Part 1: Duck Invasion
On a TV screen they looked like ducks. Curious ones who peeked into the television cameras, each with their curious glowing eyes and mouths set in a yellow body. And, they really looked the part when they waddled away.
And so that's what they were named, as it caught like wildfire when a news anchor used the term when referring to them in a news flash. By now if the word duck didn't have a definition of "alien" in the dictionary, then for sure next year's edition would.
Across projection screens worldwide the ducks came virtually into your living room as they trawled through cities on their air scooters or whooshed to and fro the earth's outer atmosphere inside their larger spherical spacecrafts popping the sky with a bang. But, often the snippets of footage would change to unfortunate ducks being ripped apart by dogs with a violent shake and a snarl, or being blown to bits by the military, or just as nearly often, shot by armed and angry citizens. Hey, the networks had to attract viewers, didn't they? It made for such a messy beginning to the evening--and a strange one at that.
Earth and its societies continued with their norms: children going to school, men and women going to work. Holidays passed; most notably, Halloween, with children dressed as -- what else? little duckies -- the hot new costume. Although, no one for certain, not even biologists, not even Xenobiologists! had evidence these alien ducks actually had an immature stage as do human children. So, maybe the costumes weren't all that realistic.
Now, thinking about it, there was one customary change common to most people and that was to their birthdays. Celebrations were more likely to come untimely, because allot of people figured it might be their last. "Hey dear, I was thinking we might celebrate little Jonny's bithday a few weeks earlier this year, okay? And the reply usually came swiftly, ”Yes dear, I think that's a good idea."
Of course, militaries still promised security to all over Earth, but as the invasion progressed, the panic meter incremented a notch because the duckies were starting to cover the planet in waves. And no on could stop them.
On the domestic front, TV shows -- where to start? Allot of TV remained just as silly, just like aesthetes to defy times of trouble with fun--although most new sitcoms involved ducks. Examples: Ducks invading domestic life. Didn't you know the average suburban family takes in aliens in as pets? And what would it be like? Watch and see the crazy fun Another TV favorite was the revival of alien autopsies live under the knife. Although, a revival might not be the fair word, for this time the autopsies were probably real--at least a reckoning for half of them.
And video shows? Tons of them. Let's not get into that. Well, okay maybe briefly. There were video show of duckies getting arrested. And full hours of funny ducky videos -- mostly faked by junior and his computer animation skills. The aliens did seem immune to the clumsiness all humans possess at one time or another. And what's funny about watching an organic being making make no mistakes? Little Ronny touched them up a bit and took care of that, much to the chagrin of parents who wished their children would watch something a little more educational. I mean why not learn under any threat? Wasn’t that what we face everyday? alien invasion or no, they reasoned.
Looking forward, all human existence would be pervaded by the alien presence that seemed to exist without an extermination button. And it at first glance a gentle presence was in mind. You could walk right up to a ducky and punch them as hard as you wanted and they would hardly flinch! Just make their garbled sounds -- was it anger? -- through their glowing mouths and then continue about their business. Then they would often hop on their air scooters and fly away. Sometimes, the word at the local bar came in from an average 'Joe', who had 'managed to scooter-jack a duck and master enough of the foreign controls to try a quick joyride. 'Yeah, I tell you it was true,' Joe insisted, 'the dang fattest flying machine I ever rode. Whoosh! (pointing) Air right though my hair' But, those things didn't happen often, and his friends never usually believed him. Still they slapped him on the back. Such a story should be questioned, especially at times like these when everyone was hoping for a hero.
To be fair to those who dared tell such tales of confronting a ducky, especially ones brave enough to speak to the news camera -- it’s hard to know just how the aliens werre, since not everyone on earth had encountered one yet. It was one thing for your TV to project ducky images or to see them on the internet -- it was easy to feel brave then. But assuredly, the duckies were probably quite scarier in alien.
Perhaps, it wasn't their silly appearance but the terrible descriptions of damaged property or half-eaten dogs that paradoxically frightened those in the narrow margins of the west yet to experience the invasion. Often nothing was witnessed, but the duckies still left a trail of destruction.
And now they were coming America and we weren't about to share our neighborhood. At least not until they started paying taxes.
Part 2: David
Back at his luxurious home in an upstairs high-ceilinged bedroom, David unglued his eyes from the TV projection. And it wasn't easy getting them unstuck, because the news anchorwoman's good looks worked like super-glue -- no, better then that stuff ever could.
Unstuck eyes, free and staring, as usual, found their way back to the TV drawn with magnetism back to another attractive news correspondent holding an umbrella. She held the handle tight, knuckles white, for the gooey yellow flesh spattered all around her. Bits of yellow goo stuck in her hair in various places. They were being shot. More duckies. In the background an angry mob of citizens had lined up a small group of them and shot them execution style. And now and then a rifle cracked as the ducks were blown to bits. David could barely see the fidgety yellow bodies behind the newswoman in the background. Another bang and the newswoman reflexively ducked as yellow goo splashed over her umbrella, appearing to wash over David's bedroom. An arm reached out with a handkerchief to wipe off the remainder of a destroyed duck flesh oozing down the camera lens.
David’s picture was now slightly yellow. "Is this assassination?" David announced quizzically to no one in particular but the bedroom walls.
Then, the blurry newswoman recovered her composure and said: "There goes another duck, another duck destroyed, another mystery still to remain -- reporting live from Hotsprings Colorado, Cynthia Makkell."
You know, David thought. Cloning must really be going on: she looked like the last new correspondent. There were so many of them! "Okay!" David shouted at the TV screen, now popping out three-dimensional ads left and right into the bedroom. And David jumped up. "A cloned army of super-attractive women would be a much better invader than ducks!" On his feet and nervously excited, David jumped over toward the large bedroom window. Blue colors from the ads filled the walls. But, to his not so unhealthy disappointment, beyond the reflections on the windows, there was no army of women marching forth to bang down his front door and invade. Just trees, and dogs, and kids....
But, then he recalled that so close his right shoulder, and behind a door, a beautiful woman stood in a shower, separating streams of water into softly spatters, splish and splash, to shatter against the tiles as she washed up. A wife in there, was what he had, and now David recalled how she spoke gently in his ear, "David, I'm going to take a shower before we go" while he was still downstairs. And he did remember hearing the shower door slamming with echoes traveling down the stairs and through the halls to meet his ears. But as it got dark David began to wonder if maybe the duckies had already arrived, slithering through the window to take his wife away, yellow hands covering her red lips to stop the cries and whimpers. Maybe he should open the shower room door and check!
And David twisted the silvery doorknob and entered the bathroom. It was hot and steamy and behind the shower glass, underneath the hydro-powered spinning lights emitting from the showerhead, he could see the faint outlines of his wife. She was washing her hair. He stopped there, stepped back and out, went back in and filled his eyes some more, then eased back out backwards, reclosing the door, softly.
No, she's still there, he thought dryly.
Secure, David spun to his left and offered his brain the view out the window of the street below, raising his irises to where the street met with the neighboring houses across the way, then he followed far off into the connected valley below, and then moved over the rolling hills in the distant background surrounded by a blue evening sky of California.
Shifting from visual scans to thoughts, and along with requisite hand massaging a chin, David argued with himself if he would shoot a duck when they came. Well, okay he didn't yet have a gun, but anyway... For some reason they decided to begin their invasion in Japan and then proceed, systematically and slowly, west. Now, eight months later they reportedly cusped the border of California. David imagined their tiny spaceships flying over the hills and settling down into the valley, dropping in front of his house and unloading armies of duckies. No, he couldn't see it happening. No way, things such as these never happened before on earth. Or, did they?
And deep down, David knew it was real and they couldn't be stopped -- the best militaries on earth had tried -- but those damn duckies they just covered their temporary camps in impenetrable energy shields of glowing red energy. From there, the contingents of duckies continued flying out to investigate the human world. And if one or thousands were shot, another thousands would step in their place.
