(no subject)
OKAY SO. here's the last of it. enjoy.
"Think that'll keep?" says Geoff, picking up a package of imitation crab Olivia has put in her basket.
"If it won't, I'll just eat it fast!" says Olivia, smiling brightly as they look over different cheeses.
"Just think about non-refrigerated things." says Geoff, putting a package of mozzarella sticks in his basket.
"Well, what about those?" says Olivia. "They have to be refrigerated."
"Cheese is rotten milk." says Geoff. "It can be stored out of a refrigerator for a long time."
"I guess that's right..." says Olivia as they move into the chips section.
"Chips~" says Olivia. "Those definitely need no refrigeration."
She looks over all the kinds, and settles on cheddar and sour cream and salt and vinegar.
"Salt and vinegar? Blehhh." says Geoff, sticking out his tongue.
"More for me, then." says Olivia, giggling. "Say, we're going to be camping out, we should get hotdogs and marshmallows!"
"As my lady wishes." says Geoff, who crosses over to the meat refrigerator, and picks out some ballpark franks. Olivia walks down to the bread aisle, and picks a package of hotdog buns. They meet in the baking aisle, where Olivia picks up a bag of jumbo marshmallows.
"We should get some carrots and lettuce as well." says Geoff. "You can't live on hotdogs and marshmallows."
"Yes, sir." says Olivia, and they walk to the vegetables.
===
They walk into the rebel camp with stuffed backpacks, Olivia carrying a bag of apples in her hand. They're confronted by Cervine.
"Something... has happened." he says, his tone oddly flat.
"What is it?" asks Olivia. "Bob! Is he alright??"
"Bob's fine, though a little shaken." says Cervine. "As am I. Our friend Nod was here..."
"Oh no..." says Olivia, placing her hands on Cervine's arms. "It isn't... Sister May?"
"Humans aren't the only ones this Nod has a vendetta against." says Cervine, walking over to Sister May's still body.
"Sister May!" says Olivia.
She walks over and gets on her knees by Sister May's ruined head.
"Oh... she was so sweet and caring... how horrible that this could happen to her!" says Olivia, with a catch in her throat. Tears start to flow down her face, and a few small spiders start to crawl out of her open mouth. She coughs, and draws Sister May's veil over her broken face.
Bob looks troubled.
"I tried to catch it, but it was just so fast! I was right there..." he says.
"I don't blame you, Bob." says Cervine. "But we do have to catch this person, no matter what."
"I wouldn't be able to stand it if another person died." says Olivia, turning her tear-streaked face to Geoff, Cervine, Bob, Eve.
"I think we just need to keep watch until it comes again." says Geoff. "Then we'll try to face it, and see what it wants."
"What could it want?" says Olivia, hugging herself. "What could I have that it wants?"
"only time will tell." says Geoff, looking into the woods.
===
They stay at the rebel camp, despite the fact that most of the androids try to avoid them.
Olivia looks at some androids standing a ways away, and sighs.
"Here I thought I'd be able to help them," she says, "But all I've brought is unease."
"It's just that they've lost their trust in us." says Geoff. "We need to work on gaining that trust back. They're not used to trusting humans."
Geoff looks at her, and puts a finger in the middle of her forehead.
"And don't go blaming yourself again. This wasn't your fault."
"Hmm. It's all Nod." says Olivia, furrowing her brow. "But what could I possibly have that it wants?"
"No idea." says Geoff. "Maybe it sees your connection with Bob, and is jealous."
"It would have to be very petty, to have killed so many people over jealousy." says Olivia. "I wish we could just talk to it."
Olivia looks to Bob, who is sitting to their side. His worried look is back, and he's looking at the ground.
"Oh, Bob." says Olivia, putting her arms around him. "You tried to stop it. There was nothing more you could do."
"But... why couldn't I have seen it before it killed Sister May?" says Bob. He faces Olivia. "What if that had been you?"
"I... don't think it wants to kill me."says Olivia, staring at her hands. "It's always waited until I was gone to strike. It wants something from me... but what?"
Geoff puts his arm around her neck, and gives her a noogie.
"No use in worrying about that now." he says. "What we do have to worry about is where to go from here."
Olivia puts her hands on Geoff's arm, under her chin.
"Does that mean we'll have to leave Cervine?" she says.
"I think it would be best for him." says Geoff. "And it would get him out of danger."
"Another friend gone..." says Olivia, wistfully.
"Gone? Where?" says Cervine, approaching them, "Which friend?"
"We were just talking about finding some place to go after here." says Geoff. "And if we leave, it would be best for you to stay here. Meaning we'd have to split up."
"But I don't want to split up." says Cervine. "Plus, if I stayed with you, I would have the best chance of finding May's killer again." He looks to the ground. "It must be brought to justice."
Olivia placed a hand on his arm.
"Well," says Olivia, "I'm glad we won't be saying goodbye. But you'll have to keep your eyes-" she looks at his remaining eye, "eye peeled. We never know when it will show up."
"I might be able to catch it when next it shows its head." says Cervine. "I am a robot, and quicker than most."
"We'll have to rely on that, then." says Geoff. "Just don't get caught with your back turned."
"Aye-aye, sir." says Cervine, mock-saluting Geoff. Geoff smiles.
Caroline approaches, with a fretful-looking Roberta in tow.
"Cervine, I cannot tell you how sorry I am for your loss." says Caroline. "And Roberta here feels just awful about it, too."
"I was beginning to feel a real kinship with May." says Roberta."This is a terrible blow. And Bob, how awful that everyone's been avoiding you. I know full well that you had nothing to do with this. I'd still like to be your friend."
She offers a hand to Bob, who's still sitting on the ground. He takes it, and stands.
"Thank you very much, Roberta." says Bob. ""Of course, we're still friends. I just wish I could show the other androids that they can believe in me."
"It will take a little time, but I'm sure they're willing to trust you." says Caroline.
"If only I could prove to them that I'm different from Nod..." says Bob.
"Well, no one here is sure of what this 'Nod' is." says Caroline. "Few androids got a look at it before it was gone."
"This is the problem with Bob and Nod," pipes in Eve. "No one is sure what they are."
"Or where we're from." says Bob, furrowing his brow.
"Well, don't worry about it, Bob." says Olivia, hugging him. "We've got to figure out some secret hideaway where Nod can't find us."
"I might know someone who can help you." says Caroline. "I'll go get him."
She walks off to the other end of the camp.
"I wonder who she could mean." ponders Olivia.
"Probably a robot with a database of sites of some kind." Cervine muses.
Caroline re-approaches with a pearly-golden android by her side.
"This is V-K. He knows the historic sites around North America." says Caroline. "A little-used historic site would be a great place for you to hide."
"Good idea, Caroline." says Geoff. "Well, V-K, any little-used historic sites nearby?"
"Query accepted." says a large speaker in V-K's abdomen. "Scanning... three possible little-used historic sites in the vicinity."
"Give us the one farthest from people." Geoff says.
"Pine Woods Native American Burial Grounds. 5.8 miles away. In the middle of an unoccupied pine forest. Shall I print you a map?" says V-K.
"Yes, please." says Geoff.
A printer in V-K's chest feeds out a sheet of paper.
"Thank you very much, V-K." says Geoff, taking the map.
"A pleasure, sir." says V-K.
"I'll walk him back now." says Caroline.
Caroline and V-K walk back to the other end of the camp.
"This is great! Hopefully there will be a place to stay once we get there." says Olivia.
"It'll be a long walk, so we'd best set out in the morning." says Geoff.
"That way, we can properly say our goodbyes here." says Olivia.
"Inasmuch as the androids want to say goodbye to us." says Bob.
Caroline returns.
"Well, I hope that map will help you." says Caroline. "As well as knowing a place to go."
"It does indeed help, thanks a lot, Caroline." says Geoff. "We'll set out in the morning, so we'll be out of the way sooner rather than later."
"No hurry." says Caroline. "I was looking forward to what you might have brought to our group, but if you have to go, you have to go."
"I do still want to help, in whatever way I can." says Olivia.
"Just keep us in your thoughts, and tell everyone you meet that mistreating androids is wrong." says Caroline.
===
It's morning. Geoff, Cervine, Bob, Olivia, and Eve emerge from the park and walk down the road. They reach the highway, where Geoff stops.
"I have an idea." he says.
He ushers them into some bushes, then goes to stand beside the road, with his thumb in the air.
"Are you sure this will work?" asks Olivia.
"I used to hitchhike all the time." says Geoff. "And if they stop for me, they'll most likely take our whole group."
A beat-up station wagon stops in the road ahead of him.
"Ah, what looks to be a couple of stoners. They'll love us." Geoff grins.
He walks up to the car and leans into the driver's side window. He gestures back to the group. He stands up, smiling. He walks back.
"They'll take us, They were headed through this way, anyway," Geoff says.
They all walk to the station wagon, and pile in the back seat. Cervine folds his long legs into the back.
"Whoa-oa-oa, you're trippy, Mr. Robot Dude." says the kid in the passenger's seat. "But don't worry about us, man, we totally feel the whole rebellion thing. Androids need respect too, my brother!"
He flashes a peace sign.
"Thanks." says Cervine.
Olivia smiles behind her hand.
"That's Jasper. I'm Peebo." says the kid. "Hope you have a fun ride!"
"Thank you so much for picking us all up." says Olivia. "I hope we won't be any trouble."
"No trouble at all, little lady." says Jasper, waggling his eyebrows at her in the rear-view mirror. Olivia giggles.
"That's what I need to hear more of, the laughter of pretty young women." says Peebo, smiling at Olivia. "And what would your name be?"
"I'm Olivia." says Olivia. "And this is Geoff, Bob, that's Cervine," she says, pointing at Cervine, "and this is Eve." She holds Eve up for Peebo to see.
"Aww, kitty-kitty." says Peebo, scratching Eve's chin.
"And whoa! Dude! I was so blown away by Geoff and Cervine that I didn't get a good look at you!" He's turned to face Bob, who sits behind him. "What's your story?"
"He doesn't know yet. He's a mystery." says Eve, and Peebo's eyes nearly pop out of his head.
"Wowwowwow." says Peebo. "We sure lucked out with this group, didn't we, Jasper?"
"Sure did!" says Jasper, turning to look at Eve.
"Whoa, keep your eyes on the road, man." says Peebo, bopping Jasper on the head.
