This is the continuing story of Sean and Angelia. It takes place about one month after the events of A New Path. This a collaboration between LCT and Dafnne.
Chappy List[]
- Prologue: LongClawTiger
- Chapter 1: LongClawTiger
- Chapter 2: ~Angel Wings~
- Chapter 3: LongClawTiger
- Chapter 4: ~Angel Wings~ and LongClawTiger
- Chapter 5: LongClawTiger
- Chapter 6: ~Angel Wings~ and LongClawTiger
- Chapter 7: LongClawTiger and ~Angel Wings~
- Chapter 8: LongClawTiger and ~Angel Wings~
- Epilogue: ~Angel Wings~
Prologue[]
The sun has set. The chariot returns home. Apollo returns to his home, a song on the tip of his tongue that he will weave into the next August day. He relaxes into his favorite chair and reaches for his favorite guitar. His hand wraps around...nothing. "AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!" echoes throughout Olympus.
The following morning, Artemis stalks up to her brother's room. "What is he thinking? He was suppossed to leave 10 minutes ago!" She kicks open the door to see Apollo muttering to himself on his chair. "Gone!...Where?...How can I create without it?...My Baby!!!" Artemis walks up to him angrily, "Oh, for the love of...snap out of it!" A thunderous slap rolls across his face. He still sits there, unmoved. "Gone..."
"Ooh!" Artemis exclaims loudly as she turns to leave. "Phoebe! You take his chariot out today!" Phoebe stops in her tracks, stunned by her Mistress' command. "What? Me? I don't know how!" Artemis whirls around, "Well someone needs to do it and I don't have time to find anyone else. Just go and do your best."
Chapter 1[]
"Yes, I see...Of course. I will arrange something right away...To the Oracle first and then leave right away? Yes, I understand." Chiron turns away from the small rainbow in the fountain as the image fades away. Mr. D looks up at him from the card table. "Can we get on with it now?" Chiron shakes his head, "Afraid not. It seems there is trouble on the mountain and a quest needs to be issued right away." Mr. D smiles at trouble on Olympus, "Oh, do fill me in..."
Chiron makes his way back to the card table, "It would appear that Apollo is a bit out of sorts right now. Something to do with a missing item." Mr. D scowls, "Oh, not the whole lightning bolt thing again..." Chiron sighs, "Maybe, maybe not. Lady Artemis didn't specify that the actual item needs to be found. Just that something be done to snap Apollo back to his senses, so he can get back to work. If the item can be found, great! If not, something else will need to be figured out."
Mr. D leans his elbow on the table, "Wonderful...so who do you intend to send?" Chiron rubs his chin thoughfully, "One of Apollo's own children, to understand what he may be going through. One of the healers perhaps, since this is an emotional issue." Mr. D smiles, "Excellent! Send that Angelica girl. Quest experience, needs to get out more, and those Sheen and Mick boys won't be coming around fighting on my porch while she's out." He leans back, "Now that we have that matter settled, grab your cards and let's play. I fully intend to win those ten drachmas back."
Chapter 2[]
Angelia's POV[]
I brush some strands of black hair out of my eyes as I let out a small yawn. Rubbing my eyes, I walk over to the window of the infirmary and ease it open. Instead of feeling the warm August air, I am met with an icy cold gust of wind. I peek outside the window, and see that the camp is covered in a heavy blanket of white snow. Mr. D must either be in a really good mood, or a really bad mood today. I quickly close the window to avoid letting the chilly air in, and return my attention to the patients that need tending to.
A few hours (or minutes) later, I find myself being shaken out of a light sleep. I questionably turn my gaze to the blonde girl standing next to me, silently asking why she woke me.
"Mr. D wants to see you," she answers in a quiet voice.
I'm surprised, if not unnerved by her answer, but I simply shrug off the feeling of dread that is settling on my shoulders. He probably just wants to complain about my boyfriend, Sean, and my twin brother Micheal fighting on his porch again....right? Little did I know that I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
My dread only increases when I see the look on Mr. D's face. For once, he looks serious (and a little annoyed, as usual.)
