Prologue: The Start of My First Insane Adventure

Until the freaky light show, squishy monsters, vampires, and crazy clowns, it was a normal day for me. I was in Japan visiting my uncle and aunt for the summer. Unfortunately they had forgotten to tell my parents that they were going on a Pacific cruise. And instead of asking my parents to come and get me they dropped me off at a summer camp (great relatives right). And yet they decided to bring my devil-incarnate cousin with them. At least I would have to watch my back for water buckets over the door and flying knives. How a four-year-old was able to throw knives was beyond my comprehension. Any way while I was at camp the weather became weirder then my great-uncle Waldo's taste in food (A terrific example being chocolate-covered anchovies, need I say more). For some reason though the weather hadn't gone loopy at camp, yet.

I had met several old friends at the camp from when I had first come to Japan for my aunt's wedding four years ago. The main part I remember about the trip was seeing a tyrannosaur and a giant paraket duking it out outside my uncle and aunt's apartment. At the time and until this trip I only thought that someone had decided to spike the soda of a eight-year-old with saki.

Anyway I was sitting high in a tree enjoying the feel of the wind in my face. I looked around and it seemed like all my friends were doing what they typically did. A dozen or so branches below me Tai, wearing his standard blue polo shirt and grey cargo shorts had his eyes shut and goggles fitted snuggly around his hair. I'm pretty sure he was monologuing about some great soccer game or other that he stared in, knowing him. At the risk of inflating his already planet-sized ego I will say this; he was an excellent soccer player (last time we played I'm surprised I didn't find myself in a whole worn into the ground from being spun around so many times). Of course he sometimes lacked in the common-sense-department. Nonetheless he was a great brother to his little sister Kari, a really sweet little girl, unlike my devil-spawn cousin, was supposed to come with us but she was sick when the camp bus left.

Walking around near the tree wearing a yellow sleeveless shirt, light blue jeans, pink gloves, and her trademark sky-blue blue helmet-like hat, was Sora, Tai's best friend (I don't think I've ever seen them more than twenty feet apart). She was probably just as good, if not better than Tai at soccer. She was always the first one of us to bring him down to earth when he was starting to achieve liftoff.

Matt, the loner of our little group was just sitting under a tree in his green shirt and dark blue jeans, playing his harmonica grasped in his grey-brown gloved hands and acting like he didn't have a care in the world (which considering it's summer he probably didn't).He could occasionally be a jerk but he was incredibly loyal to the small group that he called his friends and especially to his little brother.

Izzy, one of the greatest computer geniuses I know, was sitting on the main cabin's porch playing on his computer wearing an orange dress shirt and green cargo shorts typing away with hands protected (for lord knows what reason) by yellow gloves. I had planned on challenging him later to some sort of computer game match but unfortunately that didn't happen. He was probably the smartest person I know when it comes to anything electronic. Unfortunately he often misinterpreted jokes and sarcasm. He also was given to blond moments despite his intelligence and blood-red hair.

Nearby our gang's resident diva, Mimi was laying on the ground relaxing in the sun with her ridiculous cowboy hat on her head. With her was her twin sister Kiki. They had the same basic personality: Love anything Pink. They also looked alike except Mimi had orange hair and a pink cowboy hat while Kiki had black hair and a plum beret. They were in no way Albert Einsteins but they were still fun to have around, if mainly for a riotous laugh.

Walking up the steps from the tents to the field was our favorite germaphobic, Joe. The bluenette with cargo short, a white polo, a sweater vest, and glasses had a crazy ambition to be a doctor. How he plans to fight disease when he's afraid of dirt is beyond me, ironically he's was one of only three people in our group, including yours truly, that didn't wear gloves. He managed to complete the geeky ensemble with a wristband on one arm, a wristwatch on the other, and Velcro high sneakers.

The final member of our group, just crawling around in a green shirt and brown shorts doing who-knows-what, was TK, Matt's goofy little brother.

As Sora made her way over to us Tai hopped out of the tree and starting chatting idly with her.

"Hey Sora you up for a soccer game later? Or now if you want?" He asked with his trademark grin.

"Sure!" She replied, shrugging her shoulders. "But who else will play?"

"I will!" I called down.

"I might as well." Matt piped up as he walked by.

"Okay so I'll take John and you can take Matt." Tai suggested.

"Agreed, then if everyone else wants to play, you take Izzy and Joe while I get Mimi, Kiki, and TK." She countered.