"Sorry." Jasper mumbles.
===
"That's a wild story, man, I'm sorry it so full of death." says Peebo, staring through the windshield.
"It's just what's happened." says Olivia, wiping a tear from her eye after telling all she's been through.
"But man, you guys should write a book about what you're going through." says Peebo. "That is, if it turns out well."
"Maybe I will." says Olivia, nodding. "I'm sure it would sell."
"Most definitely." says Peebo. "I'd buy it. Just put a picture of all you guys on the cover, and they'd sell like hotcakes." He turns to Olivia.
Olivia smiles at Geoff.
"We'll think about it." say Geoff.
"Well, here we are." says Jasper.
"It's only been a few minutes, but I feel like we've known each other forever." says Olivia.
"That's how all good friendships begin." says Peebo, and Jasper nods.
"Well, now that you're here, do you think you'll meet up with Nod right away?" says Peebo.
"Don't know. It took a little while to come both times we've seen it." says Olivia. "But we went pretty far both those times. So who knows."
"Well," says Peebo, offering a hand to Olivia, "destiny awaits! Might as well face it!"
"You're right." Olivia says with a smile. She shakes his hand.
"Good luck, dudes! I hope you beat that Nod!" Peebo smiles toothily at them.
"Bye, guys!" says Jasper, leaning out the window as they get out of the car.
"Bye, you guys!" says Olivia, waving. "I'll never forget you!"
"Include us in the book!" calls Peebo, chuckling.
The station wagon pulls away. Olivia waves after it. Geoff raises a hand in the air.
They turn around to face a medium-sized building in front of a large clearing with several mound of earth scattered around it.
"I guess it's so little-used because there are so few Native Americans anymore." says Olivia. "But I've heard of the burial grounds scattered everywhere..."
"Well, maybe we can learn some things, too, if this building is unlocked." says Geoff.
They all head for the building's entrance.
Geoff tries the door.
"Ah, it is unlocked!" he says, and opens the door to a little museum of sorts. The walls are lined with framed arrowheads and other Native American paraphernalia. A display in the middle of the floor contains a tepee, some pots and baskets, a stuffed wolf, a baby mannequin in a papoose, and a couple of adult mannequins in decorative leather outfits.
"Ohh, a lovely museum!" fawns Olivia, rushing forward to pet the wolf. "How could they leave it unlocked? I'm surprised everything's still here!"
"Fewer people would be able to find out about us if it stayed locked." says a voice from the corner.
Olivia whirls around, and Geoff and Cervine walk forward. They see a young, dark man sitting in a chair in the corner nearest the door. He wears a black suit with red shoulder-caps, and has shoulder-length black hair tied into a straight ponytail that juts off the back of his head. He uncrosses and recrosses his legs.
"Oh, I... we're sorry to disturb you, we just came to see the burial grounds." says Olivia, blushing.
"I'm not disturbed. Just glad someone's still interested." says the young man.
He smiles a disarming smile at Olivia. Her blush deepens.
"Who are you?" says Geoff, coming up behind Olivia and taking her hand. "Do you work for the parks?"
The man smiles and looks at the floor.
"No. Nothing so formal." he says. "I'm just a lost Native American trying to reconnect with my people."
"Oh! So, could you tell us some things about what's here?" asks Olivia, sweeping the room with her hand.
"I could tell you some, yes." says the young man affably.
---end of issue seven---
"And that's how we're all descended from a female projenator." says the young man, pointing to a buckskin shield on the wall.
"You make it sound so fascinating." says Olivia, who's lying on the floor, supporting her chin with her hands. "And believable! I can see how so many people used to be so taken in by religions."
"It's a shame that so many of them have died out." says the young man. "They tended to give people hope."
"They started lots of wars, too." says Cervine, sitting on another chair, with his arms folded over his chest.
The man nods, raising his eyebrows and his hands.
"Say... what's your name, anyway?" asks Olivia.
"Alexis. Though, my native name means Blackbird-at-the-water." says the young man, looking down at Olivia.
"Blackbird... you look like a blackbird!" says Olivia. "A red-winged one. With those shoulders." she points to his suit.
"Perhaps I did that unconsciously ." he says, smiling at her.
"I wonder what animal I look like." Olivia says, tilting her head.
"You look like a black bunny in that dress." says Geoff, sitting beside her on the floor, petting her hair.
"Bawwww." says Olivia, rolling over to face Bob.
"And you look like this albino catfish I saw in an aquarium once." she says. Bob's cheeks turn purple. "No! It was a beautiful fish!"
"Oh, so you think he's beautiful, now, do you?" says Geoff, smiling at her sideways.
"Oh... no. I mean... Oh, you know what I mean!" says Olivia, grumbling.
"She's so easy to mess with." he chuckles at Bob.
"So... if you don't mind my asking, how did your motley crew come together?" asks Alexis, looking at all of them.
"By chance, and by gaining a common enemy." says Cervine. The others nod.
"A common enemy... then, you aren't here for the burial grounds." says Alexis.
Olivia arches her eyebrows and shakes her head.
"But... now, you've made this a great place to pick!" she says.
"I'm glad." says Alexis, with a warm smile. "So who is this common enemy?"
"A person called Nod." says Olivia. "It's a person who looks a lot like Bob, but it is very evil. And Bob is so good." She takes Bob's hand.
"I can see what good friends you are." says Alexis. "And you're on the run from this 'Nod'?"
"Yes." says Geoff. "Sad to say, we came to this place because it was little-used."
Alexis nods.
"It's a sad truth about the Native American heritage that people have forgotten us now." he says. "There are very few reservations now, and the pureblood native number decreases every year."
"How sad that a whole people could disappear." says Olivia.
"It's a fact that we must face." says Alexis.
"But how great that there's someone like you, to keep the legends alive and keep people's minds on your people."
"I do what I can." says Alexis. "Now, may I ask, that you're here, did you have a place to stay in mind?"
"Well," says Geoff, "we had been hoping there would be a place we could stay once we got here, but... come to think of it, this is the middle of the woods, isn't it?"
Alexis laughs.
"If you don't mind, I have a campsite nearby that you're welcome to use, should you wish." he says.
"Oh, aren't you the nicest guy?" says Olivia. "And we have hotdogs and marshmallows, so it can be a perfect camping party!"
"Marshmallows." says Alexis. "Haven't had those in a while. Sounds like a lot of fun!"
===
They walk into a clearing in the forest, a little ways away from the burial grounds. There's a large tent, a table, a rock-encircled stack of wood for a fire, and a folding chair.
"Wow, this looks like a professional campsite." says Olivia.
"I'm a bit of a wanderer, so I take my home with me." says Alexis.
"Well, thanks so much for inviting us into your camp!" says Olivia, enthusiastically.
"Now I'll have a few nights that aren't so lonely." says Alexis, striking two rocks together to start the fire.
"And you'll have good eats, too." says Olivia, unstrapping her heavy backpack. "We kind of bought a lot of food at the last place we stayed. You can help us get rid of it!"
"Thank you, kindly." says Alexis, getting up when the fire starts. "I'll find some sticks we can use as skewers." He starts to look through the underbrush.
Olivia sets her pack on the table, and tugs at the stuck zipper.
"Why did I pack this thing so... full!" she says, as the zipper gives way, and the contents of the bag spill out.
She chortles in an embarrassed way.
"Marshmallows!" she cries, grabbing the bag and holding it up.
Alexis gives her a thumbs-up as the fire roars into life behind him.
He brings a few sticks back to the fire and piles them in front of Geoff. Then, he goes into the tent, and comes back out with two knives, one of which he hands to Geoff. He and Geoff sit down and start to sharpen the sticks on one end.
Olivia comes to the fire with the food.
"Oh, Bob, I wish you could have a roasted marshmallow." says Olivia, sticking her lower lip out at Bob.
"Why can't he?" asks Alexis.
"He's... not equipped for it." says Geoff. "He can't eat."
"How strange." says Alexis, considering Bob.
Bob looks at the ground.
"Now, Bob, don't start that again." says Olivia, coming to stand beside him, and putting an arm around him. "You're just very curious is all."
Geoff gets up, and brings a stick to Olivia. She comes back to the fire, and she and Geoff sit by the food. Geoff cuts open the bag of hotdogs. He and Olivia thread two hotdogs onto sticks. Geoff hands his to Alexis, and puts another hotdog on a stick for himself. They all settle around the fire, and hold their hotdogs over it.
"Well, this is a lovely way to end the day." says Olivia, looking up at the sky.
"I'd say so." says Alexis. "Roasting hotdogs with new friends... It's a great way to end the day."
All of a sudden, cafe music issues out of Cervine.
"Oh!" says Olivia. "When were you going to surprise us with this?"
"A friend at the warehouses told me how to get radio stations through the internet." Cervine says, over the music. "Now seems as good a time as any to use it."
Olivia smiles, closes her eyes, and leans back.
===
It's late evening. Olivia had bedded down in Alexis's sleeping bag in the tent. Geoff is on a blanket just outside the tent flap. Alexis is watching the dying embers of the fire tumble over each other.
Eve is sniffing through the underbrush. She emerges under the low bough of a cedar tree. She walks over to a blanket where Bob is sleeping. She looks at him, then looks at Alexis, who is standing up, and walking over to a clear patch of scrubby grass. He looks at Geoff and Bob, then looks to Cervine, who is standing watch in a clearing to the side of them. His back is turned.
Alexis notices Eve looking at him. He puts his finger to his lips.
"You won't tell anyone, will you?" he says in a low voice.
Suddenly, where he was standing, there stands a little red-winged blackbird. It looks around, then flies up and away.
"Hmmm." says Eve to herself. Her clipboard appears, and a long note writes itself, then the clipboard disappears.
===
Olivia wakes, and stretches.
She reaches over and gets her backpack, and pulls out a balled-up dress.
"I guess I should find a stream and try to wash these today." she says, shaking the wrinkles out of the dress.
She pulls it over her head, and steps into her shows, then buckles them. She walks out of the tent. She looks at Geoff and Bob on their blankets, and Eve beside Bob's head. She looks around the campsite, then goes to the clearing where Cervine is.
"Have you seen Alexis?" she asks Cervine.
Cervine looks down at Olivia.
"No. But then, I haven't been watching out for him." say Cervine.
They hear a whistling coming from their right. They turn to look, and there is Alexis, with an armful of wood.
