Character Vignettes

Back to For The Spirit Of Creation

Hana's Gang I

"Stupid bint!"

Judy could feel the tears starting as the older girl shoved her and she stumbled to the ground. Another day at Bales had just begun, and Carter had started on her already. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

"Not so smart are you now, Nesmith?" The girl nudged Judy with her foot. "Are you?"

Judy curled up and said nothing. She knew, from frequent experience, that saying anything would only make things worse now. Two of Carter's friends had joined her, and they were laughing darkly.

"I said, not so smart, are you?" The girl's voice was raising, and a scowl of anger distorted her face.

Judy only whimpered, and the Carter's pulled back for a kick... and then felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. She turned in irritation, angry words on her lips... and froze.

She was staring into cold, contemptuous eyes, eyes that, despite belonging to a younger girl, had a good two inches on her. Eyes that seemed to burn into her soul. The eyes of Hana Jeong.

Judy looked up at the confrontation and froze. So far, the only good thing that had come out of school was that she'd stayed off of Hana Jeong's radar-- the Korean girl terrified her even more than Carter, more than the teachers, almost more than her father. Hana had already gotten into many fights throughout the year, and she'd won most of them. Even when she'd lost, she never backed down, never gave up. No one got away from a fight with her unmarked. And now she was caught between Carter and Jeong... what if she was the girl's next target?

Hana's voice was cold. "I'd heard you were hard, Carter. That how you got your rep? Pushing girls half your size?"

Carter licked her lips. She had no idea why Jeong was picking a fight with her, and meeting Hana's gaze was harder than she'd ever imagined-- she wanted to run away and hide, and she didn't know why. But everyone was watching. She couldn't back down. Besides, she had two friends with her.

She somehow found her voice. "Back off. This is none of your business, you chi--"

That was when Hana hit her in the mouth, hard enough to leave her senseless for a moment. Her friends, of course, jumped in to defend her. Hana didn't care. She didn't stop swinging until finally teachers arrived to pull the four girls apart, and then only reluctantly.

Afterwards, Judy approached Hana nervously. She had no idea if Hana would lash out at her next, but she ought to do something-- Hana was bruised and bloody on her behalf, after all.

"Th-thank you," she stammered out.

Hana shrugged. "Whatever. It pisses me off, seeing somebody act all tough for picking on somebody smaller than them. That's all."

"You're hurt," said Judy.

"I've had worse," Hana answered, dismissively. A few bruises and cuts weren't important. The important thing was that she hadn't backed down, and that Carter and the other girls would think twice before starting anything with her again.

Judy hesitated, gulping. Hana wasn't mad at her... but Carter would be. But maybe Carter wouldn't say anything if Hana was nearby. So...

"Um, would you mind if I ate lunch with you?"

Hana always ate alone... but, after all, there was nothing wrong with somebody else being there. It was not, of course, that Hana was lonely and would enjoy some company. She didn't need friends. But if Nesmith wanted to, she decided, it would be harmless enough.

"Go ahead," Hana answered, and Judy's eyes shone...

---

Sorcha Burr folded her arms and stared at Hana and Judy, her own followers at her back. Hana had been a thorn in her side, and enough was enough. If she couldn't keep two girls-- both younger than her-- in line, how could she possibly be taken seriously by anyone?

Hana stared back, apparently unconcerned, but Judy was scared. Still, fear was a familiar feeling, and after spending enough time around Hana, it didn't have the bite that it usually did. They were clearly both in trouble, though... She'd known that this confrontation was going to happen, sooner or later, though. And she'd made some preparations to at least try to even the odds a little.

"Here," she whispered to Hana, passing her a scarf. The sash weight she'd sewn into it made one end very heavy. Hana hefted it and grinned.

"Sure you brought enough people, Burr? I think you might need one or two more," she taunted. The odds were seven to two, and Hana knew full well that Judy wasn't anywhere near as good a fighter, but that didn't change anything.

Sorcha snorted and tossed her long red hair. "It's time you learned some respect, Jeong. And it looks like we're going to have to beat it into you."

"Talk while you still have teeth," Hana suggested, swinging the scarf around, getting a feel for it. It would do nicely.

A new voice called out, "Hey, don't start without us!"

Both Hana and Sorcha turned, surprised. A young Pakistani girl, dressed in scanty red clothes, and carrying a heavy stick, was leading two others towards the group.

Judy blinked in surprise. "Malika?"

"Do you know her?" whispered Hana.

"She's my neighbor," Judy whispered back. "I have no idea what she's doing here."

Sorcha was confused as well. "Okay. What the Hell is going on here?"

"We're Hana's gang," anounced Malika.

Judy and Hana exchanged surprised glances, while Sorcha snarled.

"So, boss, we're ready," Malika continued. "Shall we?"

In answer, Sorcha's gang charged, but they were hesitant-- they were less confident with the odds so close.

It ended when the police arrived. Sorcha's gang scattered like the wind, but Hana put a hand on Malika's shoulder as she started to run.

"Are you crazy?" Malika's eyes were wild-- she couldn't let herself be arrested!

Hana tossed the scarf around her neck casually. "We don't back down. That's the rule."

Judy stepped behind Malika. "Drop the stick. Fast! We can talk our way out of this!" she hissed.

Malika nervously complied, and watched as Judy, her eyes full of tears, explained how her multiracial group of friends had been attacked by a gang of racists. She shook her head in amazement as the police left.

"So. You decided you were my gang," said Hana, her voice level and severe.

The other girls looked scared, but Malika, swallowing, nodded defiantly.

