Weird Things…7

Toledo walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of lemonade.  “That, was royally screwed up,”she said.

“But in a good way, right?” said Simmie.  “I mean the monster wasn’t  really a monster.  He was nice.  He has a pet.”

“He liked my pancakes,” said her mom, snickering softly.

“What about the 2’s eating in packs?  And a 2 in our garden in broad daylight?” asked Toledo  “A 3, sitting on the grass eating pancakes and telling me about his hamster!   THAT’S JUST WRONG!”

“It was like a guinea pig, it wasn’t a true guinea,” said Lee.

Toledo stared at him, guzzled her lemonade, then sat down.  “Okay, we have to find the 4 and kill it, right?  Does everyone agree?”

The all agreed.

“It’s here,” said Toledo’s mom, standing up, all the color drained from her face.  “The 4, it’s coming here…now.”

Everyone headed for the door. The energy from the spells they called up, causing tiny sparks to flash off their exposed skin.  They were as ready as they could be.

The 4 screamed and bent over, pounding his fists against the street.  He kept shaking his head back and forth.  He stood up to his full height, which was about nine feet, and pounded on his chest.  He was red, but faded in patches.  Hairless, with small eyes and a slit for a mouth, he was agitated and panting.

Lee stepped forward and said, “You trying to look like the monkey in the movie where he climbed the Empire State Building?”

The monster paused, then leaned forward to look at Lee more closely.

Toledo threw two stunning spells at the 4 and Simmie threw one of her binding spells  Toledo’s mother threw an energy net over him and the monster went down.  He started screaming again, tearing through the net, twitching from the spells, but he got up.  Toledo threw one spell after another, as she started running toward him, but then she heard gun shots, and saw her dad, walk out of the house, a Glock in each hand.  The bullets made the monster take a few steps back, which gave Toledo enough time to running forward, ready to climb the front of the monsters body, and go for his throat.”

The monster was waving his arms around and shouting, then he suddenly went still and started looking round.  He was bleeding from the gun shot wounds, but the wounds were closing fast, and the bullets were forced out of his body and falling to the street.

Everything stopped.  He turned and pulled a tree out of the ground, roots and all.  Still, no one moved.  Toledo’s hand was glowing with magic and she had a blade in her hand.

The monster turned and started walking away.

“His anger is gone,” said Toledo’s mother.  “I don’t feel the rage any longer, it’s as if it was just turned off, like a switch was flipped.”

“We can’t just let him go,” said Toledo, watching him leave.  “We have to kill him before he turns on again and kills a lot of people.”

“You’re right,” said Simmie.  “He killed that entire Flutter.’

“I don’t think it was him,” said April.  “I’ll be right back,” she said, flying to the 4.  She landed on his outstretched hand and while he was just grunting, she was talking to him.  She nodded now and then, using her hands to help explain things, when he didn’t seem to understand, then flew back to everyone.

“I think someone is influencing the monsters, they’re sending them through and using certain frequencies to enrage them.  He doesn’t want to be here.  I get the impression they are being sent here against their will.  I think, and this is my personal opinion, that someone, or some thing, wants them to be killed and they are using us to do it.”

“So we should send him home?” asked Toledo.

April nodded.  “If we can.  I think we need to look for the person who is controlling them.”

“He can’t really speak,” said Lee.

“I can read minds,” said April.

Lee looked horrified.

“It’s okay, Lee,” she said.  “A lot of people fall in love with us.”

Simmie, shoved him onto the grass.  “You’re in love with her?”

“What?  No!” he said, scooting away from her.

“Guys,” said Toledo.  “Can you talk about this later?  There’s a 4 sitting on the curb over there and he’s petting a dog.”

Everyone looked at the 4.

The dog seemed happy.  His tail was wagging so fast, he might have taken off, if he didn’t weigh so much.

“He won’t hurt the dog,” said Toledo’s mom.  “His brainwaves are so peaceful, it’s as if he’s been meditating for a week.”