"Morning, all. Thought I'd get some more firewood before everybody got up." says Alexis.
"Oh. I was wondering where you'd gone." says Olivia.
Alexis smiles his warm smile at her.
Olivia blushes.
She goes over to Geoff, and drums on his chest.
"Morning, glory!" she sings.
"Ahh... not quite a rooster crowing, is it?" Geoff says.
"Hmmhmmhmm." Olivia hums, smiling at Geoff with her eyes closed.
She goes over to Bob, and does the same to him.
"Ah!" says Bob, sitting up.
Alexis smiles at them as he sets the wood in the stones.
"It's another glorious day." he says, coming over to them.
"You're certainly a chipper early-riser." says Olivia.
"There's no reason not to be!" says Alexis.
Geoff stands up and stretches.
"Time to see what we packed for breakfast." he says.
He goes to the table, where, last night, Olivia had arranged all the food they'd brought.
"My favourite." he says, picking up a bag of bagels. He also gets six mozzarella sticks.
He walks over, hands two sticks to Olivia, and two to Alexis, and goes to sit by the unlit fire with the bag of bagels. They join him.
Bob also gets up, and joins them. Cervine walks over from the clearing.
Eve walks in front of Olivia, faces her, and sits down.
"So. I've learned something new and interesting, and think it's time for the truth to come from all parties." says Eve.
Alexis stares at Eve, halfway through biting into his bagel.
"As I sort of let on when first we met, Olivia, but as you all may not be aware, I am what humans have referred to in the past as an Angel." says Eve. "And, as you don't know, I have a human form."
She walks to Olivia's side, and a brilliant light pours out of her. The light grows and grows, and finally takes a human shape. The light dims, then vanishes. A beautiful woman, with white hair, white eyes, and in a short skirt and a striped blazer and pumps, stands where Eve was standing. She has two huge, feathery, white wings.
Olivia claps her hands.
"Eve? Oh, you're just like classical paintings!" she cries.
Eve smiles.
"Yes. Painters of old weren't entirely mistaken in their representations of us. Now," Eve says, "why I've shown you this form, is because there is another among us who has two forms." She looks at Alexis.
Geoff, Bob, Olivia, and Cervine all turn to look at Alexis too, questions on their faces.
"Ah." says Alexis. "So the cat could tell."
Eve smiles, and nods.
"I'm a woodland spirit. I most often appear as a red-winged blackbird." says Alexis. "You were right on that count, Olivia." he smiles at her.
Olivia's mouth is open.
"So we've all got our little secrets." says Geoff. "I feel honored, at least, that you've let us see you."
"In olden times, you would have had to be a shaman." says Alexis. "We feel there's no real need to hide, now."
Geoff nods. Eve looks toward him.
"And don't you have a secret to share as well, Geoff?" she says to him.
He looks at Eve, then slowly looks at Olivia. He looks at the ground, then opens his mouth to speak.
"Well, I... as long as everyone's revealing everything..." he says. Olivia looks at him, and bites her lip. "I'm a satyr, and a demigod." He looks drained by the statement. He anxiously waits for Olivia to say something.
"A demigod..." says Olivia, her eyes wide with wonder. "Demigod of what, exactly? Coffee drinks?"
"Mixed drinks in general." says Geoff. His face takes on a sheen of moisture.
"Well... wow!" says Olivia, her eyes sparkling. "Who knew I had such important friends!"
She takes Geoff's arm, and hugs it.
"Not that important." says Geoff, smiling at her.
She swats his cheek.
"All my friends are important." says Olivia. "But why did you never tell me?"
Geoff wipes his face.
"It makes things more... complicated." he says. "Besides, my powers can't really do anything for you... and it never came up, so I figured, why not let sleeping dogs lie?"
"Can't do anything for me?" says Olivia. "What are you talking about? I can have any special drink I ever want, just by asking politely! That's really something!"
Alexis smiles at this.
"I didn't sense I was in such good company." he says. "Will I have to call you Sir and Ma'am now?" he says to Geoff and Eve.
"Of course not." says Geoff, offering a dismissive gesture. "I'm just a guy... who's lived a really long time."
"Oh... does this mean you're one of those old Greek guys you were telling me about?" says Olivia.
"I'm afraid so." says Geoff, smiling at the ground.
"And Alexis, how much you must know about the forest!" says Olivia.
"I know everything about the forest and its creatures." says Alexis, breaking a piece from his bagel and crumbling it on the ground. He suddenly becomes the blackbird, and eats the crumbs he scattered.
"Ah!" says Olivia, holding her hands together under her chin.
She holds a finger out, close to the ground.
Alexis hops up onto it. Olivia giggles, and lifts him up.
"My life is definitely more exciting and interesting since you showed up, Bob." she says, turning to Bob.
"At least you're not unhappy." says Bob, smiling at Olivia.
===
"Just pick up the unbroken ones." says Alexis to Olivia, as they pick up pine needles. "And the fresher, the better."
Geoff walks over.
"What are you guys doing?" he says to them.
"I was going to show Olivia how to make a pine needle basket." says Alexis, gesturing to a big mass of pine needles at their feet.
"You know how rabid I am for crafts." says Olivia, a mischievous smile on her face.
"That's why you'd make a good housewife." says Geoff, softly punching her in the arm.
"As if I have time for that!" says Olivia, scoffing.
"You should be worrying about teenaged girl stuff, like boys." says Geoff, grabbing both sides of her head.
"Boys think I'm too spacey." says Olivia. "Besides, the only boys I know are juvenile delinquents."
Bob, who has been watching from his space by the fire, turns away. Eve, still in her human form, sits beside him.
"Why don't you join her?" says Eve.
"Eh... she's having fun with Alexis." says Bob. "I don't want to seem clingy."
"But you must cling to her for your... well-being." says Eve.
"...Yes." says Bob, looking at his hand. "I don't know why."
Eve's clipboard appears in front of her. She takes it, flips through a couple of pages on it, a note writes itself on it, and it disappears.
Cervine appears behind Bob.
"I noticed a little movement here, to the left." he says, pointing. "Be wary."
Bob hears a bush move beside the clearing where Olivia, Geoff, and Alexis are. He turns and looks.
A pointy thing is sticking out of a bush to Olivia's right.
"Olivia!" Bob calls, and rushes forward automatically.
Nod comes out of the bush, and advances on Olivia. Bob throws himself in front of her.
There's a sickly, wet, ripping sound as one of Nod's spikes goes through the flesh on the top of Bob's chest. Bright purple blood flies from Bob. Nod looks at it on its spike.
"Bob!" screams Olivia. "You! Why are you doing this?!" she yells at Nod.
Nod turns, and disappears.
"Bob! Oh, Bob!" Olivia whimpers as she kneels by Bob. There's a gruesome slash on his chest.
He presses his eyes together, and sits up.
"I'm... I'm alright." he says.
"So that was Nod." says Alexis, and Olivia nods, her hands on Bob's shoulders.
---end of issue eight---
Geoff gets a shirt from his backpack, and brings it over to the clearing, where he begins to rip it into long bandages. Olivia starts taking off Bob's torn shirt.
"Really, I'm fine." says Bob, moving away from Olivia's fussing hands.
"Oh, Bob, don't move! You're still bleeding!" says Olivia, putting her hands on Bob's shoulders again. Bob settles down. Olivia gets his shirt off.
"Or... are you?" she looks more closely at his wound. "You've stopped bleeding! Maybe you heal super-fast." says Olivia.
Geoff kneels down, and wipes Bob's chest clean. It has indeed stopped bleeding. Geoff looks at the wound.
"It's not as bad as it could be." says Geoff. "That was a real close-call." He claps Bob on the shoulder.
"It is after you." says Bob to Olivia.
"And we were just having such a relaxed time." says Olivia, shaking her head. "Guess it doesn't matter where we go. I suppose we should start packing up."
"Do you run after every attack?" asks Alexis.
"Pretty much." says Olivia. "I guess we should say our goodbyes."
"But..." says Alexis. "I don't want to say goodbye. May I come with you?"
"You want to come... even after seeing what Nod can do?" asks Olivia. "It'll come after you, too."
"I can look out for myself." says Alexis. "And it seems you need looking after as well, by what brave Bob did." He nods in Bob's direction.
Geoff is wrapping Bob's wounded chest. Bob squints as the bandages make contact with the wound.
"It was almost too fast for me." says Bob. "If Cervine hadn't warned me..." He looks at Olivia.
"Thank you, Bob." says Olivia, gingerly hugging Bob. Bob hesitates, then places his arm around Olivia.
"But don't do that again!" she scolds,looking up at him.
He smiles at her.
"I'd do it again." he says calmly.
"Ohh!" says Olivia.
"You're our girl, and we're here to look out for you, like it or not." says Geoff, holding her chin in his fingers.
Olivia blushes.
"I wish I didn't have to rely on everyone so much." she says.
"Don't worry about it." says Cervine, standing over them.
"Well, I'm adding myself to the team." says Alexis, smiling brightly. "Better go start taking the camp apart."
"Let us help!" says Olivia, helping Bob to stand.
===
They walk along the highway, away from the woods. Alexis is weighed down by a big, heavy pack, but his step is light.
"You're sure you don't want any help?" Olivia asks him.
"I'm perfectly fine." says Alexis. "I've been carrying this around for years."
"Alright..." says Olivia, hefting Eve, who has returned to her cat form, onto her shoulder.
"I could walk for myself, you know." says Eve, craning her head around.
"Ohhh no. Surely you've seen what happens to cats on highways." says Olivia, circling her arms around Eve's bottom.
"Well, thank you for being concerned about me." says Eve, kneading Olivia's shoulder.
An old station wagon drives past, stops, and backs up to them.
"Jasper and Peebo!" says Olivia, rushing to the driver's side window.
"If it's not our favourite traveling company!" calls Peebo, leaning over into Jasper. "Traveling again so soon?"
"Well, we had another run-in with Nod." says Geoff, pointing a thumb at Bob.
"Aw, dude, your chest! Ow, man!" says Peebo, looking out the back window at Bob. "That Nod is super bad news!"
"Which is why we're sort of stuck now." says Eve. "Where will we go? And fast!"
"You could always come with us, dudes." says Peebo. "We're headed back now to my grandmother's farm, and she's got some wicked-vicious guard dogs."
