Tearing The Shroud (17 page)

‘That’s a hit,’ Knife said.

Vincent rolled his damage.

‘Tell us how you kill it, please,’ Knife said with a solemn nod.

Well, first time slowed, then a glowing word appeared.
Vincent paused for a moment to consider. The group waited expectantly for the new twist in the story. ‘The force of his spinning body drove the short sword down to the hilt. Two feet of cold steel entered the beast’s shoulder near its spiny neck and pierced behind its ribs, unimpeded, into the creature’s heart.’

‘Oh, nicely done,’ Flea said.

‘Absolutely.’ Mike nodded.

Julie smiled at him. ‘Very well told.’

‘They’re cheater dice.’ Emily said scooping up his d20 and tossing it to the table. The dark maroon die landed on a one.

‘Don’t mess with the god dice,’ E.T. said, ‘you might jinx ’em.’

She wasn’t giving up. ‘Besides it’s not like anyone could ever do that.’

Knife just shook his head and started packing. The rest of them followed suit.

‘Seriously,’ Emily said.

Flea turned to her. ‘It’s fantasy, Emily. A chance to pretend the impossible, to tell wild stories.’

Mike jumped in. ‘Boldly go where no man has gone before.’

Knife said, ‘Yeah, but wrong setting.’

Flea laughed, shaking his head. ‘Of course it can’t be done.’

‘I could do it,’ Vincent said quietly.

Emily rounded on him. ‘
Ohhh
. Really?’

As Vincent picked up his dice, his mind raced. He had no idea why that came out of his mouth. It felt like someone else had controlled what he said.

‘Well?’ Emily crossed her arms.

Seeing her standing there, so sure he would fail, woke something in him. ‘I’ve done some gymnastics, so yeah, I’m pretty sure I could. Never tried it, though.’ He shrugged.

‘Prove it.’

‘Emily.’ Julie looked at her, and sighed. ‘Come on, quit acting this way.’

Vincent put his dice box in the backpack with his notebook. ‘It’s okay, Julie.’ He touched her upper arm and turned to Emily. ‘Tell you what, I’ll try it if you let me jump over you.’

Her naturally hard features hardened further. ‘What, you think I’m crazy? I don’t think you could do it. I’m not gonna let you go running into me.’

Knife looked up with a gleam in his eyes. ‘Let’s give it a go, bud.’

‘This I gotta see.’

‘The lawn outside is flat.’

‘You sure about this?’ Flea said to them both.

‘I’m game,’ Knife said quietly. ‘If he misses, who cares about a little bruising? If he makes it, maybe Emily will finally lay off.’

Vincent nodded. ‘My thoughts exactly.’

They stepped into the cold night; wind whipped and swirled in the courtyard deflected by the buildings. Emily started pacing off the area. ‘If Knife stands here, and your character was about twenty-five feet from him, which would be about...here. Or do you want to just admit you’re wrong now?’

‘No.’ He set his backpack down. ‘That looks about right. Knife, wanna stand over there?’

‘You got it.’ Knife put his back to Vincent, standing in the spot indicated.

‘Okay, a couple of things. Knife.’ Knife looked at him. ‘If you can, try to relax. Whatever happens, it’ll be less dangerous that way. Emily, how about this? If I make it, you show us your nice side for the next month. Deal?’

She thought it over for a few moments. ‘Sure, why not?’

‘A kiss for good luck.’ Julie ran up and landed a fast peck on his lips.

‘Dang, sorry, Emily,’ he said, faking an out-of-breath pant. ‘I’m all done in.’

‘Mmm hmm,’ she replied with a nod. ‘I thought you’d try to get out of it.’

‘Nah.’ He smiled. ‘Only kidding.’

He called out to Knife, ‘Turn around and relax.’

Knife turned. ‘Ready.’

He blew out twice, fast and hard, ramping himself up. He needed to see where he wanted to be; once he had it fixed in his mind, Vincent exploded toward him. He took several strides then dove, folding into a tuck, and flipped forward once in the air. As the rotation brought his feet around, he opened up, letting them land and propel him into a powerful twisting back handspring. His body catapulted into the air. He let his feet travel in a high arc that fully carried his momentum. As he passed over Knife, it seemed he balanced inverted, a half foot above him. The twist he initiated in the handspring rotated him so that he ended it facing forward. He landed smoothly, letting his arms come down in a powerful striking motion that finished with him crouched in front of his friend.

There was a shocked silence and then the group erupted in pandemonium. They surrounded him, patting his back and hugging him. Julie’s kiss was much more than a peck.
Wow!
He grinned. ‘I’m gonna have to do that more often.’