“Quick question,” said Toledo.  “Are his brainwaves currently being manipulated, and can they change in a second, if that switch is flipped again?”

No one knew.

“I’m going to take him to where my kin were murdered and see if he can find a way back,” said April.  “I need a bottle of water, be right back.”

April came out of the house with a bottle of water that was almost as big as she was.  She flew to the 4 and handed it to him.  He nodded at her and threw the entire bottle into his mouth and began to chew.  It looked as if he tried to smile when the water exploded.  Hard to tell, since 4’s don’t have lips or much of a mouth.

Toledo, Lee and Simmie followed April and the 4 back to the battlefield.  The 4 looked around, sniffed the air and pointed.  A small swirl began and another monster jumped out of it and attacked our 4.  Yes, he was our’s now and no one messes with something that’s OURS.

We all attacked the new 4, and since he was distracted, trying to kill our 4, we were able to kill him quickly.  Lee was bleeding pretty bad again.  He had torn some stitches out and Simmie was trying to apply a pressure bandage to his ribs.  I was working to heal the 4, who was badly wounded.  I was applying healing spells on him, but he was massive and had a lot of wounds.  I was tired, but he seemed to be coming around.  Simmie came over and started doing the same thing.

“Did you ever, in your entire life think that you would be helping a 4?” she asked.

Toledo smiled.  “Never and if anyone even suggested it, I would have thought they were crazy.”

“So what are we going to do with him?”

“What do you think?  I think if he’s well enough, he can go through the way.  Otherwise he can come back to my house.”

April flew over and started covering the 4 with healing spells so powerful, he seemed healthier than when they met him.

“That was amazing,” said Toledo.  “I’ve never seen healing spells that strong.”

“I can teach you and Simmie,” she said.  “I think you have enough energy to handle it.”

“Thank you,” said Toledo.

“I would love to learn how to do that,” said Simmie.

“You know he’s not in love with me.  It’s just the glamour.  I try not to use it, but it’s a habit and part of who I am.”

Simmie looked at her.  “He should be stronger than that,” she said, disappointment in her voice.

“No one is strong enough to not be drawn into a fairies glamour.  No one.”

“Hey, can you help me get this gigantic mound of flesh to stand up?” asked Toledo, as she leaned against the 4.

“Will you heal Lee?” asked Simmie.

“Yes, but you first,” said April, putting her hands on Simmie.”

 

 

 

Weird Things…6

“Why are you waking me up,” groaned Toledo.  “I just got home. I need sleep.”

“You’ve been asleep for three hours,” said her mother.  “I have news.”

Toledo rolled over.  “From your patrol last night?”

Her mother shook her head.  “No.  But six 2’s were seen at the Botanic Garden this morning.”

“Anything left?”

“No.  They closed the place down, since all the flowers and pretty much everything else is gone.”

“Those 2’s do love to eat.  The flowers must have been delicious.”

“The rose garden won’t be back to normal for years,” said the director.”

Toledo and her mother both smiled.

“I kind of like the 2’s.  They’re like naughty toddlers.  They never hurt anyone, they just eat things.”

“Still, we can’t have them eating everything in sight.  Your father and his team went to send them home.”

“Great, but I know that’s not why you woke me up.”

“Lee and Simmie don’t think the 4 that killed the Flutter is the same 4 they killed.”

“Why not?”

“They just don’t.  They talked to April and from what her dying friends said, they think at least two of them came through.”

“Are Lee and Simmie here?”

Her mother nodded.  “They’re in rough shape but ready to hunt when you are.”

Toledo threw off the covers, stretched and got up.  She was still dressed, boots and all.  She fell into bed that way.

“We didn’t find anything at Lee and Simmie’s site last night,” said Toledo.  “It had been sanitized by a clean-up crew and besides, it had been in the open air far too long.  Squirrels and been there and messed everything up, as well.”

