The Wally Hole

ipam

Chapter 1

Sunday

Burrville

6:01 pm. sunset. early evening. blue sky. orange clouds. sunny. hot. humidity 99%. 3 mph winds. no rain. sunny. 103°F

The outer township of Burrville are composed of farms and farmers, farming the farmland for crop fields of food for all the citizens of Colfax and the surrounding outer townships.

The farmer sits inside the cab of glass, slowly steering the tractor towards the end of the crop field, pulling the tiller. He wears an orange jumpsuit, a pair of orange gloves, and an orange cowboy hat. His face is covered in an orange scarf, keeping the dust out of his mouth and nose.

The cab is covered in glass and enclosed, but the tiny and numerous dust particles wiggles between the glass seams, running straight into a set of dripping nostrils then stick. The scarf catches the flying orange soil. Since, the orange dust dances all the way up to outer space.

The tiller lifts the old stalks of corn from the dirt then rotates the roots into the air for burning by the sunshine. Then, the fresh soil can absorb the nutrients of the burned roots.

The farmer stops at the end of the row then backups the tractor, turning the tractor perpendicular to the tilled soil. So, the tractor is ready for the early work day, tomorrow.

I am petite and pale skin. My long brown hair is wrapped into a bun under the cowgirl hat. I stand inside my tractor cab, wearing a pair of binoculars. My look-see view through the binoculars shows a wider field of vision, and the brighter object, another tractor. I have a clear, clean, and crisp image of the tractor, more than three miles, which is the eye distance of my pupil. I whisper. “So, that’s how ya do it.” I wear a used orange farmer jumpsuit, a used pair of orange cowboy girl boots, a pair of used gloves, and a used orange cowgirl hat. A soft used orange scarf covers my neck. I spy on the farmer, my next door neighbor, duplicating his tractor skills, since I am a novice at farming.

I finished tilling my small section of crop dirt, today, but I didn’t understand how to park the tractor, without damaging my nice tilling work, not desiring to retill it, tomorrow.

I giggle, wondering, if there is such as word as retill.

I was going to march the tractor back into its home, the barn, when I realized that I was too far from both our homes.

So, I am parked at the end of my tilled row, spying on my neighbor farmer for my information.

This is my first complete day, being a farmer girl. I like it, but I love Buffo, being a love sick teen.

Buffo is tilling another section of crop dirt, far away from Ketona.

The entire landscape of Burrville holds ancient looking three story houses surrounded by 3,000 acres of orange dirt for the food plants, for the Colfaxians to eat.

I have technically been adopted by Buffo’s grandparents, since I do not have blood-relatives living, here, within the Burrville country limits. And, it would seem that Duchie was correct.

The local teens attended the Cubby Hole, answered only the necessary questions, attaining the orange level, becoming a farmer. The kids want to be farmers, like their parents and grandparents.

I sit, cranking up the tractor, then drop the tiller gear. I slowly jolt along the rough tiny mounds of dirt up and down, backing up the tractor, making the hood a perpendicular statue towards the horizontal rows of uprooted orange dirt.

I press the pedal, roaring the old engine. I back up then slam into something.

I exhale, viewing behind my collar bone, narrowing my eyelashes. I do not see any object behind me. I slam the gear into park, cutting off the engine. I giggle. “Don’t wanna die, before my honeymoon with Buffo.” I open the cab, carefully sliding down onto the top step, which is three feet from the bottom step.

Then, I sorta fall on my boot toes into the orange dirt, landing on my knees, too, giggling. I leave the door open, stomping towards the rear of the tractor.

The tractor spits black smoke from exhaustion, too, like me. The black smoke reminds me of the old truck Duchie and I used in the green color tone.

I ignore the smell, since the hat and the scarf help deter any nasty smelly smoke particles, walking towards the tiller. It looks okay.

The tiller is not functioning. The tractor is off.

I carefully view the tractor, the tiller, and then unplowed orange dirt. I do not see any obstacle behind the tiller edge.