"It seems your father has been slacking off on his duties," he says drily, his intense gaze boring a hole through me. He interrupts before I can ask what he means. "It seems that he's entered a state of depression because he lost his guitar and refuses to drive the sun chariot until it's returned, blah blah blah. Long story short, he won't drive the sun chariot because he lost his guitar, so we're sending you on a quest to find it." Mr. D pushes me towards the stairs that lead to the attic before I can talk. "Now, go get your stupid prophecy, and then you can hurry up and get on your merry way and I can get back to my pinochle game."
My legs feel like lead as I slowly make my way towards the attic. I'm still processing the information as I push open the door and sneeze as a cloud of dust billows around me. The oracle is still sitting on its stool, its glassy eyes staring into seemingly nothing.
"Oracle, um, please tell me how I can find my dad's guitar...?" I ask nervously.
It opens its mouth and green smoke fills the air. I can just make out the vague image of a worn-down guitar. The oracle then begins to speak in its raspy, snake-like voice.
A melody stolen to sell for gold
The sun disrupted by enemy bold
A daughter treks west to the golden gate
To find a clue about its fate
Among a quiet world so fake
A clue reveals the path to take
One is lost in a show of light
Rivals team up to make it right
As hammer falls, a toxic dart
Brings light back to blue sun's heart.
The last thing I see before I fall into unconciousness is a pair of blue eyes staring worriedly at me.
Chapter 3[]
Sean's POV[]
I am just walking into the big house (out of a frickin August blizzard of all things) to visit Angelia, when I see her get pulled into Mr. D's office. Damn. I hope this isn't about the broken flowerpot from yesterday. I really do try to keep my cool around Micheal, because I know Angelia is the one who gets caught in the middle. Sometimes things can't help but boil over though. Now she has to deal with Mr. D. I really have to think of something special to apologize to her.
I see her walk out the office door looking pale as a ghost. Uh oh. Just how valuable was that pot anyways? I see her get marched up the stairs to the upper levels. I quickly follow after. There is no way I am letting her take even one bit of blame for something I did with her brother. 2nd floor...nope. 3rd floor...nope. Where is she? Then I see the stairway to the attic is open. Dear gods, what could they possibly need to take her up there for? I run up the stairs just in time to see her turn my way and collapse to the floor.
"Angel!" I shout as I run across the room to her. I scoop her up in my arms and hold her tight. Heartbeat? Yes. Breathing? Yes. Ok, good. She just passed out. I get her back down to the infirmary as quickly as I can and lay her on one of the empty beds. The other healers are all busy with more serious woounds form training accidents, so I look around for whatever I can do to help. Fresh air! That has to count for something. I throw open the window and am stunned by the hot, muggy blast of air that rolls into the room.
What the heck? There was several feet of snow out there just a few minutes ago. Now it's all melted away under a very intense sun. Hardly anything is wet either. Instead, all the water has turned to steam and now hangs heavily in the air. I close the window to keep the unpleasant heat out, but it has already made the room into a sauna. I find a basin of cool water that I use to wet a small cloth and then place it on Angelia's forehead.
She begins to stir and her eyes flutter open. "Hey there beautiful" I say as I reach out to stroke her cheek. "You had me worried." She just smiles and holds my hand with her own, she still looks a little pale though. "Look, I'm sorry if I got you into trouble. I'll go to Mr. D after this and fix it all up, I promise. Then I will find a way to make it up to you."
She just shakes her head, "You're not in trouble. I...I got assigned a quest."
I smile at her. "Great! Where are we going? When do we leave?"
"We?!?!" she asks with an alarmed look on her face.
"Well, yeah. You normally get to take some others with you, and don't you dare think for a second I am going to sit here and worry while you go off to face whatever it is alone. I don't care if the prophecy says you have to take people from other cabins. I am still following after you."
She seems to relax a bit as it sinks in that she doesn't have to do the quest alone. She pulls me into a hug. "Sean, you know you are at the top of my choice list."
I smile and hug her back. Wherver we are heading to, I know it is going to be a great trip. Nothing could possibly spoil this moment, except maybe...
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!?!?!" Micheal is standing in the doorway, his face completely red with anger. It's a good thing Apollo kids are not know to breathe fire or otherwise crisp things with the sun's energy. Otherwise, I think I would be a pile of ashes right now.