"That's right, boss. We are."

Hana sighed. "Fine. But lose the 'boss' business. I'm Hana."

"All right... Hana," answered Malika, relieved. She'd admired Hana from a distance, and her gamble had paid off.

Judy smiled. Granted, she'd had all of Hana's attention before this, but really, Hana needed more friends. She'd realized that Hana was, deep down, lonely. Now there was a solution.

"So... Malika. Do you girls know how to play Hearts...?"

Hana's Gang II

“I don't believe that you shot the moon again!” Malika threw down her cards in disgust. Judy, in response, suppressed a laugh-- the other girls had figured out what Judy was trying several tricks ago, but had been unable to stop her accumulation of hearts.

“Juds has just had a run of good luck,” grinned Hana. Judy had indeed been doing well in the ongoing game of Hearts, but confidence had been a factor, and hers had gained a significant boost lately-- in a dramatic confrontation, her mother had finally been freed of her father, and, as a result, Judy's home life was hundreds of times happier.

Judy started to speak, but then stopped, staring behind Hana's head. Hana, in turn, spun around.

Sorcha Burr, accompanied by three of her girls, had walked up to the table. Moreover, Sorcha had changed her look dramatically-- her long, flowing red hair had been mostly shaved away into a Mohawk, and she now sported a nose ring.

Malika jumped to her feet, followed by several of the other girls. Hana didn't rise, but she fixed Sorcha with the hostile glare that had only grown stronger over the last year.

Sorcha took an involuntary half-step back from Hana's gaze, and raised her hands.

“Hold on there, Jeong. Tone the gaze down. I'm not here for a fight.”

“So what do you want, Burr?” Hana was puzzled-- they'd had many fights over the past year or two, and while Hana had been pulling ahead in the battles of late, the older girl was not to be underestimated under any circumstances.

Sorcha nodded to her girls, and they all sat down at the table together, Malika and the others following Judy's lead in making room for them. Sorcha looked around the table at everyone, and then, making up her mind, shrugged.

“I'm wanting you to deal me in... boss.”

A stunned silence passed around the table. Half of Hana's gang started to talk at once, but Hana cut them off with a gesture.

“'Boss?'”

Sorcha grinned sheepishly, an expression that no one present had seen her with in living memory. “Yeah. See, the problem is that you're crazy. I mean, stand up to me, outnumbered, sure, why not? You're good, and you're brave, and you don't back down. I can respect that, even though I'm gonna fight you over it. But you don't stop there, do you? You really don't care who you're up against. I finally figured it out last Saturday. When the bobbies show up, you never run. That's crazy.”

Hana shrugged. “I don't back down. What's your point?”

Sorcha sighed. “I can't beat that. No matter how tough and crazy I get, I can't beat that. So I give up. You're the toughest girl in Bales. Nothing left to do but go along with you, really. I'd just look a fool if I kept fighting you. I'd rather win by fighting next to you.”

There was another long pause.

“You mean that.”

Sorcha nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

“Fine,” said Hana. “I guess we deal you in, then. Judy, you deal again, I guess...”

---

“...I mean, how can she keep missing that? Jason's practically tripping over himself any time that he sees her,” said Malika, impatiently. “He's got it so bad for her, and he's actually polite, and smart, and he'd treat her well. Why doesn't Judy respond to him? Hasn't she noticed?”

Sorcha shook her head. In the time that she'd gotten to know Hana's family and inner circle, she'd quickly come to understand a great deal of the dynamics.

“Judy knows, Mal. Judy knows all about it. That's why she ignores him. She's not interested-- haven't you noticed? She's got her eye on somebody else-- someone considerably less polite.”

“Who, Dae-Jung?” Malika didn't think that it was true-- Judy certainly didn't pay particular attention to any of Hana's brothers, that she'd seen.

Sorcha laughed. “Oh, Mal... How did you miss this? Judy's not into boys. She's got a crush on Hana.”

Sitting nearby, a younger girl sat up straight. She casually brushed at a strand of her brightly-dyed hair and leaned backwards slightly, to hear more clearly.

Malika stared for a long moment. “She's a... she's interested in Hana? But... I mean, Hana's not... is she?”

“They aren't,” said Sorcha, firmly. “Hana hasn't noticed. Honestly, I don't think that Hana gets it at all. Have you noticed? Talk about boys with Judy and she'll change the subject, but talk about boys with Hana and she just doesn't get it. Anyway, Juds is in love with Hana, and that's that.”

“But...” Malika didn't understand this at all. Why would Judy be in love with Hana, and not Hana's handsome and clever and nice older brother Jason? “So it doesn't... bother you?”

“Don't be an idiot, Mal. It's the sweetest thing that I've seen in me entire life. I don't know how Hana misses it, and I don't know why she'd pass it up if she did. And,” she continued, firmly, “if I were you, I'd get used to the idea fast, if you're their friend. Judy likes girls. So what? Honestly, I'm not at all sure that it's a bad idea, with most of the boys out there. It doesn't change anything, anyway.”

Malika thought it over for a moment. Likes girls... no, I don't see how that works. But... well, I guess Judy's Judy. It's not like she's trying to grope me or anything. And... maybe Sorcha's thinking that way, too. Hm. I guess that's how things are, though. A sudden thought made her smile. Wait, that means that Jason's got no chance with her. And that means he's up for grabs, really... the more of the girls around that are into girls, the more guys for me. This might be a good thing, after all...

---

Walking along the street, Judy was talking to Malika in low, urgent tones.

“She's been wearing the same shirt for three days now, Mal.”

