by ipam
“Why about the opening? Someone will see it.”
I exhale. “Yeah, I know! O! I know. The magnetic seal is a single piece of rubber. It sticks out the other side inside Dandine, also. I’ll remove the three magnets, after we land inside to ensure no one finds my nifty invention,” I giggle and nod.
Buffo views the dirt then her. “It’s going to smell pookie dookie, in there.”
I nod. “Yeah, I know that, too. But, I can’t do anything about that. Just hold your nose. Since, holding your breath, you’ll die.” I giggle, wrapping my scarf around my face with a very small opening for my eyes. I jog towards the opening.
I leap into the air, holding my knees, closing my eyelashes. I sail into the air, feeling the cooler air temperature, inside the township of Dandine. My body twirls, sideways, and then lands on my right side, hitting my shoulder, kneecap, and boot. My cowgirl hat falls from my curls. I roll then halt, falling on my face.
I exhale, scrambling on my boots, getting away from Buffo’s tallness.
I bend at my waist, running away from the opening.
Buffo rolls then lands on his face, too.
Chapter 7
7:18 pm
Dandine yellow barrier wall
moonlight. night. dark sky. white clouds. no rain. 3 mph winds. 59% humidity. cool. 66°F.
I giggle, covering my mouth with the loud sound. I run then slide into his rib cage, giggling, again. He grunts. I lean into his face. “Get up! Hurry! Act like a dookie worker!” I help him stand, leaning into his chest. I trot to my cowgirl hat, picking it up then sliding into my jumpsuit. I need the hat, a second time, for my journey back through the barrier wall. I survey the landscape, gasping. “This is so beauty.”
Buffo swings around, running to the opening. He holds his fingers near the first piece of magnet then halts. He feels the sizzling ions, scattering and bombarding each other. He wiggles his finger then pulls the first magnet, following by the other three from the barrier wall.
The barrier wall collapses then closes into a solid form.
He whispers with nervousness. “We’re trapped inside Dandine.” He stands, storing the three pieces of magnets inside his jumpsuit of many pockets. He exhales with nervousness and excitement of the rescue. He touches his jumpsuit, glowing in yellow. “It worked.” He stands behind Ketona. “It worked, nicely.”
I stand, surveying the landscape, without moving or talking. “Look, how pretty this place is. There isn’t any bad odor, either.”
Buffo cups his hands over his eyelids, looking on his left in the far distance. “I see miles of white gravel, tall green leafed trees, flower beds of colorful flora, and the large slated covered rounded objects. I guess those are the cesspools. We got lucky, darling! This parsec contains rows of houses, too…”
“Why doesn’t it smell, here?” I sniff the air. “I smell pine from the trees and sweet vanilla from the flowers.”
He grabs her arm, leading down towards the gravel. “Don’t know! Let’s find Hatch and get outta here.”
I view behind my collar bone, thumbing the thicket of trees and flower beds. “We’re going the wrong way?”
“Naw, we’re dookie workers. We’re coming back home, after working all day, like on the farm. There must be twenty four hour shifts, here, as well, since, folks dookie twenty four hours, too. We cut through the trees then walk down the pathway, like real workers. We got lucky, again, babe. It looks, like it suppertime, here, too. Everyone’s inside the house, or working on the other end, away from here…”
Buffo doesn’t cuddle Ketona but walks close to her. He cuts through the trees, standing on the pathway.
We walk slowly towards the rows of houses of white paint.
The houses are scattered around the landscape. The bigger houses of white paint are scattered near the rear of the barrier wall. A set of medium sized houses of white paint are between the bigger and smaller one-story homes.
“Why doesn’t it smell, here? Why is white gravel everywhere on the ground? Why are there green trees? Why are there pretty colorful flowers? I smell the pine trees and the flowers.”
Buffo leads Ketona down one of three walking paths towards the end of the row. He says. “Me, too! Okay, I see three rows of tiny houses. Each one is only one level. Hatch would be here, somewhere. Okay. We snake around each pathway, spying into the windows, like we’re out for a moonlight walk.” He views the sky. “The moon is full, too.” He surveys the walkway. “Not many folks out, either. I guess, they’re like the farmers, eating and then sleeping for tomorrow’s work day.”
