King of Air and Fire
from "He" (Jars of Clay) and "Open Heaven" (BarlowGirl)
Footsteps intruded on Josh’s daydream. He rolled over and peered between boxes. Dust went up his nose and he had to squelch the urge to sneeze. Hairy feet appeared just an arm’s reach in front of him.
“Joshua Thomas,” The feet turned on the spot as his dad looked around for him, “where are you?”
Josh held his breath. If he was quiet enough maybe he wouldn’t be found. He could go back to being King of Air and Fire and not worry about whatever serious lesson his dad wanted to teach him.
Downstairs a door opened and a bunch of people came in, speaking in hushed voices. Josh grimaced. The only thing worse than a lesson was a Meeting. But he couldn’t hold his breath any longer. He let it out slowly but forgot about the evil dust bunnies during the breath in. He sneezed. His dad’s feet had reached the doorway. They stopped at the explosion of sound. Josh dropped his head against the ground. He was done for now.
But his dad didn’t say anything. The footsteps started again but moved away, out the door and down the stairs. Josh couldn’t believe his luck. He turned back over and fingered the glow-in-the-dark pictures stuck in the under-frame of his cot: the Queen of Wind and Rain, Prince of Seas, Lady of Stone and, his favourite, the King of Air and Fire. Masters of the world, nothing scared them, not even the Dread Captain of Thunder from Issue 53.
“Jo, what are you doing under the bed again?”
The voice startled Josh so bad he smacked his head on the wire under-frame. Silver stars danced in his vision. One of the boxes by his head was pulled away. He scooted sideways to avoid a kick to his already aching head as a scrawny girl shimmied feet first under the cot to join him.
“Ho, Lacey.”
“Ho yourself. What are you doing?”
Her breath smelled like cinnamon hearts and broccoli but Josh was already pressed up against the wall and couldn’t move farther away. He breathed through his mouth. “Nothing.”
“Well, why don’t we go do nothing somewhere less dark, crowded and dusty then?”
“I don’t want to go to Meeting.”
Even in the dark, Lacey’s eyes twinkled. “Who said anything about Meeting? I have a better idea.” She crawled back out and Josh followed semi-reluctantly. Lacey was more fun than a barrel of bears but her ideas usually led to trouble.
