Still Alive

by Jessi Newborn

  ***

  Rhapsody opened her eyes as she felt a gentle hand stroking her cheek tenderly. Looking around without moving her head, she realized her head was cradled in Capella’s lap. The poor girl had to sleep upright all night! Good one, Rhapsody!

  She resisted the urge to tense up when she realized it was Capella’s left hand that was caressing her face. She had a feeling that its awareness was completely separate from Capella’s. She smiled softly at the act of tenderness being displayed by the volatile hand.

  When she smiled, the hand stopped stroking her cheek and started tracing her lips with a finger. So it really is aware. I wonder how that works? Two spirits in one body? Hmmm…I’ll have to do some testing with this, I think.

  She remained still for the next fifteen minutes as The Hand continued tracing patterns along the contours of her face. It was actually quite pleasant. Capella had beautiful hands. They were small, just like the rest of her, but her fingers seemed slightly out of proportion with her palms, almost abnormally long. Her face flushed slightly as her body began reacting to the intimate touches along her face.

  Capella let out a groan as she opened her eyes and looked around blearily. “What time is it?”

  “Noon,” Rhapsody replied with a grin. “I’m all done with my religious obligations now.”

  Capella looked down at Rhapsody in surprise, followed quickly by panic as her left hand continued drawing patterns on her face.

  “It’s okay,” Rhapsody told her reassuringly. “I think it likes me.”

  “The Traitor doesn’t like anyone,” Capella replied with a puzzled frown. “It’s never been nice to anyone before.”

  “Maybe you’ve only been around wankers until now,” Rhapsody suggested lightly. “It might be prejudiced against wankers.”

  “That’s true,” Capella admitted with a chuckle. “Is there anyone you want to test that theory on?”

  “I can think of a few,” Rhapsody replied in amusement. “They’re all back in Seattle though.”

  Capella stared down at her with a mixture of nervousness and delight. The strange combination caused another wave of warm sensations to pulse through her body.

  “So…what’s the plan, Stan?” Rhapsody asked, trying to ignore the effect Capella’s hand was having on her.

  “I was thinking we could visit the zoo today,” Capella suggested with an impish grin. “You know, visit some of your cousins in the primate section.”

  “I’m afraid my sarcasm meter is malfunctioning,” Rhapsody informed her sadly. “Your sarcasm seems to be bouncing right off of me.”

  “I see how you are,” Capella pouted. “Use my own words against me.”

  “Damn straight,” Rhapsody drawled in a redneck accent.

  Capella’s grin faltered slightly at Rhapsody’s words.

  “What’s the matter?” Rhapsody asked in concern.

  “Nothing!” Capella replied quickly, her grin returning with full force. “So? You up for a romp around the zoo?”

  “I suppose that depends on whether The Hand will let me get up or not,” Rhapsody replied in amusement.

  “Its name is The Traitor, not The Hand,” Capella informed her matter-of-factly.

  “You’ll just alienate it with that kind of talk,” Rhapsody said with a twinkle in her green eyes.

  “Oh, ha ha,” Capella said dryly. “I’ll alienate my alien hand.”

  “Well, from what I’ve seen of it so far, I quite like it,” Rhapsody told her seriously.

  The Hand stopped moving at Rhapsody’s words, then retreated back to the arm rest on the couch.

  “Even the groping?” Capella asked wryly, blushing slightly.

  “Especially the groping,” Rhapsody replied with a mischievous grin.

  “You’re so bad,” Capella accused her, turning from pink to bright red.

  “I know,” Rhapsody admitted without any sense of remorse.

  The two of them spent the next hour showering and getting ready for the day.

  Rhapsody fired up The Geezer and started the hour long drive to the zoo. Capella had talked her into driving so that she could get a feel for its personality.

  “Any radio preferences?” Capella asked as she turned on the radio.

  “I have an mp3 player, if you want to listen to it,” Rhapsody offered.

  “I’d love to,” Capella replied with an eager smile.

  After plugging the mp3 player into the stereo, Rhapsody selected her favorite playlist. Capella listened to the song quietly until it finished.

  “Wow!” she let out a breath explosively. “That is SO on my download list. Who is it?”

  “Erutan,” Rhapsody replied.

  “Erutan?” Capella repeated with a frown. “Is that Latin for something cool?”

  “No,” Rhapsody giggled as she held the mp3 player upside down. “It spells Nature backward.”

  “Oh,” Capella said slowly. “Well that’s pretty cool.”

  “Yeah, she writes and plays all of the music herself,” Rhapsody said with a note of respect in her voice. “She’s got one of the most beautiful singing voices I’ve ever heard and she’s very creative with it.”

