Author's Notes: I'm starting a plot line in this one. Can you find it? lol. I'm also hinting at some future stuff in this one.
PVC: yes, my intention was to scramble things so as not to make them too predictable. I don't know how well I'm doing, but I'm trying! The May storyline is going to hit its climax soon. The thing I'm going for (sort of, not sure how well I'm doing) is Elpitha learning to grow by helping others grow. Keep in mind she ran off on her own at a young age. She's been on her own for a while.
Cuddlybear: thanks! Don't worry. I've already started writing chapter 15. I had athis done for a while now. I've just been a lazy beast about posting it!
Lioness Blackfire: Yup, more on May coming up soon! Thanks for the review! As for the wind…
PacificTwist: thanks so much! We'll just wait and see what happens!
Farmer Jen: thanks for pointing that out! I fixed that and a couple other typos. Ya, Cliff the jokester! And poor challenged Popuri. Well she'll get her turn soon enough.
Jersey Strat-O: Poor little May has some trouble coming her way… and Cliff is here to stay. Hope you like this chapter too!
Krazie4Christ: ah, yes. I tried to fix as many typos as I could. Thanks! I'm afraid I got that last chapter out in a hurry without re-reading it. there's more Kai in this chapter!
Azn Anime Addict: thanks for the review! Yes, Cliff is one of my favorites too!
After staring at Elpitha for a few moments, Kai looked up at the sky. "Conan is beautiful this evening, isn't he?" He asked sadly.
"It's Orion, you moron! Even I know that!" Elpitha spat. "What do you want?" She wasn't quite ready to give up the fight.
Kai chose to ignore her anger. "Ah, Orion. Right. So what are you doing out here? Climbing trees in search of flying towels?" He asked with a touch of playfulness.
"I was out whoring. It makes you work up quite a sweat, you know." Elpitha replied. She patted her face and neck with the towel. "Sorry, but I'm not taking anymore customers tonight." She tried to walk past Kai and into the house, but he was too quick for her.
Kai stood up and blocked Elpitha's way. "Look, I know you're not a whore. I'm sorry for calling you a slut. I didn't mean it. I just saw Cliff there and jumped to conclusions."
"Get out of my way." Elpitha replied stubbornly. She tried to push past him, but he didn't budge.
"Come on, baby. I said I was sorry." Kai cooed soothingly. "I'll make it up to you."
Elpitha found herself trapped against the railing with one of Kai's arms on each side of her. "Damn him! That's not fair…" She thought helplessly. "I…I d-don't want you to m-make it up to me. Let me go!" She stammered, looking away from him.
Kai smirked. He knew that he had won his game. "If I really thought you wanted me to let you go, I would. However, I think you're lying to me. You shouldn't lie to me. Now I have to teach you a lesson." And with that, he lifted Elpitha's chin and kissed her. "I can tell you've already forgiven me. You just told me." He said with a bigger smirk.
"I haven't! Get off of me, Kai, or I'll yell for Harris!" Elpitha cried in desperation.
Kai sighed in mock disappointment. "More lies! And bluffing as well! You need another lesson. I'm afraid I'll have to be a little harsher with you this time, young lady." Kai leaned forward and gave Elpitha another kiss, and she went weak in the knees. "Are you sure you don't want to admit it? I could punish you all night, you know." He said with a wicked smile.
"Alright! Alright!" Elpitha spat, finally. "I forgive you, now get off!"
Kai backed off with a sweet smile. "There, now. Was that so hard?"
Elpitha shoved him and he sat down hard on the steps. "Don't EVER do that to me again!" She yelled.
Kai laughed. "Oh, you're a rough one tonight. Perhaps I'm going about this the wrong way. Kissing you into submission wasn't enough. What you need is a good spa…"
"Oh shut up. I've had enough of you for one night! Go back to your cave, bandana bandit!"
"OK, OK. Tell you what, though. I'm feeling a little drunk myself tonight. Mind if I crawl into your living room and…"
At that point in the conversation, Elpitha chased a laughing Kai off of her front steps.
At first, Elpitha stood there in silence, a half-smile on her face. Then she sat down on the steps and nervously ran her fingers through her hair. What had just happened?
The eldest members of the village told many stories about the goddess pond. Within it lived a goddess. She was the personification of Mother Nature in its purest form. There were even some that still made offerings to her, throwing flowers and vegetables into the pond. The pond was said to have the purest water in the world, and the area was a popular one for picnics, festivals, and proposals.
