Dodge the Gnome

Chapter 1: The Gnome of Hiding

A red haired young man with blue eyes stared at a flame that was in someone’s hand. His eyes showed fear as he hid inside a closet. Trying to cover himself in the shadows the boy grabbed at his blue jacket. He pulled up the collar as if trying to hide from the flame. His pale white skin was illuminated by the flame’s light and he scooted until his back pressed the clothes hanging from hangers to the back of the closet. His legs were covered in torn blue jeans with white socks sliding on the stone tiled floor.

The flame went out as a chime was heard. The person got up and walked away. A few minutes later the boy’s eyes saw a leg. The shaved tanned leg was extremely smooth and was illuminated by a flash light.

The closet door was slid open as the boy saw a woman. She had deeply tanned skin that was flawless. The boy looked up at the woman that wore a pink night dress made of a soft somewhat see through material.

The boy’s eyes focused on her blue hair and green eyes. She smiled at the boy as she aimed the flashlight near him. Her voice was a whisper as she asked him, “Dodge, do you need to stay in the closet for a little while?”

Dodge nodded as the woman smiled at him softly in a nurturing manner, “Alright, well, don’t do anything dumb. Go to bed soon.”

The woman closed the door as she walked away leaving Dodge in the closet. Dodge let the time pass for a while until he felt comfortable. He hugged himself and rested his chin on his knees. Just as he was about to fall asleep while hugging his knees he heard a knock.

Snapping his eyes open he listened for another knock. Standing up with a bit of a struggle he opened the closet with a slide. Stepping out he looked in the small hall that led to stairs on his left and in front of him it led to a living room. The knock was rapped again at the door on his right. The front door was where the knock was coming from.

Dodge walked to the door stepping carefully to make sure he didn’t cause too much noise. The floor was cold even with socks on Dodge’s feet. He got to the door as he went through the locks and turned the knob. Pulling on the door after a sigh he opened it listening to the pressure suck of the door being pulled open.

Standing outside the door was an older woman. The woman’s pale wrinkled skin was illuminated by the yellow porch light. The woman’s clouded brown eyes looked straight forward as she said with a raspy voice, “Can you let me in young man?”

Smiling Dodge saw the old woman had long silver tresses and wore a brown hoodie. In her hands was a cardboard sign that read a message that was torn apart. The long skirt was some kind of wool blanket made into a skirt by thread and knots. A can was worn on the belt by a hardware clip which was looped through by a drilled in hole to the side of the can. The clip was clipped to a sewn on belt loop that’s only purpose was to hold the can.

Dodge replied to her with silence as he stepped to the left. The woman asked Dodge with confusion, “Is that a yes?”

Dodge tapped softly three times on the door. Smiling the old woman walked past the threshold. After passing the threshold the woman heard the door close behind her. The pair walked with Dodge pulling on the old woman’s sleeve to the living room. Dodge tapped on the woman’s hand and tugged it.

The woman asked with more confusion at why the boy was being so quiet, “Do you need me to sit?”

Dodge barely squeaked out, but loud enough evidently for the woman’s ears to hear, “Yeah.”

The old woman sat down as she then said to him with a soft voice, “So, what is your most favorite activity Dodge?”

Dodge backed up with a gasp as he fell onto the floor. The woman said to him with a small smile, “I still got it after all these centuries. My name is Juno, you won’t know me. But, I can adopt you if you desire. And after I adopt you Dodge, you will become a Gnome. A spirit with a special power based off your most sought desire. Do you wish for this to happen?”

Dodge nodded as he saw her smile and heard her say as she reached for her can, “I know you wish to hide from all your fears and enemies, to never be found. Is that correct?”

Nodding with a perked brow, “How do you know these things?”

Smiling she pulled from her can a spark of light. Her face became more smooth and her hair brown. She said with clearing eyes to smile at him, “I know all about children.”

Throwing the spark at the boy she said to him with joy, “I hope you will live long and enjoy yourself. Be sure to see out other nature spirits.”

A flash of light bathed Dodge as he was blinded. He closed his eyes as he tried to hide behind his crossing arms. The jacket did nothing against the blinding light. The sleeve only protected him from one thing, the inhalation that caused his lungs to burn.

Dodge opened his eyes to see flames in the living room. Covering his mouth he opened the closet and walked on the floor. He saw that some of the stone tile floor was covered in flames. They were burning and making fumes that made Dodge’s head dizzy.

Coughing Dodge tried to make it outside. He saw the locks were still all done up and he turned around. That’s when he saw what he was afraid of.

The shiny laughing teeth of an older kid. Their face shadowed by the wet cloth they wore. But, Dodge knew the child was the one with the lighter that laughed as the building burned around them. He shouted at Dodge with happiness, “Now, there is no place to hide Dodge!”

Dodge covered himself with his arms as he opened his hands. As if he could hide from such a simple gesture. And that’s when heard the boy cry out in horror, “NO! HOW CAN YOU STILL HIDE? DON’T BE AFRAID! THERE’S NO NEED TO HIDE. COME OUT ALREADY! BE ADOPTED WITH ME AND DAIRA BY THE FLAMES!”

Dodge ran through the flames as they seemed to not touch him. Still half frightened out of his body he ran through the apartment to the back door. He got to the doggie door as he climbed through pushing the flap to the outside. Coughing he kept trying to get air to refill his lungs as he lost sight of the world except the grass.

Years later

Dodge sat at a table in a buffet restaurant. He ate a fish with a smile as he looked like he wasn’t paying attention to the world. Leaned back in the chair he have his left hand down with the hand open. He wore a brown leather jacket with a black a-shirt underneath that said in white letters “Ready or Not.”.

His right foot shook in its red kicks with the shoelace tips bouncing on the floor. The socks he wore with his black jean shorts were white. His knee pads were red with white H’s painted onto them. The left pade looked a bit more scuffed than the right and both of them covered his knees with shins.

Munching Dodge heard his cell phone beep as he stopped eating. He stood up as he pushed his chair in. As he made his way out the restaurant, waitresses and waiters seemed confused as where he even came from. He walked out the door just in time for the yelling of an employee, “Thief!”

Dodge got outside where he quickly blended in with the various walking people. One of the employees got outside as they asked, “Where did he go?”

The other employee asked as they got out, “What did he even look like?”

Dodge walked and looked at the cell phone. He saw the time and sighed as he got to a wall to lean on, “Welp, that was filling. Now, what should I do?”

A voice said above him making him smirk, “Perhaps you should die.”

Looking up Dodge said to the winged person floating in the air above the crowds of people, “Sorry, that’s not on the agenda. What busted me this time?”

The angel had white and black wings with the wings in two pairs. Their hair was silver with long tresses and some tied into a pair of twin tails. He looked very pretty for a guy Dodge had to admit. Too bad his dark red eyes only showed eyes that saw a future of spilt blood. The gold loin cloth with a white cross flapped in the wind.

Dodge said with a small smirk as the angel never spoke, “So, Hashmal, are we really going to do this?”

Hashmal had a boomerang of lightning appear as he threw it at Dodge, “Die Pagan filth!”

Dodge vanished from Hashmal’s view who seemed shocked from the vanishing boy. Dodge was standing on top of the 12 foot tall wall. He leaped off as he tackled the angel. Making contact Dodge forced the sky bound hunter to the pavement.

Just as Hashmal was going to raise, Dodge pushed himself off with a roll. Hashmal rose to his hands and knees just in time to be hit by a car. The grill caved in as the car spun out of control.

Dodge took the opportunity to dash around the corner. Dodge looked around himself as he got into a stair well. He sighed as he smiled with confidence, “Lost him.”