F
U T U R E B A R R I E R
( The
4th Novel )
Secret Technology,
Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance
© May
2020
- Written by David
Wicker
Please do
not reprint without permission
CHAPTER 49 -
"The Lipstick Incident"
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DIFFERENT
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* * *
This chapter is
Rated: TEEN
I had a nice chance to visit my G/F in Arlington last Wednesday. We had a kind of picnic right outside her front door. I didn't want to take her away from home as she is a licensed caretaker and taking care of this very sick man who's on oxygen who could call at any moment.
Anyways it was good to see her again. She's doing fine.
Now yesterday I did see something quite odd. My Godfather was taking me and the family out to eat. We were in the far right lane on the freeway going the speed limit when there was quite a roar of engines in the far left lane. I looked to see 4-jet black motorcycles and guys all dressed in solid black hell-bent on going fast at nearly 90mph !
What's even stranger is there was a jet-black truck with tinted windows that was following them and yeah the motorcycles could weave easily in and out of traffic to get by but he couldn't so he swerved WAY over to the right lane, that's 4-lanes ! Then way back to the left again !
I was like jumping Jiminey what the heck could possibly be going on there !
Katy was with me and she thought maybe it was secret spies or something right out of my book. Maybe ... More likely more serious they were doing drugs or crime or something and had to get away from the truck who was an undercover cop or FBI or something.
Anyways it was awful exciting to see that sorta thing in REAL LIFE. Not on TV and not from my books. Crazy - right in your own backyard right ? Anyways they were sure gone in a hurry - then we arrived and had a nice meal.
I'm also involved in a software company now called Sorcery. We've released a few small games but nothing terribly noteworthy yet. That's what I'm working on now, a very busy and complex game engine that has liquid pixels. Hmm ... lemme explain.
You may be familiar with VSYNC, right ? No, not NSync. :D Vsync. It's the method of moving graphics on the screen where they look REALLY good. So good you don't see any shuddering, hesitation, or jerkiness. It's super-smooth movement, and it's tricky to get, it eats a lot of CPU to get it.
You may have played some videogames where it looks really good and you're smiling and stuff and then ... well, then it starts to jerk around, and then smooths itself out again. Back and forth. Maybe you don't notice cause the game is really good or something, and that's fine.
But me I wanted that liquid smooth graphics ALL the time. And finally I can have it.
It's really something I've been after for really well all my life since I started learning to write videogames was VSYNC but WITHOUT the heavy CPU usage. And finally I've done it.
I can do perfect VSYNC with about 1% CPU usage. I'm very excited about the ability and Sorcery will release all future games with this liquid smooth animation method as I'm the programmer for it.
And how did I do it ? Well initially I was checking the time between frames to make sure when you start they are between 55 and 65 fps. If not loop till they were and that's like microseconds to calculate. But then I wanted it ALL the time, not just at the beginning of the game. So now I check every machine-cycle to make sure that liquid is always active.
And it works so sweet ! Hmm ... What is it, 4th of July coming up ? I may post my Fireworks program using the liquid method to give you an idea of what it looks like.
Anyways the virus seems to be on the decline. This is twice in one week I've managed to sit down in a nice restaurant again. And my little paper towel masks were a big hit. I wore one, Gayle wore one, and Katy wore one at one point but then she wanted a real hospital mask, and that's fine - she got one at the clinic.
We're all healthy here. As Dr. McCoy would tell Kirk, "You are sound of wind and limb." Good to know.
And now back to our regularly scheduled chapter ...
Janet awoke first by a small alarm clock on her watch going off. It was 5am and she wanted to get up before everyone else.
She opened her compact to speak. "This is agent Honeydew to base. Over ?"
Randy's friendly voice answered like before, "What's the dope, cantaloupe ?"
She grinned, "Don't you ever sleep ?"
He yawned, "They don't pay me as much when I do. What can I do for you ?"
"I need to get back to base but the family here thinks I'm an orphan and are returning me to the orphanage today."
You could hear him typing a few keys on the keyboard. "You're playing the little orphan girl routine this time ? Damn I'm jealous you look as young as you do. And yeah, we don't have control of that district. No pickup there."
She nodded, "Exactly. I think we're going to need an extraction."
"What method ?" he asked.
She thought for a moment. Police, psychiatric ward, or staff from the orphanage itself.
"Since I already told them I'm an orphan, let's go with the orphanage pickup."
He smiled, "Alright little girl. You managed to escape the orphanage. You're in big trouble now. Sending someone by to pick you up and paddle your hot little bottom !"