Malika glanced over at Emma Fox. Nobody was quite sure at what point, exactly, Emma had become a member of the gang-- the quiet girl had begun hanging out with them several months ago, and since Hana hadn't objected, nobody had chased her off. Since then, she'd accompanied them into not merely card games but fights, acquitting herself with respectable courage and skill. She'd also turned up with bruises that she refused to talk about on several occasions.

“Yeah, I guess she has. What's your point?”

“I think she's not going home,” explained Judy. “Did you notice? She's finishing off everyone's leftovers like she's not getting food at home. And she never leaves until everyone's gone. I think she must have run away.”

Malika digested this information. “Wow. I'd heard stories about her family, though. Ah... should we tell someone?”

“Who? All they'd do is put her in a home or something, and she'd lose her friends, and probably get treated just as bad,” Judy pointed out. “We can't let her just sleep out in the streets, though.”

Malika thought about it. “Why don't I ask her over tonight? Since my sister got married, we've got a little more space. I think I have some clothes that'd fit her, and mom goes crazy about cooking for company.” Normally, Malika considered her family, especially her mother, far to traditionalistic and embarrassing to expose her friends to, but if it meant that Emma would have a roof over her head, a hot shower, and a full stomach, it was well worth it.

Judy smiled brightly. “Perfect. Thank you, Malika. That's...”

“That's them!”

A few Bales House girls had stepped around a corner. Judy winced at the sight of Carter. Wouldn't she learn? This time, though, something was different.

A large party of older boys were walking with them. They looked at Hana's gang with a cruel contempt.

“So these bitches are the ones who were bothering you?” said the oldest. “They don't look like that big a deal. They should just say they're sorry. How about it girls, want to say you're sorry? We won't be too rough on you. Maybe you'll even learn to like it.” He licked his lips in anticipation-- several of these girls were very pretty.

“Shove off,” answered Hana, simply. She turned a baleful gaze on the boys and Carter, and Carter moved to hide behind one of the boys, who chuckled nervously. But why would he be nervous? It was just a bunch of girls, and they were younger than his crew. Not a danger.

“Hey, everybody! Wait up!”

Everyone turned to look at the newcomer. Whoever she was, she didn't fit in at all. Her bright, colorful hair and clothes, her shiny accessories, the expression on her face, the cat-ear headband she wore, all of these identified her as someone who belonged in a brighter-lit section of town. Immediately.

Nevertheless, she skipped lightly up to Hana and Sorcha.

“Hi! I'm Chloe! Listen, I've been trying to catch up to you guys for a while now. I know this is pretty sudden, but I was wondering if I could hang out with you? You look really cool, and...” She stopped, and looked over Sorcha's shaved skull.

“Have you ever thought about getting some temporary tattoos? You could put them on your scalp, right next to your hair-- they'd look so cute on you!”

Hana, boggled, could only stare, unable to comprehend this strange visitor. Sorcha, forced to envision this newcomer trying to festoon her head with temporary tattoos-- no doubt ones of cute butterflies and rainbows and kittens-- found herself compelled to speak.

“Are you mad? D'you even know where you are right now? You aren't part of our crowd. Get lost. You don't fit here.”

Chloe's bright smile began to fade slightly, and the older boy walked up behind her and put a possessive hand on her shoulder.

“The bitch is right, girlie. Why don't you come along with us, huh? When we're done with these girls, it's gonna be a party...”

As he spoke, Chloe reached into her purse. Judy vaguely wondered what she could possibly be reaching for. A cell phone? That seemed the most likely-- surely she realized that calling for help was her best option at this point.

The beer bottle took Judy completely by surprise. Even more so when Chloe spun around, broke it over the boy's head, cutting his scalp, and then slashed it at his face. He managed to raise his hand in time to protect his eyes, but his blood spattered Chloe's still-grinning face. Her voice was bright and cheerful as she spoke.

“I think the party starts right here! Paaarty tiiiime...” she continued, in a dreamy, sing-song voice, as she advanced towards the boys.

Hana caught Judy and Sorcha's eyes, and they moved in quickly, followed by the rest of the girls. After an introduction like that, it wouldn't do to be spectators at a fight. And Carter needed to be taught to not hide behind older boys, in any event.

Afterwards, Hana looked at Chloe with a new respect. She'd lost her cat ears, was cut and bruised, had lost her bottle, and had broken several nails when she continued to fight, unarmed... but she had only laughed throughout the entire fight.

“You're mad,” Hana said. “You know that, right?”

Chloe shrugged. “I don't care. Are you sure that I can't hang out with you?”

Hana stared, and then laughed.

“Fine. If you're mad enough to do all that, I'd better just let you stay. Do you play cards?”

“I'll learn!” promised Chloe, her grin broader than ever.

Hana and Judy meet a monster

"We're late, Hana!" called Judy to the back of her fast-moving best friend. That would never do, in her opinion-- Hana should be there on time for meetings with her gang. Besides, being punctual would only do her good at the new school.

"I know-- hold on, Juds. There's a shortcut through the alley, there," answered Hana, pointing.

The alleyway was dark and foreboding, with almost a palpable aura of menace that was instantly clear to everyone but Hana... or if Hana sensed it, she ignored it. Judy shuddered, but she didn't want to admit fear in front of Hana. Besides,with Hana there, she had confidence that nothing would happen-- and if it did, Hana could certainly deal with it. She followed as Hana charged between buildings.

The chill in the air was getting worse, and Judy found herself wishing that she hadn't urged Hana to run so fast; she would have vastly preferred holding on to her best friend's arm at a time like this. But at least at this rate, they'd surely get out of the alley swiftly... but it seemed to go on forever.

