The boy must have been about ten, a young dark haired little boy running down the street of his neighborhood, safe in the knowledge that that was where he was now and that was where he’d be forever, running down the streets of his neighborhood laughing and playing, the days melting into one another, life an endless glorious summer. The days with sparkling bright skies of azure, the brightly glowing orb of the sun nestled always in the left center of the sky towards evening but never reaching sunset and night closing down all the days adventures.

“You’re crazy, Ottery,” the brown haired boy remarked, “If you don’t get enough lift you’re not going to make it out of orbit.”

“Obviously Teddy but …” the boy ran to the middle of the field. Building a rocket to the stars was an easy feat with borrowed aluminum sheets and some of the neighbors magic. All inspired by Jules Verne.

“So then the answer is more explosives. How else are we going to achieve extraterrestrial speeds?”

It was difficult to argue with logic of that nature, at least to Ottery’s way of thinking. Still, something held the boy back as he remembered how many crazy ideas had seemed sane before when Teddy had suggested them.

“Do you really think we can blow ourselves up all the way to the moon, Teddy?” the dark haired boy asked, as he was standing next to his companion moving his goggles onto his head.

Teddy was grinning wickedly, “Hey, we’re blowing something up, isn’t that all that really matters?”

Ottery paused for a second and thought on that, “Uhm, no.”

Teddy smacked the boy upside the head with a cane he’d borrow from his grandmother who at the moment was using an umbrella and plotting her revenge against Teddy.

Ottery pushed the brown haired boy back and started running, “You just want to blow something up don’t you? Why don’t you blow up your uncle’s shed again, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind losing all his precious clockworks.”

“Are you kidding?” Teddy replied, haven’t you seen that brass robot he’s got guarding the entrance, now? I can’t get within five feet of the place. Now gimme that cane back before I fill your mattress with firecrackers.”

Ottery ran laughing, happy to be Teddy’s friend.