The Adventures of Georgie Sheppard: Georgie Meets Nikola Tesla

Fire

About the Author

G. Geoffrey (Geoff) Banjavich is an acclaimed film and TV actor, model, inventor, screenwriter, script editor, and speechwriter. He has a background in the philosophy of science and is also an entrepreneur, with multiple successful business ventures. Even before he built his first Tesla coil as a youngster, Nikola Tesla captivated his interest and will forever continue to inspire him.

Dedication

    Nan –

My grandmother was the one person who taught me to use my imagination to its fullest and to never let go of my dreams. She said I would do something special one day, and I believe this is it!

Carol Shields –

My professor and mentor, who identified my talent and gave me the much-needed guidance I required in order to foster that ability within me to become a writer.

Mom and Dad –

For always believing in me and being there for me, even during those difficult times. For that, I will always be truly grateful.

Nikola Tesla –

He became my inspiration when I was eight years old. Following a visit to the Ontario Science Centre, I discovered my first Tesla Coil and the fact that Tesla was indeed the ‘Father’ of alternating current. Without him, not only would there be no novel, but the absence of modern society as we know it. Our world is built upon the generation and transmission of electricity, as well as wireless communication, all made possible by his inventions.

Copyright Information ©

    G. Geoffrey Banjavich (2018)

The right of G. Geoffrey Banjavich to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781786937742 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781786937759 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781786937766 (E-Book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2018)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Chapter I

Georgie Sheppard

It is a very cloudy and dingy gray day as Georgie Sheppard, a small boy of four, who dons long blond locks and is attired in tan Oshkosh B’Gosh overalls and a striped red T-Shirt, stares intensely outside his bedroom window. He is standing on a chair and can barely see over the edge of the window frame. His silver-rimmed Mickey Mouse wrist watch, affixed around his right wrist, reads three o’clock. A small dark spot appears in the sky, which grows ever larger as it draws nearer to him. Instead of being frightened, the boy is in a trance-like state as he remains frozen in place. The dark spot finally arrives at the window and eventually envelops the entire room. In a blink, the spot and the boy have vanished without a trace.

An attractive, young, dark-haired woman, with long black hair, is in the midst of vacuuming a plush red carpet in her living room. She does so with much care, making perfectly symmetrical V-shaped patterns. When she is done, she continues her cleaning in the kitchen. As she washes her sink, thunder resounds as bright flashes of lightening fill the sky. The lights flicker and suddenly go out as the power in her home shuts down. She checks the time on a large electric wall clock, whose dial now stands motionless at five o’clock. Just as she dries her hands, she notices something in the yard. She is shocked to discover a child playing in the sandbox. Upon closer examination, she realizes it is her son Georgie. She rushes outside and grabs him just as a heavy rain shower begins. As they head inside, she looks at him with bewilderment and concern.

How did you get out there? Thank goodness we don’t have a pool!

She climbs the stairs to the second floor of the house and is surprised to discover that Georgie’s bedroom door is still latched from the outside, just as she had left it when she put him in bed for his nap. She then proceeds to open the latch and enter the room. The bedroom window is closed, the screen is still in place, and as hard as she tries to figure it out, there is no logical explanation as to how he got out of his room. She places Georgie on his bed as she once again examines the latch. It shows no signs of being bent or tampered with in any way.

Maybe I should have named you Houdini?

She looks at Georgie, who just smiles back at her as if nothing unusual has happened. Without warning, the power comes back as the lights flicker back on. She notices that he still has traces of sand on him and proceeds to lead him to the bathroom to clean him up. As she is cleaning him, she notices that his watch is stuck at three o’clock, about fifteen minutes after the time she put him down for his nap. When she goes to remove his watch, it gives her a nasty electric shock. When she tries again, it gives her yet another shock. Georgie sees that his mother is in distress.

I’ll do it, Mommy.

Before she can stop him, he removes the watch himself, without receiving a shock, and hands it to her. This time, she does not get shocked, but upon examination of the watch, she discovers that it is covered in small, dark scorch marks around its silver steel edges. She tries winding the watch and changing the time, but to no avail, as it remains permanently fixed at three o’clock.

