Chapter 6
Anne and Luz drove the Cadillac through the clearing until it reached the junkyard's chain-link fence. The functioning headlamp shined across the warning sign before shutting off, the drivers the least bit deterred. The doors flew open, and its occupants crept out. Anne was the first to make her move, acrobatically spy-rolling into the entrance, dodging past the tetanus-riddled scrap mountains until she signaled that the coast was clear, hiding behind an old jalopy.
"Okay, we're in. What now?" Luz as she followed and crouched right next to Anne.
The young woman peaked over, scanning the vicinity. "Obvi, we keep going with the plan we're already following. We look through the junkyard, find another vintage Cadillac with an intact headlamp, and take the part back with us without getting caught."
"I don't know, Anne. this place is huge, and it may take us a long time," Luz retorted, head almost lowering in defeat.
Anne turned and placed a hand on Luz's shoulder, smiling. "We can find it, no worries. It's not going to be that hard. Besides, Luz, we've been through tougher situations. When I got stuck on Amphibia, my friends and I once tried hunting down and taking ingredients from a carnivorous tomato monster just to make a pizza. It was that insane," she recapped, her free hand making a dismissive wave. "How's this little scavenger any different?"
Luz nodded. "I don't see how that's entirely relevant to our predicament now, but I'll take it. Now, let's see what we can find in this literal dump."
Anne got up and sprinted as Luz chased after her. The two searched the first half of the yard. The overhead lamp lights gave them enough lighting to scour each junk pile. Luckily, a broken-down Cadillac was lying lifeless before the pair as if by some miraculous chance.
"Okay, so, I guess it wasn't going to be that hard. Everything's coming up our way this time," Anne sighed in relief, smiling, her arms crossed while her hips shifted to the side.
Luz had her hands at Akimbo. "Hopefully, it'll stay that way. Do you want to do the honors, or should I?"
"Step aside and let big sis Boonchuy handle this one," Anne said with a smug edge, her right hand raised and head held high.
Luz's glower shifted in mild annoyance as Anne approached the junk pile. Her fingers carefully grappled onto the intact headlamp and gave a hefty tug, enough force to rip the bulb off its place. Without the proper baring, the young woman tripped on her own feet, tumbled backward, and fell to the ground on her back, the witch-in-training rushing over to help her up.
Anne rubbed her sides and winced. "Well, that could have gone a lot better, but at least we got what we needed. Victory my name is Anne!"
"Alright! Mission accomplished! And, to think, I was worried we were going to run into trouble, but I guess not, huh?" Luz cheered ecstatically.
Sadly, that was far from the case. Suddenly, an alarm went off from the beater, lights flashing violently outside and in, and noises erupted. Anne and Luz leaped and tried to shut off the system, resorting to begging and pleading. Finally, the alarm stopped, and the girls chuckled in relief it was over. That is, only to turn pale when myriad growls and barks arose from behind.
Slowly, the duo spun around as three vicious and angry rottweilers stood, baring sharp teeth and staring down with rabid hunger. Anne tucked the headlamp in her underarm and took a defensive stance, backing away. Luz reached for her deck on her side as she stood close to her colleague.
"Nice doggies. Good doggies."
Anne attempted to ease the ravenous canines, her voice as calm and gentle as possible. That succeeded in agitating the creatures more, growling and barking louder. The young woman was a cat person, so it's no surprise it didn't work as the voice in her head told her to run. The dogs later sprinted and charged forward.
"Me and my big mouth!" Luz tearfully screamed as she and Anne ran for their lives, the rottweilers in hot pursuit.
Alright, Michael. You can do this. Remember, this is for the girls' well-being. All you have to do is grab a pack and go, and standing like a zombie staring at thin air isn't averting the dirty looks you're getting right now. So, are you going to stare and do nothing? You went through so much in your nonexistent childhood, and female hygiene products are what terrify you? Just grab and go already!
All of Michael's classes were done, and so was his shift. The one thing left on his itinerary before going home was the one he hated doing the most.
In the twenty minutes since walking into the pharmacy, Michael had remained motionless in Aisle 8A and stared blankly at the boxes. Most shoppers ignored him while others shot glances in his direction and glower shared. He mustered enough courage to grab a few packs and power walked to the checkout counter. Lucky for Michael, he was home free. The cashiers were too apathetic to ask, and no one the young man knew was present. That spared him from all kinds of potentially embarrassing…
"Hiya, Michael!" A familiar voice called out to the young man, sounding obnoxiously southern.
