Perspectives, Byte III:
The Summer of Promises:
Made, Kept, and Broken
The Summer of Promises:
Made, Kept, and Broken
The Story So Far…
(As approved by the Goddesses of Copyright Infringement,
Needless Exposition, and Pointless Space Filler.)
In the beginning the Universe was created…
But enough about that.
Skip ahead a few trillion years…
Somewhere in the literal backwoods of space, on a small blue-green planet,
the second most intelligent species on the planet invented something called malls.
These ‘Malls’ were apparently some sort of temple or shrine,
because millions of the second most intelligent species would make all sorts
of offers or tributes at these places.
There were those who were assigned by society to maintain the
upkeep of these malls and to collect the tributes.
They were known as ‘Mall Employees.’
Now, onto a completely unrelated topic…
On the completely different blue-green planet called ‘Earth,’
there were three people whom also were called ‘Mall Employees,’
for reasons not readily available.
Then in a period of one week,
their lives went to complete and utter Hell…and back.
That is not uncommon.
It happens all the time.
However, this is exposition.
So you probably want a refresher before you read any
new details on these individuals, right?
To review,
John Hoelscher finally overcame and reconciled with his conflicting personalities.
He has currently taken a deep affection for a goddess named Linoleum,
whom had been cast down from her divine position.
As for Lina, she is on her own mission to find three rogue goddesses and a missing demon,
because it was her failure to do so which had caused
her previously mentioned casting out.
Jason Bertovich and Nicole Porter have continued to deepen their relationship.
This is not unusual because: A.) Jason really likes Nicole, and
B.) Jason’s doesn’t remember the effects that the ‘other author’
had on his current status in the universe.
So he decided to focus on more important things.
It was because of this intervention by this ‘other author’ that
has had many interesting consequences.
Especially on our final participants
Fenira, Sonyarina, Jordiko and Ty,
whom we will rejoin very shortly.
And thus you are brought up to speed.
Sort of…
Oh the hell with it…
READ THE ORIGINAL 8 CHAPTERS WILL YOU!
Thus, our story continues…
(Time permitting of course.)
(As approved by the Goddesses of Copyright Infringement,
Needless Exposition, and Pointless Space Filler.)
In the beginning the Universe was created…
But enough about that.
Skip ahead a few trillion years…
Somewhere in the literal backwoods of space, on a small blue-green planet,
the second most intelligent species on the planet invented something called malls.
These ‘Malls’ were apparently some sort of temple or shrine,
because millions of the second most intelligent species would make all sorts
of offers or tributes at these places.
There were those who were assigned by society to maintain the
upkeep of these malls and to collect the tributes.
They were known as ‘Mall Employees.’
Now, onto a completely unrelated topic…
On the completely different blue-green planet called ‘Earth,’
there were three people whom also were called ‘Mall Employees,’
for reasons not readily available.
Then in a period of one week,
their lives went to complete and utter Hell…and back.
That is not uncommon.
It happens all the time.
However, this is exposition.
So you probably want a refresher before you read any
new details on these individuals, right?
To review,
John Hoelscher finally overcame and reconciled with his conflicting personalities.
He has currently taken a deep affection for a goddess named Linoleum,
whom had been cast down from her divine position.
As for Lina, she is on her own mission to find three rogue goddesses and a missing demon,
because it was her failure to do so which had caused
her previously mentioned casting out.
Jason Bertovich and Nicole Porter have continued to deepen their relationship.
This is not unusual because: A.) Jason really likes Nicole, and
B.) Jason’s doesn’t remember the effects that the ‘other author’
had on his current status in the universe.
So he decided to focus on more important things.
It was because of this intervention by this ‘other author’ that
has had many interesting consequences.
Especially on our final participants
Fenira, Sonyarina, Jordiko and Ty,
whom we will rejoin very shortly.
And thus you are brought up to speed.
Sort of…
Oh the hell with it…
READ THE ORIGINAL 8 CHAPTERS WILL YOU!
Thus, our story continues…
(Time permitting of course.)
Perspectives IX:
Three Girls, A Guy, and a Coffee House
(Or Three Goddesses, A Demon, and their Secret)
by Jason Bertovich
©2002 by Jason Bertovich and Matthew Atanian
Boy Scouts ½ created by Matthew Atanian
Perspectives created by Jason Bertovich
Three Girls, A Guy, and a Coffee House
(Or Three Goddesses, A Demon, and their Secret)
by Jason Bertovich
©2002 by Jason Bertovich and Matthew Atanian
Boy Scouts ½ created by Matthew Atanian
Perspectives created by Jason Bertovich
Those who had never graced the streets of a small city in Southwestern Pennsylvania called Uniontown would often be forced to comment on one thing. That Uniontown was remarkably unremarkable.
It was so unremarkable, in fact, that it would take something short of the entire city suddenly being swallowed by the ground below for anyone to even notice it, and it would only be noticed because it wasn’t there anymore. Unremarkable as it was, things that take up space tend to be missed when they no longer take up space.
It was the unremarkable nature of Uniontown, Pennsylvania that made it good for one thing. It was a good place for rather remarkable people to hide from rather remarkable situations. There certainly were no more remarkable people than the four individuals we find ourselves focusing on in this story.
Where were these four most remarkable people? Well, logic would dictate that since the topic of discussion was a small town called Uniontown, Pennsylvania, then Uniontown, Pennsylvania would be where we would find these most remarkable people. “Ah, but where in Uniontown, Pennsylvania?” you might ask. Well, if you readers had a modicum of patience, then you might see that was what I was leading up to.
Situated across the street from the courthouse, located in the old and rapidly decaying downtown area, one would see, well, not a lot really. Most of buildings were either old or abandoned or both. However, across the street from the courthouse, one might make out a small wooden sign hanging on a short iron swing arm. On that sign was, painted in beautiful calligraphy, the words “The Three Sisters’ Coffee Bar.”
Below the sign was not a door, but rather an old set of stone steps that led into the building’s basement. If one were to descend the steps, they would find themselves facing a very old door at the bottom with a badly tarnished brass handle and glass that was so old and filthy that it would take about an hour’s scrubbing with a Brillo pad to uncover the words “wash me” which had been written circa 1965.
However, once a person would make their way past the door, they would be pleasantly surprised. Past the door was not a musty and abandoned basement, but rather a cozy and rather attractive-looking coffee bar. The walls were not musty cement, but attractive wood paneling and wallpaper. Wrought iron tables with marble tops were littered throughout the room along with a few small couches, laden with decorative throw pillows. The occasional chessboard or deck of playing cards could be seen on these tables and bookshelves, filled with thick paperbacks and leather-bound tomes, could be seen along the wall. Toward the back of the large basement was a small wooden stage with a couple mic-stands set up arbitrarily. However, the true centerpiece of this place was the bar itself, which was made of solid oak and upon which sat brass cappuccino machines and jars of biscotti.
The ones responsible for transforming what was once a musty basement into this rare slice of New York located in the heart of the rural wasteland, were the before mentioned ‘Three Sisters.’ Though no one was quite sure why these women called themselves that, since it did not appear, at first glance, that they were related.
These three sisters were not only responsible for decorating this place, but they were also responsible for operating it, which was what they were currently doing in earnest amongst the usual crowd of teenagers and ‘twenty-somethings’ who happened to frequent this particular coffee bar.
The first sister could be seen carrying a large tray of empty cups, glasses, and mugs back toward the kitchen area. She unceremoniously dumped the glasses in large sink of foamy water. Brushing her straight black hair out of her green eyes, rolling up the sleeves of her white turtleneck and pulling out the pair of rubber gloves she kept in the back pocket of her tight blue jeans, she went about washing the cups she had previously dumped in. Her name was Jordan Kovington, though most of the patrons knew her simply as Jordi.
The second sister was busy herself, as she brought fresh drinks to several tables. She popped her pink bubblegum, which matched her pink sunglasses, which in turn complimented her strawberry blonde hair that was tied in twin ponytails. The pink sunglasses were the most conservative article of clothing she wore as it appeared to the casual observer that her dresser had attacked her. On one leg was a rainbow stocking, while the other was clad in a red stocking with a black spider web design. These led up to the denim miniskirt she was wearing that did compliment the button spangled denim vest she wore. However, neither complimented the white peasant blouse she was also wearing. If there was anything to be said about Sonya Rinaldi, it was that she was definitely her own person.
Which brings us to our third sister, who appeared to be a middle ground of sorts between the conservative Jordi and the eccentric Sonya. An Asian goddess whose black hair was streaked with crimson highlights and who opted for white stockings and black leather miniskirts, she was called Lynn Fenton, and she was currently dropping off a fresh batch of orders off at the bar.
Taking those orders was a rather lanky and peculiar man. He was dressed from head to toe in black. Black slacks combined with a black turtleneck, complimented by black satin gloves and small black spectacles. He expressionlessly took the slips of paper from Lynn and went about filling the orders.
This went on for much of the evening, as was normal. This had happened every evening prior since the coffee bar opened. Drinks would be ordered, orders would be fulfilled, drinks would be drunk, and finally, glasses would be collected so they could be washed so the cycle the would continue. And while this was happening, loud music would play, from either the stage or the stereo, games would be played and even the occasional pot would be smoked. However, whenever the last happened, the parties doing the said smoking would usually be asked to leave by one of the before mentioned three sisters. Finally, the last customer would leave and the bar would be empty, save the three sisters and their silent bartender.
And thus, the cleanup would begin, all in order to do it all over again the next day. As Lynn, who was formerly known as Fenny Lin, who was formally known as Fenira, placed the chairs upside-down on the tables after they had been cleaned off, she took the opportunity, as she did almost every night at this time, to reflect on how her and her two sisters came to be here.