“That’s what Lee said.  And no sign of a way in or out either.”

Give me a few minutes and I’ll be down.”

“April’s downstairs and she wants to help.”

“Good.  She can do things we can’t.”

“Try to remember that Lee and Simmie are not at the top of their game.  Physically they’re still recovering.”

“Mom, they’re adults.  They know what they can and cannot do.”

“No one told me my life was going be like this,” muttered her mother, as she walked out of the room.

“I’M ASSUMING YOU MEAN THAT IT’S WAY BETTER THAN YOU COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED,” yelled Toledo, smiling.

The kitchen smelled like pancakes and coffee.

“We have to kill the 4.  The sooner the better,” said Toledo.  “Glad you’re on the team, April,” she said.  “And how do you two feel?” she asked, looking at Lee and Simmie.

“We’re great,” they said.

“You’re bleeding through your bandage, Lee,” said Toledo.

“What’s the plan?” he asked.

She loved Lee and Simmie.  They were like siblings.  Same age, same job, same training.  And each of them had a special talent.  Best of all…they always had each other’s back.

“Sim,” she said.  “Is he really okay?”

“Was he ever really okay?” she said, and everyone snickered, even Lee.

“I don’t want to alarm anyone,” said her mother, “but a 3 just appeared in the yard.”

“I’ll be right back,” said Toledo.  “Keep eating, you don’t want your food to get cold, my mother hates that.”

“Hey, monster,” she said, her spell ready to throw.

He put his hand to his chest and said, “Me?  Am I a monster?”

Toledo stared at him.

“Uh, I don’t know.  Are you?”

“Why am I here?”

“Where are you supposed to be?”

“I was at work and now I’m here and I don’t know where here is, or why you’re calling me a monster.”

“Really?”

He nodded.

Her mother opened the kitchen window and said, “He seems nice.”

“Nice?  He’s a 3, mom.”

“He has very calm and peaceful vibes.  Are you sure he’s a 3?”

“Yes, mom.  I’m sure.”

“Can you send me home?” he asked, looking around.

“If I can find the way.  Do you have a name?”

“Yes.”

She waited.  “What is it?”

“Rak.  What’s yours?”

“Toledo.”

“Like the things that blow up ships?”

“That’s a torpedo and how do you know about that?”

“I read a lot.”

“Okay, this is freaking me out,” she said.

“I’m not a monster.  I’m very nice and I have a pet.”

“A pet?  What kind of pet?”

“It’s a pog.  You know.  It’s like your guinea pig.”

“I don’t understand what’s happening.”

“It has fur and…”

“No.  Not about that.  I know what a guinea pig is.  What I don’t know is why you’re so human like and nice.”

“I am nice.”

Everyone was looking out the of the window and back door.

“Ask him if he’d like some pancakes,” said her mother.

“Yes,” he said.  “I would.”

“Do you know why someone from the other side wouldn’t disappear when he was killed here?”

“Yes.”

She waited.  “Will you please tell me.”

“Yes.”

She waited some more.  “Will you please tell me now?”

Her mother came out with a platter of pancakes.  The monster bowed and sat down on the grass and began to eat.

“He’s so sweet,” said her mother.

“I think this is like climate change and the world is…”

“Just be nice,” she said, patting Toledo on the shoulder.

“Can you finish telling me about monsters not disappearing when dead?”

“I’m not supposed to talk with my mouth full.”

“I RELLY don’t understand what’s going on,” she said, starting to pace.

“It’s not polite.”

“I know that.”

“Then you shouldn’t have asked me to talk.”

“OMG!!” she said, and sat down next to him.

“You shouldn’t be this close to me.  You don’t trust me and I could kill you in a second.”

“I don’t think so,” she said.

“Neither do I.”

“Good.  I won’t kill you either.”

“Why would you?”

“I’m not sure, exactly.  See, you’re in a place where you are considered to be dangerous…deadly even.  We kill what you are so you don’t kill us.”

