(GE Copy)

Chapter 17: Dinner With A Cute Snake (Part 1).

“Mary, have you not heard from the vine? By the willow brook, they saw him. Hath not been ten harvest moons, which he swore, Adam has returned. They say his eyes are like dirges, and his cheeks shallow with matted fur. One called him a spouting crow, such nerve! All this time, alone, if anything I pity him... Do suppose he came hither to mend his tithing with Lucy? They were inseparable, two bundles entwined, what could have separated them?”

Wearily, Aaron risen, taking the bite of morning air, and wetting his lips from the haze. Wearily Aaron washed his hands, he made breakfast, and looked at the calendar then waddled out the door. Wearily, he stretched, Aaron sighed. His sore arms, and aching feet couldn’t keep up with all the constant trips down to the lake and back, and he was becoming complacent. With each step down the hill towards down town, he knew it was another bloody step he’d have to make, willing his body up the long road. Aaron stood beside the trees around the corner from the stone church to gain a breather. The flowing stream moistened the chapped edges of his lungs, and he continued in the hot sun.

Having made a minor stop to pick up some items for the occasion, Aaron had finally found himself lazily back at the lakeside boardwalk. He stood atop the water, and creased his eyes between his thumb and index before taking a deep breath, knowing the inevitable plunge to come. Same old trip. Same old watery entrance. Same old plunge into the cold irritable wet hole. The faint fuzz of wind blowing in the leafs was dull like an irritable ringing in his ear, and Aaron was getting tired of it all. “Open up, baby...” He warily mocked with a snide demand before falling in. He laid in the water for a few moments, lifelessly resting in the way until the cold tides were no longer biting at him. He lifted his head up to the surface, looking about for half a minute until dawning that something went wrong and that he was still looking at the boardwalk. He shook his head, not sure why he had failed to enter the hole. He dove down and found mushy black dirt. He returned to the topside, drenched and dripping in swill and darkened swampy components. Aaron looked the water dead in the eye, and threw himself into it, demanding that the portal be opened.

It did not...

Aaron was confused, waddling his way back from the wooden walk where it was easier to climb out from. He starred, one last time, taking a moment of peace to imagine himself falling through onto the other side, the shift in gravity, the everything else, and yadi yada. “Right.” He initiated, skipping through the preparations, and slapped himself lightly on the cheek, readying himself to make it happen... Don’t go spoiling yourself how this one is gonna turn out. Well, with a damn good leap from the top railing board, he plunged in feeling the muck fill to his knees and nearly trapped him. It was at this poorly timed integer that he screamed in a tone that only the fish could hear, and somehow managed to dislodge himself before he ran out of air.

No matter what Aaron did, he just couldn’t get up the energy to take it seriously, demanding the stagnant mucky water to ‘up and bloody well work’. Now laying his washed shoes aside him, Aaron sat, waving his toes through the surface until some kind of miracle would happen. He checked his bag, he could confirm all the contents were still in there, it would be a shame to loose them of all things.

Aaron felt a nibbling at his toe, and shooed it away. Then an even bigger nibble, and lastly a whole hand, violently shaking his leg about. He held the railing, looking down to see a fully grown woman, acting like a six year old. “Please tell me the portal still works...” Aaron begged.” Felicity seemed confused by this and looked redundantly below “I’ve been trying to get in for the last half hour... It’s like like three feet to the left, isn’t it?” Resting his head on the rail. It felt like it was burning, and maybe it was time for a day off.

“You sure you want to do this today? You look miserable...”

Aaron nodded, grabbing his shoes and slipped into the water. It felt stiff, like something in the water rejected him as they passed through. It weighed upon him, every long and arduous instance passing through, hoping he’d make it without loosing his breath. It even felt like one of his shoes had dislodged from his hand in the turbulence. Still clung to Felicity, he made it back again, and looked to find his shoe still in his hand after all. Aaron shook the crap out of his ears, he wasn’t ready to deal with anomaly shenanigans just yet and put the mystery behind. With any luck, Kaylemen had a cup of tea with a kick to it, or maybe ten.

Feeling the fog rip the moisture from his damp clothing, Aaron stood, wringing them out until dry again and moved on. His pack sack however was less likely to dry, and felt like it could use some days off itself.

Flopping it onto the table, Aaron undid the zippers and retracted numerous gemstones that he had collected over the weeks previous and explained “You have no idea how hard it was to get up the nerve to enter Sophie’s place to snag these... But I have some more,” Turning his attention to Kaylemen, “Some you might not have even seen before.” Placing such on the table.

