Dirk and I explained our childhood visitor on the way home. They already knew about our father of course and it really grated on me that they knew more about him than I did. My Mother rarely talked about him and it was only to say how wonderful he was. We had seen many pictures of him and he was handsome. In their wedding pictures they could have been stand ins for Ken and Barbie. When we were small we used to ask why he wasn’t around and Mother had always told us that he had to leave us but he didn’t want to. When we got older we translated this to mean he was dead. We just figured it would hurt her to actually say the words out loud so we didn’t press her.
“The briefcase!” Dirk exclaimed suddenly.
I turned in my seat to look at him. “What briefcase?”
“The one Strep had at the airport! He sat it down but never picked it back up!”
“It’s alright. It was a dummy drop.“ Simon said. When we looked at him blankly he continued. “Someone came along and sat in that seat for a while, got up and took the briefcase with them.” Simon explained.
“Wow so secret spy.” Dirk said.
Simon shrugged. “That is nothing. You should see some of our more creative ways to communicate.”
Dirk positively vibrated in his seat. The next James Bond in the making.
****
When we got home Mom was just finishing supper. She ran out to the SUV and all but held Robin and Simon at gunpoint to get them into the house to eat with us. She had put on a low country boil the moment I called to tell her we were on the way home from the hotel. We sat down at the patio table and Mom went to put the shrimp in the huge pot on the stove. The table was already set for five and a huge bread basket was in the middle of the table. I looked through the French doors where I could see my Mother’s slender frame bustling about the kitchen. She sure was eager.
“Eager for grandchildren.” Simon said.
I kicked him under the table.
“Ow.” he whined, rubbing his shin.
“Well what do you expect? Eavesdropper.”
“I can’t help it.”
“You know there are ways to block him out don’t you?” Robin asked.
Simon kicked her.
“Ow Simon. Geesh. What did you do that for?”
“I didn’t want her to know that.”
“You mean there are other ways besides humming?” I asked excitedly.
“Oh yes there are three ways.” She replied.
“Don’t tell her Robin. Lets see if she can figure them out herself. She already figured one out, lets see if she can do the other two.”
She shrugged.
“Are you game?” He asked me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Absolutely.”
Simon got up and opened the backdoor a few seconds before my Mom got to it with a huge pot in her hands. He had been sitting ten yards away with his back to the door which made me wonder what his range of mind reading was. Mom smiled up at him as she passed and gave him a look like he was the sweetest soon to be son-in-law in the world.
I groaned.
“What are you groaning about?” she asked as she dumped the contents of the pot on the butcher paper in the middle of the table. Shrimp, crab legs, red potatoes, sausage and corn on the cob went tumbling down in a heap. “Ladies do not groan.”
“Wow. This looks amazing.” Robin said.
“Just wait till you eat it.” Dirk said.
We said grace and ate like starving refugees, corn juice flying and crab legs cracking.
“That was one of the best meals I have ever eaten.” Simon said wiping some sweat off his brow.
My Mom smiled. “Shia is a good cook too. She always enjoys helping me out in the kitchen here at home and at the Lonely Pelican.”
I felt my face growing hot. I had to get myself under control and fast or I might spontaneously combust.
“Do you guys want to walk along the beach for a bit to walk off this food?” Dirk asked. I was grateful for his timely distraction.
Everyone accented except Mom who vehemently denied our offer to help clean up. She wouldn’t hear of it, all she wanted in the world was for us to go out and have a good time. Simon looked at me with a look that said “And to make grandbabies.” What was I going to do about this man?
“Well I wouldn’t be adverse to a kiss or two. Just to get things going. Grandbabies don‘t make themselves you know.” he said with a wink.
I rolled my eyes. “Men. They are all the same.”
“They all read minds?” he asked.
“Well you do have them there.”
He smiled down at me. “I am sorry. I just really like picking at you. I don’t mean anything by it.”
“I know or you would be on the floor twitching by now.”
He laughed out loud at this. “And how would you manage that?”
“With my mad Ninja skills of course.”
“Of course.”
Robin and Dirk were walking a few paces ahead of us. They were walking so close that their arms brushed against each other every so often. Dirk was asking her all about SID. He looked like a kid being told he could have all the chocolate at the Hershey’s factory. I had no idea my brother was a closet spy wannabe.
“So are you going to join too?” Simon asked me.
“I haven’t even thought about it.” I told him truthfully.
“I think you should.”
“But I have no abilities. What good would I be?”
“James has no abilities and look at him. Second in command.”
“He has a calculator for a brain. I just don’t have any real talents.”
“I disagree.”
I didn’t believe him other than the causing earthquake thing but he didn‘t know about that.
“What sort of things do members like me do in SID?”
“You do everything that we do except ability training. You will go through training and go on missions like the rest of us. Think of it as laid back boot camp. Slipper camp if you will. You learn to handle weapons of all kinds, you learn modern technology and we will even hone your mad ninja skills.”
I laughed. “Can you leave at any time or are you in for a set number of years like the military?”
“There is a minimum of three years of service but you will not be put in jail if you decide to quit with good reason.”
“And if I quit without good reason?”
“Honestly I’m not sure. It hasn’t happened since I have been in SID.”
“And how long has that been?”
“Oh about twenty five years ago.”
I felt my eyes grow wide. “Wow they recruit them early. How old were you?”
“Seven.”
That put him at thirty two. Good to know.
“Are people like me common in SID?” I asked.
“There are more members without abilities than with. They are mostly family members of those that are or have been in SID. We do not get a lot of outside recruits because we are virtually unknown and or not believed in.”
That made sense.
“So I am guessing headquarters is in Salt Lake City?”
He nodded.
“What would I be living in? How is it all structured?”
“You could live on base, in small apartment like dwellings that you share with one other member, for free or you can live off base at your own expense. Meals are provided three times daily in the mess hall also for free. We have laundry facilities, a small movie theatre and pretty much all of the creature comforts of living off base.”
“What about leaving ‘base’. Can I come and go whenever I please or are there restrictions.”
“The base is open for traffic from 6am to 8pm. If you want to stay out later you can get a hotel room and come back to base in the morning.”
We walked in silence for a bit while I turned all this information over in my head. Both Dirk and I had no money so getting free room and board and three square meals sounded great. Sharing a room was no big deal either. It would be like college again only I would be learning how to kick butt for real instead of just making it seem like it. The three year commitment really gave me pause.
“You have your whole life to think about it.” Simon said. “You could let Dirk tell you what it is like before you decide to join. There is no pressure.”
I smiled at him. “Thanks.”
Dirk and Robin were taking turns making the sand swirl around them. The sand would race in a straight line in front of them then twist and turn in an ‘S’ shape. Dirk made it twist and swirl back and forth around Robin’s ankles. She giggled prettily. She had a dainty giggle.
“Dirk’s control is really amazing for someone self trained.” Simon commented.
“He practiced constantly when we were growing up.”
“So did Robin but it took a trainer in the art of control to get her to be able to somewhat control her ability. I think he will be one of our top wind workers straight from the street.”
“Don’t tell him that. His ego is big enough as it is.”
“Tell me about it .” Simon said. “His mind is full of himself.”
“I can only imagine.” I shook my head.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Quake Chapters 5 and 6
Nnbb v gnhggccfvfbbbgbfvfvfvvfv bfbgb b bbbgngnvbfgghbvvbhbbvvbnmb vvvdvrvddvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvcffjrke,fjjynbjjjjhhbg rbxgbggyfhhnhbbb vbgbggbfffbvbgbggbgbggbhfbgbtgttgg5tdx -Emma age 3
I always enjoyed the drive to Salvation Baptist church. This drive was no exception even in light of all that had gone on the last few days. My world had shifted on it’s axis but this drive, with it’s scenic ocean views and sweet little multi colored beach houses with white picket fences had not changed one bit. I watched the scenery fly by via the backseat window. Mom was driving and Dirk was riding shotgun. Dirk always rode shotgun, claiming he got sick in the backseat. The baby. They were chatting happily about whether or not the Pelican’s menu needed to be updated. Mom was saying no while Dirk was saying yes. I couldn’t believe how easily Dirk could carry on as if only a little over seven hours away we were not meeting the head honcho of an unofficial government operation teeming with super humans. My mind was a swirling torrent of what nexts and what ifs.
Dirk laughed heartily, his blue eyes flashing. He just wasn’t a brooding sort of guy. I wished I could be more like him. More ‘take it as it comes’ but I just couldn’t make myself do it. I wanted to analyze it and worry about it.
After the phone call at the restaurant Dirk and I displayed our conflicting personalities perfectly. Dirk took it all in stride and talked excitedly about the prospect of the meeting. When he tired of that subject he rambled on about other more mundane things. He joked and Robin and Simon laughed. I on the other hand, brooded. I ran all sorts of possible scenarios and outcomes in my head which continued when we got home and well into the night. I was ready to get it all over with.
We pulled down a side street that went slightly uphill. The road ended into to church driveway. The brick was a light creamy color which made the building look fresh despite it‘s age. We had been going to this same church for as long as I could remember and my Mother the same before her. We walked in and were bombarded with family friends and neighbors. After several minutes of chit chat we made our way to an empty pew and waited for service to start. Soon the band began to play and we all stood up to sing. I was just digging down deep into a song when Simon sidled up next to me.
“Can you make room for two more?” He asked, looking down at me. His eyes were bright and full of mischief.
I am sure I would have spoken a reply had I any oxygen in my lungs. I stared at him in shock. Shock partly because he was there but mainly because of how he looked. He had his hair slicked back in a ponytail and he was wearing grey pants, tight black shirt and a grey jacket left open. He looked like he hadn’t shaved because he had a little stubble that was enough to drive a sane woman crazy.
I moved over without speaking because I still didn’t have air to speak with. I believe I recovered before he could read more than my shock at seeing him there. I hoped so anyway. Robin scooted in next to him wearing a yellow sun dress and white wedge sandals. She grinned at me, turned and began singing. I turned my attention back to service as well. After a minute I began to hear a low, deep voice drift down to me. It wasn’t a fantastic voice but it was mellow and soothing.
When worship began I expected to see the old pastor, Mr. Hilley to come to the pulpit. I was shocked to see his son, Rick Hilley jr. stand before us and begin to preach. Simon, no doubt sensing the distress of my mind looked quizzically down at me. I smiled at him and gave the appearance of brushing it off. I listened to Hilley jr. with rapt attention. It was a really good sermon which I am sure made his father, who I had spotted in the front row, extremely proud.
After the service we introduced Robin and Simon to our Mother as the owners of Colossians and not as the secret spies sent to watch our every move. We were told by Simon that we could inform her of what was really going on but should at least wait until after meeting their Chief of operations to make that decision.
She beamed at them and immediately asked them to brunch at the Littleton estate to which they graciously accepted. We milled about a while letting my Mom visit with her church lady friends and occasionally she cut her eyes to us a smiled a little slyly I thought.
“She is planning our weddings isn’t she?” I asked Simon.
“You should really let her pick out the dress. You will look amazing.” He replied.
“I hate you.” I told him and he laughed.
Just then I saw Rick coming towards us. Our eyes locked and he blanched a little.
“Shia.” He said smiling at me. “It is good to see you. It has been a very long time.” He looked at Simon.
“Oh this is Simon. He and Robin” I gestured towards her where she and Dirk were talking to an elderly couple “own the deli across the street from the Pelican.”
“Colossians?” He asked Simon.
“Yes.” Simon replied shortly.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Rick said holding out his hand to shake Simon’s. Simon shook it but he had the oddest expression on his face. Not having known Simon long I couldn’t pinpoint what it might mean. He looked like he wanted to groan or grimace. I couldn‘t fathom which. “I have not yet gotten around to eating there but I like the name. May I ask how you came by it?”
“My Grandfather named it for us. He said he liked the way it sounded.”
Rick nodded at Simon and turned to me. “So this was your first time sitting through one of my sermons.” He didn’t ask but I could read the question all over his face.
“Yes it was and I was a little shocked to see you up there instead of your father. Mother did not tell me he had retired.”
“It was only May when he announced his retirement. Everyone seems to be taking the transition well.” He informed me.
“I couldn’t see how they wouldn’t. It was a very powerful sermon. Every bit as poignant and full of the spirit as your father. I am not just saying that either.”
He smiled at me trying not to show how much my opinion mattered to him. I knew his expressions very well so I knew he was happy with my answer.
My Mother looked our way and noticed who I was talking to and her smiling expression was instantly tinted with sadness as it always did whenever Rick and I were in the same room together. Someone called to Rick so he made polite goodbyes and moved off into the crowd.
“Lets head to the car.” I said to Simon and he followed me out into the bright noonday sun.
“He loves you.” Simon said abruptly as we were weaving in and out of cars in the parking lot. I turned to face him.
“What?” I asked incredulously.
“That preacher. He still loves you. Do you love him?”
“What does that matter to you?” I asked irritated that he dared ask such a personal question. Why did he care?
He shrugged. “It doesn’t. I am only curious. He is a good man, he loves you and your Mother approves. Does being a preacher’s wife not appeal to you?”
I sighed. “He was my first love. Puppy love as my Mom calls it. We were young and at that time Rick didn’t know what he wanted to be. He wasn’t sure he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father. His father never pressured him. He gave him all the room to find his own calling. We spent a year and a half together in high school trying to figure out what we wanted to be when we grew up. When graduation came I had visions of Hollywood dancing in my head. At first Rick supported me and decided to go with me and enroll in college there but at the last minute he told me he felt called to the service of the Lord and planned to enroll in seminary. He was accepted into New Orleans Baptist, which is a big deal and also where his father studied. He wanted me to marry him and go with him to New Orleans. We couldn’t stay together there and not be married.”
“And let me guess. You didn’t want to get married?” He asked.
“Not at all. Nor did I want to live in New Orleans. I was convinced all I had to do was show up in L.A. to land the starring roles in five big production movies.” I sighed at myself. “I was foolish.”
“So you regret leaving him?”
“Oh no, I regret the naivety of my younger self. I really wasn’t ready for marriage and I don’t think he was either. And I admit the life of a preacher’s wife wasn’t that appealing to an eighteen year old.”
“What about now? Is it appealing now?” Simon asked, searching my face since my humming kept him mostly in the dark. “He is a good man.”
“Gheesh! Are you trying to marry me off too? Your worse than my Mother!” I admonished. “It has nothing to do with the preacher’s wife part. I would actually like to love the person I marry. I will always cherish the memory of what we had but I don’t love him.” I waved my hands in the air in exasperation. “Is there anything else you would like to know Dr. Phil?”
He laughed and shook his head. “He is seeing a nice divorced woman with two kids. He is thinking of asking her to marry him. He would drop her for you in a heartbeat but he senses how you feel and accepts it and I admire him for it. If I were in love I would never let her get away so easy.”
“Even if she didn’t love you?” I asked.
He turned slightly wild hazel eyes on me. “I would make her love me.” He said menacingly.
Yikes.
****
Mom and I started cooking brunch as soon as we walked in the door while Dirk gave Simon and Robin a tour of the house. Thirty minutes later we all rendezvoused in the sun room. Our first course was frittata and orange juice with fried potatoes and fruit. Afterwards I handed out cinnamon rolls and coffee.
“Do you want cream and sugar?” I asked Dirk.
“Does a bear poop in the woods?” He asked me.
“Everyday.” I replied setting the sugar bowl and cream in front of him.
“So Shia tells me your cousins?” Mom asked. “Is this on your Mother’s or your Father’s side?”
“Father’s.” Robin said.
“What is your last name?” She asked them.
“Tracy.” Simon replied. “Both of us. Robin has not yet married.”
“And you have?” Asked my Mother.
“Yes. I am divorced.”
Why that hit me like a hammer I don’t know but it was a lot better for me to imagine Simon just appeared out of thin air sans a past. It was bad enough for me to try not to dwell on past girlfriends but a past wife? That was hard to ignore.
“How long ago?” Mom asked him.
“Moooom! Don’t you think that is a little personal?” I asked mortified.
“It’s ok.” Simon said. “I don’t mind. We were married for one year. I will give you the super short version. She got pregnant, we got married, we lost the baby and then soon realized wanting a baby was the only thing we had in common. So we divorced. That was three years ago.”
We sat in silence for a couple beats. “Where did you two grow up? You sound mid-western.” Mom asked.
“We grew up in upstate Ohio until we were in first grade. Then our parents moved to Salt Lake City. We moved here from there about a month ago.”
“So your families must be pretty close to move together.” Dirk observed.
“Yes. They are. Simon, James and I grew up more like brothers and sister than cousins. James is Simon’s younger brother.”
Simon glanced at his watch. “Speaking of James, we need to head to the airport to meet him. He is coming in today for a short visit. Shia, Dirk would you like to come with us?”
“Sure.” Dirk said and I nodded.
Mother wouldn’t hear of us helping her clean up so within five minutes Robin and I were loaded up in the back of Simons green SUV headed towards the Pensacola airport.
“We are not really meeting your brother are we? He isn’t the CEO of SID is he?” Dirk asked.
“No he isn’t the CEO but he is our direct superior. He is the chief’s right hand man so I am assuming he will be with him. He normally always is with him.”
“You said back at Rivera’s that you call your direct superior, Noodle. Why do you call your brother noodle?” I asked.
Robin laughed and Simon smiled. “I’ll let you guess when you meet him.”