David wasn't scared of them to a frantic point, so far they hadn't even really destroyed anything, beyond being a nuisance, few items stolen and there, but perhaps it was a good idea David's neighbors had decided to set up a Neighborhood Watch. Not, that David cared if the duckies stared in his windows when the blinds and curtains weren't drawn -- perhaps they possessed an x-ray vision, anyway. And David didn't care so much if they trawled through his yard for small earth-men artifacts or trimmed his flowers for further study -- besides they would have to argue with the local deer for rose trimming rights anyway -- but he did care if they took the family dog.
"Ralph!" David called.Why trouble his mind with worries: the dog was there to save them!
And soon a bundle of tan energy burst between the bedroom doorframe and morphed into a puppy named Ralph. Ralph scampered and skittered to sit before David's feet. On his toes, David felt the warmth beneath the fur. Ralph had been, of course, waiting patiently outside the bedroom, despite his hyperactive nature. And that's one of the things that made him such a funny puppy -- he wanted to come in the room whenever David was there, but would only come in if orally invited, or beckoned by hand and then jump to the call he would!
"Oh, that's a good boy," David said, as Ralph moved and leapt up onto the bed. David fell in beside him.
"Oh, yes," David said, as Ralph licked him like a lollipop. "Yes, I love you too." David began patting Ralph beside his neck. "You're such a fat boy, yes, fluffy, puffy wuffy, scruffy. Yes, I wuv you, too." David began to laugh and fell back onto a pillow as Ralph lacquered his face in slime with a black tongue.
"I wuv you too, you little fluff ball, I love you. Mister duff rawl."
"Wow!" Interrupted a woman's silky smooth voice passing through the room. "For a minute I thought you had another woman in here." David's wife emerging in a cloud of steam from the shower and into the bedroom, like magic! Her name was Darcy, and that was magic, too. David would have chosen that name for his wife, anyway, had he had the choice. And, maybe he did...maybe he designed her using a template during a previous life, much like creating a character for the video games he had so often programmed. That was a thought to pursue later, anyway.
"Hey Darce, you're still here," David said, somewhat relieved. And wiped his brow. Then he felt like a fool when he remembered her had just checked on her.
"Of course," Darcy said. "What do you mean?" She pulled up close, right to David's chin. Darcy DeSoto was the type of girl who stood too close when she talked, annoying to some if it were any other but such a lovely creature, with bizarre cartoonish voice, soft long black hair amid sleek cat like body -- he didn't mind. And David knew when they first met, when she walked up so close like she was now, this was his life.
She continued on wandering about something. "...although, lately come to think of it, I have thought of running away. Not to far though, because I'd still like to see you sometimes. At least when I need money..." Her hair was all wet and a towel was wrapped around her torso. She bent over and wrapped another towel around her hair and flipped her head back. "...but the sticking point, I really would miss Ralph."
"Ah-ha-ha!" David laughed. Oh, how that tickled him. "Me too. That's why I stay." David began praising Ralph and then he watched Darcy's rear end shiver back into the bathroom. Well, and that.
"David." Darcy's voice echoed around the tiles. "You treat him like a baby."
"No, Ralph's not a baby, ary wary you? You fluffy puff of fur." David thought, Maybe she was right and he pushed the dog aside so he could sit up. "When I look at him, I see a mirror. He's a rough and tough customer just like me."
"Yeah?... Well, you better get ready for the meeting, Ralph's certainly not going to protect us from aliens."
"Of course he will," David said and then changed the thought. "I'm ready." He brushed some of Ralph's fur off his button up shirt.
Darcy entered again and lowered the towel from her sleek torso, and threw it in the bathroom. "Ralph, out," she said sternly, pointing.
Ralph's tail sunk with his demeanor and he quickly jumped off the bed and ran out of the bedroom padding across the carpet. David could hear him go all the way down the hall and then romp the stairs, forlorn.
David looked at Darcy accusingly. You scared away my pal, said his face.
"Well, I don't like anyone else in here when I dress," she said, widening her eyes and turning her head to the side so David would understand.
"Oh, he's just a dog," David said.
"I don't care," Darcy said, walking over to her bureau. She opened the top drawer and began to accessorize. "The way you talk to that dog, I think we better have some kids -- soon."
David sighed and stood off the bed, flexing his knees. He walked over to the window and looked outside. He slid open the glass panel, revealing the screen behind and sighed out through the tiny square holes. In that same breath he said: "Hmmm, a little set of pals that look sort of like me to play with, ah yes."
"Oh, David shut the blinds," Darcy said.
He looked back at her and she was putting on a pair of slacks.
David turned back to the window. To his surprise, there was a group of neighbors on the opposite sidewalk. "They can't see you up here." He looked down directly across the street where fifty yards or away, the mixed group chatted on the sidewalk. He quickly realized it was the Douglass family, Dad, Mom, and the Suzaki's?
One of the neighbors, Jad Douglass, looked up towards the window. David stepped back wondering if Jad saw him. David immediately bumped into two somethings, soft, sinkable and yet resilient.
"Ouch," Darcy said, "David!"
"Oops," David said. "...Sorry about the bumpers....Don't worry, I'll repair them later, tonight." He laughed, reaching back with his hands, to hold her smooth dip and drop sides to hips to thighs to legs.
"Do you think they're coming, David?" Darcy wrapped her silky arms around David's wide back and set her chin on his shoulder.
David could hear her breathing steadily in his ear and feel her eyes searching the sky east like he was. A tinge of red at first notice began to accent the sky from the sun setting behind the house to the west.
"Yes but we shouldn't be scared. I mean look, they're coming anyway. And besides they still have to get by me."
"Oooh, but if they do I hope they bring a big gun," Darcy said into David's ear. "Because when the meet a man like you, they're gonna need it."
------
An hour later, dressed and slightly decked out, David and Darcy stepped out arm-in-arm into the cool breeze of twilight. They walked off their cement porch and down past their linear garden of red roses Darcy had planted beneath larger preexisting palms trees. The two followed the concrete walking stones to the neighborhood sidewalk.
From the house next door, the door squeaked open and their neighbor Mr. Elmer Suzaki appeared onto his front porch, soon trailed behind by his wife.
"Hey, David," Mr. Suzaki called across the yard. He turned around and after his wife had passed, locked his front door.
"Hello Elmer," David said.
"Hello," Darcy echoed.
Mrs. Suzaki came down her front walkway then crossed the grass where the two neighbors' lawns met to greet Darcy.
"Hello."
"Hi Nedna," Darcy said, smiling sweetly and brushing the overhang of hair from her eyes.
"Hello David," Nedna Suzaki said.
"Evening ma'am," David said.
"Hey, there's the man," David said, as Elmer Suzaki hotfooted with fragile knees doing the propelling down to the group. "Don't want to be late," Elmer said, rubbing his hands together. He mimed pretending to run by taking a few steps in a southerly direction across the sidewalk, the direction of the neighborhood meeting. After distancing the group a few more paces, he stopped to look back, waving emphatically. "Hurry, I don't want to be late.”
"My husband is such a fool," Nedna Suzaki said, beaming.
"Hey, we have something in common," Darcy said, looking toward David. She laughed.
So did David, holding his hands in the air as if to say, You got me. He thought of a comeback, but decided he better not use that one.
Instead, David hightailed it out of there away from the chiding ladies and caught up to Elmer Suzaki who stood waiting for him on the sidewalk.
The woman could be heard as they always could when together, chattering and following at a slower pace behind.
"I hear we're getting guns," Elmer said, as David and he set pace.
David was distracted by the flash of a human form.
And David followed it with his eyes across the street to a man. "Hey Gus," David said, waving to his neighbor with wife in tow across the street, apparently also just leaving their house for the meeting.
"Hello David!" Gus Martin called out. He crossed the street quickly, adjusting his glasses the whole way.
"Hello everyone," Lily Martin said, holding her dress and scurrying across the street to join the other wives walking the rear.