It had been some eight months prior that her two sisters had visited her for the second time in a week, a record mind you, at her small apartment in Holyoke, Massachusetts…
Some Eight Months Prior…
Thursday…
Fenny Lin sat in her apartment reading a book. It was one of those rare days off. She looked over her meager belongings scattered over her place. As a Goddess, she could wish for anything she could ever want and live anywhere she ever wanted. However, Fenny felt more content now than she had felt in centuries.
What she had here in this single space apartment, as meager and as little as it was, it was hers. She bought it with her money that she earned from her department store job. She purchased these things and crammed them in her little living space.
She was covered by an odd sense. She actually, almost, maybe, felt Mortal. It was odd. Fenny wasn’t sure, but she thought she liked it. She could see how mortals got some sort of satisfaction out of this meager existence.
Today, for example, was her day off. If she was still hanging at the central office, she would lounge around, like she did every day, and this day would add to naught. But this day was to be savored and enjoyed. She looked back at her book, which was poetry by Keats and Blake. Fenny smiled and returned to reading her book. “And they seemed like such normal lads when I met then oh so long ago… shame about that poor Keats boy…” Fenny mused to herself and delved herself back into the literature.
A moment later, the tranquility was broken by a phone ringing. Fenny sighed and rolled her eyes. She wiggled her fingers, at which point the phone then floated from its place on her coffee table and into her hand. She may have felt mortal, but there were still advantages to being a goddess…
“Hello, The Bouncy One speaking,” Fenny said into the receiver.
“Um…er….Hi, Fenny,” the voice replied.
“Jason honey! How ya been? The big date’s tomorrow night, right? Got anything special planned?”
“Well….actually…er…no. I haven’t given it much thought,” Jason answered.
“Well, I heard good things about this new Sushi Bar in Northampton. Supposedly very authentic and they even have the karaoke and everything,” Fenny chattered as she looked back down at her book.
“Sushi bar? Actually, that might be perfect! She’s part Japanese!” Jason exclaimed excitedly.
“Oh really?” Fenny asked. Of course, this was not really a coincidence. She knew all along about Jason’s new love, but she played dumb.
“This could be cool. Though…um…I’ve never had sushi before…” Jason responded.
“It’s pretty good. Personally, I’m more of a ramen person myself, though. It sounds like you two will have a good time. Glad I could be of some help Romeo.”
“Fenny wait! Don’t hang up yet. There was a reason why I called!” Jason interrupted, thinking that Fenny was about to hang up.
“Oh? This wasn’t about my famous romance advice?” Fenny asked.
“Fenny,” Jason began, much more serious, “have you heard from John these last few days?” Jason asked this with a concerned tone.
“Um…no. I haven’t, actually,” Fenny answered.
“You haven’t seen him even at work?” Jason asked.
“No…I can’t recall seeing him there, but then again, we work in different departments.”
“Damn,” Jason moaned silently.
“What’s wrong?” Fenny asked.
“Well, he said that he wanted to talk to me a couple of days ago, but now I can’t find him. I stopped by his apartment, and it looks like no one’s been home for a few days. The newspapers have accumulated. I’m very worried and no one seems to know where he is,” Jason explained.
“That is weird. Tell you what: I’ll keep an ear to the ground. If he comes my way, I’ll let him know to let you know that he’s fine.”
“I guess that’s all I can do right now. I’d hate to think that he was in trouble of any kind,” Jason agreed.
“Keep in touch and let me know if anything comes up.”
“Will do. Wish me luck for tomorrow,” Jason requested.
“Knock her socks off. Later,” Fenny obliged and then pushed the off button. Fenny put the phone down and looked down at her book. She placed a bookmark in her place, something about a Grecian Urn, and closed it. She placed the book at the foot of the chair she was relaxing in.
Fenny placed her hands to her temples and concentrated. Putting her hands to her temples was purely non-effective, but it made her feel better, as it was traditional. She began searching for John through his emotions. She was having trouble pinning him down.
Finally, something faint came to her. Fenny was immediately flooded by a tidal wave of emotion all at once: Pain, fear, jealousy, anger, but something even darker loomed at the center of this tornado… the desire for destruction. Fenny gasped as she broke herself away from the flood. John was far away, wherever he was. He was facing this alone and no one could help him. Help him from himself.
“Oh, John…” Fenny mentally took a step back, “I never knew what you really had inside. Why didn’t I see it before? Was this dark emotion so buried that it hid itself even from me?” Fenny asked aloud. A moment later her question and train of thought were answered and interrupted by a knock on her apartment door.
Getting up from her chair, she treaded lightly toward the door. She then peeked through the peephole. “What the…?” Fenny said, as she moved her head back from the peephole and arched her eyebrows in surprise.
Fenny opened the door “Joridko? Sonyrina? What are you guys doing here?” Fenny said, letting her two divine sisters enter her apartment. Suddenly, something didn’t seem kosher. She pondered that uneasy feeling and gave it a voice. “Why are you guys dressed like that? And why didn’t you just materialize inside my apartment?” Fenny said, noticing that Jordiko and Sonyarina were wearing blue jeans and sweatshirts as opposed to their normal goddess robes.
“Pack a bag, we don’t have a lot of time.” Jordiko instructed to Fenny.
“What are you talking about? I don’t see why…” Fenny started.
“You’ve been declared ‘rogue!’ So don’t argue and pack your bag!” Sonyarina shouted angrily, which took Fenny off guard, as Sonyarina was always so quiet and sweet.
“Rogue?! What… why?!” was all Fenny could manage to come up with.
Jordiko grabbed Fenny’s arm and dragged her to Fenny’s bedroom. “Less talk, more packing. Our car is waiting downstairs.”
Fenny reluctantly went to her closet and pulled out a dark brown suitcase. She started rummaging through her drawers. As she did that, she said, “Will you at least tell me what’s going on?”
Jordiko pulled out a folded piece of white paper and flipped it toward Fenny. Fenny unfolded it and read it out loud:
Sonyarina and Jordiko:
You don’t know who I am but I know who you are. This concerns your sister Fenira. She is in grave danger and therefore you two are also in grave danger. You must seek her after she arrives home on THURSDAY AFTERNOON. That is very important and don’t forget that. Then all three of you must go into hiding and take on new identities. This is not a joke. The agency KNOWS about Fenira’s activities and are prepared to punish you as well. Hopefully, you will be safe and the Agency will not find you if I can help it. I will try to help you in whatever way I can. After you go into hiding, you must not contact anyone in the Agency or use your powers. If you do so then you are putting yourself in GRAVE danger. Maybe one day we will meet again. Maybe one day I can join you. Tell Fenny, that this is all for her.
Signed,
A Friend
Fenny refolded the note. “I don’t understand.”
“We got that note on Monday morning. Someone dropped it in our lap,” Sonyarina explained.
“Who?” Fenny asked.
“We didn’t get a good chance to look at him, but I assume he’s this friend that is referred to by this note,” Jordiko reasoned.
Fenny laughed out loud. “Oh come on! This has got to be a big joke!”
“It’s not,” Jordiko stated blankly.
“Where’s your proof? All I see is a stupid note written by some mysterious guy,” Fenny said with a sarcastic laugh.
“It’s NOT a joke, Fenira!” Jordiko shouted in an angry tone.
“Oh yeah? How do you know?” Fenny asked sarcastically.
“Because I hacked into the Divine Agency’s Mainframe,” Jordiko stated.
“YOU WHAT?!” Fenny shouted.
“Fenny, It’s all true! They declared you rogue! They’ve been gathering evidence for weeks now. What’s worse, they declared us as rogue too for aiding you!” Sonyarina shouted.
“Do you have any idea what the penalty is for goddesses who go rogue?! Do you?! They cast you out, banish you to another plane of existence, or WORSE! What’s worse, according to the info I got from my hacking, they are prepared to move in and apprehend you. I think our friend is trying to buy us enough time to escape,” Jordiko added.
Fenny felt the energy drain from her body. She slowly sat down on her bed and buried her face into her hands. “Oh… shit…”
Jordiko started grabbing clothes from Fenny’s closet and took them off their hangers. “Fenny we don’t have time for this. You can do this later. Right now, we need to pack you up,” Jordiko calmly stated.
Fenny looked up and frowned. “How do we know that this isn’t a trap?”
“We don’t. What we do know is, if we had sat around the agency and did nothing, we were guaranteed to be apprehended and reprimanded. At least, this way there is still a chance that we may get through this. So let’s get packed up and move. Time is not an abundant commodity,” Jordiko reasoned.
Sagging her shoulders in surrender, Fenny packed up what she could in a single suitcase. As she walked outside her apartment building, she saw her sisters’ car, which was a sleek red sports car. Fenny dumped her bag in the car’s trunk and then walked toward her own car. “You girls go in that car, I want you to follow me in my car,” Fenny shouted over to her two sisters.
“Why?” Jordiko asked.
“Because, first, I’m going to withdraw all my money from the bank. Second, since we will not be able to use our powers anymore, then we will need money. That means, somewhere along this trip, we are selling that fancy car of yours,” Fenny explained.
Sonyarina frowned. She had really liked that red sports car. That’s why she created it with her last use of her power before she was declared missing. However, she could not argue with Fenny’s logic and nodded along with Jordiko. Fenny started her car and pulled out from the alleyway that she normally parked. Jordiko and Sonyarina followed shortly behind and thus they were on their way to a new life…
Once on the road, the trio faced a conundrum. Where exactly should they go? It was topic that the three debated lively over coffee and pie at a small truck stop in up-state New York…
“So, where exactly should we go?” Fenny asked as she sipped her coffee.
“Hmmm?” Sonyarina asked with a mouthful of cherry pie.
“I mean, you guys were so anxious to get me packed up on the road. But, where exactly are we going? You had three days to plan this out,” Fenny questioned. Her questions were met with blank stares, which made Fenny feel like a new weight had been dumped on her shoulders. “You guys DID plan this out, didn’t you?”