“I don’t want to kill anyone.”

“I get that.”

“May I have more pancakes?”

“Right here,” said her mother.  “I thought you might want more food.”

“Is anyone else getting all of this?” asked Toledo, looking at everyone standing on the porch.  They all smiled, nodded and waved.

He waved back.

Toledo did the unthinkable.  She covered her face with her hands.

“You shouldn’t do that.”

“I know.  There’s a lot of things I shouldn’t do.  Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath  “How about this.  Do you know what a 4 is?”

“It comes after 3.”

“Hey, mom, a 2 is eating your daisies,” she said.

“What is that?” asked Rak, watching the 2 tear flowers out by their roots and stuff them in his mouth.

“A baby monster who likes to eat plants and flowers.”

Her mother came out of the house and scolded the 2.  Then she told him to go home because he shouldn’t be eating her flowers.  The 2 looked chastised and popped out of sight. He mother she went back into the house.

The air behind Rak started to swirl.  The middle stretched into an opening and another monster stuck her head through and said, “Rak, get back here.”

“I gotta go.  Food was good.  I’m grateful,” he said, putting the platter gently on the grass.

“Sorry, said the monster in the opening.  “It just happens.  For some reason he just gets dragged away.  Didn’t mean to inconvenience anyone.”

Rak walked to the circle, turned and waved, then he stepped through and was gone.  The circle closed and everything snapped back to normal.

“He never answered my question,” said Toledo, “and what in all the Great Goddesses who ever lived, WAS THAT!

 

 

Weird Things…5

Toledo walked through the backdoor and sat down at the kitchen table.  Her mother put a glass of lemonade down in front of her.

“You okay?” asked her mom.

“There wasn’t that much digging,” she said.  “There were just a lot of them.”

“I’m sorry.”

“They never could have handled a 4, I don’t care how many of them there were.  Lee and Simmie ended up in the hospital and they were trained to kill them.”

“The fairy’s name is April Rain.  She was visiting friends,” said her mother.  “She said the few monsters that ever came into their space were easily dispatched.  She doesn’t know what happened.  She knew it was a 4 because two of her friends were still alive when she got there and they told her.  It looked like everyone in her Flutter was killed.”

“I have to find out if it’s the same 4 that Lee and Simmie fought.  Did he hit the fairies first?  If so, why?”

“My guess is that he came through their realm by accident, while trying to get to ours.  I hope he is the same 4, because then he’s already dead,” said her mother.  “More lemonade?”

“Hit me,” she said, holding up her glass.  “Where’s the fairy?”

“In the guest room and you can call her April.  You know how I hate it when beings are called by their species.  It’s like saying, where’s the human.”

“Sorry.  Didn’t mean to be rude.  I think Fairy, sounds beautiful.  With you two, I’m surprised that didn’t end up being my name.”

“That was our second choice,” snickered her mom, putting French Toast on the table, but obviously we went with Toledo.  “You’ve used a lot of magic, you need to eat, so pick up your fork.”

“A fairy, and no I don’t know his name, gave me his power, on the battle field.   He wanted me to be extra strong to kill the monster.”

“What kind of power?”

Toledo shrugged.  “No idea.  He was dying in my hands and he just touched my face and electricity ran through my body.”

“Well, he had good intent, so it has to be helpful.”

“I agree.”

“Did April say anything else?”

“No, poor thing.  She was exhausted.

“Still nothing on why the 3 didn’t disappear,” said her father, walking into the room.  “Can I have French toast, too?”

Toledo gave him one of hers, while her mother made more.

“Don’t think I’m going to cook for you two again.  This is a special situation, and I’m a radical feminist and monster hunter, so I’m doing both of you a favor.  Just remember that.”

“Understood,” they said, at the same time.

“How many glasses of lemonade has she had?”

“She’s on her second,” said her mom.

“Don’t over do it T,” said her father.  “We have a lot of work to do.  We need you sober.”

