Billy Clarke

The train doors open. And she’s there. Sadie. His sister. Watching each passenger leave the train. Focused, waiting. Billy waves, and they embrace, brother and sister reunited at last.

The sun is bright, despite the typical Schmottish weather, glaring in Billy’s eyes as he readjusts the antenna. A month and a half has passed since the Transference. Exams came and went, with far too little delay for his liking. But that’s fine. They’re done. Billy takes a step back. Yep, that looks like it should hold.

The radio sits in his room, silent. It doesn’t last long, with him flipping switches and dials, finding the right frequency, until… “This is GM5ADY, CQ”
“This is wolf boy, I can hear you loud and clear, over”
“No, Astrid, ShuShu said you’re supposed to use callsigns. This is MK0NTZ”
“Oops, sorryyyyyy”
“Callsigns!!!”
Billy grins, and announces his callsign too. This 4-way channel was a long time in the making, but it’s up and running, and now ready for its maiden voyage.

The chatter is lively, despite the frequent pauses to consult various dictionaries of 3 languages and radio jargon. Astrid, talking about her wolves, her brothers wolves, and vague theories about star wolves. Nella, about her co-mayorship of Anchor Rock. What’s changed, what’s new, what’s not changed at all. Sadie about life back at home, and her plans for university, and Billy just enjoying the conversation. It’s felt like so long since he could talk to his friends. But it’s as if they’re back together, in the same small town again.

He leans back in his chair, amidst a story involving a goat, Oleman Young, and a surprising amount of felony charges, and thinks of Anchor Rock.

By Harry S.