  They listened to Erutan for the rest of the trip. After a few minutes, Capella’s left hand reached up and started massaging Rhapsody’s shoulder.

  “Okay, The Hand stays,” Rhapsody groaned in pleasure. “This is awesome!”

  Capella shook her head in wonder.

  “Did you have epilepsy as a child?” Rhapsody asked thoughtfully.

  “How did you know?” Capella asked in surprise.

  “One of the most common causes of Alien Hand Syndrome results from surgeons separating the right half of the brain from the left half to help people suffering from severe seizures,” Rhapsody explained. “Sometimes there are side effects though, like your hand.”

  “It’s not my hand” Capella said pointedly. “It stopped being my hand when it got a mind of its own.”

  “I’m kind of surprised that they let you have a driver’s license,” Rhapsody said with a searching look. “Isn’t it dangerous for you to drive?”

  “That’s what the restraining brace behind the seat is for,” Capella nodded at the straps wrapped around the driver seat. “Some of the stitches have come loose recently, so I’ve been avoiding any long drives until I can get it repaired.”

  “What’s up with your parents?” Rhapsody asked tentatively. “If it’s not too uncomfortable to talk about.”

  Capella looked at her sideways, licking her lips nervously. “Um…we had some disagreements on religious practices and they kicked me out.”

  “You’re kidding!” Rhapsody gasped in amazement. “They kicked you out for not agreeing with their religion?”

  “Pretty much,” Capella replied with a sigh. “It’s kind of strange how fast a person’s manner can change so quickly from such little things. I think they’re just so brainwashed by ancient dogma that anything new that comes along causes them to lash out defensively.”

  “I’m so sorry, Capella,” Rhapsody told her sincerely. “You are more than welcome to join our small family.”

  Capella smiled at her gratefully, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

  They arrived at the zoo without any trouble from The Geezer. Rhapsody smiled at the thought of The Geezer trying to make a good impression on her.

  As they picked up their tickets and entered the zoo, Rhapsody looked around in amazement, appalled at what she saw.

  “What kind of zoo keeps all of the animals in tiny cages like this?” Rhapsody asked angrily. “Whoever runs this place needs to be shut down!”

  There was a tiger in a small cage that was roaring regularly, much to the delight of the other tourists. As Rhapsody moved closer to the tiger, she could see large clumps of matted fur around a protruding ribcage. The creature looked like it hadn’t eaten in years. Rhapsody trembled in helpless rage as she stared at dozens of cages filled with similarly starved animals. The majority of the t
ourists didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong at all. They’ve probably never gone hungry for a day in their entire lives.

  She felt Capella’s left hand begin stroking her back soothingly as she glared at the sorry excuse for a zoo. “I’m so sorry, Rhapsody, I had no idea it was this bad.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Rhapsody assured her. “It’s the bastards who own this place. I’ll be damned if I’m going to just sit by and let them torture these poor animals for everyone else’s amusement.”

  “What can we do?” Capella asked helplessly.

  “We’ll just buy them out,” Rhapsody said firmly. “Then we’ll find real preserves to put these animals on.”

  “I don’t know about you, but I don’t think my student loans can cover that kind of cost,” Capella said hesitantly.

  “I’ve got plenty of money,” Rhapsody replied dismissively. “I started investing when I was eight years old. I started my first fortune five hundred company five years ago.”

  “But, but, but…”Capella stuttered, at a complete loss for words. “But you don’t even have a car! Why are you living in a dorm if you’re filthy rich? Why are you even going to school?”

  Rhapsody looked down and inspected herself carefully. “Do you really think I’m filthy?”

  “You are SO getting the smack down when we get home,” Capella told her threateningly.

  “Hey, waste not, want not, right?” Rhapsody replied with a shrug. “I don’t want to live a fake life around fake people who wouldn’t know what true happiness is if it bit them in the ass. I like our dorm, and I like The Geezer. I especially like you. Money can’t buy happiness. Let’s get out of here before I blow a gasket.”

  Capella followed her back to the car, staring at her like she had never seen her before. Rhapsody didn’t waste any time exiting the zoo. As they reached the main highway, Capella’s left arm suddenly shot across Rhapsody’s lap and jerked the seatbelt across and buckled her in.

  “Overprotective much?” Rhapsody asked wryly, her face finally lightening up again.

  “Apparently,” Capella replied weakly.

  “Can you get my cell phone from my pocket and make a call on speaker phone?” Rhapsody asked distractedly.

