by Curtis, Gene
Nick said, “Wait!” Before he finished saying, “This is the perfect place for an ambush,” the doors slid open revealing just an empty elevator. Nick shrugged.
A small, radio-controlled plastic box concealed on top of a statue off to the side and behind them sprayed a small amount of liquid on their backs. With their fingers up their noses, none in the group realized what had happened or that they now reeked with skunk odor.
Mark started walking and said, “If we go to the theaters we can cut across the mall pretty quick and get to the stairs.”
Mark’s pace was almost a jog when they reached the entrance to the mall beside the theaters. The passage between the two sides of the mall was packed with laughing spectators. The closest people grabbed their noses, turned their heads and started backing up. Bruce Spencer was standing on the other side of the mall, grinning and waving a walkie-talkie at them.
Mark had rarely seen Bruce outside of class last year and didn’t know much about him except he practiced sword fighting with Slone’s crew and was with Slone when he’d met him last year. Mark looked around at the crowd and it reminded him of how everyone had looked last year when Slone led his group back into the mall and everyone of them were rank from the droppings of about fifty-thousand starlings.
Mrs. Shadowitz emerged from the crowd and holding her nose she said, “You four march straight outside, right now! Shana will meet you shortly with something to get rid of that smell and un-stick your fingers.”
Mark started to speak but Mrs. Shadowitz cut him off. “Go!” She pointed down the hall toward the exit.
The group walked out onto the school grounds and Mark didn’t have to say what he was thinking, everyone had already picked up his thoughts.
Jamal said, “You’re probably right. I wonder how many more in Slone’s group never had anything to do with attacking us?”
Nick said, “It couldn’t be helped. We had to do something or they would have thought they could just do anything to us anytime they wanted and we wouldn’t do anything about it.”
Jamal answered, “Still, innocent people suffered. I wonder how much more retribution we can expect?”
Bruce, followed by Slone and crew, walked out the door. Bruce said, “I see you figured it out. There were seven of us that never had anything to do with what happened to you.” Slone’s group held their distance up wind.
Mark said, “How about let’s call an end to the feud?”
Bruce said, “As far as I’m concerned, we’re even.”
Slone said, “As far as I’m concerned, you’re still fair game.”
“Why in the world are you targeting me?”
“Ever since I met you last year I knew you needed an attitude adjustment. A few good butt whippings will do you fine. You need to learn to respect your betters.”
Shana appeared with a spray bottle in her hand and quickly moved upwind. “Okay guys, one at a time, back up to me and let me spray your backs.”
Mark went first. “Slone, what do I have to do to make you leave us alone?”
“Well, I’ll extend my offer once again; join our group.”
“There’s got to be another way.”
“I tell you what, just beat anyone in our group in a sword fight and I’ll make you and your group off limits. Everyone will be mad at me if you win, they’re still mad about what you did to Ricky Barns and everyone wants a piece of you for that.”
“I didn’t do anything to Ricky Barns; he did it himself.”
Shana said, “Next.” Mark stepped aside and Chenoa backed up to Shana.
“Might I remind you that you started this whole thing? Ricky, Keith and Ralph were just trying to make friends with Nick when you butted in.”
“They weren’t trying to make friends, they were bullying him.”
“None the less, that’s just the way it’s done where they’re from. Then you had to humiliate them in front of the whole school, and after that, when they tried to smooth things over by recommending we let you join our group and what you did, well, that was just the final straw. Now, Ricky is in prison. Do you see why everyone is mad?”
Chenoa stepped aside and Shana said, “Next.” Nick backed up to her.
“I’m sorry Ricky is in prison, but he did that himself.”
“Did you ever think for one minute that if you had said you were sorry for butting-in that any of this would have gone this far? I think you don’t have a clue.”
Chenoa walked up to Mark and whispered, “Be careful, he’s baiting you.”
Jeremy appeared beside Jamal. “Whew!” He waved his hand in front of his face and stepped upwind. He looked at Chenoa. “Okay, let’s get your fingers unstuck.” He held up a small syringe for her to see. “This will dissolve the glue and it won’t hurt a bit.”