Fenny swore she could see the dark clouds of depression hanging over her two sisters’ heads. Fenny slumped forward until her forehead connected with the table. “Great. Just great,” was all she managed to mumble out.
Jordiko took her fork out of her mouth and tapped it against her plate. “Well, we bought ourselves a little time. If our friend is, in fact, delaying the Agency, then we can think about this. Where could we go?”
“We could leave the country,” Sonyarina chimed in.
Jordiko shook her head. “They’d be expecting that. What happens when Gods go rogue? Their normal instinct is to flee and then keep fleeing. Why is that?”
“Because they can’t resist using their powers so they get traced and thus they are forced to keep moving,” Fenny answered from her slumped position, still not raising her head to speak.
“Exactly. But we know that we cannot use our powers, so we can settle down into some quiet and boring lives and pretty much lay low until the most severe heat is off,” Jordiko reasoned.
“That’s all fine and dandy, but that still doesn’t answer where we should go,” Sonyarina countered.
“True. Let’s look at this rationally, shall we? The Agency is no doubt expecting us to flee as far away from our previous location as possible and to hide out somewhere in the ass-end of the universe,” Jordiko stated.
As Jordiko spoke, Fenny couldn’t help but think back to a conversation she once had with Jason when the pair had first met. It had been Christmastime, and Fenny had happened to have bumped into her new co-worker, John, who in turn had bumped into another mall employee named Jason. Fenny and John convinced the exhausted Jason to join them at their own Christmas party at Filene’s. As the trio sat around a small table in a corner of the employees’ break room, the three began to discuss more about themselves…
Fenny looked across the table to Jason. “So, you guys both moved here, eh? Where you from Jason?”
“I come from a small town called Smithfield, Pennsylvania, which is located in Fayette County, which has the wonderful distinction of being the poorest county, per capita, in the entire state,” Jason answered.
“Poor, eh? Rural, I take it,’ Fenny asked.
“Yeah. It’s like having the ass-end of the Universe located conveniently in your own back yard. I tell you what, if you ever wanted to simply disappear forever, that be the place to do it. No one would think to look there because no rational person would ever want to voluntarily live there.”
Fenny snapped from her reverie and lifted her head. “I think I have an idea…”
And what an idea it was. It almost seemed too perfect. It was like hiding right under the Agency’s nose, because really, why would anyone want to relocate to the desolate rural wasteland that was Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The coffee house idea came shortly afterward because of Fenny’s natural obsession with coffee. As the saying goes, sell what you know. Fenny knew coffee. Using the money they gained from selling the sport’s car as collateral, the trio managed to get a small business loan and after picking out the not-so-obvious location, they went about turning the abandoned building into their business, renting the basement for their business and taking the floor above to turn into a living space for the three of them.
It had been a lot of work, but the ‘Three Sister’s Coffee Bar opened only a couple months later in early December. It was then that Fenny’s past briefly visited her.
Fenny remember it well. It had been the night that their bar opened. Fenny was working the bar itself and she had struck up a conversation with on of the customers.
“No kidding, you’re from Holyoke? Well, it truly is a small world!” the customer said with a laugh.
“Are you originally from there too?” Fenny asked, filling his mug.
“Originally? No, I still live there. I’m just down here on business,” the customer explained.
“No kidding?” Fenny asked. She then thought about something for a moment and returned her attention to the customer. “Can I ask you a selfish favor?”
“Well, maybe. I do have a weakness for pretty ladies who serve me coffee,” the customer said with a sly grin.
Fenny blushed. She then pulled out a small white card and began writing. After a few minutes, she handed the card to the man. On the front of the card was an address and on the back appeared to be a short message. “I was wondering if maybe you could please drop that in the mailbox of that address.”
The man scratched his head. “I don’t understand. Why can’t you just mail this? It’s kinda a long way to go just to avoid spending 32 cents.”
“It’s a long story. This could be my only chance to send this. Please,” Fenny pleaded.
The man shrugged his shoulders. “What do I get out of this?”
Fenny pulled out his check. It had quite a number of scribbles from the vast number of drinks he had ordered. She then tore the check in half. “I think that is worth quite more than 32 cents.”
The stranger grinned, but couldn’t hide his disappointment because he was hoping for something else. “Indeed. I guess it would be no trouble for me.”
“Oh, and if you could, please don’t read the note. It’s very personal,” Fenny added.
“My word is my bond,” the stranger said and pocketed the card. He then finished his coffee and got up from his stool. Before he turned away, however, he took her hand and kissed it. “I hope I come through here again.” Having said that, he left.
And thus, Fenny found herself back in the present, cleaning up after another night’s business. After she had set the last chair up on the tables, she walked over to the last table left, where Sonya and Jordi sat with a large pile of money and papers. Sitting down, she went about helping her sisters go about adding up the receipts and making sure the money matched.
Sitting down, she began to sort through the pile of bills, while Sonya began to unroll the register tape. Fenny sipped her cappuccino while she counted. Soynarina, her back to the bar, leaned forward and ‘psst’ her two sisters. Fenny and Jordi leaned closer.
“What’s up Sonya?” Fenny asked.
“Hey guys. I’ve been meaning to ask you guys, but am I the only one who has this weird feeling about Tyler?” Sonya whispered.
Jordi nodded her head. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to mention that myself. Fenny, I know that you hired him and all, but he’s starting to creep me out.”
Fenny looked over her shoulder toward the bar. Tyler continued to wipe it with a damp rag. “What’s wrong with him?”
Sonya shrugged. “I don’t know exactly what it is, but he got me feeling all weird inside. Like I know him from someplace.”
“Same here,” Jordi added.
“Well, that’s hardly a good reason,” Fenny chided.
“It’s not just the weird feeling. The guy barely talks,” Jordi said.
“And he never takes off those gloves and sunglasses. It’s one in the morning and he’s wearing black sunglasses. It’s just creepy,’ Sonyarina whispered.
“This coming from our resident fashion expert,” Fenny mused. “He seemed nice enough in the job interview. So what if he doesn’t talk much. He’s a good bartender. Maybe he just needs to work here a little longer,” Fenny reasoned. She was met with stares from her too sisters. She raised her hands slightly in surrender. “Okay guys, I’ll tell you what. Since I hired him, I’ll get him to take off his glasses. Will that help any?”
The others nodded slightly. Fenny got up from her seat and walked toward the bar. She then rapped on the bar lightly to get Tyler’s attention. He looked up from his wiping and looked at her. Fenny spoke first. “Tyler, I’ve been talking to the other girls. You’ve been a great bartender and have definitely helped ease the workload on us three.”
“Thank you, Ms. Fenton,” Ty said quietly.
“But we’re a little concerned. You seem to be very stiff and not very personable. So, I was wondering if you would mind just being a little less stoic. Maybe smile a little more and talk a little more to the customers,” Fenny said.
“Is that all?” Tyler asked.
“Well, my two sisters would just be a little more comfortable if you could occasionally take off your sunglasses,” Fenny added.
Tyler seemed to stiffen even more at hearing the request. Finally, after a long pause, he spoke. “I’m sorry, Ms. Fenton, but I can’t do that.”
Fenny arched an eyebrow in surprise. “And why not, might I ask? This place isn’t exactly a tanning bed.”
“I’m very sensitive about my eyes. Can we please leave it at that?” Tyler said quietly.
“Tyler, I’m sure you have pretty eyes. No one’s going to judge based on your appearance here. Sonya is proof of that,’ Fenny said jokingly, trying to comfort the obviously nervous Tyler.
“Hey!” Sonya shouted in protest.
“Please, Ms. Fenton…” Tyler whispered, as if pleading.
“Okay Tyler, I’ll leave it be. I can see that you are very sensitive and…HEY LOOK AT THAT!!!” Fenny suddenly shouted, pointing toward the back at the stage. As soon as Tyler jerked his head, Fenny grabbed the glasses and pulled them off his face. “Yoink!” she said playfully. “See that’s not so bad is…”
Fenny suddenly stopped. The glasses slipped from her hand and fell to the wooden floor. Fenny stared in a stunned stupor. Sonya and Jordi jumped up to see what was wrong with their sister.
“What…what the…?” was all Fenny could manage. Looking back at her, Tyler looked surprised and terrified, all expressed with his yellow cat-like eyes.
“SHIT!!!” Jordi screamed. “It’s a search demon!”
Sonya immediately grabbed a chair to use as either a weapon or a shield. She looked both angry and scared. “Who are you?!” Sonya shouted.
Tyler immediately threw his hands up in surrender. “Please calm down. I’m not here to turn you into the agency.”
Sonya heard this and seemed to calm down slightly. However, she still didn’t put the chair down completely. Jordi, on the other hand, still seemed extremely tense.
“Answer her question. Who are you?” Sonya demanded.
Tyler lowered his arms. “I had hoped to at least wait a few more weeks and have gotten to know you better before this moment had come. I’m the one who tipped you off about the Agency declaring you rogue so many months ago.”
Sonya set the chair down. “Sit,” she instructed.
Tyler slowed walked out from behind the bar and sat down the in the chair. The three women then walked and leaned against the bar, facing him. Jordi crossed her arms. “You have a lot of explaining to do, so you better start at the beginning.”
Tyler rubbed his yellow eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. After a long pause, he spoke. “My real name is Ty. I used to be a search demon and like you, I have been declared rogue. The reason I helped you is a long, complicated story and I’m not sure how much of it you’ll believe.”
“Try us. You’d be surprised at what we’d believe,” Fenny urged.
Ty nodded. He collected his thoughts and began to recall what had happened…
Some Eight Months prior…
“Old Mother Hubbard, this is Jack and Jill, repeat, this is Jack and Jill. I’ve made visual confirmation. It looks like we do have a rogue on our hands. Awaiting further instructions. Over.”
