The Curious Boy

A note and a story

Note: This is a story I wrote more than 10 years ago. To be honest, I’m not sure if I want you guys to read this story. To me it seems so full of flaws, of an immaturity I no longer carry.

But it’s also a reminder that I was a writer so long ago, and still am.

These days, I feel empty of words. As if they have all been poured out of me onto paper, and nothing is left for me to say.

So today, I chose to share the words I wrote so many years ago, innocent of what was yet to come in my life. I don’t recognize the person who wrote this story anymore, but I do recognize these words.

And maybe that’s a reminder for me not everything has changed. Or maybe it’s hope.

---

Colorful Night by Leonid Afremov

Oscar was a curious boy.

He wondered about a lot of things. Why was the sun yellow, and not blue? Why did bluebirds sing, and the owls hoot?

Oscar lived with his mother, in a town called Ordinary where every day was the same.

Everyone in the village did the same things every day, without getting tired of the routine. They all liked doing ordinary things, day by day, and disliked change.

But Oscar was different; he wanted to learn of the outside world.

He was fascinated with what life would be like outside of the village.

But no one was allowed to enter the village, or to leave it.

Oscar’s greatest wish in the entire world was to step out the village boundary, and see the world.

He knew that there was more to life than just doing the same things over and over again.

He would often ask his mother if they could visit somewhere outside the village, but she always shushed him.

“Oscar, please don’t ask such questions. Our life is perfectly fine here,” she said every time he asked.

‘It isn’t safe out there. Don’t you know curiosity got the cat’?

But Oscar didn’t think it was perfectly fine. In fact, he thought it was dreadfully boring living in this town.

The only place slightly interesting in the village was an old abandoned library.

No one was allowed to go inside, and rumour was that it was haunted by the ghost of a child that had become enslaved by an evil magician.

Ever since Oscar could remember, the library had been closed, and every time he walked by it, his heart was filled with the desire to go and look inside, to ruffle through pages of the books.

If he couldn’t go outside the village, he could at least explore fantasy worlds through books.

So one night, when the moon was high in the sky, Oscar decided that he was finally going to explore the library.

After a supper of bland chicken and plain rice (the same every night), Oscar went up to his room, pretending to go to bed early.

He lay in bed, hearing his mother wash the dishes in the kitchen, and the low hum of the television.

Every night, his mother followed the same routine, and never seemed to get tired of it. It was as if they were all stuck in time. But Oscar was determined to not remain stuck.

Tonight he was going to immerse himself in the fantasy world of books.

Awhile later, when the house had gone quiet, Oscar got up from his bed and sneaked out of the house quietly, his footsteps muffled by the carpet.

The village was dark, only lit by the dim moonlight. In the distance owls were hooting into the night, singing of wisdom. Or maybe warning.

Oscar pulled his jacket tighter, as dead leaves fluttered through the dark street he was walking through.

What if there were monsters out there?

Oscar should have gone home.

But Oscar continued walking towards the library.

His desperate curiosity was greater than his fear.

Reaching the library, Oscar looked around to find a way in, as the door was boarded with wooden planks and the windows were covered with thick dust.

The library was worn down, like an old man that had little life left in him.

He wiped one window with his hand, and peered in. It was very dark, but a sliver of moonlight was shining upon shelves of books filled with worlds much different than Oscar’s.

His heart beating fast, Oscar pulled up one of the windows with all his might and climbed inside.

Looking at the wooden shelves towering above him, Oscar felt an excitement rising inside him. Books upon books waited for him, holding no ordinary secrets he was sure.

He walked through the shelves, running his hands across the dusty books.

There were thin books with gold writing, thick and tall books, some covered in leather binding, all of them worn out as if a hundred fingers had gone through the pages.

After much thought, he chose a thick book, with a red cover.

Oscar wiped his sleeve over the dusty cover, to reveal the title: ‘A Guide to Magical Places & Strange Lands’.

Eagerly, Oscar opened up the book, ruffling through the yellowed pages covered with paintings of strange lands.

He stopped at a picture of a striking town, lighted with trees covered with jewels.

He wondered if such a place really existed outside his gloomy, lifeless village.

As he was going through the pages of the book, a key fell out of the book with a heavy clang on the floor.

Oscar picked it up, turning it around in his hand, wondering which door it opened.