The pond was alive that night. There was no wind, and yet the water rippled. The waterfall fell gracefully into the pond without making a splash. Elli looked deep into the water. It was an old habit of hers. When she was a little girl, Elli used to stare into the pond everyday, searching to find the goddess. Now she merely did it out of remembrance as she waited for the doctor to tell her why he had asked her out that evening.
Elli smiled as she glanced sideways at the doctor, fumbling with something in his pocket as the perspiration began to form on his forehead. He had been going out with Elli for years, and yet he still worried about being too forward. He still got nervous when he asked her out, and he still thought the world of her. Elli knew what was coming, but she wasn't about to rob the poor doctor of his plans. He had obviously thought this out. Now he almost seemed to mumble to himself. He wanted to find the right words. He wanted to do it just right. Elli's smiled widened. How different he was from when he was at the clinic. With his white coat on, the doctor was all business. He was cool and collected, never allowing his emotions to compromise the health of his patients. Often, villagers mistook his aloof nature for coldness. However, the doctor was actually a warm and caring individual, despite the fact that his doctor's coat cloaked his true nature. One of the reasons that Elli had worked at the clinic so long was the fact that she was able to see this side of the doctor. It was also the main reason that she had fallen in love with him. Finally, the doctor turned towards her, determination set on his face.
"Elli, I hope I'm not being too forward in asking you this…" he began.
Elli stifled a giggle. Too forward? After four years? "Yes, Doc? What is it?" She asked innocently.
Doc took a breath and continued. "Elli, I ah…I know that there are many other fine young men in our little village, and I really do appreciate you staying with me all this time…"
Elli smiled warmly at this. "I've been perfectly happy with you. I never saw any reason to look elsewhere. Well there was that time with Gotz…" She said, her smile turning mischievous.
The doctor's face turned red. "Gotz? I…" He stammered.
"Sweetie, I was just kidding! Me and Gotz! Really! How could you take me seriously?" Elli laughed.
"Oh…ah…of course! I'm sorry, dearest." Doc stammered.
Elli gave Doc's arm a reassuring squeeze. "You were saying?" She prompted.
"What? Oh! Yes!" The doctor said, determination once more replacing the uncertainty on his face. "I've wanted to ask you this for a while now, but I ah, I wasn't sure if you would ah…would you ah…would you be my husband, ah, no, I meant, I want to be your wife! No!" He removed a blue feather from his pocket and mopped the sweat from his forehead with it. Then he realized what he was doing and waved the feather around to dry it off, sheepishly offering it to Elli afterwards. "Will…will you marry me?"
Elli's face brightened as she took the blue feather from the doctor's hand. "Of course, I'll marry you! Oh, Doc!"
"Oh…of course…I mean you're so wonderful, why would you ever…" Doc stammered, beginning to turn away. Quite suddenly, however, it sunk in. "Yes? Yes!" And he actually lifted Elli, kissed her, and spun her around, before dropping her. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be so forw…oh! Let me help you up!"
Elli was positively floating as she came up the path from the woods. She turned left and headed towards Saibara's. As she glanced towards Elpitha's house, she saw Elpitha sitting on her front steps, staring at the floor and lost in thought. Elli went over to tell her the good news.
"Guess what! I'm engaged!" She cried happily, taking a seat next to Elpitha.
Elpitha looked up with a smirk. "Oh? Someone finally called the rent-a-nurse hotline?"
Elli laughed and gave Elpitha a playful pinch. "No, you silly girl. Doc just asked me!"
Elpitha smirked even more. "Oh! Doc asked you, did he? You mean you don't call him doctor?"
"He prefers it if I call him Doc. I guess he's not very fond of his name." Elli replied with a laugh.
"Well, congratulations. I'm sure you'll be just as psychotic married as you are single. Probably even more so!" Elpitha said.
"Thanks…I think!" Elli laughed. "What's the matter, sweetie? You look sad."
"Nah, it's nothing." Elpitha replied.
"Aw, come on. I know that look. Did you have a fight with Kai?" Elli asked.
"Something like that." Elpitha sighed.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" Elli asked.
"Is there any chance of you going away until I do?" Elpitha asked in reply.
"None whatsoever." Elli replied with a smile.
"Fine, then." Elpitha said. She recounted the events of the day for Elli, finishing with her chasing Kai away about an hour ago. Finally she leaned back against the steps and stared up at the sky.
Elli tried to catch Elpitha's eye. "Kai's much more experienced than you are, honey." She said gently. "Do me a favor and be careful, OK? Don't let him pressure you into doing anything you're not ready to do."
Elpitha scowled at Elli. "What are you talking about? I can take care of myself!"
