ALiCE in WoNDeRLaND
-12-
I glared at Namdhari, as if daring him to answer his own question.
"Well?" he asked me at last. "Don't you want to know?"
"No," I lied.
"Fine," he replied. "Have it your way."
"No, wait!" I stood, afraid he would actually leave without telling me.
He stared back at me, knowing I was totally at their mercy. "Yes?"
"Tell me."
"I'd love to." He opened his mouth to speak, but...
"Nam, down!" Zale cried.
Over our heads flew in some sort of creatures that resembled more machine than any
species of animal I had ever seen. As the guys all ran for (what I then assumed) cover, I
stood there, fixated, staring up at the mysterious creatures. I was so much in awe of the
sight of them that I failed to heed any of the boys' frantic warnings.
They had turned over the table, and were using it as a sort of shield to protect themselves
from the monsters. They were screaming at each other about something, probably me,
but I ignored them, haunted by the feeling that I had seen these strange things before.
"Zale!" Namdhari yelled over the clanging of the metal wings above them.
"I know!" Zale shouted back.
"Well?"
Zale paused, then jumped over the table and into the battlefield.
All around me the creatures swarmed, preparing for the attack. I stood there still, only
now I felt as if I no longer had any control over my body. It was as if the circling patterns
of the buzzard-like beings had hypnotized me, paralyzing me, so they could dive down
and then...
Zale pushed me and himself out of harm's way, sending us falling to the opposite end of
the room. I turn to curse at his rough rescue, but found myself speechless when
confronted with the amazingly large weapon he now carried.
"What happened to your fifty-six deadly arts?" I asked, my eyes on the machine.
Zale shrugged. "We're lazy." He pulled a couple of chairs our way, pushing one over to
me. "Why fight when you can shoot?"
With that, the other guys kicked over the table, revealing their own equally impressive
technological monsters. The creatures seemed to sense the danger of the situation, and
began to make frantic dives for me.
"These things are after me?" I yelled, covering my head.
"'Fraid so," Miyka'el shouted from across the room. "Zale, keep an eye on the girl, will ya?"
Zale didn't reply. Then again, he didn't have to.
I stared at the five of them, wondering why, if I was so worthless, were they so willing to
risk their lives, and pull out the big guns, for me? There had to be something else they
weren't telling me, and I intended to find out what it was.
I pulled myself to my feet and took off.
"Whoa, what are you doing?" Zale yelled.
Just as I suspected, the creatures followed me.
So did Zale.
***
-12-
I glared at Namdhari, as if daring him to answer his own question.
"Well?" he asked me at last. "Don't you want to know?"
"No," I lied.
"Fine," he replied. "Have it your way."
"No, wait!" I stood, afraid he would actually leave without telling me.
He stared back at me, knowing I was totally at their mercy. "Yes?"
"Tell me."
"I'd love to." He opened his mouth to speak, but...
"Nam, down!" Zale cried.
Over our heads flew in some sort of creatures that resembled more machine than any
species of animal I had ever seen. As the guys all ran for (what I then assumed) cover, I
stood there, fixated, staring up at the mysterious creatures. I was so much in awe of the
sight of them that I failed to heed any of the boys' frantic warnings.
They had turned over the table, and were using it as a sort of shield to protect themselves
from the monsters. They were screaming at each other about something, probably me,
but I ignored them, haunted by the feeling that I had seen these strange things before.
"Zale!" Namdhari yelled over the clanging of the metal wings above them.
"I know!" Zale shouted back.
"Well?"
Zale paused, then jumped over the table and into the battlefield.
All around me the creatures swarmed, preparing for the attack. I stood there still, only
now I felt as if I no longer had any control over my body. It was as if the circling patterns
of the buzzard-like beings had hypnotized me, paralyzing me, so they could dive down
and then...
Zale pushed me and himself out of harm's way, sending us falling to the opposite end of
the room. I turn to curse at his rough rescue, but found myself speechless when
confronted with the amazingly large weapon he now carried.
"What happened to your fifty-six deadly arts?" I asked, my eyes on the machine.
Zale shrugged. "We're lazy." He pulled a couple of chairs our way, pushing one over to
me. "Why fight when you can shoot?"
With that, the other guys kicked over the table, revealing their own equally impressive
technological monsters. The creatures seemed to sense the danger of the situation, and
began to make frantic dives for me.
"These things are after me?" I yelled, covering my head.
"'Fraid so," Miyka'el shouted from across the room. "Zale, keep an eye on the girl, will ya?"
Zale didn't reply. Then again, he didn't have to.
I stared at the five of them, wondering why, if I was so worthless, were they so willing to
risk their lives, and pull out the big guns, for me? There had to be something else they
weren't telling me, and I intended to find out what it was.
I pulled myself to my feet and took off.
"Whoa, what are you doing?" Zale yelled.
Just as I suspected, the creatures followed me.
So did Zale.
***