Suddenly the lights in the alley began to pop and break, plunging the girls into darkness. There was a dark chuckle, and Hana and Judy looked around, trying to see where it was coming from.

A pair of round, luminous eyes opened, a good seven feet off the ground, and the creature, gaping fangs shining, stepped out into the dim light. It was broad-shouldered and muscular, a smooth slate grey in color. It had no hair or ears, a projecting snout, and long claws on its three-fingered hands and three-toed feet. It laughed again, malevolently, and reached for the girls.

Judy stared in shock, a scream frozen in her throat, but Hana was already in motion, whipping the scarf she always wore out in a deadly arc-- the sash weight sewn into it made it a dangerous weapon.

The creature was clearly surprised by Hana's attack, but unhurt, and it backhanded her with a blow that sent her reeling backwards. Hana's head was spinning-- she could hear Judy calling her name, but she seemed distant. The creature was extending a clawed hand towards her friend...

You are not going to hurt Judy. Hana stood up. No one is going to hurt Judy. Not while I'm here. She knew that she hadn't hurt the thing, knew that she didn't have a chance of causing it any harm. But that didn't matter. Jeongs did not back down. Hana never backed down from a fight, even one that she couldn't win. But the creature was reaching for Judy... Hana had to get its attention, and protect her friend.

Hana gave a fierce scream, and thrust her fist defiantly into the air. Wind whiped around her, making her hair and clothes flutter wildly.

A silvery-white column of light erupted from the ground, enveloping her, and her dark silhouette was visible inside. A series of blades spiraled down from the sky, surrounding the column of light in a double helix, spinning faster and faster.

Suddenly, the column of light exploded, and Hana was revealed, now dressed in a blue leotard. The blades spiraled in towards her, some of them moving to form her shoulder and forearm guards, her boots, her skirt, and finally the metallic wings on her headband.

Hana pointed at the enemy and grinned. "Let's go, you!"

Hana didn't really understand what had happened to her, but the power flowing through her cleared away all doubts. The creature's eyes seemed to widen as it stared at her, but it was still reaching for Judy... Hana didn't think about how she was going to stop it, but simply made it happen, and a cascade of blades shot out, forming a wall between Judy and the creature. The monster, still in motion, struck the wall with its hand and cried out in pain, pulling back a mangled limb. It looked in shock at the injuries and then at Hana, almost as if it was trying to say something.

Hana grinned and charged, moving at remarkable speeds as she slammed her fist into the monster with incredible force. Now the creature staggered back, and the confusion that had briefly appeared in its eyes vanished. This wasn't supposed to be happening, but it wasn't going to let itself be struck like that. It roared, and the mutilated hand began to repair itself.

Judy watched, her mind racing. This didn't make any sense... But so what? I can see what's happening. It must be real. Hana's protecting me, but she'll surely have an easier time if I'm clear and she can focus on the fight. That thing is healing, too. She needs to finish it quickly.

She pulled back from the wall of whirling blades and called out to Hana. "I'm clear! Focus on your enemy, Hana, and take it out quickly, before it recovers!"

Hana nodded, and the wall of blades pulled back to her, orbiting around her. All right. Let's wrap this up... She didn't stop to analyze how her powers worked-- that didn't matter. Later, she would wonder how she knew how to use them, but for now, there was only the fight. That was what mattered. And she knew that she would win.

Her blow had knocked the creature back from her a short distance, but now it was charging her as it healed. Fine. Let's go. Hana ran at the creature as well, shouting "Ribbon of Blades!" She didn't know where the words came from, but did it matter?

The orbiting blades formed into a compound buzzsaw edge, slashing, and Hana ran past the monster, unconcerned about its reaching arms. She stopped and turned, looking back at it.

The creature stood there, utterly still, for just a moment. Then it began to fall into pieces, head sliding one direction, shoulders another, chest in a third. Dust poured out of it, and it quickly crumbled away to nothing.

"Hana? Are you all right?"

Hana looked up at Judy and grinned. The armor dissolved away into motes of steely light, but Hana knew that it would return when she wanted it to. She felt alive, and filled with energy in ways that she'd never imagined possible. The thrill of fighting had never felt so good, and fighting monsters, she knew, was perfect. No one would tell her that she shouldn't. No one could lecture her. It was the right thing to do, and she wanted to.

Perfect.

"I'm fine, Juds. You know how you're always saying I should find what I want to do in my life? Well..."

Runaway

By the time I realized the thing wasn’t chasing me, I had no idea where I was. I turned into an alley and sat, with my back against the wall, and my exhaustion suddenly caught up to me. As I slowly recharged, I noticed the graffiti on the opposite wall – I mean, really noticed it, had time to look around, take it in. The flickering lamplight lent a strange kind of rhythm to my intake.

And I realized that it obviously meant something to whoever made it. Even though nobody will know them, let alone give them any kind of recognition or reward. Even though society thinks it’s a nuisance at best, people have the urge to create. And as I realized that, I realized how beautiful it was.

It was around about then that I noticed there was someone else in the alley. Tall, lanky – even though I’d been warned not to go into strange places at night, for some reason I didn’t feel like I was in danger from him. Besides, there wasn’t any place more dangerous than my own home now.

“You look… freaked out.” He said as he came into the lamplight.

“Yeah.” I was too exhausted and incoherent to say any more. He extended his hand to help me to my feet, and I took it.

“From the looks of it, you don’t have anywhere particular in mind to go to, right?”

