The Kansas Incident. - Aspect 3.

[joegoda]

34329 / 50000 words. 69% done!



I didn't sleep well that night. I was twisting and turning in my head about what the heck I was going to do about Ammit and the 'Bads. I was beginning to doubt the I was doing the right thing. Not that defeating the bad guys is a bad thing, but I kept coming back to some of the questions about my motives.

Why did I feel the need to do this? Well, obviously, someone had to. Why was that? Why did anyone have to? What did I care about Sedan, Kansas? Well, what about Christie and Cat and all the other people there? Ha! Christie had been there for decades, Cat is a magical creature and if she fades away, she'll just pop up somewhere else.

What?

It's true, from what I read in Plumb's journals. Magical creatures can't be destroyed. They're like Aspects in the sense. They can be trapped, modified, chopped and diced, but they can't be destroyed. If you destroy what appears to be a physical body, then the essence of the creature will just flit about, gathering strength, until it can reform somewhere else. If Cat were to be killed, she'd just hang 'round the Otherwhere until she just reconstituted somewhere else. She'd still be Cat, she'd still be a pixie, and she'd still be without a family.

Which brought another thought. If magical creatures can't be destroyed, then where is her family? Where are the fairies and gnomes and pixies of Sedan, Kansas? Cat said that Lawrence, or rather, Ammit, drained the magic out of the place and that destroyed her people.

Which can't be true if Plumb is right, and I have no reason to doubt if Plumb is right or not. So... where are the magic folk of Sedan? Puzzles and mysteries. I hate 'em when I don't have the answer.

Still, why me? Well, it's because I was given this task. Not by Robert Plumb, although he had a bit to do with it, but I was also pointed in this direction by my dark half, that Shadow form doppelganger I fought with at Redbud Valley. Not so much that he said, "Hey buddy... you'll find the big bad guy in Sedan, Kansas," but more so, he indicated that someone was looking for me, and whoever that someone was, wasn't going to give me the PCH sweepstakes. It was the Gatekeeper that pointed me to Ammit.

The Gatekeeper pointed me to Ammit. Plumb pointed me to Sedan. James Thomas pointed me to some big bad guys who were running the show. Cthulhu at the Gateway pointed to someone big and nasty helping him. The 'Bads themselves pointed to someone controlling them.

A lot of points, I had to admit. Still... why me? And the answer is just this simple:

Someone, and it may not even be Ammit, but someone was trying to mess up my life, and the lives of my friends. Quite possibly to the point of killing a few folks to make the statement that my life has been messed up.

Which brought another question. If not Ammit, then who or whom? I think it's who. Anyway, Ammit is part of the process, so I'm going to go take care of him. I've always been pretty about putting a wrench in somebody's monkey. Maybe if Ammit is handled, then and if there is someone behind HIM, I'll find out who that is and then I'll take care of them.

All I want is my old boring life back, before I met Angelina and her father. It was simple, it was ordinary if not a bit weird at times, but it was never deadly. It never put my friends at risk.

But you know, you can't really go backward. You can only go forward. None of the things in my life that got me to where I am can be undone. So, I'll muddle through, fight the bad guys to keep my friends safe. Because as sure as I'm sitting here, the bad guys will come back time and time again, and my friends will never, ever be one hundred percent safe. Even if I was gone, some goofy demon or spook or sorcerer will come looking for me, and the first place to look would be my old friends.

So, I had a bit of a sleepless night, and I napped on the way, drifting in and out while Tim drove the two hours to Sedan. We talked a bit between my dozing. Ken, Sherry's husband, had something come up at work that he had to attend to. It's one of those things that happens when the world depends on their computers working right.

"So," he asked, "Do you have a plan?"

"Yeah," I answered him, "we go to Sedan and see if we can get a handle on Lawrence. Once we do that, we should get a handle on Ammit. My fear is that Lawrence is submerged so far into his own subconscious, we might not be able to get him to come out."

"And how," Sherry asked from the front passenger seat, "are we going to get a handle on Lawrence?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," I admitted to her. "But something will come up. Something always does."

And it was true. Thinking back to what the shade of Plumb had told me at the windmill, I've got more resources than I could shake a stick at. At least, I hoped so. So far, every time I had gotten into a jam, something or somebody would come along and pull my fat out of the fire. Like my friends. Like Angelina. Something would pop up to give us a bit of an advantage.

An idea came to me while in a dream. One of those tiny dreams that happens when dozing. I dreamt I was reading. It was in a dusty place, without much light, and there were books all around, piled on shelves, piled on boxes. The book was a skinny volume, not many pages and the pages were filled with pictures. I didn't get very far in the dream. Tim woke me up.

"It looks like the others are pulling off for a pit stop," he said, looking in the rear view mirror.

