Chapter 3
The date: December 30th. The time: 2:02 a.m.
Marisa placed a steady palm over Rejal's mouth to keep her from giggling. "This was your plan, remember? Stifle yourself or we'll be caught!"
Rejal nodded solemnly. "I was just chuckling at the thought of how long those two must have been up."
The drow grinned, "Ja. There were still noises at midnight, I recall. Anyhow, let's get this done with. Honestly, Rejallerz, what has Scean done to you?"
"Aside from training me in the ways of jokers. . .I am as I always was," Rejal whispered, opening the door to the Inez de la Cruz bedroom.
"Good, they didn't lock it tonight," Marisa mouthed.
"They'll learn to lock it after today, though," Rejal retorted in a whisper.
Walking silently across the floor the two girls made their way to the bedside. Once there Rejal stealthily took cream, some other essentials, and markers out of her sack. "Is Cita a heavy sleeper?" she mouthed.
Marisa, having a drow's keen eyesight, shrugged. "I do not know," she mouthed back.
Rejalyn did not posses the nightsight Marisa had, but upon hearing the soft movement of Marisa's shoulders, she knew Marisa did not truthfully know.
They continued with their scheme and left the room, leaving the door open just a smidge.
At approximately 4:30 someone set four cats loose in the household.
At approximately 4:30:02 the cats picked up the scent of cream, tuna, and catnip. Following the heavenly scents they soon found the room that contained the goodies.
Jesova, the eldest male cat, waited patiently for his mate, Frisla, to catch up to him before he pushed the door open wide enough for all his family to get through.
Then they attacked.
Carmen awoke to the rough texture of a cat's tongue on her lips. She screamed, sitting bolt upright; the cat flew to the ceiling.
She felt her nightdress, drenched in molasses or syrup and caked with cat fur. She pushed Miguel, who was still asleep, off the bed. "Wake up!"
Her husband had been having a dream of his wife massaging his stomach muscles. (Which really, was a cat kneading his gut.)
He fell to the floor with a loud bang, atop the cat, which immediately hissed, jumped, and lashed out with its lethal claws.
Carmen got up. "Are you alright?"
"Aside from being woken up, and scratched, I'm fine," he muttered. "Light a candle, will you?"
"Our bed is covered in syrup, or atleast we are." Carmen huffed, ignoring his plea. "There's something in my hair, too."
"And why were there cats?" Miguel pondered. "We didn't have any cats yesterday. . ."
"Rejal. . ." Carmen growled.
"Why is it that I'm the first to come to your mind? It hurts me so, o Carmen!" The doorway opened and there stood the figure of Rejalyn, with a pouting expression.
Carmen stood up, her back to Miguel, facing the Greek. "You had an accomplice?" she purred. "Marisa, no doubt."
"I said naught a word of whom; remember," Rejal said.
"Of course. So, who's plan?"
"I planned it, dear Cita. It was originally Scean's prank, of course, only I modified it to make to more. . .me." She chortled.
"So, it was you! You will pay, Rejalyn Athenlar!"
"Damn. . .I always slip up, don't I?" Rejal asked before fleeing down the hallway into her room and locking the lock before Carmen could reach the knob.
The Spandiardess pounded on the door before turning back to her room to take a shower. Miguel was back in bed, too tired to complain about the syrup.
Turning the water on, Carmencita began to collect all the soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and other body cleansing oils she thought she would need. There was no telling what else Rejal and Marisa had done.
Quickly she stripped off the temporarily damaged garments and stepped in the shower. The water was pleasant, but after being woken from a peaceful slumber to a cat licking her cherry-red lips she felt a shiver go up her spine and turned the water hotter.
* * *
5:45 a.m.
Rejal came down the stairs following Marisa and Drizzt. Marisa looked back and grinned. "You realize we are so dead, right?"
"Yeah. Too bad Scean never taught me how to escape without getting caught. I guess that takes quite some time to learn, though."
Drizzt's lavender eyes flashed from Marisa to Rejal, keen ears listening to their conversation. "I take it Carmen is going to come down the stairs wielding a sword after you two any moment now. I think I'll leave you here so I'm not in her way."