“Does he have super abilities like you and Robin?” Dirk asked.
Simon shook his head. “No, but that didn’t stop him from joining SID and rising in the ranks faster than anyone ever has to my knowledge.”
“I think he does have abilities but they are just unrecognized.” Robin said. “He has math super powers, he can figure anything out and make it work with less cost and more efficiency, he can turn two people who were about to strangle each other into best friends and in such a way they can’t remember how he did it. In my opinion Noodle’s super powers are greater than most of ours.” She grinned. “But please don’t tell him I said that. He has a terrible case of the ego already.”
“He sounds interesting.” I said.
“One of a kind.” Simon agreed.
****
James appeared out of the gate first. As Simon had said it was pretty obvious why he was called Noodle. He was very tall and thin with equally long gangly legs and arms that hung so long they flapped around like wet noodles. Whereas Simon’s hands were broad and massive with thick fingers, Noodle’s hands were broad but with thin, tapered fingers like that a pianist would envy. They did share the same hair and eye color and there was something similar about the shape of the jaw. The rest of their facial features were worlds apart. Simon had a broad nose while Noodle’s was thin and straight. Their eyes, even though the same color were of different shapes. Simon’s was an almond shape while Noodle’s were more rounded. Noodle’s mouth was wide with full lips and his teeth were straight but a bit yellowed. His overall appearance was friendly and he smiled jovially at us.
“Boy are you guys in trouble!” He exclaimed happily as he approached us. He nodded to me as he hugged his cousin and then his brother. He patted Simon on the back. “Just you wait to see who came, in person, to scold you.” He looked at us like we were giving him a Christmas present.
We all turned and watched as people streamed out of the terminal. When I saw a familiar balding head and slightly hunched gait I gasped.
“Uncle Strep?” Dirk asked unbelievingly to the man who set a brown leather briefcase on the ground next to a row of chairs we were standing next to and held out his hand for Dirk to shake. Dirk shook it. “Um, long time no see.”
I smiled weakly at him as he came to shake my hand. His grip was as firm as ever and I made sure mine matched his. He shook Simon and Robin’s hands as well. “Let’s head to the car where we can talk. I assume you have a suitable car for us?” He said to Simon.
“Indeed I do sir.” Simon solemnly replied.
Simon looked worried and a little green. Robin looked like she was a startled deer that might take off at any second. Then it hit me. Uncle Strep was the Chief commanding officer of an unofficial military division. Holy guacamole.
“I will answer any and all questions in the car.” Uncle Strep said no doubt seeing my half opened mouth.
Chapter 6
I assumed we would be getting back into the SUV and was surprised when a man appeared out of nowhere and took Strep’s luggage from him and stowed it in the trunk of a shiny black Hummer. I looked over at Dirk and his eyebrows rose so far they disappeared behind his blonde bangs. Strep and Dirk climbed in the back and gestured for me to do the same. I looked at Simon and Robin.
“We will meet you at the hotel.” Simon said, answering my mental musings.
I nodded and climbed into the third row seat next to Dirk. Strep reached under his seat and flipped a latch. He swiveled his seat to face us then flipped the latch back into place. He looked at us. He looked so much older than the last time we had seen him. Older than even almost ten years should warrant. His demeanor seemed tired and almost haggard until you looked into his eyes. They were cunning, bright and unwavering.
“I want to answer your first question before you even ask it. No I am not your Uncle.”
“Then why did you tell us you were?” Dirk asked.
“It was your Mother’s idea. She thought a strange man coming to see you once a year would be less suspicious if you thought I was related to you.”
“Why did you come then?”
“It was in your father’s will. I followed his instructions. Being a member of SID his survivors were entitled to a survivor benefit. He asked that I hand deliver it to you and see how you were getting on. I am not exactly good with children but I did the best I could.”
I thought back to him sitting awkwardly on our couch asking us how school was and what our friends names were and what we liked to do for fun. He never really seemed interested in the answer.
“I was really good friends with your father and respected him even more. You see he was the head of the organization then.”
There was a long silence while my brother and I tried to digest this information.
“So our father is dead then.” I said more as a statement than a question.
“He went missing during his last mission. Given the nature of the mission the hope of him being still alive is non existent.”
“What was his last mission?”
“That is classified.”
“Why were we never told about SID?” Dirk asked.
“That was your father again. George wanted to keep you from joining and risking your lives like he did. He hoped you both would be duds but it was evident early one that Dirk at least had an ability. Maebell wasn’t too keen on you joining either. I believe it was a joint decision.”
“So who are you really?”
“I am Robert Strepshire, Head of operations of the Special Intelligence Division. That is all you need to know at the moment.”
I sat back and looked out the window. I needed to think. (K,kkkkkkkkkkjhlkojg [my 3 year old again]) I wanted to scream. It was too much to process.
“I want to join.” Dirk said suddenly. I looked at him, surprised.
“We would love to have you.” Strepshire said. “But first I will need to make sure you know what you are getting into. If you are serious about this come by the hotel at ten tomorrow morning and I will have James debrief you. If you still choose to join you will sign the necessary paperwork and be off.”
“Be off where?” I asked.
“To Salt Lake City. That is where our base is. We eat, sleep and train there. This is not a spur of the moment decision. This is more like joining the military. Once your in you are committed for at least six years and then you are up for a renewal.”
“If I join will I have access to my father’s files?” Dirk asked.
“To most of them, yes. That is not a good reason to join Dirk. This is not the boy scouts.”
Dirk stared at him. “Yes sir.”
A short while later we arrived at the Crestwood hotel and spa. Simon and Robin were waiting for us at the entrance. We got out and Strepshire offered Dirk his hand. Dirk shook it.
“I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.” He told him and Dirk nodded.
He turned to me. “I can’t help but think of you as my uncle.” I said ”You were the only family I thought I had on my Dad’s side. My only connection to him. Will you allow me to continue to call you uncle?” Something indefinable passed over his eyes. He stood staring at me not knowing what to say or to do. Then he sighed and said. “Of course you can.”
I smiled and hugged him. He was even more astonished at this and hugged me back awkwardly. He didn’t seem to be a man who was used to physical touch. It made me wonder if he was married. I looked for a ring and didn’t see one.
Without another word he turned and walked into the hotel. Simon and Robin came up to us, their faces twin masks of shock.
“What?” I asked.
“You just hugged him!” Robin exclaimed.
“Yeah, so what? What’s the big deal? I’m a southern girl. We like hugs around here. You were at church this morning. You saw.”
Robin shook her head. “Your crazy is what you are. It would be like hugging a porcupine or a wild boar.”
I laughed. “I have hugged that man many times. I thought until about an hour ago that he was my Uncle. So I think I am entitled to hug him. Anyway, it has been a rough day and I would like to get back to the house now if that is ok with you two.”
They stood gaping at us again.
“Do you want me to drive?” Dirk asked.
Blade's Fall Chapters 5 and partial 6
The thought of laying in wait for the three villains fled Loflan’s mind as he hurried to do whatever Maude instructed him. Time seemed to drag and fly by at the same time. Finally, several hours after dusk her fever broke and her breathing evened out. Loflan sighed with relief and fell into a chair by the bed. He rested his head in his hands. He hadn’t felt this tired in a long time. This mental exhaustion was worse than any physical. He would rather run a thousand miles than feel so helpless again as she thrashed and moaned. She looked so broken and bruised. Several times he just knew she was dying but somehow she had pulled through.
“Who?” A hoarse, feeble voice tried to ask.
Loflan’s head snapped up. He must have fallen asleep because his neck was stiff and the sudden jerk sent sharp pains radiating through his neck.
Maude jumped out of her chair and was next to her in a flash. He couldn’t tell if Maude had been sleeping too.
“You are safe, little one.” Maude said to her in hushed tones.
Her eyes darted frantically around the room. They found Loflan. He had just a moment to register that under her swollen and bruised eyelids, her eyes were a russet color before she made a whimpering noise and closed her eyes tight. She started to struggle with her coverings trying to move back as far from him as she could. Loflan understood and disappeared out of the room.
“Shhhh little one. He is gone now. Do not worry about him, he wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Maude crooned in a motherly voice.
Loflan laughed as he sat down by the fire. He took a deep breath and pulled the magic from the air. This was mundane magic so the air felt cool as it raced through his body and filled his lungs. His eyes became vacant and devoid of the brightness they usually held. Loflan pushed his vision into the small mirror set above hearth in his bedroom. The mirror, like most everything in Loflan’s house was bound to him by a little of his blood so it readily accepted the intrusion. He chose the mirror because it gave him a clear view of the bedroom and more importantly, the bed itself. Seeing through his bound objects was tricky and dangerous. He was still in his body but his vision was not so he had no idea what was going on around his body. Loflan did not like feeling vulnerable in any way so he did not use this skill often.
Loflan could see Maude sitting next to the bedside table on the right side of the bed. She was holding a cup to the woman’s lips for her to drink. Loflan gathered more magic to him and pushed most of his hearing into the candlestick on the bedside table. The sounds in the room opened up to him.
“There, there little one. You are doing fine. Drink just a bit more of this water and then you can rest some more.” Maude was whispering to her.
“Who ahre ooo?” she asked. Her voice was so hoarse it was barely audible.
“Who am I?” Maude asked.
She nodded.
“Why my name is Maude and that handsome gentleman you saw earlier is Loflan. And who might you be?”
She drank more water before she answered. “E-lay-tha.” She drew out each syllable in an effort to make them distinct.
“Elatha.” Maude said contemptually. “I have never heard it before. I like it.” She smiled sweetly. It made her wrinkles smooth out and she looked like she could really be the harmless sweet old lady she pretended to be. “Now that is enough talk for now little one. Now it is time for rest.”
Elatha nodded to her and lay back upon her pillows and closed her eyes. It was not long before her breathing became even as sleep took her. Whether she fell asleep on her own or if Maude had helped her he couldn’t tell.
Maude looked up into the mirror. “No use in wasting so much energy to watch a girl sleep.” Maude said with an upraised eyebrow.
Loflan pulled his senses back to him and smiled.
****
Elatha of the Southlands slept soundly all through the night and into the next morning. Maude knew Loflan was up and about because she felt a whisper of him inside the mirror again. He did not linger long. She sent out her own magic and found him. He was on his training platform as he liked to call it. There was a trail that went a good distance up Sorsen if not all the way to it’s summit. About a quarter of the way up it branched off and lead back down to a platform of rock that jutted out over the tops of an outcropping of trees. This is where Loflan went every morning to train.
Maude’s magic was of a kind that did not always need binding to work. She sent her vision out to no particular place, just the general area where Loflan was playing with his sword. He was wearing close fitting pants that flared slightly mid calf and boots. That was it. Being above him in her current viewpoint Maude saw his lean muscled shoulders and corded arms flexing as he worked on his draw. His scabbard was straped to his back and he was drawing Banisher and resheathing it in a blur of motion. He was practicing his greatest strength. The running attack. As she had guessed soon Loflan began running. The platform was more long than wide so he had ample room to run, unsheathe Banisher and preform an areial jump while slicing the unseen enemy’s head off. He turned and proceeded to twist and turn and spin all the while slicing an invisible army to ribbons. His hard muscled chest was driping with sweat when he stopped at the point in which he had started his attack. He squatted, legs apart and rocked from side to side warming up his thighs. Loflan’s ability to run fast was a new one even to Maude. She never before came across a man who run at top speed and to such great distances without tiring out. The fabric of his pants strained against his thighs as he rocked a moment more. Then he began to run. About midway across the exspanse he suddenly stopped and looked up directly at the point in which Maude was watching him.
Well done. She thought as she looked down at his handsome face. His hair was slick with sweat but he still looked radiant to her. If she had ever been able to have a son, this would have been what she would have wanted. Handsome, brave, loyal to a fault and ruthless.
She brought herself back to the bedroom not a minute before the girl’s eyes opened.
****
Elatha looked at the old woman wearily. She was whispering nonsense to her again. She wondered who this lady thought she was fooling with her smiles and nods. She wasn’t buying the act. This woman may look like a little old lady with her whispy grey hair that would not stay under her little silk cap, her lined face and slightly stooped posture but Elatha knew there was something more to her. Her eyes gave it away. They were the color of quicksilver and sometimes she swore she saw is shift and swirl like oil on the surface of water.
She tuned in to whatever it was she was saying for a minute to see if it was anything important besides her usual blathering. She knew she should be grateful to them, the old woman and the man. She was just so broken and so…..so angry. She really just wanted to be alone to cry in peace. She slept so much that when she woke she wanted to try to think and clear her head but the old woman was always there, wiping her face, making her drink some water or vile tasting potion or helping her to relieve herself which was so frustrating and degrading.
All at once Elatha noticed the room was silent. Fear and panic slammed into her chest. Was something wrong? She turned to see Maude studying her.
“I get the feeling you would rather me shut up? Yes?” Maude asked her.
Elatha smiled and it hurt. She nodded.
“Do you want me to leave?” Maude asked.
Panic rose up in her chest at the thought of being alone. She wanted to speak but it hurt too much so she shook her head.
Maude nodded at her. “I understand. I will be right here if you need me. I only want you to know you are safe and that I am here for you. I understand your not wanting to be fussed over. I wouldn’t either. I just didn’t know how you would be.” Maude smiled at her and retired to a chair in the far corner of the room.
It was the same chair the man had sat in. Maude may say he was harmless but he sure didn’t look like it to her. A handsomer man she had never seen but a man with a more menacing air about him she had never seen either. He looked as if he could charm you while he ran you through with the enormous sword attached to his belt. His eyes were like smoke and where Maudes swirled his seemed to smoulder like a fire.
She wanted to cry but her eyes were too swollen. She wanted to scream but her throat was raw from it. She wanted to run but her ankles were broken. She could not believe this nightmare was really her life and now she was certain she was in a house full of Sorsenian witches. She had never been near witches before or even knew what they looked like but she felt that they were. All of the warnings drilled into her as a child from her professors and parents came back to her. Anyone above our border is a witch. All witches are evil and not to be trusted. That is why we live here, safe and protected from their taint. It had been especially important to teach the people of Colostra because it was the royal city and so near the border. If an attack were to come it would certainly come to them.
From all the terrible stories and warnings ever told to her she never heard of a group of witches saving any one.
“They must think I am from here.” she thought. “What will they do once they find out I am a south Escapian?”
This thought troubled her many a day while nightmares of her three assailants haunted her by night.
Chapter 6
“I don’t understand it.” Maude said as she made afternoon tea.
“You don’t get what?” Loflan inquired.
“Why did they come back?”
“Who?”
“Our three Queen’s guardsman.”
It had been nearly three weeks since he had found Elatha. Loflan had been so busy preparing the house for the impending winter and to make it comfortable for two women that her captors had not been foremost in his mind. Though he knew that would slowly change as time went on. His vow would soon start to haunt him and get worse until Banisher sliced them in two.
“I believe they were to travel farther into Sorsenia but decided to only go four days for whatever reason. They left her body on the side of the road where she would be found. I believe they knew the usual practice of us Sorsenians and so knew we would burn her body when she was found. They waited in town for news of her demise. When they got it, they left.”
“So you believe they were really acting on orders.” Maude said.
Loflan nodded. “Yes. They wouldn’t care where they dropped her otherwise. They would have just had their way with her and dropped her on the other side of the border.”
“Elatha’s vocal cords are healing well. She talkes quite plainly now. I do not ask her about her past and she doesn’t offer me any information willingly. I believe I am ready to hear her side of the story. I want to know if she really is a theif though I would bet my life she is not."
There was a silence between them as Maude took the kettle off the stove.
"I like her.” Maude confessed as she poured the tea into three earthenware cups. “She does not give way to grief nor have I heard her complain. Well she only complains when I fuss over her. I think she is either strong willed or a simpleton. She does not say much though I know that by now she can. Tonight after supper I plan to engage her in more serious conversation.”
“I will be sure to listen in.” Loflan said and winked.
“You do that.”
****
“Who?” A hoarse, feeble voice tried to ask.
Loflan’s head snapped up. He must have fallen asleep because his neck was stiff and the sudden jerk sent sharp pains radiating through his neck.
Maude jumped out of her chair and was next to her in a flash. He couldn’t tell if Maude had been sleeping too.
“You are safe, little one.” Maude said to her in hushed tones.
Her eyes darted frantically around the room. They found Loflan. He had just a moment to register that under her swollen and bruised eyelids, her eyes were a russet color before she made a whimpering noise and closed her eyes tight. She started to struggle with her coverings trying to move back as far from him as she could. Loflan understood and disappeared out of the room.
“Shhhh little one. He is gone now. Do not worry about him, he wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Maude crooned in a motherly voice.
Loflan laughed as he sat down by the fire. He took a deep breath and pulled the magic from the air. This was mundane magic so the air felt cool as it raced through his body and filled his lungs. His eyes became vacant and devoid of the brightness they usually held. Loflan pushed his vision into the small mirror set above hearth in his bedroom. The mirror, like most everything in Loflan’s house was bound to him by a little of his blood so it readily accepted the intrusion. He chose the mirror because it gave him a clear view of the bedroom and more importantly, the bed itself. Seeing through his bound objects was tricky and dangerous. He was still in his body but his vision was not so he had no idea what was going on around his body. Loflan did not like feeling vulnerable in any way so he did not use this skill often.
