"Why?" Petey said.
"Because there are adventures to be lived, there is love to be explored, and hope. Lots and lots of hope. You all act as if you are hopeful about your lives. You are not lost souls nor are you slaves. You don't act like dumb kids. I think I need to check this out." Marcus had been hanging out with them for the two or three days they were in Roma.
"Your folks O.K. with this?" Omega asked.
"Yeah, I told them you were safe and healthy, and Roma is neither, especially for kids from another place. We're not citizens here, just slaves. And I want to be free. I'm good to go."
"So, let's go," Omega said. They were pushing their little craft out of the willows and into the tides. Off they went.
Later in the day, the winds picked up on their pretty little sea. The waves crested above the rim of their craft and soaked them again and again. And then a haunting melody crept into their minds, until Suzie began to sing along with it, and the other kids realized they were all hearing and singing along with the melody. Beautiful women's voices soared over the crashes over the waves, and soon enough, they were caught on a strong current and washed up upon an island in their sea.
A gorgeous woman met them in the island cove, but all the kids could see was the top half of her body and her long, dark hair. She had on, what looked like the top part of a toga. Every once in awhile, it looked like a tail close to her flipped out of the water. Once the craft was up on dry land, the sound of the waves increased as the wind screamed past them, and the luxurious sound of women's voices invited them onto the island.
"Who are these girls?" Julie asked. "They don't speak as much as they sing and they draw us into island."
"All I know," Larry said, "Is that I wanna go!"
As the day drew to a close, the singing persisted, only now the sounds were not so beautiful. In fact, it was more like off-tonal screams, really loud, and it felt like madness. Omega cautioned them to stay inside their own heads and to trust their own minds, and not let the sounds take over. "That way is real craziness. Stay away. Don't sleep."
They could not see the legs of the hosts, which the kids did not understand. In any way.
By drawn, the music subsided, and the kids were left with their minds more or less intact. Larry sighed. "Well, that was interesting, I'm thinking we need to leave this island this morning and not look back. I don't think I could hold onto my own mind for another night. There was something those women wanted from me. I don't think they should have it."
Then the swish of green dragon wings fluttered above them. "Hey-y-y-y!" Tim shouted, still clutched in the mouth of the dragon, headed toward the east.
"I keep thinking, 'The deepest blue of the deepest blue,' Rick said. "I think something is whispering that in my ear and I can't decide where it's coming from."
"That's Alpha talking to you," Omega said. "He's a little mysterious, even on a good day."
No comments:
Post a Comment