I exhale, stomping towards the tiller. It might be hung upon a stubborn corn stalk. Some of the stalks are really big, since the roots are really stuck deep down in the thick dried soil. When I find a stubborn stalk, I park the tiller blade over the stubborn corn and then mow it to death. I giggle.

I learned that trick, my way.

I stand beside the low tiller, holding my hand over the metal. The metal is cool, not running. “That’s good! The tiller is not working.” I drop to the dirt, not really care about getting more soil on my soiled jumpsuit.

I’m a farmer, now and forever.

I view under the tiller, seeing more dust bunnies of orange. And, I see no other foreign object preventing the tiller to hang in the dirt. “That’s good. I clear you, tiller.” I giggle and stand, watching the dancing orange dust bunnies. “No debris under the tractor, either. So, why am I stuck in the dirt?”

I view the crop field behind the tiller, seeing more orange dust bunnies, rising towards the sky. I stomp towards the dancing dust bunnies then hit an object.

I giggle, back stepping. “A barrier wall,” I shake my hat. “Everyone told me about the barrier wall. I just forgot. Okay, I ran the tiller plow into the barrier wall. Okay, my parking job with the tractor is done for the afternoon.” I exhale, wiping the dirt from my jumpsuit, sorta. I walk to the cab, dragging out my nifty new flying seater.

A flier is a single seat attached to an engine with a set of holding bars. The flying engine is propelled by compressed air waves, spinning around and around, lifting a person from the ground into the air, about ten feet.

So, I can’t fly to the moon, or to heaven, or over the barrier wall.

The flying seats are used to transport the farmer over many miles of crop fields, since I am truly stuck four miles plus from my little tiny house.

I jerk the lightweight flying seat from the dirt then over my back muscles. I pad five hundred feet from the tractor then press the button.

The flyer seater blasts cold air waves into the wind, lifting me from the ground. I hover about nine feet, before pressing the green button, going forward. There are only two buttons, red for start and green for go.

I slowly fly over the crop field, seeing my tilled orange dirt, feeling my growling stomach.

My mama was correct.

Farming is long hours, and hard work, but there is a bonus for me, too.

My tiny farm house

I land in front of the open garage door, stomping the thick grass with my boot heels then release my net webbing inside the flier. I stand, cutting off the air fan engine.

The fly seater is powered off.

I slide the flying seat from rear body then gently place it inside the open tailgate of the old truck, that doesn’t work.

My old tractor runs on gasoline, since I am novice farmer. Most of the bigger tractors run on solar energy, since most of the farmers are better farmers than me.

I walk towards the front porch of my large run-down three-story house, which is really a storage house. Buffo’s blood-kin was nice enough to adopt me into their farm family, after I selected to be a farmer as my dream job with my dream man.

Buffo and I are planning our wedding for the holiday time, so both of our parents from Colfax can attend. Therefore, I am living in the out house…correction…the outer house, behind the main house.

I giggle with my mental joke then strip out my right boot. I toss the right boot onto the manicured grass then dance and wiggle across the front porch from one side to the other side. I slowly strip out my left boot, dancing and humming an invisible tune inside my mind.

I stop, lifting my leg then pull of my right sock, exposing my nasty sweaty foot. I fling my leg up and down, stirring the orange dust bunnies around my body.

I stop.

I lift my right leg then pull off my left sock, exposing my other nasty sweaty foot. I fling my leg up and down, giggling.

I stop.

I stand, wiggling my hands from my breasts down my waist, down to my hips, wiggling my hips. I giggle then wiggle my hands down to my knees and then down to my ankles.

I upright, giggling and cleaning off the excess orange dust from my jumpsuit. I untie the orange scarf then fling off my hand.

It floats into the air, hitting its peak trajectory then drops to the manicured grass.

I giggle then slowly unzip the front zipper from my throat.