Mark said to Slone, “Okay, I’m sorry.”
“It’s a bit late for that now. You’re just lucky Ricky is alive.”
“Slone, I just want it to end right here, right now.”
“All right, get your hands free and we’ll see if you can.”
“What do you mean, see if I can? All we have to do is say it’s over.”
“It’s not that easy. You see, everyone in my group wants a piece of you. If I say no then everyone gets mad at me, but if you join the group the rule is anyone in the group can’t mess with anyone else in the group. Since you’re not going to join the group I offer you a challenge. That keeps my people from ganging up on you like they did last year and it gives everyone in my group a hope at the chance to take you down a notch or two. If you can beat just one person in my group in a sword fight, you win. I’ll call off everyone. I think that’s more than fair.”
Chenoa stepped away from Jeremy and he changed the tip on the syringe. “Okay Mark, let’s get your fingers out.”
Chenoa asked Slone, “Is that challenge just for Mark or is it for anyone in our group?”
Slone shrugged and pulled two riotous from Aaron’s grasp and tossed her one. “You wanted to, what was it you said last year? Oh yeah, ‘beat the snot out of me.’ Here’s your chance.”
Mark yelled, “Chenoa, no! I’ll fight.”
Jeremy grabbed Mark’s collar and said, “That’ll be a little difficult with your fingers stuck up your nose. Tilt your head back.”
Mark glanced at Chenoa squaring off with Slone before tilting his head back. “Please hurry.”
Jeremy started working the needle between Mark’s finger and nostril. Mark heard the first loud cracks of wood against wood followed by Chenoa yelling, “Yow!” Mark started to look left, but Jeremy had a hold of his wrist so he couldn’t move his head far enough to see. Another set of whacks sounded and Marks’ left pinky pulled free. Chenoa and Slone were circling each other, riotous held with the tips touching at eye level.
Jeremy said, “Let’s get your other finger out and then you can go play with your friends.”
“They’re not my friends!”
“If you say so, but I can’t talk about it until after sunset.”
Mark’s finger slid free and he turned just in time to see Slone spin and bring the tip if his riotous across Chenoa’s nose. Blood spattered across her left cheek and her nose didn’t return to its original shape. She cried out as Slone spun again, striking the back of her right hand. Her riotous fell to the ground and Slone lunged forward striking Chenoa in the forehead with the heel of the handle.
Mark screamed, “Noooooo!” He started toward them.
Chenoa crumpled to her knees and Slone, resting his riotous on his shoulder sniffed hard, twice. “Imagine that, I’ve still got all my snot.” He spat a large glob just short of her knees. “That’s what it looks like if you were wondering.”
Mark reached them, knelt and wrapped his arms around Chenoa. “Chenoa, you shouldn’t have, this is my battle.”
Chenoa held her right wrist with her left hand and didn’t say anything. Her right hand had swollen to the size of a grape fruit.
Shana walked up and aske
d, “Can you stand?”
Mark and Shana helped her to try and stand, but she was too wobbly. Shana said, “That’s okay sweetie, I’ve got you.” She motioned for Mark to let her hold Chenoa. Mark stepped back. Shana took her in her arms and they were gone.
Slone picked up Chenoa’s riotous, tossed it to Mark and he just let it fall back to the ground. “I’m not going to fight you, Slone.”
“I know that. Ralph gets first crack at you.”
Ralph Lawrence stepped forward and Slone handed him his riotous. Ralph no longer looked fat; he’d lost a lot of weight. He turned toward Mark, made a figure eight with the practice sword and grinned. He reached into Aaron’s Grasp, removed a small MP-3 player, dropped it into a pocket and put the wireless phones in his ears, closed his eyes and started swaying and singing, off key, “Bodies hit the floor, bodies hit the floor…”
Mark cocked his head and squinted. Slone shrugged and said, “It keeps you out of his head.”
Ralph, brandishing the riotous, advanced toward Mark. He stopped just short, tapped the tip of the riotous on the ground three times and brought it back to guard position.
