Ellie Elmore A Life Touched by Gods & Men: Season 1 Ellie Elmore and the Impossible Dream

By M.R. Tingle

Ellie Elmore lives what she feels is a very mundane life with her father Jack in the United kingdom. The only other living family she has left in this world is her mother's remaining family. Who all live in China so for obvious reasons, Ellie has never had the chance to meet any of them, well not!...

• Language: English
• Publisher: iTingle Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Sep 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781999816025

Book preview

Season 1

Ellie Elmore and the Impossible Dream

(First story in the)

‘Ellie Elmore A Life Touched by Gods & Men.’

(Seven Season series of stories)

Written by

M. R. Tingle

EllieElmore.com

UNITED KINGDOM

Copyright © 2017 Alan M Phillips (a.k.a. M.R. Tingle.)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.

This first season from the Ellie Elmore series of stories is entitled ‘Season 1 Ellie Elmore and the Impossible Dream’ and is provided for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be reproduced in any format or by any means, or re-sold or given away to other people. If you know someone who would like to read this book, please ask them to visit the EllieElmore.com web site to purchase a copy for themselves or to find out more information concerning Ellie Elmore, her friends, her adventures, or about her dreams.

Thank you in advance for your time and help.

M. R. Tingle writer of the ‘Ellie Elmore A Life Touched by Gods & Men’ series of stories.

EllieElmore.com

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

Published in the United Kingdom by iTingle Publishing Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-9998160-2-5

Ellie Elmore series of stories –

Season 1 Ellie Elmore and the Impossible Dream / M. R. Tingle. –

1st edition.

Book Layout © 2014 BookDesignTemplates.com

Book Layout Services – Pageset Ltd.

This work is dedicated to you. The people who love to be entertained by the power of passion and emotion. Along with the magic of stories and music sewn into the very fabric of the creative work I strive to produce.

The sole reason for my writing is to entertain the reader, you, and people like you. So, I hope you enjoy your time immersed in my Ellie Elmore stories. Read on and enjoy the adventures and characters, both good and bad as Ellie travels her path through her Seven Season series of stories. And all while trying to achieve her impossible dream.

Is Ellie Elmore’s Impossible Dream hers alone? Are you and I involved in a way we could never have imagined? Will Ellie and her adventures touch our lives in one way or another? There’s only one way to find out.

So, read on my friends and see what lays ahead for you. Starting in Season 1 Ellie Elmore and the Impossible Dream.

For now, I wish you good health, good luck and good fortune in your life.

M.R Tingle.

"Life is a journey of choices, so choose your choices wisely!

― A.M. PHILLIPS

EPISODE ONE

His first encounter is a disaster, but his first impression?

On a chance encounter, a man sees his dream. And after all these years he can’t believe his eyes because it’s now in front of him.

He wants to grab it; so, he reaches out to touch it.

~ And bang! ~

His dream is gone!

Is his dream lost forever?

This man wants to see his dream again. He wants to hold it tight and not let go until he makes his dream come true.

~ If only he could see his dream again! ~

June ninth already. Man, time flies! thinks Eddie, driving into town past the old closed-down car factory where his dad used to work.

Eddie Ellis is a clean-cut, casually dressed, middle-aged record company executive heading for 88, Wheeler Drive, his mother’s address, on a quiet yet slightly ageing housing estate directly opposite the old car factory on the outskirts of town.

Today is glorious. The kind of day fuelled by the fragrance of summer, and only the sun can be seen in the sunny blue sky. Plus, there’s a warm breeze, which quickens every now and then, leaving that happy holiday feeling on everything it touches, including our record company executive.

Eddie drives slowly along the main road running parallel between the old car factory on his left, and his mother’s housing estate on his right. He busily flicks his gaze back and forth from the road ahead to the abandoned car factory, before turning off the road and stopping his car in an unmarked lay-by next to the factory’s rusty and broken boundary fence. Eddie turns off his engine and sits listening for a moment as music from one of the latest boy bands streams from his car stereo.

‘Not bad,’ mutters Eddie quietly as he takes a single stick of chewing gum from the top pocket of his white cotton shirt, unwraps it, and puts it into his mouth as he gets out of his car and walks around to the passenger-side door.

He leans against the door as he enjoys the warm breeze after his long drive from London, where he works for Raggy Rock Records, the biggest music label in the United Kingdom.

Eddie starts to unwind as his gaze settles on the main factory building in front of him, then he slowly stretches his arms above his head, arches his back, and lets out a satisfying sigh as he takes in all that is good about this glorious day, especially the satisfying breeze.

He continues to unwind as he leans his head back and closes his eyes before pushing his arms out to his sides, gently bouncing them backwards as he inhales deeply. Then he slowly exhales as his mind starts to fill with memories of the good old days. Those days when he and his mother, Margaret Ellis (Madge to her friends), used to walk to meet his dad, Steve Ellis, after he’d finished working his shifts at the then busy and buzzing car factory.

Madge is starting to look her age now, thinks Eddie, opening his eyes and scanning the run-down building.

