Lucy
I felt a little nervous, but figured anyone was better than the Junkmen or the Vice President. Our new friend said, "It's best if we take this way out, so there will be less bloodshed. Come on." We were about to follow, when Madiza walked right up to him, a slightly suspicious look on her face, and stared him right in the eyes. She stood like that for several seconds, as if she were looking for something. Suddenly she smiled and said, "You're a good boy." Then she stood up on tiptoe and patted him on the head.
The man, who quickly introduced himself as Kestrel, led us down a tunnel, his plasma rifle cocked and ready. Madiza skipped along, a wide grin plastered on her face, as if we were going on a picnic. Cara and Matt were slinking as quietly as you please. Seeing how well they could adjust to the situation made me feel loud and clumsy, and as stealthy as a water buffalo. Which, in fact, I probably was. And Ben? Thankfully, he stayed by me, to help me along. I felt a wave of gratitude towards him. He was so nice all the time.
Of course, our escape was slightly ruined by the fact that somehow the Junkmen found out we had escaped, and sent out robots after us. Thankfully, we now had Kestrel, so we had better chances. Instantly he fired off another round of plasma, blasting most of them into pulp. He waved us behind him, so that he wouldn't accidentally hit any of us. However, more and more robots just kept coming. We backed up slowly, moving down the tunnel. Suddenly, we couldn't go any farther. With a touch of deja vu, I saw that we had another giant pit behind us. Without wasting time, Cara clicked her heels and blasted into the air. Then she got one of the grappling hooks out of her pack, and attached it to a pipe in the ceiling.
"Come on, guys! You can swing over!" she called. While she was saying this, she walked on the air to the other side. Instantly I got a wave of vertigo. The idea of swinging over what looked like a bottomless pit made my legs go weak. However, the next thing I knew, Ben had grabbed the rope and was tying it around my waist.
"What are you doing?! I'll die! Or fall! Or something!" I shrilled, feeling terrified out of my wits.
"Relax, Luce," said Matt. "Cara will catch you. There's nothing to be afraid of." Ben reached out a hand and pushed my eyelids closed, which I interpreted as telling me to do that. I nodded, squeezing them shut. The next thing I knew, I was whooshing through the air, and suddenly Cara had me, and was untying the rope.
"See, silly?" she asked. "I knew you could do it."
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Movie Review
I wanted to mention one of the best movies in the world- and one of the only ones that my dad doesn't think is stupid. It's called (insert drum-roll here) "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", and was produced by the Coen brothers. Basically, it's a Depression-era version of the Odyssey, in which three men who escape from a prison farm in Mississippi and attempt to return home. They are named Ulysses Everett MacGill (George Clooney), the suave, hair-obsessed leader, Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson), who is very sweet and naive, sort of like Lenny from "The Grapes of Wrath", except not quite as dumb, and Pete (John Turturro), who constantly challenges Everett's authority, and is rather crabby. Though they are trying their best to get home, they encounter many problems, such as being pursued by a sheriff who just might be the devil, getting beat up by a one-eyed Bible salesman, and encountering a Ku Klux Klan group in the middle of a lynching, to name a few. Despite being rated PG-13, this film is really good, with many hilarious lines, and several good songs. I would recommend this for ages 13 and up, unless there is adult supervision.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Freegans part 27
Matt
As we ran, I kept my eyes and ears peeled. Suddenly I heard the sound of running footsteps behind us. Whoever it was was trying to be quiet, but they were still making noise.
"Hey Cara, do you-"
"I know, I can hear it too. Right. Ben, you, Lucy, and Matt take the left. Madiza and I will take the right. I'm not going to be captured a second time." She left no option for argument. We moved to our respective sides of the tunnel, and soon the owner of the footsteps came into view. It was a tall man.
He obviously wasn't one of the Junkmen, since he was about six feet tall, and dressed in black material. He had a beret cocked to the side of his head, and carried a big gun. "That's a plasma rifle," Madiza whispered. I barely heard the words. I'd heard that those were illegal, but obviously not. It was clear who this was: he was from the vice president's army, probably here to kill us. Or, failing that, to capture us. I didn't want to have either happen to any of us. So, when Cara gave a signal, we attacked.
