The Case of the Manila Envelope-Chapter 11
by HA
Watching Molly and Blake from afar, Stink let out a snarl. "This is not right," he commented, opening and closing his hands into fists. "This is not right."
"Oh, will you stop it already?" Alicia grumbled as she held her head up. "I had to have the day off today," she muttered to herself. "Why couldn't I just ask to work today?"
"Why would you want to do that?" Stink asked.
Alicia's face assumed a dreamy look, and she sighed. "There's this new waiter at the Quazar Cafe, and he is so good-looking," she gushed. "He doesn't speak much, but when he does, he has this sexy European accent..."
Stink rolled his eyes. "How typical of you."
Alicia glared at him. "What?"
"Look at you. Always going ga-ga over some cute guy." Stink smiled and batted his eyelashes. "Oh, look at me. My name is Alicia, and I like throwing myself at the feet of every cute guy I see," he said in a high-pitched voice. "I can't help but be attracted to guys with sexy accents."
Alicia snarled behind clenched teeth. "At least I don't constantly obsess over someone who'll never pay any attention to me." She paused with a frown. "Wait, that didn't come out right."
Stink couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. "Man, are we messed up or what?" he said, grinning.
"Hmph." Alicia looked at Molly. "Last time I checked, I don't stalk the guys I like."
It was Stink's turn to snarl. "Hey, for one thing, I don't stalk people."
"Right," Alicia said. "Sure you don't."
"Also," Stink continued, "at least I only have one person in mind. Meanwhile, you keep throwing yourself at every good looking boy you see."
Alicia sputtered and held her finger up. "Well, at least I'm not sticking to one person like you are."
"And what's wrong with that?" Stink said. "I've found the perfect person for me while you're still searching."
"What in your right mind makes you think Molly's the one for you?" Alicia asked. "She's constantly putting you down and absolutely doesn't want anything to do with you. In fact, why do you even keep trying?"
"I...I..." Stink searched for something to say. "I'm not sure, but I just know we're meant to be together."
"How?" Alicia stared at him unbelievingly.
"Well...um..." Stink scratched his cheek and chin. "I just have this feeling about her, that's all."
Alicia frowned. "I think you need to widen your options. In fact, you really need to date."
Stink looked at Molly and sighed. "Believe me, I wish I could."
"With other people," Alicia stressed to him.
"Like you?" Stink said, still looking at the beautiful blonde in the distance. "Tell me, Alicia. After ogling over all those guys and going out with them, have you found that special someone yet?"
"Not really," Alicia said after a moment of silence, "but then, I'm not exactly in a hurry to settle down with one guy. I'm still young, you know. However..." Again, another moment of silence. "It would be nice to find that special someone."
"Yeah, same here," Stink said.
Both of them watched as Molly laughed in response to something Blake had said. Her head was tilted back, and she was gripping the edge of the table tightly.
"Now that's something you don't see every day," Alicia said as she stared wide-eyed at the sight.
Molly allowed the rest of her laughter to leave her mouth. "I can't believe you even did that," she said, wiping away a tear.
"Looking back, I can't either," Blake said.
Molly grinned and let out a small giggle. "So, how did your mom's friends take it?"
Blake took a small sip from his water glass, and he swallowed deeply. "Oh, as best as they could after seeing a naked three-year-old running around in the living room." He scratched his chin. "I think one of them spit out her tea."
Still giggling, Molly shook her head. "Honestly, what were you thinking?"
"I'm not so sure," Blake said with a shrug. "I guess I just felt like it at the time."
"You must have," Molly said, stifling her laughter with her hand.
"Well, we all have our moments," Blake admitted, giving Molly a pointed look.
"Yes." Molly lowered her head.
The jovial mood vanished immediately. "They actually did that to you?" Blake dared to ask.
Molly propped her head on her hand. "I guess it wasn't exactly a bad thing they didn't show up then. After all, I did mess up that badly."
