Review Responses: Mattea: I know, fair is awesome. So much fun! There is seriously nothing like day when you are up with the sun after going to bed at 2AM have nothing to eat or drink besides about two litters of Mt.Dew and a hot dog, and no chance of sitting down for more than ten minutes at a time. Together Robby, Katie, and I have 60 rabbits going to fair this year. But I plan to sell most of them. Unfortunatly if I don't a good number of them will be sent on the meat truck. Marik: I hate spiders. They scare the hell out of me. I don't know why there is just something creepy about all the legs and eyes shivers unfortuantly they are everywhere here. There's a huge one in the basement. It's been in the same place for like a week and I'm starting to think it's going to live forever in the pink barbie house.
A/N: I really shouldn't be writing this but I can't get it out of my head. beats head on camper wall causing advisors to look in with questioning glares Nope still stuck in there.
Chapter : Coming together
Son of Sam's POV
I was hatched in a little box under a light. My first sight of life was thirty sets of stick human-chick hands reaching in and poking me. I lived through all of this though the hen called "teacher" covered up the deaths of my fellows. Soon I rebeled. I tried to organize a revolt but the other chicks were just intrested in playing with the humans. I was sent to a farm with this girl Angela. Angela lived with her grandfather on a farm. She took desent care of me. Then she went to some sort of human training camp called college. Grandfather put me in a plastic prison tossed me in the back of his metal monster and drove me around for a long time.
He had gotten tired of me attacking his hound. The fool of a creature wanted it though. He always started it. Calling me "Rudi Roster." What the hell sort of name is that? So I'd attack him prove my superiority. Well Grandfather didn't like that I scratched the hounds eyes out.
I was taken out of the truck and sat in the drive way of some other farm. I could smell the horses and other foul. There were about a thousand other smells I didn't know. Suddenly out of nowhere a metal monster smashed into my prison. A human-pullet and a human-cockeral got out of the monster and came to inspeact my prison. The pullet opened my prison, I could sense her curiosity. It was just as strong as that of the human-chicks. So, I had to prove I was a forced to be reckoned with and jumped out all wings and talons and beak.
Well, I took off into the dark and woke up this morning next to a duck. Now, ducks aren't that bad normally but when they are all up in your feathers and quacking about last night you get a little scared. I mean what had I done last night? I didn't remeber anything after the pullet and cockeral. I decided the duck would be of some use though. After all ducks know their enviroments rather well. Crooked Wings and I made our way about the farm. I quickly dominated most the human population and a good number of hens. Most of the cocks around here were still young and basically harmless.
Now, it is time to put my plans into action. Soon the chicken race will dominate the humans. See how they like their young being taken away and eaten before they even hatch. Soon we won't live in fear. When you hear the term 'acting chicken' it will mean strong and unafraid of anything.
"You ever seen anything like that?" Lilly asked Chris as she walked up.
"No, a chicken about as tall as my hand is wide does not claim a duck and what five hens? And they definatly do not wait for the duck to bring them frogs. What the heck is the world coming to?" Lilly grinned and picked three strands of grass and started braiding them.
"I'm not sure but it's kinda cute. That's Crooked Wings out there you know?" Chris stared closer at the duck who was frog hunting. He shook his head.
"What does your mom think? Is it a sin against nature?" Lilly shook her head.
"I'm not sure. She just says to keep him away from her."
"Well, I came out to say I was leaving for home okay?"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow Chrissy."
After Chris left Lilly watched the duck and chickens for a little longer. Finally she grew bored with the sight and headed toward the house. She knew inside her mother would be plastering on another layer of make-up and heading to work, her father would be sitting in the living room watching a ball game and drinking a Heinkein, upstairs Ryou and Serena would be perched infront of the computer talking to Suteki and Justin would be on the phone talking to Mandy. Somewhere amist all this normalcy would be Bakura. A slight smirk crossed her face at the thought of the dark eyed boy. She'd promised herself to never think this way of anyone ecspecaily a yuppy puppy. But if the chicken could get a long with a duck she could let it slide with a yuppy. After all he'd be leaving shortly after Independance Day.
"Hey Lil's you busy?" she looked up yanked from her thoughts. Of course without thought she knew who it was.
"Not really what's up Kura?"
