GOD2
by ipam
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 Pamela Joan Barlow
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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PLAYERS:
Mrs. & Mr. Windsor, mistress and master, Windsor Manor, Birmingham, Alabama
Granny Hanover, god and goddess mentor, Windsor Manor
Teen gods and goddesses:
Archibald, Jamestown, Virginia, teen god, Shango, Africa
Bibi, London, Minnesota, teen goddess, Nikki, England
Chun, Tibet, New York, teen goddess, Kuan Yi, China
Fabio, Naples, Florida, teen god, Mithras, Italy
Kruti, Bali, California, teen goddess, Shivaa, India
Hansel, Lund, Utah, teen god, Balder, Sweden
Josefina, Carlsbad, New Mexico, teen goddess, Is Chel, Mexico
Liam, Waterford, Maine, teen god, Lugh, Ireland
Marcus, Athens, Georgia, teen god, Ares, Greece
Noako, Sapporo, New York, teen goddess, Dainichi, Japan
Rachel, Memphis, Tennessee, goddess, Isis, Egypt
Thian, twin brother of Thianne, god, Birmingham, Alabama
Thianne, twin sister of Thian, goddess, Birmingham, Alabama
Yaffa, Maui, Hawaii, teen goddess, Pele, Hawaiian
September 28, day, Kruti’s bedroom, Windsor Manor, Birmingham, Alabama, T-storms, rain, 60% precipitation, 68*F, 7:38 a.m.
Thianne slammed into her brother’s body in the empty hallway of the girl’s dormitory level at Windsor Manor. “Come here, quickly.” She grabbed his forearm with force pulling him into the sleeping chambers of the formal and dead deva Kruti known as “Shivaa.”
“Thianne…you shouldn’t be near this room.” Thian reprimanded, glancing around searching for Mr. and Mrs. Windsor in case they noticed Thianne’s snooping. “….or here in the room.”
Thianne waved her hand as the bedroom curtains magically opened beaming sunlight into the dark empty unoccupied bed chambers. She pointed with her index finger to the four post bed nearing oak the headboard. “Look at this.” She moved closer exaggerating with both hands for her brother to see.
Thian studied the headboard intently. “Indian thing.”
“No, Kruti didn’t abuse the furniture. That’s a juvenile act. I’m been in her room thousands of time visiting. This ‘thing’ wasn’t there on the furniture…ever before.”
“New furniture.”
“No. You’re more familiar with the Transcendenthiny than I. Nothing has moved or changed since Kruti…” Thianne held back the tears with a sob wanting to learn more about the death of her friend and how to prevent the same deaths of the two guys in her life, Thian and Ares. She studied Thian.
Thian stroked her arm. “Right, okay, sis. You’re right.” He turned to eyeball the entire room from door to closet to open curtains to bed back to the door. The room was furnished like all the other bed chambers with an oak four-poster bed, matching six oak chest of drawers below a half length mirror, walk-in closet, separate bathroom facilities and private balcony with French doors except for the craved drawing etched onto the headboard.
“Thian, I’ve never seen this drawing, art or whatever on the bed. It’s new and it’s different somehow. I…nervous about this.”
“Chill, doggie.” Thian laughed. “Okay, it’s different. I’ll snap a pic on the old cell phone, then we got to leave. I don’t want Mrs. Windsor asking questions about our…tour.” He pulled his cell phone snapping a quick pic.
“It’s scary.”
“Creepy is the term I would choose.” Thian extended his index finger. “Did you touch it?”
Thianne shook her silver head of hair vigorously. “Definitely not.”
“I don’t think its bites.” He chuckled.
She ordered, holding his hand and shoving his body back from the bed. “Don’t touch it, Thian.”
“I want to see if its etched into the wood or its something magical.”
“I rather you not touch it, Thian.”
He sighed. He breathed deeply. He spoke. “Okay sis, then, you do it.”
“No.”
“I’m selected.” Thian moved cautiously with his hand extending the tip of his index finger out from his folded fist. He only wanted to brush the artwork for a millisecond to get a vibe from the design. He could tell the difference between burned wood….or something else. Thian placed his finger inside the nostril of the image. Immediately, he jumped back with his extended hand from the head board. Thianne squeaked like a mouse. He exhaled and inhaled sharply catching his short breathing.
Thianne stepped backward with him, asking. “What, what did you feel?”
“Nothing. I’m sorry. I’m a little nervous, too.” He confessed not moving from the spot with silly grin on his handsome face.
Thianne punched his upper arm. “Scary cat. I’ll do it.”
He smiled, moving his sister to the side. “I’m ready. Are you ready?”
“Just skim it.”
“Here goes.” He extended his index finger again, slowly moving in the direction of the shape of small nostril. With a tap of the tip of epidermal, he connected. “I touched it. See, nothing happened. I’m alive and….”
The artwork disappeared. The headboard returned to normal oak.
Thian exclaimed. “Whoa the stage coach, did ya see that move? Its gone.”
“What does it mean, Thian?”
He shook his head, still looking at the headboard with the image burned into his mind. “Don’t know. Let’s go, tell the other gods and divas.”
Thian took his sister’s hand. He snapped his fingers.
POP!
They disappeared.
sunshine, schoolhouse, classroom, 8:00 a.m.
Pele ordered. “Thian, explain the transcendental process to me, again. I’m still confused. And I can’t figure out the technique. It’s very weird.”
“Where’s Ares?” Thianne immediately surveyed the room for her guy.
“Weird, what’s been normal in the last 24 hours, Pele?” Shango told, chuckling.
“Is Ares at breakfast in the manor?” Thianne asked again not seeing him in the room.
Thian explained. “In simple terms, transcendental death, the mantra, or spirit subtlety drifts out of existence into nothingness, nowhere, no place….”
“I thought mantra were uttered soft sounds from the human body.”
“Shango, did you make Ares disappear again, he’s going to…” Thianne tattled.
“Hold your ponytail, girl!” Shango told. “Granny had a special session for him.”
“Granny, this morning, why? What did you do to get Ares into trouble?” Thianne pointed her finger at Shango since he was grinning like the cat that ate her dove.
Shango shrugged. “Maybe, or might be or could be something to do with the food fight in the dining table this morning.”
“Calm down, Thianne.” Isis pointed. “He’s coming back after his workout. We have other problems at the moment.”
“It’s the sound of life leaving the body when a god dies.” Thian told, scanning the faces of his friends.
Silence loomed in the air waves.
“Okay….subject change.” Thianne pointed to her twin. “Look what we found strange artwork…”
Thian added. “By way of Thianne snooping around Kruti’s old bedroom….”
“Was there….”
“Nothing, none of her possessions exist…”
“Mrs. Windsor?”
Thianne said. “No. I inquired. Mrs. Windsor told me the room was empty and has been for years. There was or is no one expected to occupy the room for the rest of the year.”
Isis stifled a sob. “She’s…really gone…away from us.”
Thian, as leader, ordered the pack. “Business at hand, folks.”
Thianne clarified for the gods and divas. “The room was clean, shined and polished from ceiling to floor. Kruti did not leave one piece of DNA from her hair, fingernails or toenails. It was like she never existed at Windsor Manor.”
“Its up, Thianne.” The gods and divas turned to view the image that Balder placed on the big wide TV screen, magnifying the image 10X.