Madge is actually in her sixties, but she has the vigour and vitality of someone ten years her junior, and she has a mature yet distinguished look with her silky shoulder-length, silvery-blond hair.

Then, without warning, Eddie catches a wisp of music floating on the gentle breeze. This music is playing slightly louder than the music already playing on his in-car stereo. Eddie reaches inside his car through the open passenger door window and turns off his stereo. Outside again, he catches another wisp of music, making him turn quickly, as if expecting to see someone standing there, but there’s not another living soul in sight.

Strange? thinks Eddie, returning his gaze towards the old car factory after hearing a third, slightly louder, wisp of music.

‘That’s got to be coming from in—!’ says Eddie out loud, as his pulse starts to quicken.

Curiosity grabs Eddie as he takes his chewing gum out of his mouth, wraps it in the wrapper he’s kept in his shirt top pocket, and throws it into his car through the open window. All without taking his eyes off the abandoned car factory.

He continues to stare at the old building for a few seconds longer as he rubs his forehead with his thumb and three fingers of his right hand. Then he spots a gap in the broken boundary fence in front of him and squeezes through it to walk towards the main factory building. As Eddie gets nearer the once proud factory, the music gets louder on the breeze.

Eddie’s feet start to move faster!

With his mind now racing faster than a thoroughbred stallion on race day, Eddie can’t get to the old factory quick enough. So, he runs at full speed towards the looming building, which he reaches with a thud as he bangs his forehead on a high outer wall while trying to stop quickly after leaping over a pile of rubble, small bushes, and a knee-high, crumbling wooden fence.

‘Damn!’ shouts Eddie breathing heavily and holding the side of his head, which hurts.

He quickly regains his senses and hurries along the factory wall where he finds a side door that’s half open, while barely attached to the outer wall. With the hairs on the back of his neck now standing on end, and not knowing what he’ll find inside, he squeezes into what turns out to be the old car engine assembly plant.

Eddie stumbles around quietly in the semi-dark before noting the sun’s rays up ahead as the music continues to play. He moves forward slowly, gently bumping into disused rusty machinery and rubbish left behind when the factory closed down. Eddie continues to head for the shafts of sunlight and the loud music as his eyes start to get used to the lack of daylight. Then he senses a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he stops dead in his tracks.

On a raised platform, not too far away in the middle of the old car engine assembly plant are two teenagers performing their music without a care in the world? The teenagers are playing like seasoned rock stars entertaining a packed arena of thousands.

Everything else inside this old engine plant is perfectly still, except for the sun’s rays which stream endlessly through the dirty, broken, transparent roof panels. The rays cascade down like a slow-moving river bathing the two entertainers in a warm amber-orange sunlight as they play their music.

What a fantastic sight. What a fantastic sound, thinks Eddie, rubbing his eyes before doing a retake on the sight before him.

From where Eddie is standing, he’s unable to make out the teenagers faces, but he can work out they are young, mainly by the clothes they’re wearing. Plus, their music is alive with a passion that vibrates every single molecule of stale, musty air inside this old car factory.

The two teenagers – a boy, playing his guitar like a rock veteran and a girl singing as if her world depended on it – are a rush of pure energy to Eddie. But right now, he can’t believe his eyes; he can’t speak, he can’t move. In fact, he doesn’t want to because he’s just staring in disbelief at these two wannabe rock stars with his mouth slightly open, and trying hard to take on board the image before him.

What the—? flashes through Eddie’s mind as he watches guitar boy tear up the air with every chord he plays as the young girl sings her vocals with pure passion.

The music bounces around inside Eddie’s head, spreading like a mutating virus into every cell of his brain and then accelerates around his entire body like a Formula One car on the winning lap.

The teenagers continue to perform to their imaginary arena of thousands. The singer’s crowd is singing along with each and every word she sings, while the guitarist’s eager audience bounce to every strum of his guitar as their fresh new sounds smash into every single atom inside this old engine plant, making it tingle with passion as it comes to life.

Eddie’s lost in the music, lost in the lyrics, lost in his dream. He continues to watch with a single raised eyebrow as feelings of enormous emotion are squeezed into every lyric the girl sings, along with relentless energy crammed into every guitar chord the boy plays.

Raw genius fills Eddie’s ears. And right now, he can’t believe his eyes, because after all these years here is his dream, and all he wants to do is grab it. Eddie’s gripped like a vice by this song that he’s never even heard before, yet feels he knows so well. A song full of raw talent, a song that’s making a cold tingle spread across his back as if a thousand tiny daggers are repeatedly stabbing him, yet the sensation feels good, exceptionally good.

This song is touching the very core of Eddie’s inner being, and that’s what he’s been searching for all these years. He doesn’t know it yet, but this song and these two young teenagers are now lodged deep inside his subconscious.

The teenagers continue to play as if they were born to do so, and as if they have nothing to lose or hold them back, as Eddie stands immersed in his dream.

