Ch 67
Joan took Bob home after their school day, then went to see the sheriff. Going to his office, she saw his car was there, she she parked and went in.
The sheriff looked up from his desk when she came in. Sitting in a corner by him, the demon perked up and waved to her. Joan waved back and said, "Sheriff, I just came by to say, I'm not going to tell anyone about ... her." she said pointing to the demon. "I know people have secrets here that need to be kept."
"I really appreciate that," he replied with a nod. "Is all of your family capable of seeing her?"
Joan shrugged. "Most, I imagine. We're all cyborgs. We all can see things normal human's can't see. If anyone else sees her, I'll tell them it's very important no one say anything."
"What kind of monster is a cyborg?" the demon asked.
"Huh? We're not monsters," Joan told her. "We're just different."
"You're not human, so you must be a monster," the demon countered.
Joan frowned at her. "That's stupid! Monsters do bad things! We don't do bad things, neither does Peggy, she's not human, neither does Mr. Nader, he's not human either, he's a good teacher!I have friends around the lake that aren't human, and they are good people. I know many who aren't human, and none of them are monsters!"
"But I am."
"Only if you want to be," Joan countered. "Just because you aren't human, doesn't mean you can't be a decent person if you want to be. Yes, no one can help what they are, it's your attitude and the things you do that make you a monster."
The Sheriff smiled.
The demon stood up and eyed her. "I am what I am."
Joan waved an arm at her. "Do you like being invisible to most? Do you like having to sit here, doing nothing all the time? Do you like not having anyone to talk to?"
"That is what my master requires."
"No kidding if you like causing trouble," Joan told her. "I'd keep a constant watch on you too! You have brought your situation on yourself. The Sheriff is a good guy, he does the best he can for everyone. Maybe you should pay attention to him and try to change."
"I spend ten years trying," the sheriff said in a dull tone. "She doesn't want to listen."
Looking at the demon, Joan said, "Then you are a fool."
"I am what I was made to be," the demon stated.
"That's a bullshit excuse," Joan replied. "Both my mothers were built and programmed to kill humans. Do you see them running around town killing people? NO, they have learned, they grew up and became much more than what they were made to be. It took them time, yes, it took them learning how, but they are good people now, I'm proud of both my mothers. If they did it, so can you if you want to."
"Really smarty pants? HOW?" the demon asked wearing a sneer.
"First of all, stop with the snide comments at someone who's trying to help you!" Joan barked. "I don't have to try and help you. You can sit in that corner for all eternity and it won't bother me one bit. Why don't you try with being nice to the sheriff here? Do things for him without having him need to ask you. Start simple. Keep the officer here clean, make his coffee for him."
"I can only do what I am ordered to do." the demon stated.
"Fine then," Joan said. To the Sheriff, she said, "Order her to be decent, helpful and kind!"
The demon cast a horrified look at the sheriff as he laughed. "That is an excellent idea!" he said with a wide grin.
"Connor, no," the demon whispered.
Thinking the demon was talking to her, Joan said, "I think he should. Maybe you need a real name too, it might help you realize you're more than just a thing."
The Sheriff got a broad smile on his face as he looked at the demon. "You really fear that, don't you? Being decent helpful and kind."
"That is not what I am," she replied.
"It will be, if that is what I order you to do," he told her.
The demon shifted in place. "I ... can I try ... to do it on my own?" she forced out meekly.
The sheriff rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. You do not have a very good track record of being any of those things."
The demon swallowed visibly. "I will try."
The sheriff laughed again. To Joan he said, "Miss Connor, I do thank you for keeping quiet about her, and for the wonderful suggestion. That is the first thing that has ever rattled her. If she wants to try being helpful ... she could open the door for you."
The demon disappeared. Joan turned to see the demon holding the door open, wearing tortured face. She giggled. "Does it really hurt that much to do something nice?"
The demon only glowered at her.
"I have to go, I'll see you later." Joan said. Going through the doorway, she half expected for the demon to slam it on her. It didn't. "Thank you!' she called back. The door shut behind her normally. She heard the sheriff chuckling.
Joan drove home with a smile on her face. That demon wasn't happy, but maybe this was a new beginning for her so she could have some sort of a life.