Christ, on a cracker! Michael cursed internally.
Michael took a deep breath. He looked over his shoulder and saw a young man around his age, his face stubbornly forming a fake smile. Although Michael dwarfed the man by a foot, he was relatively robust in comparison, with broad shoulders and large muscles that weirdly fit. He was also Black American with curly black hair, wearing an old burgundy diver's suit and a pair of welding goggles, the fashion of an eccentric. This was the worse time to run into friends.
"Jasper. What's up. Never expected to run into you here," Michael greeted and stretched his hand out.
Jasper greeted back. "Funny you should mention it. I came in to get some sulfur tablets for a science experiment I'm working on. Don't want to get into any details, but let's just say it's got a kick to it."
Do I dare ask?
"Long story short, I happen to run into you, and right after we both left work at the same time," Jasper finished as he gestured to the young man.
"Is that so?"
Michael faintly chuckled until Jasper peaked over at the counter. The young man tried to stop him and hide his purchases. His friend's lenses glistened as he caught a glimpse. Jasper pointed his gloved hand and eyed suspiciously at Michael, beats of sweating falling from his brow.
"Alright, start talkin'. You don't have the proper equipment for them tools, so you ain't buying them for yourself. That means you got a lady friend you're buying them for," Jasper questioned, growing less friendly and more serious.
Michael looked at Jasper with tired eyes, "It's a lot more complicated than that, Jasper. I got people from out of town staying at my place, they need supplies, and I'm just here to get them with my manhood still intact."
Jasper leaned on the counter and smiled. "So, it is a lady friend? Right?"
Michael gave Jasper a deadpan glare. "Yes, it is. Two of them, in fact."
Jasper knee-slapped and hollered. "Well, hot damn! Look at you, sharing your home with two gals and being all Mr. Casanova! Who're the lucky ladies?"
"Here's the thing. They're…um…my cousins. Whenever they come to visit, they always make me run ridiculous errands for them, you know? My family is like that sometimes," Michael lied as convincingly as possible, which was surprisingly successful as Jasper didn't ask any follow-up questions. "So, if you'll excuse me, I would love to stay and chat but I gotta get home and deliver these pronto."
Michael pulled out his wallet and took out seven dollars. He handed it over to the girl at the counter before taking the bag, his body quickly moving to the exit.
"Excuse me, I'm new around here. Do you know where I can find any electronic stores in town?" An unfamiliar voice caught the young man off guard.
A young woman approached Michael, around the same age, adjusting her wide-rimmed glasses while her pony-tailed orange hair swished in the wind. The young man shook his head and immediately answered her.
"Well, radio shack's been closed for years, but I know downtown Boone has a couple of them at the strip malls. You better be careful, though, the people working there are notorious price-gougers and will rip you off," Michael pointed his hand out and gave the young woman directions.
The redhead nodded. "Thanks. I'll be sure to keep that in mind, mr…."
Michael turned red and gave his name. The redhead thanked him again before strolling through the automatic doors. The young man smiled and was left alone with his thoughts.
She seemed very nice and very cute. The typical charm of redheads, I assume. She looked familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. That reminds me. I wonder how the girls are doing back home. Keeping them under lockdown is harsh, and I might be going overboard, but at least they're doing okay.
"We are not doing okay! We are not doing okay!"
Anne and Luz were running for their lives, the mantra they were reciting in unison not easing their nerves. Anne briefly glanced behind, seeing the dogs getting closer with each sprint. It wasn't supposed to be this difficult. All Anne and Luz needed to do was get in, get the part, and get out. However, the one part of the equation the girls forgetfully left out was being chased by a small pack of rottweilers. Not just a regular one, though, but completely jacked. What the hell, as their owner feeding them, was Luz's inquiry.
The girls hopped, dodged, and skidded over different scrap piles, hoping to lose the dogs' attention, to no avail. Being the most athletic, Anne could keep running all night, Luz not so much as she felt her legs about to give up, heavy breathing and sweat stricken the witch-in-training. Up ahead, there was a fork in the road, and an idea immediately popped into Anne's fear-rattled mind.
