by Al K. Line
I should have been boiling over with anger, asking why the hell he was sitting moping when he should have been out looking for me, but I was so damn empty and tired that I couldn't even bring myself to be angry. As I stood watching my friend, listening to him sighing and the background noise of the city, things began to click into place. Of course he'd been searching, he just hadn't found me.
That meant Robin was in trouble for sure, and the instant I thought it my tattoo sang loudly in my mind like a flare lighting up the sky on the darkest of nights. But this was no urgent message being broadcast now, this was old news, days ago, probably when I was locked away.
Why was it coming through now? Because I'd been unfocused, that was why. Concerned only with getting home, getting my act together and calling for help, not listening to what the connection was telling me. Too tired and empty of emotion and strength for it to reach me. It had reached me now, and what it was saying was, "Help." Turning in a circle, I felt the strength of the call increase as I faced toward the old town hall, right where she'd called me once before.
Surely they hadn't tried it on again? She could deal with those guys, had demonstrated that when I'd answered her call before, so why there?
Time to get some answers.
"Mack. MACK! Hey, snap out of it." Mack raised his head like I'd promised free coal and he grinned the widest damn grin I'd ever seen. He jumped off the step, reached down low, grabbed me and lifted me high in the air. Swinging me around as I winced and tried not to scream at him to put me down even though it hurt so bad.
"Swift, you're home. I've been going nutsoid. Where you been, girlfriend?"
"Put me down and I'll tell you. Damn, but it's good to see you. Where's Robin? Where's Pumi? What's been happening?"
Mack's smile turned into a frown and he placed me back down carefully.
"Pumi's been looking everywhere for you, trying to find that woman, that Blue, but he's had less luck than me. And Robin, she's er..." Mack looked around shiftily, fidgeting with his claws like he suddenly had dirt in need of attention.
"Come on, out with it." Like my day could possibly get any worse.
"They locked her up, said she was a troublemaker."
"What!? The army?"
"Yeah, babe, the army. Everything's gone into meltdown. The soldiers have gone crazy, the jungle's oozing, and I've been frantic looking for you."
"Why haven't you got Robin free?" I was sure Mack could get her out of any prison the soldiers could contain her in.
"Because they booby-trapped her. If I get her out then boom, the whole place will blow."
"What the hell are you talking about?" I couldn't carry on with the conversation, I was just too spent.
It was right around this time that I collapsed. I was making a habit of it lately.
Breathe Deep
I didn't care about my self-imposed no smoking indoors rule. With utter delight I lit a perfectly dry, entirely straight cigar and sank back into the sofa, letting the harsh smoke burn my lungs and dry out my mouth even further. The sofa was the most comfortable thing in the entire history of furniture, a godsend of plump delight that made me believe maybe I'd make it through this nightmare.
Trailing smoke, I staggered into the kitchen and drank glass after glass of water, puffing away between the life-giving liquid. Thoughts of my bed tried to crowd out the concerns over my sister and Pumi, and I wondered how other friends were faring, knowing there was nothing I could do for them in my current condition.
And Blue, that bitch, where was she? What was she doing? I'd deal with her, too, just not right now. Now it was time to eat.
I grabbed random items from the fridge and cupboards and carried them into the main space, Mack waiting for me there. Sitting at the table, hurting so bad, befuddled and half-asleep, I asked him to tell me what had been happening.
"You ain't gonna like it, mon cheri, it's whack."
"Whack? You been watching Fresh Prince of Bel Air again?"
"Ooh, ooh, yeah, it's wicked, right? I've been practicing my moves, wanna see?" Mack stood, stretching to full height, then gyrated his hips, a faraway look in his eyes. He was definitely back to his chipper self now I was home.
"Ugh, maybe later. Tell me what happened to Robin." I stuffed a massive lump of cheese into my mouth, ignoring the blue bits that shouldn't have been there.
Mack crouched to get close, still looming like an oversized vision of nightmares come real. "It started not long after you disappeared. Robin was in trouble and I felt it, same as I did earlier when I accidentally broke the wall. So I went back, but everything was kind of crazy. All the men were off on one, waving guns about and shouting and fighting."
"With Strange?"
"Nah, with each other. Robin was inside, and she'd killed a couple of guys, and that man in charge, well, he was well dead, innit. The soldiers had Robin and one held a gun to her. Said if I tried anything then they'd shoot her. I wasn't bothered, but Robin, she was telling me to back off, too."
"What the hell? Okay, then what?"
"Then things got epic. They handcuffed her and chained her to the stair railings. She told me not to try to get her as the soldiers would open fire. And, er, that's it."
I was trying to focus, to take it all in, but was sure I'd lost some of the story. "I thought you said they'd booby-trapped her?"
"Er, maybe I was exaggerating a teeny-weeny bit, but they had guns pointed at her. Those dudes are nuts. They were all shouting and screaming and it's been the same ever since. Every time I go back they're worse. Half of them are dead now. Right Battle Royale and no mistake." Mack shrugged. Such things aren't important to him. "Robin's fine, told me not to interfere as the men are so sparked out, but she's not happy about no clean clothes. Why she doesn't just take them off I don't know. You humans are odd at times."