.
Bob looked at his video guide. Like pictures showed scene then either told a story, or showed something eye caching, videos were suppose to tell a story. To show something interesting. The first thing he thought about was the Connor kids feeding their alligator. That would tell a story. He told his Mom he was going across the lake, then got in his row boat and rowed on over. Tying up to the pontoon boat he crossed over onto the dock and saw the alligator laying in the yard. It watched him go by but didn't move.
He was just in time. Peggy and Louise came out of the house with a bag. "Can I video you feeding the alligator for school project?" he asked.
"Sure," Louise said.
"If you want." Peggy told him.
"Thanks guys," he said and turned the video camera on and followed them, keeping them and the alligator in the shot. Seeing them, the alligator lifted up on it's feet.
"Finally hungry?" Peggy asked as she and Louise kept walking towards the dock. The alligator followed them.
Bob got them walking down to the dock with the alligator following behind them. They got onto the dock and stopped. The alligator went past them an off the end of the dock. Coming up to the surface, it swam around to the side. Other small alligators also appeared to swim over to it. Peggy and Louise fed them all, first giving the big alligator a couple chunks of meat, then squatted down and tossed small pieces to the little ones. The alligator stay in place until the food was all passed out. He backed up as Peggy and Louise got up, to keep them in the shot. They smiled and waved to him. He also noticed the alligator came back up on land. Splitting apart, the alligator following the fence, the girls walking straight back to the house, he focused on the alligator.
It got to a section of fence and put a claw up on it. Bob watched it climbed the fence, tip over and climb down on the inside. It went back to about where it was laying before and settled back down.
This was gold! Bob went in to show Joan. She had to see this!
.
Joan was in the kitchen with Cameron and Allison. Bob came in. "Joan, I just got a great video!" He announced. Joan, Allison and Cameron watched it.
"It's just Peggy and Louise feeding the gator." Allison said.
"But it tells the story of how it's fed," Bob said. "That's the whole point of videos."
"I see she still insists on laying in the yard," Cameron noted.
"She doesn't bother anyone," Joan said.
"She becomes any more domesticated, we may as well give her a bedroom," Cameron noted dryly.
"And a doggie door," Allison said with a giggle.
Joan let out a laugh and said, "I don't think she can sit at the table for dinner though."
"Her arms are too short to feed herself," Allison added with a grin.
"No alligators in the house," Cameron stated firmly.
Joan looked outside. "Darn, Bob, the sun's going down, want me to drive you home so you don't risk being on the lake at night?"
"I suppose I can get the boat back home tomorrow," Bob said in a musing tone as he gazed at Joan.
"Good, let's go!" Joan beamed.
"Do not forget to be home before dinner," Cameron warned.
Allison added, "Yeah, no making out while you're driving. At least stop first."
"I do," Joan said defensively. She hooked her arm in Bob's and towed him out.
Cameron watched them go, then asked Allison, "You really think John can't tell the difference between us?"
"I do. One day, he thought I was you. We are the same height now, and we do look the same."
Cameron grew a grin. "Let's test that."
.
John came in from outside. He'd been working in the garage and sat down on the living room couch for a moment and closed his eyes. He felt someone sit beside him a leg dropped over his. He opened his eyes to see Cameron. "Hey sweetie," he said.
"Got a question for you," she asked with a grin. "Which one of us is Cameron?"
He turned when who thought was Allison settled down on his other side and put a leg over his other leg. "Well?" she asked.
The two looked identical. He'd noted their shirts they were wearing before. He also noted that the one with Cameron's shirt also had Allison's pants on, and Allison's shirt was on the one with Cameron's pants. They had switched either shirts or pants and wanted him to figure out who was who. "This is a trick, isn't it?" he asked.
"No trick, who's your wife, and who's the still underage girl for another week."
John laughed. "OK, if I must, I must." He put a hand on the back of the one to his left and pulled her into a deep kiss. She moaned and got into it. He the did the same with the one on his right, pulling her head to him and kissing her deeply. Again, she moaned and got into it.
John broke the kiss and asked, "So sweetie, what are we having for dinner?"
Cameron smiled at him. "You can tell the difference."
"I can."
Cameron pouted slightly. "But you kissed Allison first."