Gods! I want to punch him! I want to rub this in his face! Haha, jerk! I am out of here with Angelia. Sweet time together without you there to interfere. It is that last thought that allows me to keep myself in check. I just turn my back on him and look at Angelia. "I think I should go pack now and let you fill him in. Talk to you in a little bit."
I start to walk out of the room. Micheal gets a smile on his face as I go. "Pack? You being shipped out somewhere pretty boy? Awesome! Make sure you send me and my sister a postcard from wherever you go! Take your time coming back...if ever."
I head back to my cabin to gather my things. My sisters seem surprised I am going on a quest again so soon. Most people in our cabin never go on quests at all, much less multiple quests. Of course, once they find out who I am going with, they can't seem to get me packed and out the door fast enough.
I practically skip back to the big house, I feel so great about this day. Then I turn the corner and see Micheal standing with a packed bag next to Angelia and her pack. Damn! My skip turns back into a steady walk. He doesn't look happy about seeing me either. It makes sense though, since we are two of the most important people to Angelia. So much for a dream trip, but I will try to still give her my best effort. She is worth that and more.
Chiron is there as well. He passes out bus tickets bound for San Francisco to each of us, since it seems pretty clear that is where the first part of the prophecy is pointing us. He aslo gives us a warning. "Stay always alert. You are going to be walking right into one of the most dangerous places imaginable for us. Get in and get back out as quickly as you can. May the gods watch over you all."
Argus loads us in a van and drives us to the bus station. The three of us just sit in silence on the way there and it continues as we board the bus and find a row of open seats. I sit in a window seat with Angelia beside me. Micheal is across the aisle with two seats to himself. We all seem pretty tense, especially Angelia, so I decide to break the silence for her sake.
"So, uh, what was the prophecy we got for all of this? Maybe we can try to figure out the clues while we have some travel time."
Micheal sort of looks me over trying to figure out what my game is. But he can't help looking at Angelia too and seeing how much of a strain this quest is already putting on her. He sighs, "Fine. That's as good a plan as any right now."
Angelia is visibly relieved to see us at least try to be civil. She gives Micheal a warm smile as she squeezes my hand. She opens a pouch on her pack and pulls out a paper with a copy of the prophecy on it. We all lean in to look it over.
"Well, we are already through the first few lines with this bus trip, but what about the world so fake?" Micheal says. He leans back in his seat with his hand stroking his chin as he thinks. "A movie studio, maybe? There are quite a few in California."
"Hmmm...,maybe." I say as I consider his guess. "I don't know of too many studios in the bay area though. I think most of them are further south. It is probably more closely tied with that city's own unique style."
Michael leans forward again, "Right..." He seems reluctant to concede a point to me, but does give in after a few moment. "Well, there are a lot of software companies in that area. A world so fake could be something in Virtual Reality or a video game."
Angelia nods, "That might explain the show of light as well"
"Ok then, sounds like we have our starting point." I smile at Micheal, and for perhaps the first time, it doesn't feel forced.
Of course, the good feelings don't remain for long. The prime example being when the bus makes a stop for the night at a small motel. The price of the room iss included in our tickets, so we already have a reservation and the room is prepaid. When we open the door though, we find it is a room with two queen beds and not much else besides a TV.
Micheal and I both agree that Angelia gets one of the beds, but an argument erupts over where the two of us will sleep. We both feel we should have it and the other person will have to sleep on the floor. I jokingly offer up letting Micheal have the bed, if he concedes me sharing the other bed with Angelia. Angelia turns a deep red at that suggestion and you can imagine how well that goes over with Mike. Ultimately though, I concede the other bed to Micheal in return for being allowed to set up my floor bed right next to Angelia.
It seems like Micheal is not happy with even that minor victory though. He makes sure that the blanket and pillow I receive are the lowest quality in the room. He also makes a point of stomping heavily on the floor as he passes by my spot on the way to use the restroom in the middle of the night. It not only wakes me up, but then I can't get back to sleep again because I am so mad at him. I just lay there with my eyes closed, praying I will get tired enough to get at least one or two hours in. I can't count on sleeping on the bus either, since I am sure he will find some way to make my life hell there as well.