Olivia looks at Geoff. Geoff looks at her, then to Alexis.
"Think an extra person could fit?" says Geoff.
"You guys are skinny enough, we could fit ten of you in here." says Peebo. He beckons to them with his hands.
"Come on, let's go." he says.
Olivia kisses Jasper on the cheek, then goes around to the other side and kisses Peebo.
"Thank you guys so much." she says.
===
They've been driving for some time.
Peebo turns around.
"So we know their stories, dude, what's yours?" he faces Alexis.
I'm just a wandering Native American in search of my people." says Alexis. He shrugs.
"That's righteous enough, I've never met a Native American before." says Peebo. "You're like an endangered species, right, Jasper?"
"A-yeah, I've never met one before either." says Jasper, nodding at Peebo.
"As I told my friends here, it's a sad fact that my people are nearly non-existent now." says Alexis, his brows lifted, a small frown on his face.
"That's like the gypsies." says Jasper. "I don't know of any other gypsies than myself and my parents."
"You're a gypsy, Jasper? How romantic!" says Olivia. "I'm half-Haitian, half Japanese-Italian, myself."
"Whoa, that's quite a mix, there, missy." says Peebo.
"Yeah. I've got some voodoo priestess in me." says Olivia, stretching her arms over her head. "It's how my mom was such a good fortune-teller."
"Your mom was a fortune-teller?" says Peebo. "Awesome! You'll love my grandmama, then. She's an old-school fortune-teller."
"Oh, really??" says Olivia in a rush. "How wonderful! I can talk with her about the cards, and she can see what she thinks about my palms!"
"It'll be a good time." says Peebo, a satisfied smile on his face.
===
At dusk, they enter a vast expanse of farmland. Olivia leans over Geoff to look out the window.
Fields full of waving greenery sweep past.
"Ohh, isn't the sky so big!" exclaims Olivia, in wonder.
"This is the open country I'm used to." says Peebo, grinning.
They enter a small town, filled with little shops, bordered by spread out farmhouses. They stop at one with a large oak tree billowing its leafy branches out from a corner of the roof. It has green shutters and a roof cover in soft green tiles. There are gerberas planted under the windows, and potted shrubs near the front door. Chickens flap away from the car, and two big German shepherds rush to it. They stand at attention, ears and noses raised, until Peebo opens his door. They leap on him, barking and licking.
"Ahh, Bailey, Bastian! Calm down, guys, I was only gone a couple days!" Peebo says, laughingly. Jasper gets out, and they head for him.
"I'll let you out, so they know you're alright." says Peebo to the group. He opens the door Alexis is sitting by. Alexis, Bob, and Olivia get out. Olivia holds Eve high above the dogs' heads. Peebo lets out Geoff, and opens up the back so Cervine can get out.
"I can't get enough of that body of yours, man!" Peebo says to Cervine. He walks around Cervine to see him from all angles.
The dogs are busily sniffing everyone. Alexis squats down and scratches their heads. They lick his face.
"Looks like at least one of us is a hit." says Olivia, making her way to the front door.
"They like you all. Or you'd be mincemeat by now." says Peebo, coming over and teasing the dogs with his hands.
A tall woman with dark silver hair comes to the door.
"Chester? Are you back already?" she calls.
"Grandmama, it's Peebo!" says Peebo, breaking away from the dogs and going over to his grandmother.
He gives her a hug, and kisses her cheek.
"Grandmama, these are some friends of ours who kind of need a place to stay for a while." says Peebo. "This is Olivia, that's Geoff, that's Bob, the crazy-looking dude is Cervine, and - what was your name again, man?" he asks Alexis.
"Alexis, ma'am." says Alexis, bowing.
"Oh, how nice to meet you all. I'm Cheryl, Chester's grandmother. And the fortune-teller 'round these parts." says the older woman with a smile.
"Grandmama, they know me as Peebo." says Peebo out the side of his mouth.
Olivia smiles at their exchange.
"And how wonderful to meet you, ma'am! My mother was a fortune-teller, so I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about!" says Olivia, at her side, and still holding Eve above her head.
"Aww, you don't need to hold the kitty up like that, Bastian and Bailey wouldn't hurt a friend." says Cheryl.
Olivia slowly lowers Eve. Bailey and Bastian immediately come over, and get Eve's fur sopping wet.
"Well, I wasn't expecting a bath today." says Eve.
Cheryl gasps.
"Well! You've made some rather interesting friends, Chester." says Cheryl.
Peebo looks at the sky and shakes his head.
"Why don't you all come in, and sit for a spell?" says Cheryl, motioning to the front door with her hand.
"Thank you, ma'am." says Geoff, and they all file into the house.
They enter into a large kitchen, filled with canning supplies and cat decorations. A tortoiseshell cat sits on a chair at the dining table, and a silver tabby sits on a shelf above the stove. Two kittens, one black and one orange tabby with white paws and a white belly, skitter toward Cheryl.
"Oh, my babies! My babies!" Cheryl says, scooping up the two kittens and hugging them to her chest.
They walk further into the house, and enter and cozy parlor, with two overstuff couches and a low, overstuffed chair.
"Have a seat, have a seat, let me look at you." says Cheryl, settling into the chair and cuddling her kittens. The whole group assorts themselves on the two couches.
"My, aren't you the most interesting group? How did you happen to meet up with my Chester?" says Cheryl.
"Well, we really were in need of a ride, and they came along and helped us out." says Geoff.
"Oh, how lovely. Chester and Jasper really are two of the nicest boys, they'll help anybody out." says Cheryl, beaming at Peebo.
Peebo is twisting his hoodie in his hands. Olivia pats him on the arm.
"Well, if you need a place to stay, we have a couple extra bedrooms." says Cheryl. "And a full kitchen makes for more fun."
"Thank you so, so much, ma'am. We really appreciate it." says Olivia.
"Please, call me Cheryl!" she says.
===
Cheryl is stirring a pot of soup. Olivia is by her side, watching the soup boil.
Bob walks into the kitchen, wearing a new shirt.
"Are you sure I can have this?" he asks Cheryl, holding the shirt out by the hem.
"Of course, of course!" says Cheryl, good-naturedly. "Chester has plenty of t-shirts, he can do without one or two."
"Thank you." says Bob, looking at the floor.
"It's a shame you can't eat, there's nothing like good fresh-vegetable soup." says Cheryl down her nose at Bob. "Helps your body mend, and makes you strong!"
"Sorry." he says, still looking at the floor, and slumping his shoulders.
"Oh, now, Bob, stop with all that. We know it's not your fault that you can't eat." says Olivia, coming over and putting her hands on Bob's shoulders.
Eve walks over to them, the kittens scrambling over themselves to be with her.
"I didn't know I'd be babysitting for those two loafers up there." she says, jerking her head at the two cats sitting on the table.
"You're just a natural mother, Eve." says Olivia, crouching down and stroking the two kittens.
"They may be cute, but they're a bunch of worry." says Eve, sitting down and wrapping her tail around herself.
"So, tell me about your mother, Olivia." says Cheryl, setting her spoon in a spoonrest.
"My mother?" says Olivia. "She was a wonderful fortune-teller. She foretold many great things and terrible things that happened in my city. She read the palms of lots of influential people around that city. People all throughout the city looked up to her, respected her. But above that, she was a kind, giving, loving woman, who loved me and took the best care of me, and always had my best interest in mind. I loved her more than I can say. I haven't really had time to think of how I'm going to live without her." She was looking at the floor. The tears stream down her cheeks.
Cheryl bent over her and put a hand on her back.
"You poor dear, you've been through a lot, I can see." Cheryl says. "I'll try my best to help heal your heart a little."
Olivia lifted her tear-streaked face to Cheryl.
"Thank you so much, Cheryl." she says. "I wish I'd had a grandma like you."
"Grandmama's one of a kind, alright." says Peebo, coming in from outside.
Outside, Alexis can be seen pointing to the oak tree, and telling Jasper, Geoff, and Cervine something. The door closes.
Peebo gets some lemons from a hanging basket, and gets a juicer that was hanging on the wall. He gets a pitcher from a shelf, and goes to the cabinets lining the outer wall to put some sugar in it.
He chops the lemons in half, and starts juicing them at a chopping block on the counter.
"Such a sweet boy, Chester." says Cheryl.
Olivia wipes her face, and stands up.
"He is very sweet." says Olivia, smiling at Peebo.
Peebo rolls his eyes, but smiles. He pours the juice in the pitcher, and walks to the sink to fill it with water.
"Can I help?" asks Olivia.
"Yeah, can you fill those glasses with ice?" Peebo nods at some cobalt blue water glasses in the cabinet to his right.
"Yes, sir." says Olivia, reaching up to get the glasses.
"We need... six." says Peebo, adding up the people in his head.
"Right-o!" says Olivia, opening the freezer door of an old-fashioned, brown refrigerator.
Cheryl gets a platter from a shelf.
"Here, dear. You can put the glasses on this." she hands the platter to Olivia.
"Guess I'm your sister now, huh, Peebo?" says Olivia, smirking as she fills the glasses with ice.
"Whoa, man, a younger sister? I don't know..." says Peebo, taking a glass from Olivia.
"Oh, nonsense, Chester, you know you always wanted a sister." says Cheryl, beaming once again as she stirs the soup.
The dogs start barking wildly.
Olivia and Bob look at each other. Eve jumps up in the window and looks outside.
"It's Nod." Eve says solemnly.
"Ohh!" says Olivia. She rushes to the door. Bob holds her back before she can go outside.
"Just wait a moment." says Bob.
The dogs bark a few more times, then loudly growl. Peebo looks out the window.
"Looks like it's gone." says Peebo, looking from side to side.
"It ran off through the fields." says Eve, and she gets down and goes to the door.
Jasper opens the door and comes in. He sits down at the table.
"That thing was scary, man." says Jasper. He's as pale as a sheet. "It wanted to see my blood."
He holds up his arm to reveal that his jacket and shirt are torn from the shoulder.
Peebo comes over and claps him on the shoulders.
"Good thing good old Bastian and Bailey were there to scare it off ya."
Geoff and Alexis come in. Cervine stands inside the door.
"Well, the good news is, we now know a weakness." says Geoff.
"What's that?" says Olivia, putting a hand to Cheryl's arm. Cheryl has both hands to her face.
"It's deathly afraid of dogs."Geoff says with a grin.