"You told me to figure out who was who. That's how I did it."
"How did you tell by kissing us?" Allison asked. "Wait, you know how Cameron kisses, right?"
John just smiled at her. He didn't tell her he knew by feeling the backs of their heads. Allison didn't have a repair plate. Thought her skull was slowly smoothing out, he could feel the ridge on the back of Cameron's head.
.
As soon as Delilah got home she gave Jackie her letter from Daniel. Jackie happily took it and found a place to sit to read it.
HI Jackie,
Your Mom gave me your letter. I was really good to hear from you! I let my teacher Miss Evans read it, She wasn't very impressed. I don't think any of the women of any age here do a whole lot if they aren't servants. I also don't think they like any women who do. Your Mom told the story of Joan saving Willy from the alligator. I got yelled at for thinking it was funny. Everyone just stared at your mother like that was the most horrible thing they ever heard. I mean everyone was OK after, so what's the problem. Same as your Mom came and kicked the men out who wanted to fleece Mom, I think that means steal from her, and she coaxed Mom into having a big dinner party with everyone. She was bright and cheerful and everyone did enjoy the videos of the music she played. Still I heard Miss Evans whisper to someone that she thought You and your Mom were barbarians. Me, I think they're jealous of your whole family. You do and make things happen, they wait for things to happen.
I'm doing good in my schoolwork. For extra credit I watched a documentary on this anthropologist that claims we didn't come from apes called, 'Everything you know is wrong'. It was really good. He just didn't show a skull or two, he showed DNA evidence, explained that the 'progressive chain' of evolution didn't add up, and why it didn't add up. Did you know we only have 23 chromosomes and every ape has 24? He pointed out other big differences also. He showed Neanderthal man was an ape by evolutionary progression. A smart ape, but not genetically related to us. Not one ape can speak, so how did we suddenly appear and be able to? Our bones, as far back as we can find skeletons, ours are thinner. All apes have longer arms and much thicker bones. Not one is anything like us.
After seeing this, I did some research and found out a few interesting things. Did you know getting cut by coral is very dangerous? The reason why is coral can grow inside our blood vessels. That's because our blood has the same PH and salinity as seawater. Another odd fact. Some apes can swim, but only humans enjoy swimming. Watching that doc, the man giving it proved through DNA analysis, the human race began about 230 thousand years ago. Not enough time to evolve into much more than having minor differences between us like facial shapes, skin and hair color, things like that. Which we have. The human race also began in southern Africa. That is known. Sea Mammals have a similar thinner bone structure like we do. You know what I think? I think we came from the sea. Some now-extinct mammal, that came out of the sea to live more and more on land, became us.
That would explain many things like our bones, the chromosome difference, and why we can speak and no apes can. Whatever this mammal was then came out of the sea was able to make sounds like whales maybe. It was able to vocalize, and that evolved into our ability to speak. Do you think I'm making sense? Does it make sense to you?
Anyway, I find this topic very interesting. I'm trying to find out all I can about it.
If we can find a way, I would love to see you again.
Your friend, Daniel
Jackie was happy about the letter. Not only was Daniel doing good. Not only that, she was sure he hit the nail on the head as far as human evolution went. He didn't see any Mers when he was here, but he did theorize about them. She was so tempted to call him and tell him he was right. She knew however they couldn't tell anyone about the mers, because that would endanger the mers when others came searching for them.
Some things were frustrating!
.
Halloween was coming and Joan had her idea for her costume. Bob was going to be a Yeti. He wanted her to be Elvira. Thankfully, she coaxed him into being a vampire, and a cool looking one. Joan got cloth sticks and bought a set of fake fangs she modified to fit over her teeth so they looked more real. This was her senior year, so she had to make this costume awesome. For days, she sewed, measured and worked at making her costume function right.
Joan was going to be a succubus. She almost went to see the sheriff to ask if she could see what colors his was, skin, eyes, wings, but decided that wasn't a good idea. She was better off guessing. So using light grey tights and a top with a black form fitting negligee over it that had lift cups in the bra, she got a sexy look. She used fur to line the top inner edges of the wings she made, and with the string and pulley system she put in them, she could extend or retrace her wings. Long fake black fingernails, light gray body paint to match the tights and top to cover her face, neck, wrists and hands. Purple eye shadow bright red lipstick a curly black wig, and coloring her eyebrows black, she got the look she was after.