"We don't like to show ourselves naked to strangers," I said, picturing Robin and how angry she would be at not looking smart and pretty whilst held captive.
"It's just skin. Everyone's got it."
"I know, but we're just wired that way. Why doesn't Robin just blast those guys? She could get out of there no problem."
"That's what I said, or that I'd grab 'em quick, but she said no, that things were out of control already and any more violence could mean the soldiers go on the rampage. So, I've been looking for you. First with Pumi, then we split up, but I couldn't find you."
"Okay, thanks for looking out for us, Mack. I think I need to go see what's up with Robin."
"No. She said if I found you then you had to go talk to your mother. Get her to deal with the soldiers."
"Hell, things must be bad for her to ask that."
"That's not all. She said to be sure to stay calm and not to get angry. That the Pool is righting itself and that the jungle is fading, but the Shift is making everyone very angry and any violence means more people die. Her words exactly. I memorized them and everything." Mack beamed at me as though he deserved a prize or a pat on the head at the very least.
"Ugh, not sure what that means. I need to think. Thanks, Mack, you're a real buddy."
"I'm Cagney, you're Lacey, right?"
"Whatever you say. Although I can't picture you with all that hair. Haha."
With my head reeling and the food demolished without me even noticing, I headed to the shower. There had better be hot water.
*
I dared not look at my body in the mirror of the cramped bathroom. All I knew was it wouldn't be pretty. It's not like I'm so precious of myself that cuts or bruises freak me out, but sometimes avoiding the damage allows me to at least try to stay positive. You know, the old thing about out of sight, out of mind.
There were enough things to worry about, anyway. What was the deal with Robin and the soldiers? And she wanted me to go see the Queen. That wasn't like her at all. I mulled over Mack's words, that Robin had said there was to be no more violence. That it led to more trouble.
This wasn't idle chatter, that violenc
e begets violence in the normal manner, she was talking about magic and the utter hellhole the city had become.
As scalding water stripped away the dirt, the sweat, the dust of a dead wizard, and the pink stains of the fruit I'm sure saved my life, I let my mind open to the Pool and the city as a whole, feeling it out with focus for the first time.
I felt the primordial energy of the localized Pool, the super-charged magic that hung over Strangetown like a normally protective layer. I felt the distant Mega Pool, the worldwide energy source made up of the numerous small pockets that collected where magic-infused people and creatures congregated, and knew it was as it should be. It was only us that had a corruption at the core, our tiny pocket of magic that was affected.
The distortion after the Rift that caused the forest was waning, would be gone soon judging by the lessening of the chaos that was seeping away like the foul water running down the plug hole, but it wasn't done with us yet, not by a long shot.
As the Pool righted itself, struggling to return to normal, it had a few surprises in store for us. The sexual tension that had permeated the city and its population had morphed into violence, an anger and a frustration taking hold that those without understanding of magic were almost powerless to resist.
Sex and violence, it always comes down to one or the other in the end, often both. Base needs, emotions, and now anger was dominant. A final cry from our beloved Pool as it shook off the incredible forces needed to eliminate the Rift had manifest as violence of the mind. The collective will used to banish the Rift needed somewhere to go to dissipate, the energy too volatile and strong to simply vanish, so this was its solution.
We would have our city back soon enough, the only problem being if we weren't careful there wouldn't be anyone left alive to witness it. I reached deeper, looking for the truth of this hate, and there it was—a chain reaction of anger and frustration, each action compounded so any act of violence would ripple across the city causing even more destruction until finally the cosmic energy was negated.
This was a waiting game. We just had to sit tight until this final disruption passed and then we would be back as we were. Different, yes, I had the feeling life for Strangetown would never be the same again, but if we kept a cool head then at least we'd be alive.
Damn, but this was the last thing I needed. I wanted to hit and punch and go show the soldiers what I was made of. I swore under my breath and as I did so a tile fell off the wall. My anger echoing through the city and manifesting as destruction.
This was bad. How was I supposed to stay calm, all sweetness and light, when so much was going on? And besides, I'm not really known for my bedside manner, unless it's smacking someone about the head with the nearest heavy object and dragging them off to be "dealt with" by my superiors.
Finally clean, feeling about as good as I was going to for a while, I fought valiantly with my hair, smiling and thinking nice thoughts just in case the comb became any more aggressive, then padded, naked, into my bedroom. I dressed in a nice pink blouse and some very short shorts, battled with the lure of the bed and just about turned down its invitation, then headed back out to talk with Mack and form some kind of plan.
I wasn't looking forward to being nice, especially as I had to go see my mother.
A Downer
The one advantage of having a huge, seemingly infinitely strong demon as a friend, is that you get to rest your legs. Mack lumbered through the decaying forest like a boulder rolling down a hill, shoving aside or trampling straight over the weakening jungle like he was taking me for a stroll through a meadow. More of the city was open now, glimpses of skyline, tall office blocks and the places of industry and commerce visible for the first time in days.