She smirked, "You wish, Romeo. Over and out." then clicked close the compact. And it was just as well as she started to hear footsteps. Quick as a wink she was back in bed.
She heard a knocking, it was my Mom again. "Honey, you up ? We're going to go to the orphanage today to get things figured out. Please get ready."
She got out of bed again and gathered up her belongings.
She could hear me in the bathroom taking a shower. She quickly dressed and leaning over the handrail upstairs looked downstairs to see my teddy bear, Teepo, just on top of the covers I slept on last night.
She bit her lip in thought. If she took that stuffed animal with her, it might have something important in or on it.
And yet she also didn't want me to use any mystical powers I might have in anger and vengeance for taking away my beloved friend and in the process destroying the camp or even whole office buildings in my effort to get him back.
Nonetheless she went downstairs. No-one was there at the moment. She picked up the teddy bear to sniff at it. Smelled a little like cinnamon. There was a ragged tag and she looked on it:
Another fine product of "Lovely Creatures." Meet, "Cinnabear." Your favorite furry friend now in delicious cinnamon scent. Safe and non-toxic. Hand wash only."
Still it was quiet upstairs. The small tracking device she put on my shirt earlier would be nothing compared to putting one on my bear ! She'd always know where I was as she doubted I went anywhere without the comforting bear.
She carefully looked around the back of his neck to see a thick lace ribbon that was glued on. She reached in her pocket and pulled out another tracking device. It had a small numeral "2" on it. She stuck it on the back of the lace where it glued in place.
She was so intent on her work she didn't see me coming down the stairs, a towel wrapped around my middle.
I was really angry someone was messing with my teddy bear ! "Hey ! What're you doing !?" I yelled at her.
She held up her hands defensively, "Sorry. He was just - so cute. You have a really nice teddy bear here."
"Yeah ?" I offered, watching her carefully.
No-one moved for a full minute. I felt warm and hot all over, rage building in me. She saw something dangerous flicker in my eyes causing her to gasp in fear suddenly. She then carefully set my bear back on the couch with the covers.
I came down to pick him up and look around on him. I didn't trust her. She was up to no good surely. I felt around my bear, up around the ribbon as I saw her fingers there earlier.
She stepped back for a bit suspiciously. Was there something there I wasn't supposed to find ? I felt around a bit more. I didn't find anything. "Never rub another man's rhubarb." I warned her taking Teepo back.
"Good advice." she said quietly watching me climb the stairs and slam my door shut. Now she was quite glad she didn't try to take him after all and have me go ballistic on her.
She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice. Her "pickup" should be here within the hour.
Finally after we were all washed and ready to go we stepped downstairs. His Mom was the first to speak, "I'm going to make you a nice breakfast, Janet, before we go to the orphanage. It's Friday so Dev needs to go to school as well."
She started to make breakfast and I could smell it was going to be my favorite again, banana and cinnamon pancakes.
Just then there was a heavy knocking at the door.
"I'll get it." Janet offered. Then suddenly tried to bite it back. "I mean, I don't live here, I'm sorry." and sat back in her chair.
I looked at her. I already didn't trust her. Did she know who it was knocking at the door at this early hour ? I bet she did.
Finally I remembered. "Oh ! It's just Tyr. Here, I'll get it."
I went to the door and opened it, "Hey picklepie !" I started all friendly.
A gruff voice answered, a large and very wide woman, "Picklepie ?"
I stepped back a bit almost tripping over my own feet. "Ah, sorry, I thought you were someone else."
"I see." she said. Then tried to look past me as she spoke, "I'm Margot, the Matron of Lonesome Dove Orphange looking for a Janet Pryce. Is she here ?"
Then Janet went into acting shouting sounding really quite silly, "Oh no ! It's the orphanage ! Don't let them find me here !"
But she said it SO loud and obvious that Margot could easily hear her. She stepped past me on massive feet and spoke, "Janet ! You're in enough trouble already. Don't make it more difficult than it already is !"
My Mom though not picking up on any of the queues was falling for the whole act. "Janet ! You RAN away from the orphanage ?" her voice piqued with concern.
"I toldja I didn't like it." she said sniffing dry tears.
Mom really wanted to help I could see that. She stepped forward to confront the bulk of Margot. "Look, she's not in any trouble. After all, we're going to adopt her - today !"
"Susanne !" my Dad said spitting coffee.
"Whaat !?" I yelled myself.
Even Margot and Janet looked confused.
Janet stepped closer to Margot and whispered where I couldn't hear them. "What now ?"