Taking a fond eye to the elongated crimson gem, Kaylemen smiled, “Ah... Asunite, also called bulmatine or sakurite. One of the eight forbidden stones responsible for the fall of Plaeta, during the haelltaker.” Picking up the ruby rod.“It can focus the affections of a person like a conduit of love, or of hate. You may fancy yourself to make a love lens out of this one, and insight all forms of mischief amidst the populous; which is precisely why they banned it. I say got for it kid! Woman all fridged, loosen’em up why don’t ya?... No, no, get two Dallahs to fall in love, that’d be gravely humouring!” Pointing it around his house, to the ducking of onlookers unwilling to get married or in a fisticuffs “Hmm,” He muttered, feeling nothing special about the stone in the slightest.“Somethings odd about this one, must be defunct or something. Still dare you to roll it under the Galandan Tower Halls door anyway, and hear what erupts from it. I’d pay to see it, too... ‘Cept I’m dead broke.” Looking rather saddened, “Some dreams aren’t meant to be I suppose.”

“And the rest?” Aaron inquired intently, hoping to have found some other ravishing treasures over the last while.

“Can’t say I recall, but if you’d lend these to my study, certainly I’d find them some cardinal use. Perhaps it may even appease me for your utter absence yesterday.”

Lowering his head, Aaron apologized,“Sorry...”

“I reject it...” The old man stationed himself.

“This a kind of ‘saying sorry is a waste of time, only doing better fixes things...’ kind of doctrine, or?”

“No, I simply choose not to accept it. I am my own person, I will accept it or I won’t... And I didn’t, no budging it... Continue on...” Waving Aaron back to his craft.

“Would it make sense for me to study these instead, due my familiarity with them already?”

“I won’t stop you, but it would stunt your understanding if I could not grade your performance accurately to the control test, and consequently that would waste my time also. You’re choice.”

Aaron gave his collections onto the master to study, before they could muddle with Aaron's results. Rising from their chair, Felicity called out “I’ve seen this enough times to know I should take my leave...”She mentioned, walking up the stairs without sight of them “Gonna hunt up some food, while you wrack your brain on that stuff...”

Aaron waved her off. He seemed heavily distracted, and realized that it was finally about time that if he couldn’t muster the energy to be serious, then it was time to out think his problem. Three days so far, he had to get somewhere in that time, right? Taking up the stones from yesterday, he placed them beside him, and attempted to remember what it was about them that could rekindle his fiery perception. Oddly enough, this was one of the few memories he was allowed to keep, but was hardest to remember. It had to be the key to overcoming his memory loss. This connection was always something deeper, and beyond the normal senses... So naturally the recollection of it required some kind of spark. It required something new. It was remembering a change, or a difference in atmosphere, something that he didn’t constantly take for granted; and so he gave up on his assumptions, treating it like it were the first time. He tried to, anyway. He sat there, eyes closed, forbidding his sight to distract him. It worked before, but then again, so did getting sore and exhausted, and wouldn’t you know it? At least base one was already covered.

Soon, he remembered his sense of smell, which increased to make up for his lacking sight, and how his hearing could pick up on the nuance of the wind. It wasn’t long until he returned his hands above the table that he felt it, strongly, like it’s own flavour. As one stone contracted it’s energy, it faded in a thin fog to replace the thin air and re-constrict. As the other pulled an energy out of a swirling source, it fattened out and returned elsewhere. It was time to apply the method.

As they neared together, he remembered the nature of those hands which dwelt elsewhere, within him. His memory kindled the spirit within him, and the movement of these second hands that senses could reach beneath the surface, as the emanation fluctuated between the air. They should have mingled like hot and cold, pressure and suction, something more physically recognizable; but like a back draft, or Bernoulli's principle, they seemed to do something unexpected, if not unrelated to the initial forces coming to be and created something new.

Once again, these gems were the key that he needed, and he returned them to his hands. He wondered what else he could discover,

As Aaron’s face changed, so did Kaylemen’s with a wide and passionate grin, seeing the joyful spark on the boys face “I’ve seen that face only a handful of times in my life.” Kaylemen muttered softly. “It has become simple, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah...” Aaron confirmed, “It feels like another force being created, and when I understand that, I realize both of these stones, individually have a signature to them that I missed, and causes the fluctuations of air like gravity only as a byproduct. At it’s essence, it’s like a flavour of sorts. Like two colours of paint mixing to make a new one. The byproduct of these stones is like a radiation, a seeping of gases off a paint can, but the energy exists elsewhere, and is simply guided here by that essence. It almost feels like the table itself emanates, and the rock that this house is built upon...”