Elli laughed. "OK, honey. Just be careful, that's all I'm saying."
"I'm always careful!" Elli cried.
Elli raised her eyebrows and gave Elpitha a look.
"Oh, shut up!" Elpitha mumbled, looking away.
Elli laughed once more, and stood up. She reached for Elpitha's hand and dragged her to her feet as well. "Come on. I want to celebrate and you need a drink. Let's go!
Two young travelers from out of town sat at a table at the inn. One of the young men rose and went to the bar to get another drink. As he waited for Doug to find his way back to the bar, he saw Ann bringing a tray of drinks to a nearby table. He smiled at her and she returned the smile. Just as he was about to go over and introduce himself, however, the young man felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey young man! I see you've met my daughter! She's sweet isn't she?" Doug cried, slapping the young man's back and nearly sending him over the counter in the process. "You should go and say hi. Well, you're from out of town right? Would you be willing to visit here? Do you live far away?" He continued, shaking the man's hand rather roughly. "Say…if you are from out of town, are you just looking to mess around? Not here, mister! This town doesn't stand for that sort of thing, so if you're here for that, then you better watch out!" Doug growled, literally lifting the young man up by the back of his shirt, before dropping him once more. "Well? What are you staring at? GO SAY HI!" And Doug sent the young man flying towards his daughter.
The man looked once at Ann, once at Doug, and then ran to his table. He hastily threw some money on the table and dragged his friend to his feet. "Hey, wait a minute! I haven't finished my drink! Did you check the waitress? She's pretty cute!" The man's friend said.
"Forget her, let's get out of here! These people are crazy!" The young man cried, and he dragged his friend out the door.
A few moments later, Elli lead Elpitha through the door and to a table. Doug greeted them.
"Hi girls! Elli, I hear congratulations are in order! Good luck! Elpitha, I hear you and Kai finally made up! Glad to hear it!" Doug cried, pulling out two chairs for them.
"How did you…" Elli began. Then she noticed Manna winking at them from another table. "Oh, never mind." She sighed.
"News gets around fast with Manna around!" Doug laughed. "I wish my Ann had a guy. I'm worried she'll never catch a man! Whenever I try to introduce a man to her, he just runs away. There must be something wrong with her. Too much of a tomboy, I suppose." He sighed.
Karen stood at the bar. She was a decent height and slender. Her green eyes were highlighted by her medium brown, shoulder length hair, and the playful smile on her face highlighted everything else. In one hand she held a drink while the other rested on the bar. A group of visiting young men was congregated around her, making conversation While Rick sat on the other end of the bar glowering at her. When she saw Elli and Elpitha sitting at a nearby table, she excused herself and went over. She rested her hand on Elpitha's back and greeted them both. Secretly, Elpitha wondered if Karen would fall over if she didn't balance herself by resting one hand on something while she had a drink in the other.
"Congrats, Elli! Taking the plunge, eh? I'm happy for you, hon." Karen said.
"Thanks, Karen!" Elli replied. "That's quite a fan club you've got there!"
Karen waved her hand dismissively at the throng of men that she had left at the bar. "Oh, them? Please! I have no interest in that crowd. Besides, I have my Rick, after all!" She said with a wink.
As if summoned by the sound of his name, Rick stomped over. "Karen! Who are those guys?" He whined. "They were all over you! You're supposed to be here with me! What are you doing with those guys?"
Karen smiled at Rick. "Of course I'm here with you, sweetheart! Those guys just followed me to the bar. I didn't want to be rude, that's all!"
"Rude! I don't know what your definition of being polite is, but what you're doing is purely…" Rick went on, apparently ready to go into an entire tirade.
Karen calmly walked over, however, and put her finger on his lips. "Baby, I told you I was here with you and only you." She said. Ninety percent seduction, ten percent poutiness, and a touch of attitude. It was Karen's most lethal combination, and Rick just about melted in her hands. "I don't care about those guys. See? I've left them alone and am here with the girls now." She continued, and then she leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.
Rick seemed stunned. "I'll be at the..at the bar." He stammered. "Finish your conversation and then we'll go, OK?"
"Sounds good, babe." Karen replied. When Rick had left, she turned to Elli and Elpitha once more. By this time, Mary had arrived and found her way over to them.
"Hi, Karen. Hi, Elli." She said shyly, taking a seat next to Elpitha.
"Hi, Mary." They all replied.
Karen gave Mary a sideways glance. "Mary, you know, you should really tell Gray to be more discreet. He dropped his cap in front of my yard last night after he had climbed back out of your bedroom window."
Mary blushed crimson.