I turned around and saw the big red truck that carried April, Craig and Charity pull off at a place just outside of Chautauqua. A big sign read 'Chautauqua Country Store'. Tim pulled off the highway and turned around, going back to meet the others.

We pulled off and parked next to the Country Store. Charity and Craig got out of April's truck, which had pulled up to the gas pumps, and Craig worked the handle while Charity went into the store. April got out of the drivers side and came over to where we were parked.

"Sorry 'bout this," she said. "I should have filled up back home."

"Not a big deal," Tim said. "We've got a few hours yet."

"You know," Sherry added, "I could use a bit of a pit stop, myself." She turned around to look at me. "You want anything, hon?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine. I do have an idea about what we're going to do, though."

Tim turned around to look at me too. "Oh?"

I nodded my tired head. "Yeah. I didn't get much of a look at the town there, but I did see a book depository. It was all boarded up from the outside, but it looked like there were boxes inside of it. I want to look in it for a book."

"Okay," Tim said, looking at Sherry. "Any particular book?"

"Yeah. A school yearbook." I pushed a bit deeper in to the back seat. "Go take a break. I want to get a bit more of a nap, okay?"

April knocked on the window, waking me a little. "And what is it that you wanted the rest of us to do?"

"We'll talk about it when we get there," I told her. "The 'Bads don't seem to hang around the town much. Seem is the operative word. I know they are there, and I think I have an idea where to find them. You guys are going to go scout them out for me."

"How are we going to do that?" Tim had opened his door to get out. "We don't have that Sight thing you have. We can't see them."

"Don't worry about it, chum," I told him. "April and Charity are gifted for the task I have in mind."

"Oh?" I had April's full attention.

"Yeah," I said. It was evident that I wasn't going to get any more sleep, so I pulled myself upright. "You guys are going to go have dinner at Thom McCann's."

"Okay." Sherry and Tim were both out of the car, and looking into me from the open driver's side door. "Any reason for that?"

"Because I think that is where the 'Bads are at, disguised as the people of Sedan. You're going to go in and be really obnoxious, while I search the depository. I have a few more thoughts on it, but I want to wait till we get settled in at Christie's house." I looked at the sun, which had just started its westward journey. "What time is it?"

"Just after one," Tim said.

"Lunch time." I opened the door and got out. "I wonder if this place has any jerky." I walked to the store and the rest of them followed behind me. "I wonder if this place carries those little pink snowballs... you know? With the chocolate cake in them? I feel the need for a sugar rush."

"And what happens," Tim said, "if we get the 'Bads all stirred up?"

I shrugged and slowed down to walk next to him. "They can't hurt you, chum. They can make you feel bad, but they can't physically hurt you." I pulled open the glass and chrome door and went in to the store. It looked like every quick stop type of store I've ever been in.

"Ah!" I spied a big jar of rough beef jerky on the counter. Directly across were those pink balls of chocolate cake. "I'm gonna get something to eat before we leave," I told them. "I'd recommend getting some sugar into you as well. And carry something sweet with you when you're in the restaurant. A sugar high will keep any sort of depression away, hopefully, and the 'Bads won't be able to do anything to you at all."

I realized I wasn't giving my friends very much information, but then again, I didn't have much to give them. I was pretty much winging it, putting my faith in my ability to figure things out and being able to handle them. I was putting my faith in my friends, too. They're pretty sharp.

Sherry sidled up to me while I looked at the cookies and cakes on the shelf. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Good idea." I searched through the pink balls, looking for some that didn't look squashed.

"You haven't given us much to go on, you know?" She sounded a bit testy, which I couldn't blame her for.

I turned to her and took her hand. "Sherry, honey, I don't have the slightest idea of what I'm doing. Really. I do know this, though. This Ammit guy is one big bad thing, and if we don't stop him, he will keep coming at me, and at you all, until someone is dead. And if it's not me, it'll end up being all of you."

I smiled, sadly. "I didn't want to bring you into it. None of you. But I can't do this alone." I saw a look of pain cross her face. "Go to the bathroom. I'll spill as much as I can outside. Forget going to Christie's for right now. I'll tell you what my battle plan is, okay?"

She nodded and I saw that Tim was listening and he nodded too. Craig came into the store, saw us talking and asked us what was up.

"I think I have an idea of what I'm doing," I told him, "and I'm going to tell everyone as soon as I buy some jerky and these here snowballs."

"You have an idea of what you're doing?" Craig's eyebrows rose and a smile grew on his face. "This IS a first. Maybe we should by you a gift or something. Do you feel all right? Do you need to lie down?"

"Smartass," I said, taking my snowballs to the counter and picking out some jerky from a plastic jar. "Get something sweet to eat and meet me at the car."

"Sweet?" Craig looked a bit confused. "Does it have to be sweet?"