---end of issue nine---
"Think that'll keep?" says Geoff, picking up a package of imitation crab Olivia has put in her basket.
"If it won't, I'll just eat it fast!" says Olivia, smiling brightly as they look over different cheeses.
"Just think about non-refrigerated things." says Geoff, putting a package of mozzarella sticks in his basket.
"Well, what about those?" says Olivia. "They have to be refrigerated."
"Cheese is rotten milk." says Geoff. "It can be stored out of a refrigerator for a long time."
"I guess that's right..." says Olivia as they move into the chips section.
"Chips~" says Olivia. "Those definitely need no refrigeration."
She looks over all the kinds, and settles on cheddar and sour cream and salt and vinegar.
"Salt and vinegar? Blehhh." says Geoff, sticking out his tongue.
"More for me, then." says Olivia, giggling. "Say, we're going to be camping out, we should get hotdogs and marshmallows!"
"As my lady wishes." says Geoff, who crosses over to the meat refrigerator, and picks out some ballpark franks. Olivia walks down to the bread aisle, and picks a package of hotdog buns. They meet in the baking aisle, where Olivia picks up a bag of jumbo marshmallows.
"We should get some carrots and lettuce as well." says Geoff. "You can't live on hotdogs and marshmallows."
"Yes, sir." says Olivia, and they walk to the vegetables.
===
They walk into the rebel camp with stuffed backpacks, Olivia carrying a bag of apples in her hand. They're confronted by Cervine.
"Something... has happened." he says, his tone oddly flat.
"What is it?" asks Olivia. "Bob! Is he alright??"
"Bob's fine, though a little shaken." says Cervine. "As am I. Our friend Nod was here..."
"Oh no..." says Olivia, placing her hands on Cervine's arms. "It isn't... Sister May?"
"Humans aren't the only ones this Nod has a vendetta against." says Cervine, walking over to Sister May's still body.
"Sister May!" says Olivia.
She walks over and gets on her knees by Sister May's ruined head.
"Oh... she was so sweet and caring... how horrible that this could happen to her!" says Olivia, with a catch in her throat. Tears start to flow down her face, and a few small spiders start to crawl out of her open mouth. She coughs, and draws Sister May's veil over her broken face.
Bob looks troubled.
"I tried to catch it, but it was just so fast! I was right there..." he says.
"I don't blame you, Bob." says Cervine. "But we do have to catch this person, no matter what."
"I wouldn't be able to stand it if another person died." says Olivia, turning her tear-streaked face to Geoff, Cervine, Bob, Eve.
"I think we just need to keep watch until it comes again." says Geoff. "Then we'll try to face it, and see what it wants."
"What could it want?" says Olivia, hugging herself. "What could I have that it wants?"
"only time will tell." says Geoff, looking into the woods.
===
They stay at the rebel camp, despite the fact that most of the androids try to avoid them.
Olivia looks at some androids standing a ways away, and sighs.
"Here I thought I'd be able to help them," she says, "But all I've brought is unease."
"It's just that they've lost their trust in us." says Geoff. "We need to work on gaining that trust back. They're not used to trusting humans."
Geoff looks at her, and puts a finger in the middle of her forehead.
"And don't go blaming yourself again. This wasn't your fault."
"Hmm. It's all Nod." says Olivia, furrowing her brow. "But what could I possibly have that it wants?"
"No idea." says Geoff. "Maybe it sees your connection with Bob, and is jealous."
"It would have to be very petty, to have killed so many people over jealousy." says Olivia. "I wish we could just talk to it."
Olivia looks to Bob, who is sitting to their side. His worried look is back, and he's looking at the ground.
"Oh, Bob." says Olivia, putting her arms around him. "You tried to stop it. There was nothing more you could do."
"But... why couldn't I have seen it before it killed Sister May?" says Bob. He faces Olivia. "What if that had been you?"
"I... don't think it wants to kill me."says Olivia, staring at her hands. "It's always waited until I was gone to strike. It wants something from me... but what?"
Geoff puts his arm around her neck, and gives her a noogie.
"No use in worrying about that now." he says. "What we do have to worry about is where to go from here."
Olivia puts her hands on Geoff's arm, under her chin.
"Does that mean we'll have to leave Cervine?" she says.
"I think it would be best for him." says Geoff. "And it would get him out of danger."
"Another friend gone..." says Olivia, wistfully.
"Gone? Where?" says Cervine, approaching them, "Which friend?"
"We were just talking about finding some place to go after here." says Geoff. "And if we leave, it would be best for you to stay here. Meaning we'd have to split up."
"But I don't want to split up." says Cervine. "Plus, if I stayed with you, I would have the best chance of finding May's killer again." He looks to the ground. "It must be brought to justice."
Olivia placed a hand on his arm.
"Well," says Olivia, "I'm glad we won't be saying goodbye. But you'll have to keep your eyes-" she looks at his remaining eye, "eye peeled. We never know when it will show up."
"I might be able to catch it when next it shows its head." says Cervine. "I am a robot, and quicker than most."
"We'll have to rely on that, then." says Geoff. "Just don't get caught with your back turned."
"Aye-aye, sir." says Cervine, mock-saluting Geoff. Geoff smiles.
Caroline approaches, with a fretful-looking Roberta in tow.
"Cervine, I cannot tell you how sorry I am for your loss." says Caroline. "And Roberta here feels just awful about it, too."
"I was beginning to feel a real kinship with May." says Roberta."This is a terrible blow. And Bob, how awful that everyone's been avoiding you. I know full well that you had nothing to do with this. I'd still like to be your friend."
She offers a hand to Bob, who's still sitting on the ground. He takes it, and stands.
"Thank you very much, Roberta." says Bob. ""Of course, we're still friends. I just wish I could show the other androids that they can believe in me."
"It will take a little time, but I'm sure they're willing to trust you." says Caroline.
"If only I could prove to them that I'm different from Nod..." says Bob.
"Well, no one here is sure of what this 'Nod' is." says Caroline. "Few androids got a look at it before it was gone."
"This is the problem with Bob and Nod," pipes in Eve. "No one is sure what they are."
"Or where we're from." says Bob, furrowing his brow.
"Well, don't worry about it, Bob." says Olivia, hugging him. "We've got to figure out some secret hideaway where Nod can't find us."
"I might know someone who can help you." says Caroline. "I'll go get him."
She walks off to the other end of the camp.
"I wonder who she could mean." ponders Olivia.
"Probably a robot with a database of sites of some kind." Cervine muses.
Caroline re-approaches with a pearly-golden android by her side.
"This is V-K. He knows the historic sites around North America." says Caroline. "A little-used historic site would be a great place for you to hide."
"Good idea, Caroline." says Geoff. "Well, V-K, any little-used historic sites nearby?"
"Query accepted." says a large speaker in V-K's abdomen. "Scanning... three possible little-used historic sites in the vicinity."
"Give us the one farthest from people." Geoff says.
"Pine Woods Native American Burial Grounds. 5.8 miles away. In the middle of an unoccupied pine forest. Shall I print you a map?" says V-K.
"Yes, please." says Geoff.
A printer in V-K's chest feeds out a sheet of paper.
"Thank you very much, V-K." says Geoff, taking the map.
"A pleasure, sir." says V-K.
"I'll walk him back now." says Caroline.
Caroline and V-K walk back to the other end of the camp.
"This is great! Hopefully there will be a place to stay once we get there." says Olivia.
"It'll be a long walk, so we'd best set out in the morning." says Geoff.
"That way, we can properly say our goodbyes here." says Olivia.
"Inasmuch as the androids want to say goodbye to us." says Bob.
Caroline returns.
"Well, I hope that map will help you." says Caroline. "As well as knowing a place to go."
"It does indeed help, thanks a lot, Caroline." says Geoff. "We'll set out in the morning, so we'll be out of the way sooner rather than later."
"No hurry." says Caroline. "I was looking forward to what you might have brought to our group, but if you have to go, you have to go."
"I do still want to help, in whatever way I can." says Olivia.
"Just keep us in your thoughts, and tell everyone you meet that mistreating androids is wrong." says Caroline.
===
It's morning. Geoff, Cervine, Bob, Olivia, and Eve emerge from the park and walk down the road. They reach the highway, where Geoff stops.
"I have an idea." he says.
He ushers them into some bushes, then goes to stand beside the road, with his thumb in the air.
"Are you sure this will work?" asks Olivia.
"I used to hitchhike all the time." says Geoff. "And if they stop for me, they'll most likely take our whole group."
A beat-up station wagon stops in the road ahead of him.
"Ah, what looks to be a couple of stoners. They'll love us." Geoff grins.
He walks up to the car and leans into the driver's side window. He gestures back to the group. He stands up, smiling. He walks back.
"They'll take us, They were headed through this way, anyway," Geoff says.
They all walk to the station wagon, and pile in the back seat. Cervine folds his long legs into the back.
"Whoa-oa-oa, you're trippy, Mr. Robot Dude." says the kid in the passenger's seat. "But don't worry about us, man, we totally feel the whole rebellion thing. Androids need respect too, my brother!"
He flashes a peace sign.
"Thanks." says Cervine.
Olivia smiles behind her hand.
"That's Jasper. I'm Peebo." says the kid. "Hope you have a fun ride!"
"Thank you so much for picking us all up." says Olivia. "I hope we won't be any trouble."
"No trouble at all, little lady." says Jasper, waggling his eyebrows at her in the rear-view mirror. Olivia giggles.
"That's what I need to hear more of, the laughter of pretty young women." says Peebo, smiling at Olivia. "And what would your name be?"
"I'm Olivia." says Olivia. "And this is Geoff, Bob, that's Cervine," she says, pointing at Cervine, "and this is Eve." She holds Eve up for Peebo to see.
"Aww, kitty-kitty." says Peebo, scratching Eve's chin.
"And whoa! Dude! I was so blown away by Geoff and Cervine that I didn't get a good look at you!" He's turned to face Bob, who sits behind him. "What's your story?"
"He doesn't know yet. He's a mystery." says Eve, and Peebo's eyes nearly pop out of his head.
"Wowwowwow." says Peebo. "We sure lucked out with this group, didn't we, Jasper?"
"Sure did!" says Jasper, turning to look at Eve.
"Whoa, keep your eyes on the road, man." says Peebo, bopping Jasper on the head.
"Sorry." Jasper mumbles.