"Guns," David said, to a curious faced Gus Martin.
"What I hear," Elmer said, then greeted. "How you doing, Gus?"
Ignoring. "Did I hear you correctly say guns?" Gus Martin said.
"What I hear," David said, now repeating Elmer's words.
"That's what Byron told me," Elmer said, referring to a member of the Neighborhood Board.
"Feewww," Gus Martin whistled.
"Not like the guns, you normally shoot with though," Elmer said. "As in" -- he shook his hands in the air -- "ones developed at the lab. Big 'uns"
"Really?" David said, trying to glance over the rooftops toward where the Mannaren Laboratory sat situated in the rolling hills of east Cattle Valley hills. "Big guns, eh?"
"Yeah, I knew Byron worked up there," Gus said, holding his hands in his pockets. He adjusted his glasses and looked at David.
"So, does Ted," David said, referring to another member of the Board. "I always wondered what they really did up there." David laughed.
"Energy gun, of some sort," Elmer Suzaki cut in. "Uses a particle accelerator or something. Or was it plasma stream? I can't remember..."
David wasn't exactly sure how that would work -- he was a programmer, he knew some basic physics for graphics, but Elmer's whole description sounded still mysterious and cool.
"I've never fired a gun before," Gus said.
"If one of those duckies come near my house, I'll just ram one down their throat," Elmer said.
"Me too," David echoed. "Especially if they try and touch my dog."
"Or your wife," Gus said.
"Yeah, I was gonna say that," David said. He called eastward into the air, "Aliens, I don't think so. You try and come here and...and..."
"Hey, what are you boys chatting about up there so secretly," Lily Martin said, catching up to her husband Gus. "And loudly." She put her hand on David's shoulder.
The rest of the ladies had caught up to the men who had slowed their pace while talking on deep subjects.
"Probably the ball game," Nedna Suzaki said.
The ladies giggled.
"Wondering if the ball game will be canceled when the aliens come," Darcy said. This drew more high-pitched laughter.
"That's so right," Lily Martin said. "So like men..."
"Women," Elmer said.
"Hey, I heard that," Darcy said.
Elmer looked back in surprise. "Eh--"
A horn suddenly tooted from beside the group and an SUV rolled up beside them, keeping pace. The passenger window slid down. And a woman's face appeared. "Hey, you slowpokes want a ride?" It was Sue Gentry from down the street.
"Come on," another voice called from within the truck. It was Phil Gentry, leaning forward to look from behind the steering wheel. "There's plenty of room in this baby. Besides the meeting is about to start. You'll be late."
"What do you say Elmer...David?" Gus said.
"Sounds like a good idea to the ladies," Nedna said, holding up her hand.
"Especially ones with high-heels," Darcy said.
The SUV stopped abruptly at the curb and Phil Gentry got out. He hurried around the vehicle and opened the doors; then helped the ladies into the far back seats.
Then, Gus, David and Elmer got into the middle seats situated immediately behind the driver and front passenger seats.
Phil galloped around the car and hopped back into the driver's seat. All neighbors seated in place, he slammed the door and pressed the gas pedal and the SUV responded by hauling away from the curb. They drifted along past the huge neighborhood houses with tiny yards.
"At least we won't be the last ones," Elmer said, looking out the window at a group of neighbors straggling down the sidewalk, dressed up and obviously headed for the meeting. "Hehe." He rapped his knuckles lightly against the window.
Up ahead on the left, David watched a couple of kids kicking a skateboard around on a driveway. They looked and waved.
David waved back.
Soon, after completing a stop sign, the SUV vacated the neat rows of suburban houses and slung along a narrow stretch of rounded cliffs devoid of houses and offering a wonderful view of the bowl shaped valley below. In the distance, more rolling mountains. City lights were glowing in the setting darkness and intersecting superhighways were crawling with strings of yellow headlights and strands of deepening and lessening red brake lights.
Phil swung the car to the right following a curve up a slope into the driveway of Hishun Academy. The SUV followed the driveway to the right and rolled passed parked cars. The lot was crowded.
"I'll drop you all off at the doors," Phil said, driving into the bus circle and swinging around the incline.
He pulled into the covered area and stopped.
"Aww, what a dear!" Nedna said.
"Alright Phil," Elmer said.
The doors opened and all the passengers began to step out.
David slid across the seat and followed Elmer into the cool night air. He then turned in time to help Darcy down from the vehicle.
When everyone was out, Phil drove off to park his big honkin' SUV.
Hand in hand, David and Darcy followed the Martins' and Susakis' down a sidewalk, and followed toward the glowing open doorway of the school gymnasium.
They all stepped between the doorposts and onto the wooden-slat floors; into the brightly lit gymnasium filled with chatter and laughter of gathered neighbors.
Folding chairs were set up in rows. The first few rows were already filled to the brim. A few faces looked back when they entered, some smiling or calling greetings.
The Martins's walked into the second to last row a few chairs down and sat. The Susakis' followed and, then Darcy and David. Sue Gentry sat to David's right, laying her purse on the vacant chair next to her to save it for Phil.
Tom Reynolds turned around in his seat to shake David's hand.
"Hey Davey," Tom said.
"Hey, good to see you, Tom," David said, smiling and clapping his neighborhood friend on the forearm.
A couple more latecomers entered the gym, and in short time the gymnasium seats eventually filled out the back rows.
Meanwhile David lost himself in discussion with Tom, Elmer, Gus about guns. Phil Gentry soon appeared after parking the SUV and took the seat beside his wife and entered the men's forum.
Then people began to hush and David raised his head away from his conversation to witness the head of the neighbor's association stand from the front row. Mr. Jones--er, Dr. Jones.
There were a few remaining whispers.
"Welcome," Dr. Jones said. "I'm glad to see such big numbers here tonight. Of course, we've never had to meet on something of such magnitude before. To get to the point" -- he raised a long finger in the air -- "we are gathered here this night" -- someone coughed -- "to establish a neighborhood watch. Not for thieves or hoodlums or illegal aliens..."
A few people laughed -- this was California.
A big anticipatory smile from Dr. Jones. Then he finished gustily, "...No this is a watch for space aliens!"
A few cheers.
"...The Board has received numerous requests for such a program. But as you know we have a limited budget at this point, we spent it all on landscaping and court battles, so it has been decided to see if we can gather enough volunteers from the neighborhood."
No cheers.
"I'll do it," said a large man in the front row.
"Me too," said Tom.
"I want to do it," said Elmer.
A few more vocal agreements rose from the crowd. "Yeah, yeah."
"Okay," Dr. Jones said, "Looks like we're already in business. And it's not even nine o' clock pee em yet.".
He paused and when no one laughed, slightly aback, he continued. "Uh-huh. Well, to gain acceptance by the Board, of course, we will need a vote on this resolution, so all those in favor, please indicate with the raising of your right hand."
Everyone's hand shot up.
"...As you all know, California laws have been lengthened to allow just about any type weapon be used personally.
"...And I must tell you our neighborhood watch system will involve guns. Of a super sort."
Everyone's hands shot up higher including David's.
David felt Darcy tug down his arm slightly. Her thin hands muscles squeezed his arm. "Are you sure?" she whispered.
"Sure, I'm sure," David returned.
"Alright," Mr. Jones said, widening his eyes. He made a face. "Wewww, I can feel the energy off you guys. You want to get those suckers. Hehe."
Bunch of laughter from the crowd.
"Yeah," Elmer said, "we want to kill them."
"Alright!" shouted someone.
"Okay, I think I'll turn you all over to Dr. Ted Minski and Mr. Byron Zedelfais, our loving neighbors and representatives from the Mannaren Laboratory. Alright now." Dr. Jones clapped a couple times and then sat down.
Everyone clapped.
Two figures rose from the front row of the crowd to the cheers.
"Okay, okay," Byron said, a redhead, waving down the noise. "Let's get straight to the point. Ted and I have assembled a cache of techno weapons."