Loflan could see Maude sitting next to the bedside table on the right side of the bed. She was holding a cup to the woman’s lips for her to drink. Loflan gathered more magic to him and pushed most of his hearing into the candlestick on the bedside table. The sounds in the room opened up to him.
“There, there little one. You are doing fine. Drink just a bit more of this water and then you can rest some more.” Maude was whispering to her.
“Who ahre ooo?” she asked. Her voice was so hoarse it was barely audible.
“Who am I?” Maude asked.
She nodded.
“Why my name is Maude and that handsome gentleman you saw earlier is Loflan. And who might you be?”
She drank more water before she answered. “E-lay-tha.” She drew out each syllable in an effort to make them distinct.
“Elatha.” Maude said contemptually. “I have never heard it before. I like it.” She smiled sweetly. It made her wrinkles smooth out and she looked like she could really be the harmless sweet old lady she pretended to be. “Now that is enough talk for now little one. Now it is time for rest.”
Elatha nodded to her and lay back upon her pillows and closed her eyes. It was not long before her breathing became even as sleep took her. Whether she fell asleep on her own or if Maude had helped her he couldn’t tell.
Maude looked up into the mirror. “No use in wasting so much energy to watch a girl sleep.” Maude said with an upraised eyebrow.
Loflan pulled his senses back to him and smiled.
****
Elatha of the Southlands slept soundly all through the night and into the next morning. Maude knew Loflan was up and about because she felt a whisper of him inside the mirror again. He did not linger long. She sent out her own magic and found him. He was on his training platform as he liked to call it. There was a trail that went a good distance up Sorsen if not all the way to it’s summit. About a quarter of the way up it branched off and lead back down to a platform of rock that jutted out over the tops of an outcropping of trees. This is where Loflan went every morning to train.
Maude’s magic was of a kind that did not always need binding to work. She sent her vision out to no particular place, just the general area where Loflan was playing with his sword. He was wearing close fitting pants that flared slightly mid calf and boots. That was it. Being above him in her current viewpoint Maude saw his lean muscled shoulders and corded arms flexing as he worked on his draw. His scabbard was straped to his back and he was drawing Banisher and resheathing it in a blur of motion. He was practicing his greatest strength. The running attack. As she had guessed soon Loflan began running. The platform was more long than wide so he had ample room to run, unsheathe Banisher and preform an areial jump while slicing the unseen enemy’s head off. He turned and proceeded to twist and turn and spin all the while slicing an invisible army to ribbons. His hard muscled chest was driping with sweat when he stopped at the point in which he had started his attack. He squatted, legs apart and rocked from side to side warming up his thighs. Loflan’s ability to run fast was a new one even to Maude. She never before came across a man who run at top speed and to such great distances without tiring out. The fabric of his pants strained against his thighs as he rocked a moment more. Then he began to run. About midway across the exspanse he suddenly stopped and looked up directly at the point in which Maude was watching him.
Well done. She thought as she looked down at his handsome face. His hair was slick with sweat but he still looked radiant to her. If she had ever been able to have a son, this would have been what she would have wanted. Handsome, brave, loyal to a fault and ruthless.
She brought herself back to the bedroom not a minute before the girl’s eyes opened.
****
Elatha looked at the old woman wearily. She was whispering nonsense to her again. She wondered who this lady thought she was fooling with her smiles and nods. She wasn’t buying the act. This woman may look like a little old lady with her whispy grey hair that would not stay under her little silk cap, her lined face and slightly stooped posture but Elatha knew there was something more to her. Her eyes gave it away. They were the color of quicksilver and sometimes she swore she saw is shift and swirl like oil on the surface of water.
She tuned in to whatever it was she was saying for a minute to see if it was anything important besides her usual blathering. She knew she should be grateful to them, the old woman and the man. She was just so broken and so…..so angry. She really just wanted to be alone to cry in peace. She slept so much that when she woke she wanted to try to think and clear her head but the old woman was always there, wiping her face, making her drink some water or vile tasting potion or helping her to relieve herself which was so frustrating and degrading.
All at once Elatha noticed the room was silent. Fear and panic slammed into her chest. Was something wrong? She turned to see Maude studying her.
“I get the feeling you would rather me shut up? Yes?” Maude asked her.
Elatha smiled and it hurt. She nodded.
“Do you want me to leave?” Maude asked.
Panic rose up in her chest at the thought of being alone. She wanted to speak but it hurt too much so she shook her head.
Maude nodded at her. “I understand. I will be right here if you need me. I only want you to know you are safe and that I am here for you. I understand your not wanting to be fussed over. I wouldn’t either. I just didn’t know how you would be.” Maude smiled at her and retired to a chair in the far corner of the room.
It was the same chair the man had sat in. Maude may say he was harmless but he sure didn’t look like it to her. A handsomer man she had never seen but a man with a more menacing air about him she had never seen either. He looked as if he could charm you while he ran you through with the enormous sword attached to his belt. His eyes were like smoke and where Maudes swirled his seemed to smoulder like a fire.
She wanted to cry but her eyes were too swollen. She wanted to scream but her throat was raw from it. She wanted to run but her ankles were broken. She could not believe this nightmare was really her life and now she was certain she was in a house full of Sorsenian witches. She had never been near witches before or even knew what they looked like but she felt that they were. All of the warnings drilled into her as a child from her professors and parents came back to her. Anyone above our border is a witch. All witches are evil and not to be trusted. That is why we live here, safe and protected from their taint. It had been especially important to teach the people of Colostra because it was the royal city and so near the border. If an attack were to come it would certainly come to them.
From all the terrible stories and warnings ever told to her she never heard of a group of witches saving any one.
“They must think I am from here.” she thought. “What will they do once they find out I am a south Escapian?”
This thought troubled her many a day while nightmares of her three assailants haunted her by night.
Chapter 6
“I don’t understand it.” Maude said as she made afternoon tea.
“You don’t get what?” Loflan inquired.
“Why did they come back?”
“Who?”
“Our three Queen’s guardsman.”
It had been nearly three weeks since he had found Elatha. Loflan had been so busy preparing the house for the impending winter and to make it comfortable for two women that her captors had not been foremost in his mind. Though he knew that would slowly change as time went on. His vow would soon start to haunt him and get worse until Banisher sliced them in two.
“I believe they were to travel farther into Sorsenia but decided to only go four days for whatever reason. They left her body on the side of the road where she would be found. I believe they knew the usual practice of us Sorsenians and so knew we would burn her body when she was found. They waited in town for news of her demise. When they got it, they left.”
“So you believe they were really acting on orders.” Maude said.
Loflan nodded. “Yes. They wouldn’t care where they dropped her otherwise. They would have just had their way with her and dropped her on the other side of the border.”
“Elatha’s vocal cords are healing well. She talkes quite plainly now. I do not ask her about her past and she doesn’t offer me any information willingly. I believe I am ready to hear her side of the story. I want to know if she really is a theif though I would bet my life she is not."
There was a silence between them as Maude took the kettle off the stove.
"I like her.” Maude confessed as she poured the tea into three earthenware cups. “She does not give way to grief nor have I heard her complain. Well she only complains when I fuss over her. I think she is either strong willed or a simpleton. She does not say much though I know that by now she can. Tonight after supper I plan to engage her in more serious conversation.”
“I will be sure to listen in.” Loflan said and winked.
“You do that.”
****
Monday, September 24, 2012
Blade's Fall Chapter Four
Loflan dismounted Glydenhall as they approached town. Middleton was a good sized town but the avenues and lanes are narrow. It is easier to lead Glydenhall through than to ride him. Glydenhall was also towing a small cart which made negotiating the streets even more tricky.
The first stop on his list was the chandler shop. Considering it would be a while before they broke the news of their magic user status to their ward have lights floating around the house was out of the question. Loflan did have some candles that he used when he needed light and all of his concentration at the same time but it was not nearly enough for winter.
The chandler’s shop was a well kept timber building on the outskirts of town. The family who owned, worked and lived in the shop also kept cattle and various other livestock for slaughter. The matron of the shop, Charla, stood behind the counter and greeted him kindly as he entered. That may be a typical greeting for anybody else to receive but it always touched Loflan as he did not get an excess of friendly salutaions. Soon he was loading up his cart with a winter’s worth of oils and wax. He also ordered one sow and six chickens for slaughter that he would pick up on his way home. His next stop was to one of the town’s two taverns. This tavern’s outside was completely nondescript. A long rectangular box shaped building with heavily draped window. A swinging wooden sign proclaiming it to be The Darden in weatherbeaten black paint. The inside was a different story entirely. The Darden was a room of reflections. All of it’s surfaces whether it be wooden, glass or stone was polished to a highly reflective sheen. It smelled of sweet tasting cigars and exspensive bourbon. The soft lantern glow and flickering of candle flames gave the whole space a feeling of relaxing after a hard days work. You didn’t hear raukus laughter or shouts in the Darden. Patrons were typically well to do land or business owners and wealthy travellers or traders so talk was a low resonant sound that was almost a deep hum and buzz. Loflan was not a drinker but he loved it here. It was nice to talk to other human men and learn the latest news after being cooped up in Sorsen mountain for a while. Another feature that kept the drunk population down and Loflan loved was there were no seats at the Darden. Only tall tables and a long bar that ran the whole length of the rectangular space. When patrons started to get weak kneed it was about time to go anyway. There were also pillars of polished timbers dotted here and there throughout the room serving a dual purpose, one to break up the room and the other to hold the roof up. Leaning against one of these was Loflan’s favorte place to rest. People usually came up to him to talk or gossip and not the other way around. If there was any news to be heard he would hear it there. It was not long before a glass of amber liquid was in his hand and several patrons had breezed by him exchanging greetings and juicy bits of news. The people here were friendly with him because they knew him. Many were clients of his needing his services for their lands or as protection for their goods or bodies. While they did their best not to show it, to only show respect, he still caught glimpses of fear in their eyes. Loflan’s power of banishing was so unknown and foreign to modern magic users that it brought fear to the upper and middle classes and terror and loathing to the rest. Though he would like to not be so feared and misunderstood he wouldn’t trade his skill for anything. He was chosen to bear this burden and he bore it well.
Nothing of much interest was passing as it was early and not very crowded so he decided to make a circuit around the room. His ears caught the words “She just vanished into thin air.” in the unmistakable high pitch of a dwarf so he sidled up closer so he could over hear. There were four dwarves at the low table. The Darden had three such dwarf sized tables for the little traders. All dwarves are of noble blood with deep pockets and an even deeper burbon tolerance so to cater to dwarves was a very smart move. Dwarves were curious creatures. The majority of their kind were to content to live underground in large cities, mining metals and precious stones, while some preferred to live alone or in small settlements above ground trading what was mined for food, cloth and all the other things dwarves can not make themselves.
“Just vanished you say?” asked the dwarf across from the one who had first spoken.
“Yes, right out of the field. One minute she was picking apples and the next she was gone.” the first dwarf repeated. He lowered his nasally voice to a high pitched conspiratorial whisper “And that wasn’t the only one to disappear from that very same town either.”
“No?” The second dwarf gasped. “How many?”
“Three. Three have gone missing in that town alone. Silmilar stories have been spreading through other towns on the west side. People are just disappearing.. Pop,” the dwarf snapped his chubby fingers for emphasis “and their gone.”
A hush fell between them for a moment then the second dwarf asked “What about this town? Any disappearances from here?”
“Not that I have heard. We are too far east anyway. This is your territory. It seems whatever it is hasn‘t gotten this far…yet. I doubt it will be able to do anything in this part of the world anyway.”
“How so?”
“Old Sorsen, of course.“
The other Dwarf raised his bushy eyebrows , clearly not comprehending.
“He was the most powerful user there ever was you know.” the dwarf looked at his companion with a look that suggested maybe he thought his arrow didn’t fly too far from his bow. “He died here though no one actually saw his body. It is said his body is somewhere deep inside Sorsen Mountian. He lived in the mountain for hundereds of years and put all sorts of wardings and castings about the place. That kind of deep magic doesn’t go away. Plus the new Banisher lives up at the mountain now too. From what I hear he isn’t near as strong a user as Sorsen but he’s no pushover either. That sword of his cuts through baddies like they were made of butter.”
Loflan smiled. They had no idea the man next to them was the very Banisher they spoke of.
“What do you think is taking the people and what for? Asked the second dwarf.
“No idea. Some say a powerful user is gathering people and binding them somehow to build an army against all the free people.”
“Do you think it could be the Banisher?” the second dwarf squeaked.
“No, no that goes against his nature. His nature is to banish evil and its minions. The sword does not choose a man with a black heart.”
The second dwarf nodded.
Loflan moved away. There were not talking about his missing girl but their news did trouble him. There was only two ways to bind one human to another, by parenting or marrying. You can not marry more than one person so it could not be that sort of binding. A user finding a way to bind people to himself with wicked intent was unsettling. Whatever was going on he knew he would be called to sort it out sooner or later. He just hoped it was later to give the woman time to recover.
After a few more rounds he was certain he had learned all the worthwhile news to learn in the Darden so he went back to Gly and lead her to the grocery. No friendly reception here. Loflan bought what he needed and left without the clerk so much as looking at him. The apothecary was much the same except the shop owner and Loflan traded. Loflan traded his ready mixed salves and tinctures for the apothecary’s raw imported ingredients Loflan couldn’t grow or get himself. The apothecary tried to act as though he didn’t desperately want Loflan’s wares because they were far superior to his own and Loflan tried not to let the apothecary know he knew.
After this he led Gly to the Broken Bottle. An aptly named bar known for it’s rough housers. The opposite of the Darden, the Broken Bottle was covered in grime and filth. The beer was cheap and more likely than not to give you stomach problems the next day. The whole room fell silent as Loflan came in. Every rough and tumble eye looked towards him with open hostility. These men prided themselves on being the meanest and toughest so when Loflan walked in and ordered a whiskey they felt their status threatened. Talk gradually resumed but Loflan knew it was a mistake going there. They did not trust him and so wouldn’t tell him anything. Loflan surveyed the crowd and knew he would not leave unchallenged. These men had something to prove and there was no better man to prove it against than the mighty Banisher. They thought Loflan was arrogant and flippant about his power when in reality they were dissatisfied with themselves and blamed Loflan for their own shortcomings. They were jealous of his power but they didn’t even understand it. They saw him seemingly murder family and friends instead of seeing him destroy family and friends being ridden by dark spirits. It wasn’t Loflan’s fault and it wasn’t even the spirt’s fault, they were just doing what came natural to them. It was the people who were so power hungry they called the spirits to them that were ultimately to blame.
After Loflan finished his whiskey he set a coin on the table and turned to leave. A burly red faced man stood in front of the open doorway.
“Where do you think your going, pretty boy. Lets see just how tough you are without using that sword of yours.” He snickered and a few other patrons sniggered with him.
Without breaking his stride Loflan called the wind to him and concentrated it in his right hand. The air around him shimmered as if heat were radiating from his body. As he drew near the man he spoke, “Move or I will move you sir.”
The man chuckled again. “You and what army?”
Loflan lifted is hand in a sweeping, dismissive motion and the man flew back as if punched in the gut. He flew through the door and landed several feet away.
Having only one possible place left to try Loflan and Gly made their way to Middleton Inn. The only actual Inn in town, some had rooms in their houses or businesses to let, Middleton Inn was usually a weath of information. It had a small returant and bar and since it was where most travellers stayed it was an obvious choice for the gathering of information.
The Innkeeper, Dale, waved at Loflan when he walked in. A small and frail old man with white hair and a heavily lined face, he sat on a high stool at the check in desk. The desk was almost completely covered with papers and ledger books. “Surprised to see you here this time of year,” the old man observed. “hope it is not business that brings you.”
“No, not official business anyway.”
Dale leaned to the side so he could see out the window behind Loflan. “You sure have a lot of supplies in that wagon for it not to be business somewhere.” He observed.
“Maude has come.” The old man’s face seemed to wither slightly. Loflan chuckled. “No need to fear, she is staying with me this time.”
Dale placed a wrinkled hand over his heart. “Bless your soul. I hope you don’t kill her before it’s over. I know I would.”
Loflan laughed again. “You’d try to but I am not sure how successful you would be.”
“Too right, she would probably blast me to the moons. Naw, she really isn’t all that bad. She just gets under my skin, always trying to tell me how to run my place and cleaning things and moving things around. I imagine she means well. Does she do that at your place?”
Loflan nodded.
“I hate it for you son but I am mighty glad she has decided to stay with you this time.”
“It is going to be a long winter.” Loflan agreed.
“So what can I do for you today? What brings you here?” The little man asked.
“I am looking for some Southlanders that might have recently come to town. See any of that sort?”
The Innkeeper’s face darkened. “Indeed I have. A group of three of them. They came in last night and plan to leave today. They look like a roudy bunch too. Can’t say as I care for them.”
“Are they here now?” Loflan asked hopefully.
“Naw. They left an hour or so ago. Not sure where to. Didn’t ask. I would ask what you need them for but by the look on your face I can pretty well guess. Just don’t damage my place and I will help you bury the bodies.”
Loflan grinned. “Thanks Dale. I will keep that in mind.”
Dale winked and went back to his paperwork.