The only thing was, she had to get up at 4AM Friday to get her costume on and get ready to go to school. When she was set, she studied herself in her full length mirror. She tried her wing operating system. A bike brake cable was under her suit that ran from her left hand up the underside of her arm to the back side of her shoulder to her mid-back where it attached to the string (painted black where it was exposed) running from wing joint to wing joint. String relaxed, a light spring held her wings folded. When she pulled on the brake cable, the string was tightened and her wings unfolded to spread. Yes, it worked awesome!
She just had to be careful when she sat not to break the sticks that shaped her wings.
Going down for breakfast, she met JJ and Peggy in the hallway. They had a 'Beauty and the beast' costume set on. Peggy was very pretty in her flowing green gown, and JJ had his furry beast suit. they both stopped and stared at her. Joan hissed to show her fangs and putted the cable to make her wings spread out. Peggy back stepped, wide eyed.
Joan laughed. "What do you think?" she asked.
"You can't go to school like that!" JJ said in a gasp. "You're nearly naked!"
"Am not," Joan replied and let her wings retract. "I got a full body suit on, and painted my skin that shows the same color."
JJ looked closer. "OK, yeah you do. That skimpy night gown made me think that was all you were wearing."
"That's the idea," Joan sang.
Going down, Jackie the little green Troll loved Joan's costume. Louise looked at her and blushed, then asked, "Joan?" Both Dad and both Moms at first told her to go get dressed. Once they got a good look at her, they saw she was wearing a tight fitting body suit. Although well done, they thought the costume was a bit too sexy for school. Joan cringed at the though of not being able to wear it. Thankfully, they let her go ahead and try.
On the bus, Joan had to sit straight up, back away from the seat to protect her wings. Alison got on, wearing a very adorable angel outfit complete with halo and shirt, white feathered wings and a white gown. She had to look twice to recognize Joan.
"You're wearing just a ... oh," Allison said and sat down beside her. "I'm sure Bob will love that costume."
"Let's play good and bad conscience with Bob," Joan said with a grin.
Allison giggled. "OK, get by the window, we'll sit him between us."
When Bob got on, he wore a royal looking suit with a large medallion on his chest. He would have looked handsome, except for the dark makeup around his eyes and the bit of blood painted i the corner of his lip down to his chin. Allison got up when he came back.
In his best Bella Lugosi voice he said, "Greetings, Allison, your neck ... I mean, you look lovely today."
He looked at Joan, then looked closer. "Joan?"
She giggled. "Yes, I'm your bad conscience today. I want you to do bad things. I know, ravish me in class!"
He sat down by her. She giggled and twitched her wings. Allison sat on the outside and told him. "Oh no Bob, she's a devil tempting you, Don't do it, be a good boy. Ravish an angel instead!"
They all laughed.
Getting to school they found all kinds of creatures and things heading into school slowly, appraising each other's costumes. Joan, Bob and Alison got off the bus side by side as they had sat. Ahead of them, a boy looked at Jackie, her greed painted shin, and the digital code on her shirt. What are you?" he asked.
"I'm an internet troll!" Jackie beamed.
Eyes turned to Joan, Bob and Allison. Mostly Joan.
"Wow, who's THAT!" another senior asked, gazing at her.
Joan tapped Bob on the shoulder with a long black fingernail. "I'm his bad conscience. I get him to suck people's blood an ravish all the girls!"
A junior girl dressed as Poison Ivy spread her arms out and cried, "Take me!"
"No, she's poison, can't you see that," Allison said holding his other shoulder.
Joan swung her hips and tilted head side to side and sang, "Miss goodie two-shows, Miss goodie two-shoes! Go on Mr. Vampire, suck her dry!"
"No! How would you like it if someone sucked you dry?" Allison asked. Seeing Bob turn to her and grin, she added, "Maybe I should have rephrased that."
That earned her some laughter.
They had a good time going in, though Bob was getting a little irritated at the boys ogling Joan.