It was easy to forget what the city used to look like, so accustomed had I become to the restricted view. Areas with a strong magical presence were clear now, just rotten matter littering the streets and people desperately trying to rid their gardens, houses, and cars of the cloying mess. It was gonna be one mother of all clean-up operations, but I knew the city would mobilize, clean it up and return to the usual madness.
Would we have cars whizzing around the streets again? Hustle and bustle of a busy city? People doing what it took to earn their money and keep their families safe and fed? I bloody well hoped so, otherwise what was the point of it all?
As we got close to the streets that housed witches and wizards everything was pristine, probably with a little magical intervention. We passed our old house, the place gutted now, my salvageable furniture in the church, the rest festering.
Then we were there, at the entrance to the Queen's home, and I honestly didn't even know what I was doing here. What could she do? She wasn't known for her sensitivity or empathy, rather for her, "I don't really give a shit and deal with it yourself," nature.
Still, Robin had asked, and there was clearly stuff going on I wasn't privy to, so here went nothing.
"Be good," I said to Mack. He nodded but remained silent. "You okay?"
"Just thinking," he said, staring off into the distance.
"Spill it, mister, what's up?"
"Just a little confused, babes. I was worried about you, and I still am about Robin. And, well, things are returning to normal. What then? I don't belong here."
"We belong where we have friends and family, Mack. And you are my friend and my family now, so you belong the same as anyone else. Okay?" He was definitely getting more human. The change in the last few days was very evident. Mack thinking and worrying about the future was a new one—normally he didn't even consider what he was doing right now, let alone concern himself with future events.
"You mean it? Woo-hoo, thanks, sister."
"Put me down, you great daft lump. Haha." Mack swung me once more and I winced as pain shot through my body in a hundred different places. But at least I was alive, had friends, and family.
Speaking of family.
I'm a Grown-Up
Some people are intimidated by those with power and position. Others by people with untold wealth. Some people are not me. Over the years I've met countless men and women who had all of the above, and many have been truly wonderful people. Many have been complete and utter twits, to put it mildly.
How I treat others comes down to one thing, and I don't care who they are. Respect. If you are treated like you are deserving of respect and greeted with courtesy, spoken to like an equal and given all due consideration, then you get the same in return. Be you a young child or an old woman, I will give anyone the time of day and be sweetness and smiles as long as I am treated kindly.
But if people are uppity, talk down to me as if I'm an inferior specimen, well, they won't be in my company for long, or if they are you can bet we won't be talking, we'll be coming to blows.
Which is why I was finding it rather difficult to stay cool, calm, and collected in the presence of my mother. I don't believe she has treated me with anything approaching proper respect once in my whole life, even though she believes she's entitled to it on account of her age, status, and knowledge of all things magical. Tough.
I plastered a fake smile on my face as she began a tirade of accusations and questions. Her anger flared, unusual for her as usually she acts like she couldn't care less about much that goes on in the Strange world she is meant to control.
My nerves jangled and it took all the willpower I had to control myself as she blathered on about everything that was wrong. It wasn't her words that angered me, it was the fact I knew she hardly cared at all about what had happened to me after I'd explained, or that Robin was locked up and apparently under guard by soldiers close to losing the plot. No, she was annoyed because most commerce had stopped in Strangetown since nobody could do much of anything with the jungle making any activity nigh on impossible.
She had a lot tied up in the running of the city, and although only a small part of a vast empire this was more personal. She considered the city home, and hers, for what that was worth.
"I keep telling you," I said, exasperated. "It wasn't my fault. Maybe if you stopped blaming me and thanked me for getting rid of the Rift then we could have a grown-up conversation."
"Thanking you? You sent all the Strange away, which was a very good money earner I might add, and replaced it with a damn jungle that has ground the city to a halt. At least with all those things the Rift brought there were business opportunities and the city still functioned."
"And as I said, what's happened has nothing to do with me. Everyone wanted them gone. Hell, they wanted to be gone. And do you think you'd have a functioning city once the dark elves took over and enslaved us?"
"Yes, yes, so you keep saying. But what about my city?"
I shrugged, so tired I couldn't maintain my anger. "What about it?"
"I want it back." My mother calmed, spoke almost in a whisper, as if the city meant more to her than us. Maybe it did.
"It'll sort itself out. By the look of things, the Shift's almost over and then it's just a major clean-up."
"Do you know how much that'll cost!" she said, indignant.
"No I bloody don't. What, you paying for it, are you?"
"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped. "But every day this annoying jungle is here, and the heat is so wild, people can't work or feed their families."
"Ah, so it's concern for the people is it?"
"Of course. I want Strangetown to run smoothly, for the populace to be working and earning money. For stores to have stocked shelves and for traffic to return to the roads. I want life to return to normal."
"Normal! When has life ever been normal? And to hell with all that. What's been happening while I've been locked up by that damn Blue?"
"If you hadn't got yourself captured by that amateur then you'd know exactly what happened," she sneered, her beautiful features contorting and showing her true loathing for anyone not entirely competent in every aspect of their life.