I can't really seem to calm down as all until I hear Angelia moving around her sheets as she gets up in the middle of the night. I am always amazed at how quietly she can move. I hear the sheets move and then a few moments later the door to the bathroom closes. I never hear her feet touch the ground or any steps at all. I hear the door open again and I just wait for the sound of the sheets again to let me know she is so close by. The sign I get though completely catches me off guard.
I just lay there with my eyes closed. Nothing. I didn't here the room door open, so where did she go. My answer comes as I feel her fingertips gently slide down the side of my face. I barely have a second to register the scent of the shampoo she uses before I feel her lips press to mine in a soft kiss. My eyes fly open and she sits up startled to a kneeling position next to me. I guess she figured I was completely asleep.
I smile at her and just whisper, "Hey there Angel..." She quickly puts a finger to her lips in a shushing motion and glances nervously up at the pile of sheets Micheal buried himself in. I nod and just mouth the word 'Okay'. She smiles and leans down for another kiss. As our lips meet again, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her down on top of me. She keeps the kiss going a long time, partly to enjoy the moment and partly to keep from laughing out loud.
Eventually she sits up and gives me a playful smack on the chest for pulling her down before. She can barely contain her smile though. She starts to move again and I can tell she is getting up to go back to her own bed, but I have no intention of letting her get away while I still have my arms around her. I pull her back down and shake my head, mouthing the word 'stay'. She blushes and bites her lip cutely while she thinks before she smiles and nods.
I pull the blanket around us like a warm cocoon as she snuggles up next to me and lays her head down on my shoulder. I always used to think my bed in cabin 10 was the best place in the world to sleep. Now I know just how wrong that thought was. I drift off immediately into the most relaxing sleep I have ever known.
Chapter 4[]
It was a peaceful morning in the small town of Tedford, Iowa. The sun was shining through the curtains of a small window in a tiny motel. Nothing could be heard except the chirping of the birds. Then a sudden shout of rage broke through the calm......
Sean's POV[]
"WHAT THE **** DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!?"
Before I have a chance to fully wake up, I feel myself being lifted into the air. I could almost swear I am still dreaming until I hit the wall and everything snaps back into focus. The breath leaves my body as I crumple to the floor.
I gasp for air and stand up, just as Micheal charges and slams me back into the wall. I twist my hips before he can land a low blow with his knee and sweep his other foot out from under him. He falls backwards onto the bed and somesaults to his feet on the other side.
"How many times do I have to tell you, keep your ****ing perverted hands off my sister!" He yells at me.
"Get a grip, Mike! She's my girlfriend! There is nothing wrong with us wanting to be close!" I yell back. From the heat I feel in my face, I must be as red as he is.
"I don't care if you put a ring on her finger! I am never going to let you or any of your black hearted family have a chance to break her heart! I know that's how you all work! Get in close, then go for the kill!" Micheal has veins popping out of his neck. If he doesn't kill me, he might just pop something himself.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Angelia run out of the room with tears in her eyes.
"Crap! Angel! Come back!" I yell and start to move towards the door.
"Oh, no you don't!" Micheal yells back and charges to block my path.
I don't know how many minutes we trade blows, but we are both bruised and bloody and forget about getting any kind of deposit back on the room. Probably going top have to pay extra for this. It only ends when I manage to stumble out the door while Micheal is unable to stay on his feet without the aid of a dresser or chair to hold on to.
I lean against the railing of the walkway outside the room. It has a nice view of a farm in the background and I can see Angelia walking along slowly with her hear down and her arms hugging herself. I want to go to her, but I can barely stand myself. The I see something. It is big. It is black. It is headed straight for her. Dear gods...
She doesn't have any weapons. I have to get to her. The form breaks out of the rows of plants and I see it is a hellhound. There is no way I can get to her in time. A second dark blur comes running in from the side, but instead of going for Angel, it is making an intercept course for the hellhound.
There is a flurry of shadowy movements as the intercepter swings golden blades at the hound. It snaps and bites back, occasionally setting nearby plants on fire. Finally one of the blades scores more than just a glancing blow and the creatures disolves into a fine dust that is scattered to the winds.
