Man of Stories

Tom, Danny and Tim all were in the kitchen messing around and grabbing whatever they could make and get their hands on. Tom was grabbing some orange slices and milk while Danny took his time and made a ham sandwich with lots of cheese and pickles. Tim was sitting down eating some cookies with warm milk as he thought about what had just happened. Why did those made up words suddenly turn into something he could read? It didn’t make sense.

“Hey bro! You want one of my homemade ham sandwiches?” Danny asked to which Tim turned around and then saw all the cheese Danny had put in his sandwich.

“Dude, don’t eat up everything. I still have to cook.” Tim said as he got back to thinking. Tom walked over with his snacks and sat across from Tim. He was about to start snacking before he saw Tim’s face.

“What’s wrong Timmy?” Tom said to which Tim looked at him not amused. Tom chuckled a bit with Danny laughing out loud.

"Not funny.” Tim said

“You quite literally fell into that one skippy.” Tom said to which Tim looked back at Danny confused on the term “skippy” which Danny looked just as confused and shrugged as he continued to finish up his sandwich.

“Seriously though, whats wrong Tim? Anything this old man can do to help the current youth?” Tom asked

“...Gramps, have you ever had anything weird happen to you? And I don’t mean average weird.” Tim said as Danny came over and sat down next to Tim. Tim then looked as Danny took a bite out of the abomination he called a sandwich.

“Want some?” Danny asked

“No thanks, I don’t think my body could handle all of...that.” Tim said as he then turned to his grandfather who then turned to him too.

“Hm, you know I didn’t just come over to dine and eat snack.” Tom said

“Shooooot, I know I did.” Danny chuckled while Tim elbowed him in the side. Tom chuckled himself.

“You see Tim, it’s your birthday soon and I have a really special gift for you.” Tom said as he then got something out of his coat. Danny and Tim both looked as they watched Tom get out...a book. Tim’s eyes went from excited to confused and then bored.

“Woah, nice gift Timmy. I’m super jealous hehehe.” Danny said as he laughed with Tom also joining in.

“I swear to god!” Tim shouted as the two laughed while Tim facepalmed himself. Danny and his grandfather were practical jokesters whenever they were together. Tom put the book down and then sat down while Danny kept eating his “sandwich”.

“Ok ok, What did you want to talk about.” Tom asked

“Well, it’s about your book, I-”

“OH! Tim got one of your books from our art teacher Mr.Kurt! You gotta show him Tim. Oh wait hold on I’ll get it. Uhhh hold my sandwich.” Danny said

“I’m not getting within 2 more inches of that thing you call a sandwich.” Tim said as Danny scoffed and went towards the hallway and grabbed Tim’s backpack. He then dug in and pulled out the book of the moon. Tom’s eyes opened wide as Danny waved the book in the air and then gave it to Tom who grabbed it a bit shaken.

“You ok Tom?” Danny asked as Tim got up concerned. Tom then nodded his head as he relaxed in his seat and put the book down.

“I’m ok. Just had a memory come back to my mind is all.” Tom said

“What was it?” Tim asked, Danny sat down moving his sandwich to the side as he was immediately intrigued by what was happening. Tim however was concerned.

“...I feel like there’s something you should know; I haven’t told anyone what I’m about to tell you. You can choose to believe me or not, but there are things within our world that can never be explained. This is one of those things.” Tom said as he rested his hand on the cover and then slowly opened the book.

“Ok dude, your gramps is starting to freak me the fuck out.” Danny whispered to Tim as Tim looked at him and nodded with concern.

“If you think I’m scary, you should see what lies beyond the earth itself.” Tom said, the two boys were in shock that Tom could hear them from across the table. Tom steadied himself as he sat up.

“Do you know what this book is about?” Tom asked as he waved the book.

“Not a clue.” Danny said

“It’s about the moon, about how it was god of the earth and other crazy stuff.” Tim said

“Sir, are you about to say what I think you’re going to say?” Danny said as Tom looked at them, he nodded.

“What I write about, Is all true.” Tom said, Danny chuckled for a bit before fainting and falling over. Tom and Tim got up in shock and ran over to Danny. After a few minutes of lifting the big guy, they eventually got him on the couch in the living room. Tim and Tom sat down exhausted.

“Gramps, are you serious?” Tim asked

“As true as my name is Tom Fraker.” Tom said as he laned back relaxing himself.

“...I believe you.” Tim said, Tom looked at him surprised that Tim believed him so quickly.

“However, I do want some proof about this stuff. Let’s start with what we were about to talk about.” Tim said

“Ah yes, the Moon.” Tom said as he looked through the skylight in the living room up at the sky where the moon was in perfect view. Tim followed his eyes to the moon.