"Yeah, it does," I told him. "I promise I'll explain everything as much as I can." I looked at Tim. "No booze for now, okay? Alcohol tends to be a depressive, and I don't want any of you to be anything but happy, happy, happy."

Tim frowned. "After?"

"After," I said, "I expect to get stinking drunk and I expect all of you to be there, too. Fair enough?"

"Works for me," Tim said. He wandered down the candy aisle, looking for something he liked, bumping into Craig who was already there.

"I think he's crazy," I heard Craig mutter quietly to Tim.

"Sure he is," Tim admitted. "He's always been this way. He also tends to be right most of the time." He picked up some Rollos. Good caramelly goodness wrapped in chocolate.

April came up carrying a big bag of peanut butter M&Ms. "I think this'll do for me and Chris," she said to me, nodding.

"Cool." I picked up my purchases and went out the door. The wind had picked up a bit and a chill ran down my shirt. I pulled my jacket closer and sat on the hood of Sherry's car, waiting. The heat from the engine rose up through my jeans and warmed by backside. It felt good.

When the others came out, I was still sitting on Sherry's car, eating my second snowball and feeling the breeze wrap its arms around me. The sun was still sinking down, and I figured it was probably close to 1:30 or so. Tim was drinking a root beer and nibbling on Rollos. Sherry was drinking a Dr. Pepper and the others were either eating or drinking something sweet. This is good.

"Okay," I started, once we had all gathered. "I know that you folks are wondering what the heck I'm doing, and I don't blame you. I didn't really have much of a plan until just a few minutes ago, and here it is."

I finished the snowball and wiped my hands on my pants. "When we get to Sedan, I'm hoping there isn't any sort of welcoming committee waiting. Just in case there is, I'm going to go to full-blown Wiz mode. I'll be here physically, but most of the rest of me won't be here."

"And this is different, how?" April has a great deadpan delivery.

"Ha. Ha." I went on. "I'll be sailing ahead of us, through the Soular Winds, just to make sure there isn't any surprises. When I come back, I may be a bit cranky."

"I repeat...," April started. I just ran right over her.

"That's part of what these snowballs are for," I said. "Chock full of sugary goodness and quite a bit of artificial energy boost. I do not want to come out and be cranky with you or exhausted, like I normally do." I gave them my most deadly serious look. "Really, I don't. I'll be in a place where anger and slash or depression can get you killed. If you see me get turn a bit mean, tell me a joke or tickle me or something." I double thought. "No, scratch the tickling. That will definitely piss me off. Still, do your best to keep me in a good humor, okay?"

"Um," Tim was rubbing the side of his nose. "Sure. How hard can it be?"

Charity gave me a big hug and said, "You know you could never be mad at me, right?"

I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and said, "You'd be surprised. My biggest fear is that up there, if I blow up, I'll blow up really big."

"Like nuclear." Sherry nodded. It wasn't a question. "I wondered bout that. You seem a bit different today than normal. You glow a bit more."

"Oh?" I held up my arms and looked at them. "I didn't notice, but thanks. Might have had something to do with my conversation with Robert Plumb. Seems we're not alone in this battle."

"That's good," Craig observed. "Because right now, we still don't know what the hell we're doing."

"Right," I agreed. Lord, I'm a wordy bastard at times. "Let me continue, then. Once we get to Sedan proper, and if the coast is all clear, I'll pull back and try to be a cheerful Chester. I'll point you to Christie's..."

"You gave us maps," April pointed out.

"Yes, yes I did, and I'm glad I did, but still... I want to be the first one on the porch. She's not expecting us. I didn't see a phone there, and I couldn't find her listed anywhere to let her know we're coming." I gave them level looks. This lady is a major heavy hitter in her own yard. To surprise her would be a bad thing, folks."

"Hey," Sherry said, "Why don't you tell her we're coming while you're out in Wiz mode? I imagine that's something you can do, right?"

I slapped myself upside my own head. "Absolutely!" I grinned like a monkey eating free. "See? This is why I need you guys. I can't think of everything."

"Yeah," Craig said, "because if you did, your head would explode."

April's phone buzzed with a text message. We all went silent while she read it.

"Chris may not make it tonight," she said. "He's got a freezer rebuild to take care of."

"Sad for him, but I'm glad there's just one less to worry about." I frowned. "I will be worried about each of you."

"Awww," Charity said, "you don't have to. We'll be fine."

"I'm not so sure," I said grimly. "Let me finish, and we'll talk fine points. Once we meet Christie and make sure she's okay and there's nothing new I need to know, I'm going to break into the book depository. There's a book there I need to find."

"That school yearbook?" Tim asked.