Since he had the answers he sought there was no need to visit the bar. When Loflan walked outside the saw three figures in the distance moving toward the Inn. He heard the odd Laughter of the driver of the cart carry to his ears. He unsheathed Banisher. The suns rays danced along the blade. It was a massive sword. With a thirty six inch blade it looked too heavy to lift but that was one of the many misconception surrounding the blade. It was in fact startlingly light. I child could lift it. It’s tip was not sharpened to a point but rounded and so sharp it could pierce thick hide without even trying. As the men approached Loflan twisted the sword in his hand, making it do a full rotation. It made not a sound as it sliced through the air. Loflan drew the sword partly for intimitation but mainly to see what Banisher had to say about the men. It appeared that they were normal, non user humans as the blade did not illuminate, ignite or drip molten fire.
“Hello.” Loflan called to the three men he had sworn to kill. He smiled menacingly at them. “What brings a few Southanders to our little town?”
“Do not fear sword master we come on official business in the name of our Queen in Palisade. We come for information of a runaway theif who stole some precious information from our Queen. We fear she may have fled here. Have you seen any such newcomer here in town or in the land surrounding?” Asked one of the twins.
“Aye, indeed I have.” Loflan confirmed. “I found a young woman dying on the side of the main road. I tried to heal her but was unsuccessful. I could tell by her ripped and torn clothes she was a Southlander. Is this the theif you speak of?”
The men exchanged a relieved look. “It would seem so. Our orders were to kill her on site so it is fortunate that we did not have to get involved in the matter. Could we be taken to her body so that we may be certain it was the same lady.”
Loflan ground his teeth. How dare they call her a lady now after what they had done to her. “You are from the Southlands and so may not be aware of our customs here. We burn our dead here. All that is left of your….lady…is ashes, bourne on the wind.”
“Well in that case we will be on our way in a few hours now that we have a favorable report for our Queen.” The driver of the cart said. He glanced nervously at Banisher. “We thank you for your assistance.” He bowed respectfully and ushered his younger companions towards the door. They moved reluctantly and Loflan heard the man whisper urgently to them as he walked towards Gly. “Do you know who that man is?” The cart driver asked.
The twins grumbled. “No, who?” Said one. “A prick with a stick?” Said the other. They laughed.
“The Banisher.” The twins stopped laughing and looked back at Loflan, who was untying Glydenhall from the hitching post. Loflan grinned malevolently at them. They needed no more persuading and hurried into the Inn.
Town was not the best place for a brawl so Loflan decided to pick up his meat and head home to drop the cart then wait for them to take the southern road home and ambush them. A couple of hours was plenty of time.
Once Loflan had unharnessed Glydenhall and thrown some hay into his stall an hour and a half had passed. He had stored the supplies in one of the many caves on his property and had hung up the meat for drying. He planned to grab some bread and cheese to take with him and a canteen of water when his ears picked up a noise a few yards from his door. Loud moaning. A woman moaning. Loflan sprinted to the door which swung open seconds before he rushed through it. Maude was bent over the woman, wiping her forehead with a sponge.
“Come to me dear boy, her fever is spiking. It is dangerously high and will not break. It if does not break soon, she will die.”
Loflan looked at her in worried shock. “What about the future? Do you see her thread?”
Maude shook her head sadly. “I see nothing.”
The first stop on his list was the chandler shop. Considering it would be a while before they broke the news of their magic user status to their ward have lights floating around the house was out of the question. Loflan did have some candles that he used when he needed light and all of his concentration at the same time but it was not nearly enough for winter.
The chandler’s shop was a well kept timber building on the outskirts of town. The family who owned, worked and lived in the shop also kept cattle and various other livestock for slaughter. The matron of the shop, Charla, stood behind the counter and greeted him kindly as he entered. That may be a typical greeting for anybody else to receive but it always touched Loflan as he did not get an excess of friendly salutaions. Soon he was loading up his cart with a winter’s worth of oils and wax. He also ordered one sow and six chickens for slaughter that he would pick up on his way home. His next stop was to one of the town’s two taverns. This tavern’s outside was completely nondescript. A long rectangular box shaped building with heavily draped window. A swinging wooden sign proclaiming it to be The Darden in weatherbeaten black paint. The inside was a different story entirely. The Darden was a room of reflections. All of it’s surfaces whether it be wooden, glass or stone was polished to a highly reflective sheen. It smelled of sweet tasting cigars and exspensive bourbon. The soft lantern glow and flickering of candle flames gave the whole space a feeling of relaxing after a hard days work. You didn’t hear raukus laughter or shouts in the Darden. Patrons were typically well to do land or business owners and wealthy travellers or traders so talk was a low resonant sound that was almost a deep hum and buzz. Loflan was not a drinker but he loved it here. It was nice to talk to other human men and learn the latest news after being cooped up in Sorsen mountain for a while. Another feature that kept the drunk population down and Loflan loved was there were no seats at the Darden. Only tall tables and a long bar that ran the whole length of the rectangular space. When patrons started to get weak kneed it was about time to go anyway. There were also pillars of polished timbers dotted here and there throughout the room serving a dual purpose, one to break up the room and the other to hold the roof up. Leaning against one of these was Loflan’s favorte place to rest. People usually came up to him to talk or gossip and not the other way around. If there was any news to be heard he would hear it there. It was not long before a glass of amber liquid was in his hand and several patrons had breezed by him exchanging greetings and juicy bits of news. The people here were friendly with him because they knew him. Many were clients of his needing his services for their lands or as protection for their goods or bodies. While they did their best not to show it, to only show respect, he still caught glimpses of fear in their eyes. Loflan’s power of banishing was so unknown and foreign to modern magic users that it brought fear to the upper and middle classes and terror and loathing to the rest. Though he would like to not be so feared and misunderstood he wouldn’t trade his skill for anything. He was chosen to bear this burden and he bore it well.
Nothing of much interest was passing as it was early and not very crowded so he decided to make a circuit around the room. His ears caught the words “She just vanished into thin air.” in the unmistakable high pitch of a dwarf so he sidled up closer so he could over hear. There were four dwarves at the low table. The Darden had three such dwarf sized tables for the little traders. All dwarves are of noble blood with deep pockets and an even deeper burbon tolerance so to cater to dwarves was a very smart move. Dwarves were curious creatures. The majority of their kind were to content to live underground in large cities, mining metals and precious stones, while some preferred to live alone or in small settlements above ground trading what was mined for food, cloth and all the other things dwarves can not make themselves.
“Just vanished you say?” asked the dwarf across from the one who had first spoken.
“Yes, right out of the field. One minute she was picking apples and the next she was gone.” the first dwarf repeated. He lowered his nasally voice to a high pitched conspiratorial whisper “And that wasn’t the only one to disappear from that very same town either.”
“No?” The second dwarf gasped. “How many?”
“Three. Three have gone missing in that town alone. Silmilar stories have been spreading through other towns on the west side. People are just disappearing.. Pop,” the dwarf snapped his chubby fingers for emphasis “and their gone.”
A hush fell between them for a moment then the second dwarf asked “What about this town? Any disappearances from here?”
“Not that I have heard. We are too far east anyway. This is your territory. It seems whatever it is hasn‘t gotten this far…yet. I doubt it will be able to do anything in this part of the world anyway.”
“How so?”
“Old Sorsen, of course.“
The other Dwarf raised his bushy eyebrows , clearly not comprehending.
“He was the most powerful user there ever was you know.” the dwarf looked at his companion with a look that suggested maybe he thought his arrow didn’t fly too far from his bow. “He died here though no one actually saw his body. It is said his body is somewhere deep inside Sorsen Mountian. He lived in the mountain for hundereds of years and put all sorts of wardings and castings about the place. That kind of deep magic doesn’t go away. Plus the new Banisher lives up at the mountain now too. From what I hear he isn’t near as strong a user as Sorsen but he’s no pushover either. That sword of his cuts through baddies like they were made of butter.”
Loflan smiled. They had no idea the man next to them was the very Banisher they spoke of.
“What do you think is taking the people and what for? Asked the second dwarf.
“No idea. Some say a powerful user is gathering people and binding them somehow to build an army against all the free people.”
“Do you think it could be the Banisher?” the second dwarf squeaked.
“No, no that goes against his nature. His nature is to banish evil and its minions. The sword does not choose a man with a black heart.”
The second dwarf nodded.
Loflan moved away. There were not talking about his missing girl but their news did trouble him. There was only two ways to bind one human to another, by parenting or marrying. You can not marry more than one person so it could not be that sort of binding. A user finding a way to bind people to himself with wicked intent was unsettling. Whatever was going on he knew he would be called to sort it out sooner or later. He just hoped it was later to give the woman time to recover.
After a few more rounds he was certain he had learned all the worthwhile news to learn in the Darden so he went back to Gly and lead her to the grocery. No friendly reception here. Loflan bought what he needed and left without the clerk so much as looking at him. The apothecary was much the same except the shop owner and Loflan traded. Loflan traded his ready mixed salves and tinctures for the apothecary’s raw imported ingredients Loflan couldn’t grow or get himself. The apothecary tried to act as though he didn’t desperately want Loflan’s wares because they were far superior to his own and Loflan tried not to let the apothecary know he knew.
After this he led Gly to the Broken Bottle. An aptly named bar known for it’s rough housers. The opposite of the Darden, the Broken Bottle was covered in grime and filth. The beer was cheap and more likely than not to give you stomach problems the next day. The whole room fell silent as Loflan came in. Every rough and tumble eye looked towards him with open hostility. These men prided themselves on being the meanest and toughest so when Loflan walked in and ordered a whiskey they felt their status threatened. Talk gradually resumed but Loflan knew it was a mistake going there. They did not trust him and so wouldn’t tell him anything. Loflan surveyed the crowd and knew he would not leave unchallenged. These men had something to prove and there was no better man to prove it against than the mighty Banisher. They thought Loflan was arrogant and flippant about his power when in reality they were dissatisfied with themselves and blamed Loflan for their own shortcomings. They were jealous of his power but they didn’t even understand it. They saw him seemingly murder family and friends instead of seeing him destroy family and friends being ridden by dark spirits. It wasn’t Loflan’s fault and it wasn’t even the spirt’s fault, they were just doing what came natural to them. It was the people who were so power hungry they called the spirits to them that were ultimately to blame.
After Loflan finished his whiskey he set a coin on the table and turned to leave. A burly red faced man stood in front of the open doorway.
“Where do you think your going, pretty boy. Lets see just how tough you are without using that sword of yours.” He snickered and a few other patrons sniggered with him.
Without breaking his stride Loflan called the wind to him and concentrated it in his right hand. The air around him shimmered as if heat were radiating from his body. As he drew near the man he spoke, “Move or I will move you sir.”
The man chuckled again. “You and what army?”
Loflan lifted is hand in a sweeping, dismissive motion and the man flew back as if punched in the gut. He flew through the door and landed several feet away.
Having only one possible place left to try Loflan and Gly made their way to Middleton Inn. The only actual Inn in town, some had rooms in their houses or businesses to let, Middleton Inn was usually a weath of information. It had a small returant and bar and since it was where most travellers stayed it was an obvious choice for the gathering of information.
The Innkeeper, Dale, waved at Loflan when he walked in. A small and frail old man with white hair and a heavily lined face, he sat on a high stool at the check in desk. The desk was almost completely covered with papers and ledger books. “Surprised to see you here this time of year,” the old man observed. “hope it is not business that brings you.”
“No, not official business anyway.”
Dale leaned to the side so he could see out the window behind Loflan. “You sure have a lot of supplies in that wagon for it not to be business somewhere.” He observed.
“Maude has come.” The old man’s face seemed to wither slightly. Loflan chuckled. “No need to fear, she is staying with me this time.”
Dale placed a wrinkled hand over his heart. “Bless your soul. I hope you don’t kill her before it’s over. I know I would.”
Loflan laughed again. “You’d try to but I am not sure how successful you would be.”
“Too right, she would probably blast me to the moons. Naw, she really isn’t all that bad. She just gets under my skin, always trying to tell me how to run my place and cleaning things and moving things around. I imagine she means well. Does she do that at your place?”
Loflan nodded.
“I hate it for you son but I am mighty glad she has decided to stay with you this time.”
“It is going to be a long winter.” Loflan agreed.
“So what can I do for you today? What brings you here?” The little man asked.
“I am looking for some Southlanders that might have recently come to town. See any of that sort?”
The Innkeeper’s face darkened. “Indeed I have. A group of three of them. They came in last night and plan to leave today. They look like a roudy bunch too. Can’t say as I care for them.”
“Are they here now?” Loflan asked hopefully.
“Naw. They left an hour or so ago. Not sure where to. Didn’t ask. I would ask what you need them for but by the look on your face I can pretty well guess. Just don’t damage my place and I will help you bury the bodies.”
Loflan grinned. “Thanks Dale. I will keep that in mind.”
Dale winked and went back to his paperwork.
Since he had the answers he sought there was no need to visit the bar. When Loflan walked outside the saw three figures in the distance moving toward the Inn. He heard the odd Laughter of the driver of the cart carry to his ears. He unsheathed Banisher. The suns rays danced along the blade. It was a massive sword. With a thirty six inch blade it looked too heavy to lift but that was one of the many misconception surrounding the blade. It was in fact startlingly light. I child could lift it. It’s tip was not sharpened to a point but rounded and so sharp it could pierce thick hide without even trying. As the men approached Loflan twisted the sword in his hand, making it do a full rotation. It made not a sound as it sliced through the air. Loflan drew the sword partly for intimitation but mainly to see what Banisher had to say about the men. It appeared that they were normal, non user humans as the blade did not illuminate, ignite or drip molten fire.
“Hello.” Loflan called to the three men he had sworn to kill. He smiled menacingly at them. “What brings a few Southanders to our little town?”
“Do not fear sword master we come on official business in the name of our Queen in Palisade. We come for information of a runaway theif who stole some precious information from our Queen. We fear she may have fled here. Have you seen any such newcomer here in town or in the land surrounding?” Asked one of the twins.
“Aye, indeed I have.” Loflan confirmed. “I found a young woman dying on the side of the main road. I tried to heal her but was unsuccessful. I could tell by her ripped and torn clothes she was a Southlander. Is this the theif you speak of?”
The men exchanged a relieved look. “It would seem so. Our orders were to kill her on site so it is fortunate that we did not have to get involved in the matter. Could we be taken to her body so that we may be certain it was the same lady.”
Loflan ground his teeth. How dare they call her a lady now after what they had done to her. “You are from the Southlands and so may not be aware of our customs here. We burn our dead here. All that is left of your….lady…is ashes, bourne on the wind.”
“Well in that case we will be on our way in a few hours now that we have a favorable report for our Queen.” The driver of the cart said. He glanced nervously at Banisher. “We thank you for your assistance.” He bowed respectfully and ushered his younger companions towards the door. They moved reluctantly and Loflan heard the man whisper urgently to them as he walked towards Gly. “Do you know who that man is?” The cart driver asked.
The twins grumbled. “No, who?” Said one. “A prick with a stick?” Said the other. They laughed.
“The Banisher.” The twins stopped laughing and looked back at Loflan, who was untying Glydenhall from the hitching post. Loflan grinned malevolently at them. They needed no more persuading and hurried into the Inn.
Town was not the best place for a brawl so Loflan decided to pick up his meat and head home to drop the cart then wait for them to take the southern road home and ambush them. A couple of hours was plenty of time.
Once Loflan had unharnessed Glydenhall and thrown some hay into his stall an hour and a half had passed. He had stored the supplies in one of the many caves on his property and had hung up the meat for drying. He planned to grab some bread and cheese to take with him and a canteen of water when his ears picked up a noise a few yards from his door. Loud moaning. A woman moaning. Loflan sprinted to the door which swung open seconds before he rushed through it. Maude was bent over the woman, wiping her forehead with a sponge.
“Come to me dear boy, her fever is spiking. It is dangerously high and will not break. It if does not break soon, she will die.”
Loflan looked at her in worried shock. “What about the future? Do you see her thread?”
Maude shook her head sadly. “I see nothing.”
Quake Chapter Four
“I can either hum or think. I can’t do both.” Dirk said as we were driving through town to Rivera’s. “I guess he will just have to read my mind.”
“Well you never could walk and chew gum at the same time so I am not surprised.” I jokingly told him.
He shrugged. “I have nothing to hide anyway. I don’t have the hots for him.”
I punched him in arm.
“Don’t you be thinking that around him either. I will hurt you.” I threatened. “I can’t help but find him attractive but it doesn’t mean I will like him as a person. He is most likely arrogant and conceded. How could he not be? Anyway, who wants a man women constantly drool over? Not me. I am through with attractive men. I am going to find me an ugly guy who will treat me like I ought to be treated.”
“Like a spoiled brat?” Dirk asked.
I gave him the evil eye. “Your one to talk.”
We pulled into a parking space and before I could evoke an aura of calm I saw Simon standing outside waiting for us. He had changed into khakis and a navy polo. His hair was brushed into his face instead of tucked behind his ears like he wore it at the deli. It made him look even more……. ugh. I was seriously going to have to get over this.
I got out of the car and he smiled at me. I was more prepared by that time and smiled back placidly. Robin blushed when Dirk’s sleek frame slid out of his sleek black BMW. She wore a pale green summer dress and a pink blush on her pale skin. She had swept most of her dark brown hair back into a clip but some strands slipped out and fell prettily around her face. Poor Dirk didn’t have a chance. He would be in love by dessert.