"A large one," Ted Minski said, raising his brow.
Cheers from the crowd.
Ted bowed, in the process losing his glasses to the floor with a clatter. Gingerly, he picked them up and returned them over his eyes.
David observed: the tense situation of aliens coming to earth was making everyone a little bit whacky.
Ted spoke: "We were able to borrow some self-defense items from the lab. The rest we took from our own personal stash." He reached with an index finger and pushed his glasses firmly to his nose
That last remark made David raise his eyebrows. No one else seemed to care, though.
Ted continued, "We also have a new weapon just for those duckies."
"Alright," someone shouted.
Laughter.
David glanced around toward the front row. The shouter had been Elvet Moore, a big fat guy known around the neighborhood as "Fat Elvet" for his funny and playful disposition. He was always having barbecues for the neighbors and stuff.
Byron took the stage from Ted: "We will be passing out weapons shortly, but first we need to collect names of volunteers. Each table behind us has your addresses listed. Table number one" -- he pointed behind Ted -- "is captained by Ted and contains the bottom half of Reason Hill's addresses. Logically, they will comprise the neighborhood watch for that part of the hill. I have the fortune of captaining the top half of the hill, so table two" -- he indicated directly behind him -- "will make up the upper half of the watch."
Ted spoke: "Everyone with addresses including 8000 and lower come see me, everyone with addresses above 8000 go see Byron. We'll get you signed up and begin passing out patrol weapons."
Byron: "If there is no questions, let's get this show started."
Everyone seemed to stand and chatter all at once.
"David," Darcy said, still seated and tugging on David's shirtsleeve.
"Yeah?"
"I don't know about this."
"Aww, Davey's a big boy," Elmer Susaki cut in, patting David on the shoulder and brushing by.
"It'll be alright Darce," David said.
"He'll be fine," Gus said.
"Well," Darcy said, "at least see if you can get an early shift..."
"Alright." David stalked off down the rows of seats to find Byron, who would be his captain due to David's address being above 8000. His house sitting near the center just below the very top of the neighborhood.
------
The neighborhood men stood in a circle around the two tables holding techno-guns, while the women gossiped in the background.
But the men had top focus as Byron and Ted handed out guns from off the table.
Elvet Moore was waddling around with an uncharged gun, saying, "Bam, bangaroo!" And stuff like that. Byron had given Fat Elvet a gun way too quickly, David thought thinking the funny man looked like some rich guy on a safari with his futuristic rifle in hand, tropical shirt on fat torso.
David's attention was directed back to Byron as he held a large rifle aloft. "Check this puppy out now. It'll blow any heads off the duckies that come near our houses. Put a laser beam" -- he made a gurgling sound with his throat -- "shiicck, right through their necks."
"I'll take that one," Elmer Suzaki said, raising his hand. And the men all laughed.
David looked around a bit for Darcy and he noticed her joking around with a group of women.
"Probably talkin about sewing, eh?" Elvet Moore said, waddling by David, then off to play some more with his techno-gun. Elvet walked over to his wife and starting chasing her around, pointing his weapon at her. "Eeww!" Sandy Moore was shrieking, while Elvet laughed and goaded her. One of the women reached out and beat her fist playfully on Elvet. "Stop it big boy!"
"How are you doing?" someone whispered into David's ear from behind.
David jumped--oh, it was Darcy. "Damn Darcy, what are you doing?" David said.
"I came to see how you are doing," she said, now walking in front to face him. "I think, I'm going to leave soon...Nedna and I will walk home together."
"Okay," David said. "Let me see if I can get my gun and get out of here," David said.
"Sure," Darcy said.
David kissed her and then watched her sway away lithely in her dress.
"Son of a gun!" Byron said.
David turned back to the circle of men.
Elmer, standing nearby, was now holding the laser rifle in his hands. "Eh, I don't like this one so much anymore." He hefted the gun up and down. "Have to be in shape to use this sucker. Here" -- he handed it to David -- "I'll give it to David."
David took the gun in two hands. "Whoa!" he said, suddenly center stage. It was heavy, he realized, holding and then registering the weight of it. "Byron, you sure you didn't place solid lead in here instead of a laser" -- David's mind searched for the proper terminology, but failed -- " a laser...er..."
"Thingy," Elmer offered.
"Generator?" David finished.
"Ho ho no, you got enough volts in her to blast duckies to a million pieces."
"Hey Davey, what you got there?" Gus Martin suddenly entered the fray. He held a drink of red punch in his hands.
"I don't know." David raised the rifle to his shoulder and glanced down the sightlines.
"Ho Boy!" Gus said, "You look like the Terminator."
"If those rascals come anywhere near," Byron said, "that's what they'll be -- terminated."
There was a moment of silence.
David aimed the gun around the room. David looked for a target and found the punchbowl. He aimed the gun's barrel. "Bam," he said quietly, imagining the crystal exploding and the red liquid within bursting out with a gush.
"Now wait --" Byron said.
David lowered the gun and set it on its stock.
" -- since Elmer here got stuck on David's patrol, we better get him a weapon. A good one, seeing how David handles that rifle."
The men laughed uproariously.
"Uh-oh," Elmer said, and covered his eyes.
David smiled.
Byron reached back to the table and grabbed hold of a gun case. He began to unzip the metal teeth holding together the thick black material. In his hands emerged a large colorful gun -- like a toy.
"Oh no," Ted said, moving over from his table which he captained with the other group men from the lower addresses. "Look like your taking out the secret weapon. Stand back boys."
"Oh, it ain't just secret," Byron said. "It's light and deadly. Here try this puppy on for size." He handed the gun to Elmer.
"Oohh," Elmer said, "it is light."
"Oooh," the crowd of men chimed in baritone.
"Yeah," Byron said, "I echo the sentiments."
"What is it?" Elmer said, inspecting it.
"This here boys." Byron patted the weapon with one hand. "Is the finest shot in new technology -- known as the ducky membrane destroyer. Packed with a plasma crystal generator and particle accelerator."
Several men laughed. David noticed almost all of Ted's group had now come over to watch.
"Sounds dangerous," said Gus.
"Very," Ted said, squinting his eyes.
"Then why are you giving it to Elmer?" David said.
Laughter.
"Oh, you got him back," Elvet Moore said, clapping a meaty hand on David's shoulder. "Don't mess with Davey."
"Yeah, well I'll show you," Elmer said, turning the gun on David.
Murmurs from the crowd. Several people shrank away.
David immediately held his hands in the air and ducked. Shards of electricity raked his nerves and clenched his muscles. He let go of his rifle and it clacked loudly to the floor.
"Ho ho! Down boy," Byron said, jumping forward and reaching to deflect the barrel away from David. "This is not a toy to play with -- it may look like your son's squirt gun. But that it ain't."
David was kind of pissed at Elmer for doing that. He still felt the tingles of panic, but now starting to reside. "Elmer, what the--"
Elmer just looked on while Byron took the gun from him.
David had to check his anger because everyone was acting like it had been no big deal.
"You, okay?" Gus patted David on the shoulder.
"You see that?" David said, pointing at Elmer's back.
"Yeah, that was awful pissy of him," Gus said.
Damn, David thought, reaching down to pick up his fallen rifle. As he stood he looked at Elmer's back. But, slowly he began to calm--it was hard to stay mad at such an innocent looking goofball as Elmer Susaki.
Besides, Gus nodded up front, diverting David's attention to that direction.
Byron held the gun up high for all to see. "This puppy is brand new technology, courtesy of Manneran Lab." He ran a finger up the side of its plastic looking barrel. "It'll protect our way of life and your family. All of you."
Profound silence.
Which Elmer broke: "I still think you must have took my son's water soaker."
"Modified," Byron said, nodding at Elmer. "Yeah in a way, that's what this is sort of. A modified weapon of brand new capabilities developed by the lab for a military contract and now it's going straight to you. The citizens of the Youu Nited States!" He set the weapon back on the table. "But because its new techno, we're gonna need anyone who chooses to use one sign a waiver." He raised a glass of punch and drank to it.