Tom then explained the history of the Moon. He talked about how the Moon was here before there were any stars, any gas or any systems within their galaxy. The Moon was described to Tim as being this ethereal, unknown and indescribable in its otherness that it went beyond the scopes of mankind. The solar system only began to become what it is today thanks to the Moon allowing for things to procced as they should. The Moon was capable of traveling the galaxy as it was present all over even capable of controlling the workings of science and physics of all kinds.

The Moon is described as unholy. The Moon fed upon the ideas and mere fabrications of what humanity could be, far before their physical bodies began to be. The Moon much later on would realize that it could manipulate man and would then have them bow and pray to it. Tim asked what it was the Moon actually was, but Tom shook his head as he said he wasn't sure. Tom then went on speak how the Moon is capable of tampering with time and space on their planet and within the solar system itself, how its cosmic otherness kept it outside the reach of all things on earth and beyond. The Moon was present in everything, everywhere, everywhen, and everyhow, without any exception within the solar system. The Moon was in full control over the afterlife of mankind and how it controlled fate and change itself across the solar system and especially earth.

He then began to tell Tim about how within every human being there lies a microcosm and the microcosm principle, that in each human being there is a smaller and tiny little world. That these microcosms are immensely large, however small, as they lie within the human atoms and electrons. The building blocks of the universe. Tom then brought up the time he battled against the Moon itself in order to free mankind.

"Wait, Wait a second! YOU FOUGHT THE DAMN MOON?!" Tim shouted in absolute disbelief. Tom then burst into laughter.

"Sure did, quite the scrap it was. I remember it like it was yesterday." Tom said as he then began to fall asleep. Tim watched him fall asleep and was shocked.

"Hey, hey wake up." Tim said clapping his hands waking up Tom.

"OH WHAT HUH?! Oh Tim, My bad I must have dozed off. Now where were we? Oh that's right my fight with the moon. I remember it like it was yesterday." Tom said as he almost went back to sleep again if Tim didn't shake him keeping him awake.

"Gramps please focus, I have a lot of questions and I don't want to wait eight hours to get them answered." Tim said, Tom then shook himself and asked Tim to get him some coffee. After they Tim made him and Tom a cup of coffee, Tom began to recite the story of his brawl with the moon.

"It was insane my boy, I didn't notice the influence the moon had on the world until much later in my life...was I thirty or maybe twenty-five. Well, the age doesn't matter too much. However, that's when I realized what was going on, my eyes were open, and I was free from its influence." Tom said as he took a sip of his coffee.

"How did you break free? From what you said this thing sounds insane." Tim said as he looked into the skylight and saw it was nearly nighttime and yet the moon had remained in its normal position as before. Like as if it was staring at them.

"Well, I didn't, someone broke me free." Tom said

"Who was it?"

"I don't know." Tom said as he shrugged, not exactly the answer Tim wanted, but he could live with it he supposed.

"So how did you fight it?" Tim asked

"Well, I went to it of course." Tom said

"Ok, there's a lot of room for disbelief here, but now you lost me. You, my grandfather, guy who likes to write and complain about winter more than anyone else I know...You went to the moon?" Tim asked

"Yup, Even beat Nasa's high score on travel to the moon and everything. If you ever come back to your old man's place, I'll be sure to show you rock I got from my trip there. Oh my dear Anna never believed me, but that's ok. It made for a nice story to tell kids and your dad too. Though he was never into fantasy or talk of adventures...real shame, he was so bright and full of life. Now hes all grown up and doesn't believe in the greater scope of things." Tom said saddened. Tim pat his grandfather's back, he knew exactly how Tom felt.

"So how did you get there?" Tim asked

"I learned about how to reach it through an old ritual that people used to supposedly send offerings to the moon. Though these offerings were people instead of items or sheep." Tom said

"Why would it want people?" Tim asked

"I don't know, something to note my boy is that a lot of things within the universe go unexplained and thats for good reason. Some answers, you really don't want to know." Tom said, Tim shook his head.

"Well, I used this offering system to get me to the moon, it was quick, but also short too. Every inch of space expands upon itself infinitely, absolutely infinitely for that matter. Though its much more than that I'm sure. Anyway, I got there, to the moon's surface and there I challenged it, I fought for humanity and the Moon fought for...well itself." Tom said

"What weapon did you have? A big gun? a sword?" Tim asked

"My good old righty and lefty did the trick for me!" Tom said with pride, but Tim was taken aback. How on earth do you fight the moon with your bare hands?

"Anyway, it was a tough fight, tougher than I could have even imagined. Damn thing nearly killed me If it hadn't been for me managing to subdue it and eventually put it to rest. Thing has been dormant ever since, or at least it should still be. Gods can be sneaky bastards. For all I know I never beat that thing and its just waiting for me to kick the bucket. Anyway what you think?" Tom said

Tim had no words for all that he was told and heard. Yet he was fascinated and interested in everything his grandfather had told him.