The zip slowly moves between my breasts, exposing my naked shoulders. It moves down the middle of rib cage, exposing my covered breasts. It moves down my waist, exposing the top half of my body. It slowly moves down between my legs, when the jumpsuit falls from my arms.

I giggle.

The zipper stops.

I wiggle side to side, shimming out of the dirty jumpsuit. I turn, dancing side to side, along the naked front porch. The porch holds a two-seater swing in the corner, two lower windows with dirty glass, and one metal door of red. I dance side to side in the wind, brushing off the orange dust between my body parts, giggling.

I stop.

I stand in the middle of the front porch on the edge of the steps. I remove my cowgirl hat then toss it into the wind, wearing my two-piece bathing suit and naked feet.

The weather is summertime, hot and humid.

I sweat, even, before I dress, and then I sweat inside the tractor.

I giggle, waving at the second window on my right.

Buffo: tall, muscular, dark skin, blue eyes. He stands at the window, smiling and clapping my strip-tease farm girl performance.

We live in two separate houses, under the guidance of his grandparents.

The front porch is our future home, once we get married, next year, after attaining the age of eighteen years old.

The three story house foundation is sound, but the exterior walls need painting. The interior walls need painting. The kitchen needs painting. There are new appliances. And, the bedrooms need a new paint, and curtains, and carpet, and other such things. Over the next year, his grandfather is purchasing these items for our house. Then, we will be performing the painting and decorating, together.

Buffo walks from the rear door, carrying a tray of sweet tea in iced cubes.

I giggle, back stepping from the steps.

He places the tray on the porch then swings and hugs Ketona for love and protection. He spins her around and around, smiling and chuckling. He kisses her lips then smiles. “Whoa! What a day! I’m bushed from the heat and humidity.”

I giggle. “I’m ready for supper, too. Should I help your grandmother do something in the kitchen, Buffo?”

He spins her towards the front porch then grabs two glasses of sweet tea.

We walk to the swing, sitting and rocking the chair.

I sip the cold tea then smile. “I finished my tilling for the day. I realize that it was a small patch of dirt, but I think I got the hang of the tractor, pulling the tiller. I even parked it, sideways, so I can access the tractor for my working section, tomorrow. Farming is hard work and long hours…”

Buffo sips the tea. “Yeah, it’s different from studying in school, or going to school, or playing in school…”

I cuddle next to him, smelling the fresh dirt, the hay, and the grass on his body and his clothing. He wears a pair of shorts, a shirt, and naked toe bones, too.

We don’t bath, until after suppertime, since we like to spend some time, together, before bedtime.

After suppertime, it’s completely dark outside in the country. You see only the bright stars.

I sip the tea then frown with worry, staring at his nose profile. “What’s wrong, Buffo? I realize this isn’t what we planned, after finishing Citizenship Day. But, I do love the fresh air, the zillions of stars, and the cool breeze. The quiet of night isn’t really quiet with the croaking frogs, whistling birds, and singing crickets. We usually don’t hear those songs in Colfax.”

Buffo sips the tea, viewing the wooden planks of the porch. He exhales, saying. “I like it, here. I’m not disappointed, here. I’m not disappointed at my performance of the Cubby Hole, either. “Are you…you disappointed in being here?”

“Naw. I love you, where you go, then I go and I stay, right here.”

He nods. “I really wanted to hear that from you. I have a confession to make to ya, Ketona.”

“Okay, confess?”

“I lied, when I said, that I was having fun inside orange color tone. I…I, immediately, went back into the orange color tone, a second time, after I failed the first time. I couldn’t answer the questions. I can’t figure out the complicated mathematical questions, within the fifteen seconds of the deadline. It was so much pressure and stress and distress. So, I gave up and joined the other teens. I talked with them. They had experienced my same failure, so I could relate to them. Then, you didn’t fail and fall back into the color tone. I was surprised or mad. You’re really smart, Ketona. I really wanted to advance into the red color tone, then the green color, and whatever. I just couldn’t pass the questions. If the time limit had been a little longer, or if I could’ve written out my solution to the problem, but I wasn’t allowed to do that. So, I gave up. I sorry. I wanted you to know, what really happened to me, inside the orange color tone. I don’t want to fib to you, Ketona, about nothing. I love you. I wanna marry you. I just hope you can understand, why I stayed, there, inside the orange color tone.”