“Guess?”
“Art.”
“Burned wood.”
“Woodcraft.”
“Witchcraft is more like it.”
“Hey, I met a witch the other day. We could consult her knowledge.”
“Shut up, Shango.”
“Indian thing?”
Thian slapped Balder’s shoulder since they were sitting at the same table. “Great minds think alike, I volunteered the same deduction.”
Thianne yelled at both of them. “No. This is bad magic, not voodoo or spells or incantations or powders or potions or tonics….”
Kuan Yi answered. “You gods, it’s a mosaic.”
Balder added. “Baby mosaic.”
Isis commanded. “Look in Kruti’s book.”
Thianne announced. “That book disintegrated with her….”
“Looking…” Pele slapped the book onto the table, flipping through the thick manual for the image on the screen.
Thianne asked with puzzlement as she watched Pele search for an answer. “Her things disappeared. Why’s the book here and not…”
“In the cyberspace….” Nikki finished, she shrugged her shoulders without any answer.
“I’m guessing, a highly educated guess. We all touched it. Once Kruti presented the book to the gods and divas, we bombarded the animal skin with our DNA.”
“So… Satan’s grandmother has limits.”
“Do tell.”
“Okay, here goes my theory. She can’t zap us all at once.”
Shango stood and held out extended arms, yelling. “Everyone touch me.”
“Shut up, Shango before I slap you.” Isis barked.
Laughter assaulted the air waves.
Balder punched his gut with medium muscle strength in a surprise and stunned maneuver catching Shango off guard. Instead of defending the play hit, Shango and his stomach absorbed the strike with a good amount of pain as he folded over, strutting. GRUNT!
“….boy…”
Balder grinned, pointing at his target. “He say punch him.”
“He say touch him, lightly, your moron.”
“Sorry, I missed…” Balder huffed into roaring laughter.
“Looks like you didn’t miss.” Pele laughed.
More laughter exploded.
“That’s a clever theory, wonder if she can’t hurt us if we touch each other’s possessions.”
“This isn’t Satan’s grandmother. Something connected to the transcendental property rule, I would bet.” Thian surmised.
Pele added. “Thian’s correct. Based on the book, this is a Pompeian mosaic.”
“You mean Pompeii.”
“As in the city of Pompeii.”
“This thing was buried along with the fossilized folks in the eruption of Vesuvius.”
“Not good.”
“Not great.”
“Continue reading, Pele.”
“The skull in the middle of the mosaic has two fluttering butterflies. They are symbols representing the fleeting spirits of life and death.”
“Kruti.”
“Her spirit is gone.”
“What else?”
“At the top, here, of the thing, the inverted T represents a stage, meaning ‘death takes the measure of all things’.”
“Death?”
“She didn’t die by natural causes.”
“This is a warning….”
“….to us.”
“Yeah, us.”
“What about the other symbols below the butterflies?”
“They are represented as air and water which means we can die either on land or by sea.”
“We die.”
“It’s just a pic.”
The overhead lights of the classroom powered “off,” then “on” within a millisecond.
“It’s an important pic.”
“This is really creepy.”
“Really scary.”
“I want my mommy and daddy.”
Balder announced. “This is a warning.”
“We heard ya the first time, Balder.”
“Saids here, the mosaic encouraged Pompeian’s to make the most of life before it happened. The proverbial injunction is Carpe diem.”
Nikki translated. “That means ‘Enjoy today.’ ”
“Oh, dear.”
“Heck fire.”
“Dang it!”
“Holy snot!”
“The earthquake occurred in 9000 BC. Why this symbol? Why for Kruti? Why for us?”
Balder hollered. “Enjoy today ‘cause tomorrow ya ain’t gong to be here.”
“Shut up, Balder.”
Pele commanded. “Punch him, again….really hard, Shango.” Balder popped to the door, laughing with amusement.
“….and then it disappeared from Kruti’s bed when Thian tapped the image.”
Thian shook his head in the affirmative, adding “It dissolved without any trace, the headboard was returned to wood again.”
Silence loomed in the air waves.
Balder broke the uneasy quiet. “This is a warning.”
“Stop repeating that statement, Balder.”
“Talking makes me feel better…”
“Shut up, Balder.”
“Who sent it?”
“Satan’s grandmother.”
“She murdered Kruti…”
“Looking for the marked goddess and god blood mixture to open the gates of Tartarus.”
┬┴┬
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( O O )
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^^^^ ~~~~~
♥♣
Thian observed, asking. “What’s wrong Pele?”
Pele shook her head side to side. “This picture here in the book isn’t a museum photograph.”
“Kruti popped…”
“Kruti didn’t POP! into every museum in the world for a photo shoot. Her parents forbade it so did Mr. and Mrs. Windsor…”
“….and Granny.”
“Good point, she created her book from numerous sources, magazines, National Geographic articles, newspapers, Internet and a real camera.”
“The pic is digital.”
“She used her digital camera.”
“The pic looks funny.”
“Digital pics are kinda strange compared to real photography.”
“You’re missing my point. The pic is digital, from a digital camera.”
Kuan Yi cried. “You gods, the mosaic was taken by a digital device, a mobile phone.” Everyone turned to stare at Kuan Yi.
“Cell phone.”
“That means.”
Kuan Yi explained, pointing. “I replicated another mosaic on the wall shaped like her bedroom head board and snapped the cell phone camera. See the similarity.”
“Clear. I mean fuzzy.”
“The pixels aren’t programmed for great depth. This is the source of the pic in her book.”
“That means she snapped the pic in her room on the headboard by herself.”
“She knew it was there.”
“She didn’t tell us, either.”
“Kruti must’ve been trying to figure out the riddle.”
“Date. What’s the date of the pic?”
Pele ordered. “Magnify it, more to 20X, Balder.” Balder adjusted the screen with his hand.
“Yesterday, three seconds after midnight, 12:03 a.m.”
Isis started crying as Thian comforted her with his hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay…”
“Kruti was marked by Satan’s grandmother for murder.”
“Dang it.”
“Holy snot.”
“Heck fire.”
“This doesn’t make any sense.”
“Satan’s grandmother doesn’t know who the marked gods…”
“….or divas are.”
“We know that.”
Thianne asked quietly. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“Busy with the artifact hunt, I guess.”
“Text Polly, see if we can get any more data about the Carpe diem and other stuff.”
“Doing it.”
“Polly is going to tell us the same thing. The mosaic is a symbol of our morality.”
horse pasture, sunny skies, dark clouds, no rain, 72*F, 9:30 a.m.
“Up…slave…”
“Up yours, sister…”
“Get up and fight, scumbag.”
“Up your chimney stack, baby girl….”
“Oh, is the baby afraid?”
“No fear, babe.”
“Only death, sir.” Granny laughed with a hardy tone.
Ares stood from the crouched position blocking the plummeting debris of SUV-sized boulders, basketball-sized rocks, and motorcycle-sized tree trunks along with baby strolled rounded bushes with attached berries, flowers and accompanying insects. He chunked all items into the nearest unplowed field during his morning exercise. He huffed with disapproval. “Don’t say things like that, Granny.”
“Sorry, devi Marcus, it slipped out at the moment of your…defeat.”