I see him walking towards Angelia, saying something and smiling. Then he reaches up and caresses her cheek. "Hey!" I call out as I approach. He looks up at me, but doesn't take his hand away from her. "Hey! Would you please take your hand away from my girlfriend?!?"
He just flashes a charming smile at me. "I will if she asks me to, but she hasn't said anything."
This guy is just rubbing me the worng way. "I am telling you for her, keep your hands to yourself!"
Angelia finally speaks up. "Really, Sean, it's ok. He is a nice guy, nothing more. He is just checking to make sure I am ok."
"He can check if you are ok without personal touching!" How can she be even the slightest bit ok with this?
The stranger puts his hand up in an innocent gesture. "Oh, excuse me for checking her out. Obviously she was perfectly safe with you there to protect her. Not one reason at all to be crying her pretty eyes out."
I grab the front of his shirt. "Why you son of a..."
Angelia grabs my hands, "Sean, don't. Vincent, why don't you sit with us on the bus. I am sure he will be fine once he gets to know you."
Is she fricking crazy? I can't take it anymore. I just turn and storm back up to the room. I hear her call out from behind me, "Sean..."
Angelia's POV[]
Vince starts to put his arm around my shoulders, but it makes me uncomfortable, so I shrug him off.
"Hey!" He says. "You know you deserve a lot better than him. You deserve someone that won't make you cry."
I frown a little. "That's sweet of you to say, but Sean really is a great guy. I think maybe you need to get to know him better just as much as he needs to get to know you. You can still sit with us on the bus, if you want."
He smiles back at me. "Of course I will! I am not going to walk away from a chance to get to know you better."
I turn back towards the room, rolling my eyes. He seems nice enough, but he is a bit pushy. I hope it wasn't a mistake to invite him to join us. Oh well, it is just a bus ride. Not like we are in any danger from him with three of us there.
I pack my things and get Micheal and Sean healed up as best I can. They look almost like there was no fight at all by the time we take our bags down to the bus. Micheal jabs verbally at Sean as we find our seats, talking about what a great guy this Vince sounds like. Sean slips into one of the window seats without saying a word to either of us, obviously still mad about this morning's events.
I slip into the seat next to him. He is looking away from me out the window. I try to take his hand, but he pulls away. Tears start to well up in my eyes. "Sean, please don't be mad...There is nothing between Vince and me."
"There should be though..." Micheal tosses out from across the aisle.
I shoot him an angry look before leaning over and reasting my head on Sean's shoulder. He sighs and then puts his arm around me. He kisses me on the forehead. "You know I can't stay mad at you..." I put my arms around him, finally feeling like everything is ok again. I barely acknowledge Micheal and Vince chattering nearby as I look out the window and think about where this trip is going to lead us next.
Chapter 5[]
Sean's POV[]
The bus ride to San Francisco was perhaps the longest drive I have ever experienced...at least it sure seemed to drag on and on. First off, the weather got even more eratic than before. I would say we drove through a different weather pattern about every 5 to 10 minutes. Blazing heat, pull off layers of clothes. A few minutes later you are freezing cold and trying to wear every piece of clothing you have with you.
That dog, Vince, backed by his new ally Micheal, wouldn't leave Angel alone either. Oh, he would start conversations off innocently enough, but there was always some hook to try to draw my Angel into some kind of awkward romantic blunder. And if she tried to stay silent or push Vince away, Micheal was there to scold her for being rude. If Angel wasn't sitting between me and the others, we probably would have had another epic fight on our hands.
She knew just the things to whisper to keep me cool though, so I survived the trip without throwing any punches or saying anything that would be considered more than 85% rude back to them. I didn't sleep much though with all that was going on. That might have been a good thing though, since it let me see all those billboards advertising the VR convention going on at the time we arrived. "A world so fake?" Sounds like a match to me.
The bus terminal is only a couple blocks from the convention center. Normally it would be an easy stroll, but the crazy weather changes keep making us adjust our path after every few buildings we pass. Eventually we make it though and are greeted by the welcome news that it is a day open to the public. We walk inside and just bask in the steady climate controlled lobby before we finally head inside to the main showroom.