“We put our name on the list.” Simon said. “They said it would not be long.”
He opened the door for me and we went inside to sit in the waiting chairs. Dirk started chatting up Robin instantly.
Simon leaned towards me. “No humming?” He asked.
“Nope. It is a pain to keep up with.” I told him.
I wasn’t looking at him but I am pretty sure he smiled. I refused to be moved by it and distracted myself by looking around the room. It had changed very little since I was here last. A large flowing room with white linen tablecloths and bright red roses in glass vases on the tables. Landscape paintings and flickering candles in wrought iron wall sconces decorated the walls. Being that it was a popular date spot I had only been here on actual dates. Three dates to be exact. Bits and pieces of memories from the dates floated to my mind as I watched the crowd of couples eating and flirting.
“If I would have known that I would have picked a different place.” Simon said.
I turned a questioning look to him.
“I wasn’t aware this was your date spot.” He said.
“It doesn’t matter. They were all terrible dates anyway. I was born and raised here. You would be hard pressed to find a place that didn’t have a memory attached to it.”
“I will do my best to make this date more enjoyable for you.” He said and smiled slyly at me.
I was about to point out that this was not an actual date and so didn’t count when the hostess called “Tracy party of four.” and Simon got up.
I wondered if Tracy was his last name or hers, or both.
We were shown to our seat and ordered drinks. None of us spoke much as we decided what to eat. When the waitress returned, a pretty young redhead, she sat Simon’s drink down last and smiled sweetly at him. Simon acted as though he hadn’t noticed though he could certainly read her intent in her mind as well as he could read the daily special on the menu. We promptly ordered. Robin ordered pasta while Simon and I ordered steak. Dirk ordered a burger and fries.
“So.” I said. “Let’s get down to business. How do you know us? How do you know about what Dirk can do?”
Dirk had been very surprised and excited when I had told him the story about Robin and Simon knowing about us. I did omit the embarrassing parts and hoped I would get away with it but alas that was not be.
“You were never supposed to know.” Robin explained. “We are assigned to watch you. When you lived separately you each had someone keeping an eye out for you.” she looked at me “We were told would be moving home sometime soon and it would probably be for some time and for us to take up posts at a closed down tourist trap and turn it into a deli.” I tried not to be horrified that someone knew my relationship was coming to a close at least three weeks before I did. “Simon loves to bake so he added on the bakery side.” She continued. “We knew things were starting to go bad when you” she looked at Dirk and blushed a little “started coming in almost everyday. We called and tried to get them to move us out or somewhere else in town but we were told to stay. Then you come in” she looked at me again “and make the king of control, lose control and laugh our cover out the window.” She gave Simon a disparaging look.
Simon smiled ruefully no doubt remembering the spectacle.
Dirk narrowed his eyes at me. “You caused them to blow their cover?”
“I will tell you about it later.” I said out of the corner of my mouth.
He looked back at me like he would not forget about it either.
“Back to more important matters.” I said. “Why on earth are you spying on us?”
“We don’t know.” Simon said. “We just follow orders.”
“What are your orders exactly? Who is giving you these orders?”
“Our orders are to keep tabs on you. To make sure you don’t fall into any trouble of any kind and to look for signs of loss of control from Dirk and for any signs of special ability from you.” I started humming to myself to mask any stray thoughts of my ability. I prayed Dirk remembered to do the same. Simon continued “I am not sure I can tell you who sent us.” He looked at Robin. “What do you think?” He asked her.
She looked at me for a long moment then spoke. “We are members of SID, the Special Intelligence Division. We are not affiliated with the government but we are hired out to work with the military on special ops missions. The payment for these operations keep our organization well funded.”
“So do all of you have special abilities in SID?” Dirk asked.
“Not all but most do.” She replied.
“Why have we not been told about this?” I asked.
“I am not sure. It doesn’t make sense to us either. Normally we have people who scour the papers for unusual activity so we can recruit new members. Special abilities often run in families so we always test family members. There are a lot of members of SID that are related. Usually we ask every person with an ability to join at some point in their life. I am not sure why you two are being kept out of the loop.”
“How many times have you been assigned to spy on us?” Dirk asked.
“This is our first time being assigned together but I have watched Shia for six months in Anaheim and Simon has watched Dirk for six months in Atlanta. We usually do a six month rotation. Only like genders are assigned to eliminate the possibility of a romance.” She looked at Dirk and he grinned at her.
“I think that was a good call.” He told her.
“How much trouble are you going to be in for telling us this?” I asked.
“I have no idea.” Simon said looking grim. “As long as we do not get dismissed from SID I can deal with whatever punishment they give me. Robin has nothing to fear. It was my loss of control that caused this.”
Robin shook her head. “No way big man. I could have let her think she had said it out loud but instead I chose to lessen her embarrassment and tell her the truth. We are equally to blame.”
Simon looked like he was about to argue but just then the waitress came up with a huge tray and placed our food on the table. After she had set out the plates of food she asked Simon if he needed anything else. He told her that he had everything and then gave her a thin lipped smile that was almost a grimace. Oh how hard it must be to have women fawning over him all the time.
“You have no idea.” Simon said flatly.
I started humming again.
“Do you think they will let us join?” Dirk asked.
Robin shrugged. “I don’t know. Now that you know about us I am not sure what the next step will be. We will just have to leave it up to our superiors to tell us what happens next. We check in every Monday and Friday so Monday we will have to explain what happened and wait for new orders.”
At that moment a phone bleeped in Robin’s pocket. She pulled it out of a tiny gold clutch and stared at the screen. She swallowed.
“You had better go ahead and answer it. He must know already if he is calling.” Simon told her.
“How does he know? Does he have people watching his people?” She asked.
“Only one way to find out.” He said.
She pressed the on button and reluctantly placed the phone to her ear. The person on the other end began to speak before she had a chance to say hello. Simon and Robin’s faces made almost identical expressions as they reacted to whatever the caller was saying. After a minute Robin said “We kind of already have.” There seemed to be a long silence after that and Robin and Simon exchanged a look. A few seconds later she hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
“How bad is it?” I asked her.
“Well it seems your Mother has a tail and she is outside right now watching us. The tail recognized us and called in our location. Our direct superior, we call him Noodle, called to request a full report on why we are here and to warn us to keep our cover. I then informed him it was too late for that.” Robin looked a little green.
“A SID representative will be meeting us tomorrow at three for a debriefing. He would like you both present. Can you make it?” Simon asked.
“Sure.” Dirk said. “The Pelican is closed tomorrow and three is well after church lets out. I don’t have any plans.”
“I just got to town. I have been here long enough to have plans.” I said.
“You do now, with the head of the Special Intelligence Division.” Simon told her grimly.
Well that was scary.
“Well you never could walk and chew gum at the same time so I am not surprised.” I jokingly told him.
He shrugged. “I have nothing to hide anyway. I don’t have the hots for him.”
I punched him in arm.
“Don’t you be thinking that around him either. I will hurt you.” I threatened. “I can’t help but find him attractive but it doesn’t mean I will like him as a person. He is most likely arrogant and conceded. How could he not be? Anyway, who wants a man women constantly drool over? Not me. I am through with attractive men. I am going to find me an ugly guy who will treat me like I ought to be treated.”
“Like a spoiled brat?” Dirk asked.
I gave him the evil eye. “Your one to talk.”
We pulled into a parking space and before I could evoke an aura of calm I saw Simon standing outside waiting for us. He had changed into khakis and a navy polo. His hair was brushed into his face instead of tucked behind his ears like he wore it at the deli. It made him look even more……. ugh. I was seriously going to have to get over this.
I got out of the car and he smiled at me. I was more prepared by that time and smiled back placidly. Robin blushed when Dirk’s sleek frame slid out of his sleek black BMW. She wore a pale green summer dress and a pink blush on her pale skin. She had swept most of her dark brown hair back into a clip but some strands slipped out and fell prettily around her face. Poor Dirk didn’t have a chance. He would be in love by dessert.
“We put our name on the list.” Simon said. “They said it would not be long.”
He opened the door for me and we went inside to sit in the waiting chairs. Dirk started chatting up Robin instantly.
Simon leaned towards me. “No humming?” He asked.
“Nope. It is a pain to keep up with.” I told him.
I wasn’t looking at him but I am pretty sure he smiled. I refused to be moved by it and distracted myself by looking around the room. It had changed very little since I was here last. A large flowing room with white linen tablecloths and bright red roses in glass vases on the tables. Landscape paintings and flickering candles in wrought iron wall sconces decorated the walls. Being that it was a popular date spot I had only been here on actual dates. Three dates to be exact. Bits and pieces of memories from the dates floated to my mind as I watched the crowd of couples eating and flirting.
“If I would have known that I would have picked a different place.” Simon said.
I turned a questioning look to him.
“I wasn’t aware this was your date spot.” He said.
“It doesn’t matter. They were all terrible dates anyway. I was born and raised here. You would be hard pressed to find a place that didn’t have a memory attached to it.”
“I will do my best to make this date more enjoyable for you.” He said and smiled slyly at me.
I was about to point out that this was not an actual date and so didn’t count when the hostess called “Tracy party of four.” and Simon got up.
I wondered if Tracy was his last name or hers, or both.
We were shown to our seat and ordered drinks. None of us spoke much as we decided what to eat. When the waitress returned, a pretty young redhead, she sat Simon’s drink down last and smiled sweetly at him. Simon acted as though he hadn’t noticed though he could certainly read her intent in her mind as well as he could read the daily special on the menu. We promptly ordered. Robin ordered pasta while Simon and I ordered steak. Dirk ordered a burger and fries.
“So.” I said. “Let’s get down to business. How do you know us? How do you know about what Dirk can do?”
Dirk had been very surprised and excited when I had told him the story about Robin and Simon knowing about us. I did omit the embarrassing parts and hoped I would get away with it but alas that was not be.
“You were never supposed to know.” Robin explained. “We are assigned to watch you. When you lived separately you each had someone keeping an eye out for you.” she looked at me “We were told would be moving home sometime soon and it would probably be for some time and for us to take up posts at a closed down tourist trap and turn it into a deli.” I tried not to be horrified that someone knew my relationship was coming to a close at least three weeks before I did. “Simon loves to bake so he added on the bakery side.” She continued. “We knew things were starting to go bad when you” she looked at Dirk and blushed a little “started coming in almost everyday. We called and tried to get them to move us out or somewhere else in town but we were told to stay. Then you come in” she looked at me again “and make the king of control, lose control and laugh our cover out the window.” She gave Simon a disparaging look.
Simon smiled ruefully no doubt remembering the spectacle.
Dirk narrowed his eyes at me. “You caused them to blow their cover?”
“I will tell you about it later.” I said out of the corner of my mouth.
He looked back at me like he would not forget about it either.
“Back to more important matters.” I said. “Why on earth are you spying on us?”
“We don’t know.” Simon said. “We just follow orders.”
“What are your orders exactly? Who is giving you these orders?”
“Our orders are to keep tabs on you. To make sure you don’t fall into any trouble of any kind and to look for signs of loss of control from Dirk and for any signs of special ability from you.” I started humming to myself to mask any stray thoughts of my ability. I prayed Dirk remembered to do the same. Simon continued “I am not sure I can tell you who sent us.” He looked at Robin. “What do you think?” He asked her.
She looked at me for a long moment then spoke. “We are members of SID, the Special Intelligence Division. We are not affiliated with the government but we are hired out to work with the military on special ops missions. The payment for these operations keep our organization well funded.”
“So do all of you have special abilities in SID?” Dirk asked.
“Not all but most do.” She replied.
“Why have we not been told about this?” I asked.
“I am not sure. It doesn’t make sense to us either. Normally we have people who scour the papers for unusual activity so we can recruit new members. Special abilities often run in families so we always test family members. There are a lot of members of SID that are related. Usually we ask every person with an ability to join at some point in their life. I am not sure why you two are being kept out of the loop.”
“How many times have you been assigned to spy on us?” Dirk asked.
“This is our first time being assigned together but I have watched Shia for six months in Anaheim and Simon has watched Dirk for six months in Atlanta. We usually do a six month rotation. Only like genders are assigned to eliminate the possibility of a romance.” She looked at Dirk and he grinned at her.
“I think that was a good call.” He told her.
“How much trouble are you going to be in for telling us this?” I asked.
“I have no idea.” Simon said looking grim. “As long as we do not get dismissed from SID I can deal with whatever punishment they give me. Robin has nothing to fear. It was my loss of control that caused this.”
Robin shook her head. “No way big man. I could have let her think she had said it out loud but instead I chose to lessen her embarrassment and tell her the truth. We are equally to blame.”
Simon looked like he was about to argue but just then the waitress came up with a huge tray and placed our food on the table. After she had set out the plates of food she asked Simon if he needed anything else. He told her that he had everything and then gave her a thin lipped smile that was almost a grimace. Oh how hard it must be to have women fawning over him all the time.
“You have no idea.” Simon said flatly.
I started humming again.
“Do you think they will let us join?” Dirk asked.
Robin shrugged. “I don’t know. Now that you know about us I am not sure what the next step will be. We will just have to leave it up to our superiors to tell us what happens next. We check in every Monday and Friday so Monday we will have to explain what happened and wait for new orders.”
At that moment a phone bleeped in Robin’s pocket. She pulled it out of a tiny gold clutch and stared at the screen. She swallowed.
“You had better go ahead and answer it. He must know already if he is calling.” Simon told her.
“How does he know? Does he have people watching his people?” She asked.
“Only one way to find out.” He said.
She pressed the on button and reluctantly placed the phone to her ear. The person on the other end began to speak before she had a chance to say hello. Simon and Robin’s faces made almost identical expressions as they reacted to whatever the caller was saying. After a minute Robin said “We kind of already have.” There seemed to be a long silence after that and Robin and Simon exchanged a look. A few seconds later she hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
“How bad is it?” I asked her.
“Well it seems your Mother has a tail and she is outside right now watching us. The tail recognized us and called in our location. Our direct superior, we call him Noodle, called to request a full report on why we are here and to warn us to keep our cover. I then informed him it was too late for that.” Robin looked a little green.
“A SID representative will be meeting us tomorrow at three for a debriefing. He would like you both present. Can you make it?” Simon asked.
“Sure.” Dirk said. “The Pelican is closed tomorrow and three is well after church lets out. I don’t have any plans.”
“I just got to town. I have been here long enough to have plans.” I said.
“You do now, with the head of the Special Intelligence Division.” Simon told her grimly.
Well that was scary.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Quake Chapters Two & Three
We arrived at the Lonely Pelican right on time. I was ushered inside, thrown a notebook and a maroon colored apron and put to work. I was extremely rusty since it had been several years since I had waited tables at the Pelican though I still knew most of the customers by name. The locals were very curious as to why the owners son and now daughter were back working at the Pelican and asked no end of polite but probing questions. By lunch time my feet were swollen and my cheeks were sore from smiling so much. I caught a glimpse of Dirk lounging out back and headed towards him. Instead of tall, dark and handsome, Dirk was long, light and lean. He was tall like our mother with strikingly defined features, also like our mother. He had light blue eyes and pale blonde hair. His shoulders were not broad but they supported lean muscular arms. He looked quick and light on his feet. Whereas Dirk got his hard good looks from Mom, I must have gotten my features from my Dad though no one had ever told me so. I am average height with features that are rounded and soft. My lips are fuller and the only way you can find my cheekbones is by touching my face until you find them. My eyes are rounder and the blue of my eyes are dark turbulent waters compared to their sunlit ocean. I did get the trademark pale blonde hair but if I dyed my hair brown no one would ever guess I was related to the striking Maebell Glick or her achingly handsome son Dirk Littleton.
“Lunch break?” Dirk asked as I approached.
“Yes.” I said and let out a long sigh. “I am wore out already.”
Dirk laughed. “Been a while since you have done actual work huh?”
I made a face at him.
“So…when did your money run out?” He asked smirking at me.
Dirk was referring to the money our mysterious Uncle gave us at every visit. Our Mother always split the money down the middle and put them into separate accounts for us. She sure didn’t need it. When we turned eighteen she gave the money to us. Dirk got his three years before me but Mom still split the next three years down the middle since the amount was unchanged. Dirk took his money and moved to Atlanta. Mom paid for him to go to Georgia State so the rest was his to do whatever with. When I turned eighteen I went straight to Hollywood and went to acting school. The money was enough for us to live on without having to work much if any.
“About five months ago. I would say it was a major factor in Sean’s decision to split.” I said though really I had just worked that part out myself. “I had been looking for work, acting work, and couldn’t find any so I had to start relying on his paycheck because he had a dedicated role in a soap opera.”
“Wow.” Dirk exclaimed, impressed, “Mine ran out over two years ago.”
“Well Dirk, I wasn’t trying to live in penthouses.”
“Me either, it just kinda happened.”
“Riiiiiight.” I said rolling my eyes at him. “Want to go grab lunch with me?”
“I would but I have already had my lunch hour. This is my last break then I leave in an hour. You know you should really check out the new bakery across the street, Colossians, they have really good sandwiches and some pretty awesome bakery things too. Plus there is this really hot girl that works there that I have been, you know” He leaned over and winked at me. “trying to ask out.”
“Trying? I have never known you to have to try before.” I laughed.