Then, suddenly, two pigeons directly above the teenagers are spooked and fly out from under a rafter to make good their escape into the sunny blue sky through one of several broken and twisted roof panels. The pigeon’s sudden movement scatters years of dust which floats down through the sun’s rays towards the teenagers, but they’re unaware of the commotion above because they’re lost in their music, and they continue to pump out raw passion as if they have plenty to spare, and is their given right.

Then, with one last strum of a guitar string and the last lyrics sung, the music fades, leaving the two teenagers standing looking at each other in the semi-dark with massive smiles etched across their faces as they gently nod.

Eddie blinks several times as if waking from a heavenly trance, and without thinking, he begins to clap as anyone would on hearing such a performance. The sound of Eddie clapping startles another pigeon, and it too escapes through a broken transparent roof panel.

The commotion makes the teenagers spin around and focus their eyes on Eddie, like laser beams locked onto a target. The teenagers pause for a second, like lions ready to pounce, because their whole world has just been shattered by this strange, spooky man in the semi-dark, standing starring at them.

‘Run!’ shouts the girl suddenly, making Eddie jump, jolting him back into reality.

The teenagers drop their gear and run like athletes reacting to a starter’s gun.

‘Wait!’ shouts Eddie, stretching out his right arm as if trying to grab the teenagers.

They ignore Eddie’s plea and run like sprinters towards the dark administration block at the back of the factory. Eddie gives chase but he’s hindered by the semi-light, the rusty machinery and old tins, which he kicks out of his way.

Two rows of offices, separated by a fire escape door line the back wall of the admin block. Each office has a glass front and what was once a white dividing wall. Eddie scans the area quickly, but there’s no sign of the teenagers.

Then he spots a door ajar on the outer wall of an office, so he runs in and kicks it open, only to find it leading out into an old, overgrown office car park. Eddie scans the grounds and spots the two wannabe rock stars jumping a small wall and making good their escape towards the local housing estate.

‘Damn!’ snarls Eddie as he grits his teeth, and his nostrils flare because he thinks he’s lost his dream forever.

The two teenagers are gone, but they’re certainly not forgotten because Eddie has a perfect image of them playing their music fixed firmly in his subconscious, and their song is still bouncing around inside his brain.

Youth was against Eddie today because the two youngsters were just too damn quick in their getaway. So, he turns in disappointment and heads back to where they’d dropped their gear in their haste to get away.

Nice little set-up. Cost a bit too, thinks Eddie, picking up the guitar. ‘I’ve got to find those guys.’ He mumbles out loud as he gathers up the rest of the gear before strapping it onto an old sack truck, set to one side.

Eddie finds his way out of the old engine plant and heads back to his car across the dusty grounds of the old factory. He fills his car boot with the music gear before driving off to his mother’s house in Wheeler Drive.

‘I need to find those guys. I’ve just got to find those guys,’ mutters Eddie, gripping his steering wheel ever more tightly as he drives.

The further Eddie drives, the more the teenagers music bounces around inside his head, bouncing off each eardrum in perfect rhythm until he reaches his mother’s house, where Madge is ready and waiting for him on her front doorstep.

How does she do that? She knows the moment I’m going to arrive; it’s uncanny! thinks Eddie, stopping his car and looking at his mother, before getting out and walking up her front garden path.

Eddie always calls his mother by her first name and usually greets her with a loving hug. ‘How are you, Madge? What have you been doing lately? What’s the local gossip?’ asks Eddie before he’s even set foot inside her house.

‘No, no, son, you first,’ replies Madge, rocking side to side from one foot to the other. ‘How’s the new woman in your life?’ she asks.

‘Fine Madge, fine,’ replies Eddie, ‘but—’

‘Just fine!’ repeats Madge, interrupting Eddie with a disappointed look on her face.

‘Madge, if you’ll just let me finish!’ says Eddie. ‘Because I have some exciting news. You’ll never guess what’s just happened to me down at the old car factory?’

‘Go on, son. Old car factory …’ says Madge with her eyes wide open. ‘What? What?’ she begs, now bursting to know.

Eddie goes on to tell his mother all about his chance encounter in the disused factory.

‘My, my, so we do have talent in this old town after all. Apart from you, son, that is.’ replies Madge, while tickling the base of her throat.

‘I’ve got their music gear in my car. Madge, I’ve got to find those teenagers. Will you help me?’ asks Eddie.

‘Sure, you know I will,’ replies Madge.

‘I want to return their gear,’ says Eddie. ‘Plus, I want to hear them play again. You should have heard the sounds they made. You should have heard that girl’s voice; it was fantastic. Will you do me a favour?’ he continues, returning his attention to his mother. ‘Will you see if you can find out anything about those guys for me during the week? I just might be able to help them.’

‘You know I will. I’ll start asking around tomorrow,’ replies Madge.

‘Thanks, Madge. You’re the best mum in the world.’ says Eddie, giving his mother a gentle squeeze before they both head inside her house.

Eddie and Madge spend the rest of their afternoon reminiscing about the good old days. Those enjoyable days when Steve, Eddie’s dad, was alive and working in the then profitable car factory, which saw shiny new cars roll off the end of the track at all hours of the day and night. Back in those days, most people from around Madge’s local area used to work at the car factory, and the whole area enjoyed a robust and friendly community spirit.