A few moments passed and then a noise came into a small earpiece lodged in the Ty’s ear. “Roger, this is Old Mother Hubbard. Continue to keep tabs on the rogue. Begin Operation: Little Bo Peep. When the opportunity arises, approach the rogue. Give her the usual ultimatum. Over.”
“Cease and desist or termination from the agency?” Ty asked while he continued to keep Jason and Fenny in his binoculars.
“No. Cease and desist or termination from existence. The agency is now cracking down on this continued abuse of our Immortal/Mortal involvement directive. We’ve already reprimanded her ‘sisters.’ They told us where she was. Do you understand your orders, Jack and Jill? Over,” the voice continued.
Ty nodded to himself. “Understood Old Mother Hubbard. This is Jack and Jill signing off,” Ty said into his collar while continuing to keep Jason and Fenny in his binocular sights. He watched the pair get into Fenny’s station wagon. Ty smirked. “Oh please Fenira, a station wagon? Where’s the ‘baby on board bumper sticker’?” he guffawed.
He continued to watch as the pair sped down the busy street toward the mall. Ty looked around and prepared to dematerialize when a cough caught his attention. Looking over to his right, sitting next to him on the same branch, was another man, also dressed in a black trench-coat and fedora.
The new man smiled at Ty. “I wouldn’t leave just yet, Mr. Ty,” the new man said.
“Who are you?” Ty asked. “It wasn’t necessary for the Agency to send me backup.”
“I don’t work for the Agency,” the man said matter-of-factly.
“Oh?” Ty queried.
“I want to show you something,” the man said as he pulled out a small laptop computer. Opening it, he then typed a few keys. “This may feel a little weird,” the man warned.
“What do you mean weird?” Ty asked. He got his answer when the man hit the enter key and the pair vanished from the tree branch into thin air.
Ty felt the world melt away in one instant and suddenly gain cohesion again another. Looking around his surroundings. He was in an empty room with a hardwood floor. A single shaft of light focused on two steel folding chairs facing each other. Ty saw the man motion for Ty to sit down in one of the chairs. Ty obliged and the man took the other.
“Care to tell me where we are?” Ty asked.
“We are someplace very far away, yet incredibly close,” the man answered.
“What kind of answer is that?” Ty asked, annoyed.
“A very, very complicated one,” the man answered. “That, however, is not what is important. Sure, I could give you every single ‘fact’ as you wish to perceive them, but all that would do is muck up a complicated situation even more. So, I’m going to give you a simple explanation that you can believe to be truth.”
“Oh, is that so? What is this explanation then?” Ty asked, now even more confused and annoyed.
“The reason I have brought you here is to show you what the future holds and to help you change it,” the man explained.
“Change the future? Why me?” Ty asked.
“Because I know you. I know that after what I show you, you will most definitely change the future and I want it to be changed.”
“How will you show me this?” Ty queried.
The man then typed some keys and turned the laptop around so Ty could see the screen. The man then hit a button and a window opened and expanded. On the screen he could see himself and Fenira.
Over the next hour, he watched a story unfold as he and Fenny tried to outrun the other search demons. Fenny tending to his wounds. Fenny and him talking. Finally, he watched as he died in a hail of divine gunfire. He watched as Fenny wept over his bleeding body and then transformed into her ultimate divine form thus killing his ex-brethren. The movie ended and the man closed the laptop.
“Not a very pleasant ending Mr. Ty,” The man said.
“That’s what will happen?” Ty asked nervously.
“That’s what could happen, Mr. Ty. It doesn’t have to,’ the man explained.
“But why me?” Ty asked.
“Because I know you better that you know yourself, Mr. Ty. I know that you have had a secret crush on Fenira for more that the last three decades. I know you always felt that you could never tell her how you felt because she was a goddess and you were a demon. I know that you volunteered to follow her because you were hoping to prove that she had not gone rogue. I also know that you could never turn her in if she had. Now, I am giving you a chance to help her again, to help her sisters, and maybe even help yourself.
“What do I have to do?” Ty asked, eager for an answer.
In the next several hours, the man laid out a very complex plan with a very specific timetable. Ty was to warn Fenira’s sisters of the Agency’s investigation. They would in turn take care of moving themselves out of harm’s way. Ty, in the meanwhile, would distract and delay the Agency for a while, thus buying the sisters time to secure new identities. Finally, Ty would merely have to vanish himself and maybe find his way to the three rogue goddesses, if he so chose.
After they had finished, Ty found himself shaking the stranger’s hand. “Thanks for your help.”
“Don’t thank me just yet. If this is to succeed, it will depend all on you. I wish you luck, though. It’s time for you to go now. You remember everything you have to do, don’t you?” the stranger asked.
“Yeah. Thank you anyway.”
“Don’t think anything of it. I have something to gain from it myself.” The man then started typing again. “Besides, I have a strong feeling you’ll succeed with flying colors.”
Before Ty could ask what the stranger had meant by that last cryptic exchange, the stranger pushed a key and Ty once again felt the world lose all cohesion. When the world came back into focus, Ty found himself back inside the Divine Agency. He was standing outside the lounge. It was the past Monday, just like the stranger had told him Ty would reappear. In his hand, he held the envelope containing the letter that Ty and the stranger had written. Looking toward the open lounge door, he could see Sonyarina and Jordiko sitting there, just like the stranger had promised.
Taking a deep breath, Ty started in motion something that would forever change his life. He quickly walked in the entrance, walked past the two sisters, dropped the envelope in Jordiko’s lap and quickly exited the other door, never looking back.
The days and weeks that followed were an interesting blur. Ty had to admit that he was having fun leading the other search demons on a wild good chase. While Fenny and her sisters were in New York, Ty had Gez and Shi scratching their heads in New Jersey. When the sisters opened their bar, Ty and the others were wandering around Rio de Janeiro. By the time Ty had abandoned the others and disappeared himself, he had the search demons spending Christmas in Tibet.
After almost two months of leading the Agency away from Fenny and her sisters, Ty longed to join those rogue goddesses more than anything else.
Ty finished up his story and looked up at the three goddesses looking down at him. Sonya was the first to speak. “How did you find us?”
Ty smiled, knowing that he was probably going to be asked that. “Dumb luck actually.”
“Eh?” Jordi queried.
“Well, after I ditched my ‘comrades’ in the Himalayas, I returned to Holyoke in hopes of finding some clue to finding you myself. I happened upon a guy, who was not a postman, dropping something into your friend’s mailbox. Upon investigation, I found out that you had set up a rather nice little shop here in this rural rest station outside the 10 circle of Hell,” Ty explained.
“So, right after you found out where we were, you came here?” Fenny asked.
“Nope. I knew that I needed to buy you guys more time. I figured that by that the time the other search demons realized that I had abandoned them, they would put two and two together and realize that I was aiding you. So I decided to play a real life game of ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego’ with them. After four months, I finally came back and prayed that you were still here. You were. I applied for the bartender job. You hired me.”
“Could they have followed you here?” Jordi asked, both serious and very nervous.
“Very doubtful. Right now, they are following clues that have us in Toronto, Tokyo, outer Mongolia, Madagascar, the Alaskan pipeline, Baja California, the Falklands, Atlantic City, Orlando, Holland, Ireland, the Mir Space Station, working for the WB network, Viet Nam, and enough places to keep them busy for years to come,” Ty said, grinning.
Fenny walked over to Ty and knelt down so as to be eye level. “Why did you lie to us then? If we had known it was you who had helped…”
“I honestly didn’t expect you to just accept a search demon right off the street. I wanted you to get to know me first and to realize that I was a good guy,” Ty explained.
Sonya and Jordi looked at Fenny, who had stood up again. “What should we do Jordi?” Sonya asked.
“Could you two please leave me and Ty alone?” Fenny asked her two sisters. The pair gave Fenny a confused look, but finally agreed. After the pair went up the stairs, Fenny took Ty’s hand and helped him up from the chair. She then led him to the main door and the pair walked up the stone steps to the street above.
Looking at all the streetlights and to the full moon that hung overhead, the pair walked. A cool May night breeze blew between the two. Finally, Fenny broke her silence. “Ty, you told us quite a lot tonight.”
“Yes,” Ty agreed.
“Were you being honest when you said that you’ve had a crush on me for a long time?” Fenny asked quietly.
Ty stopped and looked at her. “I was. I still do. In some ways I envy the me who died in that other future. He at least got to tell you his real feelings.”
Fenny sighed heavily. “It’s an awful lot to absorb right now.”
Ty sighed himself. “I understand if you three want me to leave.”
Fenny turned to Ty and kissed him on the cheek. “Actually, I was going to ask you to stay with us. Would you?”
“What about your sisters?” Ty asked.
“I’m sure they’ll come around. I want you to stay,” Fenny whispered.
“Why?” Ty asked, hopeful.
“Because you deserve a rest from your journey and maybe, a chance at happiness.” Fenny then squeezed Ty’s hand. After she let it go, she turned back and walked toward the coffee bar. After a few steps, she looked over her shoulder. “Goodnight Ty. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that, she walked down the steps and disappeared.
Ty smiled and began to walk away. After a few steps, he stopped, looked over to his shoulder and whispered, “See you tomorrow, Fenira.” He then started walking again toward his own apartment.
The next morning, in the suburb of Holyoke, Jason Bertovich walked out of his apartment and to his mailbox. He squinted his eyes and pulled out his
sunglasses. A cool breeze blew through his now short again hair. He had experimented with growing it long, but after a few months, the way it got in his
eyes annoyed him to no end.
However, for what hair he decided not to grow on his head, he instead grew on his face as he now sported a short chinstrap beard, which was a constant source of ribbing from his 17 year-old girlfriend, Nicole. Scratching his face for a moment, he then pulled out his mail. Looking over the collection of bills and junk mail, a small, embroidered white envelope caught his attention. Opening in, it looked to be a card. On it was written, “To Jason Bertovich and Guest.” Jason looked it over quickly and decided to open it.