“Well there is this guy that works there and he looks to be her age and I didn’t know if…….” He trailed off. “You know, if they are dating or not. They don’t seem to be. I go in there almost every time I am working and I have never seen them act all touchy feely or look at each other with that…..look.”
“So what makes you think they could be dating? Does she not respond to your…look?”
“You would just have to see him and she responds just fine. I just want to be sure. I don‘t want to have to fight the guy if I try to ask her out and she‘s his.”
“Ok.” I said, my curiosity peaked. “I will go scope it out over a rueben.”
“Thanks sis and their ruebens are tha bomb.”
I grimaced. “Aren’t you a bit old for slang?”
“Nope never too old.” He said and winked at me again. “Peace out, my sista.” He threw up two fingers at me and walked back into to Pelican.
I rolled my eyes. There was just something about my brother that made me roll my eyes more in five minutes that I usually did in a year.
I pushed the button on the street pole and waited for the light to change. I studied the deli/bakery with the funny name across the street. It used to be a souvenir shop with airbrushed t-shirts and gaudy knick knacks in the windows. Now the windows were devoid of the clutter but replaced with decals advertising their selection of meats, sandwich styles and baked goods. The little walking man appeared on the crosswalk sign and I crossed the street. A bell chimed overhead when I swung the door open. The intoxicating smell of deli meat and bakery bread assaulted my senses. My stomach groaned in anticipation. The shop was tastefully decorated with a few posters of old deli menus and pictures in black and white and sepia of old time delis and bakeries. They had a handful of round bistro style tables and chairs, now empty, and two long glass displays separated by a counter where the register sat. The left display held slabs of meat and cheeses while the right offered several different types of bread along with cannolis, doughnuts, cupcakes and other delightful baked goodies. I sidled up to the counter and looked up at the menu board.
A pretty dark haired girl emerged from a doorway to the right, behind the counter and smiled broadly at me. Her nametag declared her to be Robin and I could tell right away she was the girl Dirk was after. Dirk liked fragile flowers he could protect and treat like they were endangered species. He took the ‘southern gentleman’ cliché to the next level with women. Well all women with the exception of his sister. I liked it that way. I was no fragile flower and while some women liked being treaded like one, I was not one of them. Robin was short and petite, with long, thin brown hair that framed a face of small, delicate features. Her eyes were an odd shade of hazel that was almost green under long luxurious lashes. I could just picture her looking up mournfully at Dirk, batting those lashes and him rushing to get her anything she wanted.
“Hello, welcome.” She said in a distinctively northern accent. “What can I get for you today?”
I smiled back at her. “A rueben for sure. My brother says they are wonderful.”
She cocked an eyebrow at me. “Oh? We just opened a few weeks ago. I will probably remember him. What does he look like?”
“Tall, lean, blonde hair and blue eyes.”
“Works across the street?” She asked.
I nodded. “Yep, that’s him.”
“Oh yes he comes in quite regularly. He also likes the BBMT.”
Was that a slight blush coming to her cheeks, I wondered? I was pretty sure it was. That was a good sign. I glanced up at the menu to see what a BBMT was. Bacon, Basil, Mozzarella and Tomato. “Yum that does sound good but I will stick with the Ruben for today. What is the soup of the day?” I asked.
She gestured to a blackboard on the far left of the wall where “Minestrone” was written in pink chalk.
“I’ll take a small cup of that too.” I said.
“Would you like anything else?” She asked.
I walked over to the bakery section. “I am pretty sure I can’t leave without something in this case. It keeps calling me.” I grinned at her. She grinned back knowingly.
“Imagine working here.” She said.
I groaned longingly. “I would love it until I stepped on a scale. Baked goods are my weakness.” I confessed. “What is this little lovely here?” I asked pointing to a dusty white biscuit looking confection with a buttery cream on top.
“I really can’t help you with this side of store. I am not the baker.” She smiled at me. “But my cousin is and he will help you.” She walked to the doorway and yelled for Simon. I heard a gruff male voice call back that he would be right out. “I will go ahead and get your soup and sandwich going while you decide.”
I noted the word cousin and was bursting to tell Dirk he had nothing to fear after all. “Thank you.” I said and began looking at the pastries again. The front door chimed and a small group of old ladies came bustling in. They chattered happily, ohhhing and ahhhing over the meat case and Robin told them she would be right with them. I smiled at one of the ladies who I recognized from having served just that morning at the Pelican. Only then she was accompanied by her husband. She smiled back at me then her smile faltered and her face went a little slack as she looked at a point above my right shoulder. I turned to see what caused her distress and I am sure my face made the same maneuver has hers. Before me in the doorway to the backroom stood a man straight off the cover of a cheesy romance novel. Tall, maybe six foot one with broad shoulders, he wore a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up almost to his shoulders displaying arms with neither too much nor too little muscle. Soft hazel eyes surveyed the room. His full mouth wore a small half smile. His chiseled features were framed by a mane of dark almost wavy hair. He was pretty, too pretty to be real. All we needed was his shirt to be unbuttoned, showing his chest and a light wind to ruffle his hair and we’d be set. He was wiping two massive hands off on a white half apron tied around is waist. I tried so very hard not to dwell on those hands. Big and manly, they were a working man’s hands. They looked like they would be equally at home swinging a hammer or clamped around some evildoer’s neck. I found it hard to imagine those same hands in the backroom working dough and forming delicate confections. He was wearing light blue denim jeans that hugged muscled thighs. I couldn’t see his rear but if the rest of him was any indication then I was pretty sure it was a fine specimen as well.
He grinned at me, flashing his perfect pearly whites and I had the mad urge to giggle like a schoolgirl. I was so glad Dirk wasn’t there and totally understood the basis for his concern. Dirk was handsome but this Simon was…….breathtaking. Not to mention he looked like he would be ruthless in a fight. I wouldn‘t want to tango with him either.
“What can I help you with?” He asked also with a north of the Mason Dixon lilt.
I pulled my actress face down like a mask and gave him a small, friendly, not giving any emotion away smile. I was certain this man was used to women drooling over him and I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me do the same. I asked about the buttery confection and he started to explain its name and what was in it but I must admit that while my face looked as if I were listening I heard not a word. I was marveling at how the light from the overhead pendants seemed to create a soft haze around his chiseled features and put an almost mischievous twinkle to his eyes. He looked at me and for a second our eyes locked and held. I held my breath and a knot formed in my chest. This man was mine. Why the word flashed in my head I will never know but looking into those twinkling eyes I thought “Mine”. I knew it with absolute certainty. For some reason I thought of how explorers used to sail around the world, claiming land for their home countries by sticking a flag into the ground. I desperately wanted to find a flag and suction cup it to his forehead. I looked around frantically, having temporarily lost my mind, for a napkin and a straw so I could fashion a flag and claim him for my own. My gaze fell on his again. His grin was stretched so wide I thought it would crack. Then it did just that. He doubled over laughing. I looked at him confused and horrified. Had I done something? This diatribe I had had in my head only lasted a few seconds what could I have possibly done that was so funny? The realization hit me.
“Did I just say that out loud?” I asked the room in general. Robin and the old ladies were looking at us quizzically. Simon laughed so hard he had to lean against the counter for support. After he regained a little composure he excused himself and retired to the backroom but I could still hear him sniggering.
Robin walked over to me grinning. “No, he’s a mind reader.” She said in a low voice so that only I heard her. “I must tell you that women have thought all sorts of things at him and he never breaks down laughing. He has conditioned himself to maintain control no matter how bad the thoughts are.”
I really wish I could have seen my own face at that moment. I couldn’t speak, I didn’t know what to say. She handed me a tray with my food on it. “On the house.” She said.
“Um, can I get it to go?“ There was no way I could eat in there.
She nodded sympathetically.
I don’t remember the walk back across the street. I sat down at the break table in the back of the Pelican and stared at the brown bag. It had a round stylized logo with Colossians Deli and Bakery written on it in bold black type. I thought for half a second about not eating it. I thought about driving home, curling up in my bed and never getting out again. Unfortunately I was more mortified by the fact Simon had read my mind instead of the fact that he could read my mind. Looking back I didn’t even see where it was that funny. I guess I got points for originality or total lunacy. I am sure of all the things he has heard women think they want to do to him, suction cupping a flag to his forehead wasn’t high on the list. And what was with that strange feeling of possession that came over me when our eyes met? It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was probably my actor side playing up the drama of the moment. He was so totally out of my league it wasn’t even funny. I am passable, he is fantastical.
“Mine.” My mind thought despite me.
I shook my head trying to clear it. The smell of the corned beef and minestrone was intoxicating. I caved and ate every bite.
Chapter 3
From that moment on my world totally and irrevocably changed. Through all my twenty odd years I have never met, known or heard of anyone else with powers like ours outside of Hollywood make believe. To say it rocked my world was putting it mildly. Sure I figured there were more of us but being confronted with one, possibly two counting Robin, was a different matter entirely.
I thought about telling Dirk but decided against it. I wanted to find some things out first. Like how they knew they could tell me Simon was a mind reader without fear of me not believing them. I also wanted to know if there was an anti mind reading trick I could learn and quick.
Needless to say I didn’t get much sleep that night. I wish I could say it was because the thought of there being others like me thrilled and terrified me at the same time and that is party true. But no, I was up mainly because of the mortification I felt every time I thought of Simon and unfortunately I thought of him often.
The bell chimed merrily over my head when I walked in the deli the next day. I was a little later than the day before owing to a huge lunch crowd I couldn’t get away from at the Pelican. It looked like they had all come to Colossians for dessert. The place was crowded with most of the patrons clamoring around the bakery side. It took me a second to realize why. The whole crowd consisted of ladies. Old ladies, young ladies and all ages in between ladies. All vying for Simon’s attention. It took a massive effort but I didn’t roll my eyes. It was becoming a habit.
As if drawn to each other like a magnet our eyes found each other and locked. Luckily for me I had put my acting face on before I came in. I saw Simon didn’t have an acting face. He grinned at me, a glint appearing in his hazel eye. My face remained unmoved and I began humming furiously in my head. I was trying to mask my thoughts. Either it was working or it was amusing him because his smile ticked up a notch.
I avoided all pretense and walked straight up to the counter and looked him straight in the eye.
“I need to speak with you. In private.” I said in my best business-like tone.
I was so frustrated by the devilish grin he gave me I was a heartbeat from southern girl arm waving.
“Certainly.” He said and gestured for me to join him behind the counter. “Robin, can you cover for me a moment?”
Her eyes were huge as she looked at us. “Ummm, I’m a little busy at the moment Simon.”
“Thanks ok, I will just wait in the back.” I said as I walked around the suddenly still and silent gaggle of women. They looked at me with evil eyes as I passes them. I had the unthinkable urge to bare my teeth at them and growl. I forgot to keep the humming up and I heard Simon laugh. I felt my face and neck grow hot. I felt heat flush my face and neck. I was a trained actor, meaning I had one hundred percent control over my emotions, meaning there was no way I was blushing! I stalked past him with my eyes looking anywhere but at his face.
It took about twenty five minutes for him to join me at the small table in the back. The small work areas were meticulously clean. There were trays of already made pastries and one tray of delicious looking chocolate and caramel drizzled doughnuts.
Simon strode in from the front, picked up a small sheet of pastry paper and swiped one of the doughnuts from the tray. He walked over to the table and placed it in front of me. I groaned. “Is the humming not working at all?” I asked him.
“Oh yes the humming works just fine. I can only read what is at the foremost in your mind. You were concentrating on that doughnut so hard I could have picked it up outside.”
He walked over to a counter and poured two cups of coffee. Do you take cream or sugar?” He asked.
“Do whales blow bubbles?” I asked.
“I believe so.” He said, smiling as he poured cream and sugar into my cup. He took his black.
He sat the coffees on the table and sat down across from me. “So who told you about the humming?” He asked.
“Nobody.” I replied. “Just a guess.”
He smiled. “I would have liked for you to have never found that out.”
I felt my face trying to go hot again. “Is Robin coming soon? I wanted to speak to both of you.”
“She should be along shortly.” He said.
“I only have an hour for lunch and I have used up forty minutes of it already. I don’t think it is going to be enough time for me to ask all the questions I want to ask you two.”
“We can meet you and your brother for dinner if you would like.” Robin said walking into the room. “I think we all have some questions.”
“Where do you want to meet?” I asked.
“Let’s go to Rivera’s.” Simon suggested.
Rivera’s was a high end restaurant on the square. It was a popular place to take a date or celebrate an anniversary. I gaped at him. He must be joking. Before I could protest Robin spoke.
“Let’s meet there at eight o’clock.”
“Sounds good to me. Would that be suitable for you Shia?”
I was momentarily awestruck by the sound of my name coming from his lips. “I have no problem with the time but wouldn’t you rather meet at the Burger King instead?”
“Not a chance.” He replied. “It’s a date then.”
“A double date.” Robin said and blushed a little.
“Um, I just have one question before I go.” I said.
“What is it?” asked Simon.
“How do you know my name?”
“Lets leave that for tonight.” Simon said and gave me a cryptic smile.
“Fine, whatever. See you all then.”
“Lunch break?” Dirk asked as I approached.
“Yes.” I said and let out a long sigh. “I am wore out already.”
Dirk laughed. “Been a while since you have done actual work huh?”
I made a face at him.
“So…when did your money run out?” He asked smirking at me.
Dirk was referring to the money our mysterious Uncle gave us at every visit. Our Mother always split the money down the middle and put them into separate accounts for us. She sure didn’t need it. When we turned eighteen she gave the money to us. Dirk got his three years before me but Mom still split the next three years down the middle since the amount was unchanged. Dirk took his money and moved to Atlanta. Mom paid for him to go to Georgia State so the rest was his to do whatever with. When I turned eighteen I went straight to Hollywood and went to acting school. The money was enough for us to live on without having to work much if any.
“About five months ago. I would say it was a major factor in Sean’s decision to split.” I said though really I had just worked that part out myself. “I had been looking for work, acting work, and couldn’t find any so I had to start relying on his paycheck because he had a dedicated role in a soap opera.”
“Wow.” Dirk exclaimed, impressed, “Mine ran out over two years ago.”
“Well Dirk, I wasn’t trying to live in penthouses.”
“Me either, it just kinda happened.”
“Riiiiiight.” I said rolling my eyes at him. “Want to go grab lunch with me?”
“I would but I have already had my lunch hour. This is my last break then I leave in an hour. You know you should really check out the new bakery across the street, Colossians, they have really good sandwiches and some pretty awesome bakery things too. Plus there is this really hot girl that works there that I have been, you know” He leaned over and winked at me. “trying to ask out.”
“Trying? I have never known you to have to try before.” I laughed.
“Well there is this guy that works there and he looks to be her age and I didn’t know if…….” He trailed off. “You know, if they are dating or not. They don’t seem to be. I go in there almost every time I am working and I have never seen them act all touchy feely or look at each other with that…..look.”
“So what makes you think they could be dating? Does she not respond to your…look?”
“You would just have to see him and she responds just fine. I just want to be sure. I don‘t want to have to fight the guy if I try to ask her out and she‘s his.”
“Ok.” I said, my curiosity peaked. “I will go scope it out over a rueben.”
“Thanks sis and their ruebens are tha bomb.”
I grimaced. “Aren’t you a bit old for slang?”
“Nope never too old.” He said and winked at me again. “Peace out, my sista.” He threw up two fingers at me and walked back into to Pelican.
I rolled my eyes. There was just something about my brother that made me roll my eyes more in five minutes that I usually did in a year.
I pushed the button on the street pole and waited for the light to change. I studied the deli/bakery with the funny name across the street. It used to be a souvenir shop with airbrushed t-shirts and gaudy knick knacks in the windows. Now the windows were devoid of the clutter but replaced with decals advertising their selection of meats, sandwich styles and baked goods. The little walking man appeared on the crosswalk sign and I crossed the street. A bell chimed overhead when I swung the door open. The intoxicating smell of deli meat and bakery bread assaulted my senses. My stomach groaned in anticipation. The shop was tastefully decorated with a few posters of old deli menus and pictures in black and white and sepia of old time delis and bakeries. They had a handful of round bistro style tables and chairs, now empty, and two long glass displays separated by a counter where the register sat. The left display held slabs of meat and cheeses while the right offered several different types of bread along with cannolis, doughnuts, cupcakes and other delightful baked goodies. I sidled up to the counter and looked up at the menu board.
A pretty dark haired girl emerged from a doorway to the right, behind the counter and smiled broadly at me. Her nametag declared her to be Robin and I could tell right away she was the girl Dirk was after. Dirk liked fragile flowers he could protect and treat like they were endangered species. He took the ‘southern gentleman’ cliché to the next level with women. Well all women with the exception of his sister. I liked it that way. I was no fragile flower and while some women liked being treaded like one, I was not one of them. Robin was short and petite, with long, thin brown hair that framed a face of small, delicate features. Her eyes were an odd shade of hazel that was almost green under long luxurious lashes. I could just picture her looking up mournfully at Dirk, batting those lashes and him rushing to get her anything she wanted.
“Hello, welcome.” She said in a distinctively northern accent. “What can I get for you today?”
I smiled back at her. “A rueben for sure. My brother says they are wonderful.”
She cocked an eyebrow at me. “Oh? We just opened a few weeks ago. I will probably remember him. What does he look like?”
“Tall, lean, blonde hair and blue eyes.”