Marisa returned the grin Drizzt gave her.
Throwing her hands up in the air, Rejal mocked a sigh of resignation. "Oh sure, protect Marisa," she said, earning a laugh from behind.
Marisa and Rejal recognized the chuckle immediately and darteddown the rest of the stairs. The drow sprinted around the furniture while Rejalyn mimicked a hurdler and leapt over everything in her path.
Carmen kept walking slowly, calmly even. She smiled and merely nodded to Drizzt, who raised an eyebrow in uncertainty. When she saw Marisa and Rejal had flew from the room she whispered, "Get into the fridge and pull out two pies."
Drizzt Do'Urden eyed her. "You know, if you get them back they'll only get you again."
The spandiardess considered this.
Miguel came into the room then, frowning. "Cita dear, did you by chance not look into the mirror when you took your shower?"
Carmen shook her head. "Of course not, mirror gazing for long times is a symptom of vanity. Would you prefer me to be a vain crone? I thought not. Why do you ask?"
"See these gray blotches on my face?"
Carmen eyed her husband, "Yes..."
"Well, that's just a remainder of twenty minutes good scrubbing. You, my dear, have full black text about your face. Did not anyone tell you?"
Carmen whirled upon Drizzt. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I...thought you were trying to make a statement..." Drizzt inched away, placing the pies down on the table. Now Carmen's smile returned.
"Oh...but I want to get revenge now. And if they try to get back at me...I'll be ready."
* * *
"BlondeEagle to RedHotz; RedHotz, this is BlondeEagle; please answer; do you read me? Over."
Carmen pushed the talk button on her walky talky. "RedHotz? Honestly Miguel.. Where are they?"
"Kcckkckckc.... You have to say 'over!' Over."
"I'll 'over' you when I... Fine. Where are they? Over."
"Kkkcckc..."
"Is there that much static coming from this house?" Carmen asked.
"What? Oh no, I just do that for unique effect."
"Oy vey. Now come on..where are they?"
"By 'they' you mean NightStealth and TallWrath? They've retreated position into the basement. Over."
Carmen grinned. "Let's do this."
The date: December 30th. The time: 2:02 a.m.
Marisa placed a steady palm over Rejal's mouth to keep her from giggling. "This was your plan, remember? Stifle yourself or we'll be caught!"
Rejal nodded solemnly. "I was just chuckling at the thought of how long those two must have been up."
The drow grinned, "Ja. There were still noises at midnight, I recall. Anyhow, let's get this done with. Honestly, Rejallerz, what has Scean done to you?"
"Aside from training me in the ways of jokers. . .I am as I always was," Rejal whispered, opening the door to the Inez de la Cruz bedroom.
"Good, they didn't lock it tonight," Marisa mouthed.
"They'll learn to lock it after today, though," Rejal retorted in a whisper.
Walking silently across the floor the two girls made their way to the bedside. Once there Rejal stealthily took cream, some other essentials, and markers out of her sack. "Is Cita a heavy sleeper?" she mouthed.
Marisa, having a drow's keen eyesight, shrugged. "I do not know," she mouthed back.
Rejalyn did not posses the nightsight Marisa had, but upon hearing the soft movement of Marisa's shoulders, she knew Marisa did not truthfully know.
They continued with their scheme and left the room, leaving the door open just a smidge.
At approximately 4:30 someone set four cats loose in the household.
At approximately 4:30:02 the cats picked up the scent of cream, tuna, and catnip. Following the heavenly scents they soon found the room that contained the goodies.
Jesova, the eldest male cat, waited patiently for his mate, Frisla, to catch up to him before he pushed the door open wide enough for all his family to get through.
Then they attacked.
Carmen awoke to the rough texture of a cat's tongue on her lips. She screamed, sitting bolt upright; the cat flew to the ceiling.
She felt her nightdress, drenched in molasses or syrup and caked with cat fur. She pushed Miguel, who was still asleep, off the bed. "Wake up!"
Her husband had been having a dream of his wife massaging his stomach muscles. (Which really, was a cat kneading his gut.)
He fell to the floor with a loud bang, atop the cat, which immediately hissed, jumped, and lashed out with its lethal claws.