Slone said, “That’s a warning. He plans to attack you whether you defend yourself or not.”
Mark looked Ralph directly in the eyes, shook his head slightly, frowned, turned and started walking off. He hadn’t taken two steps before Ralph’s riotous struck him across his right shoulder, followed by a blow to the side of his left knee. Without thinking, Mark hopped to the right and the momentum from Ralph’s next attempted blow carried him stumbling past Mark. It was very apparent that Ralph intended to cause Mark serious bodily harm.
Mark pulled his own riotous from Aaron’s Grasp. Being made from the heart of a sweet-gum tree, it was a bit heavier than the standard oak riotous and a bit stronger. The grain in the sweet-gum wood crisscrossed itself which made the riotous more difficult to splinter or split, thus allowing it to serve longer in defense.
Rather than stumbling blindly on, Ralph turned and ended in a perfect “T” stance; right foot back and turned at a right angle to the forward facing left foot. Leaning forward, he began sidestepping toward Mark, raising the sword as he approached. Just before reaching striking distance, Ralph leapt into a flying side kick which Mark dodged. On landing, Ralph spun low, faked a blow to Mark’s ankles, swung up and connected with Mark’s elbow and followed that by shoulder-ramming Mark in the midsection. Mark’s riotous went flying.
Mark landed on his back and was momentarily stunned. When he regained enough of his senses to realize Ralph was aiming a blow toward his head area, he tried to roll, but it was too little too late. The riotous connected with his left collar bone and he heard as-well-as felt the bone snap. The pain was immediate and excruciating. He forced himself to continue his roll ending on his knees and one good arm.
Through his legs, he saw Ralph coming in for another strike. He kicked backward and connected with Ralph’s left knee. Ralph doubled over and grabbed his leg before falling over on his side. Mark got to his feet, and through the pain, tucked his bad hand into the waistband of his pants. Mark searched for his riotous and found it about twenty feet behind where he had fallen. He picked it up and turned just in time to see Ralph swing another blow toward his head.
Mark ducked; poked Ralph in the armpit, spun to try for a reverse blow to Ralph’s other knee. He missed. Ralph had back stepped out of range. His momentum carried him around until his back was toward Ralph; not at all a good position to be in during a fight. A blow to the right kidney caused Mark to double over, but the impact was a little off and it didn’t hurt as much as it could have. Mark continued the doubling-over motion into a full somersault, ending with the tip of his riotous striking Ralph’s solar-plexus as Ralph advanced on him.
Mark tried to get to his feet but couldn’t. He saw Ralph laying on the ground not five feet from him and trying to get up. A few seconds passed with both boys struggling to get back to their feet before Jeremy’s voice said, “I’m calling this one a draw.”
He felt a large hand grasp his wrist and the next thing he knew, he was on the balcony outside the healing ward and Ralph was on the floor on the other side of the large legs.
When Mark awoke, he heard Nick talking. He pulled back the curtain and saw that all three of his friends, along with James and LeOmi, were seated around a table at the foot of the bed. The remains of three pizzas were on the table along with several unopened sodas. Everyone turned his way when they heard the curtain slide back.
Mark moved his left arm and was surprised it didn’t hurt. “How long have I been out?”
Jamal said, “Just less than two hours.” He pointed to the pizzas. “We saved you some pizza: pepperoni and mushroom, six-cheese and peppers and onion, if you’re hungry.”
Mark walked over and picked up a slice of the six-cheese pizza. “Thanks.” Chenoa’s nose looked normal. “How are you, Chenoa?”
“Mad. I should have known better than to try and take him in a sword fight. I didn’t stand a chance.”
LeOmi said, “I’ll work on that with you. He’s just studied a little more than you, that’s all.”
Mark said, “Yeah, I’m mad too, but it won’t do any good to let them know about it. How’s Ralph?”
Nick said, “Miss Mary said he’s going to be all right. He hasn’t woken up yet.” Nick pointed to the next bed and picked up a piece of the pepperoni pizza. “Slone and some of his crew are waiting on the other side of the bed.”