"Luz! Quick! You go left, and I'll go right! We'll have a higher chance at shaking these mutts off our tail if we split up! Once we make it out alive, let's meet up back at the entrance!" Anne commanded as Luz nodded and changed her direction.
Separating from her partner, Anne turned and moved toward the much narrower pathway as the dogs split. Unfortunately for her, as she glanced over for a peek, only one of the dogs was no longer after her.
"Oh, come on! You've got to be kidding me!" She screamed out her frustrations as two dogs were closing in.
She maneuvered through the metallic topography that obscured her surroundings. Her climbs and sprints were basically parkour at this point. The dogs had a similar idea, strangely enough. The four-legged hunters hopped from one pile to the next, adamant about catching their targeted prey.
Luz wasn't doing well, either. When she broke away from her friend, the path she took brought her to an oddly spacious dead end. Her pursuer backed her into a corner. Car parts and rusted junk surrounded her on all sides.
Luz darted and looked around to find an exit. "Oh, no. Please, God. There's got to be a way out?" she panicked.
Sadly, no matter where Luz searched, each side was blocked off, saved for one. Unfortunately, one of the rottweilers had the entrance occupied. The guard dog crept close, Luz falling to her rear with her knees quivering. With a kick of its hind legs, the rottweiler charged and pounced at the witch-in-training. Her legs scrambled, and Luz quickly dodged, but the creature was quicker. Its sharp fang bit down onto her leggings, tearing at the fabric as Luz trashed around to break free.
In the midst of the struggle, Luz's right leg flashed out, giving a swift kick to the dog's muzzle. She glanced at the rottweiler, shaking its head and vision temporarily deliriously. By the time it regained its composure, Luz tried making another run for the exit. Seeing the girl bolting away caused the guard dog to leap over and corner the witch-in-training once more. The young Latina circled around at the guard dog, glaring down at the very pit of her soul.
"Estoy tan Muerto," Luz murmured in her native tongue.
As tempting as it was, her hand instinctively at the deck of cards, preparing to take out her glyphs, using one was a no-go because she didn't want to risk hurting the creature. Looking back, Luz saw she had one trick up her sleeve before the four-legged beast could tear her a new one. Either way, she had to time this right.
Luz jumped around and waved her arms hysterically. "Come on, you stupid mutt! What are you waiting for? Don't be shy! I'm right here and ready for you!" She taunted, the dog growing angrier.
The rottweiler's eyes narrowed before it bolted forward like a bullet train. All four legs moved so fast that they seemingly walked in mid-air. Luz pivoted out of the way and reached around. An old pickup truck was buried underneath, lying behind the witch-in-training as if luck would have it. Once the rottweiler was within range, impulse, and anxiousness filled Luz's mind as she yanked the truck door open, closing it right after the rottweiler leaped inside.
"I'm so sorry, doggy! I didn't mean to call you a mutt!" Luz pleaded before stepping away as the rottweiler bashed against the truck door.
Seeing that the window wasn't fully closed, the rottweiler attempted to escape, squeezing its body halfway through the opening. That was Luz's queue to get the hell out as she ran down the pathway. Her low tops scraped against the dust, equilibrium improperly, dashing quickly without looking back.
On the other side of the junkyard, Anne was at the top and with nowhere to run. Her two pursuers finally caught her, muzzles smiling victoriously. Anne wasn't sure what to do until she spotted a long piece of scrap metal. Suddenly, another idea popped up. This one was probably more suicidal than the last idea.
She glanced over her shoulder to see the rottweiler howling and moving in closer, getting ready to get the jump on her. The young woman grumbled, and after overcoming her reluctance, she hopped off the ledge and landed on the scrap metal. Anne screamed when the metal broke off as she began surfing down the metallic mountain like a snowboarder grazing Mt. Everest. The rottweilers barking faded in the distance as Anne's glower drifted back and laughed hysterically. It was best to make a leap of faith when push comes to shove. Besides, it wasn't the first time she's done something this insane, it possibly won't be her last.
Luz was right at the entrance, next to the Cadillac, when Anne skidded across to her, and her arms flailed while steadying her balance. The young woman breathed erratically as she hopped off, clenching her beating chest to calm it down. Luz gave a blank expression, not sure what had happened. Anne wasn't sure either, shrugging it off as merely dumb luck that saved her life.