“I do, Buffo. And, I figured out that you…f…fell in love with the country side. I can see the passion for the fresh air and pretty flowers, here, in Burrville. Now, no more talk about the Cubby Hole or the Citizenship Day. That was yesterday. That’s over and done. This is our life. This is almost the end of our first whole day in Burrville. I love it, here. And I love you, Buffo. We will build our future and our family, here, in Burrville…”

He sips the tea, viewing the planks. “I have another confession to make.”

“Okay, confess!”

He exhales. “I am sorry, again. I had secretly established a backup plan. My parents were very concerned about my academic progression, so they talked with my grandfather. He was prepared for me, in case I didn’t make it passed the orange color tone.”

I drop my mouth. “Back up plan was living here, in Burrville.”

He nods. “I couldn’t tell anyone about my backup plan per my parents. I really wanted to tell you my backup plan, but I couldn’t. I hope you’re not mad, Ketona.”

I exhale. “Naw, I can understand, sorta.”

He nods, smiling. “Good, I really need for you to understand my concerns. I was prepared for the worse. And, the worse happened. I couldn’t advance out of the orange color tone. I was trapped in there. And, then, you showed up. I was both shocked and surprised…”

I gasp. “You were both shocked and surprised that I came back, looking for you.”

He nods. “I thought you had advanced into the red color tone or beyond with Rincon and Marsilla…”

I exhale. “I did then I changed my mind. I came back, looking for you…”

“Then, ya disappeared, again. I guessed you advanced back into the red color tone.”

“Yes, I was…”

“…frustrated with me. I would have been, too. You’re really smart, Ketona. I mean, you failed into the red color tone, twice, and then still managed to land inside the golden color tone. And, you answered the single most difficult question, inside the Cubby Hole. I heard the question from the me-chee, too. Well, I guess all the teens inside the Cubby Hole heard the question for a chance to jump out of your particular color tone. I, honestly, didn’t have a clue to the answer. You answered it. You advanced into the gold color tone. I wasn’t surprise. I was very proud of you.”

I smile and hug his shoulder. “You were?”

He sips the tea, nodding and smiling. “Yeah, you’re really smart. You would’ve been a great medical technician.”

I exhale. “I am going to be a farmer. Yay hay!” I drink the tea.

He exhales. “I have another…”

“…confession?” I frown with confusion.

“This is a worry. I worry about Hatch and Jara. They’re trapped in Dookie Town for the rest of their life. I don’t understand, what happened.”

I stare at the wooden planks, remembering yesterday, reliving the fear and fright. “I do, the stress of the mental games, inside the Cubby Hole. Each color tone became more difficult, filled with creepy things, like snakes and knives. A teen can only take, so much pain and suffering. I almost reached my limited, within the blue color tone, if not for Duchie. She was strong and brave. She helped me overcome my mental fear and physically exhaustion.”

“That should have been me.”

I pat his forearm. “Well, Duchie is a good friend and a smart girl. She deserves to be a me-chee technician, after answering the most single difficult question, inside the gold color tone. She’ll be a good one. So, what else is on your active mind, darling?”

“So, Hatch, just, gave up, too, inside the yellow color tone.”

“Naw, I actually believed that he was having too much fun, inside the yellow color tone. You brought the concept to my attention, when you said that ya’ll sent back each teen to play within the love answer of the Citizenship question. The love answers were much more fun rather than the fear answer.”

“Yeah, I guess so. So, Hatch was having too much fun and he forgot about advancing out of the color tone.”