He opened it and began to read it out loud, “You are cordially invited…” He then stopped and laughed. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
It was so unremarkable, in fact, that it would take something short of the entire city suddenly being swallowed by the ground below for anyone to even notice it, and it would only be noticed because it wasn’t there anymore. Unremarkable as it was, things that take up space tend to be missed when they no longer take up space.
It was the unremarkable nature of Uniontown, Pennsylvania that made it good for one thing. It was a good place for rather remarkable people to hide from rather remarkable situations. There certainly were no more remarkable people than the four individuals we find ourselves focusing on in this story.
Where were these four most remarkable people? Well, logic would dictate that since the topic of discussion was a small town called Uniontown, Pennsylvania, then Uniontown, Pennsylvania would be where we would find these most remarkable people. “Ah, but where in Uniontown, Pennsylvania?” you might ask. Well, if you readers had a modicum of patience, then you might see that was what I was leading up to.
Situated across the street from the courthouse, located in the old and rapidly decaying downtown area, one would see, well, not a lot really. Most of buildings were either old or abandoned or both. However, across the street from the courthouse, one might make out a small wooden sign hanging on a short iron swing arm. On that sign was, painted in beautiful calligraphy, the words “The Three Sisters’ Coffee Bar.”
Below the sign was not a door, but rather an old set of stone steps that led into the building’s basement. If one were to descend the steps, they would find themselves facing a very old door at the bottom with a badly tarnished brass handle and glass that was so old and filthy that it would take about an hour’s scrubbing with a Brillo pad to uncover the words “wash me” which had been written circa 1965.
However, once a person would make their way past the door, they would be pleasantly surprised. Past the door was not a musty and abandoned basement, but rather a cozy and rather attractive-looking coffee bar. The walls were not musty cement, but attractive wood paneling and wallpaper. Wrought iron tables with marble tops were littered throughout the room along with a few small couches, laden with decorative throw pillows. The occasional chessboard or deck of playing cards could be seen on these tables and bookshelves, filled with thick paperbacks and leather-bound tomes, could be seen along the wall. Toward the back of the large basement was a small wooden stage with a couple mic-stands set up arbitrarily. However, the true centerpiece of this place was the bar itself, which was made of solid oak and upon which sat brass cappuccino machines and jars of biscotti.
The ones responsible for transforming what was once a musty basement into this rare slice of New York located in the heart of the rural wasteland, were the before mentioned ‘Three Sisters.’ Though no one was quite sure why these women called themselves that, since it did not appear, at first glance, that they were related.
These three sisters were not only responsible for decorating this place, but they were also responsible for operating it, which was what they were currently doing in earnest amongst the usual crowd of teenagers and ‘twenty-somethings’ who happened to frequent this particular coffee bar.
The first sister could be seen carrying a large tray of empty cups, glasses, and mugs back toward the kitchen area. She unceremoniously dumped the glasses in large sink of foamy water. Brushing her straight black hair out of her green eyes, rolling up the sleeves of her white turtleneck and pulling out the pair of rubber gloves she kept in the back pocket of her tight blue jeans, she went about washing the cups she had previously dumped in. Her name was Jordan Kovington, though most of the patrons knew her simply as Jordi.
The second sister was busy herself, as she brought fresh drinks to several tables. She popped her pink bubblegum, which matched her pink sunglasses, which in turn complimented her strawberry blonde hair that was tied in twin ponytails. The pink sunglasses were the most conservative article of clothing she wore as it appeared to the casual observer that her dresser had attacked her. On one leg was a rainbow stocking, while the other was clad in a red stocking with a black spider web design. These led up to the denim miniskirt she was wearing that did compliment the button spangled denim vest she wore. However, neither complimented the white peasant blouse she was also wearing. If there was anything to be said about Sonya Rinaldi, it was that she was definitely her own person.
Which brings us to our third sister, who appeared to be a middle ground of sorts between the conservative Jordi and the eccentric Sonya. An Asian goddess whose black hair was streaked with crimson highlights and who opted for white stockings and black leather miniskirts, she was called Lynn Fenton, and she was currently dropping off a fresh batch of orders off at the bar.
Taking those orders was a rather lanky and peculiar man. He was dressed from head to toe in black. Black slacks combined with a black turtleneck, complimented by black satin gloves and small black spectacles. He expressionlessly took the slips of paper from Lynn and went about filling the orders.
This went on for much of the evening, as was normal. This had happened every evening prior since the coffee bar opened. Drinks would be ordered, orders would be fulfilled, drinks would be drunk, and finally, glasses would be collected so they could be washed so the cycle the would continue. And while this was happening, loud music would play, from either the stage or the stereo, games would be played and even the occasional pot would be smoked. However, whenever the last happened, the parties doing the said smoking would usually be asked to leave by one of the before mentioned three sisters. Finally, the last customer would leave and the bar would be empty, save the three sisters and their silent bartender.
And thus, the cleanup would begin, all in order to do it all over again the next day. As Lynn, who was formerly known as Fenny Lin, who was formally known as Fenira, placed the chairs upside-down on the tables after they had been cleaned off, she took the opportunity, as she did almost every night at this time, to reflect on how her and her two sisters came to be here.
It had been some eight months prior that her two sisters had visited her for the second time in a week, a record mind you, at her small apartment in Holyoke, Massachusetts…
Some Eight Months Prior…
Thursday…
Fenny Lin sat in her apartment reading a book. It was one of those rare days off. She looked over her meager belongings scattered over her place. As a Goddess, she could wish for anything she could ever want and live anywhere she ever wanted. However, Fenny felt more content now than she had felt in centuries.
What she had here in this single space apartment, as meager and as little as it was, it was hers. She bought it with her money that she earned from her department store job. She purchased these things and crammed them in her little living space.
She was covered by an odd sense. She actually, almost, maybe, felt Mortal. It was odd. Fenny wasn’t sure, but she thought she liked it. She could see how mortals got some sort of satisfaction out of this meager existence.
Today, for example, was her day off. If she was still hanging at the central office, she would lounge around, like she did every day, and this day would add to naught. But this day was to be savored and enjoyed. She looked back at her book, which was poetry by Keats and Blake. Fenny smiled and returned to reading her book. “And they seemed like such normal lads when I met then oh so long ago… shame about that poor Keats boy…” Fenny mused to herself and delved herself back into the literature.
A moment later, the tranquility was broken by a phone ringing. Fenny sighed and rolled her eyes. She wiggled her fingers, at which point the phone then floated from its place on her coffee table and into her hand. She may have felt mortal, but there were still advantages to being a goddess…
“Hello, The Bouncy One speaking,” Fenny said into the receiver.
“Um…er….Hi, Fenny,” the voice replied.
“Jason honey! How ya been? The big date’s tomorrow night, right? Got anything special planned?”
“Well….actually…er…no. I haven’t given it much thought,” Jason answered.
“Well, I heard good things about this new Sushi Bar in Northampton. Supposedly very authentic and they even have the karaoke and everything,” Fenny chattered as she looked back down at her book.
“Sushi bar? Actually, that might be perfect! She’s part Japanese!” Jason exclaimed excitedly.
“Oh really?” Fenny asked. Of course, this was not really a coincidence. She knew all along about Jason’s new love, but she played dumb.
“This could be cool. Though…um…I’ve never had sushi before…” Jason responded.
“It’s pretty good. Personally, I’m more of a ramen person myself, though. It sounds like you two will have a good time. Glad I could be of some help Romeo.”
“Fenny wait! Don’t hang up yet. There was a reason why I called!” Jason interrupted, thinking that Fenny was about to hang up.
“Oh? This wasn’t about my famous romance advice?” Fenny asked.
“Fenny,” Jason began, much more serious, “have you heard from John these last few days?” Jason asked this with a concerned tone.
“Um…no. I haven’t, actually,” Fenny answered.
“You haven’t seen him even at work?” Jason asked.
“No…I can’t recall seeing him there, but then again, we work in different departments.”
“Damn,” Jason moaned silently.
“What’s wrong?” Fenny asked.
“Well, he said that he wanted to talk to me a couple of days ago, but now I can’t find him. I stopped by his apartment, and it looks like no one’s been home for a few days. The newspapers have accumulated. I’m very worried and no one seems to know where he is,” Jason explained.
“That is weird. Tell you what: I’ll keep an ear to the ground. If he comes my way, I’ll let him know to let you know that he’s fine.”
“I guess that’s all I can do right now. I’d hate to think that he was in trouble of any kind,” Jason agreed.
“Keep in touch and let me know if anything comes up.”
“Will do. Wish me luck for tomorrow,” Jason requested.
“Knock her socks off. Later,” Fenny obliged and then pushed the off button. Fenny put the phone down and looked down at her book. She placed a bookmark in her place, something about a Grecian Urn, and closed it. She placed the book at the foot of the chair she was relaxing in.
Fenny placed her hands to her temples and concentrated. Putting her hands to her temples was purely non-effective, but it made her feel better, as it was traditional. She began searching for John through his emotions. She was having trouble pinning him down.
Finally, something faint came to her. Fenny was immediately flooded by a tidal wave of emotion all at once: Pain, fear, jealousy, anger, but something even darker loomed at the center of this tornado… the desire for destruction. Fenny gasped as she broke herself away from the flood. John was far away, wherever he was. He was facing this alone and no one could help him. Help him from himself.
“Oh, John…” Fenny mentally took a step back, “I never knew what you really had inside. Why didn’t I see it before? Was this dark emotion so buried that it hid itself even from me?” Fenny asked aloud. A moment later her question and train of thought were answered and interrupted by a knock on her apartment door.
Getting up from her chair, she treaded lightly toward the door. She then peeked through the peephole. “What the…?” Fenny said, as she moved her head back from the peephole and arched her eyebrows in surprise.
