The Radio Tower

The radio tower stood high above the rest of the town. Most of the buildings in town were only two storeys high. But the radio tower reached well above three storeys on its own; separate to the two storey building it stood atop. The building it held its head high above had several broken windows and the wind blew through them, shifting the dust inside with its gentle touch, the only movement the building had seen regularly in several years. A few streets to the left of this radio station a handful of teenagers were sat around a small fire they'd lit in another abandoned building. This building saw much more movement than the radio station. It was a hub for the local youths to hang around in. They used to go to the park but the Mayor built a mall. So they stayed in the car park but the Mayor built a fence, hired more security guards and changed the parking laws. So they went to community centre. The Mayor didn't do a thing, as this was the building they were currently within. Under Mayor Brines' rule the town had quickly gone downhill. He didn't care for the community. He didn't care for the arts. He didn't care for anything that didn't actively improve his life and the money in his bank and yet every year he remained in power.

"We should do something," said Charlie kicking an empty bottle around.

"Like what?" said Sophie staring into the fire.

"When you think of something, let me know," Faye said standing up from the fireside.

On the other side of town Mayor Brines was sat in a meeting with a contractor from the big city a few miles away. His office was lit by several lamps placed around the room in a symmetrical pattern. Two small glasses of whisky sat between the two men. One was rather more empty than the other. This glass belonged to the Mayor. The Mayor drank the last drop from his glass, reached to his left and pulled the sphere stopper off the top of the large glass bottle of whisky and poured. First a splash into his own glass. Second a splash into the contractors glass which was now so full the liquid was flush with the rim of the glass. The Mayor clearly hadn't noticed the contractors lack of interest in his drink.

"So we're agreed," Mayor Brines spoke, "We'll tear that radio station down."

Back on the other side of town Charlie had sat down and began explaining his plan.

"I think, we should take back the radio, I don't think the Mayor ever checks if the radio is on. Why would he? He's not interested in it and he shut the station a long time a go."

"You want to start an underground radio station using the big main radio station building in the middle of town?" Sophie said.

"We could start an uprising, with the power of music!" Faye said dancing around the flames.

"Well yeah maybe we could!" said Charlie, excited by the possibility.

"How, how would we do that? It sounds a bit out of reach to me," Sophie said standing up with the others and wandering around the room.

There were always sounds in the community centre building, the other kids in town with nothing to do hanging around in their own space away from everyone else. But this time it seemed they were not keeping to themselves.

"Knock. Knock," Denis said popping his head around the door frame. "So are we storming the station, or what's the plan?"

"Do we even know how to run the radio station's machines and stuff?" Sophie asked.

"We could send someone to the library see if there's a book or something?" Faye asked.

The Library was one building Mayor Brines had not yet managed to close down as the teachers stayed firm that it was needed to teach the children. Though the children didn't think Mayor Brines wanted them to learn anything at all. Thankfully the parents also agreed that the library should stay and so up to now it had.

"Okay well there's four of us here, we can send two to the library and two to the radio station," Denis added.

"Sweet, so we're agreed, put out the fire and let's go!" Charlie shouted kicking his leg towards the fire.

Smoke rose from the damp ashes and made its way up through the various holes in the ceiling. The group stood and together walked their way out of the old centre. Together they believed a change would come. Together they knew what they could do.

"I know what we should do!" Mayor Brines boomed, his voice carried throughout the room. It was a very large office for a pretty regular sized man. "We should visit the station one last time, maybe we'll come up with some ideas for the future!"

The contractor nodded, swiping and shuffling piles of paper into his case. After every few sheets he fumbled and the final pile fell across the floor.

"Oh come on man!" said the Mayor slapping the contractors back as he walked to the doorway. "Hurry up!"

The two men made their way down and out of the Mayor's mansion and into the back of his car; courtesy of the chauffeur of course. Mayor Brines opened as few doors as he could in life. He believed he was above such a task.

Varnished wood trims met gold lining inside the Mayor's car. The interior seem to have as much class as Mayor Brines viewed himself to have. The contractor sat in his seat hugging the case filled with documents and listened to the Mayor badger on about his many views on many things from the poor to red meat. The chauffeur hadn't said a single word and it seemed to the contractor that neither of them should speak when the Mayor was talking.