“Anywhere but home. Actually, I’m really not sure where I am.”

“Parent troubles, right?” That’s an understatement. “It’s not all that rare. Well, luckily, there’s a place to stay not far from here – I’ll show you. My name’s Scott, by the way.”

“I’m Sara. And thank you.”

I still hadn’t completely gotten over my initial shock by the time we reached the shelter. Scott knocked on the door, and I had my first meeting with a certain warmly-smiling woman.

“Scott, come in. And I haven’t met you before, have I, dearie? Come on in, get yourself out o’the cold. My name’s Alice.” As I stepped in, she hugged me – she seemed to radiate warmth and kindness, and there didn’t seem to be a single false thing about it. Despite all the poverty and trouble that goes with us street kids, she always manages to be bright and kind. Even when someone misbehaves and she scolds them for it, I never get the feeling that she dislikes them. Anyway, she got me some hot chocolate (from one of the big bulk-buy cans), the got a mattress, pillow and blankets for me and showed me to one of the girls’ dorms. It wasn’t much bigger than my room at home, but there were about eight girls there, so it was way more cramped.

Tired as I was, it was impossible for me to get to sleep – I lay awake, tossing and turning, afraid that… thing would suddenly appear. After I-don’t-know-how-long-but-it-felt-like-forever, the girl next to me – Kate - touched my shoulder.

“Can’t sleep?” she whispered.

“I’m too scared.” I replied. “It was… my dad’s… he changed…” I trailed off – how could anyone ever believe me?

“You mean changed changed?” she asked. “Like, into a monster?”

“What? Monsters? There’s no such thing, right?” But the lack of conviction in my voice was all the proof she needed.

“You don’t have to pretend. There’s a bunch of us who have seen monsters. They’re real, even if nobody else believes people like us. Well, Alice believes us, so maybe you could talk to her about it. So, if you can’t get to sleep after something like that, I understand. Hey, I can stay awake with you if you want, help you keep a lookout?”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. After all, people like us… friends are about the only thing we have.”

Erin Discovers Science

"Erin? Wanna play together?"

The nine-year old girl looked up. The Turner twins, Ed and Lilly. They were occasional playmates during recess. "Sure, coming!"

"...You didn't want to play this morning," Ed couldn't help but note.

"I hadn't finished the book yet."

While the Turners didn't find that answer very satisfying, they didn't push further. Alex was sick all week long, they wanted a third playmate, and Erin was nice most of the time, so why question it?

"All right, I'll be the princess this time," said Lilliy; "you'll be the knights who rescue me again?"

"Yeah!"

"Sure!"

And so the game went as usual.

Later that day, Erin's reading schedule came up in a talk with her father.

"You've finished 'The Hobbit' already? Why am I not surprised?"

"Fun books read fast."

Mr. Watson smiled. "That they do. Anyway, since I expected you to be done with it, I stopped by the library. Here," he handed her a large book with an ornately-illustrated cover, titled 'From the Earth to the Moon'; "I read it when I was a few years older than you, but I think you'll enjoy it."

"Thanks dad!"

"Also...It's not a storybook, but you might want to take a look at this" he showed her another hardcover, titled 'My Very First Science Book'.

She looked at it, puzzled, and took it to her room. On her bed, she looked at the first book. From the cover and title alone, it sounded fun. Hopefully it'd make for a good week-end.

But the other book...She wasn't sure what to make of it. She decided to take a peak...

"So you see, when I put the small block on this end of the ruler, it tips over and pushes up the big block! The big block is heavier of course, but because the fulcrum is so much closer to the big block, it means the small one pushes down a looong way to push the big one up even a little. It's a first-class lever!"

Mrs. Watson smiled with amusement at her daughter's rudimentary science demonstration. She had been rather enthusiastic about such things all week-end.

Come Monday, Alex joined Erin and Ed as the trio of heroic knights set to rescue princess Lilly.

"The evil witch has me imprisonned in the tower!"

"But we'll rescue you - with potential energy!" vowed Erin.

"...With what?"

"Potential energy! See, we'll get big springs, attach them to our shoes, and then jump higher and higher until we reach the top of the tower!"

"Oh. Yeah!"

This was fun enough at first. A week later, however...

"The evil witch is attacking us with spells!"

"I'm OK! I have the sword in the stone, it protects me from magic!"

"And I've figured out a theory of magic and built an anti-magic field generator!"

"You can't do that! It's magic!"

"I can too! My theory works!"

"Nu-huh! It's magic! You can't build machines against it!"

"Sure you can! Science can do anything!"

"Erin, you do this all the time! It's not fun anymore! You're ruining the magic! And you're always taking about energy and electricity and all that boring junk!"

"Science isn't boring!"

"Yes it is!"

"Is not! Is not at all!"

"Erin sweety...How would you like to go to the Turners' this after-noon?"

"Not today, mom. I've got SCIENCE to do!"

"Oh..?"

"Yeah! I've got some copper wire, an electric battery, and a compass. I'm going to redirect the North!"

"Have fun, sweety..."

As Erin went on to her lab/room, Mrs. Watson looked at her husband. "You think we're raising the next Marie Curie?"

He chuckled. "Looks like it. She's so going to the science museum for her birthday."

Erin and Love

"H-hi Erin..."

The ten-year old girl looked up from her book. "Hi Tom."

"Can, can I sit here?"

"Sure." She resumed her reading.

"So...What's your book about?"

"It's 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'. You know King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table?"

"Sure! Of course I know that!"

"Well, in this story, someone from the modern era...Well, almost modern era. Anyway, he gets sent back in time where he meets them."