The rottweilers were on their way as Luz and Anne immediately closed the gate. The latch was set onto the bars, and the dogs fruitlessly slammed their bodies onto the chain-link fence. The girls finally had a moment to breathe, but the incessant rattling startled their nerves once more.
"Okay, I think we're done here. Let's go before they find a way out," Anne stated as she and Luz returned to the car.
Anne hit floored it and got the Cadillac as far away from the property as possible, heading straight for the Therman Estate. The headlamp was safely secured on Luz's lamp, Anne checking it and smiling.
"I cannot believe we got out of there without losing our lives," Anne said with a relieved edge.
"I know, that was that intense," Luz said, gesturing with eyes buzzing.
"Alright. Now that that ordeal is over, only thing left to do is hook this baby up and avoid the consequences we solely deserve. It kind of sounds shady when saying it out loud, doesn't it." Anne's guilt seeped from her tone but was overshadowed by her and Luz occasionally scratching the shallow cuts on their arms and legs, which made the duo worry dearly. "Yeah, we also might need to get several tetanus shots pretty soon."
Luz played with her hair and grimaced. "I don't know how we're going to sneak that one past Michael when he gets back."
"Don't worry, Luz. We'll cross that bridge once we get back."
Michael chased after the redhead through the parking lot. She stood at the crosswalk and hadn't left yet, the light still red.
From just the close proximity, Michael got a better look. She was around Anne's height, nearly 5'7, at least with a firm figure and pale skin. Her eyes were a shade of green over a pair of wide-rimmed glasses, none of which clashed with her bright orange hair, her ponytail drooping behind her at waist length. She wore a dark green hoodie that exposed her midriff and a pair of black leggings with white sneakers.
The young man stepped close and called out. "Excuse me, miss. I know this might off the bat but are you Tulip Olson?"
"Yeah, that's my name. You're the guy from the pharmacy earlier. Michael, right? Is there something I can help you with?" Tulip smiled at the young man.
"As a matter of fact, there is," Michael said plainly, taking a deep breath before getting serious. "You're not in your universe. You were extracted by some unknown force and…"
"…and was teleported from my home to another universe. Not only that, but in this world, I'm a fictitious character in a cartoon series called 'Infinity Train' is what you were about to say," Tulip cut the young man off and stated the fact of the matter, completely with ease and unphased.
The moment the words left her lips, Michael became utterly dumbfounded and slack-jawed, the redhead in question awkwardly rubbing her arm. The young man tried to collect his thoughts, ready to ask Tulip how she came to such a realization, when he stared in disbelief as the redhead gingerly approached.
Michael wasn't prepared for such a response but didn't remain silent for long. Instead, he simply asked, "How did you figure it out?"
"Right on the first day I arrived, actually. After seeing some kids watching me on their phones, and my adventures on the Infinity Train, it doesn't take too long to put 2 and 2 together. It was quite a shock, but I got over it," Tulip admitted with her hands clasped together, expression sheepish.
"Well, listen when I say you're not the only one. Others like you have been popping up in my town for quite a while, some of them staying at my house," Michael said as he reached into his blazer's pocket and pulled out his smartphone, unlocking the screen and pulling out the contact list.
Tulip blinked.
Michael handed his phone over, continuing, "I'm telling you this because I want to help you. I don't mean you any harm, or ill-will, whatsoever. If you want to, we could exchange contacts and get to know each other better. That way, we can figure out this ordeal you're in. What do you say?"
"What do I say? We just met for only half an hour and you're already asking for my number?" Michael wanted to retort but Tulip stopped him, smiling while easily unlocking his phone. "Normally, I would tell a guy off for making such a bold move. Then again, you're lucky you're just my type, handsome," she remarked, sounding flirty.
Michael blushed.
"T-that's not what I…"
Tulip handed Michael back his phone. He looks through not only seeing her number but her name and contact link as well. The young man was slightly impressed. When the crosswalk light gave the okay to go, Tulip turned and walked away, but not before giving Michael one last look around and chuckling.
"I'm looking forward it. With more hands on the table, working together will solve this extradimensional predicament much faster. That, and it's a good way for us to get to know each other," Tulip winked as Michael was taken aback.