The lights and sounds are kinda like walking into a video arcade, except multiplied by 100. There are huge crowds around just about every presentation area as everyone from 6 year olds to adults ooh and ahh over the latest software creations and wait their turns to try them out. Nothing that really stands out as being Apollo related though.
Vince seems convinced that there is a rock band simulator somewhere around here and that would be the most likely place to find the missing instrument. Micheal agrees with him completely. Angelia and I have no choice but to tag along, since we don't have any better ideas to offer. Personally, I think Vince just has some plan to try to show off in front of my girl again.
We eventually find the booth and Vince flashes some passes he says he got out of game magazine he reads. I don't know what they say, but the demo people let us go to the front of the line and in next ot no time we are standing over these odd rainbow disks on a stage. A beam of light comes from above and below each one of us and overlays us with rocker outfits and holographic instruments. The cool thing? The intruments really do react to being played. Like Guitar Hero, the next generation or something. I have to admit, it is really fun. Still no clues about Apollo though, so we have to move on.
We sweep the whole place and nothing. Not one single frickin clue. Looks like this is a dead end. With no other leads that jump out at us, we decide that maybe taking in some sights might be a good idea. Ok, so we are wrong about the sight seeing, because the random weather makes it miserable again. Oh, we do see the bridge and fisherman's wharf a bit, but it is hardly enjoyable. And as it turns out, the weather does cause us to stumble into a new lead.
We are just ducking into a recessed doorway to escape the freezing wind when Micheal suddenly exclaims, "Hey! Check this out! New rock and roll exibit opens today! Let's go check it out."
Angelia sees the sign above the door proclaiming it to be a wax museum and goes completely pale. "Do we have to? I hate these places. They give me the creeps..."
"Not to worry," Vince says confidently. "I will be here to hold your hand..."
"Nooo..." I take Angelia's hand out of his. "Your search buddy is over there." I point towards Micheal and he gives me an evil look. He still turns to go though since it is pretty clear who Angelia will choose if she gets to pick.
We buy some inexpensive tickets and walk in. Angelia is right, this place is creepy as hell. Luckily we can skip all the Paris Hilton and Sylvester Stalone replicas and go straight through to the well lit rock and roll display. We see quite a few instruments arranged around the room, so we split up and each take a corner. Vince finishes his corner pretty quick, too quick, before declaring nothing there. I decide to double check it myself.
It doesn't take long before I find a red and gold guitar with a shining sun design on it. "Hey check this out. You think this might be what we are looking for?"
Angelia hurries over. "That's it! I know it is. I has dad written all over it! Grab it and let's go!"
Micheal lifts it off the dummy holding it. "Crap! This isn't it. Just a wax copy..."
Vince sighs, "Well, that's it then. Dead end. No way we are going to trace this thing. Might as well pack up and go home."
Angelia snaps at him, "We can't give up now! Everyone is in trouble if we don't fix this and get the weather straightened out!"
"Fine! What do you propose we do? Give Apollo a wax replica that will melt as soon as he takes it in his chariot?" Vince fires back.
"No," I answer, "but these wax replicas are just that, replicas. Whoever made that thing has seen the real guitar. And this place probably has records that show who they paid to make it."
We look around a little bit more and eventually find a door labeled 'employees only'. Micheal shoulders open the door and we quickly find the small business office for the museum. We probably don't have a lot of time, so we each take a binder of random papers and start to look for clues. Micheal suddenly tears a page out of the one of the books. "Got it! Westwood Wax Works. Las Vegas, Nevada."
"Excellent!" Vince exclaims and is already heading out the door.
Angelia seems lost in thought until Micheal nudges her. "Hey, you ok?"
She nods, "Just....the city of lights. One of us is going to disappear there. That is what the prophecy means."
He gives her a reassuring hug, "We don't know that for certain, ok?"
"Yeah," I add, "it could mean something else all together. You know how a prophecy works. We will just have to be extra careful when we get there."
Angelia nods and we begin our fight with the elements again to go find a bus to Sin City.
Chapter 6[]
Sean's POV[]
The ride from San Francisco to Las Vegas was perhaps the most heart-pounding part of the whole trip. I think if I had a heart condition, this would have pushed me over the edge. Come to think of it, I am pretty sure one older guy of front was having chest pains, but he managed to stick around to the end of the ride.
