Vinnie put his hands up in the air. “Rob, I was just going to grab my ID!” he said.
“That’s what I want!” the officer said. “But I don’t want you trying anything funny!”
The officer kept his gun aimed at Vinnie. The other officers pulled out their weapons. Another car arrived, and those officers rushed towards the truck.
“Who are the other people in the car?” the second officer asked.
“My cousin, Franklin and his wife, Liza,” Vinnie said.
“Hello!” Dad sounded very firm.
“Charmed!” Mom said sarcastically.
“Didn’t ask you to talk!” the second officer barked.
Officer Robert concentrated on Vinnie. He held out an open palm. “Your ID!” he demanded.
Vinnie reached for his back pocket again.
I saw the officer twitch. I didn’t like the look of that twitch. Leaping from the truck, I pulled the gun out of the officer’s hand. Pushing him away, I knocked him into the second officer.
I heard the other four officers prepare to open fire. I needed to time this right to avoid all their shots and to make sure none of the stray bullets hit my family.
“Freeze, fools!” I heard from behind me.
Looking around, I saw that the six officers had frozen in place. A pretty girl with flowing multi-colored hair walked up towards our car. “Sorry it took me so long to get here, Dad,” she said to Vinnie.
Vinnie grinned. "That's cool." Pointing to me, he said, "Your cousin, Nina started to disarm them." He smiled. "Nina, Frank, Franklin, Ruby, Liz, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Veronica. She's what we call a mind-bender."
Veronica walked up to me and gave me a hug. “Nice to meet you, Cuz,” she said. “Dad tells me you're a cool vampire.”
“My dad has told me nothing about you,” I said with a sigh.
Veronica laughed. “Scientists are so about the moment.”
"True," I said. "You're a mind-bender, so what exactly does that mean?"
Veronica pointed at the frozen police. “I tell people to do something, and they do it. No questions asked. I bend their will, but the term will-bender didn’t sound right.”
“I get that,” I said.
“Once I froze all of Mombasa when I needed to catch a plane,” Veronica told me, laughing.
“Wait, that town has almost a million people in it,” Ruby gasped.
“Over nine hundred thousand,” Cousin Vinnie boasted.
“Yeah it was cool,” Veronica said.
“That’s a fascinating amount of power for one so young,” Dad said.
“I’m sixteen,” Veronica said.
“Child, that is very young,” Mom said.
Vinnie turned to Dad, “Can you imagine what her power will be like when she grows older?”
“It’s going to be fantastic,” Dad said. “She should come to the USA and visit us so I can test her.”
“I would like that,” Veronica said.
“Me too!” Frank said, far more excited than normal.
"Cool your jets, Frank, she's your cousin," Ruby said.
Frank sank back in his chair. “Right, I knew that. I just want her to be happy.”
“Thanks, Cuz!” Veronica said. Veronica turned towards the frozen policemen and ordered, “You will return to your cars and drive away. Nothing to see here.”
The six police all turned and walked to their cars like zombies. They got in and drove off.
“Wow,” Frank said. “She’s even better at the command thing than Mom and Nina!”
“She is impressive,” Ruby agreed.
I couldn't disagree. Sure, she wasn’t super strong and couldn’t fly. Plus, she didn’t have claws and stuff, but still, her mind-bending ability was impressive in a big way.
Veronica pointed to the motorcycle she had been driving. “Let’s get to the reserve. We don’t need any more trouble.”
“Right,” Cousin Vinnie agreed.
Veronica gave me a nudge, “Come on. I’ll take you on my bike!”
“Cool,” I said.
Veronica sat on the front of the motorcycle. She handed me a helmet. “Safety first!” she told me.
I popped the helmet on. “I hate helmet hair,” I whispered.
“Don’t worry, even with helmet hair you will still be very pretty!” she smiled at me.
She revved up the motorbike, and we took off. Veronica drove fast. I liked it. We reached the gate that led to the reserve in no time. A large stocky man opened the gate for us. He tipped his cap. “Nice to see you, Ms. Veronica!”