I tackled his legs, knocking him to the ground. The others piled on top of him. However, he was shown to be a better fighter than we thought. He used several complicated judo moves, it seemed, knocking us every which way. "Don't let him point the gun at you!" yelled Madiza. She pulled out her tazer and fired at him, but he did something with the gun so it sort of absorbed the electricity.
"Wait!" he said above the commotion. "I'm not here to hurt you!"
"Like heck you're not!" snarled Cara.
"No, really! I'm a friend! I want to get you out of here!"
Cara raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Prove it."
At that instant, the man suddenly said, "Get down!" He lifted up the rifle. We ducked, just in time for him to blast the robot and Junkman sneaking up behind us into little tiny bits. We stared in shock at the smoldering mess.
"That proof enough for you?" he asked. After a second, I got up and said, "Works for me!"
As we ran, I kept my eyes and ears peeled. Suddenly I heard the sound of running footsteps behind us. Whoever it was was trying to be quiet, but they were still making noise.
"Hey Cara, do you-"
"I know, I can hear it too. Right. Ben, you, Lucy, and Matt take the left. Madiza and I will take the right. I'm not going to be captured a second time." She left no option for argument. We moved to our respective sides of the tunnel, and soon the owner of the footsteps came into view. It was a tall man.
He obviously wasn't one of the Junkmen, since he was about six feet tall, and dressed in black material. He had a beret cocked to the side of his head, and carried a big gun. "That's a plasma rifle," Madiza whispered. I barely heard the words. I'd heard that those were illegal, but obviously not. It was clear who this was: he was from the vice president's army, probably here to kill us. Or, failing that, to capture us. I didn't want to have either happen to any of us. So, when Cara gave a signal, we attacked.
I tackled his legs, knocking him to the ground. The others piled on top of him. However, he was shown to be a better fighter than we thought. He used several complicated judo moves, it seemed, knocking us every which way. "Don't let him point the gun at you!" yelled Madiza. She pulled out her tazer and fired at him, but he did something with the gun so it sort of absorbed the electricity.
"Wait!" he said above the commotion. "I'm not here to hurt you!"
"Like heck you're not!" snarled Cara.
"No, really! I'm a friend! I want to get you out of here!"
Cara raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Prove it."
At that instant, the man suddenly said, "Get down!" He lifted up the rifle. We ducked, just in time for him to blast the robot and Junkman sneaking up behind us into little tiny bits. We stared in shock at the smoldering mess.
"That proof enough for you?" he asked. After a second, I got up and said, "Works for me!"
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Freegans part 26
Cara again
I lay on the ground, trembling as the last wisps of the terrible cloud left my brain. I saw the others around me, looking as white and shaky as I was. Lucy seemed to be the worst off, but even she was coming around. Slowly I managed to sit up. It was then that I noticed Madiza. She was standing up, with her back against the door of the room, almost like she was trying to keep something from coming out.
"What are you doing?" I asked. My voice came out sounding like a croak.
"Got to hold it in. Can't let it out, or it'll hurt you again!" said Madiza.
"What, the smoke?"
"Yes! Radix pedis diaboli!" Madiza dragged her chalk out of her pocket and drew a picture on the door. It looked like a combination of a foot and a hoof.
"That's what it looks like before it's ground up. When burned, the stuff stimulates the part of the brain which controls fear. Whoever is exposed to it for too long either goes cuckoo like me, or kicks the towel!" I assumed by that last phrase that she was using a combination of 'kick the bucket' and 'toss in the towel', but decided to let it go.
"So how come it didn't effect you?"
"I don't know. Maybe because I've already lost my marbles. And it couldn't have; I wouldn't have been able to get you out otherwise." Madiza grinned at me.
"You saved us?"
"Of course I did, silly! You're my friends! I didn't want you to become Looney Tunes, or get rattled!"
"Rattled?" asked Matt, who had by now recovered.
"Death-rattled. Hee hee!"