"I wanted to ask you something come here." he said nodding down the hill. The main barn was perched on a slope. On either side was a hill on the side the driveway went down had loveingly been named the racing hill because when the kids were younger that's the hill they rode their bikes. On the opposite side of the barn the hill was steeper and was perfect to sled down aside from the large acorn tree at the bottom which you had to be sure to miss. At the memory of a long forgotten crash Lilly followed Bakura down the hill rubbing her left arm. He stopped her and pointed at a group of deer in the feild close to the tree line.
"What? It's the deer. I think they are up to tweenty now or right close." she said dismissivly.
"No, I know what the deer are. Every night at ten o'clock these fireworks go off." he paused for a moment. "Why?" she grinned.
"The highway is back that way and on the other side of it is this amusement park. I'll have to take you some time. It's really cool! They've got all sorts of roller coasters. You ever ride one?" she asked sitting down to watch the deer graze. As many times as she had seen this the deer never stopped amazing her. Neither did the sun which was setting perfectly behind them.
"No. What's it like?" she shrugged.
"It's hard to discribe. It's built to make you adrinaline rush. So your heart speeds up and you just want to scream because you can't get out."
"Sounds like a blast." he said sarcastically.
"Well it's no tomb raid but it's cool." she teased.
"Hey! You've crossed the line now." he said slugging her arm lightly.
"Really? What are you gonna do about it Mr. Tomb robber?" she asked pretending to be afraid. He knocked her over and moved himself over her holding down her arms.
"I don't know but you can't do anything to stop me now can you?" he asked playfully. Lilly threw all her weight to her right, and using the hill to her advantage managed to get herself on top. She let out a whoop of victory.
"Can't I?"
"Oh Now I'm shaking in my boots." Lilly started to tickle him making him kick and try to squirm free but she sat on his middle. "Not fair! Time out!" Lilly ignorned him poking his sides. Someone cleared their throat and they both froze and looked up. Standing over them was Mrs. Halse. Lilly about wet herself. She'd made her oppion of Bakura's and his brother's presence well known. She had on many occasions said she hated everything about the male race and now she was sitting ontop of one.
"Children having fun?" her mother asked a strict tone in her voice. Neither of them could find their words, not that they would have said them if they had known them. Mrs. Halse was the sort of person you didn't mess with. Definatly not one you hid something from, and this made it look as if they were hidding something major. "Well, I'm leaving. You two need to get inside soon." her eyes cast skyward. "It'll be getting dark in...oh thirty minutes." she turned and began to walk off. Before she rounded the corner of the barn though she turned back. "Lillian Ann get off that boy right now!" she called loudly enough to where anyone close to a door or window inside could hear her.
With a wink Mrs. Halse disappeared behind the barns corner. Lilly rolled off of Bakura and gave him a sorrowful look. His eyes were still tinged with amusment and his smirk teased her as much as it had before her mother's arrival. He sat himself up and brushed off some grass and invisable dirt.
"I think we were caught." he said his smirk widening into a full blown smile.
"Yea, you think?" she shook her head. "Sorry."
"What for?" his voice might of contained one one trillionth of concern or he could have been just a tad less cocky.
"Nothing, let's get inside before Dad pitches a fit and has a cow." They both crawled to their feet.
"I'd like to see that. A person have a cow. Bet it'd sell a lot of money. Maybe even make a movie."
Ryou had heard the shout outside but ignored it. Taking more intrest in the conversation in the chat room at that moment. A new guy had found their little role play and was trying to gather all the bits too it. Suteki and Serena were at this moment making fun of Seto Kiaba.
Suteki: April: Well I just adore the way you duel Mr. Kaiba sir.
Serena: Seto:No one likes a suck up April. tucks duel deck away with a smirk and starts to stride off
Suteki: April:Then we've got something in common:No one likes you either she called after the CEO while her fellows laughed
Brian:I don't get it! Who the HELL is April and what connection does she have with this Seto Kiaba guy? WAIT is that the guy who owns that hologram company?
Serena:(Start talking in () when not in character and yes dim witt. This is a DUEL MONSTERS RP CHAT so get with the program or click the little 'X' in the top right hand corner of the window.)