I halt, whispering. “Wait! Hatch is new here, too, in the outer township, like me. He’s living inside one of the not so nice houses, reminding him of his failure, too. I would guess right in front of the trees, so he sees the cesspool walls. Ya know no one likes, sitting in the front of the class, or in the front of the bus, or in the front of the crowd. Therefore, he got the front house. Okay! We slowly glide down the sidewalk of the front row of house, spying into the open windows. You look into the window of the first house. I will view the trees. Then, you look at the skyline. Then, I will look inside the windows of the second house…”
“Get it!” Buffo holds her hand, like they are married.
We slowly walk and pass each tiny house. A least, one window is draped open and then framed by curtains.
I view the trees, narrowing my eyelashes. I see a thicket of tall trees and white gravel, glowing under the moonlight. I see two foot high rounded walls of gray slate behind the thicket of trees. I see, in the far distance, many more thickets of trees and white gravel.
Buffo bumps her shoulder.
I view the second house, stealing a glance into the open window. The family is eating inside the dining room. The open window is the living room.
We keep marching down the pathway.
I view the skyline. The moon is a hazing yellow bubbles, drifting from the cesspools. I sniff, again, not smelling a nasty fragrance.
Buffo bumps her shoulder.
I view the fourth house, seeing the living room furniture from the window.
A male: tall, muscular, cropped blonde hair, cat whiskers, peachy skin, athletic body build.
I can’t see his face. And, I don’t see anymore family members. I slow our pace, narrowing my eyelashes into the dark room.
The male walks around the kitchen inside the illuminated room.
I still don’t see any more family members. I exhale with nervousness and eagerness to locate both Hatch and Jara and then leave Dookie Town.
The female: tall, blond hair, pink skin. She sits upright on the sofa, wiping her face.
I halt, narrowing my eyelashes at the girl. Then, I dash to the front door, knocking.
The person stomps towards the door, gently opening the wood.
I grin at Hatch.
He wears a frown of confusion, smelling of both pine and vanilla.
Buffo shoves Ketona into the room, closing the door.
Hatch drops his mouth. “Buffo…”
Buffo hugs his friend then pulls back, nodding. “Put on your dookie work clothes. Bring your helmet, gloves, and scarf, too. We’re rescuing ya from here, buddy!”
Hatch smiles and nods.
I rush to Jara.
She wears a swollen red face, messy blonde hair, and her pajamas.
I kneel on the floor, holding her hand. “Get dressed in your dookie uniform, also. We’re taking ya’ll to the farm. You can live there with me for the rest of your life. I promise.” I nod, smiling.
Jara wipes her tears, gasping. “How’s that possible, Ketona? Buffo? You can’t escape from the barrier wall.”
Buffo says. “Ketona figured out how to penetrate the barrier wall. Get moving! We don’t have all night for your rescue,” he nods and chuckles.
Hatch nods and drags Jara into the bedroom, smiling and whispering into her face.
I dash to the window. “No much activity, here, but the moonlight, we’re going to succ
ess with our rescue plan.” I swing around, surveying the room.
The room contains a long sofa and a chair, no other electronic appliances like a television or stereo. There is a plain old card table with two chairs, non-matching. The walls are peeled and painted in dull tan over dull tile flooring.
Now, I understand Buffo is correct. The Colfaxians take everything, first. The outer townships get nothing, but the leftovers.
Hatch drags Jara towards the door, smiling and nodding. “We’re ready.”
I smile at Jara. “I’m sorry. You can’t bring anything else with you, except you and your work uniform.”
“Fine! Let’s go!” Jara says.
Buffo opens the door, leading outside. Hatch cuddles Jara, walking beside Buffo. I walk beside Jara. Buffo says. “Okay. Part of the barrier wall will be opened by a visual hole. You must dress, completely, in your work jumpsuit. The hat, scarf, both gloves, and jumpsuit will protect you from the radiation.”
Jara halts, gasping. “Radiation!?” Hatch cuddles her, slowly pacing between Buffo and Ketona.
Buffo says. “Tiny droplets of radiation, that don’t harm you or me. The barrier wall will be opened with a hole…”
Hatch frowns, walking with Buffo and Ketona. “How’s that possible?”
