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| The Two Cities part eight |
They drove west until midnight, where they stopped at Kadoka, South Dakota. They had been driving nonstop, only to stop for gas. Kari and Mimi had to share a bed. Kari nudged her friend. "Psst! Awake?" "No," Mimi mumbled, turning over. "Did you get information out of Joe today?" "About what? If you want info, why don't you ride with him tomorrow?" "Good, because my ass is really sore. What do you think that ball was?" "A ball." Mimi turned and looked at Kari. "Remember that saying? 'Do not meddle in the affairs of Nerds, for they will use big words you don't understand.'" "But I understood everything he said. He said, 'Give that to me, hoper.' Why'd he call me a hoper?" "Why do you care so much? Usually, you just say 'Some things are better left a mystery.'" "Well, I just want to look at it." "You can't do anything about it tonight. If I yawn anymore, I shall get wrinkles. 'Night." Kari lay there, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't sleep. She looked to the other bed where Joe and Tai were. Quietly, she got up and walked over to the closet. Crreeeaak. Kari looked around. No one moved. She felt inside for Joe's coat. It had the most stuff in it. Ah. There it was. She took out the globe. It was black, and surprisingly heavy. Joe snored. The sound pierced the silence like a knife. Kari froze. No, you're going to get into a lot of trouble ... There was a white 8 on one side and a triangular window on the other. So that's all it was: a Magic 8 Ball. Kari was slightly disappointed, but relieved. Words appeared in the triangle. Not 'yes' or 'no' words. Questions. She stared at it for a long time. Then all the words disappeared and fire appeared in it. She screamed and dropped the Magic 8 Ball. Everyone woke up and Joe ran over to Kari. He grabbed his coat and threw it over the Magic 8 Ball, then knelt down by Kari, who had fallen over. "KARI!" he yelled. She jumped. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she cried. "For what? What did you do?" "I took the ball. And looked in it. I saw things and He asked me things, which is totally backwards for a Magic 8--" "What did you see? What did you say?" "He asked me why I took so long to come back. Then He asked me who I was. I didn't answer right away, but I said, 'A Mainen.' Then ... I don't remember. He mentioned Ken and laughed a lot. Then I saw fire." Joe stared at her for a long time. Tai had come over, but Mimi still sat in bed, not looking at Kari. "You're a moron, Kari, but an honest moron. It's just a good thing He didn't question you more." He got up. "Just go back to bed." Tai helped Kari up while Joe hung his coat back in the closet. Then the guys were sleeping, and everything was dark and silent again. A couple minutes later, they heard awful giggling and loud motors. "Reapers!" cried Tai, immediately awake, and probably never asleep in the first place. Joe sprang up and grabbed his stuff. "Come on, Kari, we can't wait 'til morning! Hurry, you lazy ass!" "Stop calling me names!" Kari got up and grabbed her bag and coat. Then Joe herded her out the door. "Fancy that," said Mimi. "She didn't want to sleep, and she wanted to ride in the Ferrari." "Well, come on," Tai said, getting up. "We can't stay here either." He pulled on some tennis shoes and grabbed his jacket. "What the ... ? Why does this seem so heavy?" He felt around his pockets. "Oh. Great. Joe left me the Magic 8 Ball. You can't tell Kari where it is." "Well, she's not here, is she?" Kat woke up in the morning to a very lumpy and bumpy landscape under her. She opened her eyes, only to see CAC looming over her. "Holy shit! Don't do that to me!" she cried, trying to sit up. CAC backed away. "Girls sleep too long. We must hurry, yes, hurry." Sora groaned. "I have about 20 million sore places all over my body now." She stood up and brushed herself off. "Where were you, sneaking away, I suppose?" CAC shook his head and smiled. "Sneaking. Girl so polite, yes. I wasn't sneaking, precious." "Oh. Well ... sorry. But where did you go? What were you doing all night?" "Sneaking." "Oh, fuck you," said Kat, cracking her neck. "Ow, did you hear that one? Cracked about 4 times. Anyway." She looked up at CAC. "Well, you've done what you promised. Can we find the rest of the way from here?" "No, no," CAC replied. "One last place that girls can't find by themselves. Good CAC help." He started walking down the road again. Kat slowly got up and stretched a little bit. "At least we can't get sunburnt in this tunnel." Her and Sora got their stuff and followed CAC. The tunnel curved, and Sora and Kat found that CAC had been walking too fast for them. "Oh, that's nice," Sora said. "Now we're lost again." Kat stopped to listen. Hearing nothing, she started walking again. Swish. Kat stopped and spun around. She couldn't see much. This stretch of the tunnel had no lights at all. Sora reached in her pockets for her 9 mm, but she must've left it in the Grand Am. I wish Tommy was here now, she thought. 