Five years have passed, and Georgie, a now slightly chubby nine-year-old, sits amongst his classmates at school during reading period. Most of the kids are reading picture books and other children’s works, but not Georgie; he remains oddly different as he has his face buried in a book on advanced physics. Timothy Robbins, a husky, little, red-headed and freckle-faced boy, with beady little brown eyes, is sitting across from him. Timothy rips a small piece of paper from a page in his textbook and puts it in his mouth. He chews it for a moment and then takes it out, rolls it into a ball, and shoves it into a straw. He aims it at Georgie, takes a deep breath, and blows hard through the straw. The spit-ball strikes Georgie right in the side of his face. He is taken by surprise as he feels its sting.

Ouch!

The teacher, Mrs. Buisson, a woman in her late forties with short blonde hair and thick, heavy rimmed glasses, takes notice of this right away.

Shhhh! No talking!

Georgie looks around to see who shot him, but Timothy is already pretending that he has been reading all along. A few light snickers can be heard from other areas in the classroom. Georgie is starting to get tired of this bullying, and is saddened by the fact that he gets picked on for no reason at all. His best friend, Clifford Miller, the little blonde boy with silver wire-framed glasses, who is sitting at the desk in front of him, keeps telling him that the reason for the attacks is because of jealousy. Clifford and Georgie are both gifted students, and they both suffer equal amounts of bullying from Timothy and other less studious peers in their class. Even though Georgie realizes that this must be the case, it is definitely getting to him. Just as Georgie gets settled again, he and Clifford both get struck in the head simultaneously by spitballs. Georgie stands up and sees Timothy putting his straw away.

That’s it!

Mrs. Buisson screams at Georgie.

Sit down and be quiet or I’ll send you to the vice principal’s office!

Georgie explains the situation to her.

Timothy has been shooting spitballs at me!

She raises a thick brow and looks at Timothy, who pretends he is reading.

Timothy?

Timothy acts as innocent as an angel.

Yes, Mrs. Buisson?

Have you been shooting spitballs at Georgie?

No.

She does not believe him, as he has caused trouble in the past, so she walks over to him.

May I see what’s in your desk?

Timothy looks nervous now.

Why, Mrs. Buisson?

She does not answer and immediately rifles through his desk, finds the straw and holds it in front of his face.

What’s this?

Timothy looks quite upset now.

A straw…for my soda.

She then looks down at his book and sees torn corners from the pages.

How dare you deface school property?

Timothy tries to defend himself.

I didn’t, it was like that!

Don’t lie to me! Off to Mr. Smith’s office!

Timothy starts to cry.

No.

You do as I say! Now!

Timothy bows his head and slowly walks out of the classroom. Clifford raises his hand and catches her attention.

Yes, Clifford?

I got hit as well, but from the other side of the class.

She looks at the students from that side of the room with scrutiny.

Oh really? Everyone empty your desks right now!

A series of groans are heard from most of the class. Georgie and Clifford smile at one another.

As the two boys leave the class, someone trips both of them in the hallway. Clifford’s glasses go flying down the hall and get stepped on by Justin Flechette, a dark-haired athletic boy who hangs out with Timothy. His twin brother, James, then picks them up and hands them to Clifford.

You can’t tattle if you can’t see.

Clifford starts to cry as Georgie consoles him.

It’s okay.

Clifford tries to focus on him as tears stream down his face.

No, it’s not! My mom’s going to kill me! She just bought them!

Georgie feels some pain in his right knee. He looks down and sees a blood spot through his beige pants. He lifts his pant leg to discover that he has a bloody, scraped knee.

You’re not the only one in trouble; my mom just bought me these new pants!

Out of the corner of his eye, Georgie can see that he is being watched. He looks around but cannot spot anyone in particular.

That night at dinner, Michael, Georgie’s father, a well-kempt, dark-haired man in his mid-thirties, speaks to him about dealing with bullies.

