The Cubby Hole (IQ Testing Book 1) (6 page)

Java frowns with pain. “Well, I didn’t. I like my high heels. They glowed with the silver material. I don’t know that I was going to be a rotating quasar of brilliant colors. Gosh, I wished my mama had tattled to me about freaking Citizenship Day…”

Duchie laughs. “Ketona’s worn dull brown cowgirl boots clashes with the bright yellow.”

I swallow the food then smile. “It won’t clash with the pretty orange which will be my next accomplishment, soonest.”

A female schooler dashes by our table, yelling with fear. “Ants, the rear tables are covered in fire ants…”

I stand, gasping. “The dirt soil is covered in red ants. They marching over the tables and benches and the picnic tables too.”

Hatch stands, gasping. “Those are the biggest dang red ants I have ever seen…”

Duchie stands and smiles. “It is rather a pretty picture with the swarm of red flowing over the green plants then the brown wooden tables. The whole picture looks rich midnight crawling blackness...”

Rincon whispers and step backs from the table, shaking his curls. “I do not like ants.”

Female: tall, short black hair, pale skin, skin tattoos; pierced ears, nostrils, and eyebrows. She stands on top of the picnic table, fingering the high mountains behind the swarm of red ants, saying. “The ants migrate down from the cool mountains then build a series of great big tall one story ant hills then lay their eggs. They hang around for about a month or two then retreat back home with their young’uns. We’re sitting and eating lunch within their private nesting territory,” squats then burns the single fire ant crawling upon her eating table with the lighted cigar. She laughs an evil tone as it fires then wiggles in pain.

Marsilla leans into Ketona. “Who is she?”

I frown with puzzlement. “One of the nasty schoolers from the outer cities,” I watch her light another crawling fire ant upon her picnic table as the poor creature burns and wiggles in pain. She laughs and rebel yells as I cringe with mental and physical pain for the suffering insects.

Buffo hugs Ketona whispering. “Time to go back and finish this and got our new jobs,” dragging her for safety.

We swing away from the tables and ants jogging towards the opening of the pink room of mirrors.

Lamis frowns with fear. “It’s time to leave and return to the Cubby Hole, ya’ll,” swings then jogs to the opening also.

Yellow room of mirrors.

The smart teens rush and race then slide into their individual me-chee chairs. Rincon and his me-chair drop first down the flooring when I laugh at his chicken stew performance.

I enter the room stopping inside the archway and panting for air from my swift job. I swing towards the landscape. The non-smart teens are tossing rocks at the ants when I exhale that the childish act. Now I understand. No teen will be harmed by Mother Nature as stated by both Buffo and Rincon. My BPs did not explain all the rules of the Citizenship Day making me both miffed and annoyed at the lack of datum information.

I swing around examining the room. A room of mirrors. I giggle seeing my ugly red colored distorted face from both sweat and fear reflecting in the mirror. The design of the room peaks my kitty-cat curiosity then I view the landscape. The particular location of yellow park place peaks my kitty-cat curiosity too. I swing to the room again.

The room is smooth and warm being heated from the steaming me-chee chairs, kindly familiar since the design duplicates the pink room of mirrors. I feel comfortable but bored.

I swing to the landscape. The forest is pretty and duplicates the pink park place woodlands with tall trees, colorful wildflowers and low green bushes. However the invasion of the nasty teens inside the pink park place coupled with the march of the ants inside the yellow park place woodlands makes me feel both scary but thrilling.

I clap then nod, whispering. “This is a psychological test too,” then I feel the hands around my shoulders.

Buffo hugs and pulls Ketona towards the chair. “Do ya need to stop and rest before dropping down the floor? I can stand and guard the entire opening, darling,” winks at her. “No ant will get though here. I promise ya.” He spins then stands inside the opening holding his arms outstretched shuffling side to side for fun while keeping some of the teens out of the room. The teens sneer then pad around his tallness.

I giggle and smile at my hero. “No. I feel safe from the ants since you’re here with me.”

Buffo nods then skips to Ketona. He cuddles her, saying. “Okay, I’m your protector. Are ya ready to return to the Cubby Hole?”