Then Eddie’s visit ends with Madge promising to find out all she can about the two teenagers, and to phone Eddie with any news if and when she gets any.

***

Sunday morning, after breakfast, Madge heads off for her regular coffee morning around her friend Evelyn’s house at the end of her road. As Madge walks, she tries to think of questions she can ask her friends regarding the two teenagers. She arrives at Evelyn’s to find her dearest and lifelong friend already entertaining the rest of her coffee morning regulars in her front room.

Madge settles straight into the conversation, and it isn’t long before she asks her friends if they know of any teenagers who play music in the old closed-down car factory, but nobody knows a thing.

Then Betty, who’s making tea and coffee in the kitchen, pops her head into the room where the other women are happily chatting away.

‘Music? Music, you say? I’ll tell who makes music. My young paperboy, that’s who. He makes music with his friends, you know. He thinks I don’t listen to him, but I do. He’s always going on about music,’ splutters Betty in a bit of a hurry. ‘He and his friends are going to dominate the world with music,’ she continues. ‘He told me so. He thinks I like music. I don’t know why. I know his mum and dad, you know!’ she adds, before disappearing back into the kitchen.

‘It’s because you’re always singing, dear,’ shouts Jean, another of the coffee morning ladies.

‘Is that the same paperboy who delivers to me?’ shouts Madge towards the kitchen.

‘Yes, it is,’ replies Betty, popping her head back into the room. ‘He delivers all around here.’

Madge makes a mental note of her new-found information before continuing to enjoy her coffee morning with the rest of her friends, and when it comes to a close, Madge heads off home to spend the rest of her day pottering about in her back garden.

***

The following few days are relatively uneventful for Madge, and for some reason, she doesn’t see her paperboy on the Monday or Tuesday evening.

Then, on Wednesday evening, Madge is sitting in her front room in her favourite chair having a quiet cup of tea, when suddenly she hears her letterbox slam shut. She gets up quickly and heads for her front window to see her paperboy wearing his in-ear headphones and singing to himself as he does most evenings while delivering his papers. Then he slowly heads away down her front garden path.

‘He’s always happy, always singing. I wonder, I just wonder?’ says Madge out loud, before heading to her front door as quickly as she can.

‘Hello, young man!’ shouts Madge, as her paperboy continues down her garden path. ‘Young man?’ repeats Madge even louder, now stopping him and making him half turn around.

‘Hi!’ replies the paperboy, giving a polite wave and taking his left in-ear earphone out his ear before turning again and continuing to walk away.

‘Young man, how would you like to earn some money?’ shouts Madge, trying to regain his attention.

‘Too busy,’ replies the boy, still walking away.

‘Shame!’ shouts Madge, not wanting to be beaten. ‘I’m willing to pay good money to get my old shed fixed up.’

‘Good money?’ mutters the boy, stopping dead in his tracks and turning to face Madge. ‘How much money is good money?’ he asks, taking the remaining earphone out of his right ear and tucking it inside the neck of his T-shirt.

‘Well, you tell me?’ replies Madge. ‘Just take a look through those gates and you tell me how much it will cost to fix up my old shed.’ She points towards two tall wooden gates attached to the side of her house.

‘Wait there!’ adds Madge, quickly disappearing inside her house and then reappearing moments later waving her gate key. ‘There it is, young man.’ she says after unlocking her double gates and pushing one wide open to point towards her shed at the top of her garden.

‘Let’s take a closer look,’ mutters the paperboy, with his head tilted to one side, before starting to walk toward the shed.

‘As you can see, it’s in desperate need of some repair, plus a splash of paint wouldn’t go amiss,’ says Madge, doing a sort of hop and a skip while trying to keep up with her paperboy.

‘Hmmm, shouldn’t take too much work. Especially if I get my friends to help,’ he mumbles, rubbing his chin and now standing in front of the shed.

‘Would your friends help you?’

‘Oh, sure. We always working together. In fact, we’re working on a mu—’ replies the boy, stopping mid-sentence.

‘Music project?’ suggests Madge, straight out of the blue and not sure why she said it. ‘Were you going to say a music project? … a music studio, yeah my old shed is certainly big enough, and I guess it would make a superb music studio for any teenagers wanting to put a little work into cleaning it up.’

The paperboy’s eyebrows twitch the instant Madge mentions music studio.

‘I have an idea!’ says Madge. ‘Why don’t you bring your friends around here one evening to have a look at my old shed? You never know, they might want to earn a little extra money as well?’ she continues. ‘And if they want to help you, all of you can make some extra cash together. It might even make a great music studio, if that’s what you’re looking for?’ she adds, getting all excited about her hunch.

‘Yeah! I could do that. I’ll ask them if they wanna come and have a look. After all, there’s no harm in asking,’ replies the paperboy.

‘Great! Come around whenever you like. I’m always here,’ says Madge, trying to stay cool, because she doesn’t know her paperboy all that well, or his friends, but she is enjoying all this detective work.