Margot whispered back gruffly, "I'm not sure. Let's just get you out of here before things get crazy."
Margot raised her voice and tried to sound professional, "That's all good and well, ma'am, but there are papers to be signed before that can happen. Here - " and handed her a business card.
On the front it said, "Lonesome Dove Orphanage" along with a phone number.
"Come along, young lady. No dawdling. Back to the orphanage you go !"
Janet looked at me with tearful eyes. For a moment I wasn't suspicious and I really did believe she was an orphan. But only for a moment. There were too many other things that didn't add up about her.
Finally Janet relented and went with the big woman. I stood numbly in the door for a second trying to figure out what I just saw. Then I followed them outside.
Janet was strangely coming from the bushes to the right of the house and now had some kind of box under her arm. I knew she didn't have that earlier, so what was she carrying ?
They both stepped into a hearse that had no markings on it at all. As it drove away I ran to the cobblestone to look. sure enough no license plate either.
* * *
I ran back in. "They drove off in a hearse !"
Mom smiled, "Honey, they're not going to kill her. Just - give her a sound spanking I think for running away. Poor dear."
I closed the door and shook my head, "No Mom, what I mean is they LITERALLY drove off in a vehicle, a hearse. And it had no markings and no license plate on the back of it."
"Fine observation work there, you'd make a good detective." My Dad said, impressed, and then started to work his way around some pancakes Mom put on his plate.
Dad added, "But she's gone now. We can visit her maybe." Then to Mom, "You weren't really wanting to adopt her, were you ?"
She laughed, "No, of course not, I just - panicked. I didn't know what to do or say when that awful woman showed up."
Dad finished his breakfast in silence. Then there was another knocking at the door. Much quieter.
I opened the door, "Hey picklepie !" determined to be right this time.
And it was. It was Tyr and her Mom, Annie. Tyr put her hands on her hips and yelled, "Know what, chicken butt ?"
This is the first time I heard her say that so I thought for a moment, "I don't know, what ?"
She smirked and spoke quieter, "You're ruining it. You're supposed to say, "No, what ?" and then I say, "Chicken !" and then you're supposed to show me your butt."
I sighed and laughed. She was so childish. Sometimes just like now I swear Tyr was still back in 3rd grade instead of High School as we were.
"Maybe later." I said embarrassed.
She flipped her head left and right, "Promises promises !" then laughing pushing past me, "Any more breakfast left ?"
Annie then spoke, "Sweetie you already had 3 waffles with honey ! How much sugar do you need for the day ?"
"More !" was her simple answer hissing in a creepy and scary voice, as she grabbed a hotcake off the stove and pouring syrup all over it ate with her fingers it in one big sticky mess."
Annie shook her head, "Honey, you're getting syrup all over your new skirt."
"Dev can lick it up !" she said tasting each of her sticky fingers.
My mouth opened aghast, "I - what !?"
She laughed again. "At school in the girl's bathroom ! On your knees !"
I looked to Annie now. When I first met her I had thought she was a lot older than I found what her age was. Dark circles under her eyes and a forehead of wrinkles. Now I knew why. Tyr was such a handful and tossing out such humiliating and embarrassing things just as quick as you please - enough to age anyone.
Annie screwed her face up in a frown. "Tyr ! You settle down or so help me I'll ..." and she didn't know what to say.
I finished for her, "We'll take you to the orphanage !"
Annie liked that, "Right ! We'll take you to the orphanage ... orphanage ?" then she looked at me with a question on her face.
Tyr then asked, "Yeah, where is Janet anyways ? My partner in crime ?"
Susanne spoke apologetically, "A woman from the orphanage came to get her."
Tyr's eyes grew wide with delight, "So she escaped, huh ? Cool ! I knew there was some wicked good in her after all."
Mom asked her, "Good ?"
I held my hands up to wave her away. "It's not worth it." I hissed in a whisper. Mom only smiled. Then she motioned a finger over. I went over. I thought she was gonna whisper something to me when suddenly she planted a big juicy kiss on my lips for quite a long time !
"I love you so much my baby." she said hugging me hard. I pulled away as Tyr was hooting with laughter, syrup dripping from her leering mouth and chided, "Momma's Boy ! Momma's boy ! You're gonna be every girl's toy !"
Annie spoke again, "Tyr ! One more word out of you and I'm taking you straight home. No school for you young lady !"
Clearly Tyr missed school as much as me, likely just to gossip with all of her friends again, but that shut her up. She huffed angrily, "Yeah right." Then picked up the whole hot pan of pancakes with a pot-holder and flopped it down on the table singing the tablecloth and greedily started to devour the remainder with heapings of maple syrup on them.