“Right,” said Toledo, holding out her glass.  “I just finished burying a Flutter of fairies, so one more won’t hurt.”

Her mother filled her glass half way.  “Honestly, who gets drunk on lemonade?”

“Our daughter,” said her dad.  “Just our daughter.”

“Hey,” said Toledo, “you don’t actually know that to be a fact.”

Her parents stared at her.

“Fine,” she said, chugging the half filled glass in front of her.  “Be happy I’m not a drug addict.  Isn’t that what kids usually say to their parents?  Now what are we going to do about the monsters?”

“I can feel how upset you are,” said her mother.  “I’m sorry about the Flutter.  I’m on patrol tonight, I’ll try to find out if any other teams know what’s going on.  Meanwhile, you check in with the Librarian again.  Call him until he has an answer,” she said, looking at her husband.  And you.  Stop feeling sorry for yourself and tell us what you found at the site.”

“I found a lot of dead bodies, footprints the size of Volkswagens, blood, guts, unattached wings, vomit, and…”

“And?” said her mother.

“There were puddles of thick  clear gooey stuff that filled in some of the footprints.  I never saw that before.”

“Who is pounding on the front door?” asked her father.

“Only way to find out is to open it,” said Toledo, getting up.  “Unless mom can tell us.”

“It’s Lee and Simmie.”

Toledo let them in and they fell into kitchen chairs.  They were bandaged and bruised, stitched and pale looking.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital?”

“Yes,” said Simmie.  “But we escaped.  We want to tell you about the 4.  I’ve heard stories about 4’s.  We all have, but this one was different.”

“Different how?” asked Toledo.

“They usually just make a lot of noise and kill anything in their path, but they don’t have a plan, they simply react to the environment.  Every time this one started walking he suddenly jerked and turned to go a different way, like one of those fun cars you play with in the driveway.”

“We are hoping he was the same one who killed an entire Flutter, when he came in.”

“He killed a Flutter?” asked Lee.

Toledo nodded.  “The only one left is upstairs.  She was visiting a friend and when she came back, she found them.  She came to us for help.  Was there any thick, clear jelly like stuff anywhere around the one you killed?”

Lee bowed his head.  “We didn’t have time to look around.  We were both down and then we were in the hospital wing.”

“Of course.  I’m sorry, wasn’t thinking,” said Toledo.  “Okay, here’s what we need to find out.  Why didn’t the 3 I tagged this morning disappear when I took his head.  Why is a 4 able to cross into our reality.  Where is the entrance he used to get here.  Is the 4 you tagged, the same 4 that killed the Flutter.  We need answers.”

“Is there any more French Toast?” asked Simmie.  “I’m starving.”

 

 

Weird Things 4

Here’s the thing.  In my line of work, rule number one is to never show fear.  I mean never.  No matter how bad it gets, you can’t let the monsters think you’re afraid of them, even if blood’s dripping from their mouth full of fangs and they have more eyes than you’ve ever seen on a face before, you can’t show fear.  Even if they’re five feet taller than you are and outweigh you by a ton.  No fear…ever. Fear turns them on.  Fear makes them believe you’re weak and they can have you.  When they think you’re NOT afraid of them, the ones who have a working brain cell, stop to think.  They wonder why you aren’t afraid and that pause gives you just enough time to kill them.  The problem is that you get so good at not showing fear that you kind of stop showing any emotion at all.

Whatever was in the yard wasn’t hostile.  Its vibration was so low that most wouldn’t have picked it up at all.  My mother is a sensitive and can feel a mouse running through the grass a block away, which made sneaking out of the house as a kid, problematic.  She can control it so she just tunes into things that aren’t human, most of the time.

“Please come out,” said Toledo.  “We mean no harm.  We only want to help you.”

A fairy about ten inches high came out from behind a shrub.  She was gorgeous.  She was also terrified.

“My name is Toledo and this is my father, Tim.  Please, tell us what’s wrong.”