Suteki: (Serena that's not how you do it. flicks chestnut hair off shoulder look mr if you don't get it get out!) April joined the celebration of knocking a Kaiba down a peg
The characters were always saying something rude about the Kaiba's or their company. It was a little unnerving at first but nothing was ever serious. It was all made up. At that moment Brian signed out of the chat room and the converstation steered toward what a 'loser' he'd been. Ryou didn't find much intrest in this so he went down stairs to watch tv with Mr. Halse. On his way though he was stopped by an unbelieveable scene. His yami and Lilly were walking in the back door laughing and teasing eachother.
"Will you explain the chicken crossing the road jokes?" Lilly asked. "The only reason I've ever seen for a chicken to cross the damned road is to get some on the other side." Bakura laughed. Not one of his 'you think I'm so stupid but you're wrong' laughs but a real honest to God laugh.
"I don't know. I don't get them either. They've got no purpose except to be stupid." Ryou lost the conversation then because he didn't want to get caught eaves dropping.
The days of fall pasted quickly. Halloween had already come and gone and now they were counting down the days until Thanks Giving. Lilly could already taste the turkey as she printed off another 'What's the meaning of this holiday' report. She'd done them every year for eons and didn't see an end to them in the near future. So she wrote a quick summary of what it had meant to those who first celebrated it and then what it meant to her family and herself.
But with all the holiday stuff coming she couldn't help but feel a little bummed. Sure she was excited about the huge meal that was only days away and she was getting along better than ever with Bakura and Ryou. She'd even felt generous amongst the kids at school and hadn't called them any unmentionable names for looking down on her based on her lifestyle. But the deeper they got into fall the colder it got. The days were already far too short and getting shorter by the week. Soon it would be dark at six thirty-ish and her saddle would be left all but forgotten.
"Ease up Loki!" she called down to the coal black horse beneath her as she reigned him in a bit. She could have sworn she'd just seen a chicken run across the dry creek with a burlap sack in it's beak.
"What?" Bakura asked slowing Seth down at her side. She shook her head.
"Nothing." she clucked her tounge and kicked her heels making Loki lurch back into his break neck pace. She lowered herself closer to the horse providing as little resistance as possible. Matt, Chris, Serena, Ryou, Bakura, and herself were riding out to her grandfather's cabin. They had to get wine out of the cellar for a party her parents would be attending in the days to come and they had their own personal reasons.
A few days before Matt had asked if they'd be spending their weekend in the woods again this summer. Every year on the annivesary of her grandfather's death they speant a weekend in the cabin. There was a small pond infront of it with a deck that was perfect for swimming and fishing. A cellar full of wine, not that they'd ever touch the stuff, and the most beautiful seanary. More than once deer had crossed their front lawn as they sat in the porch swing. So it was time to introduce Ryou and Bakura to the idea. They didn't want to cut them out of any of this.
"It's close now!" she yelled over her shoulder. She heard nothing but the pounding of hooves behind her. For a moment she was gripped with fear and had to look back. They were all aways behind her and just couldn't hear. With a slight tug of the reigns Loki began to slow knowing what she was about to do. The horse expertly guided her to the small fenced in area with a lean-to in it. Lilly stood up in her stirups kicking own leg over the horses back and carefully balancing herself she unlocked the gate as the horse nearly crashed into it. Loki circled once before slowing to a walk at which point she let herself drop to the ground and walk next to the horse. The others crowded into the pen too. Each one dismounted with less grace and pazaz as she had used.
"Welcome friends and family to the cabin!" Serena said standing on the railing that surrounded the porch. She took a bow and did a summersault off landing on her feet. "See Sissy? You're not the only one who can show off!" The boys all laughed. It wasn't the best masked insult but it had the desired effect so Serena bowed and led them back up to the front door. Matt pulled up the lose floor board and pulled out a small box. With in it were the keys to the cellar, the house, and the shed which held the fishing gear and pool toys.
"And without further delay," he kicked open the door and let the musty smell greet them. "Granddaddy's pride and joy, that wasn't living." Lilly stuck her tounge out at him when he winked. She had always enjoyed Matt's presence despite the fact that he was the biggest pain in the ass the world had ever known.
"Well come on!" she said pushing her way into the old cabin.