"Thanks, Butch!" Veronica said. She drove towards the big white house. "Butch is one of our few loyal guards. He wasn't scared off by the fake mumbo jumbo."
“Why do you think it’s fake?” I asked.
“Just a feeling!” Veronica said.
We pulled up near the house and parked. Veronica hopped off the bike. I followed her. The door to the house opened. A tall, slim, dark and handsome boy walked out. He had to be one of the most handsome boys I’d ever seen. No joke.
“Hi, I’m Fadhili, Mr. Vinnie’s aide,” he said.
I stood there looking into his big brown eyes. Veronica nudged me. “Talk.”
“Hi, I’m Nina,” I said.
“Of course you are!” Fadhili said. “I’ve heard so much about you!”
In my head, I heard Veronica say, "Hey, Cuz, I know he's cute, but before you get any ideas, he's mine. Well not mine, but I want him to be…"
Well, so much for that, I guessed.
Nina Note: It felt so amazing to be in Kenya. I loved the idea of being able to help save animals. Fadhili…well, he is very cute. But my cousin, Veronica certainly has an interest in him. And, I did have Jimmy waiting for me at home. But wow, oh wow, Fadhili is cute!
Of course, Veronica's power was incredibly impressive. Okay, she stopped six policemen in their tracks with a thought, which was good. Actually, it was great! But if it’s true that she froze a city with a thought, she might be the most powerful human I know. It would be best to keep her on my side.
Chapter 6: The Mystery
After a good night's sleep and a nice breakfast, Fadhili and Veronica took Ruby, Frank, and I for a tour of the area. The animal reserve covered over 50 square miles. We saw waterbucks, gazelle, elephants, and of course, lions and cheetahs. The big cats had their own areas, which were located far enough from the gazelles, so it was an effort to hunt them. Birds of every color roamed the skies. Veronica told us there were at least 600 species of birds there.
“This place is so amazing!” I gushed.
“Agreed!” Ruby said.
“So agreed!” Frank added. “I thought elephant poop would smell worse!” he added, making a typical Frank comment.
“We do love it here!” Veronica said. “That’s why I will do whatever I can to protect these animals and this land.”
“Can you give us some details?” Ruby asked.
Fadhili spoke up, “Last week, strange things started to happen. We saw weird lights in the sky. Some of the animals became scared and stampeded. They’ve never done that before. A couple of the workers were attacked by birds.”
“Wow, it’s like that Alfred Hitchcock movie,” Ruby said.
We all looked at her.
Ruby laughed. “He wrote the movie - The Birds.”
We still stared at Ruby.
“It was about birds attacking people,” Ruby said.
We all nodded and said, “Oh cool.”
Except for Frank who said, “Oh creepy!”
“There could be perfectly natural reasons for all those events happening,” Ruby said.
“But some of the villagers who live on the reserve saw skeletons, lots and lots of dancing skeletons,” Fadhili said.
“Okay, probably not a natural reason for that happening,” Ruby admitted.
“The villagers can get a little emotional sometimes,” Veronica added. “They believe in the old ways, so we didn’t think much of
it at first. But then our security people saw the same skeletons. They said the skeletons were summoned by a witch doctor who wants all the non-native people off this land.”
“But don’t the people just protect the animals and the land?” I said.
“Yep,” Fadhili said.
“Then why would a witch doctor summon skeletons to drive the people away? I would have thought witch doctors would want to protect animals,” I said.
“Agreed,” Ruby said.
“Witch doctors don’t think like normal people,” Veronica said. “They think they are above others.”
“Can a witch doctor even summon skeletons?” I asked.
Veronica shrugged. “Apparently, the people think they can.”
“They can,” Grandma Thorn said, appearing in the jeep with us.
"Grandma, what are you doing here?" I asked.
“Ah, I don’t see anybody,” Fadhili said.