Buffo says. “We’ll show ya, instead. Let’s hurry towards the barrier,” he halts, surveying the wall. “Where’s the wall corner of Burrville and Dandine?”
Hatch stops, scanning the wall. “There isn’t a wall corner of Burrville and Dandine. The barrier wall inside Dandine is one continuous line of glowing yellow, as far as the eyeballs can see. What’s wrong, Buffo?”
Buffo frowns, holding the magnets. “I see that. We came inside at the extreme southeastern wall corner of Dandine and Burrville. That’s where the fliers are located. That’s our transportation back to the farm.”
Jara sobs. “Then, you’re trapped with us, inside Dandine, too.”
I stomp to the wall, wiping off the yellow dust from the bubbles. I see more yellow wall, exhaling. I view the manicured grass then Hatch. “Why’s there grass? Where’s the smell?”
Buffo frowns with annoyance. “How are we going to figure out, where the exit point is along the barrier wall, Ketona?”
Hatch smiles and nods, cuddling Jara. “The shit lives in water. Then, the soggy shit water is sucked underground. Then, the soggy shit inside the underground pipes fed the trees and the flowers beds. There’s no shitty smell, ever.”
I giggle, winking at him. “You smell like pine and vanilla.”
Hatch smiles, winking and cuddling Jara. “Thanks.”
“Ketona, how do we get outta here, now, tonight, before sunrise and work, tomorrow? We’ll get into serious trouble.”
“I wanna go back. I don’t want to get into trouble.” Jara whines.
I exhale, viewing the wall, grabbing the magnet strips. I kneel, sliding the first magnet into the lower corner, forming my new right angle. “Our exit point is somewhere, between here and the thicket of trees. I don’t wanna get to close to the trees, since the shit pools are parallel to the city of Colfax, for some funny reason. So, we will create a new opening, here. Then, we hike it to the fliers.”
Buffo frowns. “We could be miles from the fliers.”
I slip the third magnet into the barrier wall. “And, we got hours, before sunrise. I don’t wanna take the chance of sliding into Colfax by mistaken. Then, we’ll get into major trouble.”
The wall slides into a perfect 90 degree angle.
I stand, swinging around. “Okay! Do not touch the edges of the exposed wall. Wear your complete gear, the helmet over your head and the scarf around your mouth. Close your eyes…”
“I can’t do this. I won’t do this. I want to go back into our little house, Hatch.” Jara back steps, removing her helmet. “I will live here, forever.”
Hatch frowns, hugging her. “No. I don’t wanna live here, forever. Not if, we have the chance of living on a farm and with Buffo and Ketona, our friends. I want to do this, Jara.”
I wave my arms. “This is easy. Get a running start, curl into a ball and then jump through the opening. Ta-da! You fall on the other side.”
“Jump with my eyes closed!?” Hatch exhales.
“Yes, it’s very easy. Buffo and I did it.” I walk behind Jara, pulling her from the open. “You go, first.”
“No.” Jara shakes her curls.
I order, surveying the manicured grass. “Buffo, go first. Show her!”
Buffo back pedals then runs. He leaps, curling his body, like a ball, and then lands on the other side. He stands, tossing the hat and scarf, smiling and nodding. He laughs, motioning with his hand.
I exhale, shoving on Jara. “You’re next.”
Jara is taller than Ketona, plowing backwards from the opening and over Ketona. She shakes her curls. “I can’t do that. I can’t. I’m afraid.”
Hatch cuddles Jara. “We’ll jump, together.”
I toss my hands, saying. “You can’t do that, either. Your body is a delicate balance of your selected electrons and protons. If you both jump through the opening, your individual electrons and protons become scrambled, like eggs, and then something bad might happen.”
Jara sobs. “I can do this.”
Hatch exhales, snapping his fingers. “Okay. Ya can jump forward through the hole, like diving. Then, I’ll be on the other side to catch ya. How’s that, sweetheart?” He hugs and kisses her crying face.
She sobs. “I guess so.”
Hatch wraps his gear around his face, stepping closer to the wall. He feels the sizzling of the ions. He exhales, leaping over the wall, without touching the edges. He rolls into a ball, landing on his back, chuckling. He stands, bouncing and smiling. He motions to Jara, saying. “Come on! Copy my aerobics, darling!”