Carmen got up. "Are you alright?"
"Aside from being woken up, and scratched, I'm fine," he muttered. "Light a candle, will you?"
"Our bed is covered in syrup, or atleast we are." Carmen huffed, ignoring his plea. "There's something in my hair, too."
"And why were there cats?" Miguel pondered. "We didn't have any cats yesterday. . ."
"Rejal. . ." Carmen growled.
"Why is it that I'm the first to come to your mind? It hurts me so, o Carmen!" The doorway opened and there stood the figure of Rejalyn, with a pouting expression.
Carmen stood up, her back to Miguel, facing the Greek. "You had an accomplice?" she purred. "Marisa, no doubt."
"I said naught a word of whom; remember," Rejal said.
"Of course. So, who's plan?"
"I planned it, dear Cita. It was originally Scean's prank, of course, only I modified it to make to more. . .me." She chortled.
"So, it was you! You will pay, Rejalyn Athenlar!"
"Damn. . .I always slip up, don't I?" Rejal asked before fleeing down the hallway into her room and locking the lock before Carmen could reach the knob.
The Spandiardess pounded on the door before turning back to her room to take a shower. Miguel was back in bed, too tired to complain about the syrup.
Turning the water on, Carmencita began to collect all the soaps, shampoos, conditioners, and other body cleansing oils she thought she would need. There was no telling what else Rejal and Marisa had done.
Quickly she stripped off the temporarily damaged garments and stepped in the shower. The water was pleasant, but after being woken from a peaceful slumber to a cat licking her cherry-red lips she felt a shiver go up her spine and turned the water hotter.
* * *
5:45 a.m.
Rejal came down the stairs following Marisa and Drizzt. Marisa looked back and grinned. "You realize we are so dead, right?"
"Yeah. Too bad Scean never taught me how to escape without getting caught. I guess that takes quite some time to learn, though."
Drizzt's lavender eyes flashed from Marisa to Rejal, keen ears listening to their conversation. "I take it Carmen is going to come down the stairs wielding a sword after you two any moment now. I think I'll leave you here so I'm not in her way."
Marisa returned the grin Drizzt gave her.
Throwing her hands up in the air, Rejal mocked a sigh of resignation. "Oh sure, protect Marisa," she said, earning a laugh from behind.
Marisa and Rejal recognized the chuckle immediately and darteddown the rest of the stairs. The drow sprinted around the furniture while Rejalyn mimicked a hurdler and leapt over everything in her path.
Carmen kept walking slowly, calmly even. She smiled and merely nodded to Drizzt, who raised an eyebrow in uncertainty. When she saw Marisa and Rejal had flew from the room she whispered, "Get into the fridge and pull out two pies."
Drizzt Do'Urden eyed her. "You know, if you get them back they'll only get you again."
The spandiardess considered this.
Miguel came into the room then, frowning. "Cita dear, did you by chance not look into the mirror when you took your shower?"
Carmen shook her head. "Of course not, mirror gazing for long times is a symptom of vanity. Would you prefer me to be a vain crone? I thought not. Why do you ask?"
"See these gray blotches on my face?"
Carmen eyed her husband, "Yes..."
"Well, that's just a remainder of twenty minutes good scrubbing. You, my dear, have full black text about your face. Did not anyone tell you?"
Carmen whirled upon Drizzt. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I...thought you were trying to make a statement..." Drizzt inched away, placing the pies down on the table. Now Carmen's smile returned.
"Oh...but I want to get revenge now. And if they try to get back at me...I'll be ready."
* * *
"BlondeEagle to RedHotz; RedHotz, this is BlondeEagle; please answer; do you read me? Over."
Carmen pushed the talk button on her walky talky. "RedHotz? Honestly Miguel.. Where are they?"
"Kcckkckckc.... You have to say 'over!' Over."
"I'll 'over' you when I... Fine. Where are they? Over."
"Kkkcckc..."
"Is there that much static coming from this house?" Carmen asked.
"What? Oh no, I just do that for unique effect."
"Oy vey. Now come on..where are they?"
"By 'they' you mean NightStealth and TallWrath? They've retreated position into the basement. Over."
Carmen grinned. "Let's do this."