‘Okay, I’ll be in touch. What’s your name?’ asks the boy, turning to look at Madge.

‘Er, Madge! You can call me Madge,’ she replies after a moment’s hesitation. ‘And yours?’

‘Johnny,’ replies the paperboy, ‘and you’d better give me your phone number so I can call you when I’ve spoken to my friends.’

‘Yes. Right. Okay! I’ll just go write it down,’ says Madge, turning slightly to her right, then slightly to her left, before hastily heading for her house. ‘Here you are,’ she adds, returning quickly and handing Johnny her phone number on a piece of torn paper.

‘Thanks,’ he replies, stuffing the number into the front pocket of his jeans for safe keeping. ‘I’ll be in touch when I’ve spoken to my friends.’

Madge takes a good look at Johnny as he stands to gaze at her shed a moment longer. Johnny’s a stocky character with his hair brushed forward onto his face, and he’s wearing tight jeans, which are too short in the leg, revealing his odd coloured socks and odd-brand trainers, but apart from that, he’s your typical sixteen-year-old boy.

‘Fine. Yes, fine,’ mutters Madge after a few seconds of looking at Johnny. ‘Fine. Great. I look forward to it.’ She nods, really hoping Johnny will get back in touch with her as they walk back towards her gate.

‘Bye, then,’ says Johnny, wandering off to finish his paper round and popping his earphones back in.

‘Bye!’ replies Madge quietly, as she gives Johnny a little wave before closing her gate.

Madge goes inside her house with her mind buzzing faster than a beehive working overtime having enjoyed every minute of her meeting with young Johnny. But now she wants to go over her conversation in minute detail inside her mind.

***

Friday afternoon arrives quickly, finding Madge in her back garden watering her flowers, when all of a sudden, she stops what she’s doing and stands up straight, like a soldier standing at attention.

No word from young Johnny yet, and it’s been days now, she thinks, gazing towards her shed. Madge was hoping to have heard from Johnny by now, and his lack of communication is causing Madge a lot of concerned for his well-being.

He was all excited about making some money. I could sense it, continues Madge with her thoughts, while rubbing the back of her neck then stretching her back.

Madge continues to think about Johnny while working in her garden, and the more she thinks, the more concerned she gets. Then, quick as a flash, she heads for her back room to make a phone call.

‘He’s quit!’ says Cid, the local paper-shop owner. ‘He called the other evening to say he wouldn’t be doing his paper round anymore, and that was it, he hasn’t been back in the shop since – not a sight nor sound of him. Left me right in the lurch, he did. Teenagers! They just don’t wanna work these days. Don’t wanna work!’

‘Okay, thanks, bye!’ says Madge, short and sweet, before hanging up, because she’s not all that bothered about her evening paper.

After her phone call, Madge is even more concerned about young Johnny, and her heart sinks at the thought of something bad happening to him.

***

Ten o’clock Saturday morning and Madge is in her back garden sitting in her comfy chair, drinking green tea and reading her favourite book, when she hears her phone ring.

‘Hello, Madge,’ says Eddie.

‘Hi, son,’ replies Madge, a little surprised to hear from Eddie, who normally works on a Saturday morning.

‘Any news on those two music guys yet?’ continues Eddie.

‘Why yes? I’m good, thank you!’ replies Madge loudly while looking away from the phone.

‘Sorry, Madge! Are you well and having fun?’ asks Eddie, now realising his mistake of not inquiring about his mother first.

‘Yes, son. Lots of fun, and it’s nice to be asked, thank you,’ replies Madge, now slightly happier.

‘Sorry, Madge,’ says Eddie. ‘It’s just that those teenagers have me on edge. They’re stuck inside my head. All I can hear is their music and that young girl’s voice. I can see the pair of them now, playing in that old factory.’ he adds.

‘Well, I’ve good news for you. I think?’ says Madge. ‘because I’ve found a young man, my paperboy, actually, and he has some friends who play music, I think. Plus, I’ve a hunch, it’s only a hunch mind, but I’m willing to bet real money these teenagers have something to hide. Just call it a mother’s intuition,’ says Madge.

‘That sounds a long shot to me,’ replies Eddie.

‘Think about it for a moment,’ says Madge. ‘My paperboy let slip that he and his friends were working on something, and he shut up pretty damn quick once he knew he’d let it slip. Now that suggests a secret to me. Now, think about your two teenagers. They were playing their music in an old disused car factory. That suggests to me that they don’t want people to know about them. Another secret? So, it all ties together … well sort of,’ adds Madge.

‘Anyway,’ continues Madge quickly, ‘last Wednesday, my paperboy agreed to bring his friends around here to have a look at my old shed. He said he’d fix it up for me if I paid him, and he’d ask his friends if they’d like to help so they could all earn some money, but I haven’t heard from him since.’

‘Yeah! It’s all a long shot all right.’ Replies Eddie. ‘But you could be right thinking about it like that. And you’re really gonna pay them to fix up our old shed?’