“Now you understand why my lessons are so short. If you know what you are looking for, you know how to apply it. Like the flow of water founds the creation of a flume, or the travel of smoke to sculpt a chimney. All that I know is based on this... Neither can I explain these tricks, nor any miracle without it, for it is the essence by which all things alter, even life... For what scholars observe, recreate in theory, and deny the force that makes it thereof... Thus, no diagram, nor formula, nor theory can teach you the weight of it’s reality and what it really means to understand; only foil to replicate a similar instance with something else to create the spark. Be it an imitation, or the real thing... Someone will covet to be called the one who created it, when it was already there before them.”

“Man, I wish I started with you as my teacher,” Aaron confessed, “the guy I learned from would give me the worst explanations, and expect me to magically put it together.”

“Not everyone can be a teacher... I too fall very short of the mark that I know myself capable of, giving only a fraction of my knowledge onto you.”

“You are still more than I’ve ever had... Space man would have called me crazy for this stuff... His daughter already has, and she’s the unorthodox one. Weeks of nothing, and then, in a few moments, I learned more from you than even Belship could ever teach me... That... That’s not a bad name, here... Is it?”

“Your flattery blinds you... Many people can explain poorly a million tricks but what you have here is a man who is able to explain very well, what very little of what he actually can do. Now there is very little I can do for you, and you will have to make your way on your own... If you see my wisdom as a blinding light it means that I have failed myself of teaching you what you need to know... And you will be unfulfilled, for my lack thereof as a teacher. Do not let this cloud you, or you will miss the point and your progress will remain on the ground where it began: Never reaching it’s potential.”

“It’s not that...” Still bewitched by his astonishment, Aaron spouted from his mouth, “Any person could tell me that I am not insane... But, it takes a talented man to actually show me that fact.”

Under a heavy weight, Kaylemen returned to him, as though having rid himself of all his quirks and a solid stern voice came from him. “Always question yourself; especially, if for nothing else than your sanity alone. For that pride is what they had. When they scorn us, arrogantly, without guilt. They do it with a blind eye do they not? It was by this might that I should know my weakness: That if you believe entirely, then you are short of finding answers. We should question ourselves, even in what we know, even to the simple math; so when we need to act, that we know our actions are true, especially, especially when there is no time to think on how to use them. We already do this, pre-calculated assumptive actions, every day, you should at least be correct in your doing so. Your focus, your intent, can make bloody an open pasture with a blind eye, or peace amidst a war field with a single, truthful word. We are not the men we wanted to be, but with an effort, we are closer. May that effort guide you to the thing which you want, and not by a strangers charismatic babbles. That direction, is your responsibility to maintain, always. Do not follow blindly, or you will be as they... Now, once you become comfortable with this new sight, visit me and we will continue towards your final steps. These lessons are short, but avail you much, I pray you have the aptitude to finish this...”

No matter how much praise Aaron gave, there seemed to be no way to gratifying his master. All he wanted was to marvel before the old man, but was always brought back to the seriousness that was always laid upon him from the guy. Walking up to Zack, Aaron uttered. “No matter who you talk to, someone’s always got a ‘they’ in their arsenal: A people that they think are doing things wrong, or not to their liking... I hate hearing it, it sounds so pretentious, and then I wonder if I’m so ‘righteous’ after all... For all I know, I’m probably the same judgmental cut of cloth as they are... ‘They’... Oh, fud, now I’m doing it too... Stagna, Belship, seems I got my share of judgments... What’s wrong?”

Pouting like a dog who just got scolded, Zack muttered back unrelated. “Sure nice being his favourite...”

“He like you too...” Aaron turned confused to comfort his friend.

“Old man thinks I’m a Feckle Twet.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Himself... The old man, to my face, like three times this morning. It’s a bird apparently... Like, a really freaking stupid one. Did you know that they mistake their eggs for poop, boot them out of the nest, then proceed to curse at the eggs for cracking until they pass out from exhaustion?”

“Sounds like your mom.”

“Yeah, but... He called ME that, not her.”

Trying to Cheer Zack up, Aaron did the old ‘blow the nose trumpet’ routine that always worked back in grade three. Then let one rip but nothing would lighten the lad up. Plugging the gemstones in his nose, Aaron shuttered his eyes around as if being juiced by the energies, and danced his upper body like he received a plate full of tacos while waving his tongue around. What an absolute loon! What tomfoolery. What an idiot! Zack’s face lit up a little, appreciating the effort more than anything but it quickly turned to a sneer as Kaylemen stood unimpressed by the mockery.

“Sorry...” Aaron confessed

“I reject it...” Kaylemen disapproved.

“Right... Sorry...”

“I still reject it...”

Finding a word other than ‘sorry’, “Yes, master...”

The hour clicked away, making progress as the elk combed the hills from one side onto the other. The birds who nested returned to socialize, and the spider now rested upon it’s new home. The valley continued with their lives, not once dawning eye to the men on the porch, except one; a little bird sat upon the railing, churning it’s mind to fathom the strange practice and flew to waste it’s time elsewhere. Soon disbanding, they took to their things, and too were ready to move on.