You can’t let them do this to you. When I was your age, I came home all bloodied and beaten by bullies, and you know what my mother did?

Georgie shakes his head.

She beat the crap out of me and told me to do the same to those bullies!

Georgie’s mother, Ellen, speaks up.

Don’t listen to your father. Violence only creates more violence. You’re smarter than stooping to their level!

Michael ignores her and continues:

The next day, the lead bully tried tripping me on the stairs of the school. Instead of taking it, I beat him so badly that he couldn’t talk. Even the teachers were on my side. After that day, nobody, not him or his toadies, ever bullied me again. As a matter of fact, they wanted me to lead them.

Georgie is quite satisfied with the outcome of this story.

So, what did you do after that?

I laughed at them and told them to grow up and stop bullying people.

Ellen again speaks up as she sees that Georgie is enjoying this story way too much.

It was a different time then. Today, there could be severe consequences. Please promise me you won’t fight?

Georgie reluctantly nods his head, as his father, who is no longer paying attention to the conversation, is intent on watching the hockey game on TV while he continues his meal.

Good, because you’re not a fighter, nor are you athletic like he was, so you’d probably get beaten up instead.

The next day, at school during lunch, Georgie recounts his father’s story to Clifford, who seems to agree with Georgie’s mother.

She’s right; we’ll just get our butts kicked. My dad was an athlete just like yours, and like you, I’m a book worm. We don’t fit in their world, and they don’t fit in ours. Someday, I think it’ll be us nerdy types that will rule the world. It’ll be so cool!

Georgie agrees with most of what Clifford has just said.

You’re right, but I’m really getting sick of this.

Don’t be impatient; soon we’ll be in private school, and away from the losers.

Both Georgie and Clifford’s parents had promised to send them to a private school for their secondary schooling years.

Let’s hope so.

Georgie gets up.

I’ll be right back; I’ve just got to go to the bathroom.

He walks over to the bathroom and enters. After he finishes his business, while washing his hands, he is approached by an older, thin, and ghostly pale dark-haired boy of about twelve years of age.

I’ve been watching you.

Georgie knows that this must the one who he has felt watching him as of late.

I had a feeling I was being watched.

He looks into Georgie’s eyes intensely, which is intimidating as his eyes are not just brown, but black as coal, deep and empty like bottomless pits.

Listen to your father, Georgie! Stand! Fight!

His gaze is almost hypnotic. Strangely, Georgie can feel the anger in his own blood start to boil. He is perplexed though as to how this boy knew what his father had told him.

How did you know what my father said?

The boy smirks, like a cat that has just swallowed a canary.

I overheard you talking.

Georgie had just told Cliff this a few minutes ago, and knows that he did not see him anywhere around them. He has to know who this strange boy is.

Who are you?

I’m Elliot…Elliot Jones.

How come I’ve never seen you before?

I’m in grade seven, on the other side of the school. I don’t come around here much, but I can see when someone’s in need of my help.

Why are you helping me?

Because somebody did the same for me once.

Just as Elliot turns to leave, Georgie stops him.

Thanks. What homeroom are you in so that I can find you again?

Elliot smiles in an almost sinister manner as his dark eyes pierce through the air.

Don’t worry…I’ll be in touch.

He then exits the washroom. Georgie looks at himself in the mirror, and starts building upon the anger he feels. His blue eyes light up as he envisions himself beating Timothy to a pulp, with throngs of teachers and students cheering him on. He leaves the washroom with a renewed air of confidence, and heads back towards his seat with Clifford, who notices something different about Georgie.

Are you okay?

I couldn’t be better!

Are you sure? You were gone awhile.

I was just talking to someone in there.

Who?

A seventh grader.

Clifford looks quite surprised.

That’s odd? What was a seventh grader doing on this side of the school?

Georgie does not want to reveal the truth just yet.

I don’t know…he was just there.

Clifford does not buy his story, but before he can press any further, Jonathan Billings, a stocky blond-haired boy, who is another bully that hangs out with Timothy, approaches them and grabs Georgie’s thermos. Georgie reacts.