“That’s my honest conclusion. The teen gets wrapped up in the fun of the moment, forgetting that he’s supposed to continue along the next color tone. Or, the teen gives up and accepts where he has landed, due to the difficulty of the academic questions.”

“Some of the questions were hard. It made me feel dumb.”

I caress his arm, smiling. “You’re not…that. You’re my guy. We’re going to be happy as farmers.”

“I am happy about being a farmer. I’m just sad about Jara and Hatch, inside Dookie Town. That wasn’t there life time dream. I wished, I could do something to help them…”

“I, too.”

Buffo slaps my hands, smiling and nodding. “Well, that’s it for me. Suppertime, let’s eat.”

I grin and nod, standing and cuddling with Buffo.

We walk from the swing and into the rear door of the house.

Chapter 2

Monday

Colfax

8:01 am. office of the mayor

early morning. warm. partly cloudy. sunny. no rain. 3 mph winds. 69°F

The city of Colfax is both posh and pretty looking, sorta, with high skyline buildings holding workers and merchandise for the working Colfaxians.

Duchie wears a pair of thigh-high leather boots in gold color, matching her shorty skirt, above her kneecaps. She wears a matching golden sleeveless top of leather, too. Her chopped hair, compliments from one of the knife blades, inside the blue color tone, is wrapped into a bun, until it grows out, again. She marches back to the candy dish of chocolates, grabbing another one, popping into her mouth. She chews and giggles with excitement of her new internship job as a me-chee technician.

Rincon sits inside the chair with his leg over his kneecap, smiling and watching Duchie in amusement. He wears a golden colored leather vest, a white long sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and his cowboy boots, waiting on the new monitor for his internship as the new medical technician.

The medical technician monitor reports to the mayor’s office, this morning for instructing the new five teens of the golden color tone.

Marsilla sits in the loveseat, alone, typing on the palm-sized cell. She reads the first assignment of her internship, waiting on her legal technician monitor. She wears a golden leather jumper over a white blouse and a matching headband inside her pixie, pinching the back of her eardrums with pain. But, she looks pretty and proper, like the newest legal technician. Her mama insisted upon the cute accessory matching her dress. She wears a set of low heeled sandals.

The teens sit and relax inside the room space on the bottom floor of the mayor’s unique office.

The office has four separate tiers connected by a single wraparound open staircase, without a holding banister or hand rails. Each room has a different and function for a specific purpose.

The bottom space is a living room setting for the social visitors and business appointments, containing numerous covered clothed loveseats, long sofas, arm chairs, and glass side tables on top of a tile floor. Each table contains magazines, a vase of flowers, and a dish of candy.

You climb the open staircase to the second tier, an eating table. The table holds sixteen chairs for sixteen friends or business appointments. A big flower arrangement decorates the table, along with sixteen placements of clean and shiny plates, cups, and utensils. The only item missing is the food, being delivered at lunchtime.

The third tier is work space, containing a library of electronic media and the working computers.

The fourth tier holds a lonely desk, nicely polished wood, only. The desk faces the rear of the wall. The rear of the wall faces the air, the sky, and the wind, and 104 floors, above the city streets in Colfax.

The door swishes open in silence, since the female makes the annoying sound, instead.

Nephella frowns with frustration, making her facial piercing dance. She wears her golden colored cat suit from yesterday with the soft golden boots, just to irritate her mama. She says. “Mama, I don’t need you as my monitor. I have lived with you for…”

The mayor smiles. Her cheekbone piercing crinkles into her wrinkles. She strolls from the open door, wrapping her arm about her child. “Daughter, we have arrived at my office. I appreciate your input, child. Attention, interns! Welcome to my office. I am the mayor. You may address me, as mayor, Ms. Mayor, or ma’am. I have great news. I will be your monitor for the next six months…”

Rincon exhales and raises his hand in frustration. “Mayor, I am going to be a medical technician for the rest of my days. I don’t mean any disrespect, here, but you are not qualified to teach me those particular medical skills.”