"I wouldn't say missing two to three notes in separate places 'badly,'" Blake said. "Besides, you still won."
"True, but..." Molly sighed. "It felt lonely out there. All the other kids had their parents congratulating them after the competition was done. Meanwhile, I had to wait for one of Daddy's employees to take me home." A bitter laugh came out of her mouth. "Not that that should bother me, of course. I don't need anybody."
"You know," Blake said, sipping his water, "there's no such thing as a self-made person."
Molly stared at him incredulously and blinked. "Come again?"
"Think about it." Blake traced the rim of his glass. "If that were true, we'd have to give birth to ourselves and gain knowledge on our own without any outside help. Heck, people who call themselves 'self-made' sometimes praise God." Before Molly could ask what the point of that nugget of observation, he said, "No one can ever truly exist alone."
Molly raised an eyebrow. "You are definitely an interesting one, Blake Hewitt."
"Why, thank you, Miss Hardy," Blake said, grinning at her.
"I do question your taste in women, however," Molly added. "Whatever do you see in Holmes?"
Blake looked to the ceiling and rubbed his chin. "Well..." He rubbed his chin harder. "For one thing, she's not like other girls. She doesn't try to conform, and she doesn't care about what other people think."
"Her fashion sense isn't exactly great, and she's not exactly drop dead gorgeous," Molly remarked.
Blake shrugged. "So? Also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, remember?"
"Perhaps," Molly said, and before she could stop herself, she allowed a thought she had tried to suppress to become speech. "Just out of curiosity, how do you know?"
"Know what?"
"That you're in love with someone."
"Oh." Blake tapped the table with his finger. "Um...well, when you see someone and start feeling funny, like your stomach getting queasy, and later you start thinking about him or her constantly, that's when you know."
"I see," Molly said with a nod. "Good thing I'm above that."
"Of course," Blake said.
"I mean, it's so pathetic," Molly continued. "Having feelings for someone you don't know and may never even talk to? It's just not logical."
"Whoever said love was logical?" Blake commented.
After a brief pause, Molly continued speaking. "Then there's when people actually get together. Now, what's there to guarantee their...love...will last?"
Blake just shrugged. "What can I say? Love is illogical." He looked over the now cleaned plates on the table. "I hope you're not above dessert."
"Something light, if you please," Molly insisted.
"But of course," Blake said, and he waved over the waiter.
"Say goodbye to your Monster and more of your Life Points!" Tomie declared as her Monster finished its attack.
"I think not," Shirley said.
"What does she mean by that?" Bo wondered out loud. "Fuzzy destroyed her Defense Monster, and now that rotted corpse's gonna hit her
directly."
In fact, the Zombie Soldier raised its rifle at Shirley and prepared to fire. It chuckled a little as drool dropped from its jaw. However, once the Werewolf Warrior returned to its space, it let out a loud howl. Everyone watched as it shook its paws and ran back and forth. With its rifle still aimed at Shirley, the Zombie Soldier looked at its fellow Monster as it jumped down while continuing to wave its paws and howl in pain.
Tomie blinked, and she nearly dropped her hand. "Nani?"
Shirley's shattered card began to reform, and a mole wearing a helmet and holding a large shield appeared. As the Werewolf Warrior howled in pain again, the mole grinned.
Mole Defender
Level: 3
Element: Earth
Type: Beast
ATK: 500
DEF: 2000
"I guess that's what she meant," Rika said. "Shirley won't be losing Life Points. Tomie will."
Bo and the others watched as Tomie's Life Points dropped to 7800. "Well, that's good," he said, "but Tomie's still has two Monsters on the
Field."
Tomie looked at the Mole Defender and its huge shield. "Clever," she said. "You seem to know a little more about Monster Battler that what
I gave you credit for."
"I did some research on the game," Shirley said. "Do you end your turn?"
Tomie glared at the Mole Defender. "Well, I can't attack your Monster due to its high Defense, so I'll just end my turn by Setting this card," she said, laying a card facedown in her Magic/Trap Zone.