"Sounds cool!"

"And then he shows all those stupid knights and wizards how to get things done!"

"Er..."

"He blows up Merlin's tower with explosives, shoots the knights with guns, and even builds telegraph lines! It's awesome!"

"...What's a telegraph?"

"Ah...It's what they used before they invented phones. It's the same, except it sends dots and dashes instead of sound, and you use the dots and dashes to make letters."

"Ah."

"You really should read it. It's awesome!"

"OK...But isn't this making fun of the knights?"

"Totally."

"Ah."

"You seem unconvinced."

"I dunno. I'll read it, but...I LIKE adventures and stuff."

"Then you've GOT to read 'Odyssey from River Bend'. Want me to lend it to you?"

Over the next few months, Erin found herself hanging around with Tom on a semi-regular basis - or rather, he hung around with her, approaching her during recess, coming to visit at home. They'd play, they'd talk...A bit like Alex and the Turner twins back then.

But then, as summer approached...

"Erin...You know I'm moving the week after school ends, right?"

"You've mentioned it five or six times, and I have pretty good memory, so, yes."

"Right. It's just that...I...I...I'll really miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Tom. But there's still phones...well, OK, oversee calls are expensive, but there's still letters."

"It's...It's not the same."

"I guess. But don't worry. You'll learn the language quick, and I'm sure you'll make a lot of friends there."

Tom said nothing, but seemed unconvinced. Erin, for herself, started wondering - WOULD she miss him, actually? She didn't feel like she was really missing any older friends, after all...

"Good morning, hon. Getting up a bit late today, aren't we?"

"That's because I went to bed late yesterday, mom." There wasn't really any need for Erin to say it - her parents had authorized her to stay up later than usual to watch the comet with the telescope she had received for her birthday.

"I know, I know. Anyway, there's a letter for you."

"For me?"

"Yes, here you go."

Her curiosity piqued, Erin opened the envelope and reached for the letter inside. "It's from Tom!"

"How nice! He must have sent it right before leaving."

Erin went to her room and began reading. As she did, she blushed deeply. Still blushing, she put the letter down.

"He's had a crush on me all along? And he never said anything?"

And why hadn't she noticed? Was she THAT oblivious? In hindsight, there had been quite a few clues.

But if she HAD known...THEN what? Would she have wanted him to be her boyfriend? Tom was nice and all, but...

For the first time since kindergarten, it dawned on Erin that she had a peculiar lack of interest in romance. She wasn't interested in Tom THAT way. She wasn't interested in ANYONE that way, and had never been. Well, surely some people valued friendship over romance...

...but did she value friendship? Tom had practically been her only friend in those last months of elementary school. Now he was gone, and she didn't care. She wasn't feeling lonely. She had no friend in the world, and she wasn't feeling lonely.

That realization sent a cold chill down her spine. Slowly, she headed back to the living room.

"...Mom?"

"Yes, hon?"

"Mom, am I...am I normal?"

This caused her mother to pause. "Normal? In what way, sweety? And what brought this on anyway?"

"I...I..." Erin hesitated, suddenly feeling really awkward. "...I have no friends. Tom was the last one I had, and now he's on the other side of the sea."

"Aw." Her mother hugged her. "Erin, you are a very bright girl. Brighter than anyone your age I know. You are also sweet, helpful, and as nice as it gets. I'm sure you can make as many friends as you want to. But as to your question...Erin, you are not, and never will be, normal. You are EXTRAORDINARY."

While this didn't really answer Erin's concerns, she decided not to push further.

Later that day, as she lay in her bed, Erin pondered the matter again. Was there anything wrong with her? She didn't think so...But, it was hardly an exact science now, was it?

"That's what they ought to invent," she whispered to herself before drifting to sleep, "a machine for figuring people out..."

Erin and Astrology

The two 11 year-old girls were making their way through the mall. One had medium-length blond hair and practical clothes; the other, a redhead, obviously invested far more in looking good (to the extent someone her age could master the concept).

"...was hoping Bobby would be in my class this year, but it looks like he went to a different school. A shame, since he's soooo cute."

"Uh-huh."

"Erin?"

"Huh? Uh, yes, Chloe?"

"Am I boring you? You never seem very interested when I talk about boys."

"I dunno, Chloe. I guess I don't really care that much about romance."

"Your loss, cousin.

Anyway, I'm telling you, this place is great. So many shops...It's almost like being in a big city!"

"I can't wait to see their bookstore. I've been looking for 'The Strange Case of Mrs. Hudson's Cat' everywhere!"

"...Right."

As the two cousins walked through between the stores, they passed near an aged woman, who looked like she had fallen on rather hard times. The poor lady was handing out papers.

Curious, Erin got closer. "What are these?"

"Horoscopes, dearie" the lady gave a pleading smile.

"Ooh!" Chloe seemed interested. "To tell the future?"

"Why yes. Just go by your astrological sign, and you'll read your fortune."

"Neat!" Chloe turned to Erin, but found her cousin to be far less enthusiastic.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Erin protested. "Come on. You know it can't work."

"Why not?"

"So, so many reasons. First, those things were designed based on constellations, and there's no way for the stars to affect our destinies in any meaningful way. Second, the constellations and astronomical signs were chosen randomly. Some Greek guy made them all up. Other cultures have completely different constellations and astrology. Third, your astrological sign is based on the position of the relevant constellation at the time of your birth - but due to the movements of the solar system in the last couple thousand years, those positions have shifted, so horoscopes the world over actually give you the wrong astrological sign to begin with. Fourth, if it worked, everybody who had the same astrological sign would have the same destiny, which obviously isn't happening. Fifth, if it worked, governments across the world would be incorporating it into how they did things. Sixth, even if you COULD see the future, just seeing it would change the way you acted, so making a prediction would automatically make it false anyway. It's all bunk."

