droplets of water all around. He got soaked zooming the crevasses of fog. Appearing out of the other side the sun shone drying him instantly. He had to tightly close his eyes from the initial brightness of the sun, and then he saw the moon and the rocket seemed to have a route heading straight for it: the moon was the intended target! George was getting a bit frightened now, as he didn’t fully understand what was going to happen. The moon grew and grew in size as he got closer and closer. He landed in spectacular style, let go of the rocket and somersaulted forwards before he gradually stopped.

Eventually, he sat up, a bit dazed and confused as to what had just happened. He looked around blurry eyed getting his thought together.

“Where am I,” he puzzled. He didn’t recognise this at all. He began to focus and set upon a figure walked towards him. An arm stretched out, “my name is Anna, welcome,” she smiled, waiting for him to shake hands.

“Well, this is very formal, Anna. How do you do?” he mused.

“I’m very good. What is your name?”

“George. Wh…wh…wh…where am I?” he stammered.

“You are on Moonville, we like to call it, but it’s the Moon,” she spoke so eloquently.

He looked around noticing that it didn’t look like cheese, as everyone had said it would. He noticed Anna and how pretty she looked in a purple skirt and yellow t-shirt. She was also bare footed. Specks of dust floated with each step she took.

“And what is Moonville,” he asked.

“Moonville is my home. My family came here back in 2015 when Earth built a space rocket to fly to the Moon. We were chosen from a television competition. A new concept to improve television ratings with the likes of ‘The Voice’, ‘X Factor’, ‘Big Brother’ being so old. A famous person invented this competition to take a family to the Moon,” she sighed, “we’ve been here ever since. The space rocket just took off once we landed. My brother, mum and dad have had to survive, clueless. We’ve been longing to be rescued.”

“So, how did you know about me,” he enquired.

“Steve, my brother, mum and dad have long since given up. But I am still hopeful we will be rescued. Ever the dreamer, they keep saying,” she sighed again. George just stared at her. She radiated with elegance.

So, what year are we here,” he asked, as he had finally gotten on his feet.

“Well, I guess it’s 2015. I’ve been counting. Although it’s been hard as it’s always dark. I look towards the Earth and see the change of lightness and darkness and have counted since then. It goes be so quickly.” She gazed longingly out towards the stars against the dark sky. Her blonde hair pulled back into a gun. She wiped a stray hair from her face. George smiled at her.

Amazingly it wasn’t cold as George through the Moon would be and although dark he could still see clearly through the illumination of the Moon’s surface. There was a slight breeze, but “wow,” he gasped looking around. It was just how he imagined with craters, rocks, baron; it was awesome! There were ups and downs, but he didn’t float. His rocket was gently fizzing out as he thought back as to what had just happened. He couldn’t quite believe it, so cool, wait til school here about this! He looked at his hands, yep, still there! His legs, yep they’re here too! He patted himself down, all in one piece! He was truly flabbergasted, he couldn’t believe it!

“Wow,” he amazed again, “What’s it like living on the Moon,” he enthusiastically asked.

“Quite boring really, and there is nothing to do. We have had to make everything ourselves. It’s like going back in time, except we’ve gone forward. We have had to start from scratch, but dad was a mechanic, good with his hands. So he and Steve have built this really good car to get around. We walked and wondered for days getting to grips with it all. Amazing at first, but as time moved on it became less and less interesting. I like to wander and wait to be rescued. I knew someone would come,” Anna said bursting George’s excitement.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” George scratched his head somewhat deflated, “I was just messing with this homemade rocket and it accidentally brought me here. Quite amazing really,” he thought has he gazed at Anna thinking she was very pretty.

“So, what’s it like on Earth,” she enquired.

“Well, not much going on really. There’s still crappy telly. Doctor Who is on, which is cool. But it’s still 2015. I live with my mum and dad. That’s all.”

She coyly looked at him with her arms crossing in front of her. She couldn’t believe her luck; someone had finally come to rescue them. And, he was cute.

“I can’t say I’ve heard of what you did on the telly competition. I like to read and play games with mum and dad.”

She came closer, kissed him on the cheek, held out her hand indicating for him to follow.

“Why don’t I take you to my family and see what they’ve done. They won’t believe you have come.”

They held hands and sparks flew between them as their fingers clasped each other’s. What was he thinking? He was only 9. What is this feeling anyway?

“How old are you,” he asked.

“I’m 10,” she replied.

Smiling to eachother she guided him to her house. They watched the flare of dust as they walked on the surface. It was so mesmerising. Still holding hands they chatted and laughed to her house. They seemed to walk for ages, over boulders, down crevasses. It was really good fun. At last they arrived and he stood frozen to the spot and stared at the house in front of him. How could they build something like this? And a garage too? He stood in awe!

She quickened her pace and soon they both ran to the front door. Anna couldn’t hold her excitement, “mum, dad, Steve,” she shouted, “George has come to save us. I told you someone would. I told you!”

George once again stood looking in amazement at everything. “Wh…wh…what…look at all of this? How did you get this? How did you make this out of nothing?” He spun around indicating the nothingness outside. “It’s amazing!”

Anna’s mum, dad and Steve had all come to see what Anna was shouting about. All dressed casually. Even they couldn’t believe George was here. All of them had given up.

“Well, we catch each item when it flies in the atmosphere. Some gets dumped and we pick it up. You’ll be amazed with what people throw out.” Steve stepped forward and introduced himself. The house was built out of people’s throw outs and, the toys lying around. Steve and his dad had built them too. All sorts of things including cars, dinosaurs, etc. There were no on/off switches either, but electric currencies flowing through that once the two pieces of wire made contact together, that would allow the toy to come to alive. Steve showed him each toy. George was so excited.

“So, have you come to save us?” Anna’s dad asked bringing George back to reality.

George stopped and explained about his homemade rocket. About how he was messing about and ended up on Moonville by mistake. All of them stood and listened, chest fallen, but his story, feeling somewhat neglected. “But, I’ll tell you what. I’ll go back down and come back with better equipment to take you home,” he quickly finished.

Anna’s dad thought long and hard, and decided it was the best idea. After all, how were 5 people going to fit on the homemade rocket anyway? Steve and his dad scrambled about making more rocket fuel to enable George to get home.

George kissed Anna on the cheek, she blushed. She was going to miss him, but it won’t be long before he comes back for her, she beamed. As though reading her mind George reassured his return, and she nodded in agreement.

The countdown began, 10…9…8…to the end and Boom! He took off faster than he arrived hurtling towards his patio. He whizzed and whizzed til he landed safely, buzzing with excitement.

He told his story in the “show and tell” class on Monday morning, and that’s when he knew he wanted to be an astronaut.