Shirley watched as a spot behind Tomie's Monsters flashed brightly. Drawing a card, she quickly placed it into her hand and looked at all her cards. "First off, I'll use this card, Magical Storm of Devastation." She placed a green card in her Magic/Trap Zone, and dark clouds formed above both Magic/Trap Zones on the Field.
Magical Storm of Devastation
Normal Magic
Destroys all Magic and Trap Cards on the Field.
Lightning flew down from the sky and struck both Battlers' Magic/Trap Zones. Nothing happened to Shirley's side, but the card on Tomie's side glowed for a moment before exploding.
"Well, there goes my Bottomless Pit Trap," Tomie said without any sign of worry in her voice.
"I guess it's safe to play this Monster then," Shirley said, and she placed a card in her Monster Zone. "I'm Summoning the Elven Mage."
A blue skinned figure in white robes and matching hat appeared next to the Mole Defender. Feet filling curved shoes stuck out from the bottom of the robes. His ears were pointy and long. His solemn blue eyes focused on the two Monsters before him as he gripped his magical staff at his side.
Elven Mage
Level: 4
Element: Light
Type: Magician
ATK: 1900
DEF: 500
"Elven Mage, attack the Zombie Soldier," Shirley ordered, pointing at the armed walking corpse.
The Elven Mage pointed his staff at the target creature and fired a lightning bolt at it. The Zombie Soldier shook violently under the attack, and in mere seconds, it exploded into ashes. Its helmet and rifle fell to the ground and shattered upon impact.
Tomie's Life Points fell to 7500, yet the Gamer of the Dark refused to show any sign of distress. In fact, she merely smiled. "Not bad," she said.
"Okay, she's not worried," Bo remarked.
Sara checked the scores. "Well, there's no big difference between their Life Points. It's still anyone's game."
"Unfortunately for Shirley, Tomie still has the advantage of experience," Rika said.
Shirley studied the current situation on the Field and looked through her hand. "I'll Set this card and end my turn," she said, placing a
card facedown in her Magic/Trap Zone.
"Well then..." Tomie drew a card. "Since my current Monster can't destroy any of yours, I'll Sacrifice it for a more powerful one, the Iron
Berserker."
The Werewolf Warrior vanished and was soon replaced by a giant armored figure. Two yellow eyes shone from the inside of his horned helmet,
and his right hand gripped a large battle-axe. Letting out a loud roar, he raised his mighty weapon in the air.
Iron Berserker
Level: 6
Element: Earth
Type: Warrior
ATK: 2200
DEF: 1400
"Now, Iron Berserker, attack...!" Tomie began.
"I'm afraid your Monster won't be on the Field too long to attack," Shirley said, flipping over her facedown card.
Bo and the others watched as a hole appeared underneath the Iron Berserker. He roared loudly as gravity took over, and he descended quickly into the unknown void.
Tomie let out a little snarl. "Well, looks like you were prepared with a Trap of your own."
"I was." Shirley held up the card she had activated, a red one
picturing a monster stuck in a hole. "I believe you had the same thing prepared for me."
Bottomless Pit
Normal Trap
This card can only be activated in response to a Summon (Special Summon excluded). When an opposing Monster with an ATK equal to or greater than 1000 is Summoned, it is destroyed.
Tomie smiled. "Not a bad move. I'm amazed at what you've been able to do despite your current mental state."
Shirley kept a poker face, but her eyes were giving her opponent the same glare she gave Bo whenever he made a smart-alecky remark. "Do you end your turn?"
"After I Set this card," Tomie answered, and a facedown card appeared on the Field's Magic/Trap Zone. "Now, I end my turn."
Shirley drew her card and checked her hand. "I'll Summon the Forest Light Fairy," she announced.
A green light appeared next to the Elven Mage. Soon enough, a small creature clad in green became visible to all. Lithe and milky skinned, she hovered above the ground effortlessly thanks to her butterfly wings.