Looking through the pages, he read ‘For those who are curious, and wish to see a place of magic, use this key to enter the town of Fireworks. The door to the key will appear to only those who believe. But be warned...’

The rest of the words were faded, so he was unable to read them.

Looking up from the book, he saw an inky blue door had appeared out of thin air.

It had an ancient feel to it, with a heavy gold knocker.

His hands trembling with excitement, Oscar put the key in the lock and with a slow, long squeak the door opened. Before him was a brightly lit town.

Holding the book close to his chest, Oscar stepped into this strange town.

There was a wooden sign signalling the name of this town: Fireworks.

And what a magnificent, strange town it was. The trees were covered with glowing jewels, just like the picture in the book. Emeralds, topaz, sapphires, rubies, all of them as big as Oscar’s fist.

There were brightly houses lit all around, and there was a warm, delicious scent in the air floating.

Oscar followed the scent to a nearby house.

Now, Oscar knew he shouldn’t, but the thought of food was making his stomach rumble.

He knocked on the door tentatively, waiting for a nice old lady to open the door and offer him a warm and delicious meal.

But there was no answer. Looking around, Oscar reached out and opened the door. Stepping in he saw a banquet of food laid out in the centre of a dining table - golden roast chicken, thick creamy mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables among many other dishes.

Looking around to see if there was anyone, Oscar took a plate and piled it high with food.

As Oscar was eating a plate full of roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, he heard a shuffling behind him.

His mouth full of mashed potatoes, Oscar turned around.

A man stood there, watching him. This man wore a long black coat, a tall top hat and a red bow tie nestled neatly in the middle of this neck.

Before Oscar could say anything, the man took his hat off and pulled out two white rabbits out of it.

They hopped around Oscar in playful circles. Oscar giggled. A magic show only for him.

The magician gave him a silent smile, and proceeded to pull out jumping jacks, clown hats and gold coins out of his hat.

Soon there was dancing confetti all over the place, a set of drums and harmonium playing on their own, magically in the air.

It was a happy tune, and Oscar started dancing. This was the best time he had ever had in his life.

After a long while though, Oscar’s eyes grew heavy with sleep.

‘I have to go home now’, he said to the magician. ‘I’ll come back tomorrow, and you can show me more tricks’.

The magician was silent. He had not spoken a word since he had appeared, realized Oscar.

“Thank you for the lovely show,” said Oscar.

The magician didn’t reply.

Shrugging his shoulders and clutching the book, Oscar made to move towards the door.

But the magician shook his head. His eyes glinted coldly.

With his index finger spelled out the following words in smoky writing completing the unfinished sentence from the book:

“But be warned upon entering Fireworks, do not look back at the life you left behind.”

Oscar ignored the magician, and although his heart was beating rapidly now, he continued walking towards the door to leave. He twisted the knob, but the door wouldn’t budge.

He was locked.

Alone with the magician.

Looking closer at the magician, a shiver went down Oscar’s spine.

The magician had a creepy smile, and his eyes looked strangely empty now.

Before Oscar could think anymore though, the magician strode towards Oscar, and grabbed him by the back of his jacket and pushed him into a dusty, old cupboard.

Oscar yelled and screamed.

He slammed and kicked at the door but it wouldn’t budge.

Tears rolled down Oscar’s face.

He wanted to go home.

He fell asleep thinking of his mother. He imagined his mother waking in the morning, and finding his bed empty.

---

The next night the magician came back, and let Oscar out. Once again there was a lavish buffet laid out, and the magician started the magic show and tricks.

But this time Oscar didn’t want the extravagant dinner, and he didn’t laugh when the magician pulled out the rabbits.

His eyes flicked to the window again and again. When he thought the magician wasn’t looking, Oscar tried to sneak out through the window.

But just as he pulled up the window with great difficulty, he felt he magician’s cold hands at his neck. And he was hauled back into the dark, dusty cupboard.

The next few nights, Oscar tried to escape. But he failed every time. The magician was too clever, too fast for him.

Oscar realized he was never going to leave the town of Fireworks.

His wish for the extraordinary, an exciting life had come true. But he no longer wanted it.

Because like with everything new and fascinating in life, the charm always wears off.

As it had with this town.

But there was no escape.

And every night Oscar would be reminded of the one thing his mother had always said to him about curiosity and the cat.

Curiosity had after all, got the cat.

The End.