Marcus wiped his face with his hand clearing the caked blood from his nose. He fanned his nose fixing the wound with his fingers. Using the same hand, he rubbed the aching neck muscles from the physical play game. “Are we finished for….now…Granny?”
Limestone gray boulders charged from the hillside as Marcus finished the question.
“Last one, boy.”
Marcus knocked the cow-sized boulders together and proceeded to sculpt an image of the war god in battle. He laughed waving fingers and hands and arms in unison.
“Not bad, boy.”
“Thanks, Granny. May I leave?”
“Yes, deva Marcus. You served punishment for the rest of day.” Granny completed.
schoolhouse, classroom, sunny skies, party cloudy, 11:00 a.m.
Marcus popped into the classroom as the 3-D world globe slowly spun on the cyberspace axis to view Africa. Color pinpricked lights illuminated inside the boundaries of the US.
Pele pointed at the hologram, explaining. “Isis, Lugh and Kuan Yi developed the technology using the sunglasses possessed…”
“You mean obsessed…..”
Ares jerked his sunglasses from the object, holding them high in the air from the other gods and divas. “Hey, re-possessed…” The colored lights vanished.
“Replace the glasses on the doll, Ares. Ya ruined the demonstration.” Pele ordered like the diva was boss.
“This is my property.” Marcus whined, cuddling the sunglasses to his new suit.
“….and very good property, you have at that. Sit down, Marcus.” Pele ordered, again.
Marcus was fresh and clean from bathing the sweat, blood and ants of punishment with Granny, donning in a new navy blue Dior business suit on his six feet and six inches of deep Mediterranean complexion with curly black midnight hair on a heart shaped face with an aristocratic nose, chiseled cheekbones and soft thin pink lips. He sundered over to Thianne, smiling, jerking the empty chair from the wall with his kinesis placing it next to her warm body. He turned to the front, flirting with Thianne’s hands as he aimed his behind for the chair.
Thian levitated the chair in the air as it shifted back and forth like a flying jay bird in Marcus’s blind spot since he was smiling and drooling over Thianne. Marcus plummeted down to the floor before he caught his huge body, flying upwards to the ceiling like an American eagle.
Laughter assaulted the air waves.
Thian teased and pointed. “Sit down over there, opposite of Thianne, Marcus.”
Marcus uprighted the chair with a wave of his hand, announcing without looking at her brother. “I find this seat warm and comfy for my needs.” Ares smiled, ignoring everyone and everything but Thianne as he quickly seated, leaning into Thianne’s air space.
Thian aimed the emerald green echo bolt at Marcus’s arm draped around his twin sister. Ares used his free hand to ricochet it back to Thian as he ducked and rolled under the table from the backfire. “Back at ya, man.” Ares giggled with delight, staring into Thianne’s beautiful silver eyes.
Pele flared a mint green echo belt into Ares’s chest, tapping him lightly. “Ares, pay attention.”
“Ouch! That hurt, Thian started it. Go beat him up, Pele.” Marcus head spun in her direction, talking.
Kuan Yi laughed. “You gods, the ‘war’ god whimpers when pinched.”
Laughter assaulted the air waves.
Ares raised a hand toward Kuan Yi. “I’ll show ya’ll whimper…”
“Blast her, Ares.” Balder rooted for the fight between the arrogant god and the conceited diva.
“Stand down, Ares.” Thian commanded, and then head spin to Balder, pointing with his finger. “….and you, shut up.”
More laughter echoed.
Pele continued. “We found three more weapons. A phone in a cave in Arkansas, a pair of sunglasses at a university and a watch in a Virginia gravesite.”
“Gravesite, no way! No how! Not me.” Shango yelled, shaking his bald head side to side in the negative.
Thian lectured, rubbing the back of his tense neck muscles. “We’re running out of time, daylight and moonlight, Pele before Satan’s grandmother attacks…us. Why so few weapons?”
Balder teased. “Our leader speaketh.”
“Our leader annoyeth.” Shango added.
Giggling bombarded the air waves.
“Don’t have a coronary, Thian. We criss-crossed drones around Hawaii, Alaska, Continental US and Puerto Rico…”
“I vote to explore Puerto Rico…next.” Shango offered with grin.
“Shut up, Shango.”
“Drones?”
Pele started. “We created tiny airplanes loaded with the dolls circling the planet for weapons.”
Isis added. “The drones pinpointed the weapons when fueled. When geomagnetic and isotopes eat up the fuel, the drones quit functioning.”
Lugh finished. “The solution is to fill it to the brim.”
Kuan Yi told. “The fuel is provided by Ares.”
“All those black beans comes in handy, right, Ares?” Balder insulted with a grin.
Ares barked back. “Shut up, Balder. I’m not fuel.”
“The drones use his hair for fuel.”
Laughter exploded in the air waves.
Isis marched to his seat, lifted a wade of curly black hair from the back of his shirt, clipping the section off.
Ares reacted. “Heck fire. That’s my property….too. That’s me, give it back, Is-is. I’m not fuel.”
“ ‘Cause you’re a fool, correction there.” Balder shouted, laughing.
“Shut up, Balder.”
Pele reminded. “Relax, Ares. Its for a good cause….to save our skins.”
Ares told. “My skin, who cares about ya’ll?” Ares turned to speak to Thianne quietly, and smiled. “Do you want diamonds, princess?”
Thianne turned to him. “Diamonds, Ares?”
Ares explained, whispering in Thianne’s ear. “Arkansas is famous for its rocks. There are tons of diamond caves. We can POP! over, grab you some stones….maybe for a necklace, earrings or…an engagement ring.”
Thianne blushed. He wasn’t just talking about marriage but acting upon it. “A ring would be very nice.”
Ares stroked her hand out of view of Thian. “As you wish, princess.”
Thian finished his private conversation with Pele and yelled. “Pair up.”
Pele shouted with counterman orders. “No, Thian. We selected the teams due to exposure.”
“Exposure?” Thian asked. “What kind of exposure?”
“The university setting is crowded and dangerous. September, football games are tomorrow.”
Shango clapped and told with big smile. “Pep rally with cheerleaders, majorettes and other girls…dancing…singing…today.”
“Right, Shango.” Thian nodded.
“Not right, Shango.” Pele reprimanded. She called the names of the newly re-formed teams of gods and divas.
“Good hunting! Be back here ASAP, folks!” Thian ordered.
POP!
They disappeared.
town, Arkansas, sunshine, white clouds, windy, 86*F, afternoon
Balder, Nikki, Isis, Is Chel and Kuan Yi popped in the middle of the dirt road with high winds, hot sun, chocking air, and sweating heat.
“Welcome to Kirby, Arkansas.” Kuan Yi announced without fanfare, shifting the Prada long thick straps of the oversized black leather tote over her head straightening her Gap white cotton short sleeved button down shirt over her khakis shorts as she readjusted the matching Eddie Borgo wood and silver arm cuffs, standing five feet and an one inch with short straight light brown bobbed hair.
Balder barked stretching head and neck surveying the top of the trees for civilization. “Ya messed up, again, Kuan Yi.” He stared hard at her standing tall in his Tommy Hilfiger crested sports white blaze over red Gap T-shirt completed with plaid white, blue, red and yellow Bermuda shorts and tan Olukai flip flops with bright baby blue eyes, and six feet and five inches.