Forest Light Fairy
Level: 3
Element: Light
Type: Faerie
ATK: 900
DEF: 700
Increase this Monster's ATK by 500 for each Light Monster on your side of the Field. If there is no Light Monster on your side of the Field, this Monster is destroyed.
"Whoa," Bo said. "If Shirley pulls this off, Tomie will be at 3700."
"Go, Shirley, go!" Sara cheered, waving her fists in the air.
Rika surveyed the Field and noted the lack of Monsters on Tomie's side. She especially paid attention to the facedown card in the Magic/Trap Zone.
Shirley eyed Tomie and pointed at her. "Forest Light Fairy, attack her Life Points directly."
A ball of light formed in the Fairy's hands, and without hesitation, she flung it at Tomie. Everyone watched as it streaked towards its
target.
Tomie grinned widely. "Activating Trap Card!" she said as she flipped over her facedown card.
An image of an elderly bearded man in a white robe appeared over Tomie, and as the attack approached, he raised his hand. When the attack reached Tomie, it just passed through her.
"What the...?" Bo exclaimed as Tomie's Life Points remained untouched.
Tomie smirked and held up the card she had activated. "Good thing I had my White Wizard's Intervention ready."
White Wizard's Intervention
Normal Trap
During the turn this card is activated, all Battle Damage inflicted on the user is reduced to zero.
"You mean Shirley can't attack you?" Bo asked.
Tomie snickered wickedly as she placed the White Wizard's Intervention into her Graveyard. "Oh, she can, but it won't do her any good since she can't touch my Life Points."
Shirley looked at her hand. "I'll end my turn."
"Very well." Tomie drew a card. "Ah, I'll Set this along with this," she said, placing it in her Monster Zone and another in her Magic/Trap Zone. The two Set cards appeared on the Field. "I'll just end my turn."
Shirley nodded and drew her card. She held it up to her face and scanned it closely before placing it in her hand. "Forest Light Fairy, attack the facedown Monster," she ordered.
The Fairy held out her hands and formed another energy ball. However, Bo's eyes were focused on the two facedown cards on Tomie's side of the Field, and his mind was full of doubt. "Shirley, wait!" he yelled.
The warning came too late. The Fairy unleashed her attack on the facedown Monster, and Tomie just stood there as the target exploded into pieces.
"Now she's open to a direct attack," Sara said, looking at Tomie.
In fact, Shirley was about to do just that when something made her stop. To be more specific, the pieces of the target started to reform into a strange shape. Soon, a stooped-over shadow with glowing red eyes; a long snout; long, thin limbs; and a shell appeared.
"Hey, what's that?" Bo exclaimed.
Tomie grinned. "Now, Fiend Leecher!" she yelled, pointing at Shirley.
The shadow rolled back and shot out its arms and snout towards Shirley. As they bypassed her Monsters, Shirley noticed the suckers on the ends of the snout and fingers. Suddenly, she found herself listening to a sucking noise along with feeling moistness around her head, for the fingers fixed themselves on the sides of her head and the snout attached itself to her forehead.
"Shirley!" Bo screamed as he leaned over the edge of the balcony, his hands gripping it tightly until his knuckles turned white.
Then, Shirley felt pain. The suckers began to move quickly, and they sucked as hard as they could. She felt them digging into her flesh, and she automatically began doing the breathing exercises Gran had taught her. As the pain flowed from her head to her body, her breathing quickened. A few seconds later, for the second time that week, her emotional control broke down, and as her eyes widened, her mouth released a loud, long scream that echoes throughout the arena.
"Shirley! Shirley!"
She couldn't hear Bo's yelling very well, and she could only faintly feel the suckers withdraw from her flesh. Her eyelids became heavy, and she allowed gravity to take her down. When she hit the floor, images of Bo and Blake appeared in front of her eyes before they closed.
END OF CHAPTER 11