Fenny opened the door “Joridko? Sonyrina? What are you guys doing here?” Fenny said, letting her two divine sisters enter her apartment. Suddenly, something didn’t seem kosher. She pondered that uneasy feeling and gave it a voice. “Why are you guys dressed like that? And why didn’t you just materialize inside my apartment?” Fenny said, noticing that Jordiko and Sonyarina were wearing blue jeans and sweatshirts as opposed to their normal goddess robes.
“Pack a bag, we don’t have a lot of time.” Jordiko instructed to Fenny.
“What are you talking about? I don’t see why…” Fenny started.
“You’ve been declared ‘rogue!’ So don’t argue and pack your bag!” Sonyarina shouted angrily, which took Fenny off guard, as Sonyarina was always so quiet and sweet.
“Rogue?! What… why?!” was all Fenny could manage to come up with.
Jordiko grabbed Fenny’s arm and dragged her to Fenny’s bedroom. “Less talk, more packing. Our car is waiting downstairs.”
Fenny reluctantly went to her closet and pulled out a dark brown suitcase. She started rummaging through her drawers. As she did that, she said, “Will you at least tell me what’s going on?”
Jordiko pulled out a folded piece of white paper and flipped it toward Fenny. Fenny unfolded it and read it out loud:
Sonyarina and Jordiko:
You don’t know who I am but I know who you are. This concerns your sister Fenira. She is in grave danger and therefore you two are also in grave danger. You must seek her after she arrives home on THURSDAY AFTERNOON. That is very important and don’t forget that. Then all three of you must go into hiding and take on new identities. This is not a joke. The agency KNOWS about Fenira’s activities and are prepared to punish you as well. Hopefully, you will be safe and the Agency will not find you if I can help it. I will try to help you in whatever way I can. After you go into hiding, you must not contact anyone in the Agency or use your powers. If you do so then you are putting yourself in GRAVE danger. Maybe one day we will meet again. Maybe one day I can join you. Tell Fenny, that this is all for her.
Signed,
A Friend
Fenny refolded the note. “I don’t understand.”
“We got that note on Monday morning. Someone dropped it in our lap,” Sonyarina explained.
“Who?” Fenny asked.
“We didn’t get a good chance to look at him, but I assume he’s this friend that is referred to by this note,” Jordiko reasoned.
Fenny laughed out loud. “Oh come on! This has got to be a big joke!”
“It’s not,” Jordiko stated blankly.
“Where’s your proof? All I see is a stupid note written by some mysterious guy,” Fenny said with a sarcastic laugh.
“It’s NOT a joke, Fenira!” Jordiko shouted in an angry tone.
“Oh yeah? How do you know?” Fenny asked sarcastically.
“Because I hacked into the Divine Agency’s Mainframe,” Jordiko stated.
“YOU WHAT?!” Fenny shouted.
“Fenny, It’s all true! They declared you rogue! They’ve been gathering evidence for weeks now. What’s worse, they declared us as rogue too for aiding you!” Sonyarina shouted.
“Do you have any idea what the penalty is for goddesses who go rogue?! Do you?! They cast you out, banish you to another plane of existence, or WORSE! What’s worse, according to the info I got from my hacking, they are prepared to move in and apprehend you. I think our friend is trying to buy us enough time to escape,” Jordiko added.
Fenny felt the energy drain from her body. She slowly sat down on her bed and buried her face into her hands. “Oh… shit…”
Jordiko started grabbing clothes from Fenny’s closet and took them off their hangers. “Fenny we don’t have time for this. You can do this later. Right now, we need to pack you up,” Jordiko calmly stated.
Fenny looked up and frowned. “How do we know that this isn’t a trap?”
“We don’t. What we do know is, if we had sat around the agency and did nothing, we were guaranteed to be apprehended and reprimanded. At least, this way there is still a chance that we may get through this. So let’s get packed up and move. Time is not an abundant commodity,” Jordiko reasoned.
Sagging her shoulders in surrender, Fenny packed up what she could in a single suitcase. As she walked outside her apartment building, she saw her sisters’ car, which was a sleek red sports car. Fenny dumped her bag in the car’s trunk and then walked toward her own car. “You girls go in that car, I want you to follow me in my car,” Fenny shouted over to her two sisters.
“Why?” Jordiko asked.
“Because, first, I’m going to withdraw all my money from the bank. Second, since we will not be able to use our powers anymore, then we will need money. That means, somewhere along this trip, we are selling that fancy car of yours,” Fenny explained.
Sonyarina frowned. She had really liked that red sports car. That’s why she created it with her last use of her power before she was declared missing. However, she could not argue with Fenny’s logic and nodded along with Jordiko. Fenny started her car and pulled out from the alleyway that she normally parked. Jordiko and Sonyarina followed shortly behind and thus they were on their way to a new life…
Once on the road, the trio faced a conundrum. Where exactly should they go? It was topic that the three debated lively over coffee and pie at a small truck stop in up-state New York…
“So, where exactly should we go?” Fenny asked as she sipped her coffee.
“Hmmm?” Sonyarina asked with a mouthful of cherry pie.
“I mean, you guys were so anxious to get me packed up on the road. But, where exactly are we going? You had three days to plan this out,” Fenny questioned. Her questions were met with blank stares, which made Fenny feel like a new weight had been dumped on her shoulders. “You guys DID plan this out, didn’t you?”
Fenny swore she could see the dark clouds of depression hanging over her two sisters’ heads. Fenny slumped forward until her forehead connected with the table. “Great. Just great,” was all she managed to mumble out.
Jordiko took her fork out of her mouth and tapped it against her plate. “Well, we bought ourselves a little time. If our friend is, in fact, delaying the Agency, then we can think about this. Where could we go?”
“We could leave the country,” Sonyarina chimed in.
Jordiko shook her head. “They’d be expecting that. What happens when Gods go rogue? Their normal instinct is to flee and then keep fleeing. Why is that?”
“Because they can’t resist using their powers so they get traced and thus they are forced to keep moving,” Fenny answered from her slumped position, still not raising her head to speak.
“Exactly. But we know that we cannot use our powers, so we can settle down into some quiet and boring lives and pretty much lay low until the most severe heat is off,” Jordiko reasoned.
“That’s all fine and dandy, but that still doesn’t answer where we should go,” Sonyarina countered.
“True. Let’s look at this rationally, shall we? The Agency is no doubt expecting us to flee as far away from our previous location as possible and to hide out somewhere in the ass-end of the universe,” Jordiko stated.
As Jordiko spoke, Fenny couldn’t help but think back to a conversation she once had with Jason when the pair had first met. It had been Christmastime, and Fenny had happened to have bumped into her new co-worker, John, who in turn had bumped into another mall employee named Jason. Fenny and John convinced the exhausted Jason to join them at their own Christmas party at Filene’s. As the trio sat around a small table in a corner of the employees’ break room, the three began to discuss more about themselves…
Fenny looked across the table to Jason. “So, you guys both moved here, eh? Where you from Jason?”
“I come from a small town called Smithfield, Pennsylvania, which is located in Fayette County, which has the wonderful distinction of being the poorest county, per capita, in the entire state,” Jason answered.
“Poor, eh? Rural, I take it,’ Fenny asked.
“Yeah. It’s like having the ass-end of the Universe located conveniently in your own back yard. I tell you what, if you ever wanted to simply disappear forever, that be the place to do it. No one would think to look there because no rational person would ever want to voluntarily live there.”
Fenny snapped from her reverie and lifted her head. “I think I have an idea…”
And what an idea it was. It almost seemed too perfect. It was like hiding right under the Agency’s nose, because really, why would anyone want to relocate to the desolate rural wasteland that was Southwestern Pennsylvania.
The coffee house idea came shortly afterward because of Fenny’s natural obsession with coffee. As the saying goes, sell what you know. Fenny knew coffee. Using the money they gained from selling the sport’s car as collateral, the trio managed to get a small business loan and after picking out the not-so-obvious location, they went about turning the abandoned building into their business, renting the basement for their business and taking the floor above to turn into a living space for the three of them.
It had been a lot of work, but the ‘Three Sister’s Coffee Bar opened only a couple months later in early December. It was then that Fenny’s past briefly visited her.
Fenny remember it well. It had been the night that their bar opened. Fenny was working the bar itself and she had struck up a conversation with on of the customers.
“No kidding, you’re from Holyoke? Well, it truly is a small world!” the customer said with a laugh.
“Are you originally from there too?” Fenny asked, filling his mug.
“Originally? No, I still live there. I’m just down here on business,” the customer explained.
“No kidding?” Fenny asked. She then thought about something for a moment and returned her attention to the customer. “Can I ask you a selfish favor?”
“Well, maybe. I do have a weakness for pretty ladies who serve me coffee,” the customer said with a sly grin.
Fenny blushed. She then pulled out a small white card and began writing. After a few minutes, she handed the card to the man. On the front of the card was an address and on the back appeared to be a short message. “I was wondering if maybe you could please drop that in the mailbox of that address.”
The man scratched his head. “I don’t understand. Why can’t you just mail this? It’s kinda a long way to go just to avoid spending 32 cents.”
“It’s a long story. This could be my only chance to send this. Please,” Fenny pleaded.
The man shrugged his shoulders. “What do I get out of this?”
Fenny pulled out his check. It had quite a number of scribbles from the vast number of drinks he had ordered. She then tore the check in half. “I think that is worth quite more than 32 cents.”
The stranger grinned, but couldn’t hide his disappointment because he was hoping for something else. “Indeed. I guess it would be no trouble for me.”
“Oh, and if you could, please don’t read the note. It’s very personal,” Fenny added.
“My word is my bond,” the stranger said and pocketed the card. He then finished his coffee and got up from his stool. Before he turned away, however, he took her hand and kissed it. “I hope I come through here again.” Having said that, he left.
And thus, Fenny found herself back in the present, cleaning up after another night’s business. After she had set the last chair up on the tables, she walked over to the last table left, where Sonya and Jordi sat with a large pile of money and papers. Sitting down, she went about helping her sisters go about adding up the receipts and making sure the money matched.
