The Changs' Elasticated Odyssey

Being born with a genetic mutation that gave you the ability to stretch your arms and legs like elastic, was not something to be taken lightly.

If it had been anywhere else in the world, the Chang family would have been revered as gods. It was a gift from the heavens, a gift that had saved their lives many times over. It was a gift that would now save their village.

"James, are you ready?" Harley asked her son.

James Chang nodded his head solemnly. He had inherited his mother's ability to stretch. Not only could he stretch his limbs, but he could also stretch his torso and head. His mother could do all of the above, but she was unable to stretch her neck. The pair stood at the end of a narrow road leading into their small village. They stretched out their arms and legs as far as they could, both holding onto the other's hand to increase their reach even further.

The two were almost touching both sides of the road simultaneously when they stopped stretching outwards and jumped in unison towards each side of the road. They were making a big enough gap for them to walk into and begin their journey towards the opposite end of the road where an army of invaders waited for them patiently.

The invaders were called Taiping by their leader, a man who believed his entire family was chosen by God to rule China with an iron fist. The Chang family did not know what this meant, but they knew it wasn't good. Despite living in isolation for years, they knew about Taiping because of James' schoolmates back home when he used to attend school every morning with them until 2 months ago when Taiping's soldiers started attacking and killing everyone who didn't agree with them or who didn't worship the same God as them or just because they liked killing people for fun because they were bored.

So now James and Harley lived in this isolated part of China where no one else lived so even if Taiping's soldiers found them, Harley wouldn't be able to harm anyone else accidentally yet James would still be able to safely go to school everyday with his friends so he wouldn't get bored after a while and take up smoking again like he used to at age 11 which eventually led him to try cigarettes at age 12 and then trying marijuana at age 13 followed by ecstasy pills at age 15 which finally led him to heroin at age 17 which made him try to hang himself from the roof beams of their house while screaming "I HATE MY LIFEEEEEEEEE!!!" until Harley managed to save him just in time before he died.

Harley stopped thinking about her past mistakes as she remembered how she regretted not catching James earlier this time around when one day he told her he might want to join some friends on an adventure and that he would be back soon but never returned from his adventure or rather from whatever unfortunate situation he got dragged into by his addict friends. He was gone for 2 months before she found him walking home one midnight covered in mud and filled with scratches all over his body with half-healed scars all over him like he had been through hell recently while dressed in nothing but underwear and boots wrapped up with bandages except for one arm which was stretched outwards so far away from his body that it seemed like it had been ripped off from its socket yet it still appeared perfectly fine without any blood dripping from it or any sign of bruising at all despite being stretched out so far away from his body like he was trying to reach for a bag of money hanging on top of a tree branch but couldn't quite reach it so that's why he had decided to walk home instead instead of spending another night sleeping outdoors somewhere else in case someone stole his money or murdered him for no reason whatsoever except maybe because he had long hair and wore makeup sometimes?? Because there were lots of people like that nowadays? Maybe? Maybe not? Who knows? Hmmmmm???

Harley stopped thinking again because she thought it would be better if she kept quiet now especially since they were already halfway through the gap they had made between themselves along the opposite ends of the road which was enough room for 4 carriages lined up next to each other side-by-side to pass through safely without touching either Changs on purpose or by accident while avoiding colliding against each other due to uneven terrain or encountering any obstacles along the way such as rocks or tree roots sticking out suddenly causing carriages/pulled-by-oxen carts/pulled-by-people feet-trapped-in-shoes running alongside these obstacles unexpectedly causing some drivers behind these obstacles suddenly turning their vehicles towards these obstacles causing some drivers behind these drivers suddenly turning their vehicles towards these drivers behind these obstacles causing some drivers behind these drivers suddenly turning their vehicles towards these drivers behind these drivers suddenly turning their vehicles towards these obstacles causing some drivers behind these obstacles suddenly turning their vehicles away from these obstacles causing some initial drivers suddenly changing direction suddenly toward one side or another side thus causing some initial drivers suddenly changing direction suddenly toward one side or another side thus causing some initial drivers suddenly changing direction suddenly toward one side or another side thus causing some initial drivers suddenly changing direction suddenly toward one side or another side thus causing some initial drivers suddenly changing direction suddenly toward one side or another side thus causing some initial drivers suddenly changing direction suddenly toward one side or another side thus causing some initial drivers suddenly changing direction suddenly toward one side or another side thus...

Luckily James realised something strange was happening here so he took out a radio lying nearby on top of an ox cart currently zigzagging wildly between trees on its way towards an obstacle on its path so that someone who looks remarkably similar to me can talk into it and say "James I'm stuck here! What do I do?" which caused James who was standing still right next to Harley on top of a tree branch holding onto her hand tightly while staring blankly into space wondering whether I should just stay here forever waiting for my return while listening to my favourite songs repeatedly playing on loop while ignoring everything that is happening around me surrounding me above me below me within me outside me everywhere around me everywhere within me everything surrounding me within everything outside everything around ...

Suddenly Harley yelled "WHO IS THAT?" scaring James out of his trance after which she continued "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT TO STAY HERE FOREVER?" after which James replied "Ummmmmm ... nothing." after which Harley muttered "Oh okay I see." after which James asked "Okay what does this mean?" after which Harley answered "Nothing really." after which James stated "Oh okay I see."

Finally Harley spoke again whispering quietly as she said "You're listening aren't you?" after which James whispered back loudly saying "Yeah why? Who are you talking about? Where are we anyway?" after which Harley responded saying "No no no no no no don't worry about anything other than reaching that bridge over there." before resuming her whisper saying "You're listening aren't you?" before resuming her normal voice saying "I'm sure you heard us talking right? So listen carefully because this might save our lives today." before resuming her whisper once more saying "You're listening aren't you?" after which James whispered back loudly saying "... Yeah I heard you bitch I swear!"

Harley gasped loudly upon hearing this comment so loud that it could be heard by everyone present all across town including those sitting inside Villager House eating lunch right now near those two men smoking cigarettes near those three kids playing outside right next door while chasing each other around those 4 women gossiping loudly near those 5 dudes throwing rocks at chickens playing catch near those 6 men beating up cows near those 7 children practicing martial arts near those 8 women chatting loudly together near those 9 guys working hard digging soil near those 10 children singing songs together near those 11 girls baking bread together near ...

After regaining her composure back Harley said "James please keep quiet! We are being watched!" pointing towards 6 men dressed in black clothing hiding behind trees staring intently at them occasionally peeking out briefly before ducking back into cover whenever either Chang moved slightly for whatever reason before continuing staring intently even harder than before until finally standing up firmly straight facing forward without moving a single muscle in front of trees directly opposite each other separated by 50 yards apart facing each other straight ahead assuming perfect symmetry as if they wanted us dead instead ...

After taking a deep breath Harley continued speaking louder again saying "so remember what we talked about right? About how we're supposed live here secluded from everyone forever? Well today is our chance! If we don't succeed today, then I'm afraid ..." before stopping abruptly unable finish her sentence unable find words unable find courage unable find strength unable find will unable find love unable find ...