Part 1:
We drove on in fear, afraid of magical surprises, afraid of horrors in every shadow.
The very night itself felt corrupt.
Speeding down the freeway, the mere act of driving provided comfort: we were no longer sitting targets.
The hum of the car gave the reassuring cadence of freedom.
Each of us painfully aware of how close we’d been to oblivion.
Only one thing had saved us.
And one thing was actually three.
“How did you do that?” I asked the residents of the mop bucket. “Launch yourselves?”
“The call to action blared/Within us something stirred/Surprise, we kissed the air!”
“You saved our lives. Thanks.”
“Are you in pain?” Dale asked. “You look pretty banged up.”
“Although needing mending/The stalks you see bending/Are far, far from ending.”
They gently rustled their remaining leaves.
I smiled for the first time since our escape.
The very night itself felt corrupt.
Speeding down the freeway, the mere act of driving provided comfort: we were no longer sitting targets.
The hum of the car gave the reassuring cadence of freedom.
Each of us painfully aware of how close we’d been to oblivion.
Only one thing had saved us.
And one thing was actually three.
“How did you do that?” I asked the residents of the mop bucket. “Launch yourselves?”
“The call to action blared/Within us something stirred/Surprise, we kissed the air!”
“You saved our lives. Thanks.”
“Are you in pain?” Dale asked. “You look pretty banged up.”
“Although needing mending/The stalks you see bending/Are far, far from ending.”
They gently rustled their remaining leaves.
I smiled for the first time since our escape.
We continued down the interstate with no destination in mind.
Rick, Dale and I tried to plan a course of action.
Options flashed dimmer than the streetlights whooshing overhead.
Resigned to uneasiness, no one spoke for a while.
Returning home was not a possibility, not until this was settled.
We needed a safe port.
There was really only one option.
Rick called Genevieve.
She stood waiting on her steps as we rolled in minutes later.
Gathered around her kitchen table, Genevieve gawked as we relayed the story.
“Disguised herself? As a teacher?” That’s the lowest! But why ... was she at your house?”
“For Josephine’s sake. You know. Scholarship stuff and all that,” my brother said.
“Let’s just say definitely not our finest moment.” I added.
Gen went to her turntable and put on a record.
Some instrumental piece from a musical I didn't know.
The music soothed and surrounded me.
Pleasant and confident and serene.
Sitting there together, quiet and smiling, our plight didn’t seem quite so dire.
The disc slowly spun the music's groove.
I enjoyed the calm.
I also knew we couldn’t sit there forever.
Rick, Dale and I tried to plan a course of action.
Options flashed dimmer than the streetlights whooshing overhead.
Resigned to uneasiness, no one spoke for a while.
Returning home was not a possibility, not until this was settled.
We needed a safe port.
There was really only one option.
Rick called Genevieve.
She stood waiting on her steps as we rolled in minutes later.
Gathered around her kitchen table, Genevieve gawked as we relayed the story.
“Disguised herself? As a teacher?” That’s the lowest! But why ... was she at your house?”
“For Josephine’s sake. You know. Scholarship stuff and all that,” my brother said.
“Let’s just say definitely not our finest moment.” I added.
Gen went to her turntable and put on a record.
Some instrumental piece from a musical I didn't know.
The music soothed and surrounded me.
Pleasant and confident and serene.
Sitting there together, quiet and smiling, our plight didn’t seem quite so dire.
The disc slowly spun the music's groove.
I enjoyed the calm.
I also knew we couldn’t sit there forever.
My brother concurred with that assessment.
Rick contacted Colin at work, advising him not to return home for any reason.
Colin said he understood, that he’d come over to Gen’s place as soon as he could.
That left one other message to deliver.
Our phones, however, would be useless for this call.
Fortunately, Rick had grabbed a QCP communicator before fleeing the house.
The QCP!
Our super and heroic friends from a parallel dimemsion.
“Hello, hello, this is Josephine Hatcher-Hyung,” I said. “Calling the QCP. Can anyone hear me?”
“Say ‘over’ when you finish,” Dale whispered.
“This is Josephine Hatcher-Hyung for the QCP, over.”
The familiar voice of Del Ford sounded in my ears.
“Josie, it’s good to hear from you. Is everything all right?”