Licking her lips from a great hunt, Felicity watched from the table as Aaron tucked away the gemstones he used to practise. “You’re off again...” She mentioned, feeling lonely “You’ve only been here a little while”

“Yeah, you got back in time to hear what happened...” Listening to the silent ‘no’ as he picked the bag off the ground, and reiterated. “The master’s impressed but my focus isn’t quite up to par and he’s not sure why that is. Told me to continue my work at home and see what I can come up with. Says I got something special waiting for me when I get back... Give’s Zack enough time to catch up.”

“Why... Not let me come with you?”

Aaron turned his gaze off to Felicity, who he barely got to see today, then to his pack. “I guess it’s a little easier if you walk on two legs, sure...” Strapping his bag to his back. “But, I have two concerns: No transforming in front of anyone, don’t want the men in white performing a routine house call... And especially not in front of my parents... Also, secondly, if they ask, you’re twenty... You could probably pass for that. I think the shock would kill them, especially mom. I’m putting enough stress on her as it is, I can’t remember the last time I got to talk to her without her ready to break down on me...”

With wide slit eyes, Felicity remarked “You’re a grown ass man, aren’t you?”

“Getting there... A lot quicker by the day it seems.”

“Then why should you care?” Felicity mentioned, following Aaron along the road. Upon the water’s edge, Aaron slowly made the cold, wet walk of dismay back home. He figured that he’d be getting used to it by now, but no. The longer he took to get in the more anxiety he had about getting soaked, again, in the brisk waters, what joy... Felicity stood still, looking off to the depths. As Aaron passed her, he turned to grab Felicity’s hand and pull them in. Under her breath, Aaron could hear her speak “I never thought I’d be introduced to society,” Hesitantly following Aaron in.

“You were just through here this morning.” But there seemed to be something else passing through her head.

Grasping the wood with his wet hands, he pulled himself back up the boardwalk. It was easier with all the practise from this morning. He retrieved his hidden towel and spare clothes that stayed dry this whole time. Shyly he changed the rest of him, under the towel, asking Felicity to stand guard and face the other direction. He quickly picked back up where he was and brought them up the hills.

Felicity’s first sights of the world were somehow an even more awkward level of difficult than being just functionally shy. All the eyes that caught sight of them seemed to question the strange appearance and Aaron could perceive his friend’s discomfort. “I forgot, you’re not a fan of this form...” Taking the split onto Sally Road, “I’m not sure, this might be the long way, I never really did figure out where all these twists and turns go. It’s a maze. If it wasn’t a residential, I’d say that fact alone would warrant some mysteries to be laying around here... I’m not helping relax you, am I?...” Pulling them both to the shoulder of the road for a car to pass by them. “Don’t tell me I’m always gonna annoy you when I talk...”

“It doesn’t surprise me that you have these mechanical beasts, if that’s what you’re wondering...”

“That kinda just blind sighted me... Not sure where that came from, but...” Recollecting his thoughts, “I guess it saves me having to catch you up to date with airplanes and internet drama.” Watching Felicity reach for the fruit from some tree they passed under. “That’s someone’s property...” Aaron cautioned.

Looking at it’s bounty, Felicity snickered, pointing to the ample orchards at the hill’s summit “If they can eat all that fruit all by themselves, they can choke on it...” Before taking the plump pitted fruit to their lips. It only being being polite to do so, Felicity offered Aaron one which he refused and she swallowed down the remainder, orchard spray and all. Aaron looked away, gazing across the glistening lake from the overlook until they came to the curtain of a chain link fence and it’s blind like plastic privacy inserts.

Upon the highway, Aaron took them through the tunnel. They passed by the tags of profanity, litter, and anything else that the wind knocked this way. She seemed happy here, in the seclusion, despite the disgust for all the discarded cups and wrappers. No straws, just plastic cups and cigarette packages that no one cared for. Heaven forbid a tiny plastic tube, accidentally fall from the mass produced, non-biodegradable, absolute 48oz Chad of a capitalist drinking vessel. I know the turtle debate, but a straw is the last thing you’ll find laying around.

The bright world outside sprawled with the suburban beauty of a small tourist town... And every so often, the suckers that drove by this part of the highway actually fell for it too. “Here... I have some change in my pocket...” Aaron informed, climbing up the small incline of the coffee shop parking lot.

Catching the door as someone left, they came up to the register. It was loud, and packed but Aaron managed to overcome the noise long enough to order an iced coffee and a doughnut. “You know...” Aaron announced, closing the door to the quiet sound of a busy highway overhead. “It’s the only place I’ll actually buy a coffee, probably because it’s completely synthetic syrup but I figured you might like one.” Splitting his sour cream glazed pastry, and giving Felicity the other half.