The reason for most of the exceitement was from the ongoing weather issues. Whatever was going on with the son, it was gettign worse. During one stretch, we got a heavy downpour of rain whcih resulted in the bus sliding around a lot of tight corners. Both because the driver couldn't see and also because there was little traction to hold the bus on the pavement.
Next the sun came out. But rather than the gradual warming and burning off of the humidity in the air, the air turned thick and muggy. Within about 2 minutes, I don't think there was a dry piece of clothing to be found or any exposed surface without beads of moisture on it.
Next up, cold. Extreme cold. The temperature dropped so fast that all the moisture turned to frost. The seats, our bags, and even the fabric of our clothes. Ever had someone shove ice or a cold pack into your underwear? Yeah, you can imagine what that felt like. It didn't go away either since it was too cold for body heat to really keep up. I really feel sorry for Angel and all the other ladies on board with 2 pieces of underclothing to deal with, instead of one.
Oh, and remember what I said about the visibility and trackion in the rain a few moments ago? Well, imagine that times 100 and you have about what the road conditions were like with this ice everywhere. Forget seeing a foot or so beyong the window. The windows were all frosted over with a thick glaze of ice. Try to stop? Nope. No surface friction to do so. Try to turn....let's just say we got to experience the spinning tea cup effect without ever having to set foot in Disneyland.
How the bus ever made it to Las Vegas without so much as a scratch on the bumper, I will never know. If there was a God or Goddess watching over us, you have my thanks. If it was just a roll of Tyche's dice, well I will take that too. We may be feeling a little green, but we got here in one piece.
Micheal keeps us focused on the business at hand though. "So where is this Westwood place that has the guitar?"
Vince decides to refocus on Angel and steps up to take her hand. "We are right off the strip. Any noteworthy business here is going to have connections to at least one of the major hotels. Let's go a for a stroll and check out the sights while we investigate."
Angel pulls her hand away. Way to go, girl! She then walks over to a public phone and flips through the listings for businesses. "I found it! It's not far from here. Just a couple blocks away."
We set off as a group down the street. A thick fog sets in and it starts to rain again. I gotta say though, this weather is actually quite pretty with Las Vegas nightlife illuminating it. It makes the fog and raindrops sparkle like christmas lights.
After about 15 minutes of walking we arrive at the storefront. It is closed for the night and it is locked up tight, like a fortress. Thick stone walls. Heavy bars across the windows and doors. Nobody is getting in or out of there, if the owner doesn't want it. It has a funny feel to it as well. I can't place what it means, but I know there is more to this place than meets the eye. Is it because an artifact of the gods is here? I don't know. I do know we can't find out until morning though.
The fog begins to lift and a light warm breeze kicks up. It is the first bit of normal weather we have felt in a while. It is so relaxing, we all start to feel like we should check into one of the nearby casino hotels for the night. We walk over to the nearest one and are met by a blast of light and sound from across the street.
We all turn to look and there is a full sclae party going on. I recognize it from a trip I was on when younger. Fremont Street. Ok, if you have never been there before, picture an outdoor marketplace with plenty of live bands and street performers. Oh, and overhead is this HUGE video screen. Huge as in several blocks long with all kinds of images zipping along it that match the theme of the party going on. Oh, and did I mention the deep fried twinkies?
I mentioned them to the rest of the group and was met with uncomprehending stares. "What? They are sooo good!"
Angel decides to ask, "How do you deep fry a twinky? Wouldn't the cake get all muchy and gross in the oil?"
I give her a smile and take her hand. "Come on, I will take you to get one and you will see. You just have to share one with me."
Micheal for once doesn't say anythign about me grabbing Angel's hand because he seems to interested in knowing how this whole frying thing works. Vince doesn't seem quite as excited. In fact he looks a little green. Maybe he has tried them before and overindulged a bit on them. Yeah, they are so sweet, you can get sick by having one too many. In fact Vince announces that he is off to find a restroom and says he will find us later. He then runs off into the crowd.
The rest of us find a snack stand selling the golden brown holy grail of snack foods at the back of a small casino/arcade right at the edge of the party area. I order one twinkie for me and Angel to split. Micheal can buy his own, if he wants one. The worker starts to prepare the treat.