"Deal!" Tai finalized and they went their separate ways to collect said teammates.

The game was more of a comedy routine then an actual game. About two minutes in Joe and Izzy collided, causing both to suggest that athletics weren't their strong point, and Kiki broke a nail resulting in the twins heading back to sun bathing, despite Mimi wanting to play a little more. Matt then got distracted by TK for a second and ended up crashing into a tree and I was so overcome by giggles that I tripped and fell into a rose bush. Needless to say my aunt and uncle probably heard my scream. The game petered out after Sora tripped over TK, who had bent down to examine a caterpillar, and fell like a ton of bricks on poor Tai. After that it was decided the game was called until a day that wasn't so accident prone.

So we drifted off to what we had been doing before. For the rest of the morning all I heard was mild snatches of conversation drifting into the tree Tai and I perched in.

"No guys I don't want a makeover."

"I programed you how did you beat me?!"

"Hey Matt what's this."

"Gah! TK that's poison ivy get it away, get it away!"

"Oh dear, where my disinfectant?"

"Let's see 6 times 6 is 32, no 34. Or is it thirty five?"

We were all just relaxing and enjoying life when, and I kid you not, a snowflake landed on my nose. I was so startled that I fell out of the tree. Random tree branches gave me several scrapes and bruises on my ASAP journey to meet with the ground. With a loud thunk a sturdy branch clunked my head fortunately flipping me right side up. But as I completed my descent gravity got one last parting shot at me forcing a collusion with Tai on the lowest branch and causing both of us to crash to the ground. Three Soras ran over to us looking slightly shocked at our sudden encounter with the ground. With a shake of my head I managed to eliminate the other two and reveal the original red-head. Now if only I could get rid of the flying soccer balls

"Are you guys okay?" she asked as she came to a halt about two feet from our prone bodies before looking up to make sure no one else had the bright idea of falling out of a tree.

"Aside from having John fall on me? Just peachy." Tai grumbled as he sat up, rubbing his forehead and rearranging his hair, and glared at me harshly before picking up his goggles and securing them back on his head.

"It was an accident." I protested unmoving, mainly because every time I moved Zeus decided to use his lightning on me. "You'd fall too if a snowflake landed on you in the middle of summer."

"What are you talking abo…" Tai began.

Then before he could say anymore a blizzard swept through the area. Everyone except me headed inside taking cover as best they could in the cabins, in the tents, and in the camp ground managers house. Except for our little gang who were only able to make it to a shed. As for me I was still laid out on my back trying to determine if I had broken my spine or something. When I finally determined that aside from traumatic pain I was intact, if barely, I started to drag my snow covered keister to the shed where the rest of the gang had taken cover. I slid the door open and received an ear full.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! Its the Abominable Snowman." The twins screeched. And causing my headache (a byproduct of the tree and cold) to intensify.

"Get behind me TK." Matt order before signaling his intent with an elephantine charge and trumpet. "Yaaaa!"

"Wait!" I begged crashing to the ground utilizing the famed Armadillo Defense Technique. "It's not a snow monster it's just a Johnsicle."

"John, what happened to you, man?"

"I think the snow attacked me. I've heard of Christmas in July but this is ridiculous." I grumbled as I shook snow and ice off, finishing with removing the curious icicle that had formed on my nose.

"So what are we going to do?" Sora questioned.

"It's probably best if we just stay here and wait for the storm to die out." Matt reasoned.

"But why the heck is it snowing in August?" Tai demanded pointing to the closed door, sheer incredulity plain his face.

"Well there's not much we can do until it stops." I pointed out. before turning to Izzy with a quick assignment. "Hey Izzy can you look up how long this thing is supposed to last?"

Before he could respond the howling of the wind stopped.

Izzy looked up calmly and simply stated, "Ask and you shall receive."

"I want to start this whole day over and for this freakish blizzard not to happen." Joe pleaded, clasping his hands is some half-prayer looking at the roof of the shed.

Suddenly Tai opened the door to reveal an unspoiled field of perfect snow.

"I'm going to guess that the canoe races have been cancelled, so let's have toboggan races instead." Tai said as he ran out of the shed laughing and started making snowballs.

Unfortunately as I came out after him, I was Tai first target and the first throw left me wondering if he also did baseball. Fortunately archery really strengthened my arms and within second I'd forced him to take cover from my barrage.

"I'm going to build the biggest snowman ever!" TK yelled, flinging himself out the door and into the snow.