I suddenly felt silly, like a frightened child calling for help.
Asking for someone to come check for monsters under the bed.
Del said not to worry, promising he’d have a team on site within minutes.
True to his word, three heroic figures soon appeared in Genevieve’s living room.
I instantly recognized the trio standing before us:
Elena Divine, Dark Conjurer;
Criss Sallis, Winged Wonder.
Uubiquatus, Purple Spirit;
Our help had arrived.
Rick contacted Colin at work, advising him not to return home for any reason.
Colin said he understood, that he’d come over to Gen’s place as soon as he could.
That left one other message to deliver.
Our phones, however, would be useless for this call.
Fortunately, Rick had grabbed a QCP communicator before fleeing the house.
The QCP!
Our super and heroic friends from a parallel dimemsion.
“Hello, hello, this is Josephine Hatcher-Hyung,” I said. “Calling the QCP. Can anyone hear me?”
“Say ‘over’ when you finish,” Dale whispered.
“This is Josephine Hatcher-Hyung for the QCP, over.”
The familiar voice of Del Ford sounded in my ears.
“Josie, it’s good to hear from you. Is everything all right?”
I suddenly felt silly, like a frightened child calling for help.
Asking for someone to come check for monsters under the bed.
Del said not to worry, promising he’d have a team on site within minutes.
True to his word, three heroic figures soon appeared in Genevieve’s living room.
I instantly recognized the trio standing before us:
Elena Divine, Dark Conjurer;
Criss Sallis, Winged Wonder.
Uubiquatus, Purple Spirit;
Our help had arrived.
“Thanks for getting here so fast,” Rick said.
“You answered my call not long ago,” Uubiquatus said. “I am at your service.”
“I also came to see this ‘witch’ who harasses you,” added Elena Divine. “I do not take kindly to those who sully the art.”
The intensity of the two mages was almost too much.
The final member of the group brought a lighter touch.
“I’ve been on a leave of absence, but I volunteered right away,” smiled Criss Sallis.
“Thanks."
“The Lark and Jossen send regrets. And Del, too. They're in space, ending the war between the Tejji Empire and the Xilgans."
“At home we face a crime wave by the Shrewd Seven," Elena added.
“They have new members – the Pike Rat, Venus Genius – and that other one, the She-Ape."
“Giancruzzi! A two-ton gorilla with opposable thumbs and repugnant manners.”
“Do not worry,” Uubiquatus intoned. “We will stay until this is resolved. Shall we begin?”
“Sure,” I answered. “We’re ready to go.”
“You look terrible,” Criss Sallis said. “Get some sleep; we’ll go once you’ve rested.”
“I agree,” Elena said. “You have our word no harm shall befall you during slumber.”
My eyes closed as soon as I hit the pillow.
Dreams that rattled with fear and malice.
Yet even so, they still felt better than recent reality.
No matter.
I would sleep for now.
But come the morning, I'd be ready to roar.
“You answered my call not long ago,” Uubiquatus said. “I am at your service.”
“I also came to see this ‘witch’ who harasses you,” added Elena Divine. “I do not take kindly to those who sully the art.”
The intensity of the two mages was almost too much.
The final member of the group brought a lighter touch.
“I’ve been on a leave of absence, but I volunteered right away,” smiled Criss Sallis.
“Thanks."
“The Lark and Jossen send regrets. And Del, too. They're in space, ending the war between the Tejji Empire and the Xilgans."
“At home we face a crime wave by the Shrewd Seven," Elena added.
“They have new members – the Pike Rat, Venus Genius – and that other one, the She-Ape."
“Giancruzzi! A two-ton gorilla with opposable thumbs and repugnant manners.”
“Do not worry,” Uubiquatus intoned. “We will stay until this is resolved. Shall we begin?”
“Sure,” I answered. “We’re ready to go.”
“You look terrible,” Criss Sallis said. “Get some sleep; we’ll go once you’ve rested.”
“I agree,” Elena said. “You have our word no harm shall befall you during slumber.”
My eyes closed as soon as I hit the pillow.
Dreams that rattled with fear and malice.
Yet even so, they still felt better than recent reality.
No matter.
I would sleep for now.
But come the morning, I'd be ready to roar.