Ok, so if you have never had one of these amazing creations before, here is how it goes. The guy unwraps a normal everyday twinkie and spears it lengthwise with wooden stick, making the twinkie now resemble a popsicle or a corndog. He then rolls the twinkie in pancake batter and tosses it into a deep frier. Once the outside is a crispy golden brown, he pulls it out and sets it in a little dish, drizzles it with chocolate syrup, and then gives it a liberal dusting of powdered sugar. Yes, eating one of these by yourself WILL keep you awake all night and through most of the next day all by itself, due to the massive sugar rush you will get.
I hold it out for angel to try a bite. She looks a bit uncertain at first, but decides to trust me and have a bite. Her eyes light up as she bites into it.
"Oh my gods! That is so good!" She says with chocalate syrup and powdered sugar stuck on the end of her nose.
"I know, right?" I say and take a bite myself. The warm twinkie filling mixes with the cake and choclate and just slides down my throat. I trade bites with Angel until there is basically nothing left, except the stick.
"Hey! What about me?" Micheal says from beside us. I feel kinda bad for pigging out in front of him, so I hand him a few dollars to go get his own.
Angel asks me for a napkin to wipe off her face and I can't help but want to make the most of the moment. I get a napkin and wipe off the tip of her nose for her, but lean in to kiss the rest of it off of her lips. She gigles and kisses me back. Micheal is halfway to the snack stand before he turns around and sees us kissing. He appears torn between getting his treat and running back to break us up. I guess he is starting to trust me more than he lets on, because he ultimately chooses the treat and then breaks us up when he gets back.
Angel tells us she has to use the restroom. I tell her we should stick together in a place like this. No telling what can happen when in an anonymous crowd. I feel kind of embarrassed and stupid when she reminds me of the word 'restroom'. She heads off by herself with assurances that she will only be gone a minute.
Micheal and I sit there in silence for 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes...At 15 minutes, I am getting really worried. I stand up, ready to go break down the door that restroom, if it means making sure she is ok. Mike must have had the same idea because he is right there beside me, ready to charge in. I guess no words are really needed between us when it comes to Angel's safety.
He are just about to follow in the direction she left in, when I hear a short scream that sounds remarkably like Angel's voice. Mike and I both turn and see Angel at the far oend of a the crowd kicking and struggling against Vince. He claps one hand over her mouth and wrestles her away with the other.
We push and shove our way through the crowd. Vince sees us coming and starts pulling Angel harder towards a waiting black SUV. She manages to get one hand hooked on his pocket and the cloth tears away, spilling some of Vince's possessions on the ground. Right as Micheal and I clear the crowd and go sprinting towards them, Vince shoves her into a pair of waiting arms in the SUV and then climbs in after her. The SUV speeds off into the night.
"Damn!" Mike and I both shout into the night. We notice Vince's items on the ground and scoop them up before the local bums pounce on them for some easy money. A few public transit tokens. A few obviously fake IDs. A key. We take a closer look and see the key is engraved with "Sylverich Auction House". I give Mike a questioning glance. He replies, "Best lead we have. Let's go."
Angelia's POV[]
I'm walking out of the bathroom when someone suddenly grabs me from behind. I try to struggle, but I know it's useless. I open my mouth to scream, but whoever it is clamps his hand over my mouth. Anger and hurt courses through me as I realize who that my kidnapper is Vince. I see Sean and Micheal coming towards us, and I try to cry out, but to no avail. Noticing the waiting black SUV not far away, I deseperately grab Vince's pocket and pull, watching as the cloth rips and some of his possessions fall on the ground. Micheal and Sean start sprinting towards us and I reach out to grab Sean's outstretched hand, but Vince shoves me into a pair of waiting arms in the SUV before they can reach us. He slams and locks the door, and nods at the driver. The car speeds off into the night, getting farther away from Sean and Micheal with every passing second. I glare at Vince as he ties me up, angry, yet at the same time hurt by his betrayal. Sighing, I lean my head against the tinted black window, hoping that Micheal and Sean somehow find a clue leading to my whereabouts.