“This must be your dead grandma’s ghost,” Veronica said. “Dad told me about her; said she was a nice lady when she was alive.”
“She’s still nice,” I added.
“Thank you, dearie,” Grandma told me. “And tell Veronica to tell Vinnie I said, thank you.”
“She says to tell your dad thanks,” I told Veronica.
“Grandma, I didn’t think you could come here,” I said.
“Tell her I say hi!” Frank said.
"She can hear you, Frank," I said.
“Oh, right!” Frank grinned.
“I’m a ghost; I can pretty much be anywhere and nowhere at the same time,” Grandma said.
“Can a witch doctor conjure skeletons?” I asked.
“No,” Grandma said.
“Oh good,” I said. “That makes me feel better.”
“But witch doctors can raise skeletons that are buried in the area,” Grandma replied.
"Oh, that is gross and makes me feel worse!" I said.
“Sorry, honey, I’m the truth giving grandma!”
“What’s she saying?” Veronica asked.
“She says witch doctors can raise skeletons buried in the ground to do their bidding.”
"Oh cool!" Frank said. He thought about it. "Oh, that's bad though."
“And evil,” Ruby added.
“Oh, it’s not evil,” Grandma said. “The skeletons were most likely bored. This gives them a purpose.”
I didn’t share that information with my friends. Just because witch doctors could be behind this, didn’t mean they were. After all, I still couldn't think of a good reason why a witch doctor would do this. Whoever or whatever was responsible for this was scaring away the people protecting the animals and the land.
“Can we talk to some of the locals?” I asked. “I want to see what kind of vibe I get from them.”
“I’ve already questioned them. I used my power on them. They believe this is the work of a witch doctor,” Veronica said.
“Just because they believe it...doesn’t make it true,” I told her.
“Good point,” she agreed.
“How true. I used to believe marshmallows grew on trees,” Frank said.
“He did,” I sighed.
Frank smiled. “Imagine what wonderful trees they would be!” His smile straightened. “But then I learned that marshmallows are made in factories. I was sad for a while until I realized they taste good no matter where they are made!”
“You’re very lucky you’re so good-looking,” Veronica said.
“Yeah, so I’ve been told!” Frank smirked.
Ruby started thinking.
“What’s going through that brain of yours, Ruby?” I asked.
“Not sure yet,” she said. “But I agree we need you to talk to some of the locals.”
“I’m not sure what Nina can do, that I can’t,” Veronica said. “I could mind bend them to do whatever I want. No way they could lie to me.”
“Like I said, it’s not lying if they believe it,” I told Veronica.
Veronica nodded. “I guess we have nothing to lose. And it’s a cool place to see.”
“Then let’s get there,” I told Veronica.
Veronica pointed to Fadhili, “He’s the one driving.”
Looking at Fadhili, I asked. “Can we go there?” Then I added -“Please.”
The jeep turned to the left. “Okay, I’ll take you to the tribe now!” he replied.
“Wow, we’re going to see actual natives!” Ruby said.
“Are they friendly?” Frank asked.
Fadhili smiled. "Yes, the tribespeople are extremely friendly, nature-loving people. They look after livestock and live off the land."
We drove along the scenic route. Kenya truly was a beautiful country...beautiful blue sky, lush trees and tons and tons of animals.
“It feels like we're driving through a zoo!” Frank said.
Fadhili nodded. “The animals are free to roam wherever they want here in the reserve. The fencing around the outside is to keep the poachers out.”
“I can’t believe people would want to harm these animals,” Ruby sighed.
“But they do!” Veronica said making a fist. “If I catch any of them in the act, I make them think they are dung beetles!”
“Nice touch,” I told her.
“Thank you!” she smiled.
A village of huts came into view. I didn't know what they were made of, but they looked to be composed of whatever material the tribespeople could get their hands on...very ingenious.