Jara sobs, back stepping from the opening.
I exhale, frowning with annoyance. I scan the houses, the lawn, and the thicket of trees. Lucky, I don’t see any walking or wandering dookie workers, coming from or to the houses. I shove Jara towards the opening.
Jara doesn’t move.
I’m petite compared to her tallness. I exhale. “Okay, I will…”
Jara sobs. “Don’t leave me, here, please.”
I exhale. “No. I won’t.” I walk to the Dandine opening, motioning. Buffo and Hatch walk towards the Burrville opening. I exhale, nodding. “Okay. How’s about you and Hatch toss Jara through the opening? That way, she’s soaring on your combined muscle power then she can’t wiggle away or harm herself, going through the opening.”
Hatch nods and smiles. “Great idea, darling! Stay back! I’m coming back inside.” He replaces his helmet and the scarf and then leaps into the air. He curls into a ball, jumping through the wall, a second time. He lands then stands, walking to Jara.
They move from the opening
Buffo leaps then curls into a ball, jumping and landing along the grass, a second time. He stands, wearing his hat and scarf, like a thief in the night.
Hatch says. “Okay, darling! Buffo and I are going to lift you then toss your body through the wall. Close your precious eyeballs. You’ll soar, like a flying bird. When your gloves hit the dirt, roll your body into a ball. “Okay!?”
Jara exhales, sobbing. “Is it going to hurt? I don’t wanna get hurt. I don’t wanna get dirty, either. Is it safe?”
Hatch smiles and says. “You be fine. Okay, get stiff, like an ironing board with your arms stretched forward and your legs stretched backwards.” Hatch and Buffo lift her into the air. “Okay. Release her on three, Buffo.”
Buffo nods.
They gently tote Jara, like an ironing board, using their muscle strength, towards the opening then swing her back and forth.
Hatch says. “One, two, three.”
They release Jara.
She clears the edges of the wall, landing on her gloves, slides into the dirt. She lays, not moving.
I frown with annoyance then jerk Hatch from the
opening. “Go on, get inside! We don’t want anymore attention drawn to us.”
Hatch back steps then runs, curling and landing onto the orange soil, a second time. Buffo runs and curls, falling onto the orange soil, too, a second time.
I exhale, running then halt, giggling.
I remembered that Rincon told me, that the mayor is visiting Dookie Town, tomorrow.
I back stepping, surveying the lawn and the flowers. I nod, pulling the red flowers. I crumble them into my gloves then write, sideways, onto the yellow wall.
I be here.
I giggle, wiping the red flower petals from my gloves. I back step then run, leap and curl into a ball. I land, sideways, grunting in both pain and relief.
Buffo jerks the three magnets from the wall then leads towards the two-seaters fliers on the opposite end of the crop field.
Chapter 8
Colfax
8:11 am. northwestern golden barrier wall. sunny. partly cloudy. warm. no rain. 4 mph winds. 78°F.
Duchie sits inside the travel car, studying the outer township maps, again.
The mayor fingers the new black circles on her palm-sized cell. “There are a few more black circles inside the orange barrier walls, today, which had appeared, last night. However, we learned from the farmers that the echoes are collisions with the tractors, hitting against the barrier wall. So, we will concentrate our efforts on the inner barrier walls of Dandine. I am very concerned about naughty teens, murdering the electromagnetic wall.”
“Mama, you can’t harm an e-field, ever. What’s your next assignment of the six remaining? I assumed that we completed the first one, yesterday.” Nephella stares at her mama, wiggling her facial piercing.
The mayor fingers the cell, crinkling her cheekbone piercing into her wrinkles. “Duchie successfully addressed the first assignment with her brilliant explanation of the pings along the barrier wall. Therefore, we are going to investigate within Dandine, today, like yesterday.”
Marsilla holds her nose, on purpose, talking funny. She sits across from the mayor, next to Duchie. She says. “Inside Dookie Town, we must go inside Dookie town. Why can’t we call someone in authority and ask our single question, while we lounge inside the pretty map room, or inside your gorgeous office, Ms. Mayor?”