Mark put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Sorry to spoil your first day. How’d you find us?”
“Everybody is talking about the fight and you didn’t spoil my day. From what I’ve been told, it wasn’t your fault.”
Mark nodded his head a little. “You want to hang out with us until you have to be in The Oasis? We can show you some of the shops, and you really should meet Ms. Vanmie.”
“Sure, that sounds okay.”
Mark turned to LeOmi. “Don’t get me wrong, but I certainly didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I’ll leave if it bothers you.”
“No, no it’s just the opposite.”
“Well, I’m here, and let’s just leave it at that for now.”
Mark looked around. “Where’s Miss Mary?”
Chenoa said, “She said you could leave when woke up.” She sat a small white jar on the table. “She gave me a jar of cream to give you to use on that bruise on your back. She said you should take it easy for a couple of days; no more fights.”
Mark picked up the jar. “That’s easier said than done. Let’s get out of here before Ralph wakes up.”
Jamal and Nick put the table back against the wall where it belonged and the group left the ward.
In the mall Mark said, “I need to get a new cloak. I’ll meet you guys in Ms. Vanmie’s shop.” He held out his hand and pointed to the walkie-talkie ring. “If it takes too long, I’ll call you.”
Chenoa said, “I’ll go with you, I need some sandals.”
LeOmi said, “If we’re not at Ms. Vanmie’s when you finish, we’ll be at the bookstore. I want to show you guys which sword fighting book to get to start your training.”
Mark and Chenoa started walking toward Freeman’s, Purveyor of Fine Clothing. Chenoa unconsciously ran her finger across the back of her neck, feeling the metal chain hidden under her hair. It was a necklace she had worn since she was seven years old.
The necklace wasn’t valuable in a monetary sense, but it held a great deal of sentimental value to her. Her dad had given it to her on their first visit to Fairystone State Park for her seventh birthday. According to the park ranger, ancient legend held that all the fairies, nymphs and other mythical creatures of old had cried great tears on hearing of the death of The Christ. Their tears crystallized into the form of crosses upon striking the ground and certain areas were still sprinkled with those crystal crosses until this day. She knew the legend was just a whimsical tale, and it wasn’t the tale that made t
he cross on the end of that chain special. It was special because her dad had given it to her and it was just like the one he’d worn every day of his life since he was twelve years old.
Her mother had given that necklace to her dad just before he left to go to school at The Seventh Mountain. Her mother had told her how her dad had such a wonderful smile, even in the first grade. All the girls liked him and they always wanted to be around him. This was true throughout grade school and all the girls were disappointed when, after sixth grade, he’d told everyone he was going to a different school the next year. All the girls gave him presents to remember them by, mostly jewelry, but some clothes too. Her mom gave him the necklace she had gotten from her dad at Fairystone Park. The next year when he returned home, of all the presents, he was wearing only that necklace. It was from that necklace that her parent’s relationship had blossomed.
She didn’t know how she’d feel tomorrow about what she was about to do now, but she knew she had to know. She wasn’t even sure exactly what it was she felt for Mark. Deep in her being she wanted to believe he was the one the future of the world depended on, but there was just a bit of a nagging doubt, probably because her dad had expressed a level of caution regarding Mark being the one to fulfill the prophecy. Also, Mark had feelings for her as she did for him, but because he was guarding his thoughts, she couldn’t tell if those feelings were any more than a close friendship or if there was something else, something more.
She also admired the courage Mark had in standing up to Slone. There was just something evil about Slone and Mark was one of the few people that sensed it instinctively, and Mark had proven he was willing to stand against evil, no matter what the personal cost. Mark was everything a true warrior was supposed to be, and in her eyes, everything a true man was supposed to be. Mark was the one she wanted, dare she think it, for the rest of her life. But her mother had told her on a few occasions to be careful with her heart, “The heart is an easy thing to break and a hard thing to mend.”
She asked Mark, “How’d you lose your cloak?”