I finger the landscape. “There are some non-smart teens out there still playing with the ants. Are we leaving them behind? Will they return into the Cubby Hole also? I don’t understand. How does that work? Almost all the teens have returned into the Cubby Hole except for them out there and ones from the pink park place. I saw the missing chairs…”

Buffo views the landscape and the ants. “Well, my daddy’s a me-chee programmer. He told me that each teen can return by transport of the me-chee chair anytime. So let’s get going. We got another set of questions to pass,” he kisses Ketona then scoots her into the chair.

Chapter 6

Orange 

The four walls and ceiling are orange-tinted in color along with the solo orange-colored me-chee standing under the color chart. My cat suit and my me-chee chair are yellow tinted. The missing me-chee chairs represent the teens probably fighting with the big ugly fire ants for some sick fun along with the first batch of teens probably cooking and eating the dead baby farm animal meat like savage barbaric beasts.

However I was born and reared in the pretty and posh Colfax city. I will never socialize with these savage barbaric beasts again.

I shake my arm and legs relieving the terrible images of the yellow and pink tone color theme park places then exhale. I scan the other teens inside their individual me-chee chairs. The mood inside the Cubby Hole is solemn and sour from the tough competition of the academic questions coupled with the serious invasion of the nasty insects and the more nastiest teens inside the past two park places.

I shake my curls side to side concentrating on my golden goal, first choice job. I scan the room for Rincon. He’s glowing in yellow three me-chee chairs ahead of me. I will note when he drops during the orange color tone event.

The me-chee raises his arms, smirking with the painted facial expression. “Welcome back to the Cubby Hole, teens! I hoped you had enjoyed your fun in the sun. There is more fun to have inside the rest of the color tones. Sit back and relax! Close your eyelids! I will present the next series of academic questions for your individual answers. The time limit is ten seconds for each posed question. To remind each schooler again for clarity of a proper verbal response, please state my answer is…then your vocal response. If you answer three-fourths or more of the academic questions correctly, you will advance to the next color of orange. If you answer one-fourth or less, you will remain stationary inside the color tone of yellow. If you incorrectly answer two-fourths of the academic questions, then you will slip back into the color of pink. The first question, what is the color tone of the me-chee inside the Cubby Hole, presently?”

I close my eyelashes concentrating on beating Rincon as first me-chee again inside the orange room. I say without hesitation. “My answer is…orange.”

The thought me-chee asks. “What is the common tint color of tree bark?

I say quickly. “My answer is…brown.”

The thought me-chee says. “What is the product of positive 100 plus positive 200?”

“My answer is…300.”

“What is the product of negative 20 plus negative 8?”

“My answer is…negative 28.”

The thought me-chee asks. “What is the key virtue in Confucianism?”

I gasp then open my eyelashes to the strange question. I close my eyelashes swiftly thinking about the correct answer. I exhale then say. “Filial piety.”

“What do the two symbols of ‘AD’ represent?”

I say. “My answer is…anno Domini.”

The me-chee says. “The diameter and height of a right circular cylinder are equal. If the volume of the cylinder is two, what is the height of the cylinder?”

I exhale calculating the math inside my mind then say. “My answer is…1.37,” then open my eyelashes. Rincon is still parked in front of me. I grin.

The thought me-chee says. “The mass is composed of 14 percent hydrogen and 86 percent carbon. What is the compound?”

I bite my lips with my eyelashes closed pondering the math into my mind. I say. “My answer is…one part carbon and two parts hydrogen,” then open my eyelashes, tossing my arms.

Rincon is still parked three me-chee chairs ahead of me. I have answered all the eight questions quicker and correctly too before him.

I feel the fabric wrap over my body then drop my arms. The chair drops into the darkness then zooms forwards towards the reflection light of the mirrors. I giggle without sickness and with giddiness from happiness being the first landing chair.

Orange room of mirrors.

I land against the side wall of mirror seeing another me-chee chair steaming with white smoke from the scary roller coaster ride in the middle of the room presenting as number one. I feel shock then angry.

The girl with the short black hair, neck tattoos and body piercing slides from her me-chee standing and stretching her long limbs. She sees me then winks with a grin.