"It was light," Elmer Suzaki said, speaking to the crowd. "Kind of wimpy."
Byron nearly spit out his drink. "Wimpy!" Byron said, wiping his mouth. "My man the thing's deadly. The waiver was my poor attempt at a joke, but there I probably should be handing you all one right now. Know this men, the ducky membrane destroyer utilizes new technology -- can pop the flesh and melt the bones of aa man; pop the cytoplasm right out of destroyed membranes. But, best of all -- it can destroy duckies."
Thunderous cheers from the men.
Ted spoke, "We actually developed it from samples of their cell tissues. This thing speeds up particles within the cells until the point where the cellular membrane pops and out comes yellow cytoplasm. Ducky soup if you know what I mean."
The men laughed.
"All's you'll see of the ducky you blast with this" -- he nodded back toward the ducky membrane destroyer on the table and then theatrically at the floor -- "is yellow liquid running into the street drain." His eyes followed an imaginary river. "It'll look like you pissed."
"Wow, does it work on humans?" Elmer said.
"Neighbors?" Elvet Moore said loudly.
"Course not!" Byron interjected, leaning back on the table and crossing his legs, "Just wanted to warn you of its power." He raised his chin. "No, it only works on ducks. On a man it would just pass its tracer beam of light through harmlessly."
"I thought you just said--" Gus piped up.
But Ted interrupted, "--We only have three of those ducky membrane destroyers." He stepped forward. "That's all we could sneak outta the lab -- "
David figured he was joking, about the sneaking part.
" -- I have one, Byron has one, and I don't think" - Ted glance sidelong at Elmer -- "we will ever be able to pry the other one out of Elmer's hands once he takes hold of a ducky membrane destroyer again."
"I would like one," David said, kind of as a joke.
"Shoot, put me in an order for ten," Elvet Moore said.
But Byron took the comments seriously, squinting his eyes in thought. "I'll see what I can do."
Ted rubbed the side of his sandpapery face. "Yeah, we may want to get some more. The laser rifles are heavy. The ducky destroyers are lighter for sure. Easier on us old men."
"Take more pressure off the arms," David said, setting his laser rifle down on its stock, barrel pointed up.
"Yawh, we'll have to think about this," Byron said, massaging his chin. "Hey, now," Byron said, clapping his hands. "Why don't we all take a little break, get some punch, get to know your neighbors a little. We'll reconvene in twenty minutes or so."
Before everyone could break, Jad Douglass stepped forward from the back of the crowd. "It looks dangerous," he said, "...what you're doing."
Before this spoken moment, David hadn't even noticed Jad was here.
The crowd slightly parted, enough for Jad Douglass to be seen clearly. David looked at him.
After fun with the boys and techno-guns tapered off, as it always did, David's mind set to locating Darcy. He wondered if she left already. His eyes scanned the gymnasium and paused, coming to rest on Elmer and Doreen Douglass having a conversation near the punchbowl. Doreen was laughing and then she reached out and touched Elmer's arm. And then she touched it again. A few feet away, David noticed, Jad Douglass was frowning.
"There you are!" Darcy said into David's ear, making him jump.
"Don't sneak up on me like that Darcy," David said.
"What are you guilty of something?" Darcy's eyes followed David's gaze to where Elmer and Doreen stood. "I brought you some punch," she said. She handed David a glass.
"What you watching?" Darcy rocked playfully up and down on her heels, leaning close.
"Nothing." David took a sip.
"What could take you guys so long?" Darcy said. "I could have passed out those guns in five minutes."
David put his arm around Darcy. "Ah, we're just taking our time, doing it right -- want one?"
"What?"
"A gun."
Darcy shook her head. "A gun, I need a gun...but not that type of one." She kissed him on the cheek.
"Mmmmm," David said, and then continued, "You know, we just finished picking our patrol schedules."
"Just don't take the late shift. David I don't want you coming in and waking me up in the middle of the night, unless it's duckies. I mean, when they're actually here. I mean in our yard. "
"Well, you'll be happy then, Elmer and I both patrol the first shift of the night, nine o'clock, till ten. Only one hour. We're both doing the top half of the hill. So you don't have to worry about rubbing my legs too often, when I come home sore from walking up and down the hill all night."
Darcy shot back: "Some neighborhood watch with you and Elmer patrolling. I think I'm more scared now."
"What's the change? Before you told me I was the brave man who was gonna scare the duckies away."
"I'm just concerned about you," Darcy said. And then my humor comes out. I could not live alone."
"Don't you feel better with the watch set up? You're still scared?"
"A little," Darcy said. "Nobody seems to be taking this seriously--it like a party, like people think these duckies are from a video game you programmed. I mean we could all really get hurt."
"I think everyone's just trying to relieve the tension."
"David, there's aliens coming, I am scared. What if they decide to take over or something, after seeing California? They might decide to destroy us. What if California is the deciding factor?"
"What if they see LA and decide to leave the galaxy? Or die because they can't breathe the air."
"Ohh, David stop joking. Am I the only one a slight bit worried here?"
"I am a little bit now that you made the horrific ending possible," David said. "But we're taking care of it -- guns -- at least were going to go down fiighting. What else can we do?"
"I'm scared."
David kissed Darcy. "Don't be."
"Hey David, what the hell you doing over there?" Byron suddenly called out from the group of men. David hadn't noticed that the meeting was back in call.
David pulled away from Darcy. "Men's business." He nodded and grinned.
Darcy smiled uneasily. "Women's business for me." Then she wandered off.
"Back to talking about sewing," Elvet Moore said into David's ear.
"David!" Elmer called. "Get over here."
David spun on his heels.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," David said, walking over to the weapons table.
"Now boys," Byron said, "we must keep our minds focused on the business at hand."
The men murmured excitedly.
Byron spoke, "Now, this here..."
------
The first official night of the watch, David felt like a fool, wearing his old military jacket walking up and down the sidewalks with a laser rifle in his hands; wondering if any of the neighbors were watching him from their windows. This wasn't the neighborhood watch, this was the neighbor watch and David was that neighbor. Watching David walk around like a moron probably beat anything on TV. He tired to avoid looking at the neighborhood houses, especially the windows. What would he do, wave to them like a hero? David the soldier hero with a gun, the savior of the neighborhood; so, David avoided the windows, but once or twice he couldn't help catching glimpses out of the corner of his eyes of neighbors pointing at him from behind their glass windows.
The weight of David's flippant social crisis forced a sigh from his lungs, and he realized it was such arguments of the mind that allowed him to pass time and eventually reach the end of his route. His sector took him halfway down the hill and to the far end where he started the slow trek back uphill, following the curve of the sidewalk as it edged back toward the center of the hill, to where he and Elmer had approximated to be surprisingly at David's house. David and Elmer had timed it out: ideally the two would part for fifteen minutes in opposite directions and return to center a little slower uphill at twenty-minutes. If one got there a little fast, the other would patiently wait.
David occasionally turned his eyes to the sky, occasionally when he was sure he wouldn't trip over his own feet and fall with the heavy rifle. He didn't want to look clumsy, which he wasn't, but sometimes he felt that way when he knew all the neighbors probably watching. It was the first night of the neighborhood watch after all and one for aliens at that!
David particularly glance to the western sky, sure if the duckies were coming, that's were they'd be coming from. But so far he saw nothing. Here and there, a jetliner. Sodium streetlamps. The stars, the moon.
Soon, David could see the glow of his house lights in sight a ways down the sidewalk. Way off in the distance, he thought he could see the tiny figure of Elmer Suzaki making marching back toward David's house. There they would meet, exchange a word or two of the present situation and neighborhood status and then turn back on their way to the outer edges of the neighborhood, only to return again back to the center.
When ten o'clock came around, David and Elmer were relieved of first shift duty by Gus Martin and Elvet Moore.
