Hestown/Shestown

The towns of Hestown and Shestown were split by a brick wall for hundreds of years. The males in one town, Hestown and the females in the other, Shestown. They were not allowed to leave their towns, except for once a year when a magical door opens in the wall. So, the men may procreate with the women. No one knows where the door comes from, but the citizens have some theories. Some theorize a wizard creates the door and others believe it happens by accident. And others opinionize that aliens use their advanced technology to create the door.

One day, a boy named Bobby leaned on the brick wall and his elbow knocked out a brick to the other side. He looked through the rectangular-shaped hole and saw a girl, sitting by herself and reading a book.

The girl, Alison looked up from her book and walked up to the wall. She saw the brick on the ground and the hole. She looked through the hole and saw a boy, running away. Was is he running? She thought. Her eye looked around and saw a whole other world. A world, unlike the places she read about. A desolate place with no grass or flowers, just houses and short buildings. She wanted to know more.

The next day, Alison looked through the hole again and saw the boy walking up to the wall.

Bobby was nervous but he was ready to face the girl.

Alison talked through the hole, “Hello, boy, are you there?”

“Yes, I’m here, what do ya want?” the boy asked.

“I want, to know more,” Alison said.

“More about what?” the boy asked.

“More about the world and you,” Alison said.

“That’s personal,” the boy said.

“What about this wall. Why is it up? I can’t find any books about it. Why is it here?” Alison questioned.

“Somethings ya can’t find out about it in books. My dad told me there was a war between the men and women, but they were evenly matched. So, they put up this wall,” the boy said.

“Why? I don’t understand. My mother told me it was because a secret society wanted to see how men and women would create their own community without the other sex,” Alison replied.

“Now, why would they do that?” the boy said.

“I don’t know,” Alison said.

“And what is the name of this secret society?” the boy asked.

“I don’t know, it’s a secret,” Alison said.

“So, what’s your name?” the boy asked.

“Alison and what is your name?” she asked.

“Robert, but my friends call me Bobby,” he said.

“Alright, Bobby, how old are you?” Alison asked.

“I’m ten, how old are you?” Bobby asked.

“I’m eleven,” Alison replied.

The clock tower struck seven and the bell started to ring. “That’s my cue to go, it’s dinner time,” Bobby said.

“See you tomorrow?” Alison asked.

“See you tomorrow,” Bobby said.

The next day Bobby walked up to the wall and looked through the brick-shaped hole and saw Alison.

Alison put down her book and ran over to the wall. “So, how is it over there?” she asked.

“Fine, I guess. We mostly play football and wrestle,” Bobby said.

“Really? What about school? Do you even go to school?” Alison asked.

“Yeah, I’m school, but we learn about math and science, not history. I hear stories from my dad, that’s it. What do you learn about?” Bobby asked.

“We learn about everything, math, science, sociology, history, and language, just to name a few,” Alison replied.

“Wow! I want to learn more, but there are restrictions and no book buildings,” Bobby said.

“You mean libraries, we have a few of those here,” Alison said.

“Yeah, those. We are you reading over there, anyway?” Bobby asked.

Alison rushed over to her book on the ground and brought it to the wall. She showed it to him. “It’s called Pride and Justice by Jane Austin it’s about a divorced woman, who fights in court to get custody of her kids. While all of this is happening she falls in love with another man above her in the social hierarchy. I’ll lend it to you when I’m done with it. Although it might be above your level,” Alison explains.

“Hey, I’m a great reader,” Bobby said.

“We will have to see,” Alison said.

“Alison, come home. It’s time for dinner,” Alison’s mother said in the distance.

“And that’s my cue to leave, bye Bobby. See you tomorrow?” Alison queried.

“See you tomorrow,” Bobby replied.

In the coming weeks, every day before seven at night, they would have little chats about their lives and societies. Eventually, Alison finished her book and pushed it through the brick hole, giving it to Bobby. He read it and every few weeks Alison would push through another book to Bobby. He learned so much about other people, cities, and even other worlds.