The fairy looked both ways, checking to make sure no one could hear her.  “Someone bad is hurting fairies,” she whispered.

Fairies can be vicious, when they want to be, which, to be honest, is often.  The idea humans have of them is completely false.  Sure, they are beautiful, but they are also spiteful, mean and nasty.  Competition between them is off the charts and they love to drag unsuspecting humans to their plane and keep them as slaves.  They also do the changeling thing, switching babies with humans. But they can also be good friends and be kind.  You just never know what you’re going to get from one moment to the next.

“Are you saying that the fairies can’t protect themselves?”

The fairy nodded.

“That’s unheard of,” said Tim.  “You guys are strong and such good fighters.”

The fairy looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears.

“What can we do to help?”

The fairy turned and motioned them to follow.  It wasn’t long before they passed through the curtain that separates one reality from the other, where dead fairies lay scattered on the ground.

Toledo inhaled and ran to the downed fairies, looking for a pulse, blinking, breathing, anything at all to show they were still alive, but there was nothing.

The fairy was sobbing into her gown.

Tim came back from checking the fairies father away.  He shook his head.

“Who did this?” asked Toledo.  “Tell me.  I’ll find him.”

The fairy wiped at her eyes but every time she saw her dead kin, she started sobbing again.

“One of the monsters?  Did a monster do this?” asked Toledo”

She nodded.

Every living being, other than humans, knows the ranking of monsters.  “What number was he?”

The fairy held up four fingers.

“Great,” said Tim, softly.

“You can’t stay here,” said Toledo.  “You can live with us, until this is over and you find a new place.”

The fairy looked around once more and nodded.

“Dad, take her home.  I’m going to stay here and look around.  I’ll bury them.”

She watched them leave then began gathering the bodies.  It was sad work and she was wondering how she was going to dig so many graves, when she head a moan.  She ran to where the sound came from and saw a fairy, one wing missing, holding up his hand.  She went to him, dropped to the ground, and put her hands around him.  He quieted.

“A 4,” he, coughed.  “We couldn’t stop it.”

Toledo held him tighter.

“Get him.”

“I will,” she said.

“Promise?”

“You have my word.”

The fairy touched her face,.  “Take my power,” he said, softly.  “Kill him.”

“I promise.”

She felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her.

He died, his arm falling next to him, his body relaxing in death.

“I promise,” she growled, over him.  “You have my word!”

 

Photo:  Pixabay

 

 

 

 

Weird things…3

“Toledo, put several bags onto the kitchen counter. “Did he find anything?”

“Not yet, and believe me he’s been at it since you called,” said her mom.  “The Librarian has been alerted.  No one can believe a C3 didn’t disappear, once his head was severed.  What did you say to the children who saw him?”

“Early Halloween thing.”

Her mother nodded.  “You talked to the monster, didn’t you,” she said, knowingly.

“For a few minutes.”

“That’s how your brother died.  Always talking to them.  Always trying to find out more.”

“It’s all we have, mom.  If we are going to defeat them, we need information.”

“Did you learn anything?”

“No.  This one just wanted to take over the universe and cut me up into little pieces.”

“So nothing we an use.”

“No, but this 3 looked very human.”

“He knew who you were.”

“He might have just been guessing.”

“Maybe,” said her mother.  “Lee and Simmie went up against a 4 this morning.  They barely made it out alive.  They’re both in the hospital, but they got him.”

“What’s a 4 doing on this plane?”

“No idea.”

“Hey, T,” said her father, giving her a hug.  “Good job today.  Did you talk to him?  Get any new info?”

“No new info.  Why didn’t he disappear?”

“Still looking into that,” said her father.  “Waiting to hear from the Librarian.  And Section 9 has AI’s working on it.  I know you don’t like them but they’ve been helpful before.”

“Until they aren’t,” she said,  “You can’t trust them.”

“You can’t trust anyone, kid,” he said, smiling at her.  “Was it an easy kill?”