With a swift introduction to straws, the contents of the cup disappeared to two thirds capacity in a matter of seconds. “Oh, crap that’s cold.” Felicity cursed.

“You could also taste it too, you know...”

Looking guilty, Felicity remarked, “It wasn’t worth walking through the racket of that place for these things. And their eyes... Especially the old people. It’s like they saw daggers and started commenting.”

Aaron looked at her slender shape, from the aqua blue vest over her flattened chest, and all the skin that was shown along the midriff and calves. Felicity, for the most part, was very modern, if modern looked like some sort of anime spirit creature from ancient times. Undeniably human, but understandably dressed out of period as far as the simple, traditional generation was concerned. They walked up the hill in the valley up towards the town centre, patting the soft tropic spiny balls that hung from the deciduous woody shaders. Were they a nut inside, or a fruit? No one knew. “Hey...” Aaron pondered, considering the price of his charity. “If you want, we could buy you something more... Normal to wear. I ain’t got the money on hand, but if we head home I should have some toonies or something laying around.”

Over the last hill before the twisting South Victoria road brought them home to see the folks, Aaron started to get more than a few second thoughts. He didn’t exactly feel like introducing Felicity to the family quite yet. He agonized how he was going to explain meeting this stylistically expressionate older woman, and why she seemed to have an affinity for their highschool aged son. Felicity looked rather good for a thousand years, or however many more than was commented to him, but twenty was as low as he could ballpark. “You know... If you don’t want to see my folks, that’s fine. I know you’re not super fond of this form...”

“I can tell when you’re wimping out.” Felicity returned.

“Good, coz I’m really not into protecting my ego right now... You... Mind laying low?” And she sighed, looking let down again.

Aaron left his wet laundry to hang on the line next to the rest of his things that were washed that morning, a perfect disguise for his watery habit. Upon sneaking in, his Father caught wind only as the commercial came on a minute later. He looked to his son, and heckled. “I’m surprised, I half expected to see you covered in sodapop this time...” Aaron smiled vaguely and walked from the bathroom up to the stairs. “You know, if you gotta use the can, best do it now. I’m hoping in the shower in a few minutes.”

“Please, no...” Aaron defended, “I, uh... I’m going to need it really soon...”

“Ah, I suppose you will be, swamp trouncing the last couple of days. Alright, I’m just trying to cool off anyway. Tub’s all yours... But don’t forget to get in it this time! I need to cool off some time today.”

Aaron left Paul to his programming, and scoured his room for loose change. A clean room is an easy room to search but an empty room for finding change. Between his dresser and under the bed, he couldn’t scrounge up more than eight dollars with what he already had in hand. He bought a pair of pants for five dollars once, and doubted that’d ever happen again.

Behind the fine dress clothing, and his best suit was a green cubical container with a round lid. He stuck his fingers inside, barely grasping the paper dollars from within to retrieve them out from the tiny, poorly designed entrance. This was a terrible place to keep money, but it was the farmers way to keeping cash.

Twenty eight, no, thirty eight. Aaron tried to remember how expensive clothes were again. He had not been shopping on his own dollar for years, and spent as little time in the clothing isles as he could lest he fall asleep out of boredom and get heck for being human.

His hair rose on end, hearing the loud womanly shrike of a grown man. Aaron rushed down the stairs to meet with a broom wielding maniac, still pulling his pants up. “What’s going on!?” Aaron cried, reasoning his father from entering the bathroom in violent rage.

“There’s a bloody snake in the bathtub!” Paul wailed, busting in the door to smash his way in through the curtains. The rattles of the old man’s strong arms smacked against the walls, chipping the tiles and dented the metal bowl. “Die you wretch, back into Hades you slithery, slimy son of a bitch!” Paul swung blindly, from the corner of the room, and jumped frantically in fear with a small shrike every time the curtain moved. Aaron tried to intervene but the old man’s strength lifted him with one hand and threw the boy to safety. “Stay back, it’s a big sucker. Fangs, frills, probably has enough venom to wipe out a small village!” Jumping out of the bathroom as the curtain got hooked on the broom and flicked out towards him.

Old Paul edged nearer, eyeing the blind spot. Carefully, he lifted the plastic sheet and the cloth out of the way to check on the corpse. He slowly uncovered the bottom, then eerily looked above to the curtain rod but nothing. The tub had a drain stopper on it, and it could not have crawled through the metal grate. He then jumped back to the door, as it could have moved behind the toilet, or in the cupboard, or bloody damn well anywhere. Peeking warily out from the porcelain shrine, Felicity checked the condition of the room, and met eyes with Old Paul, and Old Paul’s broom.