She smiled mischievously. ‘Which?’

‘Both.’

‘Good sir.’ Emily’s voice rose above the din and they quieted down. Her face was somber. ‘You have done as you said you would. I concede defeat.’ She lowered her head slightly then looked up with a huge smile. ‘Besides, that was awesome.’

As they grabbed their things, Vincent quietly asked Julie to stick around. She nodded in agreement. ‘I’m gonna hang with the guys a bit after that epic moment.’

‘Okay,’ Emily said. ‘I have some psych reading to do, can someone walk me back to my dorm?’

‘Sure,’ Mike and E.T. answered simultaneously.

E.T. laughed. ‘Looks like we will.’

‘Thank you, gentlemen.’ She smiled.

Mike smiled back at her. ‘Hey, I like this nice you.’

‘Yeah, yeah,’ she said in a singsong voice. ‘Don’t get used to it.’

They waved as the trio left.

‘Oh my gosh, that was exciting.’ Julie said. ‘I still can’t believe you did that.’

‘You should have been in my shoes,’ Knife said, shaking his head. ‘Talk about a weird view.’

Flea looked at him, his eyebrows raised. ‘You had your eyes open?’

Knife bared his teeth. ‘I didn’t want to miss the fun.’

They laughed and started walking. The wind gusted into their faces as they left the shelter of the buildings, carrying the smell of salt off the ocean. They strolled for a few hundred feet, quietly enjoying the chilly weather. The whole time Vincent wrestled with what to do about his vision earlier. He had to say something and now was the time. ‘Hey, all...’ Vincent said.

They looked at him, still smiling.

‘It happened again.’

‘It?’ Flea asked.

Julie understood right away. ‘
It.’

‘Oh. That.’ His eyes widened. ‘When?’

‘As I was making the last dice roll.’

Knife’s brow furrowed. ‘What happened?’

‘Time slowed again. As you were all looking at my roll I looked over your head.’ He nodded at Flea. ‘And there was a word on the wall behind you. It said “Tonight”.’

They walked in silence for a while before Flea spoke. ‘That settles it then.’

‘What?’ Vincent asked.

‘Vincent, if you’re having some kind of seizures or if it’s something...else. I want some help around. We’re pulling an all-nighter.’

‘I’ll bring a crucifix and holy water.’ Knife said.

They looked over at him as one. Knife raised his palms and shrugged. ‘It couldn’t hurt.’

‘There’s no way I’m missing this,’ Julie added.

‘Wait, wait.’ Vincent tried to settle them. ‘We don’t have to stay up all night.’

‘But, what if we’re asleep and don’t hear them or it do...whatever it is?’ Julie waved her free hand.

‘The last time this happened, I was asleep. For all we know, I might need to be asleep for it to work.’

Knife said, ‘Hmm, you may have a point.’

‘Okay then, we camp out in the room. I have a couple of sleeping bags,’ Flea said.

Vincent turned to Julie. ‘You can have my bed, I’ll take the floor.’

‘Or you could join me,’ she said as she tilted her head.

‘Mmm, tempting. But Flea would get jealous — Knife would have to keep him company and the whole thing would get strange.’ They laughed.

‘Anyway,’ Flea said. ‘So, we hit the sack and if anyone hears or sees anything, you wake the rest of the group. Sound good?’

‘Sounds like a plan,’ Julie said with a nod.

‘Ya know,’ Knife said. ‘I have a microcassette recorder. I’ll bring it. That way we can tape it, too.’

‘Good idea.’ Flea nodded.

Vincent looked at Julie. ‘Do you want me to walk you to your dorm to get some things?’

Flea said, ‘If you go, we all go. What if something happens while you two are alone?’

‘Do you have something I can sleep in?’ Julie asked.

‘Will a t-shirt and shorts work?’ Vincent asked.

She smiled. ‘Perfectly.’

The wind intensified and they ducked their heads. Vincent put his arm around Julie and they made their way to the dorm, each lost in their own thoughts.

Let’s Spend the Night Together

‘Is this okay?’ Vincent turned to her with a black t-shirt and a pair of drawstring medical scrubs. ‘If you prefer, Flea has some cowboy PJs.’

‘Hey, don’t knock the dude ranch duds. I gotta have something that matches my lucky hat.’ He took a red child’s cowboy hat with white piping off the shelf and set it on his head at a rakish angle then swaggered around the room. ‘I’ll get my...six-gun and you...round up the wagons.’ They laughed as the door opened. Knife entered, carrying his backpack. He’d changed into sweats and a t-shirt.