Sitting down, she began to sort through the pile of bills, while Sonya began to unroll the register tape. Fenny sipped her cappuccino while she counted. Soynarina, her back to the bar, leaned forward and ‘psst’ her two sisters. Fenny and Jordi leaned closer.
“What’s up Sonya?” Fenny asked.
“Hey guys. I’ve been meaning to ask you guys, but am I the only one who has this weird feeling about Tyler?” Sonya whispered.
Jordi nodded her head. “Yeah, I’ve been meaning to mention that myself. Fenny, I know that you hired him and all, but he’s starting to creep me out.”
Fenny looked over her shoulder toward the bar. Tyler continued to wipe it with a damp rag. “What’s wrong with him?”
Sonya shrugged. “I don’t know exactly what it is, but he got me feeling all weird inside. Like I know him from someplace.”
“Same here,” Jordi added.
“Well, that’s hardly a good reason,” Fenny chided.
“It’s not just the weird feeling. The guy barely talks,” Jordi said.
“And he never takes off those gloves and sunglasses. It’s one in the morning and he’s wearing black sunglasses. It’s just creepy,’ Sonyarina whispered.
“This coming from our resident fashion expert,” Fenny mused. “He seemed nice enough in the job interview. So what if he doesn’t talk much. He’s a good bartender. Maybe he just needs to work here a little longer,” Fenny reasoned. She was met with stares from her too sisters. She raised her hands slightly in surrender. “Okay guys, I’ll tell you what. Since I hired him, I’ll get him to take off his glasses. Will that help any?”
The others nodded slightly. Fenny got up from her seat and walked toward the bar. She then rapped on the bar lightly to get Tyler’s attention. He looked up from his wiping and looked at her. Fenny spoke first. “Tyler, I’ve been talking to the other girls. You’ve been a great bartender and have definitely helped ease the workload on us three.”
“Thank you, Ms. Fenton,” Ty said quietly.
“But we’re a little concerned. You seem to be very stiff and not very personable. So, I was wondering if you would mind just being a little less stoic. Maybe smile a little more and talk a little more to the customers,” Fenny said.
“Is that all?” Tyler asked.
“Well, my two sisters would just be a little more comfortable if you could occasionally take off your sunglasses,” Fenny added.
Tyler seemed to stiffen even more at hearing the request. Finally, after a long pause, he spoke. “I’m sorry, Ms. Fenton, but I can’t do that.”
Fenny arched an eyebrow in surprise. “And why not, might I ask? This place isn’t exactly a tanning bed.”
“I’m very sensitive about my eyes. Can we please leave it at that?” Tyler said quietly.
“Tyler, I’m sure you have pretty eyes. No one’s going to judge based on your appearance here. Sonya is proof of that,’ Fenny said jokingly, trying to comfort the obviously nervous Tyler.
“Hey!” Sonya shouted in protest.
“Please, Ms. Fenton…” Tyler whispered, as if pleading.
“Okay Tyler, I’ll leave it be. I can see that you are very sensitive and…HEY LOOK AT THAT!!!” Fenny suddenly shouted, pointing toward the back at the stage. As soon as Tyler jerked his head, Fenny grabbed the glasses and pulled them off his face. “Yoink!” she said playfully. “See that’s not so bad is…”
Fenny suddenly stopped. The glasses slipped from her hand and fell to the wooden floor. Fenny stared in a stunned stupor. Sonya and Jordi jumped up to see what was wrong with their sister.
“What…what the…?” was all Fenny could manage. Looking back at her, Tyler looked surprised and terrified, all expressed with his yellow cat-like eyes.
“SHIT!!!” Jordi screamed. “It’s a search demon!”
Sonya immediately grabbed a chair to use as either a weapon or a shield. She looked both angry and scared. “Who are you?!” Sonya shouted.
Tyler immediately threw his hands up in surrender. “Please calm down. I’m not here to turn you into the agency.”
Sonya heard this and seemed to calm down slightly. However, she still didn’t put the chair down completely. Jordi, on the other hand, still seemed extremely tense.
“Answer her question. Who are you?” Sonya demanded.
Tyler lowered his arms. “I had hoped to at least wait a few more weeks and have gotten to know you better before this moment had come. I’m the one who tipped you off about the Agency declaring you rogue so many months ago.”
Sonya set the chair down. “Sit,” she instructed.
Tyler slowed walked out from behind the bar and sat down the in the chair. The three women then walked and leaned against the bar, facing him. Jordi crossed her arms. “You have a lot of explaining to do, so you better start at the beginning.”
Tyler rubbed his yellow eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. After a long pause, he spoke. “My real name is Ty. I used to be a search demon and like you, I have been declared rogue. The reason I helped you is a long, complicated story and I’m not sure how much of it you’ll believe.”
“Try us. You’d be surprised at what we’d believe,” Fenny urged.
Ty nodded. He collected his thoughts and began to recall what had happened…
Some Eight Months prior…
“Old Mother Hubbard, this is Jack and Jill, repeat, this is Jack and Jill. I’ve made visual confirmation. It looks like we do have a rogue on our hands. Awaiting further instructions. Over.”
A few moments passed and then a noise came into a small earpiece lodged in the Ty’s ear. “Roger, this is Old Mother Hubbard. Continue to keep tabs on the rogue. Begin Operation: Little Bo Peep. When the opportunity arises, approach the rogue. Give her the usual ultimatum. Over.”
“Cease and desist or termination from the agency?” Ty asked while he continued to keep Jason and Fenny in his binoculars.
“No. Cease and desist or termination from existence. The agency is now cracking down on this continued abuse of our Immortal/Mortal involvement directive. We’ve already reprimanded her ‘sisters.’ They told us where she was. Do you understand your orders, Jack and Jill? Over,” the voice continued.
Ty nodded to himself. “Understood Old Mother Hubbard. This is Jack and Jill signing off,” Ty said into his collar while continuing to keep Jason and Fenny in his binocular sights. He watched the pair get into Fenny’s station wagon. Ty smirked. “Oh please Fenira, a station wagon? Where’s the ‘baby on board bumper sticker’?” he guffawed.
He continued to watch as the pair sped down the busy street toward the mall. Ty looked around and prepared to dematerialize when a cough caught his attention. Looking over to his right, sitting next to him on the same branch, was another man, also dressed in a black trench-coat and fedora.
The new man smiled at Ty. “I wouldn’t leave just yet, Mr. Ty,” the new man said.
“Who are you?” Ty asked. “It wasn’t necessary for the Agency to send me backup.”
“I don’t work for the Agency,” the man said matter-of-factly.
“Oh?” Ty queried.
“I want to show you something,” the man said as he pulled out a small laptop computer. Opening it, he then typed a few keys. “This may feel a little weird,” the man warned.
“What do you mean weird?” Ty asked. He got his answer when the man hit the enter key and the pair vanished from the tree branch into thin air.
Ty felt the world melt away in one instant and suddenly gain cohesion again another. Looking around his surroundings. He was in an empty room with a hardwood floor. A single shaft of light focused on two steel folding chairs facing each other. Ty saw the man motion for Ty to sit down in one of the chairs. Ty obliged and the man took the other.
“Care to tell me where we are?” Ty asked.
“We are someplace very far away, yet incredibly close,” the man answered.
“What kind of answer is that?” Ty asked, annoyed.
“A very, very complicated one,” the man answered. “That, however, is not what is important. Sure, I could give you every single ‘fact’ as you wish to perceive them, but all that would do is muck up a complicated situation even more. So, I’m going to give you a simple explanation that you can believe to be truth.”
“Oh, is that so? What is this explanation then?” Ty asked, now even more confused and annoyed.
“The reason I have brought you here is to show you what the future holds and to help you change it,” the man explained.
“Change the future? Why me?” Ty asked.
“Because I know you. I know that after what I show you, you will most definitely change the future and I want it to be changed.”
“How will you show me this?” Ty queried.
The man then typed some keys and turned the laptop around so Ty could see the screen. The man then hit a button and a window opened and expanded. On the screen he could see himself and Fenira.
Over the next hour, he watched a story unfold as he and Fenny tried to outrun the other search demons. Fenny tending to his wounds. Fenny and him talking. Finally, he watched as he died in a hail of divine gunfire. He watched as Fenny wept over his bleeding body and then transformed into her ultimate divine form thus killing his ex-brethren. The movie ended and the man closed the laptop.
“Not a very pleasant ending Mr. Ty,” The man said.
“That’s what will happen?” Ty asked nervously.
“That’s what could happen, Mr. Ty. It doesn’t have to,’ the man explained.
“But why me?” Ty asked.
“Because I know you better that you know yourself, Mr. Ty. I know that you have had a secret crush on Fenira for more that the last three decades. I know you always felt that you could never tell her how you felt because she was a goddess and you were a demon. I know that you volunteered to follow her because you were hoping to prove that she had not gone rogue. I also know that you could never turn her in if she had. Now, I am giving you a chance to help her again, to help her sisters, and maybe even help yourself.
“What do I have to do?” Ty asked, eager for an answer.
In the next several hours, the man laid out a very complex plan with a very specific timetable. Ty was to warn Fenira’s sisters of the Agency’s investigation. They would in turn take care of moving themselves out of harm’s way. Ty, in the meanwhile, would distract and delay the Agency for a while, thus buying the sisters time to secure new identities. Finally, Ty would merely have to vanish himself and maybe find his way to the three rogue goddesses, if he so chose.
After they had finished, Ty found himself shaking the stranger’s hand. “Thanks for your help.”
“Don’t thank me just yet. If this is to succeed, it will depend all on you. I wish you luck, though. It’s time for you to go now. You remember everything you have to do, don’t you?” the stranger asked.
“Yeah. Thank you anyway.”