Felicity retreated down the pipes, and Paul frantically flushed the toilet. Throwing the shower head into the throne, he drown the rest of the water tank into the piss bowl to push that sucker out. It didn’t do much, nor the handle of the broom which he shoved down curved exit hole of the toilet, nearly breaking it off on the angle. Paul finally rested, and retired to the easy chair in the next room for a beer to calm his viciously shaky hands. “I...I n-n-n-ne-ever se-see-seen se-seen a su-su...” Stuttering until the carbonated gold reached his throat. “Mother Teresa, they’re climbing through the bloody pipes now...” Falling into his cushions. “S-s-son g...” Swallowing his fears. “Please, get me a damp cloth, I’m about to to faint...”

Aaron agreed, walking into the bathroom. Turning off the water and removing the shower head, he also removed the broom stick from the drink. Aaron sighed, wondering if his Father managed to scare off his friend, or if these maze like pipes would ever guide her back to him.

He dampened the towel, and gave it to his father by the time his mother had entered the house, grocery bags in hand. “Paul... You’re face, do you need an ambulance.”

“I need another beer.” Dropping the empty on the ground, and faintly lifting his gyrating arm to flip the damp rag around. He wiped his face, and confessed what he had seen. In the panic and worry, Aaron had to use the can, but was not going to leaves a digested bread crumb trail like that to lead her back to him. He looked at the bowl, then to the tiny, shivering, wary blue frilled nope rope surfacing back up from the drain. Aaron’s eyes lit up, and took the water serpent back up into his clothes.

“Next time, you hide next to the garden hose.” He decreed to the snake, before reentering the hallway “Sorry... Shower’s all yours dad...”

“I don’t blame you,” Paul confessed, “I’m going to hose off in the back yard when I think I can walk again... The garter snakes behind old Skinner’s shed got nothing on that creature...”

“Aaron...” His mother called out to him. “Your back... It’s all wet...”

Patting his back, he could feel the cold emanating from the wet toilet snake. “I... Didn’t seem it, but... I was absolutely panicked, I’m sweating, I need to go outside to cool off... Like Dad’s going to...”

“I really wish you’d use some swimming trunks or something.” Watching Aaron flee the scene, “I just smelled the ones on the line and they don’t even look washed at all. They’ll get musty at this rate, and I can’t clean that out of them without bleaching the colour right out of them. And don’t catch a chill!” But Aaron was already gone.

Finally returning to a form with vocal chords, “I-It was horrible,” Felicity had fret while still shaking. “...Why was it disgusting down there? I don’t get it... I... I swore I saw, in the corner of my eye, some kind of floater going down the damned pipe... It was big, and wrapped in white ribbons...”

“I’m thinking I should have washed you off before ditching in high gear.” Counting the change in his hand, and wiping the slick from his back. “I think I dropped a five in my room... Oh well, thirty two dollars ain’t bad. You gonna make it?”

“What do you people do, shit down there!?”

Aaron slid down the hill at the park, and walked the humid path onto Main Street. The fantasy Victorian adventure looking tourist town was an adorable ascetic that enforced every business to dress up their walls in such cross beamed facades and design. It was tacky, but it was Aaron’s kind of tacky. Just here, there were six clothing shops and more just up North Victoria road, all of which showcased exuberant summer fashions and cosmetics in their windows. In other words, thirty two dollars wasn’t going to cut it for anything.

Aaron remembered that there was another option, other than the thrift store: Besides they had just missed the two hours that it was open that day, even if he did feel extra cheap. Down past Santorinis, he crossed over into the chain brand drug store who’s name would probably get me in copyright trouble. We’ll call it... The second grocery store in town, which is kinda was. Walking up past the magazines and comics, they found the seasonal isle and a plethora of adventurous items. Not much for clothes however, but, they had a sale on inflatables. That’s not why they came, but I wish I had the money to spend there myself.

Sun hats and sandals, beach towels and sunblock. There were a few summer dresses but at thirty dollars for a sheer fabric overlay, Aaron was shaking his head at the market. He was scared to even pick up any milk buds or peach rings from the food isle with the price of clothes. He walked out the exit doors, to the glares and opinions of the people working there. “I hate leaving without buying anything...” Aaron lamented. Even as the scanners didn’t beep, the workers still eyed him through the front window as he left. He was certain someone would chase and give him a pat down, but he simply walked away. “Sorry that was a bust...”

“Everyone else wears strange clothes, I don’t see why we need to deal with their evil eyes, they’re just as hypocritical.”

