House Made Of Bricks

SH@CK: Baby Doll

Gaia’s House

Gaia was sitting comfortably in her home, a place where she had lived for many years. Her house was a nice home with a solid cement foundation and a sturdy roof that would repel even Mother Nature’s most scornful weather. The house was equipped with a central air system that pumped a warm sensation throughout the bedrooms and corridors when the cold outside was bitter to the bones and a cooling system that provided protection against the sticky humidity and sweltering heat that the summers had to offer. The house was never unbearably hot or cold, no it was always just right to Gaia’s liking. 

There was always food in the kitchen. The refrigerator was always filled as if it were the storage place Grizzlies used just before going into hibernation. There were a variety of freshly squeezed juices. There was tangy orange juice filled with fresh pulp, sweet apple juice that would take anyone who drank it on a natural sugar high, cranberry juice a shade of burgundy that resembled wines produced west of the Saône River. There were dozens of cartons of eggs, enough to make an omelet for breakfast every day. The drawers held fresh fruits and veggies ripely picked for consumption. Bright green apples, so green you could practically see the tiny Chlorophyll on their sweet surface. Bananas so yellow Chaquita herself could not have produced a better bunch. There were Potatoes spuds large enough to bake, put into a stew, or even peel and slice to create fries better than any fast food restaurant could sell. Gaia was enjoying a lovely dinners in the dining room until it is interrupted by a loud thud sound. She immediately dismissed herself from the table and headed to the living room where the sound originated from.

To her surprise a strange figure was standing in the middle of the room smoking a cigarette, Newport 100 from the look of the box that was slightly sticking out of  his right jacket pocket. The figure resembled a man or at least someone who used to be male human. His grayish face was distorted and twisted with the sort of sinister expression that struck Gaia with great confusion because despite the man’s frightening facial features he otherwise looked non-threatening. He was well dressed and wore a black Italian suit. The jacket was a two button wool cashmere blend with welt pockets at the hips and left chest. The man wore sterling silver cuff links at the ends of both sleeves and a silver wrist watch that looked as though it could tell the time at any place in the world. Under his jacket he wore a pure white cotton dress shirt and a solid black silk tie. He topped his pricey outfit off with an alligator belt and shiny black shoes. The man was sharply dressed as if he were a runway model for a major fashion event; however, Gaia just could not get over this look in his face.

The figure in front of her was surely alive, but the look in his eyes resembled a blank stare that belonged to the deceased. Gaia was used to having guest. Throughout the years she had been visited by many different people humans and animals alike. They would stay for dinner, keep her company, and then depart. They would promise to visit again, and most of them would ever once in a while but none of them had ever given her a feeling of fear like this man’s glare. This evil eye kept Gaia frozen in shock, waiting and anticipating his next move.

Gaia coughed. The fresh crisp clean air that the Gaia usually inhaled every time she breathe in was now polluted with carcinogen and nicotine that were protruding out of the man’s cancer stick, mouth, and nostrils every time he exhaled.  The man began to enter further into the lovely house, his smoke trailing behind his movements. The man walked into the kitchen and Gaia silently followed behind him. He heads straight to the refrigerator and unplugs it. He looks at Gaia and then suddenly breaks the silence. “All the food in this home is being confiscated” he says sternly. On queue two muscular men come into the kitchen and haul away the heavy icebox. Gaia stood silent and watched. She didn’t quite understand what was going on. She shared all the food in her home with any guest. They were free to eat as much as they pleased; thus, it didn’t make sense to her how one could take what was free for all.  She disregarded his statement and attributed his unpleasantness to bad manor. She could recall a wolf or two that was rough around the edges when it came to dinner table etiquette but they were gentle creatures when she got to know them. She didn’t give a second thought about the food, she could always get more, but the look on the man’s face still worried her.

His stern face now had a smirk that was slightly more sinister than his previous glare. “Walk with me” he said to Gaia as he pulled another lung full from his boogie. Gaia followed the man as he walks back into the living room and out the front door. When she stepped foot outside she was immediately take over by what her eyes saw. There in front of her house was another man. He was a grungy man not as well dress as the first, sitting inside giant vehicle with an enormous ball and chain attached to it. Now Gaia was terrified beyond belief. In all her years of living in her home never had she ever seen machinery like this. “What is the meaning of this!” she cried. The well-dressed man calmly replied “I’m also taking your house. I have use for this area and your house is standing in my way. So I plan to get rid of it.” Gaia begins to plead with the man. “You can’t do this. I have lived in this house for many years. It is my home and also a home and place of refuge for many another creatures. Destroying this one house will displace many.” The well-dressed man showed his white teeth and waved his pointer and middle fingers at the guy operating the heavy machinery.

Just as before, on queue the man inside the loud vehicle pulled a lever inside that triggered a chain reaction. Before Gaia could even realize what was happening the chain swung and giant steel ball collided with the beautiful house.

Gaia feel to her knees in agony, a huge chunk of her was torn from inside in an instant. Everything she lived for was gone. She could no longer feed, house, cool, or warn those I need. She could no longer enjoy dinners and conversations with complete strangers. The fresh air that she enjoyed in her tranquil home was now gone. The air outside was heavy and filled with cigarette vapor and debris from what once was her house. She could not breathe. She was choking as if someone had their palms wrapped around her throat. Her eyes were getting heavy. She was fading and she knew it. As she came down to her last breath she looked up at the well-dressed man who was calmly standing over her. He looked into her eyes with the same devilish eyes that he had glared upon her when they first encountered each other. He took in other lungful of smoke, smiled and then walked away.

Shack: Da God: Gaia's House