"How was it?" Darcy asked when David stepped in from the cold of California night.
"Uneventful," David said. And that was that.
------
The sun came and then it went and too soon it seemed, David found himself already into the second night of the neighborhood watch as he and Elmer settled back into their now familiar routine. David paused to watch Elmer walk away, carrying his ducky membrane destroyer over his shoulder like a good soldier
Elmer suddenly shifted and turned to look at the sky, hunkering down in alarm with his gun poised. Then he relaxed, stood back straight and restarted his easy walk.
David laughed, figuring Elmer had see the lights of a jetliner and thought maybe it was a ducky spacecraft.
David turned and set on his own route.
Later, with ten minutes to go till the end of their shift, David and Elmer met in front of David's house.
"Look here," Elmer said, walking like a child pointing at the night sky. He began to cross the street. David followed him.
Elmer walked into David's patrol territory.
"Hey, you're in my territory," David called after him.
"Eh," Elmer said, waving it off.
Elmer continued hobbling until he reached the small, thin patch of land forming a cliff--too narrow for houses to be built on, but used as a common garden area and a convenient spot to host the local power generator.
David caught up to Elmer standing beside the small boxy machine.
"See that?" Elmer said, still pointing.
David looked to where Elmer pointed. There was a tiny yellow light burning in the sky. "Oh, Yeah," David said.
"Think it's a ducky ship?"
"Don't know," David said, looking at the peculiar yellow star.
"Doesn't seem to be moving."
"Maybe, too far away to notice."
"Man, I'm tired," Elmer said, sitting atop the generator.
"Got to take care of those old knees," David said, patting Elmer. David took a seat on the warm metal surface beside him. "Maybe we ought to give those old knees some time off, let some one else take over for awhile."
"No," Elmer said, "you know we don't have enough volunteers to do that."
"Of course we do," David said "I--"
"David, let an old man feel needed for once."
They both stared at the yellow star, in silence.
David wondered why Elmer had brought him over here in the first place, surely not to star gaze. And when Elmer continued in silence David ventured, "How's work?".
"Ah, the usual," Elmer said. "I've been a bit distracted though, lately."
"Yeah?" David said.
"Yeah," Elmer said, his face thoughtful. "You know, at times like this -- when aliens are coming, I think back to something my grandma said when I was a child. In Japanese of course. She said: 'Elmy, every righteous act a man does, does as much good for the man's health as the goodness of the act itself. But there's a opposing side,' she said. 'Every unrighteous act does as much terror to the health of the man as the very unrighteousness of the act itself.'
David clapped Elmer on the shoulder. "And you're feeling terrorized?"
Elmer nodded at David. But in that nod, David read something else in Elmer's eyes--it wasn't the duckies that were doing his soul terrorizing. David flashed back to Elmer and Doreen at the punchbowl....
"Hey boys!" A loud voice rang through the darkness, seeming to echo off the generator.
David and Elmer whipped their heads around to see Elvet Moore walking toward them beneath the sodium lights.
"Hey, it's Fat Elvet," Elmer called out.
"What the hell are you two sitting down on the job for?" Fat Elvet boomed. "You still got a minute left." He looked at his wrist. "If you were all as fat as me you could. But you ain't all fat. Get up and start guarding--"
"You ever seen a yellow star?" David asked.
------
The next morning, David's alarm awoke him early according to his setting. He wanted to get a good start on a new programming project before noon. After quick breakfasting, David climbed the stairs to his office and turned on the computer. He opened a window overlooking the street to let in some cool air. Across the hallway to his right, Darcy sighed softly amid sleep.
David felt distracted and had a hard time concentrating on his work. When the time came to compile his program, an alert flashed onto his screen indicating two errors on line twenty-one. Two extraction operators were out of place.
A door outside the window slammed. And David took the chance to get away from his work by standing up and peering through the window blinds to look out across the street.
From the Douglass household, Elmer Suzaki, hands in pockets, walked towards his car parked in the street. He got in and drove off.
Back to minding his own business, David sat back down; and then he deleted the two bugs in the program.
------
Later that night, about an hour or so before David and Elmer were set to take to the streets on the first shift of the third night of the neighborhood watch, Byron came trotting in from the distance by with a large shadowy object slung over his shoulder. When he came close, David knew instantly what it was instantly, a black case that held a ducky membrane destroyer inside.
"Here we are Davey," Byron said, unzipping the soft black material on David's front porch. "Opening Davey Jones' Locker."
David looked back into his open front door. "Should I get the laser rifle?" It was perched just inside.
"Nah, keep it," Byron said, producing the green and silver ducky membrane destroyer from the case. "We got plenty."
"Okay," David said, thinking it kind of cool he was now a laser rifle owner. He wondered if Byron would let him also keep the ducky membrane destroyer. That's what he really wanted.
"How'd you first two nights go of your watch go?" Byron said, looking up at David from his hunkered down position.
"Good," David said. "Although it was tiring walking up and down, even the top end of the hills. Great exercise, though."
"Yah," Byron said. "Well, I had the same problem" -- he laughed --- "probably not like you though; see I got a belly on me. Panting and heaving. But shoot man, you were a sports player."
"Were...is the key word," David said.
Byron's eyes quickly assessed David. "Well, I'm glad you're on my side."
"No, actually, the first two nights were quiet for Elmer and me. I keep looking in the sky for alien craft, of course never seeing anything but jetliners... and maybe owl or two, pack of deer."
"I hear you brother." Byron now had the gun in his hands. A sparkle rippled across the barrel.
"Just make sure, "Byron said, flipping back a plastic ring that floated across the trigger. "You keep this forward when not in use. Safety measure. Of course you can't fire until you charge up the plasma crystal." Byron flicked a red switch on the side of the gun and a humming sound commenced from within. Soon the barrel began to glow green. "Now when you fire this puppy"-- he brought the gun to his shoulder and aimed out over the street -- "you have an arc in line of fire after fifty yards of so. The first trigger click will send forth a tracer stream of green light over the target; and then a second trigger pull for a nanosecond and powwo! The plasma will swath forward and melt your victim into ducky plasm."
"Got it," David said, having fired many rifles during his tenure in the army, which only ended three years ago. Of course, nothing like a ducky membrane destroyer, though.
"Suckers are 'spose to come tonight," Byron said, "saw it on the news." He squinted his eyes at David.
Eventually, even on David's porch it got dark with Byron standing there and after much neighborly talk of sports and computers, and dogs, he turned to go. Then, David reached back inside the front door and flipped the porch light on. Nearby, Elmer Suzaki had come into view, stepping out his garage door and eventually hovering over to Darcy's roses, which stood patiently in rows and wavered slightly in the breeze. David laughed softly as Elmer toyed with his ducky membrane destroyer techno-gun, flipping the safety switch to on and off position, lighting up the plasma crystal. Byron stopped to chat with Elmer. "Now careful..."
"Hullo there!" boomed a voice. That was Elvet Moore, waddling across the street and coming towards David's house. David noticed Fat Elvet carried a ducky membrane destroyer in his hands. David had yet to tell Elmer that Fat Elvet was going to replace him. Old Suzaki needed a rest, no matter how stubborn an old man he could be.
Elvet went to cross the street, but thought twice before crossing when a car engine came roaring into hearing distance. Down the street down a ways, Jad Douglass's red Lincoln Town car came racing into view.
Elvet decided to play ducky and hurried across the street as fast as his fat legs would take him before the car squashed him to Fat Elvet soup.
"Hey Elvet!" David called out.
"Hi-ya Davey!" Elvet said, out of breath. "Hey-ya boys!" he called out to Byron and Elmer. "Wait, till you hear this...I got a new--oh, hi Byron--" Elvet paused midsentence and turned his head curiously to follow the approaching car into place beside David's front lawn.
David presumed Jad was just arriving home from work, but didn't know why Jad was stopping here, he wasn't usually one to socialize. David noticed, his wife Doreen sat in the passenger seat. Jad cut the engine.
