Pranks on the Dead

(2:00 PM)

"Where are Vinsfeld and Irv?" Judecca asked Ptolema. "I'm starting to worry."

Ptolema just sipped his drink. He was surprisingly calm despite his old boss had just disappeared. Antenora and Caina's makeup problem hadn't even phased him—probably because he didn't care what they looked like.

Judecca seemingly took offense to Ptolema's manner. He slammed his hands on the table and asked, "How can you be so serene in a time like this?"

"Because they would never attack a one eyed giant," said Ptolema.

Judecca laughed. "What makes you so sure?" he asked. "They tied the others to a tree INCLUDING giant Brad and one eyed Kanon."

Ptolema threw his hands in the air. "I don't have to take this, I'm going outside." But when he tried to open the door, he found it was locked.

"What's going on here?!" they screamed in unison.

* * *

"Hey Alley," said Irv, "Good job with the Cocytus dorks."

Alley laughed. "You got 'Uncle Vinny' pretty good yourself."

Then, the twins began laughing and planning their next prank.

(2:30 PM)

Where was Vinsfeld do you ask? He was not too far away. In fact, he was literally at the end of his rope. After Irv had whacked him on the head, Vinsfeld was strung up on a rope, and hung on the new sign pole Ashley had put on their awning last month.

"Hello," he called, "Is anyone there?" But of coarse they weren't. The adults who weren't working were at the party. And children didn't give a hoot. Well, except one.

"Do you need help mister?" she asked.

Vinsfeld was tempted to say yes, but then he took a look at the girl. She was about 5 or so, and was wearing a red button down shirt, a black skirt, orchid and tan boots, and a pink bow in her black hair. Her hair was cut right to her scalp except for some shoulder length tresses in the front. Her right eye was violet color, while her left one had patch over it. But the biggest surprise was her left hand—visible out of her sleeve—was artificial and salmon colored.

"What's wrong mister?" asked the child, "If you need help getting down, I'll gladly do it for you. I just have to utilize my bionic arm and…"

Vinsfeld quickly interrupted. "No thanks. I'd rather not fall. Do you know any adults who are tall and strong enough to lift me down?"

"No," sighed the girl. "The only adult I know is mommy and she's busy. We travel a lot, so we don't have many friends. So if you change your mind, call me. My name is Annie." And with that, she walked off.

(2:45 PM)

The Valeria twins and Anastasia were playing Monopoly in one of the bedrooms. It had become an obsession of theirs to play for hours on end. Though without the others, it wasn't as fun as usual.

"Tea, cakes and Monopoly, this is the life," said Irving.

Altaecia groaned, "You mean the death dear brother. We have been dead 7 years now you know."

Anastasia laughed. "But we're sort of alive, well for the next 21 hours we are. Let's do this again next month."

"Well," said Irving, "I guess we can do it agian. Only, we'll all go skiing in Sielje, or gliding in Guild Galad."

Altaecia held her mug up to the sky. "Well then, a toast. To fun with friends."

"To fun with friends!" they all yelled. Then, they clicked their mugs together and drank their tea.

At once, they spit it out. For some reason, it tasted like a cajun flavored tea, but it was supposed to be lemon. Who could be so devilish and devious that they'd put hot pepper spice—used in several types of Irington family special bread—in lemon tea?

The answer was an easy one, of coarse. "It's gotta be Irv and Alley," said Irving. "Who else would know where Marina keeps her spices, let alone want to do this?"

(3:00 PM)

"By guys, I'm going shopping," said Antenora. She had been begging a break ever since the makeup incident. Because it was smeared in her hair as well, she had been forced to take a very long shower.

"I wish those kids would take a long walk off a short pier. By Zephyr's wings, I hope Ashley is having a horrible time at his party. Nothing can possibly be worse than looking after two high strung 6 year olds," she said.

* * *

If she'd paying attention, Antenora would've noticed Vinsfeld—still hanging from the sign—calling to her in a frantic tone. No desire to have to be cut down by Annie, and the only person who could get somebody to get him down normally was Antenora. But the prospect of shopping had made her oblivious to everything, and she just walked on by.

"Antenora for the love of Raftina, get me down," he fervently complained. "Caina, Ptolema, Judecca, Irving, Altaecia, Anastasia, Brad, Tim, Lilka, Marivel, Kanon! Help!"

(3:30 PM)

Irv and Alley were literally bouncing off the walls. Bored, they had begun bouncing off their parents' bed and onto the west wall. Their sitters were all the worse for the wear, sitting on the living room couch. Tim—who had the most energy left out of anyone—was making sure they didn't hurt themselves, while Pooka cowered in a corner. When Antenora returned, she tried to cheer them up.

"Don't worry, we'll just let them spend their energy. That'll settle 'em down," she said.

"Won't work," said Lilka. "They'll destroy the whole house bouncing like that, and still have plenty left over to work on the inn, mall, and castle."

Suddenly, the door opened and closed. In ran Annie, who looked out of breath. She made a beeline for Kanon calling, "Mommy, I'm here just like you told me."

Kanon responded by hoisting Annie on her shoulder and giving her a big hug. "Just in time too. Irv and Alley are jumping off the bed, and it's almost time for the you-know-what."

"You're a mother?!" asked a shocked Altaecia. "And what in Raftina's name are you talking about.

"Annie and I have a plan to settle them down. Just be patient, and I'll show you what I mean," said Kanon.