The old woman's smile had mostly faded, and she seemed ready to go away, but Erin then proceeded to pull out her wallet, and hand her one pound. "Good luck. Have a good day."

"Bless you" said the woman, smiling, but slightly confused.

As the two girls walked away, Chloe voiced her own confusion. "Wait, if this astrology stuff pisses you off so much, why did you give her money anyway?"

"Just because she's using something dumb to make money, doesn't mean she didn't need help."

"Yeah, but...don't you think the whole reason she was selling horoscopes was so that she WOULDN'T have to beg?"

"You mean, so that she wouldn't feel like she was asking for something for free?"

"Yeah, that."

"Well, that's too bad. I'm willing to help. I'm not willing to pretend I believe in this bull."

"Even so. You didn't have to make such a big deal out of it. It doesn't hurt anyone if they believe in it."

"But it's stupid! And, and false!"

"Big deal. It's FUN, believing in weird stuff. If no-one gets hurt, why ruin it?"

Erin was now getting agitated. "It MATTERS! First, mistakes CAN hurt you. But even if they couldn't, the truth MATTERS. If you don't fight for the truth, it DIES."

"Oh geez. Don't be such a drama queen. It's not the end of the world if people want to make reality a bit less boring."

"But it's not boring!"

"Sure, if you're the biggest science nerd in England. "

"That doesn't...Oh, here's the bookstore!"

A Moonlit Night in Birmingham

It was a strange night under the full moon in Birmingham. That is to say, it was a strange night for two people in Birmingham. I don't mean to imply that every single inhabitant of Birmingham was finding themselves in bizarre circumstances. Most people were sleeping peacefully in their beds, and even those that were awake were not aware of the strange scene being played out in a dark and quiet alley. Of course, it is only strange in a relative sense. It was not necessarily unusual or strange for the beast itself to be attacking someone. It was probably quite natural and matter of course for the monster to attack people with little to no provocation. On the other hand, it was certainly strange, unusual, and atypical for Mary Kirk to be assaulted by an inhuman monster on her way home, but then Mary was a very typical, normal, and ordinary girl.

The astute observer might have noticed that I said it was a strange night for two people, but have only indicated the presence of two beings, the monster and Mary, and might be wondering if I intend to grant the monster the status of "person". Sadly, I'm not quite that charitable; perhaps I'd been a more decent chap if I could find the empathy to attribute human status to such a being, but usually the most I can do with a monster is to hit it until it turns into dust. Forgive me if that makes me seem uncouth; I assure you that in my day to day affairs I'm much more gentle.

Anyway, we're on a bit of a tangent here, so let's refocus. We have the alley, with Mary backed up against the wall and looking quite afraid, and the monster approaching at a leisurely pace, apparently savoring her fear and in no hurry to make this quick. To satisfy the earlier quota of 2 people having an oddball night, I suppose I had better mention that I was there. Of course, I wasn't exactly in my normal attire. You see, it was a strange night for me, but it was a strangeness that's novelty was beginning to decay a bit. Oh, alright, I won't pretend that I'm at ease with the idea or actuality of running around cities at night dressed up like the Great Gatsby fighting monsters with a walking stick, but I was beginning to adjust to the concept. A bit.

The observer might also note that I have a tendency to try to be funny or witty. I beg the observer's forgiveness, as it seems to be a habit I can't quite shake.

Alright, I'll stop neglecting the narrative. Mary was up against one wall, backed up and desperately looking for a way out. I knew Mary from school; she was a nice enough girl, certainly amiable enough. The monster was approaching her; like most of the things I fought during my night ventures in Birmingham, it was a confusing creature. In general form it seemed to resemble a greyhound, but there was quite a bit off with it. The skin was loose, saggy, and yellowish in color; instead of a snout it had a beak made of some bony material that looked slick and slimy. The throat was adorned with a beard of hanging tendrils that twisted and writhed, glistening with the same slime that marked the beak. Instead of paws, it seemed to have fleshy pads that slapped as it moved along the ground. All and all, it was quite repulsive and ghastly.

In comparison, Mary was quite lovely. Dirty blond hair, vivid blue eyes... I suppose the audience will forgive me if this seems a bit lecherous to mention, but the girl had a wonderful figure. Such a slim waist. I have to admit, I was a bit jealous of my friend Nick, whom Mary was sweet on. Still am, come to think of it, but the audience is probably tired of this line of thought, so I'll just get on with it.

Now, most people's response to seeing a pretty girl threatened by some kind of aberrant horror would probably be between paralyzed with fear and running to get the police. Maybe a few would pick a bat or a rake or something and tried to fend the thing off, so really, my response of jumping right in between Mary and the thing isn't that odd, is it?

I'll admit that my attire might have added an element of surreality to me that might cause one to question my sanity. If the monster was a thing out of a nightmare, then I was... well, I was the product of a different kind of altered state of mind, which I will allude to only out of a motive of politeness. My point is, despite my dress, I was only doing what any decent fellow would have done. What kind of person wouldn't try to protect a someone in danger, especially someone as endearing as Mary?

The astute observer might counter that I doth protest too much, and that I'm attempting to make myself seem humble to heighten the heroism of my action. To counter, I'll neatly dodge the question and just continue telling my story.