“Yes.  He underestimated me.”

“They always do,” he said.  “It’s your super power.  Did your mom tell you about the 4?”

“She did.”

“Something’s shaking up the monsters.  Never thought a 4 would make it here.”

“Will Lee and Simmie be okay?”

He nodded.  “They’re out of intensive care and mad enough to want to get back to work.”

“Good,” she said, smiling.

“I hate to barge in but I think there’s something lurking in the backyard,” said her mom.  “Don’t scare it.  Just act natural.”

Toledo and her dad looked at each other and grinned, as they headed for the backdoor.

 

 

 

Weird Things, 2

I was on my way to the magic shop, the one that has true magic, for those who knew what it was, when something darted in front of my Jeep and ran between two apartment buildings.  I pulled over and waited.  When nothing happened I got out of the car and someone whispered, “You’re weak and your protection spell won’t protect you.  Not from me.”

She sighed  She’d heard that one before.  “So, what are you?” she asked, leaning against her car, looking at her nails.

“You mean who am I?”

“If that’s what I meant, that’s what I would have said.  WHAT are you and are you hiding because you’re afraid of me?” she taunted, because sometimes that’s the only thing that got the monsters to appear.

“Afraid of you,” it laughed.  “A skinny human.”

“Hey, ever hear of body shaming?”

“No.”

“Come out here and I’ll explain it to you and then you can tell me what you are and what you want.”

“Are you Blue?”

That made her hesitate.  It was bad news when they knew  your name.  “No I’m more of a peachy pink, actually.”

“Funny.”

“Look, I don’t have all day.  This can go a couple of ways.  You can come out and we can talk or, I can come in there and kill you.  Up to you.”

A man walked out from between the buildings.  “I’m here,” he said.

“So? What’s up?  What do you want?”

“I want to take over the universe but first I want to tear you apart and scatter bits of you all….”

“Oh, please,” she said.  “If you did that, I’d never get my chores done, so no.”

“How fortunate of me to find you all alone.  It’s just you and me.”

She yawned, stood up straight and snapped out her arm, watching him hit the building and crumpled to the ground.  She was on him in a second, and then it was over.  She kicked his head away from his body and took out her phone.

“Mom, I was on the way to Green Dragon and ran into a Class Three demon.  He knew who I was.  Send clean-up to Maple and Orchard.  No.  His body is still there.  I don’t know why.  I know he should have disappeared, but he didn’t.  Gotta go, some kids are walking toward it.”

WEIRD THINGS…1

My name is Toledo Blue.  I was born on the side of the road, in the front seat of my parents car, on the way to the hospital.  When my dad handed me to my mom he said, “Holy Toledo, I just delivered our daughter.  Hey, it could have been worse, they could have named me Pontiac.

I’m twenty, a virgo, and I wear my blond hair short and spiked.  I have blue eyes.  I’m about five-six and weigh around one ten.  I wear a lot of rings and earrings, all of which are important to my survival.  I love bubble gum and never go anywhere without it.  When I was a kid, if anyone ever asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I said, “Alive.”

I had an older brother.  I don’t have him anymore.  He’s dead.  The one thing I learned from that experience is that you never get over losing someone you love, you just learn to live with his, or her, absence.  The first time he almost died, our family was able to save him.  The second time, well, the second time, nothing we did worked.  I never wanted to be an only child.  But how many of us ever get what we want.  That was another less I learned when he died.

My brother, died fighting the forces of darkness.  Yeah, I know, not everybody does that.  It kind of runs in our family.  There are some nasty things living in big cities and not all of them are human.  I’ve found that people don’t like to think about monsters and creepy crawlers, so they just pretend that they don’t exist  They watch the news and cover up the scary things that they don’t understand with nicer things that they do.  Sometimes I wish I could do that.  Pretend, I mean.  Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury.  Pretending could get me killed.

 

Photo:  Pixabay