'I saw it on e-bay and thought of you ...' "Kat!" she whispered. "The Red Hot Chili Peppers lighter!" Kat fumbled around in her cargos. She found it and flipped it open. A small light came out, and Kat found herself singing. "Scar tissue that I wish you saaaww ..." A blur rushed by on the ceiling of the tunnel. Kat dropped the Red Hot Chili Peppers lighter in surprise. "What was that?" She opened her backpack, looking for the .38 Special. She had to kneel down to open the bag right, and her knee hit the Red Hot Chili Peppers lighter. She quickly picked it up as she found the .38 Special. Kat stood up to meet whatever was out there. She flipped open the Red Hot Chili Peppers lighter and took the safety off the .38 Special. "First born unicorn; hard core soft porn; dream of Californication ..." Whatever it was, it was gone now. They could see nothing. "Well," said Sora, "let's hurry. I think the opening's coming up soon." The two girls started walking again, around the rest of the curve. "I see a light!" Kat cried, and started running. Sora ran after her, eager to get out of the tunnel. She was still worried though, and kept glancing over her shoulder, half-expecting to see eyes. The eyes came in front of them. Kat skid to a stop and Sora ran into her, both girls staring at what stood before them. " ... Catwoman?" Kat started laughing. Sora was confused. Catwoman hissed and jumped from wall to wall, either trying to confuse them or show off, I guess, before landing on all fours in front of them again. This only made Kat laugh harder. "Did you know your special effects look like an Atari game on the fritz?" Sora laughed a little, too. "You're worse than CAC." She looked at Catwoman, then at Kat, then realized something wasn't right. "Kat!" she screamed, but a hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her away. "It's about time, yes, precious," the voice behind her hissed. Now Sora was just pissed. First, CAC betrays them to Catwoman, and now Kat was in trouble, and here she was, being held by a Computer Animated Creature. It was just too much. She grabbed his arm and twisted it, flinging him up and over her. He landed on his back and Sora planted her foot on his neck. It was just too bad she didn't have her 9 mm with her. CAC dug his nails into her ankle, Sora screamed and let go. He jumped up and ran away. Sora was about to run after CAC, but remembered her friend, and went to help Kat. Catwoman had used her whip, and Kat was laying on the ground, bound and unconscious from hitting her head on the asphalt. Sora picked up the Red Hot Chili Peppers lighter and the .38 Special laying by Kat and charged. But she needed two hands. Quickly, she put the Red Hot Chili Peppers lighter in her back pocket and started firing at Catwoman. One shot hit her in the arm, and Catwoman meowed and bounded off. The force of the bullets drove Sora backwards, and she fell over next to Kat. "Kat," she said. "Wake up." But Kat didn't move. She wasn't breathing. Sora remembered what she had seen in Kate Hudson's mirror. Kat, sleeping under a cliff. Except they weren't under a cliff and Kat wasn't sleeping. She was dead in a tunnel. Sora got up and started screaming and cussing, kicking rocks and walls and everything her foot would hit. Then she sank to her knees and started crying. "Wow, and I thought Kat drove fast," Kari remarked. Joe was driving 130 mph. "And where's your seatbelt?" "I don't wear one," he said. "And 130 isn't fast, not for Shadowfax." They drove in silence for a little while longer. "What is that Magic 8 Ball?" she finally dared to ask. "It is one of 7 Magic 8 Balls," he replied, fiddling with the heater. "They were made a long time ago, and can communicate between each other." "Did Card Sharp make them?" "No. Too technological for him." "What did they use them for?" Kari was a little baffled that he was answering her questions and wondering how long it would last. "To communicate between each other. I told you that already." "Oh. Well. I'd wish I'd known that. I didn't know what I was doing, honest." "You knew you weren't supposed to be doing it." "I'd like to know--" "Jesus, no! I'm not answering