Elli laughed out loud. "And just what were you doing last night, young lady?" She asked.
"N-nothing! I was just s-showing Gray the rest of my n-novel!" Mary cried.
As the ladies burst into a fit of laughter, Rick sat at his end of the bar glowering at the gaggle of men who were still staring at Karen. Finally, he had had enough and stomped over to Karen once more. "Karen, dear, perhaps we should go? It's getting late." He said sweetly, taking Karen's hand, and throwing a final dirty look at the group of men.
Ann came over with drinks for the girls moments after Karen and Rick left. She watched them leave the bar and shook her head. "It's amazing isn't it? Karen has such a way with men. I wish I could be as confident as her and get men to fall at my feet the way she does!" She sighed.
"Yes, I know!" Mary said. "I'm surprised she's going out with Rick, though! He's such a whiny weasel at times. How can she stand him?"
Elli smiled. "Well, there's no accounting for where your heart leads you, sometimes, sweetie. Besides, they seem happy, even if Rick does have his moments of jealousy."
"Yeah, that and she has him by his…" Elpitha said, gesturing to show exactly what Karen had him by.
Mary quickly covered her mouth and blushed. Elli's eyes widened and she gave Elpitha a playful pinch. Ann put down her tray and closed her eyes. Within seconds the table had burst into a peal of laughter that made the whole bar vibrate.
The night is a beauty. There is something strange and mysterious about it that makes a person marvel. A certain serenity seems to take hold of the world. The night is incredible. She commands the world to sleep with her silence. She is a temptress, withholding her beauty from mere mortals by lulling them to sleep before she can fully emerge. Most are denied the chance to witness the world under her influence. She has a way of putting her victims in a trance. Those who are lucky enough to be out to witness her splendor in its full glory are too far under her spell. Their eyelids are drooping. They are not aware of her presence. The night is merciful. It is out of kindness that she stays hidden. If anyone truly witnessed how beautiful the world is when it is bathed in nothing but the light of the moon and distant stars, they would never sleep, and humans cannot go without sleep.
Elpitha was one of the lucky few that had unmasked the night for what she was. She walked slowly home, breathing in the night air and staring up at the stars. She understood why the crickets sang. They sang for her…in honor of her beauty. Elpitha would have been perfectly contented to stay out there forever. However, she was nearing her house. Already, night's spell had begun to work its magic. The temptress was at work. "Sleep!" She commanded, and Elpitha knew that ultimately she would have to obey.
Elpitha had rounded the corner and passed Saibara's forge. A figure emerged, as if out of thin air, and stumbled towards her on the path. It seemed to skulk along, trying to stay hidden. Elpitha squinted to get a better look at the figure. It had come from the direction of the town square, or perhaps even the beach. As the figure neared her, Elpitha saw that it was definitely a woman's form that approached. Why was she trying to stay hidden? Why did she keep looking back as if she was being followed, and was she hurt? Was she holding her side? The woman did not notice Elpitha until she nearly ran into her. Then she jumped back with a gasp.
"I'm sorry to frighten you. Are you alright?" Elpitha asked, trying to get a better look at the woman.
"I…I'm fine. I was just on my way home. Excuse me." The woman mumbled, and began to walk past Elpitha. The street lamp illuminated the woman at last as she stumbled into its light.
"Karen?" Elpitha gasped. Her face was red as if she had been recently slapped, and she appeared to have injured her ribs somehow. "Are you alright? What happened?" She asked, placing a hand on Karen's shoulder and attempting to assist her.
Karen pulled away. "Nothing, I said I was fine." She said shortly. "I just fell and hurt myself."
"It doesn't look that way to me. Did someone attack you? Where's Rick?" Elpitha asked.
"Rick is at home. I don't want to disturb him though!" Karen exclaimed suddenly.
"OK, but you should really get some help for those injuries. Come on. I'll help you to the clinic." Elpitha said.
"No, I'm OK. I'm just gonna go home. Night, Elpitha." Karen said, and began stumbling up the path once more.
Elpitha sighed and continued on her way home. As she was about to turn into her front yard, however, she noticed Rick sitting on his front steps. She walked over and said hello.
"Just got home?" Rick asked.
"Yeah. I saw Karen on the way. She looked like she had been hurt. Was she OK when she left you?" Elpitha asked.
Rick's face darkened. "She looked hurt?" He asked. "I told her to be careful on the way home."
"You think she was attacked? Maybe it was those strangers from the inn?" Elpitha asked. "Maybe we should tell Harris."
"No." Rick said, anger flashing in his eyes. "Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
Until next time…