The redhead disappeared within the oncoming crowd, leaving Michael alone with his thoughts and his phone. He smiled and felt pride washing over him before heading to the opposite direction, heading straight for home.
I cannot believe how easy that was. No misunderstandings except for one. No fights that lead me to question the very notion of reality. Not only that, but I managed to get a hot redhead's number without any issues. Michael mused as he looked at the starry night sky, almost skipping to a happy rhythm while avoiding any pedestrian in his way. Wow, I guess Jasper was right. I really am Casanova. Can this night get any better?
That's when a nagging thought crossed his mind, his smile fading into a look of concern. Wait. Tonight? Isn't tonight when my grandfather's car is supposed to be delivered back from the shop? Yeah, it is. Well, I shouldn't be too worried. Without my signature, the mechanic will just take it back and return it tomorrow…unless the girls sign it on my behalf and then use it as an opportunity to take it on a joyride, but they wouldn't do that, would they? Michael pondered, almost dismissing the very thought.
He stopped in his tracks and grimaced.
"Oh, shit…"
Kicking his speed into high gear, Michael got a move on. He crossed the road and evaded traffic, almost getting hit by an inch of his life. The drivers shouted profanely, flipping the bird at the disgruntled young man, but he ignored them. It was a stupid stunt. He knew it. Still, he had to return home as fast as possible and ensure his worst fears weren't true.
"Okay. I think I finally got it."
The car was parked in the garage, standing lifeless. Anne held a pair of pliers into an opening, the other hand steadying the lamp. She was carefully installing the new headlight, and as frustrating as it was frustrating, this was the only shot.
It wasn't easy for her. There were too many wires to connect. The hard sweat beat her brow while she mustered all her attention. Or she hoped she did. With a slight ease, her hand moved the pliers away, sliding the lamp in and giving it a tight twist for good measure.
Anne whipped her brow and gave a thumbs up, grinning. "It's in, Luz. Start the car up and let's see if we got it."
Luz nodded and turned the key in the ignition. After a few rattles from the engine, the car's headlights came on. Anne jumped for joy as Luz got out of the front seat, joining her in the merriment.
"I can't believe it. I didn't think itwould work, but it did. We might actually get away with this," said Luz ecstatically.
"~Yeah!" Anne cheered, singsong. She high-fived the young witch-in-training. "The car's fix and Michael won't know that we took it for a joyride. All consequences averted. Take that karma!"
Anne shouldn't have said that. It was at that very moment the headlight completely burned out. Their success became short-lived. The car was still running (thank God), but it was now blind in one eye. Anne and Luz griped as panic crept in.
"Oh, God. No. You have got to be kidding me? After everything we went through, all that work…" Anne muttered with her hand on her face, stressing out while kicking her foot on the wall.
"Yeah, and I guess we should have seen this coming. Two girls with zero experience on car repair, taking a piece from a jalopy in a junkyard, this whole thing was a massive shot in the dark," Luz commented as she strolled over, comforting Anne before finding the silver lining. "But, hey, as long as we keep the car in the garage, off, and pray super hard that no one starts the engine, then we're still in the clear. Michael will never know, right?"
"Oh, I don't know. I'm pretty sure Michael would find out, sooner or later."
Que, the young man in question, standing at the garage opening, not looking the least happy. His arms crossed judgmentally while glaring daggers at the girls. The two turned, and their blood immediately became cold.
"H-hey, babe. You're back." Anne tried playing it cool, leaning back against the hood, nonchalant yet agitated. "I know what you're thinking but before you say anything, it isn't what it looks like."
"Oh, I definitely know what it looks like. My car has been tampered with, and I caught the culprits red-handed," scoffed Michael. "It was Ms. Boonchuy and Ms. Noceda, in the garage, with a pair of rusty pliers."
Anne and Luz looked at Michael as he trotted closer. The young man pointed at the tool, and Anne tried to discard it, Luz ducking it fast. She smiled and tried to play innocent, but it didn't work. The pair remained motionless. Finally, Luz caved and broke down. Falling to her knees onto the asphalt floor, she scuttled across and sang like a canary, finally having enough.