Driving closer to the huts, we passed fields of cabbage and what I thought was corn. These people truly did live off the land. I kind of liked that; even though I don't think I’d want to live like that. They all had smiles on their faces and looked perfectly happy.
When we reached the huts, some tribespeople came out to greet us.
“What language do they speak?” Frank asked.
“English,” Veronica said.
"Well, that's handy!" Frank said.
Two men and a woman walked up to us. I noticed they all were beautifully dressed in colorful outfits with beaded decorations. They looked amazing.
“Fadhili, Veronica, who are your friends?” a tall strong-looking man dressed in a red tunic asked.
“Edward, these are Nina, Frank, and Ruby. They are from the United States.”
“Yes, we could tell from the scent of their soaps,” Edward said with a grin.
We all exited the jeep. The woman came over to us. “I am Beth, please forgive Edward, he speaks whatever is on his mind. We don’t get a lot of westerners here. He is not used to your unique scents.”
“It’s not unique,” Edward said. “They smell like their scents come out of bottles. Not natural at all.” He laughed. “I guess normal and nature is just what you get used to,” he concluded.
Funny, while we noticed the unwashed scent of some of the tribe members and found it to be different and less than pleasant, I never considered that they would think our washed bodies scented with perfumes and deodorants would be well, less than pleasant. I guess life really is what you are used to. Which is cool as long as you understand that what’s normal to you could be very unusual for somebody else.
“Why the visit?” Beth asked. “Not that we don’t like seeing you all.” She smiled at Veronica. “We greatly appreciate the contributions your family has made to keep our tribe, our animals, and the wild animals safe.”
“We already told you what we saw the other day,” Edward said.
Veronica nodded. “But my cousins would like to hear it from you.”
Edward’s eyes narrowed. “All I can say is that it was some bad mojo.”
“Going to need more information than that,” I told him.
“It was a virtual army of skeletons. They arose from the ground near our burial area,” Edward said. “They weren’t just human skeletons; there were some dogs, lions, and rhinos also…”
“Cool!” Frank said. He stopped to think. “Well, freaky but cool.”
I sniffed Edw
ard and Beth. They certainly had been telling the truth. Their scents didn’t lie. But they also didn’t smell like people who’d had encounters with powerful magic. Those people always had a sweet or bitter smell to them, depending on the magic. These people smelled completely normal, unwashed but that was normal for them.
“How did these skeletons act?” Ruby asked.
"Like normal skeletons, they walked around mindlessly like they were looking for a purpose," Edward said.
“Did anybody touch them?” I asked.
Beth and Edward both shook their heads. “No, that didn’t seem wise. We all just hid in our huts until they left.”
“How did they leave?” I asked.
There was no answer.
“Well?” I asked.
Edward and Beth both shrugged. "We don't know...like we said, we were hiding," Edward said. "Those things didn't look right at all."
“But you don’t know how they left? Or where they went?” I asked.
“They disappeared,” a young voice said.
Beth smiled. “This is Cami, my youngest.”
“Cami, you saw them?” I asked.
Cami took a step backward. She didn't say anything.
“You can tell the nice girl,” Beth said.
“I won’t get into trouble?” Cami asked.
“No, of course not,” Beth said. “You were very brave.”
Cami walked slowly forward. “I thought the skeletons were pretty. I liked the way they glowed, the way some of them floated in the air.”
“Skeletons shouldn’t glow or float,” I said. “At least, I don’t think they should.”
Ruby spoke up. “From what I understand about skeletons, that is very unusual behavior. They clamor and walk slow. They certainly don’t glow.”
“Maybe these skeletons were radioactive?” Frank suggested.
“He is so lucky he is good looking!” Veronica said.
Ruby patted Frank. “I doubt that’s the case,” she said softly.
Frank raised a finger and smiled. “But you can’t rule it out! Right?”
“Yeah, I can,” I said. “These people don’t have the scent of people who have been exposed to radioactivity or to magic. Whatever they saw wasn’t radioactive or magic.”
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