I suddenly felt a wave of affection for her. "Thank you, Madiza," I said softly. Then I got up, and helped Matt.
"We need to go. The Junkmen are probably going to come back soon. Ben, Lucy, can you walk?" Ben stood up, and Lucy staggered to her feet, but she looked unsteady. Without warning, Ben picked her up and slung her, piggy-back style, onto his back. Well, that worked.
"Right, let's go." I started to head to the left, but Madiza said, "No, no! Not that way! The camp of the trashy people is over there! We need to go right!"
"How do you know?"
"I can smell them! We need to go this way! Trust me!" She headed down the right branch. I looked at Matt and Ben, who shrugged.
"Who are we to argue with a nutcase who knows more than we do?" asked Matt.
"Good point," I said. So, we went after her. I just hoped she knew what she was doing.
I lay on the ground, trembling as the last wisps of the terrible cloud left my brain. I saw the others around me, looking as white and shaky as I was. Lucy seemed to be the worst off, but even she was coming around. Slowly I managed to sit up. It was then that I noticed Madiza. She was standing up, with her back against the door of the room, almost like she was trying to keep something from coming out.
"What are you doing?" I asked. My voice came out sounding like a croak.
"Got to hold it in. Can't let it out, or it'll hurt you again!" said Madiza.
"What, the smoke?"
"Yes! Radix pedis diaboli!" Madiza dragged her chalk out of her pocket and drew a picture on the door. It looked like a combination of a foot and a hoof.
"That's what it looks like before it's ground up. When burned, the stuff stimulates the part of the brain which controls fear. Whoever is exposed to it for too long either goes cuckoo like me, or kicks the towel!" I assumed by that last phrase that she was using a combination of 'kick the bucket' and 'toss in the towel', but decided to let it go.
"So how come it didn't effect you?"
"I don't know. Maybe because I've already lost my marbles. And it couldn't have; I wouldn't have been able to get you out otherwise." Madiza grinned at me.
"You saved us?"
"Of course I did, silly! You're my friends! I didn't want you to become Looney Tunes, or get rattled!"
"Rattled?" asked Matt, who had by now recovered.
"Death-rattled. Hee hee!"
I suddenly felt a wave of affection for her. "Thank you, Madiza," I said softly. Then I got up, and helped Matt.
"We need to go. The Junkmen are probably going to come back soon. Ben, Lucy, can you walk?" Ben stood up, and Lucy staggered to her feet, but she looked unsteady. Without warning, Ben picked her up and slung her, piggy-back style, onto his back. Well, that worked.
"Right, let's go." I started to head to the left, but Madiza said, "No, no! Not that way! The camp of the trashy people is over there! We need to go right!"
"How do you know?"
"I can smell them! We need to go this way! Trust me!" She headed down the right branch. I looked at Matt and Ben, who shrugged.
"Who are we to argue with a nutcase who knows more than we do?" asked Matt.
"Good point," I said. So, we went after her. I just hoped she knew what she was doing.
Freegans part 25
The Kestrel
Kestrel walked slowly down the tunnel, his senses alert. He had changed out of his uniform soon after getting away from the rest of the scouting party; it was now folded up in his backpack. His plasma rifle, toned to debilitation, hung from its shoulder strap by his arm; he was the best shot in his platoon, an irony that wasn't lost on him. He was dressed all in black, with his black beret still on (he rather liked how it looked on him). He was moving as swiftly as he could while still maintaining silence; it would be terrible either to be trapped by the Junkmen or be caught by his own patrol. Still, he needed to get to the children. He hadn't found any message from the Ox, who would have left some sign if he had found them. From the signs he had already seen, it seemed like the Junkmen were making a push in this area. Suddenly, he came upon what must have been a battle scene- broken robots, a junk tunnel, and no sign of anyone. Kestrel kicked himself inwardly for not preparing for that possibility. She was counting on him, and he should have foreseen the problem.
A few minutes later, he had followed the tunnel to the Junkmen transit camp. They had to be in there somewhere, probably already under the affect of the drugs the Junkmen used. He had to get them out of there. He slipped quietly around a corner and into one of the buildings.