The mayor exhales, pouting her lips at him. She nods then smiles as her cheekbone piercing crinkles into her wrinkles. “You are correct, Rincon. However, there has been a slight change in the procedure for this year’s interns…”

“Ms. Mayor, I downloaded the new intern manual, this morning, at six, here, on my new cell. It states all interns will be under the direction of the mayor for the next six months. She will provide six exercises for the intern, testing and evaluating academic, mental, physical, and social skills.” Marsilla nods and grins at the mayor.

The mayor nods, smiling at Marsilla. “Excellent, intern Marsilla! You are showing great promise within my cabinet.”

“What cabinet, Mama?” Nephella frowns with puzzlement, standing behind her mama’s back.

The mayor nods, smiling and moving into the middle of the living room space. “Welcome to my office! There are four tiers. This is the living room tier for relaxing and meeting with dignities.”

What dignities, Mama?” Nephella frowns with puzzlement, viewing her mama’s nose profile.

The mayor exhales then says. “I am going to evaluate each one of you, maybe, for a new post. There are five intern positions and only four interns to fill the spots.”

Duchie frowns with confusion. “Good morning, mayor. My name is Duchie from Dandine. I am sorry. I don’t understand your statement or your new rules. I just wanna be a me-chee technician. I really didn’t care about filling another post or position, here, in Colfax.”

Rincon nods, smiling and sitting inside the chair. “I would like to point out, here. There were five teens that successfully presented inside the gold color tone. Therefore, the five teens could easily fulfill the five open positions. If you allowed, the other teen to assume…”

“No, absolutely not, she made her decision. My decision is final.” The mayor frowns, crinkling her nose bridge piercing with a visual ugliness on her distorted face. She says. “And, I am the ruler of the Colfax, here.  I am implementing the new changes effective, immediately, and affecting all the interns, here, within Colfax.” She smiles crinkling her cheekbone piercing into her wrinkles. “Now, there will be six courses that each one of you will be tested…”

“Mama, we all had been tested in the Cubby Hole. We all passed, landing inside the golden circle for our dream job. You…you can’t just change the rules, now.” Nephella frowns with frustration at her mama.

The mayor smiles and nods. “Daughter, thank you for your input, as usual. However, I am mayor of Colfax. I can change, and will change, and have changed the rules. The new rules are very, very simple. There will be six exercises. Each exercise is worth hundred points. The points are relative, as a measuring unit. The points could have been assigned 500 points, not 100. Therefore, the number of points is minor in the contest…”

“Contest!?” Duchie frowns. “I passed out of the Cubby Hole. I don’t wanna be tested, or trialed, or competitive, anymore…”

The mayor smirks. “Too bad, your attitude towards the new test, sucks, intern Duchie. I would suggest, suck it up and do it, since I will be reassessing each one of you, interns. Then, I will be deciding each one of your new or earned positions, interns. But, first, we should tour my office. My air space reaches towards the stars, literally. There are four tiers, like stories, without the annoying peoples or the ugly elevators.” She extends her hands. “This is the living room space for visiting dignities. Please, follow me for the grand tour. We slowly stroll up the open staircase then stand inside the eating space.” She stands, extending her arms, smiles. “This room holds fifteen other dignities to dine with me. We should eat, here, for lunch, today, unless you are too busy, solving your exercise. As we continue upward, this is the library space. There are millions of electronic books and articles for your convenience, regarding your new set of exercises. As we glide up the stairs, we land upon the fourth level. This is my personal work desk.”

Duchie smiles, standing on the edge of the floor, leans over the air molecules. “Whoa! Your office is so cool. Each space, on each tier looks, like a small cubby hole with furniture and functionality. Wow! Your office space is awesome. I can see down below into the living space room. Spat going the monkey,” she giggles with Rincon.

Rincon smiles near the desk, saying. “You should think about installing a set of railing around the open flooring. Someone could accidentally fall off the fourth level then land down into the bottom floor.”