‘Yes, I said I’d pay them if they want to do it. And yes, it is a long shot, but you know what I’m like with my hunches,’ she adds.

‘Oh! I know all about your hunches,’ says Eddie. ‘So what happens now?’

‘I’m not sure, and I admit I’m a bit worried,’ replies Madge, nibbling at a single fingernail on her left hand. ‘I just hope young Johnny is okay … that’s his name, Johnny.’

‘I’m sure he’s okay,’ replies Eddie. ‘You know what these young boys are like these days. They never tell you anything until the last minute, and that’s if they tell you anything at all.’

Eddie and Madge continue their conversation for quite some time, talking mostly about the two teenagers that day in the old car factory. Then Eddie remembers something.

‘Oh, by the way, I won’t be able to visit next weekend. I have an important business meeting on Saturday afternoon which will likely run late into the evening, so I’ll phone you one night in the week next week to see if you’re okay or have any news,’ he says.

‘That’s fine. I’ll speak to you in the week then,’ replies Madge, not surprised at Eddie’s workload. ‘Bye for now,’ she adds, before hanging up.

***

Monday morning, Madge is up early and eating breakfast, and after she finishes, she starts her house work as usual. Madge is happily running her vacuum cleaner over her back-room carpet while listening to the tunes on her favourite radio station, when young Johnny pops into her head again.

Strange? thinks Madge, stopping her vacuum cleaner and standing still for a moment in the middle of her room. Four days now as well! she continues.

Johnny has been on Madge’s mind all weekend, and for the life of her, she just can’t fathom out why she hasn’t heard from him yet, and it’s beginning to bug her. So, after her house work is complete, Madge decides to go for a walk around her local area to ask her neighbours if they know anything about their young paperboy. Madge asks everyone and anyone she meets, but no one has a clue as to what’s happened to him. Not one single person. Until Tuesday evening that is.

‘Well, well, well. If it isn’t my ex-paperboy, young Johnny,’ says Madge on answering her front door.

Because there stands Johnny, loud and proud, and he’s all smiles because he’s not alone.

‘And I see it takes three to deliver a newspaper these days?’ continues Madge, trying not to sound surprised as she raises her eyebrows and turns side on to Johnny while folding her arms, making the young girl chuckle out loud.

‘I’ve quit my paper round,’ says Johnny, folding his arms across his chest. ‘So I can work on your shed,’ he adds, displaying a wide grin before putting his hands on his hips. ‘Anyway, these are my friends that I told you about.’

‘Hello to you both,’ says Madge, flicking her eyes back and forth between the teenagers.

‘My friends want to have a look at your shed,’ continues Johnny. ‘And if it fits the bill, you’ve got a deal. We’ll fix it up for you.’

‘So what are your names?’ asks Madge, now leaning gently against the framework of her front door while acknowledging Johnny’s comments and looking at the young girl.

‘Ellie Elmore,’ replies the girl, smiling politely.

‘Ellie Elmore,’ repeats Madge, now standing up straight. ‘What a lovely smile and beautiful, wavy, shiny black hair. Is your hair—’

‘Naturally black,’ replies Ellie, finishing Madge’s sentence. ‘Yes, it is.’

Ellie has beautiful hair just like her mother Eleanor had, and Eleanor’s mother was born in China, resulting in her passing down many of her Chinese traits, culture and features to Eleanor, who herself, passed them down to Ellie.

After Eleanor died, Ellie’s dad Jack promised to help Ellie trace her mother’s family tree using the Internet. He also said they’d visit China one day, but that was years ago, and they haven’t done either as yet.

Madge notices that Ellie is wearing a pair of sunny blue coloured, tight-fitting jeans, a black T-shirt with a rock band motif on it, and what looks to be a brand new pair of white trainers. Plus, Ellie has a purple coloured patch of dyed hair to the front left-hand side of her hairline, but apart from that, she looks like your average sixteen-year-old girl.

‘And your name, young man?’ asks Madge, turning towards the boy.

‘Mee,’ he replies quickly. ‘Short for Michael Edward Edwardson, and no, my hair’s dyed black. And I too have a purple patch, but it’s at the back.’ He turns to show Madge.

‘So you have,’ says Madge, bending forward to get a closer look at Mee’s purple tuft of hair. ‘And I’m pleased to meet you, both of you.’

Mee is dressed in jet-black skinny jeans, a black T-shirt, also with a rock band motif on it, and a pair of pointed black leather ankle boots complete with a chrome zip up the inside, plus a large, polished, square chrome buckle on the front of each boot for decoration.

‘Pleased to meet you too,’ says Ellie, seeming to take an instant liking to Madge.

‘Why, thank you, young lady,’ replies Madge. ‘And a deal, you say, Johnny? You’d better come and have a look at my old shed then,’ she continues, leading all three guys into her house and then through into her back garden and up to her shed.

‘What the— It’s—’ stutters Mee, eyebrows raised, eyes wide open and gazing straight at the shed.

‘Big,’ adds Ellie, tilting her head to one side.