“Thank you, I got it right, Handel.” Kuan Yi reached down and touched the soil ignoring his blaring eyeballs and re-strapping her Givenchy ankle black boots.
“Where is this?” Nikki inquired standing five feet even with long curly red hair and violet colored pupils wearing the BCBG Maxazria hot pink above the knee short zigzag silk sleeveless dress with the Diane von Furstenberg yellow gold necklace with rock crystals and diamonds around her neck falling to her belly button, matching yellow gold ring with rock crystal on her index finger and star diamonds earrings, wiping the dust off her Tiffany turquoise small frame bag with silver balls.
“We’re north up of Murfreesburg.” Is Chel of five feet and six inches, shoulder length black hair and brown eyes added to the geographical explanation for Nikki’s benefit. Since she was only occupied with looking at Balder’s physique. Is Chel shook the coldness of popping from her body and her clothing of Marc Jacobs cotton crepe blood red capelet and camisole and matching black and red silk gauze pants with blood red pin heel patent leather ankle strip sandal from Giuseppe Zanotti and the gray leather Stella McCartney bucket bag. She halted the swinging of her heavy Yves Saint Laurent brass earrings with her hand.
“Where, again?” Nikki asked.
Is Chel answered staring at the girl who continued to ignore all the alive and breathing super beings but Balder. “Murfreesburg, home ‘The Craters of Diamonds’ country.”
Kuan Yi told. “You gods, diamond mines or the only diamond mine left in the US.”
“Diamonds, where, I don’t see them.” Nikki ran to the edge of the road, peering at the empty flat yellow land.
Kuan Yi directed her arm passed Nikki as the jewelry cuff rattled with instructions for their mission, not diamond hunting. “Walk north…this direction based on Ares’ trajectory.”
“Can I hold the doll?” Balder asked.
Kuan Yi giggled walking passed him toward the north. She wasn’t fooled by Balder’s kindness. The voodoo doll is a real duplicate in very tea leaf miniature form of Ares, also, known as the Georgia boy named Marcus, six feet and six inches of deep Mediterranean complexion skin and muscles without including his awesome developing god powers. Ares used those developing powers most of time on Balder for fun and games. Kuan Yi giggled. She isn’t giving the doll to Balder for any reason, purpose or goal until she dies…by accident.
“Thanks, I got it right, again, Handel.” Kuan Yi commented and grinned. “Nikki, the rocks that form diamonds are underground. In 1906…”
Balder moaned which pierced the ears as a whine. “Not another history lesson….”
“I want to hear this, darling.” Nikki muzzled his neck. “Alright?”
“Whatever,” Balder remarked, holding her hands viewing the dull yellow dust balls swirling around the road and his feet.
“Farmer John found two diamonds on his property in Murfreesburg on a slope of a crater in which his property covered three-fourths of the volcanic crater. When diamond fever hit Pike County, he became known as ‘Diamond John.’ Three separate magma formations created the crater nearly 100 million years ago. When the fever broke, the US created a state park called ‘The Crater of Diamonds’ where anyone can get down and dirty digging for diamonds. Over 75,000 diamonds have been found consisting of white, brown or yellow. Nearly 60,000 people visit the park in a year and two diamonds are found per day. Some of the largest recorded diamonds are 40.23 carets called ‘Uncle Sam’ and the 34.25 ‘Star of Arkansas’ in 1924 and a 16.37 carats ‘Amarillo Starlight’ was found in 1975.”
“I want to go and get a diamond, Balder.” Nikki whined.
“No, baby. I can zap a great big one later for ya.” Balder held her hand tighter as they avoided the yellow dust twisters in the air.
Nikki shook her head, looking at him, grinning. “Okay, Balder.”
Standing with hands on hips and feet apart, the five feet and five inch beauty with blonde hair asked with emerald green eyes. “The soil is yellow, not black. Does anything grow here?” Isis inquired with interest, scanning the area with acute green eyes in the D& G pretty pink floral-print chiffon blouse and linen and satin pink pants, Burberry green patent leather purse and Etienne Aigner gold round necklace and matching vintage drop pearl earrings.
“From the bauxite mining, the metallic mineral is used as wiring in aircraft and spacecraft.” Kuan Yi informed.
“Low region.”
“Pine trees. No bushes.”
“Who lives here?”
Kuan Yi told. “Over to the east are farmers and chickens.”
“Looks like a desert no life, no McDonald’s and no fun.” Nikki giggled.
Kuan Yi reminded Nikki and the rest of the teens. “We aren’t here for fun.”
“Feels like a desert….hot.”
“The temperature reads 86 degrees, normal for September in Kirby Arkansas, USA.”
“Why’s the city empty?”
“Abandoned is the better term.”
“Why abandoned?”
“Ghosts?”
“The town’s haunted.”
“They say.”
“I say leave.” Balder joked, laughing.
Kuan Yi ordered. “Shut up, Balder.”
Balder protested. “I’m boss.”
Kuan Yi spit. “Bossy.”
Walking in the dust road, surveying the short yellow dry dusty path kicking up foot tornados eyeing the log encased square shaped one story structures from late 1600’s when the first settlements were established in the state of Arkansas.
“What’s inside the museum we are assigned to investigate?” Nikki asked.
“Sunglasses.”
“This town was constructed in the 1680’s.”
“Looking for modern sunglasses from the 1680’s, that’s doesn’t make any sense.”
Kuan Yi lectured. “Sunglasses were used by Emperor Nero in 60 AD to watch the Roman gladiator fight by holding to his eyes polished emerald-green gems to reduce sunlight. The actual recorded evidence of sunglass usage.”
“Taking Pele’s place, Kuan Yi.” Balder smarted, head spinning back at her as she drew closer to one of the log cabins.
“Thanks for the compliment, Handel.” Kuan Yi smiled. Balder cursed.
Kuan Yi continued the history lesson without rebellion. “In the 12th century, Chinese court judges wore flat panes of smoke quartz over their eyes to conceal their eyes until the end of the justice trial. The modern sunglasses came from Sam Foster in American in 1929 to protect people’s eyes from sunlight and he sold the first pair on the Atlantic City ocean beach in New Jersey. The concept took off with pilots in the military wearing anti-glare aviator style eye shields in the 1930’s and famous film stars followed in 1960’s.”
“Breathe, Kuan Yi.” Nikki ordered, giggling.
The teen gods and divas marched to the last structure with a modern look from the 1900’s constructed of brick three story salt house.
“Logs made of houses…”
“Are these real?”
“As real as us…”
“Okay, the doll’s pointing to that building.” Kuan Yi informed.
The salt house sit flat on a slab of concrete with double pine wooden framed doors with built-in nine windows ten inches by ten inches from top to bottom. Long rectangular shaped high viewing opened windows two on each side of the door with sandstone statues of sitting yellow lions on each side. Two balconies, one on the second floor and the other on the third level with more large windows opened without coverings such as curtains, or shades or blinds. Continuing the survey of the building upward, there were two chimneys stacks on top of an angled roof covered in black asphalt. The dry yellow dust was flying in and out of the structure like tornados.
“Go check out door, Balder.”
“Strange design.”
“I thought it was lions…its…”
“A big statue with lion paws but a head with a crown….”