So, I'd had the good fortune to arrive on the scene just as the thing was coming at Mary. It was giving off a sort of low hooting as it came on, head low and feet smacking against the pavement. Alice was against the wall, probably doubting her sanity. I was standing in between the two, cane in one hand, hat in the other, tensed and waiting.

People familiar with me and my capabilities as in my suit wearing iteration might be surprised when I say I lashed out at the thing with my cane as it came close. They might ask why I didn't use the sword sheathed inside the cane to cut the thing apart, to which I make this reply: Why does everyone seem to think that the sword part is the only dangerous bit of the stick? Have you lifted this thing? It's surprisingly heavy, and that knob that forms the sword hilt is solid metal. Add my augmented strength in my spiffed up guise, and I'm quite easily just as dangerous hitting people with the stick as I am cutting them with the sword.

Sorry, that's a pet peeve of mine. I mean, I've been given this power for a reason, right? I honestly can't say why me in particular, or for what reason. It's just, whenever someone needs someone else to look out for them, someone to watch their back, help them up, and hey, if needed, save them, I like to be that guy. And now, whenever I feel like some thing precious to me is in danger, or someone needs me to protect them, I end up in spats and a three piece suit with the power to protect that which I hold dear. And not only the power, but the knowledge and the skills necessary to use that power. I may not know how to throw a punch in my normal form, but whenever I'm putting on the Ritz, I just know. So, really, I don't think I can get much better taking pointers from someone else, particularly an audience without any experience in these matters.

That clear? Good. Anyway, I hit the thing with my cane. It was a pretty good hit, in my estimation at least, and the thing kind of tripped up, crashed into the ground, and immediately began to turn to dust.

If you're thinking that that was a bit anti-climatic, then yeah, I'd agree. I was a bit perplexed myself. Most of the time, the things were tougher than that. I'd fought monsters before, and while most seemed to buy the farm after 2 or 3 good hits, I'd never one hit KO'ed one before.

I'll freely admit that my pride was a bit stoked at my evident prowess, and I turned to the still freaking out Mary in a rather cheeky mood. I forget what I said exactly, and whatever it was it wasn't that clever anyway, but I had no sooner finished than I felt a sharp pain in my back. A glance over my right shoulder yielded a most disconcerting sight. Two long, barbed hooks of slime covered bone were lodged in my left shoulder. They were connected to two taut ropes of bunched muscle, twitching sinew, and red flesh that led into a corner of darkness I hadn't seen before. Two great big yellow eyes were glowing, set at about a height of 6 feet.

The audience should be able to appreciate and understand the fact that I was more than bit frightened to find myself caught off guard. Before I could react, the muscles in the flesh ropes flexed, tearing me off my feet and jerking me back into the darkness.

The thing, whatever it was, was huge. The eyes were apparently set in the chest, as its overall height was easily a story tall. It had multiple sets of arms, most ending in pincers or pointed stingers. The largest set of limbs was a pair of great scythe bladed talons. It's exterior was like the hardened carapace or exoskeleton of an insect, segmented in many places. Its head, set low in the chest, was a knobby protrusion of unarmored flesh with practically no neck. A massive beard of twisting feelers hung from the chin, slapping against my face as the pincers held me in vice like grip.

So, yeah, I was more than a little freaked out. The scything talons tensed for what I instinctively knew was a decapitating strike and I finally pulled myself together. I managed to get my foot up and give the thing a solid enough kick that I could wrench myself free of the pincers. I'd lost my hat in the abrupt flight to the creature's waiting grapsers, but had managed to keep my cane. The scythe limbs swept downward, the bony edges of the blades whipping up a wind that rustled my hair as they missed my scalp by inches. I drew my sword and stabbed for the thing's head.

Now, the audience might ask why I wasn't trying to get out of the reach of the thing's scythe talons or why I was still fighting it. In the first place, I'm a better fighter up close than I am far away. In the second, If I backed up it would just hook me again and drag me back to it. In the third, if I backed off, it might have gone after Mary. The power that I've been given seems to have made me strangely resistant to harm, but those hooks could have seriously injured a normal person, and the rest of that thing's arsenal would tear them to pieces.

Now, you might not believe me, but that last reason was the only real important one. Even if I could have gained a significant advantage by backing off, I could never do so if it exposed someone to harm like that. I'm being serious here. I wasn't given these powers so that I could save my own hide. I was given them so that I could stand unwavering in the defense of others. That's honestly what I think, and that's how I'm going to play it from here till the day I fall.

So I stood there and tried to give as good as I got. I won't bore you with all the details of the fight; I think it went on for a minute or two before I finally got the better of the thing.

With a sweep of my sword, I severed both of its fighting talons. It actually let out a strange hoot similar to the first creature - maybe they were related, somehow? - and then I drove my sword through the soft head and into the thing's body. It gave up the ghost and turned to dust as I staggered out of the alley and looked for my hat.

Mary was still there, which honestly surprised me. I wasn't worried about her recognizing me; no one seems to when I'm transformed. I remember her thanking me profusely, and my replying with the same old "it was nothing" responses that are so typical of such a scene. I told her to get on home and be careful from now on, and she finally left after hugging me, actually. I followed her a bit, just to make sure she got home safe, and then turned back towards my own home. A quite swipe of my handy dandy magic handkerchief, and the worst and most obvious of the injuries were gone. Just a couple bruises left, and easy enough to explain away as the result of messing around with the guys.

So yeah, that's a night in the life of Simon Hunt. It's not the best way to live.

Well, I've got to admit, it's getting better.