There were no studies today, it was the Halloween party and costume contest in the drink and food tables were along one wall. Tables were brought in with folding chairs and a big skeleton hung over a small stage with a Karaoke machine and a mike. As they gathered and talked, Joan noted no one went near the stage. The teachers had said the machine would be there, and be able to take thumb drives for music.
Joan decided to try it. If no one else wanted to sing, maybe they would after she got it started. She hooked Bob's arm. "Come over here with me."
It didn't take long for him to figure out where they were going. "You want me to sing again?" he asked.
"Later maybe. I want to do something first." she told him.
Joan parked Bob and Allison by the stage then got up and put her thumb drive in. She selected the sing she wanted then picked the mike up. Joan had her sexy dance and gestured planned. The music started, getting everyone's attention. Joan began doing a hip/ belly dance to the music, which made many come closer to watch. She then sang.
Please baby can't you see
My mind's a burnin' hell
I got razors a rippin' and tearin' and strippin'
My heart apart as well
Tonight you told me
That you ache for something new
And some other woman is lookin' like something
That might be good for you
Go on and hold her till the screaming is gone
Go on believe her when she tells you
nothing's wrong
But I'm the only one
Who'll walk across the fire for you
I'm the only one
Who'll drown in my desire for you
It's only fear that makes you run
This demon that you're hiding from
When all your promises are gone
I'm the only one
Please baby can't you see
I'm trying to explain
I've been here before and I'm locking the door
And I'm not going back again
Her eyes and arms and skin won't make it go away
You'll wake up tomorrow and wrestle the sorrow
That holds you down today
Go on and hold her till the screaming is gone
Go on believe her when she tells you
nothing's wrong
But I'm the only one
Who'll walk across the fire for you
I'm the only one
Who'll drown in my desire for you
It's only fear that makes you run
This demon that you're hiding from
When all your promises are gone
I'm the only one
With her voice and the sexy dance she was doing, the auditorium reverberated with applause and cheers. Yells of "Do another one" and "Encore, more!" came to her.
Joan nodded and play her second song. As the music started, a low toned, more somber rythem but still snappy, Joan pulled a Japanese fan out from behind her back and snapped it open. This time she did a fan dance to the music.
the three legged cat with a leash around it's neck
smiled and asked me, madam can we play
A line to gravestones ask asked if we could dance
the flowers that were were all sad and whining,
one step on them they didn't have a chance.
.
Yai yai, Lets have fun and have a party
Yai, yai, Smile and laugh and let's go play
Yai yai, all the corpses held down by gravestones
Yai Yai, dig them up and let's all dance!
Hold your victim tight and then release!
As we are dancing, corpses are missing parts
Too many gravestones clutter up the dance floor,
toss aside the ones that get in our way
.
Yai, Yai, let's all go and make some michhief
Yai Yai, Let's all go to laugh and play
Down on the street the human are walking
cover up their mouth and nose and watch their eyes go wide
Don't kill their breath, release before they die
.
Yai, Yai, let's all to the hos-pi-tal
Yai Yai, find the babies and mix them up
Yai Yai, we have fun in our party
Yai Yai, hold them tight and then release
The cat went out the door and shut is behind him
Then on the steps, he collapses and he dies
Yai Yai, nothing living last forever
Yai Yai, let's have fun before we lie with corpses
Things get smelly when they die!
Joan then cooed out long, loud creepy sounding "Ooooh" with the tone of the music that echoed around the Gym.
At the end of the music Joan folded her fan and bowed. Again she got a vigorous round of applause. Joan bowed again and put the mike down. "I need to get a drink, please come up and give it a try!"
Bob walked over to the refreshments with Joan an Allison.
"That second song, did you make that up yourself?" Bob asked.
Joan held up her hand flat and wiggled it. "Half and half. I took the tune of a similar song and made up my own lyrics. It was fun to do."
"It certainly fit with your costume," Bob told her. "Good job."
A few boys got up and did Hotel California. They got applause but not the thundering response Joan had gotten.
Mrs. Hughes came over to them. "Joan, I didn't know you can sing," she said.
"She is good," Allison agree.