As they passed by the highschool, there were two senior years walking back from the pool. The smell of chlorine still leaching from their skin and hair. They took a pointing to Felicity, and Aaron j-walked across towards the school ground side of Kelly Avenue. They followed suit, tracking down to the misfits and called out teasing. “You making a statement to your parents or you just off to an anime convention?” Ah, it seemed that Aaron was not alone with that perception after all.

Felicity glared, turning an evil gaze to the esoteric handful of IQ points heckling them. “Does everyone here have to have a badger up their ass?”

“Trying to invent a new slang? No one’s gonna pick that one up...”

“I can’t even, with that...” The other one heckled also, “How about you go back to the sushi place and draw some more fan fictions!”

Felicity walked up, having her arm tugged. Seeing the fury build behind her eyes, Aaron quickly let it go and mentioned, “Just don’t kill them...”

“You gonna stare at me until I feel bad or something?” The girl mocked. The laughing stopped pretty quickly after getting the back of Felicity’s hand across their talk box. The other girl jumped on Felicity’s back, and was rolled over top into a pile of dog crap. Yeah, face first and everything, was really gross. The first came back with her own front hand, slapped away and Felicity gave the girl another discount ‘lip injection’, with the back of her hand.

Spitting the fury, and other things from her trap, the second girl went into a tactical ‘step in and slap from a distance’ form of combat... Which, Felicity intercepted, grabbed her by the waist, and rolled her back over top and into the doggy sundae.

The first girl was still working out their dental work from the last slap, but returned to double team with the second girl for a combo attack, which failed... Miserably. Felicity moved with a great affinity, slipping out of their grasp, leaving them to tug, and pull on the wrong person’s hair. They got off the ground, and went top and bottom for a tackle. Which girl was which this time? Not sure it mattered as top went down, and Felicity lifted bottom over her shoulder, sending her once again into the pile of crap. The girl wrestling from the pavement kinda just got kicked off the curb and slapped upon reentry.

Pissed and sore, the two stood, determining their odds at revenge, until Felicity roared at them “Sit!” Watching them quickly fall under the weight of their inept fighting league. “Speak!” Watching the girl with the added ‘lipstick’, proceed to vomit from the smell. “Good.” and Felicity walked on.

Beside himself, Aaron astonished. “Wow, for a snake, you’re really good at fighting people...”

“You told me not to kill them, so I listened.”

“I was joking, I didn’t think you’d actually end them!”

“So, you want them gone, or?...” Looking behind them, “Coz they don’t seem worth the time it takes to send to the afterlife.”

“No, no killing!” Aaron tugged them along, “Just keep walking and go to the next store.”

Along the main strip, Aaron shook the poor economy in his pocket, doubting it was even worth trying the clothing shops at this rate. He walked past the old brick ramped store where they sold just about everything and sighed. Might as well try at least.

Everything was either hit or miss, with eighty dollar items, and sales for others under twenty. Aaron cruised the raised section of store, watching the people pass outside at waist height. There was a discount section, and a lot of last years fashions put on display... But, unless it’s a car, they didn’t really care about the year. Some items looked like something his Grandmother would wear, some of them he’s pretty sure were actually in her closet too. Others pieces, he wouldn’t mind seeing the grade twelves parade around in. Oh yes. “This is cute...” Felicity called, holding an item with a whopping sixty nine dollar price tag. No ninety nine cent scam either, just right straight rounded down to the dollar.

“That’s not gonna fit the budget...” Sifting through the piles for something more in the price range, pulling out the first thing he could find. “What do you think of this?

“You think I’d look good in this?” Questioning the strangely delicate fabric and it’s many strips of belting.

“Sure...” Aaron handed it to her. “I mean, if it fits...” Backtracking on his hasty call, as not wanting to offend her if she actually liked the ugly thing. “The, uh... Change rooms are over there...” Pointing out the back room.

Awkwardly, she wandered past the curtain and attempted to fit herself into the garment. Aaron looked about for a more suiting fit, with most items being a lot harsher than his pocket could afford. “Hey...” Felicity mentioned, clinging shyly to the door of the change rooms. “You know you gave me a dress, right? I feel kinda... Weird walking around in something like this...” Slowly revealing herself. “Also, it’s kinda loose in the chest...” Flicking the fabric as described. She turned around a little, but returned to remove the punk lacing. Surprisingly, it kinda fit her style.

Aaron blushed, behind the cover of the clothing wrack, and slowly made his way towards the change room. Laying down his selection of items, by the floor, he let Felicity know where they were as he went to find more. He felt a strange clawing at his chest, and a jittery fluster in his gut. Like he had began to sweat, and it tugged on his heart to see more. This wasn’t like the longing he dreamt of, nor envisioned. It was like the day he first saw a girl that he admired, cranked to eleven, and dipped in dark chocolate. Reality and emotions are such a strange thing. He looked about, finding other things to give her, as he heard her call out to him.