  “Um…which pocket?” Capella asked hesitantly.

  “Front right,” Rhapsody replied, looking down at the pocket she was referring to. “I would get it myself, but I have a feeling that our overprotective friend might object.”

  Capella had to use her right hand to get it, causing her to twist at a funny angle to reach it.

  “Do you know how hawt you look when you do that?” Rhapsody asked impishly.

  “Slurp my butt,” Capella retorted as her face turned red. She had to dig around for quite a while before she was able to gain purchase of it.

  “You’re starting to turn me on, with all that teasing,” Rhapsody informed her with a suggestive wink.

  “Now I just need to figure out how to turn you off,” Capella muttered as her face shamed a sunset.

  “Touché,” Rhapsody laughed. “The password is 3084. Just hold down the number five to activate the speed dial.”

  Capella did as instructed and they waited for someone to pick up.

  “Janet speaking,” a woman’s voice answered briskly.

  “Hey Jan, its Rhapsody,” Rhapsody spoke loudly to compensate for the noisy car. “Have you got a minute?”

  “I’ve always got a minute for you,” Janet replied, her voice warming up by several degrees. “What’s up?”

  “I just went to this zoo with a friend outside of Charleston and the place has dozens and dozens of animals locked in kennels that are way too small,” Rhapsody replied grimly. “Most of the animals are nothing but skin and bones because the owners apparently want to save a few bucks on food. I’d like to buy them out and transfer all of the animals to wildlife preserves that actually take care of their animals.”

  “Always the tender heart,” Janet chuckled fondly. “I’ll make some calls and get the paperwork started. How soon do you want it?”

  “As soon as possible,” Rhapsody replied. “I’ll be surprised if several of those poor creatures survive the week. I’ll send you the name and other pertinent information when I get back to my computer.”

  “Sounds good, I’ll get to work,” Janet said crisply. “And Rhapsody…don’t be a stranger.”

  “Who was that?” Capella asked curiously after she hung up.

  “My lawyer/accountant/sister,” Rhapsody replied with a fond expression. “She manages all of my accounts for me. After making a name for myself in the world of business, I got bored and started looking for more meaningful activities to occupy my time.”

  “Like shacking up with hawt chicks in crappy dorms?” Capella suggested teasingly.

  “Exactly,” Rhapsody smiled, staring into Capella’s blue eyes. Capella blushed and looked away awkwardly.

  Rhapsody noticed the other side of the interstate was at a standstill, with policemen blocking off all but one lane. She slowed down as she inspected the wreckage of a school bus.

  “Oh my God!” Capella gasped in dismay. “Those poor children!”

  Rhapsody pulled over to the shoulder and then grabbed her cell phone, gesturing for Capella to follow her. She called Melody’s private cell that only she and Harmony had access to as they crossed the interstate divide.

  “Rhapsody?” Melody’s voice was worried. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Rhapsody assured her quickly. “However, there’s been an accident on the interstate where a school bus rolled over. There are a lot of children in the road that are in pretty serious condition. I don’t know if this is possible, but I wanted to see if Aria could heal them through the cell phone.”

  “Wow, that’s terrible,” Melody exclaimed. “Just tell me when you’re ready and I’ll start singing.”

  “Ma’am, this area is closed off for emergency personnel only,” a policeman told her curtly.

  “We’re doctors,” Rhapsody told him firmly. “How many are still alive?”

  “Eighteen, but that’s likely to change,” the policeman said grimly. “They look like they’ve gone through a meat grinder.”

  Rhapsody hurried over to the line of children who were laid out on blankets in the road. “Go ahead, Melody.”

  Rhapsody turned her speaker phone all the way up as Melody’s voice began singing sweetly through the airwaves. A few seconds later, Aria’s voice joined hers. Rhapsody watched with bated breath as the children quieted down. The crowd of emergency personnel began gathering around as they watched the children’s wounds seal themselves and missing limbs re-grow right in front of their eyes. The song continued for nearly fifteen minutes before the last of the children were healed. The five children who had been pronounced dead slowly sat up, pulling the sheets off their heads.

  “Thank you so much, Melody and Aria,” Rhapsody choked out tearfully as the children began getting up. “It worked!”

  “Thank God!” Melody replied fervently.

  “I’ll stick to thanking you and Aria,” Rhapsody said firmly.

  They quickly left the scene and moved back to her car as Rhapsody continued talking to Melody. The crowd of first responders were so shocked that they didn’t even notice them leaving.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet Capella,” Rhapsody said excitedly. “She is so much fun!”

  “Wait a minute,” Melody said with a grin in her voice. “Are you telling me her name is Capella?”