“Works across the street?” She asked.
I nodded. “Yep, that’s him.”
“Oh yes he comes in quite regularly. He also likes the BBMT.”
Was that a slight blush coming to her cheeks, I wondered? I was pretty sure it was. That was a good sign. I glanced up at the menu to see what a BBMT was. Bacon, Basil, Mozzarella and Tomato. “Yum that does sound good but I will stick with the Ruben for today. What is the soup of the day?” I asked.
She gestured to a blackboard on the far left of the wall where “Minestrone” was written in pink chalk.
“I’ll take a small cup of that too.” I said.
“Would you like anything else?” She asked.
I walked over to the bakery section. “I am pretty sure I can’t leave without something in this case. It keeps calling me.” I grinned at her. She grinned back knowingly.
“Imagine working here.” She said.
I groaned longingly. “I would love it until I stepped on a scale. Baked goods are my weakness.” I confessed. “What is this little lovely here?” I asked pointing to a dusty white biscuit looking confection with a buttery cream on top.
“I really can’t help you with this side of store. I am not the baker.” She smiled at me. “But my cousin is and he will help you.” She walked to the doorway and yelled for Simon. I heard a gruff male voice call back that he would be right out. “I will go ahead and get your soup and sandwich going while you decide.”
I noted the word cousin and was bursting to tell Dirk he had nothing to fear after all. “Thank you.” I said and began looking at the pastries again. The front door chimed and a small group of old ladies came bustling in. They chattered happily, ohhhing and ahhhing over the meat case and Robin told them she would be right with them. I smiled at one of the ladies who I recognized from having served just that morning at the Pelican. Only then she was accompanied by her husband. She smiled back at me then her smile faltered and her face went a little slack as she looked at a point above my right shoulder. I turned to see what caused her distress and I am sure my face made the same maneuver has hers. Before me in the doorway to the backroom stood a man straight off the cover of a cheesy romance novel. Tall, maybe six foot one with broad shoulders, he wore a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up almost to his shoulders displaying arms with neither too much nor too little muscle. Soft hazel eyes surveyed the room. His full mouth wore a small half smile. His chiseled features were framed by a mane of dark almost wavy hair. He was pretty, too pretty to be real. All we needed was his shirt to be unbuttoned, showing his chest and a light wind to ruffle his hair and we’d be set. He was wiping two massive hands off on a white half apron tied around is waist. I tried so very hard not to dwell on those hands. Big and manly, they were a working man’s hands. They looked like they would be equally at home swinging a hammer or clamped around some evildoer’s neck. I found it hard to imagine those same hands in the backroom working dough and forming delicate confections. He was wearing light blue denim jeans that hugged muscled thighs. I couldn’t see his rear but if the rest of him was any indication then I was pretty sure it was a fine specimen as well.
He grinned at me, flashing his perfect pearly whites and I had the mad urge to giggle like a schoolgirl. I was so glad Dirk wasn’t there and totally understood the basis for his concern. Dirk was handsome but this Simon was…….breathtaking. Not to mention he looked like he would be ruthless in a fight. I wouldn‘t want to tango with him either.
“What can I help you with?” He asked also with a north of the Mason Dixon lilt.
I pulled my actress face down like a mask and gave him a small, friendly, not giving any emotion away smile. I was certain this man was used to women drooling over him and I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me do the same. I asked about the buttery confection and he started to explain its name and what was in it but I must admit that while my face looked as if I were listening I heard not a word. I was marveling at how the light from the overhead pendants seemed to create a soft haze around his chiseled features and put an almost mischievous twinkle to his eyes. He looked at me and for a second our eyes locked and held. I held my breath and a knot formed in my chest. This man was mine. Why the word flashed in my head I will never know but looking into those twinkling eyes I thought “Mine”. I knew it with absolute certainty. For some reason I thought of how explorers used to sail around the world, claiming land for their home countries by sticking a flag into the ground. I desperately wanted to find a flag and suction cup it to his forehead. I looked around frantically, having temporarily lost my mind, for a napkin and a straw so I could fashion a flag and claim him for my own. My gaze fell on his again. His grin was stretched so wide I thought it would crack. Then it did just that. He doubled over laughing. I looked at him confused and horrified. Had I done something? This diatribe I had had in my head only lasted a few seconds what could I have possibly done that was so funny? The realization hit me.
“Did I just say that out loud?” I asked the room in general. Robin and the old ladies were looking at us quizzically. Simon laughed so hard he had to lean against the counter for support. After he regained a little composure he excused himself and retired to the backroom but I could still hear him sniggering.
Robin walked over to me grinning. “No, he’s a mind reader.” She said in a low voice so that only I heard her. “I must tell you that women have thought all sorts of things at him and he never breaks down laughing. He has conditioned himself to maintain control no matter how bad the thoughts are.”
I really wish I could have seen my own face at that moment. I couldn’t speak, I didn’t know what to say. She handed me a tray with my food on it. “On the house.” She said.
“Um, can I get it to go?“ There was no way I could eat in there.
She nodded sympathetically.
I don’t remember the walk back across the street. I sat down at the break table in the back of the Pelican and stared at the brown bag. It had a round stylized logo with Colossians Deli and Bakery written on it in bold black type. I thought for half a second about not eating it. I thought about driving home, curling up in my bed and never getting out again. Unfortunately I was more mortified by the fact Simon had read my mind instead of the fact that he could read my mind. Looking back I didn’t even see where it was that funny. I guess I got points for originality or total lunacy. I am sure of all the things he has heard women think they want to do to him, suction cupping a flag to his forehead wasn’t high on the list. And what was with that strange feeling of possession that came over me when our eyes met? It was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was probably my actor side playing up the drama of the moment. He was so totally out of my league it wasn’t even funny. I am passable, he is fantastical.
“Mine.” My mind thought despite me.
I shook my head trying to clear it. The smell of the corned beef and minestrone was intoxicating. I caved and ate every bite.
Chapter 3
From that moment on my world totally and irrevocably changed. Through all my twenty odd years I have never met, known or heard of anyone else with powers like ours outside of Hollywood make believe. To say it rocked my world was putting it mildly. Sure I figured there were more of us but being confronted with one, possibly two counting Robin, was a different matter entirely.
I thought about telling Dirk but decided against it. I wanted to find some things out first. Like how they knew they could tell me Simon was a mind reader without fear of me not believing them. I also wanted to know if there was an anti mind reading trick I could learn and quick.
Needless to say I didn’t get much sleep that night. I wish I could say it was because the thought of there being others like me thrilled and terrified me at the same time and that is party true. But no, I was up mainly because of the mortification I felt every time I thought of Simon and unfortunately I thought of him often.
The bell chimed merrily over my head when I walked in the deli the next day. I was a little later than the day before owing to a huge lunch crowd I couldn’t get away from at the Pelican. It looked like they had all come to Colossians for dessert. The place was crowded with most of the patrons clamoring around the bakery side. It took me a second to realize why. The whole crowd consisted of ladies. Old ladies, young ladies and all ages in between ladies. All vying for Simon’s attention. It took a massive effort but I didn’t roll my eyes. It was becoming a habit.
As if drawn to each other like a magnet our eyes found each other and locked. Luckily for me I had put my acting face on before I came in. I saw Simon didn’t have an acting face. He grinned at me, a glint appearing in his hazel eye. My face remained unmoved and I began humming furiously in my head. I was trying to mask my thoughts. Either it was working or it was amusing him because his smile ticked up a notch.
I avoided all pretense and walked straight up to the counter and looked him straight in the eye.
“I need to speak with you. In private.” I said in my best business-like tone.
I was so frustrated by the devilish grin he gave me I was a heartbeat from southern girl arm waving.
“Certainly.” He said and gestured for me to join him behind the counter. “Robin, can you cover for me a moment?”
Her eyes were huge as she looked at us. “Ummm, I’m a little busy at the moment Simon.”
“Thanks ok, I will just wait in the back.” I said as I walked around the suddenly still and silent gaggle of women. They looked at me with evil eyes as I passes them. I had the unthinkable urge to bare my teeth at them and growl. I forgot to keep the humming up and I heard Simon laugh. I felt my face and neck grow hot. I felt heat flush my face and neck. I was a trained actor, meaning I had one hundred percent control over my emotions, meaning there was no way I was blushing! I stalked past him with my eyes looking anywhere but at his face.
It took about twenty five minutes for him to join me at the small table in the back. The small work areas were meticulously clean. There were trays of already made pastries and one tray of delicious looking chocolate and caramel drizzled doughnuts.
Simon strode in from the front, picked up a small sheet of pastry paper and swiped one of the doughnuts from the tray. He walked over to the table and placed it in front of me. I groaned. “Is the humming not working at all?” I asked him.
“Oh yes the humming works just fine. I can only read what is at the foremost in your mind. You were concentrating on that doughnut so hard I could have picked it up outside.”
He walked over to a counter and poured two cups of coffee. Do you take cream or sugar?” He asked.
“Do whales blow bubbles?” I asked.
“I believe so.” He said, smiling as he poured cream and sugar into my cup. He took his black.
He sat the coffees on the table and sat down across from me. “So who told you about the humming?” He asked.
“Nobody.” I replied. “Just a guess.”
He smiled. “I would have liked for you to have never found that out.”
I felt my face trying to go hot again. “Is Robin coming soon? I wanted to speak to both of you.”
“She should be along shortly.” He said.
“I only have an hour for lunch and I have used up forty minutes of it already. I don’t think it is going to be enough time for me to ask all the questions I want to ask you two.”
“We can meet you and your brother for dinner if you would like.” Robin said walking into the room. “I think we all have some questions.”
“Where do you want to meet?” I asked.
“Let’s go to Rivera’s.” Simon suggested.
Rivera’s was a high end restaurant on the square. It was a popular place to take a date or celebrate an anniversary. I gaped at him. He must be joking. Before I could protest Robin spoke.
“Let’s meet there at eight o’clock.”
“Sounds good to me. Would that be suitable for you Shia?”
I was momentarily awestruck by the sound of my name coming from his lips. “I have no problem with the time but wouldn’t you rather meet at the Burger King instead?”
“Not a chance.” He replied. “It’s a date then.”
“A double date.” Robin said and blushed a little.
“Um, I just have one question before I go.” I said.
“What is it?” asked Simon.
“How do you know my name?”
“Lets leave that for tonight.” Simon said and gave me a cryptic smile.
“Fine, whatever. See you all then.”
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Quake Chapter One
The earth trembled and bucked around me. People started pouring out of buildings, clogging the streets. In the state of California and especially in this neighborhood everyone knew the drill. I clutched my cell phone in my hand so hard my knuckles were turning white.
“What a low life bastard!” I thought, clenching my teeth. “How dare he break up with me and on my facebook page!” Luckily my phone alerts me when I have a new wall post so his note “I think it’s time for us to see other people because baby, I already see one I like” comment was deleted after only being in cyberspace a few seconds. I was not naïve enough to think that out of my two hundred and fifty friends that no one saw it. I just couldn’t believe that after three years together he could just throw me away so easily and so callously. I thought I knew him. I thought I might even love him. My phone vibrated in my hand and it wasn’t caused by the earthquake.
“Honey.” A woman’s sooth southern voice said from the receiver. “I just got a notification on my phone and read what Sean wrote.” The earthquake went up another notch on the Richter scale. “Baby you need to calm down. Take a deep breath. I am on my way to work so I can’t turn on the TV. But I am assuming there is an earthquake going on right now?”
I took a deep breath. “Yes.”
“Oh Shia, you have been doing so well. How long has it been, three months? Please calm down. Think about all the people you could be hurting. Think of all the priceless family heirlooms crashing to the floor right now as we speak. He is just a boy, baby. Trust me there are lots of them.”
“Ok Mom. I am calming down.” I said still deep breathing.
“Imagine yourself sitting on the beach. How about laying in your hammock. Hear the waves crashing against the shore? Maybe you should come home for a nice long visit. It would do you good to get away from all that Hollywood drama.”
“I’ll think about it Mom and call you back.”
“How’s the quake?” she asked.
“What quake?” I asked and hung up. I turned my phone off, not wanting to risk hearing from anyone else and started walking again towards the flat I shared with Sean. A little ripple of energy escaped me as I thought of the possibility of him being there. I doubted it. I was just getting home from a week in South Beach with a friend and auditioning for a part in a daytime soap opera.
“See this is what happens when you leave a guy alone for an extended period of time.” I berated myself aloud. “They find somewhere else to put their private parts.” I rolled my eyes. I had thought Sean was different, even perfect but on reflection he is an aspiring actor so his acting skills must be pretty good right? Was our whole relationship an act? Had I just lived with Sean the actor and Sean the real person was someone I never met? I mulled this over as I rode the elevator up to our fourth story flat. I unlocked the door and tried to brace myself for whatever was inside. It didn’t work. As expected he had already moved out. He had left all of my things in the exact place I had left them. But that wasn’t the shocking part. The shocking part was the whole flat was covered in paint. It looked like he had went to the big box store and bought every paint color from SpongeBob Squarepants. Gallons of bright orange, lime green, neon pink and electric blue were thrown all over everything. My 42 inch plasma was a brilliant shade of yellow, the floor to ceiling windows gave a new meaning to ‘stained glass’. Our bedroom door was open and I saw my beautiful white lacy duvet splashed with electric blue. On reflection it was a pretty good color to describe that area of our relationship. I stood there gaping like an idiot for several minutes then the anger that flashed up in me caused the earth to shutter violently around me and all the windows in the building exploded at once.
****
I sat in the airport awaiting my gate to be called watching the news. Of course the airport was too loud to hear it but I was reading the captions.
“……earthquake in Anaheim a 4.0 on the Richter scale came at 12:56 pm today. The aftershock came in a 4.9, twenty minutes later. The aftershock blew out all the windows in the Shady Palms complex which was particularly devastating for a young tenant who had just come home to find out her boyfriend had dumped her on her facebook wall and had thrown gallons of paint all over the apartment they had shared.” Here the reporter smirks and they show a slow sweeping view of my apartment. My cheeks burned but I kept my energy under control. “Curiously this region of Anaheim has been particularly prone to quakes in the last decade. Fortunately other than the broken windows the damage was minimal with no injuries other than a broken heart perhaps.” The news anchor smirked again at his own joke. My seat shook a little at this and I turned away. I had called the cops before I left and filed charges. The landlord was understandably too busy with glass installers to help us right away but he assured me he would get the hallway surveillance videos to the police. The cop was pretty sure I had an ironclad case against him. It really was silly of him to wreck the flat. I mean we didn’t even break up on bad terms. I rolled my eyes again “Actors….so full of drama.”
****
I arrived in Gulf Shores Alabama six and a half hours later. It was suppertime but I knew as the taxi dropped me off Mom would still be at work. I dropped my suitcases at the backdoor and walked down our old weather-beaten boardwalk to the beach. The sky was clear and a cool breeze ruffled my hair. I collapsed in my favorite spot, the hammock strung between two palm trees. As I lay there I evaluated my life; a twenty seven year old aspiring actress who after ten years had starred in a grand total of two commercials with very minor parts and three scenes in a now cancelled soap opera with the distinguished title of “Bar patron number three”. Never married, no kids, no talent and no future. Oh and lets not forget freak of nature. Can’t forget that little juicy tidbit.
I tried not to. I really did but once a few tears leaked out it was like a dam failing and it all just gushed out. I stared up at the sky with my vision blurred by tears when a man’s head leaned over me, blocking out the sky. I was so startled my body jerked and I flipped spectacularly off the hammock landing on all fours in the sand.
I looked up at the handsome blonde who had wrecked my pity party. “Damn it Dirk. I hate it when you do that!”
Dirk was doubled over laughing. “I’m…sorry….” he got out between guffaws. “was…only trying….to say…hello.”
“Riiiight. Like I believe that.” I said brushing sand of my knees. “What are you doing here anyway?”
“I was wondering the same thing about you little missy. I happen to live here now.”
I looked at him incredulously. “You live here? Mom didn’t tell me that. I thought you were living it up in Atlanta with some politician’s daughter.”
“And so I was.” He said puffing out his chest. He reached for my hand and led me back up the ramp to the patio where we sat down together. “She was a sweet thing.” He said looking up to the sky ruefully. “But alas she started saying these sentences with words like ‘love’ and ‘marriage’ in them so I had to say goodbye to the high life.” He sighed dramatically.
I laughed. “Dirk your such a jerk. Your telling me a rich pretty girl loved you and wanted to marry you so you split?”
“That about sums it up.” He stretched his arms and legs and yawned. “Really sis I just didn’t love her so instead of stringing her along because I liked being with her I packed up and moved home. I thought I was being noble. It hasn’t been easy on me you know, going from caviar living to this.” He turned and gestured to our multiple thousand square foot, beachfront familial home. “This is a far cry from Atlanta penthouses.”
I laughed again. “It’s good to be home. I missed it too.”
He nodded appreciatively. He reached across the table and poked my arm. “Tag, your it.”
So I told him all about the cheating bastard actor Sean. I thought about leaving out the news report but I couldn’t help telling him. He jumped up and went inside with a hurried “be right back”. When he reemerged he had his laptop in hand. He scooted his chair next to mine and pushed play on the screen. We watched the news report on you tube again, and again and again. It had over a thousand hits already. We laughed until we cried. It was so much more comical hearing the news anchor’s voice instead of reading it.
