When Cages Break

Gerald pumped his scrawny legs and ran as fast as he could, bounding over the farmer's fence and bolting through the field, huffing as he spared only a moment to look behind him and see that he still had a good lead on his pursuer. In the distance across the field there was a stand of trees. If he could make it there he might be able to hide long enough for Ben to get bored and go home. It would only be a temporary solution though, because Ben would just find Gerald tomorrow at school. But Gerald would just have to cross that bridge when he got there.
Behind Gerald, Ben was also huffing, and laughing. Ben liked to pick on Gerald and thought it especially funny when Gerald ran away. Gerald wasn't sure if that was because he ran like a girl, or just because they were both aware of the futility in it. Ben would catch Gerald; be it today or tomorrow, he would get him. Right now Gerald was glad for Ben's laughter though because it slowed him down. It was hard to run when you are laughing and it allowed Gerald to keep a good lead.
As the Gerald approached the forest he looked over his shoulder again and saw that Ben was gaining on him. He tried to run faster but his legs were already feeling like jelly and there seemed to be a fire in his lungs. He had only just passed the first tree when his toe caught on a root and he went crashing to the ground, the wind knocked from his lungs. He rolled over clutching his stomach and gasping for air, and Ben caught up still laughing mildly.
"Why do you run, Squee?" Squee was the name that Ben had come up with for Gerald in the sixth grade when he first heard Gerald squeal in fright and had used it ever since. "You know I'll get you sooner or later."
Gerald was still gasping for air and couldn't respond.
"You probably hit the ground harder than I would've hit ya." Said Ben. "Here, lemme help ya." He offered Gerald his hand.
Gerald looked uncertain but then reached up and took Ben's hand. Ben pulled him halfway then released causing Gerald to fall on his butt. Ben began laughing again. Gerald got up himself and brushed off his pants.
"W-why are you s-so mean?" Stuttered Gerald. It wasn't exactly standing up for himself, but it was as far as he felt comfortable going.
Ben was still chuckling. "Because you make it so easy. Why do you have to be such a wimp?"
"What do you care?" Said Gerald. "So what if I'm not as strong as you? Why does that bother you?"
Ben shrugged. "It doesn't bother me." He did a quick, fake jab and Gerald flinched. "It's just so funny." Said Ben laughing. Gerald just scowled at him.
"Well, whatever Squee. I'll leave you alone today, but I'll see you tomorrow at school."
Ben turned to leave and Gerald turned to the forest. He almost felt like crying but he didn't want Ben to see him. It wasn't that he was physically hurt; Gerald was just tired of being picked on all the time. He wanted to just have fun, to have some friends. He began walking toward the forest when he heard Ben cry out in pain. He spun to see what had happened and Ben turned, rubbing his arm and scowling.
"Did you just throw a rock at me Squee?"
Gerald shook his head.
"You did so!" Ben yelled, bending over and picking up a small stone. "This just hit me in the arm and you're the only one who could have thrown it!"
"I-I-I didn't, Ben. I swear I didn't." Gerald was afraid and thought that Ben was probably making the whole thing up as an excuse to beat him up. That didn't make any sense though. Ben didn't need an excuse to beat people up. Especially not when they were the only people around...or were they? Gerald spun around scanning the grove and the field, looking for people that might be hiding, people who were probably Ben's friends. There didn't seem to be any one at all.
"Stuff it Squee." Ben began walking toward Gerald in a menacing saunter. "I was being nice to you, Squee. I was just gonna leave you alone. But you had to go and do something stupid like throw a rock at me. Now you're gonna get..." BAM! A larger piece of rock, about the size of a softball slammed into the earth just a meter away from Ben who dove out of the way, landing on his chest. He quickly clambered to his feet.
"What the hell is going on?"
Gerald was just as confused and afraid. It seemed to be raining rocks. He barely had time to acknowledge the thought before Ben had shoved him out of the way of another even larger rock. The two of them scrambled to their feet and ran into the woods. Hopefully in the woods the trees would deflect most of the rocks. As they bolted through the woods they noticed that rocks had been falling in here too. Big ones. They kept on running, not sure where they were running to when Gerald saw a small metal bridge spanning a little creek.
"Over there!" He pointed. "Under the bridge."
They both poured on the juice and sprinted. They made it under the bridge without any trouble and now all they could do was pray that the bridge would protect them from the rocks. They watched in terror as small stones pelted the surrounding trees, ripping the bark off the spots where they connected. Larger stones broke smaller branches sending them crashing to the forest floor. In the distance they could hear the terrible sound of cattle howling in pain from being pelted.