  “Yep,” Rhapsody smirked as Capella face-palmed herself. “She hates the name too! How could anyone hate a name so beautiful?”

  “People are going to think we’ve started a secret society if we keep attracting friends with musical names,” Melody said in an amused tone. “Now we have Allegra, Harmony, Aria, Rhapsody, Capella, and Melody. We just need a Rhythm now.”

  “Two weeks is forever,” Rhapsody complained as the sound of Melody’s voice brought back a sharp pang of homesick
ness. “How am I going to survive a whole year of this?”

  “Then get your butt back here!” Melody growled in exasperation. “There are plenty of colleges on this side of the country for you to go to.”

  Capella looked downright scared as she listened to them discuss the future. Rhapsody thought she knew why.

  “We’ll have to see if Capella likes the west coast first,” Rhapsody said as she gave Capella a reassuring smile. “I have a feeling I may have found what I was looking for out here anyway.”

  “You would take me with you?” Capella asked tentatively.

  “Of course she would bring you with her,” Melody giggled into the phone. “We musicals have to stick together!”

  “Wow!” Capella gasped excitedly. “I can’t believe this is happening!”

  “Somebody’s excited,” Melody chuckled. “I can already tell Aria’s going to love having you around!”

  “She can tell you that?” Capella asked in surprise.

  “Sort of,” Melody replied. “We can’t understand the words in her songs, but when we have a really cool person nearby, her songs get more expressive.”

  “Well I’m pretty cool,” Capella declared with a grin.

  “She’s actually pretty and cool,” Rhapsody said with a wink.

  “Ooooh…I see how it is,” Melody drawled slowly. “Rhapsody finally found her sugar plum tree.”

  “My what?” Rhapsody asked in confusion.

  “You know…like a diamond in the rough, a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, a filet mignon in a hash house-” she broke off as Rhapsody interrupted.

  “I’ll text you our arrival times at the airport for tomorrow,” Rhapsody said hastily. “Talk to you later…”

  She reached over and pressed the end button on the phone that was in Capella’s hand. “Sometimes she gets carried away,” Rhapsody said with a blush, avoiding Capella’s eyes.

  “She sounds like a lot of fun,” Capella said brightly.

  Rhapsody smiled fondly. “Yeah, she’s a lot of fun all right.”

  Capella barely contained her excitement as they finished the drive back to the dorms. Rhapsody kept laughing as she watched the small blonde going into a trance occasionally as her imagination ran away with her. Rhapsody checked the internet for flights, but there was nothing available for the next day. She sighed and glanced at the availability for tonight.

  “How about we leave tonight, instead?” Rhapsody suggested quickly.

  “Huh?” Capella stared at her blankly.

  “Everything going to Seattle is sold out tomorrow,” Rhapsody explained. “There are several seats still available for tonight though.”

  Capella stood staring at her with wide eyes for several seconds, then broke into a shrill scream and started dancing around in circles. “I’m going to Seattle, I’m going to Seattle.”

  Rhapsody winced slightly at the volume of her shriek. That girl belongs in an opera house.

  She purchased the tickets and then they loaded everything into The Geezer.

  “I just thought of something,” Capella said with a frown. “What are we going to do with The Geezer?”

  “I’m arranging for a moving service to bring it out to Seattle,” Rhapsody replied with a smile. “I’ve grown quite fond of this car.”

  “So you’re like a super millionaire and you’re going to ride around in The Geezer?” Capella asked doubtfully. “Wouldn’t you want something nicer…more dependable?”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” Rhapsody objected lightly. “Besides, I’ll have a mechanic overhaul it and take care of any problems when it arrives.”

  “Don’t you get embarrassed, being seen in this beast?” Capella asked awkwardly.

  “I hope I never change enough in life to become that superficial,” Rhapsody replied firmly. “Shame is accrued by actions, not circumstance.”

  As they waited to board their jet at the airport, Rhapsody’s cell phone rang.

  “Hey Jan,” Rhapsody said brightly after seeing the caller ID. “I’m coming back to Seattle now.”

  “It’s about time,” Janet said with a laugh. “I was hoping you would come to your senses.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Rhapsody said dryly. “So how’s it going with the zoo?”

  “The owners are so far in debt that they can’t even make their utility payments,” Janet revealed. “When we offered to buy everything and wipe their debt clean, they didn’t even haggle with us. There are several preserves who have already expressed interest in the animals, so we told them to pick them up as soon as they could.”

  “Jan, you rock!” Rhapsody declared proudly.