Marsilla stands away from the opening flooring, too. She scoots near the walls, viewing the outside clouds and birds. “I like your walls, I mean, your windows. The walls are only solid sheets of glass windows for viewing the sky, the clouds, the sun, the birds, and everything.”

The mayor walks to her desk, sitting and rotating the chair in a circle. She smiles. “Yes, this is my office. I make all the decision, right here, regarding Colfax and the outer townships. Now, your first exercise…”

“Electromagnetic walls.” Marsilla reads from her cell, smiling at the mayor.

“Very good, intern Marsilla! Yes, the first exercise is about electromagnetic walls or the barrier walls,” she stands, walking towards the double doors of glass. She exits into the sunshine.

The interns follow the mayor.

Nephella stands outside, out of the wind, near the windows, lighting her cigar, remembering her sweet grandfather. The white smoke drifts into the air then carries towards the south skyline.

Duchie dashes to the edge of the balcony, without any railing, also.

Rincon chases after her, pulling her from the edge, then cuddles her.

The mayor extends her arms, smiling and looking at the sun. “This is my crowning glory.”

Nephella squats and grins, burning the cigar on three short piles of bird pookie. The nasty odor invades the balcony with a strong vile sense. She giggles and grins.

The mayor sniffs then frowns, swinging to her daughter. She exhales then swings to the sky, again. “We are 104 stories high into the heavens. This is my personal balcony. When my day becomes, too stressed, I simply step out here and let the troubles fly away into the clouds.”

Marsilla smirks and stands near the windows, surveying the bird pookie on the walls, the balcony, and the roof tops. “You should shoot the birds for messing up your balcony, then, maybe, trouble wouldn’t trouble you, so much…”

“What!?” The mayor views Marsilla. Marsilla fingers the numerous wet and dried white bird droppings around the balcony, nodding and sniggering. The mayor exhales then views the skyline. “This is our little world of Colfax. We are very lucky. It is a cloudy day, so we will be able to see the fireworks?”

Rincon frowns, surveying the skyline. “What fireworks?”

Marsilla narrows her eyelashes at the clouds. “Fireworks, for a celebration?”

Duchie struggles from Rincon’s gripe then runs along the edge of the balcony, smiling and nodding. She fingers the skyline. “The mayor’s talking about the fireworks display from the surrounding outer townships from the drifting soil or matter samples. Let’s see. We’re facing in the northern direction. So, in the northwestern corner, you will see the tiny pink fireworks. That’s the outer township of Tonkey, the radiation pits. Then, in the northern sky is that my home town of Dandine…”

“Dookie Town,” Marsilla yells then laughs.

Rincon pops Marsilla on the arm, snarling at the mean teen.

Marsilla sticks her tongue out at Rincon then giggles, again.

Duchie says. “I was the dookie girl. Now, I’m a Colfax gal,” she giggles, fingering the sky. “In the northeastern sky is Burrville, the farms and farmers. The sky is lined with orange dust, during the morning and afternoon from pulling the tractor plows.” She marches along the edge of the balcony, moving towards the south direction. “If ya follow me towards the south, you will see the tiny green objects, coming from the town of Hamlin, that’s grass cuttings. In the southeast, the town of Montag produces the blue fireworks, without any sound. And, the township of Albend shoots little red teardrops into the air waves, before they fall right back down onto the d…”

“I am impressed, intern Duchie.” The mayor nods and grins. “You are very studious with your topics. We are standing on the highest structure in all of Colfax. And, you are viewing my reign the inner and outer limits of Colfax as mayor. This is where our first exercise should begin.”

Duchie exhales, smiling and fingering the object. “Wow! What’s that mountain? It looks like a statue.”

Rincon cuddles Duchie, dragging her from the edge, smiles. “Payne Mountain, made of golden granite, no grass, or trees, or flowers, I am afraid.”

Duchie giggles inside Rincon’s biceps. “So, what’s the purpose, then?”