She was flooded with old memories and had to look to Serena more than once to see if she too might remeber helping nail this picture or nights spent on the floor in sleeping bags while Grandpa told them stories from his youth. Serena's expression didn't change. She entered with the same 'this is nothing amazing' look she always wore. With a deep sigh she instructed the others to show their newest companions around while she went to fetch the oldest bottle of wine.The cellar was like any other cellar dark and damp and icky. So she made her trip as quick as possible, pausing only to run her fingers over a bottle of wine with her name on it. She'd done everything the year this bottle was made with her grandfather and he had put her name on it and the two had swore it wouldn't be open until her wedding day. It's odd how such a stupid thing could stop someone in their tracks, she thought letting her eyes flit over the bottles looking for a date in the earlier to mid 1900's.
She returned to the cabin with a bottle from 1887 which had been brewed by her great great grandmother. The cabin was too quiet for her likeing. Ryou and Bakura bickered constantly, even if it was only onesidded, and Serena was sure to be standing up for her friend. But not a sound met her as she entered the house. Cautiously she side stepped a spider's web. That thing must me large enough to eat a cat. She made it to the only bedroom in nothing there. Her heart beat quickened as she scanned the room.
Something suddenly had her around the waist and she felt cold melt against her neck. Shit! Someone's been living back here he killed the others and I'm done for. She panicked brought her fist back and hit the guy hard in the balls. A familiar voice groaned in pain and she turned around to see Bakura lying on the floor clutching a butter knife. Then Matt laughed from behind her. Soon the other three were laughing too.
"Go to hell!" Bakura squeaked from the ground.
"That was priceless! Honestly! Her look then..." Matt gasped and started laughing again.
"I agree with Bakura! What did you do that for?"
"Because Sis! It was rich!" Chris answered. Sighing at the childishness of her companions she helped Bakura to his feet.
"I can't ride like this. Leave me here. I'll find way home." He said through clenched teeth as he waddled out into the main room.
"Come on Bakura! What happened to be a man, and tough, and all that?" Ryou asked.
"That was all in my balls which aren't currently home!" Bakura growled at his younger brother. Oh God boys are fragile fiends!
Riding home was a trip. Bakura kept moaning and groaning the whole time and they had to go really slow. Something Seth decided wasn't going to work and broke into a canter before they left the woods. Lilly gave the wine over to her mother and Chris and Matt returned home after another run through of the barns. Ryou took off with Serena to parts unknown leaving Bakura once again with Lilly and her mutt.
"I'm sorry." Lilly said for the millionth time as they sat out in the only mowed streach of the field.
"No problem. Just don't do it again." she smiled.
"Promise."
"Why were you so scared? Really think something could happen like that? I mean in this little town?"
"I'll take you were no one can hear you scream. I'll make you scream until your throat is raw and you cough blood." she said shyly.
"You will? You and what army?" he asked confused.
"No, it's this dream I had when I was like eleven."
"A dream scares you?" he laughed.
"No, not just he dream. It's more like when I felt the cold of that knife, even though it was a butterknife, it felt familiar like the dream was real. And I know no one would have heard me scream back there."
"Sure someone would have. Your sister, and cousin, Matt, Ryou, and me, do you really think we'd let anyone hurt you?" Damn it! Why the hell did I say that? I'll hurt her. Someone should. Or has someone and that's why she reacted the way she did? Is she really Norfret? Damn it I want the ring! It was quiet in there.
"I thought someone was out there had killed you while I was in the cellar and was gonna do me in."
"Unlikely. It would take a lot to put off the five of us. You would have heard something." Why am I trying to comfort her? She's not Norfret. Norfret died in that tomb! She was slow with the lame leg and the gaurds got her! This girl is just another brat who doesn't know her place!
"Probably. But the brain don't process all the info. I mean if it did I would have known the blade was to dull to hurt me serioiusly from that angle." she grinned glancing at him. "You know what I should do?"
"Shut up?"
"What? No! I should show you and Ry how to shoot a bow. I think I'll do that before it snows. You ever shoot one before? Or maybe the rifle. Now that's not something that takes skill but it's fun. Bows take talent."
"You are strange."
"I know. Now let's get inside before we freeze." she said standing up and offering him a hand. He promptly ignored it not wanting to take anymore favors from the girl, and the two walked back to the house careful to dodge the chicken coop.