At the library both Sophie and Denis were speaking to the librarian. Their words almost stepping on top of one another's. Thankfully, to spite the Mayor the librarians had made the closing time much later than it used to be and was now open until 11pm. A large commitment on their part but anything to aggravate the Mayor they were on board for.

"So, you see, we gotta learn about radios..." "...and quickly!" Denis and Sophie said still speaking over each other.

"I think I might be abele to help," The librarian said as she moved around her desk, "Follow me!"

Heading deep into the many aisles of the library they passed all kinds of knowledgeable books and fictional fancies until they reached what seemed now to be the promised land. The librarian had wheeled a ladder all the way along and took three steps upwards, reached out her hand and pulled out two books.

"Catch," she said dropping the books down for Sophie and Denis.

"Thank you!" they said with glee as they fingered through the books looking for any sign of what they needed, "We've got to go, thank you so much!"

The pair ran out of the library and into the street where they caught sight of the Mayor's passing car.

Over at the radio station Charlie and Faye had found a way inside without getting caught on the broken glass in most windows.

"We could just smash buttons and stuff at random?" Faye said, moving her hands over the many buttons and dials of the control centre.

"We totally could... But I think we might need to find some electricity first." Charlie replied.

Lights spilled through the open windows and the hum of the Mayor's engine stopped outside. The chauffeur opened the door for the Mayor first and then allowed the contractor out of the car. As the contractor took his first step out of the car an apple hit his hand knocking his case to the floor.

"Hey screw you Brines!" Denis said throwing another apple their way.

"Denis we need to be in there, what are you doing!" Sophie whispered sharply at him.

"I know that just run at them," Denis replied running directly towards the now screaming Mayor.

"You blasted children how DARE you!" the Mayor yelled shaking his fist at the duo. "Call the police now!" the Mayor continued clicking at his chauffeur.

With all his might Charlie pulled on the generator. Nothing happened. He pulled again. Still nothing.

"Hey Charlie," Faye said.

"Faye we're in a bit of a rush here do you mind!" Charlie threw back at her.

"Oh I know it's just I found a big switch that says 'mains' on it," Faye said and pulled down hard on the switch.

The front doors swung open on their hinges as Sophie and Denis entered.

Every light in the building flashed on and filled the rooms with a yellow and orange tone which seeped out into the street where the still screaming Mayor waited on his beloved police.

"We figured out which buttons you gotta press!" Sophie said.

"Turns out books are pretty handy!" Denis said throwing his copy out at the Mayor.

"We got the lights on!" Charlie replied.

"I got the lights on!" Faye shouted over him.

"Did you find any records hanging around?" Sophie asked, running over to the controls.

"Erm no, no we didn't is that important?" Charlie asked.

"Lil bit," Denis replied scrambling through any drawer he could find, "They're mostly smashed here."

Charlie had joined the record hunt and found an unmarked black record at the bottom of a drawer covered in a thick layer of dust.

"Here, here I got one!" he said running over to Sophie's side.

"Hello! Not to alarm anyone but I think the police are here!" Faye shouted from the front door.

The police had not turned their sirens on and had slowly driven up to the curb and were in the middle of calming down the Mayor to found out what had happened.

With a few clicks here and dials turned there Sophie had gained control of the decrepit station.

"Pass me the record... Well wipe it down first, Charlie!" she said, making exasperated and hurrying motions at him.

Once Charlie had cleaned the dust from the record she took it from him and placed it onto the player.

"Now, what do you kids think you're doing?" A police officer asked as they walked into the building.

Sophie flipped a switch and the sign above the door lit up.

They were live on air!

Outside, at the very top of the tower way above anything else in the town a light shone out. The distinct green light of the towns very own radio station.

From both the police car and the Mayor's car music played filling the empty street with a joyful sound not heard in this town for many moons.

Denis ran out into the street and shouted as loud and as far as he could.

"Turn on your radios! We have music again! Turn on the radios!"

Second by second lights were appearing in windows up and down the street. The music grew louder and louder.

Whatever happened next Charlie, Sophie, Faye and Denis knew they had brought music back into town and that was all that mattered to them.