“I wish I could share something with you, you’ve given me so much,” Bobby said.

“I know, but our conversations are enough for me,” Alison said.

“What if, I write you a story. I have a few ideas,” Bobby said.

The clock tower on Bobby’s side chimed as it was seven. “I have to go, see you tomorrow? It may take me a few days to write it,” Bobby said.

“That’s okay, see you tomorrow,” Alison said.

A few days later, Bobby couldn’t push the paper through the brick hole, so he read it to Alison. She listened and sat in suspense of each word. It was about a girl who lived in an apartment in the city and a boy who lived in the suburbs. The boy and the girl had a strong magical connection.

“Now let me write you a story!” Alison said excitedly.

Alison wrote the story in a few days and shared it with Bobby once she was done writing it. He listened to every word. The story was about a married couple who went on a beach vacation and fought the entire trip. Bobby gave her some tips on what to change. Alison wanted to

become a published author one day.

Alison and Bobby wrote and read each other their stories over the next few weeks and months. They gave each other compliments and constructive criticisms.

Bobby wrote in his room and near the wall after school. He told his dad he was doing homework.

Alison told her mom she was writing, not what about or what for, just writing.

Her mother once checked in on her and tried to ask her what she was writing. She did not respond as she was too immersed in writing. Her mother tried to read her daughter’s writing but couldn’t understand it as she didn’t know the context. She walked out of her room.

Months later, suddenly, when Bobby was leaning on the wall, the door opened further down the wall. He saw men running through to get to their women. He didn’t know how long the door would be open but ran toward it.

Alison heard loud and quick footsteps down the wall. She looked up from her book and saw men running through the now open passageway in the wall. Once the men were all in Shestown, she saw Bobby slowly and nonchalantly walk through. He walked toward her.

“Bobby? What are you doing here? You’re going to get caught!” Alison said quietly as she also didn’t want to get caught.

“I don’t know, I saw the door open and I knew this was my only chance,” Bobby replied.

“Only chance to do what?” Alison asked.

“To see you, of course,” Bobby responded with a smile.

“We don’t have much time before the door disappears. You could be stuck on this side if we’re not careful,” Alison warned him.

“We just have to watch the door,” Bobby said.

“We don’t have long. What should we do?” Alison asked.

“Talk?” Bobby said inquisitively.

“But we do that every day,” Alison said.

“I know, but never face to face,” Bobby said.

They looked at the door, it was starting to close. Bobby ran as fast as he could to get back and made it just in time. The door disappeared and the men returned to Hestown, tired and sweaty.

Alison and Bobby continued to talk and write each other stories over the years. And around the same time every year, the door magically reappeared. Every time Bobby would run through it once the men finished walking through. And at the last minute, he got back to his side on time. One time, Alison ran to his side because Bobby had broken his leg during sports. She ran as fast as she could back to her side in time.

They grew up and stayed on their sides. Alison became a published author and Bobby became a sports writer.

One day, as adults, the door rematerialized and Bobby, now Robert ran through with the men. But he had a nice conversation with Alison, instead of coitus. Robert ran back to his side once the men did.

The next day, he stole a sledgehammer and destroyed the wall.

“Bobby, what are you doing?” Alison asked.

Chunks of bricks fell to the ground.

“I’m breaking this wall, what does it look like?” Bobby said sarcastically.

The police came over and grabbed him, throwing him in jail. The wall was repaired within a day.

Years passed and Bobby was set off on parole. His parole officer had to follow him around for a few months until the officer knew he wouldn’t do anything crazy.

Robert returned to the wall in his early thirties, he leaned on it, and brick popped out on the other side. He peeked through the brick-shaped hole and Alison all grown up. Her daughter was with her, reading her a book. Alison had moved on, if only the wall wasn’t there then he could be with her.

Alison saw the brick pop out and remembered the first time that had happened. She ran over to the hole and saw Robert walking away.

“Bobby, wait!” Alison yelled. She reached her hand and arm through the hole.

Bobby reciprocated and grasped her hand with his.