Kestrel walked slowly down the tunnel, his senses alert. He had changed out of his uniform soon after getting away from the rest of the scouting party; it was now folded up in his backpack. His plasma rifle, toned to debilitation, hung from its shoulder strap by his arm; he was the best shot in his platoon, an irony that wasn't lost on him. He was dressed all in black, with his black beret still on (he rather liked how it looked on him). He was moving as swiftly as he could while still maintaining silence; it would be terrible either to be trapped by the Junkmen or be caught by his own patrol. Still, he needed to get to the children. He hadn't found any message from the Ox, who would have left some sign if he had found them. From the signs he had already seen, it seemed like the Junkmen were making a push in this area. Suddenly, he came upon what must have been a battle scene- broken robots, a junk tunnel, and no sign of anyone. Kestrel kicked himself inwardly for not preparing for that possibility. She was counting on him, and he should have foreseen the problem.
A few minutes later, he had followed the tunnel to the Junkmen transit camp. They had to be in there somewhere, probably already under the affect of the drugs the Junkmen used. He had to get them out of there. He slipped quietly around a corner and into one of the buildings.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Freegans part 24
Madiza
What what why leave door unlocked? Don't know, don't know. Light light lamp funny funny smell bad bad not good no no NO! Trouble bad Radix pedis diaboli! Help help help my- friends- need- help. Must help them. Got- to-get-out. Door, door, who's got the door? There there there good good good now help friends.
Find Lucy, she's weakest. There she is, there she is. Come on, out out out door's not locked take her out. Should clear senses. Now find Ben-ben, where's Ben-ben? Oof, what was that? What what what oh, Matt. Better take him out. Get to the door. Put him out. Now find Ben-ben and Cara Cara orange. Found Ben-ben. Looks scared, face gone white, not good not good. Here, up he goes, get out with others. Yes, now Cara Cara. Cara, where are you? Come out wherever you are. Yoohoo? Cara! Got to get out, before you toss the bucket or go my way. Fear's not good, not good at all. Come on, little old Madiza's got you. Each who bears his cross. Ha. Bearing my Cara instead. Hee hee hee hee! The door! Where's the door? Bad, bad, bad no no no not want to have Cara die...there! Out out out...and it came to pass that the lunatic did rise up and move her friends before the terror got to them. Now- got-to-close-this-DOOR!
What what why leave door unlocked? Don't know, don't know. Light light lamp funny funny smell bad bad not good no no NO! Trouble bad Radix pedis diaboli! Help help help my- friends- need- help. Must help them. Got- to-get-out. Door, door, who's got the door? There there there good good good now help friends.
Find Lucy, she's weakest. There she is, there she is. Come on, out out out door's not locked take her out. Should clear senses. Now find Ben-ben, where's Ben-ben? Oof, what was that? What what what oh, Matt. Better take him out. Get to the door. Put him out. Now find Ben-ben and Cara Cara orange. Found Ben-ben. Looks scared, face gone white, not good not good. Here, up he goes, get out with others. Yes, now Cara Cara. Cara, where are you? Come out wherever you are. Yoohoo? Cara! Got to get out, before you toss the bucket or go my way. Fear's not good, not good at all. Come on, little old Madiza's got you. Each who bears his cross. Ha. Bearing my Cara instead. Hee hee hee hee! The door! Where's the door? Bad, bad, bad no no no not want to have Cara die...there! Out out out...and it came to pass that the lunatic did rise up and move her friends before the terror got to them. Now- got-to-close-this-DOOR!
Freegans part 23
Cara
Unfortunately, we had forgotten about the robots. While we had been talking to the Junkmen, about a dozen more had joined them, so now they attacked us. Of course, we fought back. Ben used his marshal arts skills to smash in several metallic skulls, and Madiza was zapping them with her tazer, and us normal humans did the best we could. I had on my levitation boots, which made it a bit easier. I could zip up out of their reach, and suddenly crash down on them, or kick them. Matt had found a piece of piping, and used it to hit. Suddenly, we heard a shrill scream. Lucy was trapped in a net growing out of one robots arm, and another one was pointing his drill arm at her head. The meaning was clear. Madiza clearly wanted to shock them, but didn't want to risk hurting her. So we surrendered.