I huff then slide out of the chair stomping to her nostrils being shorter than her tallness. “How in the heck did you answer all eight questions before me?”

She winks at Ketona then walks towards the orange wall, saying. “I guessed each question in 1.2 seconds, doll!”

The wall morphs into a woodlands of tall trees, low green bushes, colorful wildflowers, black sky, and heavy rain drops. The white lightning strikes across an angry sky.

She gasps. “Lightning bolts…”

I exhale then frown with annoyance. “Pretty lighting bolts within a massive ugly rain storm, where are we located on the freaking planet that rains like this? The sky’s midnight purple. The rain’s almost black within the dark green forest. I have never seen a rain,” when it roars with thunder then brightens the dark sky with a series of white lightning bolts. I giggle. “A vicious thunder storm.”

Two other me-chee chairs land inside the orange room.

Rincon smiles then slides from the chair, standing. He frowns with annoyance at the violent rain storm as I giggle at his cute response. Marsilla is one of the other smarter schoolers when she stands and frowns also.

I back step and finger the opening. “Well, the adventure action park place has changed its rhythm without any rhyme or reason. Who’s got an umbrella or a rain coat or a tram hidden inside their me-chee chair?” I giggle.

Marsilla scoots backwards from the splashing rain drops, nodding. “We stay here in place then leave the room.”

Rincon fingers his me-chee chair, chucking. “We yell a retrieve. I have seen, get splashed and savored the moment, ya’ll. Time to return and conquer the color of gold,” sniggers then slides into the seat. “Aww! Ouch!” he scoots out rubbing his fanny. “What the fudge...”

The unnamed girl stares into the thunder storm, saying. “You can’t leave from here inside the chair until all the me-chee chairs inside the Cubby Hole have landed inside the appointed colored room from addressing the academic questions.”

A new me-chee lands and steams with heated smoke. Marsilla was standing too close. She rushes towards the front of the opening, shouting. “Golly! That was too close…”

Rincon frowns and stomps to the tall unnamed girl. “I am Rincon. You are who again? We saw you in the last color tone of yellow on top of the picnic table burning the poor fire ants. Tell me? How do you know that the me-chee can’t be reactivated and your name, miss…”

“She was the first chair here.” I finger the unknown girl,” nodding and giggling when Rincon drops his mouth. I nod and say. “Someone else is vying for the golden job….”

“I don’t want the golden job. I want to survive Citizenship Day,” the unnamed girl says and stares into the rain storm.

Four more me-chees land and steam with heated smoke.

I cuddle into the mirror wall from the heated steam frowning with annoyance then smile with happiness. I skip and leap into his hands. “Buffo…”

Buffo cuddles Ketona and stares into the rain. “Rainy day, where are we located again? Does anyone know our location on the planet?” He pads towards the opening when the rain flows sideways with a fierce wind and the bolts of lighting attack the dirt soil. He says and smiles. “Ya know when it thunders then start your runners…”

Duchie walks and stands beside Buffo frowning with confusion, looking at him. “What!? What does that mean?”

“Run towards the cave entrance, we gotta be first before the other me-chee chairs slam into the mirrors and steam our assets,” Buffo grins and grabs the hands of Duchie and Ketona running into the cold raindrops towards the ground cave.

Six more me-chee chairs land and steam with heated smoke.

Cave.

Buffo runs into the dark cave dragging the girls behind his tallness into the large opening then slides forward on the bottom of his cowboy boots from the wet slick stone. He falls forward, first releasing both hand gripes of the girls, second then lands on his palms. He does a single pushup then flips his athletic body over facing the ceiling. He lands on his back muscles as Duchie and Ketona both land on top of him. He grunts with humor then chuckles with fun and cuddles them for his amusement.

I exhale then frown with fury shoving Duchie off my boyfriend. “Find some wood for heat or your own heated body. This one is taken, girly,” sneering with my feisty fury. I exhale lying over him smiling and hugging his heated chest.

Buffo sits upright and hugs Ketona, smiling. “That was really…wet!”

Rincon enters next following behind with Marsilla. She pouts and stomps towards the wall. She rings the water from her hair.