“Aaron...” He turned to meet the voice, “These too?” extended a frilled black skirt, and loose leather belt at her hand, while only scarily covering her bare chest with another frail fabric. Aaron nodded his head watching Felicity take to the change rooms with another sleek garment.

“This can’t be happening...” Aaron panicked. “She’s like a million years older than me, and really likes me... And likes what I think she should wear... I’m... What is this? How could this happen? It’s incredible!” Finding an even more expensive piece, to see her try on, wanting to see just how many things he could get her to wear for him, for the sake of show alone. “I hope she doesn’t get attached to these, but... I gotta know...”

Emerging, Felicity called to him, slowly taking herself out of the room. “Is this... Too much?” Asking, as the mix of colours and themes seemed irregular but vastly intriguing. He shook his head, and Felicity didn’t quite understand. “No, it’s not too much, or no you don’t like it?” Giving her a thumbs up, Felicity relished in adoration underneath her sheer embarrassment, and the fluster took her back into the room again to adorn something even more feminine and appealing.

With Aaron’s next wave of expensive outfits, he walked towards the curtain to find her next appearance. Her hands fanned out, feeling a strong passion in her step. Felicity skipped out, flustered and clumsy, only to trip over the leg of a clothing rack, and landed on Aaron; throwing him to the floor. He looked up, between the locks of beautiful sky blue hair that dangled overtop. He could feel the warmth of her soft supple, sleek skin. The smell of another person, intimately close to him. With soft hands she pressed against his body to lift up upon. She stayed there, blushing, uncertain. Aaron looked at the mess that was caused, noticing something much more interesting just above him. He could almost see down her top, not to mention every other strand that dangled across his face. Did no one ever teach her how to tie a french skirt before? Having the side seam exposed near the front, he could see in under the fabric. He could see her long, toned legs, her tender, uncoverd thighs, the smooth skin between them, and her growing, um... growing? Oh... Oh, that’s not right... Her... I mean, his... um...

Oh no...

Aaron shyly risen, helping his friend to their feet, and cleared his throat. “Looks good...” Walking towards the window, as he retraced the thought. “Oh shit, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh shit...”

“You... Okay? I...” Doing up their skirt properly but not quite closing the gap. “Haven’t a clue why you just...”

“It’s fine...” Aaron dismissed, unable to meet his eyes with ‘Felicity’

“It’s not... What... Just happened there?” trying to meet with Aaron’s eyes.

“I just... Didn’t realize is all...” A pretty long silence fell between them. Aaron refused to look back towards them, sweating Niagara freaking falls hoping his tent would deflate. Aaron wondered what he was going to say. “You know... The... Chemistry, the an-a-na-natomy... You should... Try something else...”

Pausing to understand, Felicity scowled, “Right...” Smelling the bullshit off of Aaron, and walked to the front door, catching his attention.

“You going to pay for that before you walk out with it?” The clerk called out in a condescending tone.

Phasing out of their form, Felicity withdrew the fabric from their body as though it were water and threw it towards the cashier; returning to the adornment of the usual fins and frills in a fluid motion, then paced angrily out of the store. Aaron ran after, but stopped at the door and apologized for his friend’s behaviour before continuing the pursuit.

Running up to meet them, Aaron tried to explain further but was silenced when Felicity spoke painfully, unable to look at him. “Just when I thought there was someone among you that was a worthy decent soul, even you denied me... You’re no different from everyone else, after all...”

“I’m sorry...” Feeling his guts churn like foam and acetone “I just didn’t... Expect it, is all, I thought you were... A girl...”

Felicity’s eyebrow lifted, sassily, “What gave you that assumption?!” Looking down to the frills on their body, much like that of the clothes Felicity was given to try on. “Really? Really?! Cloth is cloth...” Rattling the natural cover of ‘his’ body. “When was the last time you saw a snake wearing a dress?” Flinging their index finger towards him. “And skins don’t count: There’s no arm holes!...” Pouting, Felicity turned his head away. “I guess you realize that you don’t love me, either, do you?... Was that all just a show coz you thought you could get with a chick?”

Unable to put his thoughts into words, Aaron struggled, “I... Don’t know if I...”

“I understand...” Returning from her --I mean ‘his’ effeminate physical form back into a snake, Felicity slithered down into the sewer grate beside the street corner.

“Felicity...” Aaron called down the drain to it.

“I don’t want to hear it...”

Sympathizing to the point of tears, Aaron cried out, “There is poop down there too...”

A long silence lasted between them, until a voice finally called back out. “Poop is my friend now...”