Hey!

Jonathan mocks him.

Hey what?

Georgie is extremely agitated.

That’s my thermos!

Jonathan examines it.

I don’t see your name on it?

In the distance, Clifford can see Timothy, Justin, and James sneering as Georgie gets even more worked up.

It’s mine, now give it back!

Jonathan smugly inches his face close to Georgie’s.

Oh yeah? What’re you going to do about it?

An increasing amount of laughter can be heard from the bully table. Georgie, red with anger, reaches his breaking point. He grabs the thermos from Jonathan and whacks him in the face with it. Jonathan crumples to the floor as blood trickles from just above his eye. The bully table falls silent, as does the entire lunch room. Clifford is left totally in shock as to what he has just witnessed, for up until now, Georgie had always been a pacifist. Georgie is stunned by what he has just done and still cannot believe his eyes. For a brief moment, it feels good; however, as the reality sets in that he has just seriously harmed another human being, he begins to feel terrible.

Ms. Lauper, the lunch room monitor, an attractive young woman with short brown hair, runs over and is overcome with grief. Jonathan, who is still dazed, puts his hand to his head, and sees the blood trickling down his fingers; in an instant, he starts bawling. Mr. Auger, an older and stocky gray-haired janitor in blue coveralls, quickly follows to assist, as a crowd of students gathers around the center of all the action. Jonathan continues to cry as Mr. Auger tends to him. Ms. Lauper, who is a first-year teacher and thus quite young and inexperienced with these matters, begins to cry as she grabs Georgie by the shoulders.

Are you crazy? You could have killed him!

Georgie now fully realizes the severity of his actions, if he had struck the blow a couple inches further back he would have struck Jonathan in the temple, which could indeed have been fatal. Georgie vows to himself to remain in control and never act out in aggression again, no matter what the circumstances may be.

As Georgie and Clifford sit outside the Principal’s office, they whisper to one another.

I can’t believe you did it.

Neither can I.

Cliff smirks with appreciation.

In a way, I’m glad you did.

Georgie is adamantly opposed.

No! It was stupid and I wasn’t thinking. My mind is my best ally and I betrayed it. I could have killed him.

Okay, maybe you’re right, but I bet he never bugs you again.

Maybe not, but it was still wrong. Never again, I don’t care what they do to me, the monster inside is far too dangerous.

The principal, Mrs. Carlson, a tall and very proper looking middle-aged woman with long, dark hair, calls them both in. Clifford whispers a brief final note to Georgie.

Let me do the talking.

Clifford explains the situation, in Georgie’s defense, as Georgie remains completely silent. She accepts what Clifford has to say, but Georgie knows she will not be easy on him, as she is a close friend of Jonathan’s mother.

Thank you, Clifford…that will be all.

He nods to Georgie on his way out. She eyes him for a moment.

Sit down, Georgie.

Georgie complies and takes a seat across the desk from her.

Now Georgie, I am surprised by your violent actions today. I know you have been picked on a bit by some of the other boys, but something must have pushed you over the edge?

He goes right into the heart of the matter.

Yes, Clifford and I have been bullied terribly by those boys for a long time; they’ve been very mean to us almost every day.

She rolls her eyes in a dismissive fashion.

Yes, but you used a lot of force in a situation where boys were just being boys.

Georgie knows that his explanation is falling on deaf ears as she is quickly proving that she is definitely not one to be sympathetic to their cause.

Something else must have influenced you recently?

Georgie knows that he had better not mention his father’s story, so he decides to give up his mystery ally.

Well, I was approached a few minutes before, in the washroom, by a seventh grader, who said he’d been watching me for a while now.

I find it odd that a seventh-grade student would want to help out someone in the fourth grade, let alone even be on the other side of the school.

I know, I felt the same way, but he seemed really concerned about me.

Who was this student?

He said his name was Elliot Jones.

Mrs. Carlson reacts negatively to his comment.

I never before took you to be a liar, Georgie!

I’m not lying; he said his name was Elliot Jones.