"Yep," I said, nodding. "I think there's something there that will help us. Maybe finding some of the old pictures of Lawrence will pull his consciousness up and I can talk to him, get him to take control of Ammit, rather than the other way around like it is now." I sighed. "Here's the tricky part. When I was looking at the old book depository, I got the definite feeling that it was protected. I felt some major alarm stuff sitting around it. And that's where you guys come in."

"Finally," Charity said. I was seriously worried about her. She was looking forward to battle way too much.

"My fear," I said, "my belief is that the alarms are going to bring a whole army of 'Bads to the depository. Now, Christie tells me there aren't that many around the town. I tend to disagree with her. I think there's a bunch of them there, just well hidden, in the bodies of the townspeople. That's what I saw when I was at McCann's. Nothing but 'Bads, except for Andrew Lawrence."

"And," April said, "That's why you want me and Charity to be there, because you know we can really be obnoxious if we feel like it."

"Yep," I admitted. "I need you to be a big old distraction while I go looking for that year book." I looked at Craig. "You can either help me at the depository, or go with the ladies. I'd rather you went with them to McCann's, just in case."

"I agree," Craig said. "Besides, I can be pretty obnoxious myself, with the proper motivation."

I grinned at him. "I had a feeling you could."

I looked over at Tim and Sherry. "Now, you two, who have been with me through thick and thin, who know me better than I know myself at times, you two have the biggest job of all. You're going to stay with Christie and keep her safe."

They started to protest, loudly, but I cut them off with a bark. "No, you can't come with me to the Depository. It's only a block away from her house, and if there are fireworks, meaning something is trying to kill me, you will hear it." I looked at them over my glasses. "Really. I promise. I'll yell 'Hey Rube' so loud, they'll hear it in Tulsa."

"But I need you there at Christie's house to do whatever she needs you to do. I know she can move in and out of the Otherwhere, so if need be, you'll be able to pop over there with her help and become your Aspects and fight whatever lay on the other side. This is something I feel is important, okay?"

They grumbled a bit and Sherry really didn't like it, but they agreed with me. After all, I'm the Wizard, right? I should know what's best... right?

"Now, once I find what I'm looking for, and I suspect Plumb will help me out there, I'll yell directly into your brains that I've found it. In fact, that's what I'll say, okay? That I've found it."

I waited for each of them to give me their nod, showing their understanding. "Okay. Once you hear me yell in your head, you three," I pointed to Craig, Charity and April, "hightail it back to Christie's house and join Tim and Sherry. We're going into the garden, where you'll finally get to meet Cat, Charity."

"Yay!" Charity clapped her hands and smiled.

"Yeah, okay," I continued. "We need to go to the windmill. Bob left me a message, hidden in my subconscious. There's something there, some sort of green or blue stone that I need to finally beat Ammit. I'll need you guys there because the 'Bads and Ammit are going to be hot on my tail, once they realize I broke into the book depository. I need you to both fight with me and help me look for this doodad."

"What is it," Tim asked. "What are we looking for?"

"I'm thinking it's a stone or a bit of jewelry or something like that," I told him. "I'm not really sure, but I know it's about this big." I made a circle with my thumb and forefinger. "It's not small, but it may be hard to find. And I think I know where to look, but if I'm wrong, I'll need you guys to help me."

"What's it do?" Craig asked.

"I think," I said, "that it opens a wormhole between here and somewhere else. I'm thinking that if I can push enough will to it, then it will pull Ammit back to where he came from, and maybe even a good number of the 'Bads. Regardless, it was something that Plumb showed me in a vision. I know it's important, just not exactly how it's important."

I stopped and took breath, and let it out slowly. "Okay. Any questions?"

Tim raised his hand.

"Yes? You in the front, with the shaggy red hair," I pointed at him.

"I can assume that you're buying tonight, afterwards?" He was smiling only in his eyes. His mouth had assumed that 'Tim Fighting Look', patent pending.

"If we make it through the night, then you betcha, I'm buying." I hadn't told them yet I was stinking rich. I haven't to this day. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Having a lot of money changes how folks view you.

"Okay, then," he said. "Let's get this thing over and done."

"Okay, then, " I said. "Rough riders, let's ride. Sedan bound we are."

Comments

[tapestry01.livejournal.com]

How'd you know I liked Rollos?

[joegoda.livejournal.com]

I know a lot about you, chum. In truth, I evaluated your personality, checked against a known list of likes and dislikes, knew you liked caramel and shot in the dark.

[shackrlu.livejournal.com]

But I'd be drinking Dr. Pepper!

[joegoda.livejournal.com]

I thought you were Dr. Pepper. Just seemed that you didn't any more.. Maybe it's because of the whiskey and coke period we went through.

[shackrlu.livejournal.com]

Whiskey and DP just don't mix as well as whiskey and coke or pepsi.. but solo.. for me it's DP.

[joegoda.livejournal.com]

Got it fixed! I'll take a look for that other incident we talked about.