===
"That's a wild story, man, I'm sorry it so full of death." says Peebo, staring through the windshield.
"It's just what's happened." says Olivia, wiping a tear from her eye after telling all she's been through.
"But man, you guys should write a book about what you're going through." says Peebo. "That is, if it turns out well."
"Maybe I will." says Olivia, nodding. "I'm sure it would sell."
"Most definitely." says Peebo. "I'd buy it. Just put a picture of all you guys on the cover, and they'd sell like hotcakes." He turns to Olivia.
Olivia smiles at Geoff.
"We'll think about it." say Geoff.
"Well, here we are." says Jasper.
"It's only been a few minutes, but I feel like we've known each other forever." says Olivia.
"That's how all good friendships begin." says Peebo, and Jasper nods.
"Well, now that you're here, do you think you'll meet up with Nod right away?" says Peebo.
"Don't know. It took a little while to come both times we've seen it." says Olivia. "But we went pretty far both those times. So who knows."
"Well," says Peebo, offering a hand to Olivia, "destiny awaits! Might as well face it!"
"You're right." Olivia says with a smile. She shakes his hand.
"Good luck, dudes! I hope you beat that Nod!" Peebo smiles toothily at them.
"Bye, guys!" says Jasper, leaning out the window as they get out of the car.
"Bye, you guys!" says Olivia, waving. "I'll never forget you!"
"Include us in the book!" calls Peebo, chuckling.
The station wagon pulls away. Olivia waves after it. Geoff raises a hand in the air.
They turn around to face a medium-sized building in front of a large clearing with several mound of earth scattered around it.
"I guess it's so little-used because there are so few Native Americans anymore." says Olivia. "But I've heard of the burial grounds scattered everywhere..."
"Well, maybe we can learn some things, too, if this building is unlocked." says Geoff.
They all head for the building's entrance.
Geoff tries the door.
"Ah, it is unlocked!" he says, and opens the door to a little museum of sorts. The walls are lined with framed arrowheads and other Native American paraphernalia. A display in the middle of the floor contains a tepee, some pots and baskets, a stuffed wolf, a baby mannequin in a papoose, and a couple of adult mannequins in decorative leather outfits.
"Ohh, a lovely museum!" fawns Olivia, rushing forward to pet the wolf. "How could they leave it unlocked? I'm surprised everything's still here!"
"Fewer people would be able to find out about us if it stayed locked." says a voice from the corner.
Olivia whirls around, and Geoff and Cervine walk forward. They see a young, dark man sitting in a chair in the corner nearest the door. He wears a black suit with red shoulder-caps, and has shoulder-length black hair tied into a straight ponytail that juts off the back of his head. He uncrosses and recrosses his legs.
"Oh, I... we're sorry to disturb you, we just came to see the burial grounds." says Olivia, blushing.
"I'm not disturbed. Just glad someone's still interested." says the young man.
He smiles a disarming smile at Olivia. Her blush deepens.
"Who are you?" says Geoff, coming up behind Olivia and taking her hand. "Do you work for the parks?"
The man smiles and looks at the floor.
"No. Nothing so formal." he says. "I'm just a lost Native American trying to reconnect with my people."
"Oh! So, could you tell us some things about what's here?" asks Olivia, sweeping the room with her hand.
"I could tell you some, yes." says the young man affably.
---end of issue seven---
"And that's how we're all descended from a female projenator." says the young man, pointing to a buckskin shield on the wall.
"You make it sound so fascinating." says Olivia, who's lying on the floor, supporting her chin with her hands. "And believable! I can see how so many people used to be so taken in by religions."
"It's a shame that so many of them have died out." says the young man. "They tended to give people hope."
"They started lots of wars, too." says Cervine, sitting on another chair, with his arms folded over his chest.
The man nods, raising his eyebrows and his hands.
"Say... what's your name, anyway?" asks Olivia.
"Alexis. Though, my native name means Blackbird-at-the-water." says the young man, looking down at Olivia.
"Blackbird... you look like a blackbird!" says Olivia. "A red-winged one. With those shoulders." she points to his suit.
"Perhaps I did that unconsciously ." he says, smiling at her.
"I wonder what animal I look like." Olivia says, tilting her head.
"You look like a black bunny in that dress." says Geoff, sitting beside her on the floor, petting her hair.
"Bawwww." says Olivia, rolling over to face Bob.
"And you look like this albino catfish I saw in an aquarium once." she says. Bob's cheeks turn purple. "No! It was a beautiful fish!"
"Oh, so you think he's beautiful, now, do you?" says Geoff, smiling at her sideways.
"Oh... no. I mean... Oh, you know what I mean!" says Olivia, grumbling.
"She's so easy to mess with." he chuckles at Bob.
"So... if you don't mind my asking, how did your motley crew come together?" asks Alexis, looking at all of them.
"By chance, and by gaining a common enemy." says Cervine. The others nod.
"A common enemy... then, you aren't here for the burial grounds." says Alexis.
Olivia arches her eyebrows and shakes her head.
"But... now, you've made this a great place to pick!" she says.
"I'm glad." says Alexis, with a warm smile. "So who is this common enemy?"
"A person called Nod." says Olivia. "It's a person who looks a lot like Bob, but it is very evil. And Bob is so good." She takes Bob's hand.
"I can see what good friends you are." says Alexis. "And you're on the run from this 'Nod'?"
"Yes." says Geoff. "Sad to say, we came to this place because it was little-used."
Alexis nods.
"It's a sad truth about the Native American heritage that people have forgotten us now." he says. "There are very few reservations now, and the pureblood native number decreases every year."
"How sad that a whole people could disappear." says Olivia.
"It's a fact that we must face." says Alexis.
"But how great that there's someone like you, to keep the legends alive and keep people's minds on your people."
"I do what I can." says Alexis. "Now, may I ask, that you're here, did you have a place to stay in mind?"
"Well," says Geoff, "we had been hoping there would be a place we could stay once we got here, but... come to think of it, this is the middle of the woods, isn't it?"
Alexis laughs.
"If you don't mind, I have a campsite nearby that you're welcome to use, should you wish." he says.
"Oh, aren't you the nicest guy?" says Olivia. "And we have hotdogs and marshmallows, so it can be a perfect camping party!"
"Marshmallows." says Alexis. "Haven't had those in a while. Sounds like a lot of fun!"
===
They walk into a clearing in the forest, a little ways away from the burial grounds. There's a large tent, a table, a rock-encircled stack of wood for a fire, and a folding chair.
"Wow, this looks like a professional campsite." says Olivia.
"I'm a bit of a wanderer, so I take my home with me." says Alexis.
"Well, thanks so much for inviting us into your camp!" says Olivia, enthusiastically.
"Now I'll have a few nights that aren't so lonely." says Alexis, striking two rocks together to start the fire.
"And you'll have good eats, too." says Olivia, unstrapping her heavy backpack. "We kind of bought a lot of food at the last place we stayed. You can help us get rid of it!"
"Thank you, kindly." says Alexis, getting up when the fire starts. "I'll find some sticks we can use as skewers." He starts to look through the underbrush.
Olivia sets her pack on the table, and tugs at the stuck zipper.
"Why did I pack this thing so... full!" she says, as the zipper gives way, and the contents of the bag spill out.
She chortles in an embarrassed way.
"Marshmallows!" she cries, grabbing the bag and holding it up.
Alexis gives her a thumbs-up as the fire roars into life behind him.
He brings a few sticks back to the fire and piles them in front of Geoff. Then, he goes into the tent, and comes back out with two knives, one of which he hands to Geoff. He and Geoff sit down and start to sharpen the sticks on one end.
Olivia comes to the fire with the food.
"Oh, Bob, I wish you could have a roasted marshmallow." says Olivia, sticking her lower lip out at Bob.
"Why can't he?" asks Alexis.
"He's... not equipped for it." says Geoff. "He can't eat."
"How strange." says Alexis, considering Bob.
Bob looks at the ground.
"Now, Bob, don't start that again." says Olivia, coming to stand beside him, and putting an arm around him. "You're just very curious is all."
Geoff gets up, and brings a stick to Olivia. She comes back to the fire, and she and Geoff sit by the food. Geoff cuts open the bag of hotdogs. He and Olivia thread two hotdogs onto sticks. Geoff hands his to Alexis, and puts another hotdog on a stick for himself. They all settle around the fire, and hold their hotdogs over it.
"Well, this is a lovely way to end the day." says Olivia, looking up at the sky.
"I'd say so." says Alexis. "Roasting hotdogs with new friends... It's a great way to end the day."
All of a sudden, cafe music issues out of Cervine.
"Oh!" says Olivia. "When were you going to surprise us with this?"
"A friend at the warehouses told me how to get radio stations through the internet." Cervine says, over the music. "Now seems as good a time as any to use it."
Olivia smiles, closes her eyes, and leans back.
===
It's late evening. Olivia had bedded down in Alexis's sleeping bag in the tent. Geoff is on a blanket just outside the tent flap. Alexis is watching the dying embers of the fire tumble over each other.
Eve is sniffing through the underbrush. She emerges under the low bough of a cedar tree. She walks over to a blanket where Bob is sleeping. She looks at him, then looks at Alexis, who is standing up, and walking over to a clear patch of scrubby grass. He looks at Geoff and Bob, then looks to Cervine, who is standing watch in a clearing to the side of them. His back is turned.
Alexis notices Eve looking at him. He puts his finger to his lips.
"You won't tell anyone, will you?" he says in a low voice.
Suddenly, where he was standing, there stands a little red-winged blackbird. It looks around, then flies up and away.
"Hmmm." says Eve to herself. Her clipboard appears, and a long note writes itself, then the clipboard disappears.
===
Olivia wakes, and stretches.
She reaches over and gets her backpack, and pulls out a balled-up dress.
"I guess I should find a stream and try to wash these today." she says, shaking the wrinkles out of the dress.
She pulls it over her head, and steps into her shows, then buckles them. She walks out of the tent. She looks at Geoff and Bob on their blankets, and Eve beside Bob's head. She looks around the campsite, then goes to the clearing where Cervine is.
"Have you seen Alexis?" she asks Cervine.
Cervine looks down at Olivia.
"No. But then, I haven't been watching out for him." say Cervine.
They hear a whistling coming from their right. They turn to look, and there is Alexis, with an armful of wood.