After another boy tried to sing "Thriller", amusing himself more than the crowd, the costume contest was announced. Mr. Nader went up to the microphone and announced the winners. Allison got second place as the best angel. Most humorous went to Jackie, being an internet troll. For originality and best costume, she was the only demon in the room, Joan got first place. She spread her wings out and jump up high into the stage. She pretended to mess with her face, then turned to the crowd arms up, wings out and with glowing red eyes. "Yah!" she cried.
"Yeah!" many cried back in return.
She turned back around again to pretend taking something out of her eyes, then accepted her first place ribbon.
It was a fun party. Now, when she got home, she had to get all this stuff off her.
.
Cameron went to see how Dana was coming along with her research on things in the lake. Seeing her car there, Cameron pulled in and went to the door. She knocked. A moment later, Dana, wearing a lab coat came to the door.
Dana opened the door with a smile and said, "Cameron! Come on in, I've got something to show you!"
The door was in the kitchen. Cameron went in and followed Dana onto the living room. Besides a couch against the wall and a coffee table that had papers on it, there was a kid's pool half full with ramps inside and outside the pool. against the far wall was a shelf with boxes and a few bags. In the pool an alligator that was only a couple feet long lay floating in the water. When the came in, the alligator went over and climbed the ramp, eyeing Cameron.
"I have got so much to tell you, and I wasn't quite ready yet but since you're here," Dana said and sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. She patted her leg, the alligator went over and crawled up into her lap.
Dana petted the alligator on his back. "This is Peter, he's one of your alligator's hatchlings I netted him and have been studying his behavior. For an alligator, he is really smart. He can identify things. Not just large items, but smaller ones as well. He can also make and repeat actions. He's formed himself a daily routine. He knows what should be in his environment, and doesn't like anything he can't recognize. I brought in a TV to see how he reactred to it. When I turned it on, he attacked it with his tail and knocked it off the table here. Before I turned it off, he stayed between me and the TV, like he was protecting me from it."
"Yes, our alligator has done similar things also," Cameron agreed.
"It may take years to realize his capabilities, but he is truly a new species," Dana stated. "But Peter is not the bombshell I wish to show you."
Dana pulled out some long papers and a normal sized one. Showing the normal sized paper, Dana said "This is our Chromosome sequence. 23 of them, and when most scientists tell you things like, we're 99% the same DNA wise as Chimps, this is what they use to compare us against apes."
Dana then took a rolled up paper and spread it out to cover half the table. On it were a solid run of lines along the bottom like a graph. "This is the Actual DNA sequence of ONE chromosome. All Scientists admit, we don't know what the whole sequence does, but every one helps determine what that animal will be. This is a list of the second Human chromosome."
She grabbed another rolled up paper and stretched it out. "This one is the second Chromosome of a Chimpanzee. You have to look close, but you can see there are differences. Many of them."
Cameron lined them up and said, "Yes, here and there, there are significant differences."
"In the last couple months, I have gotten friendly enough with some mers to get DNA samples. Hair trimmings, and a slaiva sample, so I have two sources to get DNA readings from."
Dana then rolled up the ape DNA sheet and unrolled the Mer DNA sheet. "Same thing, this is the DNA of the second Mer chromosome," she beamed.
Cameron looked, then bent close and studied the human and Mer DNA closely. "The sequence is 99.997% identical. I noted only two places where there is a difference."
"Yes, that means we are much more closely related to Mers, than we are to any other known animal!"
"So Mers are our ancestors?" Cameron asked.
"Someplace along the line, yes. I am sure there are at least two other mutations of species that connect us to them but this is proof, Homo Sapiens ancestors originated from the sea, and ONE of them are the Mers. Look at the other similarities they have with us. Sexually, they are identical," Dana said. "I got to witness a pair of Mers get frisky on my boat. The females had outer lips on their vaginas identical to ours, and unlike the ape penis bone, the male penis is expanded and swelled up by blood entering it, just like a human male. We played with a bright light also. I showed one how you can put it against your skin and see some of the inside. I did that with their fins. It's not an X-ray, buy I could see ten bones in the fins ... toe bones in us! The wrist action for their fins comes from two sets of bones the ten fin bones attach to ... their feet. The also have knees. Cameron the Mers are sea going versions of us."
"Very good work, Dana," Cameron said sincerely. Cameron had to tell John about this.