  “Don’t I know it,” Janet snorted. “Just get your butt back here before you come across any more hard luck cases. You seem to be a magnet for them.”

  “Blah blah blah,” Rhapsody said airily. “See you later!”

  “So everything worked out with the zoo?” Capella asked after she disconnected the call.

  “Yep,” Rhapsody smiled wistfully. “My sister’s a great organizer. I was always good at spotting trends and moving numbers around, but she brings a human element into the equation.”

  “Excuse me,” a tall man in an expensive suit said behind them. “Are you Aurora Hall?”

  “Nope,” Rhapsody shook her head firmly. “I’m Rhapsody.”

  “Wow, you bear a striking resemblance to Aurora,” he said in amazement.

  “Who’s Aurora Hall?” Capella asked curiously.

  “She’s one of the top five business professionals in the world,” he replied, looking at them oddly. “She’s been on the cover of every business magazine at least once for the last six years.”

  “Wow, sounds boring,” Capella said with a yawn. Her left hand suddenly swept out and backhanded his stomach. “Sorry, Alien Hand Syndrome.”

  His eyes flickered with disapproval as he turned and left them alone.

  “I think we can safely say that The Hand is a good judge of character,” Rhapsody said as she fought the urge to break into laughter.

  “Aurora, huh?” Capella asked expectantly.

  “Rhapsody is my middle name,” Rhapsody replied with a grimace. “I got sick of all of the attention everywhere I went, so I changed my name and started visiting places where people wouldn’t recognize a famous businesswoman.”

  “You’re one of the top five business professionals in the world?” Capella asked in amazement.

  “I was,” Rhapsody corrected. “Not anymore though. I still have more than enough money for anything I might need, but I stay away from that soulless enterprising now.”

  “How much is ‘more than enough’?” Capella asked in a small voice. “Just curious…”

  Rhapsody smiled fondly at her inquisitiveness. “Twenty billion at last count.”

  “Holy shit!”Capella gasped in amazement. “You’re like one of the one percent!”

  “Tell me about it,” Rhapsody groaned. “I could cheerfully watch everyone on Wall Street drown in their own greed.”

  “Twenty billion…” Capella was mouthing the words silently, a look of disbelief on her face.

  “Hey, it’s just money!” Rhapsody said exasperatedly. “There’s nothing special about it, unless you happen to run out of toilet paper. Happiness can’t be purchased. Love can’t be purchased. You should see all of the sleaze-balls in the business world that spend billions on hookers, cars, boats and thousands of equally worthless commodities as they search in vain for happiness. Try dating someone who isn’t just looking for a quick buck when you’re a billionaire. The lines of opportunists are so thick that you would never have a chance of spotting someone who was interested in more than your money.”

  “Sorry,” Capella murmured apologetically, looking down at the ground. “I didn’t mean to freak out there; you just surprised me.”

  “No need to apologize,” Rhapsody told her firmly as she reached out and gently raised Capella’s chin up with two fingers. “I go on rants sometimes; just ignore me
when it happens.”

  “You’re kind of sexy when you rant though,” Capella said with a sly grin.

  “You’re such a smooth talker,” Rhapsody said with a smile. “I certainly never would have met you if I had continued living the life I had in the business world.”

  “I’m glad you left then,” Capella said softly, then blushed.

  “As am I,” Rhapsody replied with a grin.

  “There’s something I should probably tell you before I go anywhere with you,” Capella said in a voice that was just above a whisper. She shifted around awkwardly, licking her lips nervously. “You might not want to be around me after I tell you.”

  “Nothing you could tell me would change the way I feel about you,” Rhapsody told her gently, her green eyes full of hidden meaning.

  “Um…I’m…” Capella took a deep breath as her face flushed bright red. “I’m gay.”

  “That’s a relief,” Rhapsody said with a laugh. “I was afraid you were going to tell me that you used to chop babies up while you worshiped Beelzebub or something crazy like that.”

  “That doesn’t bother you?” Capella asked in surprise, looking up with hope shining in her bright blue eyes.

  “I would be forever tormented if it did,” Rhapsody replied dryly, “seeing as how I’m gay, too.”

  “Oh…” Capella stared at her with a silly grin on her face for a full minute.

  “Time to board,” Rhapsody told her with a wink as she heard their flight departure announced.

  Capella followed her slowly, her face struggling to keep from grinning.

  “Wanna be my girlfriend?” Rhapsody asked impishly as she took hold of Capella’s left hand.

  “Uh huh,” Capella managed to squeak out. Her left hand was tenderly stroking the back of Rhapsody’s hand.