"Morning, all. Thought I'd get some more firewood before everybody got up." says Alexis.
"Oh. I was wondering where you'd gone." says Olivia.
Alexis smiles his warm smile at her.
Olivia blushes.
She goes over to Geoff, and drums on his chest.
"Morning, glory!" she sings.
"Ahh... not quite a rooster crowing, is it?" Geoff says.
"Hmmhmmhmm." Olivia hums, smiling at Geoff with her eyes closed.
She goes over to Bob, and does the same to him.
"Ah!" says Bob, sitting up.
Alexis smiles at them as he sets the wood in the stones.
"It's another glorious day." he says, coming over to them.
"You're certainly a chipper early-riser." says Olivia.
"There's no reason not to be!" says Alexis.
Geoff stands up and stretches.
"Time to see what we packed for breakfast." he says.
He goes to the table, where, last night, Olivia had arranged all the food they'd brought.
"My favourite." he says, picking up a bag of bagels. He also gets six mozzarella sticks.
He walks over, hands two sticks to Olivia, and two to Alexis, and goes to sit by the unlit fire with the bag of bagels. They join him.
Bob also gets up, and joins them. Cervine walks over from the clearing.
Eve walks in front of Olivia, faces her, and sits down.
"So. I've learned something new and interesting, and think it's time for the truth to come from all parties." says Eve.
Alexis stares at Eve, halfway through biting into his bagel.
"As I sort of let on when first we met, Olivia, but as you all may not be aware, I am what humans have referred to in the past as an Angel." says Eve. "And, as you don't know, I have a human form."
She walks to Olivia's side, and a brilliant light pours out of her. The light grows and grows, and finally takes a human shape. The light dims, then vanishes. A beautiful woman, with white hair, white eyes, and in a short skirt and a striped blazer and pumps, stands where Eve was standing. She has two huge, feathery, white wings.
Olivia claps her hands.
"Eve? Oh, you're just like classical paintings!" she cries.
Eve smiles.
"Yes. Painters of old weren't entirely mistaken in their representations of us. Now," Eve says, "why I've shown you this form, is because there is another among us who has two forms." She looks at Alexis.
Geoff, Bob, Olivia, and Cervine all turn to look at Alexis too, questions on their faces.
"Ah." says Alexis. "So the cat could tell."
Eve smiles, and nods.
"I'm a woodland spirit. I most often appear as a red-winged blackbird." says Alexis. "You were right on that count, Olivia." he smiles at her.
Olivia's mouth is open.
"So we've all got our little secrets." says Geoff. "I feel honored, at least, that you've let us see you."
"In olden times, you would have had to be a shaman." says Alexis. "We feel there's no real need to hide, now."
Geoff nods. Eve looks toward him.
"And don't you have a secret to share as well, Geoff?" she says to him.
He looks at Eve, then slowly looks at Olivia. He looks at the ground, then opens his mouth to speak.
"Well, I... as long as everyone's revealing everything..." he says. Olivia looks at him, and bites her lip. "I'm a satyr, and a demigod." He looks drained by the statement. He anxiously waits for Olivia to say something.
"A demigod..." says Olivia, her eyes wide with wonder. "Demigod of what, exactly? Coffee drinks?"
"Mixed drinks in general." says Geoff. His face takes on a sheen of moisture.
"Well... wow!" says Olivia, her eyes sparkling. "Who knew I had such important friends!"
She takes Geoff's arm, and hugs it.
"Not that important." says Geoff, smiling at her.
She swats his cheek.
"All my friends are important." says Olivia. "But why did you never tell me?"
Geoff wipes his face.
"It makes things more... complicated." he says. "Besides, my powers can't really do anything for you... and it never came up, so I figured, why not let sleeping dogs lie?"
"Can't do anything for me?" says Olivia. "What are you talking about? I can have any special drink I ever want, just by asking politely! That's really something!"
Alexis smiles at this.
"I didn't sense I was in such good company." he says. "Will I have to call you Sir and Ma'am now?" he says to Geoff and Eve.
"Of course not." says Geoff, offering a dismissive gesture. "I'm just a guy... who's lived a really long time."
"Oh... does this mean you're one of those old Greek guys you were telling me about?" says Olivia.
"I'm afraid so." says Geoff, smiling at the ground.
"And Alexis, how much you must know about the forest!" says Olivia.
"I know everything about the forest and its creatures." says Alexis, breaking a piece from his bagel and crumbling it on the ground. He suddenly becomes the blackbird, and eats the crumbs he scattered.
"Ah!" says Olivia, holding her hands together under her chin.
She holds a finger out, close to the ground.
Alexis hops up onto it. Olivia giggles, and lifts him up.
"My life is definitely more exciting and interesting since you showed up, Bob." she says, turning to Bob.
"At least you're not unhappy." says Bob, smiling at Olivia.
===
"Just pick up the unbroken ones." says Alexis to Olivia, as they pick up pine needles. "And the fresher, the better."
Geoff walks over.
"What are you guys doing?" he says to them.
"I was going to show Olivia how to make a pine needle basket." says Alexis, gesturing to a big mass of pine needles at their feet.
"You know how rabid I am for crafts." says Olivia, a mischievous smile on her face.
"That's why you'd make a good housewife." says Geoff, softly punching her in the arm.
"As if I have time for that!" says Olivia, scoffing.
"You should be worrying about teenaged girl stuff, like boys." says Geoff, grabbing both sides of her head.
"Boys think I'm too spacey." says Olivia. "Besides, the only boys I know are juvenile delinquents."
Bob, who has been watching from his space by the fire, turns away. Eve, still in her human form, sits beside him.
"Why don't you join her?" says Eve.
"Eh... she's having fun with Alexis." says Bob. "I don't want to seem clingy."
"But you must cling to her for your... well-being." says Eve.
"...Yes." says Bob, looking at his hand. "I don't know why."
Eve's clipboard appears in front of her. She takes it, flips through a couple of pages on it, a note writes itself on it, and it disappears.
Cervine appears behind Bob.
"I noticed a little movement here, to the left." he says, pointing. "Be wary."
Bob hears a bush move beside the clearing where Olivia, Geoff, and Alexis are. He turns and looks.
A pointy thing is sticking out of a bush to Olivia's right.
"Olivia!" Bob calls, and rushes forward automatically.
Nod comes out of the bush, and advances on Olivia. Bob throws himself in front of her.
There's a sickly, wet, ripping sound as one of Nod's spikes goes through the flesh on the top of Bob's chest. Bright purple blood flies from Bob. Nod looks at it on its spike.
"Bob!" screams Olivia. "You! Why are you doing this?!" she yells at Nod.
Nod turns, and disappears.
"Bob! Oh, Bob!" Olivia whimpers as she kneels by Bob. There's a gruesome slash on his chest.
He presses his eyes together, and sits up.
"I'm... I'm alright." he says.
"So that was Nod." says Alexis, and Olivia nods, her hands on Bob's shoulders.
---end of issue eight---
Geoff gets a shirt from his backpack, and brings it over to the clearing, where he begins to rip it into long bandages. Olivia starts taking off Bob's torn shirt.
"Really, I'm fine." says Bob, moving away from Olivia's fussing hands.
"Oh, Bob, don't move! You're still bleeding!" says Olivia, putting her hands on Bob's shoulders again. Bob settles down. Olivia gets his shirt off.
"Or... are you?" she looks more closely at his wound. "You've stopped bleeding! Maybe you heal super-fast." says Olivia.
Geoff kneels down, and wipes Bob's chest clean. It has indeed stopped bleeding. Geoff looks at the wound.
"It's not as bad as it could be." says Geoff. "That was a real close-call." He claps Bob on the shoulder.
"It is after you." says Bob to Olivia.
"And we were just having such a relaxed time." says Olivia, shaking her head. "Guess it doesn't matter where we go. I suppose we should start packing up."
"Do you run after every attack?" asks Alexis.
"Pretty much." says Olivia. "I guess we should say our goodbyes."
"But..." says Alexis. "I don't want to say goodbye. May I come with you?"
"You want to come... even after seeing what Nod can do?" asks Olivia. "It'll come after you, too."
"I can look out for myself." says Alexis. "And it seems you need looking after as well, by what brave Bob did." He nods in Bob's direction.
Geoff is wrapping Bob's wounded chest. Bob squints as the bandages make contact with the wound.
"It was almost too fast for me." says Bob. "If Cervine hadn't warned me..." He looks at Olivia.
"Thank you, Bob." says Olivia, gingerly hugging Bob. Bob hesitates, then places his arm around Olivia.
"But don't do that again!" she scolds,looking up at him.
He smiles at her.
"I'd do it again." he says calmly.
"Ohh!" says Olivia.
"You're our girl, and we're here to look out for you, like it or not." says Geoff, holding her chin in his fingers.
Olivia blushes.
"I wish I didn't have to rely on everyone so much." she says.
"Don't worry about it." says Cervine, standing over them.
"Well, I'm adding myself to the team." says Alexis, smiling brightly. "Better go start taking the camp apart."
"Let us help!" says Olivia, helping Bob to stand.
===
They walk along the highway, away from the woods. Alexis is weighed down by a big, heavy pack, but his step is light.
"You're sure you don't want any help?" Olivia asks him.
"I'm perfectly fine." says Alexis. "I've been carrying this around for years."
"Alright..." says Olivia, hefting Eve, who has returned to her cat form, onto her shoulder.
"I could walk for myself, you know." says Eve, craning her head around.
"Ohhh no. Surely you've seen what happens to cats on highways." says Olivia, circling her arms around Eve's bottom.
"Well, thank you for being concerned about me." says Eve, kneading Olivia's shoulder.
An old station wagon drives past, stops, and backs up to them.
"Jasper and Peebo!" says Olivia, rushing to the driver's side window.
"If it's not our favourite traveling company!" calls Peebo, leaning over into Jasper. "Traveling again so soon?"
"Well, we had another run-in with Nod." says Geoff, pointing a thumb at Bob.
"Aw, dude, your chest! Ow, man!" says Peebo, looking out the back window at Bob. "That Nod is super bad news!"
"Which is why we're sort of stuck now." says Eve. "Where will we go? And fast!"
"You could always come with us, dudes." says Peebo. "We're headed back now to my grandmother's farm, and she's got some wicked-vicious guard dogs."
Olivia looks at Geoff. Geoff looks at her, then to Alexis.