"Squee, you're the smart one," Ben's wobbly voice made clear that he was afraid, "what's going on?"
Gerald shook his head. "I have no idea. I've never heard of anything like this before."
Then they heard it. Off in the distance. WHOOMP! It was oddly quiet, but there was no mistaking it, a very large boulder had just fallen from the sky.
"Squee! This bridge isn't going to stop large boulders!"
Gerald was aware of that already, but there was nothing he could do about it; except quiver with fear. So that's what he did.
Their fears were quickly put to rest though when the barrage of small stones became a trickle and then stopped completely. After a few minutes Ben poked his head out from under the bridge. "I think it's over."
Gerald was still shaking. "I-I'm n-not r-r-ready to t-t-t-test it yet."
Ben shook his head. "Suit yourself Squee. I've gotta take a leak though. That rock storm literally scared the whiz out of me." He crawled out from under the bridge and wandered over to a tree, surveying the damage as he went. The destruction was remarkable. Trees were pitted up and down their trunks, branches lay on the ground, and there were even holes in the ground where the rocks had buried themselves from the impact. Ben was very glad that it was only a tiny stone that had hit him. It was going to leave its mark, that's for sure.
Ben stood relieving himself looking in the direction that the larger rock had fallen. At first there were no tell tale signs that anything had happened, but then a plume of smoke became visible above the trees. Ben finished up then walked out of the woods to get a better view.
"Hey Squee! Check this out."
Gerald was still hiding under the bridge, not willing to take the risk of coming out. Ben noticed that he wasn't coming. "Come on Squee! Quit being such a girl!"
Gerald frowned. In fact, there were probably a number of girls braver than he, but that didn't take the sting out of the comment. In any case he pulled himself out from under the bridge slowly, keeping his eyes glued to the sky.
"Squee! It's over! There's no more rocks! Come 'ere!"
Gerald took a deep calming breath and walked over. Ben pointed to the sky over the trees in the distance. There was a dark cloud of smoke twisting its way up into the sky. Gerald's first instinct was to go in the opposite direction because black smoke very rarely originated from anything good.
"We should go somewhere and call the fire department." Said Gerald.
"Are you kiddin' me? No way!" Said Ben grabbing the back of Gerald's shirt and pushing him in the direction of the smoke. "We're going to check that out."
The smoke looked a lot closer than it was. After five minutes of walking they could see charred ground in the distance. As they got closer they could see that the grass had been completely burnt up in a radius of about three times the size of the rock that had fallen from the sky, and the rock itself was the size of a small car. All around the rock there were little fires burning where the grass had caught or where a small bush was burning. The boys stepped carefully so as not to walk into one of the fires and burn themselves, Ben had made Gerald go first.
The rock sat smoldering in the rut it had burrowed when it landed and smoke as black as india ink poured out from it.
"It must be really hot." Said Gerald.
"Probably." Said Ben. "Go find out."
Gerald shot Ben a look. "I'm not gonna to touch it!
"I didn't say to touch it, Squee! Go close to it and put your hand near it. See if the air around it is warm!"
"Why don't you do that if you're so curious?"
"Because I'm bigger and I can make you do it. Now go before I have to make you."
Gerald looked at the rock for a moment. It had just fallen from the sky and therefore probably space. Who knew what could be on it? Viruses from the upper atmosphere that he might not be immune to, some other kind of foreign space matter? It was just too dangerous. But then, he was just going to go near it. He wasn't going to touch it.
He walked near the rock and held out his hand expecting the air to pulse with heat, but it didn't. It wasn't even warm. It was as if this rock that had just come from space had passed through the atmosphere without rising even one degree in temperature. He came within half a foot and still felt nothing.
"It doesn't seem to be hot at all."
"Touch it!" Said Ben who was still about fifteen to twenty feet away, but walking closer.
"No!" Said Gerald forcefully. "We need to tell someone about this and just leave it alone."
"What are you afraid of Squee? It's just a rock!"
"Well if you're so brave you touch it."
"We'll touch it together." Said Ben approaching the rock. "On the count of three."
"I don't want to touch it!" Said Gerald.
"Squee! Don't make me beat you up!"
Gerald really didn't want to touch it, but he figured it was safer to touch and just make sure he washed his hands very well than to defy Ben and receive a beating. Ben could get really mean if he wanted to. Gerald lifted his hand.
"One..." Began Ben.
"You gotta touch it too." Said Gerald.
"Two..."
"If you don't I'll tell everyone that you were afraid and I wasn't."
"Don't worry Squee. I'm gonna touch it. Three."
Both boys reached out and touched the rock.