While we were laughing a tall slender woman with short blonde hair and a pretty but lined face walked around the house. Her heels making a clicking noise on the patio stones.
“What’s so funny?” she asked in her smooth as honey southern drawl.
Dirk swiveled the computer screen around and pushed play. My Mom sat down and watched. Her lips quirked but she didn’t laugh out loud. “You got to admit baby, he’s got and eye for color.”
I was horrified but Dirk fell out of his chair laughing. “Gee thanks Mom. Nice to see you too.”
She got up and kissed the top of my head. “I missed you too much baby girl. I am glad your home. You hungry?”
“Yep.” Dirk chimed in before I could answer. “Come on sis, last one to the door is a dead opossum.”
I rolled my eyes but ran after him anyway.
Mom fixed us peanut butter and banana sandwiches, chips and sweet tea. We all stood in the kitchen talking and joking. It was so good to be home. It had always been like this. Just the three of us. Our dad had split on us when I was just over one year old and Dirk was three. Dirk had only a couple vague memories of him and I didn’t have any. Mom didn’t talk about him as a rule. Our Mom was and is a strong woman so we never felt like we were missing anything by not having a father. She came from a well to do southern family and was an only child. When Maw maw and Pawpaw Glick died before we were born Mom got all their wealth and property. She didn’t have to work anymore but she did anyway. She bought a southern cookin’ restaurant on the strip called The Lonely Pelican. Growing up the only family we had was each other and a mysterious Uncle on our dad’s side that visited us every year while until we hit eighteen. He was the only relative of our dads we had ever met or heard of. We never knew when he was coming, he just showed up. He stayed one night with us, gave us money from our father and left. The first few years we asked him about our dad endlessly and asked if there were any other Littletons we could meet. He never answered so we stopped asking. He never talked about himself or his family. He only wanted to know about us. How our schooling was getting on, etc. When we got older he would ask us when Mom was out or occupied how we were getting on with our ‘other’ studies. We didn’t know what he meant at first until he formed a three foot high tornado on the living room carpet. Dirk and I walked around the tornado in awe, plunging our hand or foot into it’s core. Dirk, being a wind worker also proudly showed him all he could do. I however told him that I could do nothing. He was surprised at this at first but kept telling me it would come in time. Dirk didn’t question me on why I wouldn’t make the earth quake for him, he already knew. My abnormality was not something I could hide in my room and work on perfecting like Dirk could. I had no control over my power and spent all my time learning to suppress it while Dirk spent his learning to prefect his. I was jealous of him and his ability growing up but it never made me bitter or resent him. I just wanted to know why I had to be the freakier one. Why couldn’t I just be normal freaky? Uncle Strep, as he told us to call him began to stare long and hard at me when I, year after year maintained I had no ability. I don’t think he ever believed me but at age fourteen he stopped asking. He said if it hadn’t happened by then it wasn’t going to.
The next morning Mom woke me up early and told me to get ready for work. I groaned and grumbled but did as I was told. Mom popped a few frozen waffles into the toaster for me. “Your brother is already gone to open up the Pelican. He gets there at five so the ladies can start making biscuits for the breakfast crowd. It’s Friday so we will be busy. You can take lunch at one till two then get off at four thirty. You will be waiting tables today so you can keep your tips plus a dollar an hour. We are leaving at seven.”
I looked at her cross-eyed. “That is way too many words this early in the morning. You have coffee somewhere?”
Mom sighed and poured me a cup. “Do you still take cream and sugar?”
“Do monkeys eat bananas?”
“Absolutely”. Mom replied passing me the mug. She dug some cream from the fridge and the sugar bowl from the counter and handed it to me. “I am really sorry about Sean. I thought he was a nice boy even if he was an actor.” Mom distrusted actors as a rule and now I was beginning to see her wisdom in it. “But sugar I can tell you why the relationship didn’t work out if you want to hear it.”
I groaned. “What Mom? Should I have cooked him three meals a day? Set his clothes out for him for work the next day? Rubbed his feet after a long day of prancing in front of a camera?”
“The cooking thing sure wouldn’t hurt. There is no quicker way to win a man’s heart than through his stomach.” Mom replied.
“Not any man I ever met. They only want one thing and it isn’t my crème brulee.”
“I said to a man’s heart not his pants baby. And there in lies the problem. As it is ordained by God, and your mother, you should find a man who wins your heart and you have won his and then you get married.” She put extra emphasis on the word. “You will never have a satisfying relationship if you keep shacking up with whatever guy you happen to like at the time. Trust me baby, it will never work out. If a man really loves you he will have the crème brulee first and wait for the rest until your married.”
“There are no men like that anymore Momma!” I said waving my hands in exasperation. “That is not the way the world works anymore.”
“And that is exactly why the world doesn’t work anymore. Everyone wants to do what they want to do, when they want to do it. No one cares about anyone else. Well I am not buying it and I hope and pray I have raised my babies to do the same. Now eat your dad gum waffles and lets go to work.” She strode out of the room, her heels clicking furiously.
I had heard this same speech from Mom several times and it usually ended like this. With arm waving and Mom reduced to her special brand of cursing. This time I must admit I felt finally mature enough to see it’s wisdom and thought God must be on to something, as he usually was. After this horrific blind sight to what Sean truly was I was beginning to realize that I needed to stop looking for love. I should just hang back, lay low and let love find me. Or something like that anyway.
“What a low life bastard!” I thought, clenching my teeth. “How dare he break up with me and on my facebook page!” Luckily my phone alerts me when I have a new wall post so his note “I think it’s time for us to see other people because baby, I already see one I like” comment was deleted after only being in cyberspace a few seconds. I was not naïve enough to think that out of my two hundred and fifty friends that no one saw it. I just couldn’t believe that after three years together he could just throw me away so easily and so callously. I thought I knew him. I thought I might even love him. My phone vibrated in my hand and it wasn’t caused by the earthquake.
“Honey.” A woman’s sooth southern voice said from the receiver. “I just got a notification on my phone and read what Sean wrote.” The earthquake went up another notch on the Richter scale. “Baby you need to calm down. Take a deep breath. I am on my way to work so I can’t turn on the TV. But I am assuming there is an earthquake going on right now?”
I took a deep breath. “Yes.”
“Oh Shia, you have been doing so well. How long has it been, three months? Please calm down. Think about all the people you could be hurting. Think of all the priceless family heirlooms crashing to the floor right now as we speak. He is just a boy, baby. Trust me there are lots of them.”
“Ok Mom. I am calming down.” I said still deep breathing.
“Imagine yourself sitting on the beach. How about laying in your hammock. Hear the waves crashing against the shore? Maybe you should come home for a nice long visit. It would do you good to get away from all that Hollywood drama.”
“I’ll think about it Mom and call you back.”
“How’s the quake?” she asked.
“What quake?” I asked and hung up. I turned my phone off, not wanting to risk hearing from anyone else and started walking again towards the flat I shared with Sean. A little ripple of energy escaped me as I thought of the possibility of him being there. I doubted it. I was just getting home from a week in South Beach with a friend and auditioning for a part in a daytime soap opera.
“See this is what happens when you leave a guy alone for an extended period of time.” I berated myself aloud. “They find somewhere else to put their private parts.” I rolled my eyes. I had thought Sean was different, even perfect but on reflection he is an aspiring actor so his acting skills must be pretty good right? Was our whole relationship an act? Had I just lived with Sean the actor and Sean the real person was someone I never met? I mulled this over as I rode the elevator up to our fourth story flat. I unlocked the door and tried to brace myself for whatever was inside. It didn’t work. As expected he had already moved out. He had left all of my things in the exact place I had left them. But that wasn’t the shocking part. The shocking part was the whole flat was covered in paint. It looked like he had went to the big box store and bought every paint color from SpongeBob Squarepants. Gallons of bright orange, lime green, neon pink and electric blue were thrown all over everything. My 42 inch plasma was a brilliant shade of yellow, the floor to ceiling windows gave a new meaning to ‘stained glass’. Our bedroom door was open and I saw my beautiful white lacy duvet splashed with electric blue. On reflection it was a pretty good color to describe that area of our relationship. I stood there gaping like an idiot for several minutes then the anger that flashed up in me caused the earth to shutter violently around me and all the windows in the building exploded at once.
****
I sat in the airport awaiting my gate to be called watching the news. Of course the airport was too loud to hear it but I was reading the captions.
“……earthquake in Anaheim a 4.0 on the Richter scale came at 12:56 pm today. The aftershock came in a 4.9, twenty minutes later. The aftershock blew out all the windows in the Shady Palms complex which was particularly devastating for a young tenant who had just come home to find out her boyfriend had dumped her on her facebook wall and had thrown gallons of paint all over the apartment they had shared.” Here the reporter smirks and they show a slow sweeping view of my apartment. My cheeks burned but I kept my energy under control. “Curiously this region of Anaheim has been particularly prone to quakes in the last decade. Fortunately other than the broken windows the damage was minimal with no injuries other than a broken heart perhaps.” The news anchor smirked again at his own joke. My seat shook a little at this and I turned away. I had called the cops before I left and filed charges. The landlord was understandably too busy with glass installers to help us right away but he assured me he would get the hallway surveillance videos to the police. The cop was pretty sure I had an ironclad case against him. It really was silly of him to wreck the flat. I mean we didn’t even break up on bad terms. I rolled my eyes again “Actors….so full of drama.”
****
I arrived in Gulf Shores Alabama six and a half hours later. It was suppertime but I knew as the taxi dropped me off Mom would still be at work. I dropped my suitcases at the backdoor and walked down our old weather-beaten boardwalk to the beach. The sky was clear and a cool breeze ruffled my hair. I collapsed in my favorite spot, the hammock strung between two palm trees. As I lay there I evaluated my life; a twenty seven year old aspiring actress who after ten years had starred in a grand total of two commercials with very minor parts and three scenes in a now cancelled soap opera with the distinguished title of “Bar patron number three”. Never married, no kids, no talent and no future. Oh and lets not forget freak of nature. Can’t forget that little juicy tidbit.
I tried not to. I really did but once a few tears leaked out it was like a dam failing and it all just gushed out. I stared up at the sky with my vision blurred by tears when a man’s head leaned over me, blocking out the sky. I was so startled my body jerked and I flipped spectacularly off the hammock landing on all fours in the sand.
I looked up at the handsome blonde who had wrecked my pity party. “Damn it Dirk. I hate it when you do that!”
Dirk was doubled over laughing. “I’m…sorry….” he got out between guffaws. “was…only trying….to say…hello.”
“Riiiight. Like I believe that.” I said brushing sand of my knees. “What are you doing here anyway?”
“I was wondering the same thing about you little missy. I happen to live here now.”
I looked at him incredulously. “You live here? Mom didn’t tell me that. I thought you were living it up in Atlanta with some politician’s daughter.”
“And so I was.” He said puffing out his chest. He reached for my hand and led me back up the ramp to the patio where we sat down together. “She was a sweet thing.” He said looking up to the sky ruefully. “But alas she started saying these sentences with words like ‘love’ and ‘marriage’ in them so I had to say goodbye to the high life.” He sighed dramatically.
I laughed. “Dirk your such a jerk. Your telling me a rich pretty girl loved you and wanted to marry you so you split?”
“That about sums it up.” He stretched his arms and legs and yawned. “Really sis I just didn’t love her so instead of stringing her along because I liked being with her I packed up and moved home. I thought I was being noble. It hasn’t been easy on me you know, going from caviar living to this.” He turned and gestured to our multiple thousand square foot, beachfront familial home. “This is a far cry from Atlanta penthouses.”
I laughed again. “It’s good to be home. I missed it too.”
He nodded appreciatively. He reached across the table and poked my arm. “Tag, your it.”
So I told him all about the cheating bastard actor Sean. I thought about leaving out the news report but I couldn’t help telling him. He jumped up and went inside with a hurried “be right back”. When he reemerged he had his laptop in hand. He scooted his chair next to mine and pushed play on the screen. We watched the news report on you tube again, and again and again. It had over a thousand hits already. We laughed until we cried. It was so much more comical hearing the news anchor’s voice instead of reading it.
While we were laughing a tall slender woman with short blonde hair and a pretty but lined face walked around the house. Her heels making a clicking noise on the patio stones.
“What’s so funny?” she asked in her smooth as honey southern drawl.
Dirk swiveled the computer screen around and pushed play. My Mom sat down and watched. Her lips quirked but she didn’t laugh out loud. “You got to admit baby, he’s got and eye for color.”
I was horrified but Dirk fell out of his chair laughing. “Gee thanks Mom. Nice to see you too.”
She got up and kissed the top of my head. “I missed you too much baby girl. I am glad your home. You hungry?”
“Yep.” Dirk chimed in before I could answer. “Come on sis, last one to the door is a dead opossum.”
I rolled my eyes but ran after him anyway.
Mom fixed us peanut butter and banana sandwiches, chips and sweet tea. We all stood in the kitchen talking and joking. It was so good to be home. It had always been like this. Just the three of us. Our dad had split on us when I was just over one year old and Dirk was three. Dirk had only a couple vague memories of him and I didn’t have any. Mom didn’t talk about him as a rule. Our Mom was and is a strong woman so we never felt like we were missing anything by not having a father. She came from a well to do southern family and was an only child. When Maw maw and Pawpaw Glick died before we were born Mom got all their wealth and property. She didn’t have to work anymore but she did anyway. She bought a southern cookin’ restaurant on the strip called The Lonely Pelican. Growing up the only family we had was each other and a mysterious Uncle on our dad’s side that visited us every year while until we hit eighteen. He was the only relative of our dads we had ever met or heard of. We never knew when he was coming, he just showed up. He stayed one night with us, gave us money from our father and left. The first few years we asked him about our dad endlessly and asked if there were any other Littletons we could meet. He never answered so we stopped asking. He never talked about himself or his family. He only wanted to know about us. How our schooling was getting on, etc. When we got older he would ask us when Mom was out or occupied how we were getting on with our ‘other’ studies. We didn’t know what he meant at first until he formed a three foot high tornado on the living room carpet. Dirk and I walked around the tornado in awe, plunging our hand or foot into it’s core. Dirk, being a wind worker also proudly showed him all he could do. I however told him that I could do nothing. He was surprised at this at first but kept telling me it would come in time. Dirk didn’t question me on why I wouldn’t make the earth quake for him, he already knew. My abnormality was not something I could hide in my room and work on perfecting like Dirk could. I had no control over my power and spent all my time learning to suppress it while Dirk spent his learning to prefect his. I was jealous of him and his ability growing up but it never made me bitter or resent him. I just wanted to know why I had to be the freakier one. Why couldn’t I just be normal freaky? Uncle Strep, as he told us to call him began to stare long and hard at me when I, year after year maintained I had no ability. I don’t think he ever believed me but at age fourteen he stopped asking. He said if it hadn’t happened by then it wasn’t going to.
The next morning Mom woke me up early and told me to get ready for work. I groaned and grumbled but did as I was told. Mom popped a few frozen waffles into the toaster for me. “Your brother is already gone to open up the Pelican. He gets there at five so the ladies can start making biscuits for the breakfast crowd. It’s Friday so we will be busy. You can take lunch at one till two then get off at four thirty. You will be waiting tables today so you can keep your tips plus a dollar an hour. We are leaving at seven.”
I looked at her cross-eyed. “That is way too many words this early in the morning. You have coffee somewhere?”
Mom sighed and poured me a cup. “Do you still take cream and sugar?”
“Do monkeys eat bananas?”
“Absolutely”. Mom replied passing me the mug. She dug some cream from the fridge and the sugar bowl from the counter and handed it to me. “I am really sorry about Sean. I thought he was a nice boy even if he was an actor.” Mom distrusted actors as a rule and now I was beginning to see her wisdom in it. “But sugar I can tell you why the relationship didn’t work out if you want to hear it.”
I groaned. “What Mom? Should I have cooked him three meals a day? Set his clothes out for him for work the next day? Rubbed his feet after a long day of prancing in front of a camera?”
“The cooking thing sure wouldn’t hurt. There is no quicker way to win a man’s heart than through his stomach.” Mom replied.
“Not any man I ever met. They only want one thing and it isn’t my crème brulee.”
“I said to a man’s heart not his pants baby. And there in lies the problem. As it is ordained by God, and your mother, you should find a man who wins your heart and you have won his and then you get married.” She put extra emphasis on the word. “You will never have a satisfying relationship if you keep shacking up with whatever guy you happen to like at the time. Trust me baby, it will never work out. If a man really loves you he will have the crème brulee first and wait for the rest until your married.”
“There are no men like that anymore Momma!” I said waving my hands in exasperation. “That is not the way the world works anymore.”
“And that is exactly why the world doesn’t work anymore. Everyone wants to do what they want to do, when they want to do it. No one cares about anyone else. Well I am not buying it and I hope and pray I have raised my babies to do the same. Now eat your dad gum waffles and lets go to work.” She strode out of the room, her heels clicking furiously.
I had heard this same speech from Mom several times and it usually ended like this. With arm waving and Mom reduced to her special brand of cursing. This time I must admit I felt finally mature enough to see it’s wisdom and thought God must be on to something, as he usually was. After this horrific blind sight to what Sean truly was I was beginning to realize that I needed to stop looking for love. I should just hang back, lay low and let love find me. Or something like that anyway.
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