Puzzled, David waved, he didn't know what else to do.
Jad Douglass exited the car, slammed the door and came to meet with the guys.
Another door slammed and Doreen got out. "Jad, now take it easy," she called after him.
"You know," he said, pointing at Elmer and Byron. "I got just one thing to say..."
Faintly, David noticed Darcy appear on the porch, leaning just inside the doorframe.
"You want to join the watch?" David called to Jad, before he could catch himself.
Jad stopped in his tracks. "No," he said, "wife won't let me."
It suddenly hit David--Jad was mad.
"Now wait Jad," Doreen said, catching up to him.
"Yeah, huh-ha, well techno-guns are pretty neat," Elmer said, still fooling with his gun like a kid with a new toy.
Then David thought Jad Douglass was moving over to shake hands with Byron. "Well, I'll show you, you little--"
A green swath of light cut across the air and next there was a blinding flash of green light. Jad Douglass ducked and behind him, his wife Doreen exploded into a red splash of liquid. Darcy's roses cringed under the red rain.
Darcy screamed.
Elvet Moore belly flopped to the ground.
"Oh!" Byron exclaimed, soaked and staring at an empty space where once Doreen Douglass stood and now did not. His eyes widened as they moved down to where she now lay as a pile of bones and a puddle of blood and membranous fluid running into the cracks in the concrete and seeping into the grass. "Elmer!" Byron raged.
Jad Douglass had regained his position, clinched his fists and ran toward Elmer like a little bear on attack. He mouthed a word of rage, but it wouldn't come out, just his chin moved.
Elmer stood with the ducky membrane destroyer in his hands, down low like wielding a machine gun.
David jumped to cover Darcy who stumbled out onto the porch. "What's the noise--" She stopped, when she saw what David saw.
"Go ahead! Jad shouted at Elmer, "Pull the trigger. Shoot me too" He pointed to his chest and grimace with his lips, straining his chin.
The heavy movements of Elvet caught the corner of David's eye. "Uggh", Elvet said, struggling on the ground with his techno gun. He quickly rolled over, aimed the barrel and sent the targeting swath of green light on Elmer Suzaki and then pulled the trigger.
There was another flash of green light.
And Elmer Suzaki disappeared completely, bursting into red liquid and splashing to the ground, soaking everyone nearby in the process. His ducky membrane destroyer fell to the grass. His bones had gone flying.
"No!" shouted Byron, holding up his hands and spinning. "No...."
Jad Douglass collapsed to the ground in a heap. "No-ho..." He mumbled on.
David felt a fine red mist land on his face like blood rain; Darcy cringed beneath his arms.
In shock, David looked to Elvet Moore. Semi-transparent waves of heat emanated from the barrel of his glowing green gun.
David looked to Byron next. Red fluid dripped down Byron's face. It soaked his shirt and he began to wipe his eyes.
David's sight-line jerked back to Fat Elvet. He had a stupid look on his face and was partially enveloped in heat waves.
"I had to do it," Elvet said, holding the lowered gun. "It was him or us. You're not gonna call the police on me now, are you? Are you fellas?"
Byron froze on the spot. "No, no, we won't do that." He looked at David for help, then gritted his teeth in fear and winked.
David put Darcy behind him and unsure what to say, held up his hands. "No more," he suddenly said. He was just glad Elvet wasn't firing on anyone else -- so far.
There was silence. David could even hear, Jad Douglass struggling on the grass to breathe. David hoped he wasn't having a heart attack.
Darcy broke it with a loud whisper: "I'll get a broom, or a mop."
Elvet Moore burst out in laughter, then fell down to his knees and dropped the gun on David's front lawn. And then rolled over onto his back, looking like a beached whale.
David shook back sudden convulsions of terror, of fear, from the irrationality of seeing neighbor destroy neighbor into doggy bones and a substance meant for the strands of wool.
Darcy began to move dizzily away from David, looking down warily at the red liquid that was once Doreen Douglass and Elmer Suzaki now running off into the grass.
David stared at the mess himself. Where did his neighbors go? the clothes? Then David recalled Byron's words, "Plasma streams can melt the bones of a man, it's beyond searing, for there's in a flash nothing left to sear..." He recalled Jad Douglass standing in the crowd at the original watch meeting. "That looks dangerous," he had said.
Presently, David watched Darcy's wet body go into the house, figuring she was going to get a phone to alert the police or an ambulance.
"Well, I've never shot anybody," Elvet said, his belly shaking and heaving.
"It's okay," Byron said, walking over cautiously toward Elvet. "Just let me take that from you, now now, easy there," he said, and quickly reached out and snatched the gun from off the lawn.
Elvet didn't even seem to notice the confiscation. Just lay there, crying to the sky.
David hurried to check on Jad Douglass. "I'm okay," he said through a mouthful of grass when David neared. "Damn!" He beat his fists on the ground and spit.
David looked back to Fat Elvet and Byron, and then sighed with relief now that the gun was out of reach. That second shot wasn't a mistake, he thought. So, maybe not the first.
Suddenly, Elvet rolled to his belly, hefted his weight and stood. The he quickly collapsed into Byron's arms, sobbing.
Byron teetered under the weight, but with super-human strength managed to support Elvet to hug him back. David noticed the ducky membrane destroyer still dangled from his right hand. And it was still glowing green, and therefore, charged.
David ran forward, closing the distance and then reached to take the techno-gun from Byron's hand. It was hard, David noticed his whole arm was wracked with fear. David held it by the barrel and then aloft. He made sure he flipped back the red safety lock so it couldn't be fired accidentally. The thing was still glowing in his hands, so he slid the red switch on the barrel, shutting down the green plasma crystal.
Ducky membrane destroyer in his hands, David backed away slowly, as Elvet Moore cried in Byron's arms like a baby.
David noticed, maybe for the first time, a few neighbors had wandered cautiously into the street.
David stepped up onto his porch backwards and into the door frame. Nearby Darcy's roses, Byron patted Elmer on the back. A tear ran down Byron's cheek. He slicked back his wet hair with his hand. "We know you had to, we know...."
David turned around and rushed inside to check on Darcy.
At that moment, his dog Ralph came rushing to the edge of the door, barking.
"No David," said, snatching him with one hand by the scruff of the neck. And then he carried Ralph further inside.
------
Soon, police sirens screamed into hearing distance; then red and blue lights soon flashed in front of David and Darcy's house, reflecting off the rows of nearby neighborhood homes like colors on a disco ball. It reminded David of a dance party he had once went to, with an aquarium glowing in the darkness from its coral lights
David, Darcy, and Byron watched from the front porch as Elvet Moore was led away in handcuffs into a squad car. They were all sure he would be set free as soon as it was established that he had fired in self-defense and of course, defense of his neighbors.
Elvet had held his head high as he was led away into the squad car, maybe feeling proud that he had saved the day. Who knows, maybe Elmer would have shot more.
Jad Douglass just dusted himself off and retreated back to his home, apparently meaning to lock himself up inside for awhile.
Now, a lone detective approached David's house. "I'd like to ask you folks some questions," he said, taking off his hat.
------
After the detective and policemen left, David walked Byron from the living room to the front door.
"Guess the techno guns will have to wait," Byron said.
"Yeah, I guess we're left to duckie's mercy," David said, opening the front door.
"Funny," Byron said, looking out into the night sky. "We were so ready to kick those sucker's butts, and now this..."
David noticed several people gathered outside the Douglass's house across the street.
They were all now staring at Byron and David.
"Take care Bee," David said, patting Byron on the back "I know it's not your fault--we all agreed to use them."
"Yeah, I guess in a way, it's everyone's fault."
"Some more than others."
Byron squinted his eyes at David and then stepped down onto the porch and walked out into the garden walkway of roses, into the flood of sodium streetlights.
David watched Byron cross the street and then begin to talk with the gathered crowd, gesturing wildly.
Then, David closed the door to his home.