‘Big enough, I think!’ says Johnny, putting his hands on his hips and nodding knowingly towards the shed. ‘Big enough for sure.’

‘Yeah,’ agrees Ellie. ‘Big enough is right.’

‘Would you like to have a look inside?’ asks Madge, glancing a smile towards Ellie.

‘Please,’ she replies.

‘I’ll just pop and get the key.’ says Madge returning moments later with the shed key in hand, and grinning because of Ellie’s gaze towards the shed.

‘Come on, young lady,’ says Madge, giving Ellie a gentle nudge, ‘let’s take a look inside.’ She unlocks the padlock on the shed’s double doors before throwing them wide open and leading Ellie and the boys inside the musty room.

‘Well, what do you think?’ asks Madge, scratching the back of her head while turning around to check out the inside of her shed.

‘Arrrggghh!’ screams Johnny, stepping back quickly. ‘I hate spiders.’ As a tiny little spider crawls up the shed wall close to where his hand had just been, making the other guys chuckle, even Madge.

‘Don’t be such a wuss,’ says Ellie, teasing Johnny as the laughter quickly fades.

‘It’s filthy in here,’ says Mee, now wiping his finger along one of the old wooden shelves fixed to the wall running along the back of the shed.

‘Dirty, dusty and most likely full of spiders,’ agrees Johnny.

‘It’s big enough, which means plenty of space to work and grow,’ says Ellie, her eyes bright. ‘It’s dry, not overlooked, and completely private. And I’m getting good vibes. I’m starting to tingle,’

‘And with a little elbow grease, this old shed could be the perfect place for you young people to do whatever it is you want to do. As long as it’s legal,’ says Madge, agreeing with Ellie, as Mee starts walking slowly around the shed, like an animal stalking its prey.

Mee looks the shed over in great detail from top to bottom. Then, he stands still, just looking around. ‘I think you could be right, Ellie. There’s plenty of space, and with a bit of work—’ He begins walking around the shed again. ‘Yeah! It’s got loads of potential.’

‘Right, Madge. It sounds like you have a deal,’ says Johnny excitedly.

‘Great,’ replies Madge, feeling butterflies in her tummy as she realises a deal’s about to be hammered out. ‘What’s the deal then?’

‘You pay us to fix up your old shed, and we’ll—’ says Johnny, starting off his pitch.

‘NO!’ shouts Ellie, interrupting her friend. ‘No, Johnny, we’re not doing this just to make money.’

Johnny looks at the floor and takes a step back while putting his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

‘Sorry, Johnny,’ continues Ellie softly while giving him a warm smile.

‘Is it okay if I call you Madge?’ says Ellie, turning her attention towards Madge and looking her in the eye.

‘That’s my name, young lady,’ replies Madge, impressed with Ellie’s polite manners, even if she’s taken aback by Ellie’s defiant interruption of Johnny.

‘To be honest, Madge, we don’t want to take any money off you,’ says Ellie, ‘but we will help you if you help us. So, if you supply the paint and materials to fix up your shed, we’ll provide our time and labour for free. If you agree, that is, once we’ve finished, you’ll let us use your shed for as long as we want and for free. Is that a fair deal?’ asks Ellie.

‘Sounds like a fair deal to me, young lady,’ replies Madge as her butterflies start to subside. ‘And thank you for your honesty. It will make for a good working relationship.’

‘What! You mean we don’t get paid? No money, none?’ says Johnny, unable to hold his tongue any longer to moan as if someone had just ripped his heart out.

‘That’s right, Johnny,’ replies Ellie, turning to look at him. ‘Madge will supply all the materials, and we’ll provide our time and labour. That way we get to use the shed for free whenever we want, within reason. Now don’t you think that’s a fair deal?’ asks Ellie, nodding at Johnny.

‘Jeez! No money. We’re not getting paid, and I gave up my paper round. What’s my life coming to? All work and no money, that’s what,’ he continues, moaning.

‘Cheer up, Johnny. It sounds like a good deal to me. Just think of all the practice time we’ll get, and with all this space to do it in,’ says Mee as he looks round the shed again.

‘But working for no money, Mee. It’s not right,’ mumbles Johnny. ‘Just not right.’

Everyone is happy the deal is now complete, except for Johnny, as he continues to mutter his disappointment, but mainly to himself now.

‘Are you sure about this, young lady?’ asks Madge, looking at Ellie.

‘I’m sure. Very sure,’ replies Ellie, giving Madge a knowing nudge of the arm. ‘Aren’t we, Johnny?’ she asks, smiling at him.

‘Oh yeah, we’re sure,’ agrees Johnny.

‘There’s one rule, though!’ says Madge abruptly as her face expresses a serious look. ‘The deal’s off if any of you bring me any trouble. I won’t let you use my old shed ever again if you bring any trouble around here. Understood? No trouble or else,’ she adds.

‘No problem, Madge. We’re not troublemakers,’ says Ellie, making eye contact with Madge. ‘We’re just your average teenagers who have a dream.’