any more of your stupid questions." "Just ... what was that Reaper doing? Was he looking for me? Does he know I don't have the Tongue Ring?" "I said no more questions." "Can't you at least tell me where we're going?" "Salt Lake City. Before war falls upon it. It'll probably be about 6, 7 hours." He slammed on the gas pedal, then quickly shifted gears. Kari closed her eyes and leaned against the seat. She suddenly felt tired. Sora woke up, realizing she had been asleep. She rubbed her eyes and saw that it was still light outside the tunnel. She remembered something she had told Kat, months ago. Something inside me says, "There's somethin' for you do do, so do it." She looked down at Kat. "Well, I can't just go back home and let them find the Tongue Ring." She reached in Kat's mouth and removed the Tongue Ring. She put it in her pocket. "I'm sorry, but I have to take it. And your gun. Mine's way back there. And I know Kate Hudson gave you the Red Hot Chili Peppers lighter, but I'm going to need it." She paused. "But the meeting gave the Tongue Ring to her," she told herself. "Yeah, but it also gave her companions so she wouldn't fail. And you're the last," she argued. She sighed. "I better take it and go. I might as well try." She got up, determined. "Ah, maybe I'll come back for you, Kat." She slowly started walking down the road toward the light. She stood in the opening of the tunnel, squinting at the sun. She looked over the vast desert and the Interstate before her. She heard something in the tunnel. Plastic Surgery Victims. Sora crouched down behind a cactus and looked at the Tongue Ring she had taken out of her pocket. She didn't even think twice, but winced and shoved It into her tongue. She almost screamed out loud, but instead, put her head between her knees and let the blood drain out of her mouth, trying not to pass out. It was the worst pain she'd ever felt. When she finally got her mind off the pain, she realized she could hear much better now. She could hear the voices in the tunnel. "Hey yo, what's this?" "A girl, huh?" Sora jumped up. She couldn't let the Plastic Surgery Victims have Kat.They would undoubtedly do awful things to her. I knew I shouldn't have left her, she thought. I wonder how many I can kill before they get me. Will they still make a movie? No, because the Tongue Ring will be found and only porno movies will be made. Nikki Sixx has to understand. His Quest isn't for me. I can't effing leave her. I promised. She checked the .38 Special. Two left. Oh well. Sora ran into the tunnel. Four Plastic Surgery Victims were carrying her body. There were plenty more following. Then they disappeared. Sora stopped where Kat had once laid. There might be a hole here ... A sign said, "Emergency vehicle use only." Behind the sign was another tunnel. Sora cautiously walked through. She could hear them far ahead of her. "What do you suppose it is?" "Something Pequop wants." "For what? Doesn't look dangerous to me." "Well, it doesn't matter. Why weren't you doing your job? You were supposed to be guarding it!" "'Course. Well, I figured Catwoman would get them. Her and her little sneak." "Sneak?" "Yeah. But it didn't worry me, because nothing gets past her." "What? Didn't you see her blood up there? Obviously someone got to her." "But she got her in the end." "Who? This little girl? No, she couldn't have done that. But where is the guy who did do it?" The other Plastic Surgery Victim didn't answer. "No one's ever taken a shot at Catwoman before. I think we have a military man loose out here. With a big-ass gun." Sora had crouched in the shadows because the Plastic Surgery Victims obviously had stopped. Military man. Really. "Let's have a look at her." "Prolly won't find anything. The military man just left her lying here." "No, no. We have to search all trespassers." "Even the dead ones?" "Huh? This one's not dead. Shallow breathing, weak pulse, nasty cut, but I reckon she wakes up in a couple hours." Sora spit out some more blood. Not dead? "I don't suppose this one's ever been to Pequop before." Sora listened to their footsteps get quieter. She quickly crawled to the end of the short tunnel. It connected to I-80 East. She started running west on it, gun in hand. She could still hear the Plastic Surgery Victims. "Put 'er in the top room. She'll be safe there." "Hardly!" Sora yelled, still running. "You forgot about the military man!" But her hearing had deceived her. The Plastic Surgery Victims were already out of the tunnel. Something now blocked the opening. Sora reached it and fell against the wood barrier. They had taken Kat. |