"Hey T.K. be careful, slow down." Matt said chasing after his brother, but being forced to duck as a speedy snowball came his way.

"Burr it is freezing and I didn't bring a jacket." Sora complained shivering, but then shrugging and diving into the snow and started making snowballs which she proceeded to pummel Tai and myself with. And let me tell you the spots she hit hurt like the dickens.

"Man, I was worried that I would catch a summer cold but this is even worse." Joe complained standing in the doorway of the shed before being pushed forwards and tumbling into the snow.

Mimi then revealed herself to have been the one to push Joe with help from Kiki. "Joe, honestly don't hog the doorway..." she started and then after allowing her mouth to hang open for a couple minutes she squealed in delight "Wow! Why didn't I pack my fluffy pink snow boots?"

"And I didn't bring my puffy mittens." Kiki added.

Izzy emerged next typing away furiously on his laptop before sitting down and continuing to type. "Still not working…bummer. This storm is making a messy of my inferred internet connection." I heard him murmur.

"Hey Izzy, come on out here. You've gotta see this!" Tai yelled to him, attracting all our attentions and showing off the sky with his finger.

Said sky was filled with the unique vision off the Northern Lights going on a southern tour. "It's beautiful" Mimi said. "Magical even!" Kiki agreed wide eyed.

I agreed with them whole heartedly, you just had to admire the natural beauty our planet sometimes conjured. I felt a great wave of peace sweep over me as I watched the lights twist and undulate through the heavens. It was almost beyond description.

"Yeah, but what is it?" Izzy asked ruining the moment.

"Maybe an aurora." Sora suggested standing next to Tai and looking just as entranced as the rest of us.

"You mean Aurora Borealis, the northern lights? That's impossible, you see that's in Alaska, we're way to far south." Izzy lectured to Sora, and yet the colors continued their dance which I felt was their way of mocking him, saying "oh yeah, maybe we decided to have a summer vacation".

"Tell that to the snow." She replied not taking her eyes off the sky.

"If this is the global warming my aunt and uncle are always prattling on about, then I'd hate to see global freezing. Of course whenever they start I always hear dad murmur to me, 'don't pay attention to liberals, son.'"

"She's got a point you know. How is it snowing in the summer, huh?" Matt pointed out, continuing Sora's line of thought while standing next to TK.

"I really think we ought to get inside before you all come down with pneumonia." Joe whined.

"And miss this? The sky is, like, short circuiting." Matt responded as the light show seemed to become more intense.

I was looking and I swear I started to see things that couldn't possibly exist. But a quick eye rub confirmed my theory. There was a glowing green sphere behind the shimmering curtain of light. "Hey what's that?" Tai asked probably seeing the same thing I was, but before any answers could be proposed, the portal shot out nine strange beams heading straight for us. We didn't have time to react because the devices shoot right at us like heat-seeking missles. We ducked and dodged (and one of them nearly took my nose off). After the impacts of the lazers everyone was on the ground.

"Everyone, are you alright?" Sora asked, being the first to recover.

"We're still here." Matt said while checking to see if TK was ok. "TK…you good little bro?" He asked hauling himself and TK up.

"I've been better but no worries." TK assured Matt that he was fine.

"That was scary." Mimi said with her hands on her hat and bugged out eyes.

"Wha-What was it?" Joe asked all freaked out as shakily stood.

"Meteors?" Izzy guessed looking into one of the holes formed from the impacts. "Ok so it's not meteors." He corrected himself and then the nine blue, glowing devices floated up in front of each one of us.

We each grabbed one (Joe was a little slow on the uptake and his nearly floated away) and started making comments and asking questions.

"Okay." I grumbled getting to my feet with the gizmos clutched firmly in my grasp. "This day has gone from normal to completely insane in about three minutes."

It really had first everyone nearly gets killed in a soccer game, then I fall out of a tree, then it snows (or would that be counted as happening before I fell out of the tree), after that the sky attempts to have itself declared legally insane, and finally God almost kills us with electronics.

"What are these?" Sora asked looking at hers.

"My guess is some kind of miniaturized remote digital devices." Izzy answered Sora without really answering her, while examining his and trying to pry it apart.

"With no instructions?" Joe deadpanned.

"Forget the instructions, surfs up!" Tai yells.

And just like that a huge wave rose up in front of us. Instead of crashing down on our heads it began to suck us in like some sort of tornado. Last thing I remembered was seeing a lot of weird colors and hearing Mimi and Kiki say something about cheerleading and then I blacked out.