------
That night, David was awakened from sleep by a creeping sound. The likes of energy crawling up a hill. David sat bolt upright in the darkness for fear. They were here, he knew it. David threw the covers aside from his part of the bed and stepped barefoot onto the carpet.
That
He crept quietly to the blinds covering the window facing the backyard. He pulled quickly on the cord hanging from the blinds and they whipped open.
And there, down below in his yard, were about twenty duckies. David's breath caught in his throat, blood left his extremities, his whole body paled.
There came to visit his backyard.
David looked to the right over his backyard fence into the neighbor's yard. They were also over there. And he looked to the left into the Suzaki's yard. They were also there.
"They're here, Darcy," David said.
"Darce..." David said, not turning his head away from the scene.
"Yeah," Darcy whispered, putting her hand on David's back.
Shivers ran up his spine. "Don't scare me like that," David whispered.
"Huh," Darcy heaved in air and covered her mouth. "Oh my God, David. David, are we okay?" Darcy saw the ducks from over his shoulder.
"I think it's okay," David whispered. "I think we're alright in the house."
"Oh, no we," Darcy whined. "David," she took his hand.
David watched as a ducky splashed his hand in the still backyard fountain like it was crazed. Terror rose in his heart.
Darcy continued, "I forgot Ralph."
David's whole heart iced over. "God no," David whispered, his eyes began to frantically search the yard below.
"I left him outside." Darcy was nearly crying. "I forgot."
David felt her warm tears fall on his shoulder.
"Oh God, no" David whispered, suddenly feeling dizzy, reeling about the room. He wanted to open the window and jump down below.
The duckies were wandering around the yard. There came a large humming sound and two duckies rose on air scooters above the hill behind the fence in the backyard.
"They're gonna get Ralph," Darcy whimpered.
David watched a ducky pull off a palm frond from a young tree. The same crazed ducky was still splashing in the fountain.
And then David spotted Ralph--in the arms of a ducky. The air scooters landed in the yard and a ducky rider reached to take Ralph passed from another.
"Oh, David," Darcy whispered.
"I'm going to get him," David said. He pulled away from the window and padded heavily across the bedroom.
"No," Darcy called after him. "David, stop, I don't want to lose you, too."
David walked out of the bedroom door and turned down the hall.
"David."
He started down the stairs.
"Aaeehh!"
David heard Darcy scream and stumble behind him. He turned and caught her as she fell, sending them both sprawling down the stairs. David lost his breath and crashed into the curving railing at the bend and after a few tumbles came to a halt on the wood floor at the bottom of the stairs. Darcy crashed beside him, squashing his prone leg. David struggled under her weight and tried to stand.
"Are you okay?" he reached for her.
"I'm fine," she said, brushing her mussed hair from her face. "Scared." David kissed her lips. They tasted faintly of blood, his or hers, he didn't know. "Darcy, I'll be okay out there," he said.
She grasped his arms.
David broke away from her grip; and ran down the hallway, turning a corner and entering the kitchen. He tripped over the rocking chair in the darkness and sprawled headlong into the wall.
Dazed, David scrambled to his feet. He took a deep breath and wrenched open the door. He stepped out into the pale moonlight of the backyard and fumbled out into the darkness. Several pairs glowing eyes turned toward him.
"Hi," David said, waving feebly. "I'm the leader here now."
The duckies turned back about their business, ignoring his presence. They were huge, about two times David's size. He hadn't realized--
David spotted Ralph, clutched in the arms of a ducky sitting on an air scooter. David stepped forward across the cement patio, textured beneath his feet. "Look we can negotiate this us...Ducky "
Ralph whined and turned his puppy head toward David. The ducky held him steady and began to stroke Ralph's fur. Suddenly the engine gunned and the air scooter came to life. David raced forward onto the cool, damp grass. "Wait!" he said, in panic.
"David!" Darcy yelled from the door.
David reached out to grab Ralph. He stopped, or rather was frozen in his tracks. The ducky holding Ralph had his hand over David's forehead. Energy radiated between the two. David couldn't move. Then he began to float.
"David!" Darcy yelled in the backyard.
David floated higher, skyward. And then visions washed over his eyes and through his mind like liquid thoughts. He beheld another planter, of that he was sure, for it was filled with grand cities of buildings like he had never seen. He floated headfirst down between the buildings over streets teeming with life. Creatures of every type imaginable, turned to look at him, blue ones, yellow types, this strange one had six legs, this one eight, this one looked human, this one quite not. And then further up the road he saw humans walking among the scene like tourists thrilled with joy. Everything here was suddenly washed in blue light, coming from above in the form of a star and suddenly David was on another planet full of more wondrous creatures amid more awe inspiring architectural feats. Robots walked here, and duckies among them. David saw one wave, he saw others dancing. There were ducky children flying on mini air scooters, duckies everywhere, duckies thousands of them, duckies, duckies. "They are referred to as duckies," said a news reporter floating in front of David's eyes. "They even look like duckies," said Gus Martin, replacing the news reporter. "Ducky this," said Elmer Suzaki, jumping into the picture. "How many are out there?" a news reporter said, "and what do they want?" another said. "Davey, say goose now," said Ms. Lear, David's kindergarten teacher. "No," protested little Davey running in a circle around the children. "Duck, duck," little Davey said, hitting each child on the head. "Duck!" said a boy, as a baseball flew over little Davey's head. "David, that's a duck blind," David's father said to little Davey sitting in the back of the family station wagon and looking out through the window into the cat-tailed wilderness. "We're having duck tonight for dinner David," David's mother said, appearing with roast duck at the table. "Oh boy, duck!" little Davey replied, rubbing his hands together. "How many duckies does it take to screw in a light bulb?" a comedian said, from under the glare of stage lights. "Who cares?" he answered, and the audience roared with laughter. "We must kill all the duckies!" said the face of an angry man. "Duckies," said the President of the United States. "Duckies," said Darcy. "Duckies," said Elmer. Duckies!" said David.
And then his eyes opened: the visions faded like water whirling down a drain. David was staring at the face of a real ducky! He tried to stand. He reached his hand down around him and realized he was floating in the air. David turned swiveled his head around to look.
He floated in a yellow cloud about ten feet over a bed anchored to the floor. All around the bed, duckies were working strange machinery with flashing lights set into the walls. The walls of what? David wondered. First impression made him think he might be in one of the ducky space ships.
Slowly then, David began to sink, distancing from the ceiling until he lay flat on the table.
Two duckies quickly moved over him to converse: "Hmm yaunt tchtak, hmm zzzet."
David tried to move off the table or speak, but he couldn't do much besides turn his head a little. His mouth was simply frozen. He stared in amazement sideways at his surroundings; he figured the spherical walls were the inside of a ducky spaceship.
"David?" a strange voice spoke in accented English. David realized in horror and fascination it was one of the duckies who spoke to him. It opened its mouth. "You can go home now."
David found his own voice. "I -- want my dog," he said.
The ducky looked off in the distance and hummed, "Hmm loka thee tthmm" to another ducky, who hummed back, "Hmm kllee, mnhh."
The ducky looked at David and smiled. Energy, there was energy in those eyes...
And then David found himself lying on the grass, staring into a starry sky. Quickly came a rush of footfalls touching his ears; then Darcy's face replaced the stars; then Ralph's furry face came rushing underneath Darcy's. Ralph began to lick David's face.
Ralph was pushed aside by a slender human hand and Darcy reappeared, bending low over David. "He beat me to it," she said, and then leaned down to kiss David's lips.
Darcy leaned back on her knees. "David -- I thought -- when they took you -- Are you hurt? I should call an ambulance. I already phoned the police--I"
David did not move barely a muscle, just lay back in the coolness of his backyard, starring up at the stars. "Darcy, don't worry," he said, "the most wonderful thing." He looked at the stars, wondering where the planets and worlds he had just visited lay in the universe. His whole perspective shifted.
"There's more out
there."