She seems increasingly angered by Georgie’s revelation.

That’s impossible! Stop lying to me!

I’m not lying!

Okay then…describe him for me.

He’s about five inches taller than me, really skinny and pale, with short, dark hair and big, black eyes.

She now seems spooked by what he has just told her. She quickly reaches into her wallet and pulls out an old photograph. She shows it to Georgie, who sees a family at a picnic, and one member of that family looks just like Elliot. Georgie immediately points to him.

That’s him!

Georgie takes notice of her increasingly ashen appearance and then wonders why she has a picture of him in her wallet.

Why do you have a picture of him with you?

She looks at him sternly.

He was my brother.

Georgie is creeped out by her tone, especially talking about him in the past tense.

How can that be?

I don’t know.

What happened to him?

He disappeared on his way home from this very school thirty years ago, during a severe thunderstorm. Nobody has ever seen or heard from him since.

Georgie is terrified by the fact that he may have just encountered a real-life ghost. He is in such shock that he utters a response to her statement, completely without hesitation or thought.

Until now.

She reacts badly to his comment.

Enough, you little snot! I don’t know what kind of sick game you’re playing but I won’t let you get away with it! I’m personally going to make sure that you undergo mental evaluation, and when they find out what kind of a monster you really are, you will be out of my school for good! Now get the hell out of my office!

Georgie is frightened by her threats and angry tone, and he starts to cry as he exits her office.

That night at home, his parents argue as his mother blames his father for telling Georgie his bully story. Even though Georgie swore that it was Elliot that influenced him, his mother believes it is just a story he made up in order to cover for his father, so that nobody points the blame at him. Georgie cries as he feels responsible for his parents’ fight. He also wonders if it is possible that he imagined the Elliot situation, perhaps after reading or hearing a story about the missing boy from years past. He knows his imagination is quite vivid, but still feels that there was a very real connection during that experience he had, moments before the incident with Jonathan. He drifts off to sleep with tears rolling down his cheeks, as his life now seems so much in turmoil and his future uncertain.

Chapter II

Hopeless Daydreamer

There is a vast expanse of dark space, full of stars that make up the night sky of an alien world with three moons. The red moon fills the center of the sky, whilst the white moon is quite small in comparison, and off to the far right. To the left, however, is a large, but thin gray crescent moon, reminiscent of the moon seen on Earth. Directly below it is a vast metropolis filled with extremely tall cylindrical glass buildings that glow with yellow light. It is a seemingly artificial forest of structures teaming with life. As if through the eyes of a flying bird, the city draws ever nearer, until a dimly-lit room near the top of one of the superstructures comes directly into view. There are several fit male youths sitting on a gray-cushioned floor in a semicircle, around a very old white-haired man in a toga, a throwback to classic Greek philosophers, who is speaking to them from his plush gray lounger.

Beyond the realm of space and time, it is possible for everyone to explore.

Elliot, the same boy who Georgie had encountered in the washroom, is seated directly in front of him and questions his claim.

How is it possible to do this, Ama?

The master explains himself gracefully.

We all have the ability deep within us to go wherever we want to go, to see whatever we want to see.

A fair-haired boy, who resembles, what one would expect a teenage version of Georgie’s best friend Clifford to look like, raises a brow. He is quite guarded, with his arms folded into himself, and seems quite skeptical of this claim.

What you are saying goes beyond the realm of known physics, so to me it is downright impossible. What you’re preaching is not science at all, but magic.

Ama looks the boy directly in the eye, as he knows more about the subject than the boy could possibly imagine.

Who said anything about science?

The boy is stunned by this prospect; it has caught him off guard.

Well, I just assumed—

Ama quickly interjects:

Never assume anything, as it makes an ass of you and me.

The other youths chuckle, especially Elliot, as the doubter turns red with embarrassment, knowing well that he is no equal in matching wits with the master. Ama decides that the boy has asked a fair question though, and should not be left in a negative light.

"My intent was not to humiliate, but to genuinely help you think beyond the confines of conventional