I reached in and gingerly took a pancake from the stack where Tyr hissed and covered the remainder with her hands. "Mine !" she hissed in that weird and scary voice again.
Annie spoke again, "Share Tyr or so help me ... !"
Just then our miniature Grandfather clock chimed that it was 8am. "Truce ! We gotta go guys. I gotta get back to work since the internet's back and everything is open again."
Mom spoke to Annie, "I'll take your daughter to work. Why don't you just relax ?"
"I still can't go back to my house." Annie stated in distress. "They got the whole thing blocked off."
"Is your door locked ?" Suzy asked her.
Annie nodded, "I'm sure it is."
Suzy motioned to the couch. "That's fine. Look, you stay here. Let me get Harold to work, Dev and Tyr to school, and I'll come back and we'll make a Mom's Day Out of it, fair enough ?"
Annie nodded again, "Okay." She gravitated to the couch and turned on the news which talked about the internet working again and companies re-opening. I watched for a moment interested.
"Let's go, kids !" Mom told us. We piled into the car. Dad up front and Tyr and me in the back.
As we pulled out I could see that idiot agents had indeed blocked off the road all over the place. At some point I would want to return and get my Captain Circumference toys and bedding from the Excalibria. If they wanted that old car they could keep it. I just wanted the stuff I bought.
As we navigated all the detours, Mom and Dad got to talking to each other on the best route to get to where we needed. She dropped us off first. Then she put a metal box in my hand about the size of a package of cigarettes.
"What is this ?" I asked.
She leaned forward and spoke, "Honey I love you so much. I bought this with my own allowance. You see that red button there ?"
I nodded.
"You hit that and I'll know exactly where you are. I have a device similar. I don't want you getting kidnapped again. I'm pretty sure you're not gonna get hurt but it worries me so when I don't know where you are sweetie pie."
"Thanks Mom." I leaned in to let her kiss me. Without Harold to stop her she sure gave me a great big one on the mouth again.
Tyr coughed slightly after a minute of this, "Get a room you guys."
I pulled away. I looked at Mom. She had the start of tears in her eyes. Now I worried. I know she loved me, deeply, as much as a Mother could. And here I was 17. I knew the talk of me getting a place of my own would never be brought up again provided I didn't talk about it myself.
Harold, my Dad. I know he loved Mom. But Mom was absolutely determined that I would always be her baby and through hell or high water would anybody try and stop her. And I loved her enough I would let her. I would ruin my whole life just to please Mom. Somewhere in my head it hurt but another part felt comforted that my Mom would always be there for me.
I got out of the car and started to walk with Tyr. She was being very nice but kept smiling weird to me. Finally she was giggling so much I had to stop. "What is it ?" I asked.
She spoke in a mature tone. "I just looove the lipstick you got on, 'sweetie pie' !" she spoke trying to reproduce the tone my Mom used.
"Me ?" Then I ran in the boys bathroom. Marty was there adjusting his hair. He looked at me, "Hey Dev. Good to see you. Now you know I'm your best friend and all but ... you got lipstick on. It doesn't look good for a dude - just saying."
I looked in the mirror. Sure enough my Mom planted one so deep on me her lipstick transferred to mine. I hurriedly washed it away.
Tyr was waiting at the bathroom door as I stepped out. She then planted one on ME ! Big and heavy as people walking down the hall hooted and laughed at us. Then I finally pulled away from her, gasping for air.
"What was that for ?" Dare I ask.
"Just getting the last bit of lipstick offen ya." she said simply. Afterwards she pulled out some lipstick from her own purse and applied it.
We were both going to homeroom as were in this same class and entered. The teacher there, Ms. Arable was greeting each student by the door, shaking their hand and patting them on the back, and mentioning something positive about them.
She started with Marty, "Good to see you, Marty, you are always so kind to others."
I was next, "Good to see you, Dev, my little prodigy. I have high hopes for you this year."
Then Tyr walked by. There was silence. Tyr immediately recognized she was not greeted or offered a hand, friendly pat, or any words of encouragement.
"What am I chopped liver !? Aint ya gonna say good to sees me too, huh, there Marble ?"
Ms. Arable sighed remembering all the shenanigans Tyr was up to all the years she had had her for class. Finally she spoke quietly, "I'm sure it's good to see you - Tyr - somewhere."
Tyr wrinkled up her nose in a frown and growled, not really liking that answer, and walked past. We all found our seats and then the bell rang to begin home room.
END OF CHAPTER 49
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