"Okay! We did it! Anne and I took your car into town to do a little sightseeing! At first, we just wanted to get out of the house and have a bit of fun before returning home. That's all. But then, another car just appeared out of nowhere, we lost control, and then hit the hood and broke the headlight. We tried fixing it by finding a spare part in the junkyard, but it didn't work, and we are so sorry, Michael," she cried, practically hyperventilating.
The very outburst took Anne by surprise, thinking she was going to be the first to crack, being unnerved and all. Luz waited to be reprimanded, but Michael said nothing. Anne stared at the young man as his silence unnerved her, her eyes growing darkly from guilt.
"Anne, just confirmed to me one thing. Is everything Luz said true, or not?" Michael shifted his glower.
The Thai girl simply gave her lover a brief nod.
Michael sighed and patted Luz on the shoulder, "Luz, pull yourself together. There's something I need to tell you, and I can't take you seriously when you're like this. That is to say, there's nothing to worry."
Luz snapped upward.
"R-really. You're not mad at what we did?" Luz asked as she rubbed her eyes, Anne being equally shocked.
Michael shook his head. "Oh, no. I am mad. I'm so furious that I can barely see straight," he fumed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "However,
"We just couldn't take it anymore, Michael. We know you were doing it to protect us, but we just had to get out. Being cooped up made us so claustrophobic, but we really are sorry for violating your trust," Anne stepped closer to Michael.
Her expression was saddened while looking down. She nervously rubbed her right arm before Michael hugged her. His hand caressed against her slender back as the young Thai girl reciprocated.
"I know, Anne. I'm sorry, too. I was so concerned of keeping you girls safe, protecting you by any means, but while I was coming up here, I realized that none of this would have happened if I hadn't kept you in the house for so long. I basically made you prisoners in my own house, instead," Michael confessed, eyes lowering in a sober expression.
Anne stepped back and smiled. "Babe, it's okay. We've both made mistakes, but tonight, we're putting that all behind us. I guess the lesson to learn from all this is that it's good to keep those you care for safe, it's also important to give them boundaries and not try to suffocate them, or something like that."
"Yeah, that's actually a good one," Luz remarked, chiming in. Her right arm rubbed against Michael's in a cutesy demeanor. "Plus, since all three of us admitted that we were wrong and all, that means there's no punishment, right?"
Not quite. Before she moved away, Michael grabbed around her waist from behind and pressed her head close to his chest. Luz looked up, cheeks turning red and heart skipping, stunned slightly by such a sudden display of affection. Though her fluster quickly dissipated as Michael gripped assertively and leered down at her, Anne received the same treatment as if staring into the gaze of a shark lurking before getting ready to strike.
"No punishment? Oh, I never said anything about that," said Michael with an evil grin.
The next day, Anne and Luz stood in front of the sink as the pair spent the entire morning doing the dishes. The pair have been forced to wake up at the crack of dawn (military school style), and it wasn't too long since their brief trip to the hospital, tetanus shot marks still present on their arms. One washed while the other respectively dried. When the witch-in-training was done, she placed the porcelain plates and steel utensils on the racks. Much to Luz's frustration, Anne quickly reminded her that she missed a spot. When the racks were full, the pair sorted them out and stacked them in the cabinets and drawers over and over until they started to feel the crushing weight of sorrow on the top of their shoulders. A fitting punishment, to say the least as well.
"My hands are starting to prune. How long are we going to have to keep this up?" Luz asked, bemoaning. Her whining was getting on her nerves.
"We do this until Michael says we're done." Anne groaned as she dried her and her friend's hands ruggedly. "This isn't really much of a punishment. I grew up working at my parents Thai restaurant and whenever I screw up, they would put me on dishwashing duties. So, honestly, this is reminding me a little bit like home," she boasted with nostalgia.
Luz rubbed her hands, sensing Anne's ire. "Yeah, but why does he have so many plate? There's no way he could be using them for eating."
Michael came walking in to answer her question.
"Actually, sweet curious Luz, half of them is used for eating. The rest of them are family heirlooms going all the way back to the Edo Period, gathering so much dust that they needed to be washed, but I never had the right time," said Michael straightforwardly. "As for when you'll be done, I didn't wake you up before the sun rose just to do one chore. You still have to clean the gutters, mop the floors, and deal with the raccoon using the attic as a hostel."
The girls protested, but Michael didn't relent.
