A Shocking Discovery-chapter 4
Cecilla led Charley to a guest room. There was a wooden chest of drawers, a large window with pale blue drapes, a pale blue carpeted floor. In the center was a large canopy bed. Throttle, Vinnie, and Modo followed close behind.
"This'll be your room." She told Charley, "Off to the side is a small bathroom."
"Wow. It's really big and beautiful." Charley breathed, looking around, "Thanks."
"Hey, Sweetheart, if you feel lonely and miss Yours Truly, I'd be happy to keep you company." Vinnie winked at her.
"Thanks, but I think I can manage." She replied, flatly.
Throttle and Modo snickered as Vinnie frowned at them.
"Come, gentlemen, er, mice. I'll show you to your room." Cecilla said.
She opened the door of a large room that contained bunk beds and a full poster bed.
"Here you go." She said.
"Dibs on the top bunk!" Vinnie exclaimed, climbing to the top of the bunk bed.
Cecilla laughed at his antics. He was such a boy. Full of life and seeing everything as fun. His two friends were more sensible.
"Well, I'll take my leave of you. As a farmer, I have to be up quite early." She said, "Have a good night."
...
Charley tossed and turned. She couldn't understand it. The bed was comfortable, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right about this place. She looked at the clock.
It was three a. m.
She got up and walked to the window. A full, luminous moon stared back at her. What she saw next freaked her out. She looked out the window onto the ground below. She saw Cecilla, clad in a long, white, flowing dress and cloak walk towards the pig pen. Her dark hair was combed out. It was long and wavy. In her hand was what to be a long staff or a wand.
"Come out, Johnny. Don't be shy. I won't hurt you even though you tried to hurt me." She heard her say.
The large pig walked towards her. The same pig she saw with the heart tattoo.
"I'll allow you to be a human again but only for tonight." She said
Cecilla waved the wand over the pig and it transformed back into the same ranch hand that she caught before trying to steal her money box.
He walked stiffly as if in a trance. The guy wasn't responding to her at all. He grunted like a pig.
"This is what you get for trying to rob me. You brought it on yourself." She scolded.
Charley quickly pulled away from the window.
"Did I just see what I thought I saw?" She asked herself.
"Dreaming. I must be dreaming." She told herself. She pinched herself.
"No. I'm awake. I gotta find out what's going on. But first." She thought.
She grabbed a large blanket and pillow and folded them. She laid them on the bed and covered them with the comforter to make it look like someone was in bed.
Charley then crept to her door taking care to open it up ever so gently. She then tip toed to the guys' room.
"Gotta make sure they're okay." She thought, opening their door
Throttle was fast asleep in the poster bed. The tan furred mouse looked different without his shades. His eyes were closed and he looked so peaceful. Modo slept in the bottom bunk while Vinnie was in the top bunk.
Charley heard someone coming up the stairs and quickly ducked under the bed. Cecilla Hawkings entered the room carrying a candle holder from which a lit candle was visible. She was clad in a long, flowing white gown with thin straps and gladiator like sandals. Her dark hair hung down her back.
She walked up to Throttle and gazed at him. The tan-furred mouse continued to slumber as he now turned over on his back.
"My brave Odysseus. Someday I'll be able to tell you who I am. There's plenty of time. But for now, tonight, I leave you a gift."
She leaned over till her face was inches from Throttle's. She then covered his mouth with hers. Charley looked surprised and her eyes got wide when Cecilla vanished into thin air while she was still kissing him. Throttle woke up.
"Wh-what happened?" He looked around.
His two bros were still asleep. They weren't at the Scoreboard or the Last Chance Garage. Then he remembered. They were staying with Cecilla. Cecilla. Pretty as Carbine. Sweet as a honeycomb. He saw how different both women were but he saw they both were gentle, Cecilla was more forthcoming with it than Carbine.
"Did someone just...Carbine?" He wondered, out loud, hopefully. No answer.
"If I wanted to forget Carbine, Cecilla would be a great place to start." He thought.
But it was hard to start over. He loved Carbine with all his heart. He pictured marrying her. Them having kids together. Then in an instant, that dream was gone. He seemed to have the worst luck possible.
"Life...it ain't no easy road." He sighed, shaking his head. He then laid back down and turned over and closed his eyes.
"Poor Throttle." Charley thought.
Her heart went out to the tan furred mouse. He suffered and went through so much. Lost as much as his two bros. He missed Carbine. This war cost them all a lot. She made a mental note to have a little talk with Carbine. Throttle deserved to be happy. She could see that Cecilla liked him. More than like from what that kiss implied. But she wondered why she called him Odysseus?
...
Everyone was seated at the table the next morning. Over scrambled eggs, bacon, and waffles covered in maple syrup and butter, Vinnie began telling everybody about the dream he had last night. Cecilla, arrayed in a white blouse with puffed sleeves, ruffly white apron, and ankle length skirt served coffee and tea.
" I dreamed I won the ultimate in drag races. Everyone saw my greatness. The women swooned."
"Oh, Vinnie, you're the best and so handsome!" He said, mimicking the women from his dream,"Talk about all inspiring!"
"And we're they right." He said, gazing at his reflection in a mini mirror he took out of his pocket.
"Nauseating is more like it." Modo said.
"Now we know what the topic of discussion is going to be for the next six months." Throttle groaned.
...
"My dear, you hardly touched your breakfast. Is anything wrong?" Cecilla asked Charley.
"Yeah, Charley-girl, you're awfully quiet." Vinnie said.
"I just need some air. Let's ride. I would like to go, uh, sightseeing." She told Vinnie, getting up and grabbing his arm, "'Thought I saw Limburger nearby."
"But, I'm in the middle of breakfast." He said, "I can't whip tail on an empty stomach."
"You two better come along to help me keep Loudmouth in check." She told Throttle and Modo.
"I'm done, anyway. Besides, we need to find out why Limburger is after Cecilla's land." Throttle said, then blushed, "Uh, Miss Hawkings' land."
"You may call me Cecilla." She smiled warmly.
"Thanks for everything. We'll be back." He smiled back.
"I loved having you here. All of you." She smiled.
"You sure are a great cook. As good as my gray furred mama." Modo beamed.
"Thank you."
...
"Now what's really going on?" Throttle asked her, after they rode away from Miss Hawkings' farm.
"It's about Cecilla. " Charley began.
"What about her?" Throttle asked.
"Last nighr, I saw her turn one of her pigs into a guy!"
"What do you mean turn?" Modo asked.
"I mean she waved a magic wand and zap! He was a person."
"You sure you ain't drunk, Charley-girl?" Vinnie asked.
"You don't smell anything on me."
"So what are you saying? Cecilla's a witch?" Throttle asked.
"How else was she able to do what she did?"
"No way! Stuff like that only happens on tv shows." Vinnie said.
"Yeah, you must've imagined it, Miss Charley- Ma'am."Modo said.
"Or dreamed it." Throttle said.
"I know what I saw!"
"Calm down, Charley-girl. There's gotta be a logical explanation to all this." Throttle said.
"Something's not right about that place. I mean didn't you notice that heart tattoo on one of the pigs? That's something a guy would have on his shoulder." Charley said.
"I did think it was kinda strange the way she kept blowing it off." Throttle said.
"So what do we do?" Modo asked.
"We play along like we don't know a thing till we find out what's going on." He replied.