‘That’s a sphinx.”
“In the middle of Kansas….”
“Arkansas.”
“Same thing.”
“You gods, no, it’s not. This is the state of Arkansas, dumbo.”
“Where did it come from?”
“Forget it. Get in and out of the museum before we run out of light.”
“Poor baby, scared.”
“Go knock on the door, Balder.” Isis instructed.
Nikki instructed to her guy. “Break it down, Balder.” He grinned at her suggestion.
Balder walked up the wooden porch, touching the knob when two figures rushed the door opening it and standing one in each wide frame stall.
Is Chel called. “Trolls and mummies live here.”
The troll was porky with long brown hair to his shoulders, the “John Lennon” trade mark tea shades over his eyes shading part of his plum round pink face, flat nose, with a pink, yellow, and blue Hawaiian lei around his neck, dressed in white T-shirt and with a hula grass skirt around his thick waist and green sneakers, holding a ukulele tucked inside his left arm. The mummy next to him was wrapped horizontally in dirty yellow stained bandages from the skull to neck to chest to arms to hands to waist to hips to legs to feet with pink swimming goggles over the holes where eyeballs should be placed displaying like a painting painted black arched eyebrows, pink round apple cheeks and bright red outline of a lips around the hole in her face for the mouth with a matching blue and yellow Hawaiian lei and ankle length hula grass skirt.
Balder joshed with a big smile. “I want my mummy.”
Laughter assaulted the air waves.
The short troll ordered to the big god. “You will shoe manners to me or else…”
“I think he means ‘show manners.’ ” Isis corrected and grinned.
“Not a very nice mummy.” Balder joked with bad taste.
“I am Mr. Troll.”
Kuan Yi asked. “…living here among the yellow dust balls…of Arkansas.”
Mr. Troll explained. “My natural habitat of woods, forests and lakes has been overtaken by humans.”
“Sorry, dude.” Balder turned to the mummy asking. “What’s your story, dudette?”
“British accented archeologist with dirty nails, one.” She raised a bandaged one finger and then a second. “Two, you think I want to live in a dusty place with sand between my cloths and three, x-rayed by lighted machines with high beams to blind your cataracts. I’m lucky I escaped the afterlife from Egypt.”
“Who are you?” Kuan Yi asked.
“Cleopatra.” The mummy proclaimed.
“A pleasure to meet ya, Cleopatra.” Kuan Yi greeted with a smile.
Isis announced. “You’re the mummy of Cleopatra.”
“Dudette, you’re famous.” Balder informed with shock and surprise.
Cleopatra told. “Fabrication, lies, all lies and exaggeration, I can assure you.”
“Ya mean…no one knows the location of you.…” Balder expressed, shifting fingers between the troll and mummy.
Cleopatra placed her bandaged index finger to the hole in her wrapped face. “Our little secret.”
Isis spoke for the teens. “Yes, ma’am.”
“You represent what dignity?” Mr. Troll asked.
“I think he means ‘deity.’ ” Isis corrected.
“Gods.” Balder told with a wide smile.
“Devas,” Mr. Troll whispered to her. Cleopatra nodded with the shared knowledge. “Half gods and goddesses with limited….very limited flowers…Cleo, babe.”
Isis corrected. “I think he means ‘powers, limited powers.’ ” The teens nodded.
“Look… Mr. Troll we don’t want a fight, here.” Balder told.
Mr. Troll instructed. “So, varnish.”
Isis corrected and giggled. “I think he means ‘vanish.’ ”
“We’re here for very short visit to see your museum.” Kuan Yi confessed.
Cleopatra told. “Longitude is 31 degrees 12 inches north and latitude is 29 degrees and 55 inches east.”
Kuan Yi used her PDA data and found. “That’s an Egyptian museum in Alexandria, Egypt.”
Balder countered. “Not of mummies, an American museum of western stuff.”
“What kind of stuff?” Mr. Troll asked with puzzlement.
“Old stuff like 1960s relics.” Balder explained.
“Prepping for a time jack.” Mr. Troll laughed.
Isis clarified. “I think he means ‘time jump.’ ”
“Yeah, time hop scotch.” Balder used another pun and laughed.
“Give me the colt.” Mr. Troll told.
Isis corrected. “I think he means ‘code.’ ”
“No go.” Balder shook his head.
Mr. Troll waved his hand at the teens and said. “Not it….take a bike!”
Isis told. “I think he means ‘hike.’ ”
Kuan Yi added to the defeating conversation. “One peep at the museum for 10 minutes and then we leave.”
“No.” Mr. Troll flashed the ukulele into a gun in his hands and grinned with one hanging teeth.
Balder announced with fear. “Remington 12 gauge shotgun, and loaded, teens.”
Kuan Yi announced. “You can’t hurt a god.”
Mr. Troll grinned with a toothless smile. “True fact…but I can really do some ham to a half god….”
Isis started. “I think he means...”
Balder yelled, grabbing Nikki’s hand. “We know what Mr. Troll means, Isis, thanks for the translation.”
“Good point.”
“What do we do?”
“Back up….slowly with your hands raised in the air.” Balder ordered holding hands in the air for him not getting hammed from Mr. Troll. The teens formed a small huddle twenty feet from the troll and mummy talking through ideas.
“Plan B.”
“Tried and failed.”
“Plan C.”
Nikki asked. “Does the ‘C’ represent clueless?”
“No, Nikki.”
Balder smiled. “I have an idea. We can ask them for a game.”
“What kind of game?”
Balder expressed. “Cleopatra was famous for her brains and diplomatic candor.”
Kuan Yi spit. “She’s standing over there. Cleopatra is famous….”
Balder told. “Ya know what I mean, Kuan Yi.”
Isis encouraged. “Tell it, Balder, what’s your idea?”
“A riddle?” Balder informed, smiling.
“A joke at this time.” Kuan Yi exclaimed with caution.
Balder insulted. “No worm….a riddle, pose a question with clues and answer it.”
“What does she get?” Nikki asked.
Is Chel told, smiling “We get inside? Brilliant, Balder. What’s your riddle?”
Balder smiled. “Only for Cleo, babe.”
The hands touched at the fingertips as the teens cheered together. “DO IT!”
Balder turned with determination etched on his handsomely peach complexion talking directly to Mr. Troll who was still pointing the shotgun at him. “We propose a game of wits in trade for entering the museum.”
Mr. Troll responded. “You want her to take off the bandages.”
Laughter assaulted the air waves.
Balder turned strawberry red and shook his head. Cleopatra interpreted. “No, dear, an intellectual challenge.”
Balder told. “A riddle?”
“Not fair, different generic.” Mr. Troll laughed.
“I think he means ‘generation.’ ” Isis corrected.
Balder clarified staring into pink swimming goggles used as her eyes on the painted and wrapped skull. “An Egyptian riddle.”
Mr. Troll shrugged small shoulders looking up at Cleopatra. “Okay with me. You want the tusk, Cleo, babe.”
“I thrive on cerebral interplay.” Cleopatra motioned with her wrapped hand.
Kuan Yi added. “How about a time limit of 10 seconds, that seem fair?”
“More the interlude.” Cleopatra purred with a husky rich alto voice. She stared at Balder without speaking without emotions since the wrappings covered her face.