"May I remind you two that not only did you basically steal my grandfather's car, but you also damaged it and tried to cover your mess up by playing chop shop. Frankly, if I wanted to make this worse for you, I could have made you two do all of that in skimpy French maid outfits, and with drone delivery, I could make that happen," Michael playfully threatened, earning him dirty looks from the pair, which he dismissed. "That being said, once this is all over, there's something I want to show that you might like."
Michael slowly took out a black and slightly beaten-up laptop under her left armpit, building suspense as Anne and Luz grew curious. The pair stared at the flashing screen as it revealed the colorful image of some sort of festival, mesmerized like moths dazzled by a roaring flame. When he closed the laptop, Anne and Luz snapped out of their daze and then turned to him, staring into his bright blue eyes. No longer holding the immense frustration from before, he looked at the girls more like a papa wolf bringing food to his den.
"It's the online flier for the upcoming Watauga County Street Fair and I thought it would be something we could all go together. Think of it as my reward to you guys while also a way to make it up to you for all the craziness this past week," Michael smiled before putting the laptop away.
"Wait. You guys actually have county fairs. I guess I really am in the South, aren't I?" Anne snickered.
Michael huffed before playfully firing back. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, miss Hollywood. Other than movie premiers and daily bank robberies, I doubt you have anything more exciting back in LA."
Anne puffed her cheeks, "Oh, you did not just go there, Michael Therman. I may be tired, but you do not want to play this game, pretty boy, or else I…"
"Anyways, going to a county fair might be what we all need. Rides, candy, and fun, those are things I can get behind," Luz nervously interjected, earning her an agreeable nod from the other two.
"Well, I'll give you that one. So, when is this fair going start?" Anne asked.
Michael took out his phone and checked the calendar briefly, taking his eyes off the two. "Well, given that it's a Tuesday and the fair is still being unpacked, it will likely be open next week on Friday."
"Exactly, giving us enough time to get everything ready, from getting the tickets to picking out the right outfits," Anne added and then got cheeky. "I'm going to guess daisy dukes and polka dot crop tops are a must, right?"
"Watch it," Michael growled.
He shifted his gaze from Anne to Luz, the young witch-in-training beaming her amber eyes at him to the point of it being blinding.
"Whatever the dress requirements are, I'm still stoked at the fun and interesting experience we're going to have," Luz grinned.
Michael couldn't help but grin back, shrugging, "Alright. Now that we're all on board, it's a date then."
Unbeknownst to the trio, flying high above the Therman residence, a drone observed while maintaining discretion. With its white paint texture and oblong design, one could mistake it for a bird flapping over aimlessly. The eye camera zoomed in and watched, recording every detail, from gestures to lip movement. Later, it was finished and soared away, its tiny propellers changing direction as a soft and staticky voice emitted from the tiny speakers.
"Do you think we've got everything we need?" a male voice asked in consternation.
"Are you kidding? We've been following those idiots for a week, and we barely scratched the surface on what they're planning. Other than something about a 'festival' and 'daisy dukes,' we're still on square one in this recon," a female voice frustratingly retorted.
"So…Plan B?"
"Plan B."
A/N: Hey, everybody. This is Kman134, bringing you a new chapter of Intruders from the Other Side. Sorry if it took so long to upload, I was dealing with the spring semester, and my attention was glued to my studies. Any modicum of free time I had was barely used to fill in the chapter. Aside from all that and the crushing weight of existential dread, I still finished this chapter. Now this chapter continues from the previous one, following the typical episodic formula from episodes like Cane Crazy and Hootie's Moving Hassle, focusing on the girls' hijinks and trying to repair some sort of damage while attempting to get away from whatever karmic justice instilled by the closest thing to an authority figure (in this case, Michael). There are hints of Michael's childhood and family life in some segments, along with running into his friends and avoiding misunderstandings. We get to see Tulip Olson, and she's the first "breached" to be fully aware of her status as a cartoon character. As for her being blunt about her attraction to Michael, that's mostly a jab at the mainstream Tulip's tactlessness and intellectualism. The same goes with subtle hints of Luz's growing attraction (she's bi, people, get over it). As for the drone, it's meant to be a stand-in for the government organization and will foreshadow something big later on. There's also a Clue joke, a subtle insult to Los Angeles, and historical references to Casanova and Japanese Edo. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and feel free to write as many reviews as you like.