"Think an extra person could fit?" says Geoff.
"You guys are skinny enough, we could fit ten of you in here." says Peebo. He beckons to them with his hands.
"Come on, let's go." he says.
Olivia kisses Jasper on the cheek, then goes around to the other side and kisses Peebo.
"Thank you guys so much." she says.
===
They've been driving for some time.
Peebo turns around.
"So we know their stories, dude, what's yours?" he faces Alexis.
I'm just a wandering Native American in search of my people." says Alexis. He shrugs.
"That's righteous enough, I've never met a Native American before." says Peebo. "You're like an endangered species, right, Jasper?"
"A-yeah, I've never met one before either." says Jasper, nodding at Peebo.
"As I told my friends here, it's a sad fact that my people are nearly non-existent now." says Alexis, his brows lifted, a small frown on his face.
"That's like the gypsies." says Jasper. "I don't know of any other gypsies than myself and my parents."
"You're a gypsy, Jasper? How romantic!" says Olivia. "I'm half-Haitian, half Japanese-Italian, myself."
"Whoa, that's quite a mix, there, missy." says Peebo.
"Yeah. I've got some voodoo priestess in me." says Olivia, stretching her arms over her head. "It's how my mom was such a good fortune-teller."
"Your mom was a fortune-teller?" says Peebo. "Awesome! You'll love my grandmama, then. She's an old-school fortune-teller."
"Oh, really??" says Olivia in a rush. "How wonderful! I can talk with her about the cards, and she can see what she thinks about my palms!"
"It'll be a good time." says Peebo, a satisfied smile on his face.
===
At dusk, they enter a vast expanse of farmland. Olivia leans over Geoff to look out the window.
Fields full of waving greenery sweep past.
"Ohh, isn't the sky so big!" exclaims Olivia, in wonder.
"This is the open country I'm used to." says Peebo, grinning.
They enter a small town, filled with little shops, bordered by spread out farmhouses. They stop at one with a large oak tree billowing its leafy branches out from a corner of the roof. It has green shutters and a roof cover in soft green tiles. There are gerberas planted under the windows, and potted shrubs near the front door. Chickens flap away from the car, and two big German shepherds rush to it. They stand at attention, ears and noses raised, until Peebo opens his door. They leap on him, barking and licking.
"Ahh, Bailey, Bastian! Calm down, guys, I was only gone a couple days!" Peebo says, laughingly. Jasper gets out, and they head for him.
"I'll let you out, so they know you're alright." says Peebo to the group. He opens the door Alexis is sitting by. Alexis, Bob, and Olivia get out. Olivia holds Eve high above the dogs' heads. Peebo lets out Geoff, and opens up the back so Cervine can get out.
"I can't get enough of that body of yours, man!" Peebo says to Cervine. He walks around Cervine to see him from all angles.
The dogs are busily sniffing everyone. Alexis squats down and scratches their heads. They lick his face.
"Looks like at least one of us is a hit." says Olivia, making her way to the front door.
"They like you all. Or you'd be mincemeat by now." says Peebo, coming over and teasing the dogs with his hands.
A tall woman with dark silver hair comes to the door.
"Chester? Are you back already?" she calls.
"Grandmama, it's Peebo!" says Peebo, breaking away from the dogs and going over to his grandmother.
He gives her a hug, and kisses her cheek.
"Grandmama, these are some friends of ours who kind of need a place to stay for a while." says Peebo. "This is Olivia, that's Geoff, that's Bob, the crazy-looking dude is Cervine, and - what was your name again, man?" he asks Alexis.
"Alexis, ma'am." says Alexis, bowing.
"Oh, how nice to meet you all. I'm Cheryl, Chester's grandmother. And the fortune-teller 'round these parts." says the older woman with a smile.
"Grandmama, they know me as Peebo." says Peebo out the side of his mouth.
Olivia smiles at their exchange.
"And how wonderful to meet you, ma'am! My mother was a fortune-teller, so I'm sure we'll have a lot to talk about!" says Olivia, at her side, and still holding Eve above her head.
"Aww, you don't need to hold the kitty up like that, Bastian and Bailey wouldn't hurt a friend." says Cheryl.
Olivia slowly lowers Eve. Bailey and Bastian immediately come over, and get Eve's fur sopping wet.
"Well, I wasn't expecting a bath today." says Eve.
Cheryl gasps.
"Well! You've made some rather interesting friends, Chester." says Cheryl.
Peebo looks at the sky and shakes his head.
"Why don't you all come in, and sit for a spell?" says Cheryl, motioning to the front door with her hand.
"Thank you, ma'am." says Geoff, and they all file into the house.
They enter into a large kitchen, filled with canning supplies and cat decorations. A tortoiseshell cat sits on a chair at the dining table, and a silver tabby sits on a shelf above the stove. Two kittens, one black and one orange tabby with white paws and a white belly, skitter toward Cheryl.
"Oh, my babies! My babies!" Cheryl says, scooping up the two kittens and hugging them to her chest.
They walk further into the house, and enter and cozy parlor, with two overstuff couches and a low, overstuffed chair.
"Have a seat, have a seat, let me look at you." says Cheryl, settling into the chair and cuddling her kittens. The whole group assorts themselves on the two couches.
"My, aren't you the most interesting group? How did you happen to meet up with my Chester?" says Cheryl.
"Well, we really were in need of a ride, and they came along and helped us out." says Geoff.
"Oh, how lovely. Chester and Jasper really are two of the nicest boys, they'll help anybody out." says Cheryl, beaming at Peebo.
Peebo is twisting his hoodie in his hands. Olivia pats him on the arm.
"Well, if you need a place to stay, we have a couple extra bedrooms." says Cheryl. "And a full kitchen makes for more fun."
"Thank you so, so much, ma'am. We really appreciate it." says Olivia.
"Please, call me Cheryl!" she says.
===
Cheryl is stirring a pot of soup. Olivia is by her side, watching the soup boil.
Bob walks into the kitchen, wearing a new shirt.
"Are you sure I can have this?" he asks Cheryl, holding the shirt out by the hem.
"Of course, of course!" says Cheryl, good-naturedly. "Chester has plenty of t-shirts, he can do without one or two."
"Thank you." says Bob, looking at the floor.
"It's a shame you can't eat, there's nothing like good fresh-vegetable soup." says Cheryl down her nose at Bob. "Helps your body mend, and makes you strong!"
"Sorry." he says, still looking at the floor, and slumping his shoulders.
"Oh, now, Bob, stop with all that. We know it's not your fault that you can't eat." says Olivia, coming over and putting her hands on Bob's shoulders.
Eve walks over to them, the kittens scrambling over themselves to be with her.
"I didn't know I'd be babysitting for those two loafers up there." she says, jerking her head at the two cats sitting on the table.
"You're just a natural mother, Eve." says Olivia, crouching down and stroking the two kittens.
"They may be cute, but they're a bunch of worry." says Eve, sitting down and wrapping her tail around herself.
"So, tell me about your mother, Olivia." says Cheryl, setting her spoon in a spoonrest.
"My mother?" says Olivia. "She was a wonderful fortune-teller. She foretold many great things and terrible things that happened in my city. She read the palms of lots of influential people around that city. People all throughout the city looked up to her, respected her. But above that, she was a kind, giving, loving woman, who loved me and took the best care of me, and always had my best interest in mind. I loved her more than I can say. I haven't really had time to think of how I'm going to live without her." She was looking at the floor. The tears stream down her cheeks.
Cheryl bent over her and put a hand on her back.
"You poor dear, you've been through a lot, I can see." Cheryl says. "I'll try my best to help heal your heart a little."
Olivia lifted her tear-streaked face to Cheryl.
"Thank you so much, Cheryl." she says. "I wish I'd had a grandma like you."
"Grandmama's one of a kind, alright." says Peebo, coming in from outside.
Outside, Alexis can be seen pointing to the oak tree, and telling Jasper, Geoff, and Cervine something. The door closes.
Peebo gets some lemons from a hanging basket, and gets a juicer that was hanging on the wall. He gets a pitcher from a shelf, and goes to the cabinets lining the outer wall to put some sugar in it.
He chops the lemons in half, and starts juicing them at a chopping block on the counter.
"Such a sweet boy, Chester." says Cheryl.
Olivia wipes her face, and stands up.
"He is very sweet." says Olivia, smiling at Peebo.
Peebo rolls his eyes, but smiles. He pours the juice in the pitcher, and walks to the sink to fill it with water.
"Can I help?" asks Olivia.
"Yeah, can you fill those glasses with ice?" Peebo nods at some cobalt blue water glasses in the cabinet to his right.
"Yes, sir." says Olivia, reaching up to get the glasses.
"We need... six." says Peebo, adding up the people in his head.
"Right-o!" says Olivia, opening the freezer door of an old-fashioned, brown refrigerator.
Cheryl gets a platter from a shelf.
"Here, dear. You can put the glasses on this." she hands the platter to Olivia.
"Guess I'm your sister now, huh, Peebo?" says Olivia, smirking as she fills the glasses with ice.
"Whoa, man, a younger sister? I don't know..." says Peebo, taking a glass from Olivia.
"Oh, nonsense, Chester, you know you always wanted a sister." says Cheryl, beaming once again as she stirs the soup.
The dogs start barking wildly.
Olivia and Bob look at each other. Eve jumps up in the window and looks outside.
"It's Nod." Eve says solemnly.
"Ohh!" says Olivia. She rushes to the door. Bob holds her back before she can go outside.
"Just wait a moment." says Bob.
The dogs bark a few more times, then loudly growl. Peebo looks out the window.
"Looks like it's gone." says Peebo, looking from side to side.
"It ran off through the fields." says Eve, and she gets down and goes to the door.
Jasper opens the door and comes in. He sits down at the table.
"That thing was scary, man." says Jasper. He's as pale as a sheet. "It wanted to see my blood."
He holds up his arm to reveal that his jacket and shirt are torn from the shoulder.
Peebo comes over and claps him on the shoulders.
"Good thing good old Bastian and Bailey were there to scare it off ya."
Geoff and Alexis come in. Cervine stands inside the door.
"Well, the good news is, we now know a weakness." says Geoff.
"What's that?" says Olivia, putting a hand to Cheryl's arm. Cheryl has both hands to her face.
"It's deathly afraid of dogs."Geoff says with a grin.
---end of issue nine---