Balder spoke. “The one who makes it does not use it. The one who uses it does not see it. The one who sees it does not desire it no matter how pretty it may be.”
10 seconds.
9 seconds.
8 seconds.
7 seconds.
6 seconds.
5 seconds.
4 seconds.
3 seconds.
2 seconds.
1 second.
0 seconds.
Balder called. “Time’s up.”
“Cleo, babe, embargo the half-god.” Mr. Troll ordered.
“Go ahead and embarrass me, Cleopatra.” Balder stared with a smug smirk on his handsome face at her, crossing his massive arms over his chest. She stared back in silence at Balder.
“Cleo, babe….” Mr. Troll called.
“I cannot…cannot say it.” Cleopatra strutted, looking down at the yellow dust.
“Well, then, looks like we win.” Balder clapped his hands.
“Cleo, babe.” Mr. Troll looked at her, calling her name.
She snapped her bandaged neck to stare with covered sockets at Balder. “Congratulations, you won fair and square. I will lead.” Cleopatra turned to the inside of the yellow dust painted room, heading to the staircase, climbing to the upper floor without narrating. Mr. Troll followed behind walking beside Balder.
“What’s the answer, half-god?” Mr. Troll asked.
Balder told. “Sarcophagus.”
“Sarcophagus, hmmm…makes, not use…uses, not see…sees, not want.” Mr. Troll clapped his hands repeatedly after making the shotgun disappear, chuckling. “Good one to ear….I ear it, not use.” He continued to laugh up the stairs.
Cleopatra led the teens to the room upstairs on the top of the structure. The room was covered in yellow dust.
“Kinda dirty.” Isis told.
“No slavery in the US, since 1865.” Cleopatra turned and closed the door as she left the third floor.
There were hundreds and hundreds of sunglasses falling out of boxes, lying in the floor, hanging from the shelves, scattered on the floor, inside closets.
Isis asked. “Where to start?”
Kuan Yi raised her hands and arms. “Start with using kinesis to float all the pieces in the air.”
“…while creating more dust for my nostrils.” Balder coughed.
Kuan Yi commanded as boss. “Do it!”
The eye shades lined up like tiny solider in straight in four rows bobbing in the air.
Kuan Yi announced. “I possess goddess-force air.”
“I know you’re full of hot air, Kuan Yi, but how’s your bull frog crap help us…here.” Balder whined.
Kuan Yi told waving with her hand at the teens. “Stand back.” Everyone moved but Balder. “Another pace…” Everyone shifted but Balder. “Here’s go.” She inhaled heavily as her eyes widen and chest expanded. She leaned forward and exhaled. The wind covered the eye shades sent the yellow dust out the opened windows.
Is Chel asked. “New talent?”
Kuan Yi shook her head up and down. “I call it G-force wind.”
Balder insulted. “Ya mean your ‘the bad breathe’ which smells like….”
“Shut up, Balder.” Is Chel ordered with fury.
“Project the doll at the eye ware let’s see what happens.” Balder ordered taking over mission since he was bossier.
Is Chel had the voodoo doll of Ares floating in the air. The red light flickered and beamed to selected sunglasses with varied styles and colors.
“Fill the collection basket, please.” Balder instructed chuckling as the teens set to work finishing the task quietly and quickly.
“Isis…you just.” Kuan Yi pointed with her mouth opened.
“I got the sunglasses…see.” Isis held up the pink framed Julbo sunshades.
“You walked underneath that ladder.”
“Pfff! So, what? A ladder…” Isis circled around and moved through it again.
“No, Isis.” Pele yelled.
“What’s your poison, Pele?” Balder stood, asking.
Kuan Yi approached Isis, moving her back to the ladder backwards from the way she entered. “Isis, go backwards through the ladder for good luck.”
“Nnnn…nooo! Stop this, childish game. I’m a goddess. Deities don’t have good or bad luck. We have powers to do ‘ham’ to others.” Isis laughed making fun of Mr. Trolls’s vocabulary mix-up.
Laughter assaulted the air waves.
“Leave her be, Kuan Yi. Are we done, gods and divas?” Balder asked taking command as the boss.
“Yes,” Is Chel took handing out purses, bags and briefcase to the other gods and divas.
“Should we do something for Mr. Troll and Cleopatra?” Nikki asked with concern.
“Varnish from here.” Balder told, barking at his joke.
POP!
They disappeared.
campus, Massachusetts, rain, 100% precipitation, thunder, lightning, navy clouds, 77*F, afternoon
Thian, Ares, Shango and Thianne popped into the college campus on the side porch of the library.
BOOM! CRASH! CRACDK! PING! TING! ZING!
Heavy tear-shaped drops of rain bombarded the lawn, puddles and porch of the building while yellow geometric shaped lightning dancing crossed the navy blue skies after the great sound of thunder.
“Man, I’m don’t like getting wet.” Ares groaned wiping rain with his handkerchief from his suit.
Shango clapped his large hands together, speaking. “Neither do I, bro.” The rain ceased. The dark clouds dissipated into white as the storm moved further to the east out into the ocean.
Thian stood shaking arms and legs with water like a dog. “New trick?”
“New talent, I just discovered it, yesterday.” Shango announced flicking the water droplets from his yellow Lacoste polo shirt and white Perry Ellis pleaded cuffed trousers and Kenneth Cole loafers of his six feet four inches frame with brown eyes and bald.
Ares teased wearing a Michael Kors tan push-up sleeved coat jacket over matching tan slim pants with the tan and white fitted cotton shirt on his bulging chest and tan tasseled leather shoes. “Slick, you’re the new weather man.”
Shango offered. “Short periods of time and space, the T-storm will return. We got 20 minutes flat.”
“Plenty of time for our ‘in and out’ mission.” Thian proclaimed.
“Where are we?” Ares asked.
“This is the library.” Thianne told fluffing out her white cotton Lucky Brand V-drop ankle length dress with Ralph Lauren brown belt and silver buckle, brown leather collar with silver star, ankle stripe brown rattlesnake skinned heels. She pulled from the Ralph Lauren brown leather tote bag the voodoo doll of Ares in her hand, lifting it high to her neck for the beam to display the location of the item. She pointed with her free hand, “There….to the west, its there in that building.”
Ares read out loud the words on the building to the gods. “Gallows Hill and them funny symbols.”
“These funny symbols are part of the ‘Greek’ alphabet, Ares, the ‘Greek’ god of ‘Greek’ wars.” Thian spit, laughing, slapping his shoulder with a god-power force.
Ares stumbled into Thianne, catching her in his arms. He head spun and growled at Thian. Thianne touched Ares’s arm, shaking her head as a warning. Ares placed an arm around Thianne.
“O, that! I’m a Georgia boy, remember the US of A, not Greece.” Ares spit, moving along with Thianne toward the building, laughing.
Shango laughed. “Now, he admits to be American.”
Thian translated. “Gamma, Kappa, Omega.”
“Fraternity.” Shango said.
Thian rubbed the back of his neck muscles when he was tense and nervous. “I wish it were the entire football team we faced.”
“Why, Thian?” Thianne asked with puzzlement.
Shango punched the arm of Ares, telling. “Pretty girls and free beer, what better allies.”