I touch my cat suit, feeling dryness, frown with puzzlement. “The cat suit is dry but my boots are soaked. I hope the leather doesn’t rot before we get out of here…”

Rincon walks then twirls in a circle. “I am perfectly dry and warm. My orange tinted tomcat suit and matching boots are perfectly dry and warm too. You should always follow the me-chee directions,” nods and grins.

I exhale. “Thanks for the ugly news broadcast, Rincon…”

Buffo stands then assists and cuddles Ketona into his chest. He scans the dark cave then views her. “Where’s Jara and Hatch?” She scans the cave too. He calls. “Hatch, ya here with us, buddy?”

Rincon scans the cave. “Stop it, Buffolo! There could be bats or snakes or some other nasty fanged creature here with us.”

I push from Buffo finding a spot on the dry wall. I pull off my wet boots and socks exposing my wet feet. Buffo walks towards the darkness of the cave, shouting. “Hatch!? Hatch, are you here with us? Yell at me. Okay, buddy! Hatch! Jara! Are ya’ll inside the cave with me too?”

Rincon walks behind Buffo, saying. “Of course not Buffo, they did not land inside the orange room with us. Then we dashed across the mud puddles avoiding getting stuck by a single lightning bolt.”

Buffo calls. “Hatch! Jara!” he nods, exhaling. “Yeah, ya right!” he swings towards the opening of the cave then narrows his eyelids. He scans the rain, the trees, the sky and the room of orange. He sees the lighted mirrors. Now he understands the reason for the mirrors inside the room with the me-chee chairs. A mirror reflects light coming from other surfaces which also indicates the location the orange room. Or you would get lost within the thick woodlands and left here forever. Or until a me-chee machine hauls your butthole from the trapped park place. He chuckles and nods. “Ketona, I’m going back for Hatch and Jara. Stay here and dry out! I’ll be back in a sec, honey. I love ya,” he exits into the rain dashing towards the lights.

I giggle and nod sitting on my tailbone. I whip my wet feet side to side drying out the water between my toes, giggling when the cold air tickles my feet.

Rincon claps his hands. “We need to make a fire for warmth.”

Marsilla paces side to side shaking her wet curls. “We wait until all the me-chee chairs have safely landed and blown their heated smoke out of the orange room then we plot our escape from the cave back into the pouring rain and then into the room again. Then we reactivate our chairs and go back into the Cubby Hole for next set of academic questions. I’m standing guard at the entrance and watching the other teens. There’s a stream of kids. How many are vying for the golden job now?”

Duchie shakes her ponytail searching the walls for burning wood kindle. “I counted less than hundred kids left for the golden job,” giggles.

Rincon stands in the middle of the cave fingering the spot. “This is an excellent spot for a fire. The wind will drag the stinky nose and eye burning fumes down into the dark part of the cave. We can sit on each side while sniffing the fresh air molecules from the traveling rain storm.”

“Traveling to where? That rain storm is stationary here and raining down on us,” I whip my feet to the left almost whacking off the water droplets, giggling.

Buffo returns holding the hands of Lamis and the tall unnamed girl with the tattoos and body pieces. “You’re safer here, honey. There’s a stream of me-chee chairs landing inside the portal bay. Ya could get killed. Have a seat?” he walks to Ketona exhaling and shaking water onto her.

I stand frowning with confusion at Buffo. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Buffo says parking both hands on his hips in frustration. “I can’t find Hatch. He wasn’t inside the orange room either.”

Rincon fingers the rain. “He’s safe inside another cave waiting out the rain storm,” when the thunder roars then a series of lighting bolts. He laughs, “…like us. What are going to do for fun?”

Marsilla fingers the room. “There are more kids coming out of the room. How did you figure out that there were only hundred kids inside the Cubby Hole?”

Duchie drops the smaller pieces of kindling onto the selected spot for the fire by Rincon. “I counted.”

Lamis shakes her curls side to side drying her hair, standing near the wall. “Ya counted wrong, babe! I bet the number is two hundred or so…”

Duchie frowns with puzzlement at Lamis. “Why does the number matter to you, sugar? You ain’t making the next color tone,” nods and giggles.