Madge feels assured by Ellie’s comments, and she’s happy because everything seems to be going extremely well. Plus, she’s getting a warm feeling about her hunch concerning Ellie and the boys being right. But it’s going to be a big let-down for all involved if Madge is wrong or she has to change her mind about the guys using her shed.

‘And you know what? I think we’re all going to get along just fine,’ says Madge, changing the subject slightly while looking at Ellie and the boys.

Ellie walks out into the garden and stands to look at the big old oak tree rooted firmly in the opposite corner of Madge’s garden. Then Ellie stretches her arms out to her sides. ‘You see that old tree?’ says Ellie to everyone, who are now all standing beside her. ‘Just sitting beneath an old tree like that on a warm summer’s day could give a girl a whole host of ideas and inspiration.’ She continues swaying from side to side mimicking the tree’s branches as they move gently in the breeze.

‘Yeah! I get it!’ agrees Mee, swaying along with Ellie as Johnny and Madge just look at each other, nodding their heads in agreement.

Today has seen an exciting start to this newfound friendship, and, having the deal done, everyone is happy, even Johnny, well almost.

‘Shall we go inside now?’ asks Madge, gesturing towards her house. ‘We can start making arrangements to get this project underway while I make us all a refreshing drink.’

‘Sure,’ replies Ellie, following Madge, and, as ever, the boys follow Ellie, making it all the more apparent who the leader is of this young trio.

Ellie and Madge chat as everyone walks towards her house, and they are still chatting as Madge puts the hot drinks on a tray inside her kitchen, before carrying them through into her back room where the boys are sitting looking out over her back garden.

As everyone sits with their drinks, Ellie explains her ideas, mainly to Madge, about her old shed becoming their music studio. Ellie’s ideas flood out, and the boy’s only get a word in edgeways when Ellie stops talking.

‘This is going to be some studio!’ says Ellie.

‘So, you young people create your own music then?’ asks Madge, feeling a certain camaraderie with Ellie and the boys right now.

‘Yes, we do, Madge. Mee and I write and produce our music, and we’d like to turn your shed into a little music studio for ourselves after we’ve fixed it up for you,’ replies Ellie.

‘How wonderful,’ says Madge, thinking her hunch is getting hotter all the time.

Madge is warming more and more towards Ellie and the boys as they spend more quality time together. And there’s some female bonding going on as the boys sit quietly, unable to get a word in edgeways as they flick their eyes back and forth between Madge and Ellie as they chatter away like old schoolmates.

‘Ellie, I’d like to back you all the way on your project,’ says Madge as they talk. ‘And I’ll help you however I can with your ideas.’

‘Madge, you are part of our team from now on,’ replies Ellie, flashing a knowing look towards Mee. ‘And thanks for giving us the space we need to create our music. It’s good of you, isn’t it, boys!

But Johnny and Mee are sitting in a kind of trance, just holding their drinks and looking at Madge and Ellie.

‘Isn’t it, boys?’ repeats Ellie a little louder and making both boys snap out of their daze.

‘Good … er, yes, great!’ says Johnny, seeming unsure as to what he agrees to, and making Madge laugh, almost spilling her drink.

‘Sorry, boys. We girls do go on a bit, don’t we,’ says Madge, gathering herself and setting her drink down on a small table.

‘Yeah, you sure do,’ agrees Johnny.

‘Anyway,’ continues Madge, ‘you and the boys are welcome to use my shed, but before you do, you’ve got some work to do!’

‘We’ll have your shed spotless in no time. Won’t we, boys?’ says Ellie rolling up her sleeves and laughing as the boys nod in agreement.

‘Oh sure, no time!’ reply Johnny and Mee together.

‘And we’re not getting paid,’ adds Johnny.

So, with the deal making now over in this first meeting between Madge, Ellie, Johnny and Mee, the teenagers leave Madge’s house, with Madge standing on her front doorstep to wave them off.

Right now, Madge feels good. In fact, she feels better now than she’s felt in a very long time. Because, as she sits in her favourite chair, she can sense a new lease of energy and well-being run through her veins along with an incredible new tingling sensation racing around her entire body, making her feel like a young, energetic, twenty-year-old woman again.

***

Ellie and the boys are also feeling a new phase of excitement enter their lives because this new experience has brightened up their slightly mundane days, and they talk excitedly about their meeting with Madge all the way back to Ellie’s house, where she lives with her dad, Jack.

Jack Elmore is an Englishman. He’s about five feet nine inches tall in old measurements and has mousy brown hair. He’s a little thin because he drinks more than he eats, but apart from that, and his slightly shoddy appearance, he’s an average sort of guy all round, with no real distinguishing features.

Jack met and married his wife Eleanor back when they were both young, and Jack was in good physical shape. But Eleanor died some years back in a hit-and-run road accident, which left Jack on his own to bring up Ellie, without any real family to help him.

The pressure of losing Eleanor and having to bring Ellie up alone have turned Jack to drink, because he spends most evenings down the pub drinking with his mates, leaving Ellie alone at home without any parental guidance as to how she spends her free time.

Now, you might think Ellie would go off the rails, but no, Ellie is far from