Thian turned to Shango, pointing an index finger at his nose since he was taller at six feet and six inches with striking silver hair. “No beer.”
“No girls…” Thianne pointed her index finger in Ares’s face.
Ares smiled. “You’re my girl…my only girl….my number one girl.” He shouldered a little hug around her shoulders. Thian pushed them apart.
“Concentrate on the mission, Ares.” Thian ordered walking between them on purpose in slow motion.
“What’s the mission specs, boss?” Shango asked.
Thian instructed. “Someone has to sneak in, find the sunglasses. We can’t all strut into a frat house without being part of the brotherhood.”
Thianne shifted her foot towards the building. “I will.” Ares gently grabbed her arm.
“No, you will not, princess. I’ll go.” Ares announced, smiling.
Thian made an executive decision turning to inform both Ares and Thianne. “I believe Thianne can penetrate easier….”
Ares pulled Thianne close to him, shaking his head of black curly hair. “Thianne ain’t penetrating…nothing. She ain’t going. I am.”
Thian reminded staring hard at Ares with leadership. “I’m boss.”
“I’m bossier.” Ares removed his hands from Thianne standing with both hands on hips. His girl is not visiting a frat house even during an emergency of life and death.
Thianne leaned between the two boys whom she loved with all her heart and soul. “We’re creating a scene.” She looked around surveying the wandering students catching glances at the arguing quartet.
“Agreed.” Thian told, turning his head staring at the same students heading into the house. “Veer towards the foundation, act nature.”
“Like college students.” Thianne added.
Shango suggested. “Uh, Thian, best to lose the Crimson Tide advertisement.”
“Good idea, don’t want start a fight….on purpose.” Thian chuckled since the Alabama Crimson Tide was the number one college football team in the nation as far as he was concerned, displaying it every day from the numerous collection of University of Alabama T-shirts in his closet.
“Ya might get your butt whipped, uh, Thian.” Ares insulted, walking on the other side of Thianne, trying to hold her hand.
“Shango will protect me, Ares.” Thian mentioned in passing as he surveyed the building and situation.
“Got you covered, bro.” Shango nodded.
“Change into a suit, man. Girls love sharp dressed men, right princess?” Ares turned backwards, walking, snapped his fingers. Thian’s T-shirt and shredded jeans switched to a blinding neon Gucci green matching jacket and slacks with a purple silk tie.
Shango chuckled, pointing at Ares. “How did he…?”
“Thanks for the wardrobe malfunction, Ares.” Thian waved his hand from neck to knees like he was shooing away flies as his clothes turned into white T-shirt and faded destroyed jeans again. “Fit in, cubs.”
Shango snapped his fingers vanishing the blaze and replacing the trousers with dark blue jeans and Havaianas flip flops.
Ares teased, smiling. “Balder’s influence, man.”
“Stop this nonsense, ya’ll are attracting attention on us.” Thianne scanned the open lawn.
“Don’t worry I’ll protect you, princess.” Ares placed a strong hold around his girl.
Thian thumped his back of Ares’s head. “Concentrate on the mission, Ares. Thianne change your outfit.”
“Okay.” She snapped a short blue jean skirt and purple and pink striped blouse on her slender five feet and ten inches frame with silver-colored and wavy hair down to her waist with grey eyes.
“Whoa, princess.” Ares stopped her by placing hands on her shoulders. “Too short.” His hand trailed from her knees to the ankles, lengthening the hem of the blue jean skirt almost touching the grass. “Much better….”
“Like Granny Hanover, better.” Shango teased.
“Correct, Balder.” Ares complimented, smiling.
“Ares, stop playing with my knees.” She adjusted the skirt between knees and hips.
“You’re my girl, Thianne. I don’t want you dressing like this.” Ares whined.
Shango told. “It’s for a good cause, Ares, chill out, bro.”
Ares flipped around to face Shango, snapping fingers. “Then, you wear the skirt and retrieve the sunglasses.” Ares popped an exact outfit on Shango. He tuned strawberry red with fury and embarrassment and changed back into his jeans.
“Enough, cubs!” Thian reprimanded, looking at Ares. He ordered. “Thianne get going.”
Ares held her arms and body close to him. “No, I forbad danger to my girl.”
“She ain’t your girl, pal.” Thian told as he walked between the couple again…split the love birds apart.
Thianne winked at Ares, talking. “I have a plan.”
Thian pushed Ares away from her so she can move toward the Frat House. He tap her with a sister shove. “Go, sis.”
“I’m coming.” Ares shouted as Thianne popped out of sight from the manicured lawn and fountain brick.
Thian grabbed his arm with god-force stopping his advance, saying. “Trust her…” Thian head spun to Shango, back to Ares, telling. “As a matter of fact, you need to start trusting everyone, Ares. Our very existence depends on it.”
Ares stared hard at Shango, then Thian, speaking. “I trust Thianne…and everyone. I’ll fight to protect any one of ya’ll.”
Shango nodded.
30 seconds later.
Thianne straighten her skirt jumping out of the bushes, rushing to the boys sitting on the bricks of the water fountain like the three little pigs. “Found it, Gucci mirrored aviators.”
Ares stood, grabbing his girl with a tight hug and pecking her sweet cheek, telling. “Gucci aviators, cool shades. I only got plastic framed black Wayfarers. Can I have them?” Ares whined to his love.
Shango laughed and reminded. “Hello geek, they’re programmed with your personal DNA from mom and dad, remember, Marcus.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” Ares turned a little red from the verbal reprimand.
Thian observed. “You’re back, so soon, sis. That was quick.”
Thianne announced with pride, smiling. “I can turn invisible.”
“Hold my spit.” Shango barked, laughing.
“Do tell, sis.” Thian encouraged.
“Dainichi…guided me.” Thianne started.
Thian ordered. “Terrific, sis, POP! Inside, grab the sunglasses.”
“I can’t.” Thianne shook her head with disappointment.
“Why, not?” Thian inquired with puzzlement.
“When you turn invisible, your body is transparent, not objects…ya know…like clothing.” Thianne explained the metaphysical concept to her fellow gods.
Ares perked his ears and widen eyes at his girl, talking. “You went into the Frat House…naked.”
“Stay cool, bro.” Shango laughed, punching Thian’s bicep. Thian smiled at Shango.
Thianne clarified. “Think about it, Ares, your shifting visible molecules to invisibility, clothing doesn’t have live molecules of life, only atoms.”
Shango led. “You and Dainichi have been practicing invisibility…naked….”
Ares warned with turquoise mad eyeballs staring hard at him. “Don’t, Shango.”
“Together…”
Ares scoffed with a hard stare at him. “Stow it, Shango.”
“…both of you?”
“Shut up, Shango.” Ares turned with a raised fist for ending his dirty mental thought processes of his girl. Thian shoved his hand down and pulled Ares from Thianne and then Shango…just in case the god-boy exploded.
“Thianne, can’t you grab the sunglasses and carry them outside during the invisibility process?” Thian asked, completing a new plan of action.
Thianne shook her head. “No, it’d look like magic. The glasses would be floating in the air without hands or bodies.”
Thian told. “Can’t do that.”
Thianne nodded. “Agreed.”
Thian continued the questioning. “Where are the shades?”
She informed. “Sitting on top of a toy stuff animal, Tyrannosaur.”