‘Dang, I missed the show.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Flea said, ‘I’ll be here all week.’

‘I appreciate the warning,’ Knife said with a grin.

Julie took the offered sleepwear. ‘That’ll be great, Vincent.’ She unfolded the t-shirt to see an emblazoned grimacing, muscular Asian man, and the words, ‘Power through Discipline.’ ‘Um, nice shirt?’ She turned it towards him.

‘It’s a free shirt from a seminar.’

‘And you know our motto,’ Flea said. ‘If it’s free — ’

‘ — it’s for me.’ Knife finished.

She cocked an eyebrow at the shirt. ‘I’m gonna have to close my eyes tight.’

‘Especially since the writing is glow in the dark.’ Vincent laughed. ‘It makes you easier to find when the lights go out.’ He raised an eyebrow.

‘You, sir, are shameless,’ she said. ‘I shall return after changing my attire.’ Then she padded out the door.

Flea took two sleeping bags from his closet, tossing one to Knife, and the other to Vincent. ‘There ya go.’ They spread them out.

Flea donned his cowboy flannels while Vincent put on old martial arts pants and a t-shirt. Julie reappeared and stopped, looking at Flea with a spreading grin.

‘I thought you were kidding about the PJs.’

‘Hey,’ he said. ‘They’re comfy.’

Their light-hearted chatter was an effort to avoid the unvoiced question: ‘What would happen tonight?’

Vincent set the wooden die on the nightstand as he always did, and hung his pants over the back of the chair, where he could get them on quickly. Julie placed her neatly folded clothing on its seat. She came and stood next to him, staring out the window into the darkness beyond.

‘It’ll be okay.’ She nuzzled herself under his arm. He circled it around her waist, enjoying the way her body fit against his. ‘Let’s get to bed,’ she said.

‘Yeah, you’re right.’

Flea climbed into the top bunk and Knife lay on top of his bag. ‘Like I’ll be able to sleep,’ Flea said. ‘You have that recorder handy, Knife?’

‘Right here.’ He held it up.

Julie got in the lower bunk as Vincent went to the light switch. ‘Ready, all?’ They nodded, so he flipped the switch and slid into his bag on the floor near Julie. As he turned on his side and tried to settle, Vincent felt her hand brush against his arm, coming to rest.

Her melodic voice came out of the darkness, ‘Good night, Vincent.’

‘Good night, Julie,’ he said.

There was a quiet pause then Flea spoke in a falsetto voice, ‘Good night, John-Boy.’ Vincent smiled into the darkness, his mind floated in a weird mix of everything that was happening and Flea’s
Walton’s
reference. He expected sleep to be a long time coming, but moments later it covered him like a comfortable old blanket.

Chapter 15

A Summons

Someone knocked lightly at the door. He sat reading
Releasing the Self Within
, an interesting book, if a bit wordy. Though the ideas were familiar, their execution was new to him.

A voice joined the knocking. ‘Master Coleman? Are you awake?’

He became aware that someone was speaking and looked up. ‘Sorry, just a moment.’ He stood and opened the door. A young guard stood there. ‘Good evening.’ He smiled.

‘And to you, Sire.’ She inclined her head. ‘The Matriarch requests your presence in the Chapel as soon as you are able.’

‘I am guessing it’s not a request I should decline,’ he said with a grin.

She smiled back. ‘I suppose you could try, Sire. The result would be very entertaining.’

‘Might I have your name, please?’

‘Of course, Sire, it’s Pandora.’

‘Well then, Pandora, I’ll be right along.’ He nodded pleasantly. ‘Except...’

‘Yes?’

‘I have no idea where it is.’

She thought for a moment. ‘I’ll guide you, Sire. I must inform the Healer and Commander. Then I can return for you.’

‘Wonderful, I’ll be ready.’

‘Very well.’ She nodded and headed down the hall.

A few minutes later, there was another knock. As he retrieved his blade from a table in the corner, he opened the door on his way by. ‘Pandora, you came back fast,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘Let me just grab this and we can be off.’

‘So, I leave you for mere hours and you’re running off with other women?’

He turned, surprised to see Jolie, arms crossed, leaning against the wall with a smirk. He smiled broadly, as he walked toward her.

‘It can’t be helped.’

She cocked an eyebrow.

‘It’s my devastatingly good looks.’

‘I see.’

‘And winning personality.’

‘Winning, is it?’

‘What’s a man to do?’ He sighed as the last step brought him nearly against her.

‘Well then...’ She put her arms around his neck and drew him to her. As their lips nearly touched, she said, ‘...let’s not keep the Matriarch waiting.’ Then she turned away with a grin.