In three blinks of an eye we were surrounded and tied up, then slung over our captor's shoulders. Lucy was crying quietly. I could tell she was upset at being captured so easily, but there was really nothing we could have done. The Junkmen awoke, and glared at us maliciously. "Take them to the Room of Horrors," said their leader to the head robot. With that we were marched off. I felt a shiver run down my back. I wondered what the Room of Horrors was. Something told me, probably the name, that it would not be pleasant. The robots went down a long, dark pipe. On the way, I saw another car with a drill on the end, which had more Junkmen in it. The robots stopped and waited for it to go by before continuing. The Junkmen spat at us and called us 'filthy topsiders'. 'Sheesh,' I thought.
Suddenly we came to a door. It was a simple one, made of wood, with no lock on it. That was strange to me. Why not bother locking the door, if it was supposed to be so horrible? The robot carrying me opened the door, and dumped me inside. The others got the same treatment. Once all of us were in the room, a robot walked over to a small lamp in the center of the room. It lit the lamp, and then all of them left, slamming the door. Madiza and Ben managed to wriggle out of their ropes, and then they untied us. "This room doesn't look that scary," said Matt, rubbing his wrists. "I wonder why-" He stopped. His face suddenly twisted in a look of pure terror. I was confused, until a peculiar smell hit my nose. It was sweet, yet at the same time musky. Instantly a dark cloud swam before my eyes. Strange shapes and twisted visions loomed out of it. I didn't know what had happened to the others, and was too terrified to care. Unknown horrors would soon appear from that cloud, and when they did, I would be done for!
Unfortunately, we had forgotten about the robots. While we had been talking to the Junkmen, about a dozen more had joined them, so now they attacked us. Of course, we fought back. Ben used his marshal arts skills to smash in several metallic skulls, and Madiza was zapping them with her tazer, and us normal humans did the best we could. I had on my levitation boots, which made it a bit easier. I could zip up out of their reach, and suddenly crash down on them, or kick them. Matt had found a piece of piping, and used it to hit. Suddenly, we heard a shrill scream. Lucy was trapped in a net growing out of one robots arm, and another one was pointing his drill arm at her head. The meaning was clear. Madiza clearly wanted to shock them, but didn't want to risk hurting her. So we surrendered.
In three blinks of an eye we were surrounded and tied up, then slung over our captor's shoulders. Lucy was crying quietly. I could tell she was upset at being captured so easily, but there was really nothing we could have done. The Junkmen awoke, and glared at us maliciously. "Take them to the Room of Horrors," said their leader to the head robot. With that we were marched off. I felt a shiver run down my back. I wondered what the Room of Horrors was. Something told me, probably the name, that it would not be pleasant. The robots went down a long, dark pipe. On the way, I saw another car with a drill on the end, which had more Junkmen in it. The robots stopped and waited for it to go by before continuing. The Junkmen spat at us and called us 'filthy topsiders'. 'Sheesh,' I thought.
Suddenly we came to a door. It was a simple one, made of wood, with no lock on it. That was strange to me. Why not bother locking the door, if it was supposed to be so horrible? The robot carrying me opened the door, and dumped me inside. The others got the same treatment. Once all of us were in the room, a robot walked over to a small lamp in the center of the room. It lit the lamp, and then all of them left, slamming the door. Madiza and Ben managed to wriggle out of their ropes, and then they untied us. "This room doesn't look that scary," said Matt, rubbing his wrists. "I wonder why-" He stopped. His face suddenly twisted in a look of pure terror. I was confused, until a peculiar smell hit my nose. It was sweet, yet at the same time musky. Instantly a dark cloud swam before my eyes. Strange shapes and twisted visions loomed out of it. I didn't know what had happened to the others, and was too terrified to care. Unknown horrors would soon appear from that cloud, and when they did, I would be done for!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)