“T-rex.”
“No prob.”
Thianne explained. “Major prob. There’s a card game below the statue, nine students.”
“Male or female?”
“Do ya have to ask? Male, all brass, brawn and boldness.” Ares told. Thianne giggled. “Like me, I’ll join the card game and…”
“You’re not a Gamma Greek Frat boy.” Shango noted, laughing.
Thian tilted his head sideways at his twin sister. Ares moved to hug Thianne and yelled. “No, absolutely not.”
“Me thinks, the boy’s in love.” Shango relayed.
“Good imitation anyways.” Thian chuckled.
“No,” Ares continued hollering, drawing lookers from the strolling students on campus.
Thian ordered as he turned to view the students heading away from them. “Shut up, Ares.”
“I’m not a scary cat, Ares.” Thianne informed.
Ares caressed her hands together talking softly to her. “I know, princess. You love animals and aren’t scared of cats. But those…are…are…”
“College guys…” Shango finished the sentence that Ares didn’t want to say.
Ares turned to Thian and Shango with authority. “Told ya before, I’m playing in the card game, distract the college bums….”
“And start a fight.” Shango offered.
Thian finished. “…that Shango and I have to clean up. No go, slo mo.” Thian head spun to Shango. “Thianne distracts with her beauty…”
Ares yelled. “No way!”
Shango elaborated, chuckling. “Then, we can steal the shades and POP! out.”
“Do it!” Thian ordered to his sister. “But….ya got to be more seductive, sis.”
Ares’ eyes widen. “No way…Thianne…”
“It’s the best plan we got, Ares. I’ll be careful.” She pecked his cheek since he was standing in her shadow.
Thianne waved her hands creating a Guess denim mid-drift top unbuttoned at the bottom and low riding Gap khaki pedal pants with Nine West tan high platforms and Hermes gold cuffs on her wrists and Fendi blue and white nylon tote bag.
“More sexy.” Thian commanded.
“No.” Ares voiced with worry.
Thianne flipped her other hand changing into a silk long sleeved black Dior blouse cut down to her waist showing lots of tan skin paired with a silk green short Dior skirt wide above her knees, gold Gucci belt and matching pin heeled sandals with black Prada purse.
“Thianne, please.” Ares begged.
“Too sexy, try country sexy.” Thian observed deciding on a different avenue.
“Yeah, too sexy for me, you’re giving me a heart attack, princess.” Ares nodded staring at her next assemble.
“Good, Ares won’t be coming back with us.” Shango snickered. Thian laughed.
“Alright!” Thianne waved both hands turning the evening outfit into a white cotton trimmed in lace creating two pieces, an off-the-shoulder mid-drift and matching shorts with Gucci gold thongs and Dior tan and white shoulder purse and drop pearl earrings. “How’s this?”
“Oh, Thianne, you’re beautiful, princess.” Ares cooed, eyeing his girl.
“Perfect, go.” Thian complimented and ordered.
Ares dropped his head in defeat. She patted his cheeks with both her hands, smiling. “You coming to my rescue, Ares…if I need you.” Ares perked up, smiling at his girl. “Gimme to the front steps and mosey over to see the action.”
“There betta not be any action.” Ares threatened eyeing her walking away thinking about his girl in that house….with those guys.
Shango slapped his big paw hard on the shoulder of Ares. “That’s why we’re here, bro.”
Thianne moved to the front steps entering the Frat House. The boys hustled after she closed the door.
inside the Frat House.
The interior was draped in gold and maroon colors of old flags, older portraits of alumni on the walls, loud rap music, the stink of cigarettes, alcohol and other unfamiliar odors and the strange sense of baking chocolate cookies.
“I’m imitating this atmosphere for class time.” Shango smiled scanning the old house.
Thian noted. “What class time, Shango? Class is dismissed permanently. We turn 18 next week, for the rest of us. We are adults, time to act like adults.”
Shango told. “Good point, Thian. I might go to college, join this fraternity…after I see my parents.”
Ares commented as he found Thianne at the poker table with love in his heart for her and his parents that he never met. “Our parents for the first time in our conscious life…I wish I could see my mom and hug her now.”
Thian walked passed him, standing at the bookshelf to survey the room and Frat Greeks for the next stage of sunglasses rescue. “I know what you mean, Ares.” Shango stopped beside Ares, admiring the view, the girls, the drinks, the game and the excitement in the air waves.
Thianne joined the card table, giggling and chatting with the guy on her left as the cards were being shuffled.
“What’ya want, big boy? Tea or me?” The pretty girl rubbed her body into Ares as he watched Thianne intently. Ares looked down at the young thing, holding two dark brown drinks.
Thian interrupted, pushing her away from Ares. “No thanks, doll, we’re trying to quit.”
“Suit yourself.” She slipped on one of the drinks from the tray, and then smiled at Ares. She prissed away head spinning back at him.
Shango started. “Would that….”
“….an invitation be, buddy?” Ares slapped his chest and finished with a huge grin on his face.
“I want a beer while we wait.” Shango stated.
Thian turned to reprimand both boys in the face. “Forget it, Shango and Ares. Any ideas how we grab the sunglasses?” Shango turned and exited the front door leaving Ares and Thian staring at the walls. Thian pointed an index finger in the direction of the front porch of the building. “What did….what did you do, Ares?”
“Nothing, man, I did nothing. He must have a set of chicky poxy or something.” Ares laughed, staring at the closed door where Shango disappeared like a walking ghost.
Shango returned strutting a tailored gray pin-strip Hugh Boss business suit complete pink and green paisley necktie and matching handkerchief and silver cuff links. Ares roared with laughter.
“Shango?” Thian addressed.
Shango told. “Ares is right, chicks dig suits.”
Ares informed with a smile. “The musical group of ZZ Top said it best. ‘Every girl crazy about a sharp dressed man.’ ” At the same time, the rap music switched to the low bass of a guitar in the 1980’s Top 40 tune. Ares grinned. Thianne turned to see the trio laughing. She frowned.
Thian cautioned, scanning the moving Greeks. “Careful, pal. We’re going to attract attention. Okay, the sunglasses?”
Another girl strolled by with a heavy tray of new drinks, cold sweating beer. She stopped and posed as Shango and Ares retrieved beverages.
“Thanks, my little chickadee.” Shango greeted with a big smile, winking at the young girl.
She muttered in sweet tone. “Babirussa proctatresia.” She strolled down the wall handing out more beer.
“I’m a babe magnet in this suit, thanks for the tip Ares, Cheers!” Shango hold up the cold beer ready to toast the special occasion, ah…Frat life.
Ares held his beer in his hand, smiling, telling. “That hot doll didn’t call you that, man.” He chuckled, lightly.
“Wha’da she say?” Shango stopped the mug to his lip, turning to Ares, asking with curiosity.
“You’re a pig butthole.” Ares told without fanfare, grinning. Thian chuckled. Shango frowned.
“A what?” Shango spit.
“Babirussa proctatresia.” Ares repeated correctly the scientific term.
Shango leaned over Ares. “Thian, what did the chick say?”
Thian frowned thinking. “Babirussa means ‘pig something.’ I’m not sure about the other word.”
Shango commanded. “Spell it, Ares.”
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(Pages 1-46 show above.)