“Don’t think anything of it. I have something to gain from it myself.” The man then started typing again. “Besides, I have a strong feeling you’ll succeed with flying colors.”
Before Ty could ask what the stranger had meant by that last cryptic exchange, the stranger pushed a key and Ty once again felt the world lose all cohesion. When the world came back into focus, Ty found himself back inside the Divine Agency. He was standing outside the lounge. It was the past Monday, just like the stranger had told him Ty would reappear. In his hand, he held the envelope containing the letter that Ty and the stranger had written. Looking toward the open lounge door, he could see Sonyarina and Jordiko sitting there, just like the stranger had promised.
Taking a deep breath, Ty started in motion something that would forever change his life. He quickly walked in the entrance, walked past the two sisters, dropped the envelope in Jordiko’s lap and quickly exited the other door, never looking back.
The days and weeks that followed were an interesting blur. Ty had to admit that he was having fun leading the other search demons on a wild good chase. While Fenny and her sisters were in New York, Ty had Gez and Shi scratching their heads in New Jersey. When the sisters opened their bar, Ty and the others were wandering around Rio de Janeiro. By the time Ty had abandoned the others and disappeared himself, he had the search demons spending Christmas in Tibet.
After almost two months of leading the Agency away from Fenny and her sisters, Ty longed to join those rogue goddesses more than anything else.
Ty finished up his story and looked up at the three goddesses looking down at him. Sonya was the first to speak. “How did you find us?”
Ty smiled, knowing that he was probably going to be asked that. “Dumb luck actually.”
“Eh?” Jordi queried.
“Well, after I ditched my ‘comrades’ in the Himalayas, I returned to Holyoke in hopes of finding some clue to finding you myself. I happened upon a guy, who was not a postman, dropping something into your friend’s mailbox. Upon investigation, I found out that you had set up a rather nice little shop here in this rural rest station outside the 10 circle of Hell,” Ty explained.
“So, right after you found out where we were, you came here?” Fenny asked.
“Nope. I knew that I needed to buy you guys more time. I figured that by that the time the other search demons realized that I had abandoned them, they would put two and two together and realize that I was aiding you. So I decided to play a real life game of ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego’ with them. After four months, I finally came back and prayed that you were still here. You were. I applied for the bartender job. You hired me.”
“Could they have followed you here?” Jordi asked, both serious and very nervous.
“Very doubtful. Right now, they are following clues that have us in Toronto, Tokyo, outer Mongolia, Madagascar, the Alaskan pipeline, Baja California, the Falklands, Atlantic City, Orlando, Holland, Ireland, the Mir Space Station, working for the WB network, Viet Nam, and enough places to keep them busy for years to come,” Ty said, grinning.
Fenny walked over to Ty and knelt down so as to be eye level. “Why did you lie to us then? If we had known it was you who had helped…”
“I honestly didn’t expect you to just accept a search demon right off the street. I wanted you to get to know me first and to realize that I was a good guy,” Ty explained.
Sonya and Jordi looked at Fenny, who had stood up again. “What should we do Jordi?” Sonya asked.
“Could you two please leave me and Ty alone?” Fenny asked her two sisters. The pair gave Fenny a confused look, but finally agreed. After the pair went up the stairs, Fenny took Ty’s hand and helped him up from the chair. She then led him to the main door and the pair walked up the stone steps to the street above.
Looking at all the streetlights and to the full moon that hung overhead, the pair walked. A cool May night breeze blew between the two. Finally, Fenny broke her silence. “Ty, you told us quite a lot tonight.”
“Yes,” Ty agreed.
“Were you being honest when you said that you’ve had a crush on me for a long time?” Fenny asked quietly.
Ty stopped and looked at her. “I was. I still do. In some ways I envy the me who died in that other future. He at least got to tell you his real feelings.”
Fenny sighed heavily. “It’s an awful lot to absorb right now.”
Ty sighed himself. “I understand if you three want me to leave.”
Fenny turned to Ty and kissed him on the cheek. “Actually, I was going to ask you to stay with us. Would you?”
“What about your sisters?” Ty asked.
“I’m sure they’ll come around. I want you to stay,” Fenny whispered.
“Why?” Ty asked, hopeful.
“Because you deserve a rest from your journey and maybe, a chance at happiness.” Fenny then squeezed Ty’s hand. After she let it go, she turned back and walked toward the coffee bar. After a few steps, she looked over her shoulder. “Goodnight Ty. I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that, she walked down the steps and disappeared.
Ty smiled and began to walk away. After a few steps, he stopped, looked over to his shoulder and whispered, “See you tomorrow, Fenira.” He then started walking again toward his own apartment.
The next morning, in the suburb of Holyoke, Jason Bertovich walked out of his apartment and to his mailbox. He squinted his eyes and pulled out his
sunglasses. A cool breeze blew through his now short again hair. He had experimented with growing it long, but after a few months, the way it got in his
eyes annoyed him to no end.
However, for what hair he decided not to grow on his head, he instead grew on his face as he now sported a short chinstrap beard, which was a constant source of ribbing from his 17 year-old girlfriend, Nicole. Scratching his face for a moment, he then pulled out his mail. Looking over the collection of bills and junk mail, a small, embroidered white envelope caught his attention. Opening in, it looked to be a card. On it was written, “To Jason Bertovich and Guest.” Jason looked it over quickly and decided to open it.
He opened it and began to read it out loud, “You are cordially invited…” He then stopped and laughed. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
To be continued...
End Notes
Spring is here and with it brings a new collection of ‘Perspectives’ stories. I hope I didn’t leave my fans, if there are in fact any, waiting too long. I’m sorry for the incredibly long delay, but many other parts of my life took precedence.
Needless to say, it looks as if I’m back and while I can’t guarantee a rapid pace for the introduction of new stories, I think I can leave you with a short preview of what is to come in Byte Three…
Needless to say, it looks as if I’m back and while I can’t guarantee a rapid pace for the introduction of new stories, I think I can leave you with a short preview of what is to come in Byte Three…
Future Chapters of Perspectives Byte Three
The Summer of Promises: Made, Kept, and Broken
Part X: Those Wedding Bells are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine
Part 1 – You are Cordially Invited…
It’s a very special Perspectives Wedding, but who’s getting married? Who’s all invited
and what effects will this have on the universe as we know it?
Part XI: Those Wedding Bells are Breaking up that Old Gang of Mine
Part 2 – Ask Not for Whom the Bell Tolls
Old and new friends meet and old and new foes arrive. Things will certainly come to
a head… Oh yeah, and there’s still a wedding to worry about.
Part XII: Those Wedding Bells are Breaking up that Old Gang of Mine
Part 3 – Till Death Do Us Part
The Perspectives gang will never be the same again. The hardest part of life
sometimes, is saying goodbye. Who won’t be returning to Massachusetts after this chapter?
Part XIII: The Summer Storm Part1 – Dark Clouds on the Horizon
Promises were made and promises were broken. Who was doing the breaking?
Why? And how will this affect the future?
Part XIV: The Summer Storm Part 2 – Rain Washes Away Everything But Tears
The final chapter of Byte Three. Things begin and things end. Sometimes, things that
end then begin anew. This chapter will prove all three statements true. The more
things change, the more things sometimes stay the same. A lot of changes are
certainly in store. Is this the end of the Perspectives saga? Only those who
read will know for sure.
The Summer of Promises: Made, Kept, and Broken
Part X: Those Wedding Bells are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine
Part 1 – You are Cordially Invited…
It’s a very special Perspectives Wedding, but who’s getting married? Who’s all invited
and what effects will this have on the universe as we know it?
Part XI: Those Wedding Bells are Breaking up that Old Gang of Mine
Part 2 – Ask Not for Whom the Bell Tolls
Old and new friends meet and old and new foes arrive. Things will certainly come to
a head… Oh yeah, and there’s still a wedding to worry about.
Part XII: Those Wedding Bells are Breaking up that Old Gang of Mine
Part 3 – Till Death Do Us Part
The Perspectives gang will never be the same again. The hardest part of life
sometimes, is saying goodbye. Who won’t be returning to Massachusetts after this chapter?
Part XIII: The Summer Storm Part1 – Dark Clouds on the Horizon
Promises were made and promises were broken. Who was doing the breaking?
Why? And how will this affect the future?
Part XIV: The Summer Storm Part 2 – Rain Washes Away Everything But Tears
The final chapter of Byte Three. Things begin and things end. Sometimes, things that
end then begin anew. This chapter will prove all three statements true. The more
things change, the more things sometimes stay the same. A lot of changes are
certainly in store. Is this the end of the Perspectives saga? Only those who
read will know for sure.
Matt's Comments
The man is back! A new installment in the Perspectives saga, and it is just the beginning. Looks like some interesting things are in store for our favorite mall employees. I know a bit of what is to come… but I shan’t spoil the surprises! And, I am sure Jason still has a few surprises in store for me, as well.
I wonder… who was the man in a trenchcoat and fedora who helped out Ty? Could it be another appearance of the mysterious “Other Author”?
Well, see you with the next installment of Perspectives. And with a little luck, perhaps it won’t be too long before I see you with some more adventures with the main series.
Ta ta, for now!
I wonder… who was the man in a trenchcoat and fedora who helped out Ty? Could it be another appearance of the mysterious “Other Author”?
Well, see you with the next installment of Perspectives. And with a little luck, perhaps it won’t be too long before I see you with some more adventures with the main series.
Ta ta, for now!
Additional Notes From the 2013 Restoration
Regarding the list of future stories given in Jason's notes above: The list is accurate as far as the next story is concerned. After all, Jason wrote it shortly after this story. But then... Oh, a decade or so kind of passed. And Jason does have plans for Perspectives to continue! But this continuation will be in a way that is very different to what is presented above. However, the above list of stories as planned in 2002 and as originally presented with this story's notes is preserved for posterity.