The mayor nods and smiles, viewing the granite mountain. “For beauty…”

Duchie frowns. “How’s a granite mountain more beautiful than a flying bird, or a hopping rabbit, or a standing rose flower?”

The mayor frowns, crinkling her cheekbone piercing into her wrinkles, walking across the object. “Please, follow me. This is the cross bridge into your new work space.”

Marsilla gasps, stopping at the edge of the cross path. “This is a dangerous bridge, crossing only over the air molecules. What’s over there that needs my attention?”

The mayor walks over the bridge, yelling. “This is the direction of the map room. It displays the entire providence of Colfax, electronically. This is your new work space for all your exercises.” She stomps in her fashion sandals on the new balcony.

The balcony of the building is even in height of 104 stories to her office building, displaying a single square-shaped door frame, which is closed.

The mayor frowns with fury, crossing her arms, watching and waiting for the interns to walk the open bridge for their new assignment.

Duchie giggles, skipping across the naked bridge, without any railing, either, then lands on the balcony concrete. She advances towards the closed door.

The building is taller than the office building, rectangular shaped in dull white paint, wearing more bird droppings of gray, too.

Marsilla shakes her headband, her curls, and her hands, back stepping in the wrong direction. “No, I cannot cross that bridge. There’s not railing, or hand holds, or enclosed walls. The walls are missing. It is a jungle bridge for the birds, not people. I am a walking and talking person, not a flying bird. I can’t cross that bridge…”

The mayor grins. “This is your first exercise, fear. You must cross the bridge into the map room. Inside the map room, there is your second assignment.”

Rincon exhales, hugging Marsilla. “I will walk with you across the bridge. Why don’t ya close your eyes? Then, the walk will be, like walking on the beach, feeling the fierce wind.”

Marsilla nods, without speaking. Rincon wraps his arm around her, slowly walking over the bridge. He can’t close his eyes, wishing he could. He doesn’t like down towards the city streets, but feels the wind brush his shoulder length hair around his face then it slaps his cheekbone.

The wind is strong, pulling his body towards the south from the upcoming rain storm.

Rincon slowly pads across the bridge, seeing the tiny buildings and small trees. He exhales, stomping with Marsilla onto the concrete then growls at the mayor.

The mayor smiles and sniggers with delight.

Nephella exhales, frowning with frustration at her mama. She bounces across the bridge, letting the white smoke of the cigar pollutes the air waves of Colfax, giggling.

The mayor swings then leads towards the closed door. She presses her necklace cell.

The door cracks open, sliding inside the wall.

The mayor enters, when the lights illuminates the room.

The room is rectangular shaped room matching the exterior design of the building. There is a center platform with half glass walls. Inside the platform, there are four glass writing desks, without cabinets or drawers.

The mayor walks into the center of the platform, smiling and extending her hands. “This is the map room.”

Duchie walks behind her, scanning the room. “It’s painted pure white. Where are the maps?”

Nephella tosses her cigar onto the outside balcony, walking into the room, sitting at the first glass desk. She exhales, rubbing her hands over the smooth glass, frowning with frustration at her mama.

Marsilla slowly walks inside, scanning the room, too. “The walls are white. Where are the maps?”

The mayor laughs. “How amusing? Two of the interns think the same way, and the other two interns are, only, observers.”

Rincon walks inside, darting his eyes left then right, sits at the desk located in the southwest corner of the platform, the opposite side of Nephella, without speaking. He has learned to observe, first, and then ask questions, sometimes, never.

The mayor smiles. She presses her necklace cell.

The white walls turn into colored maps.

Marsilla stands and smiles at the colored lights. “Wow! This is an electronic grid of Colfax and the outer townships. How is this possible?”

Duchie stands at one of the empty glass desks, sits on top the table, wiggling her boot in the hair. She leans into the glass, rubbing her hands over the smooth surface. “Awesome! The walls glow with colored lights. Electromagnetic waves created the electromagnetic barrier wall. The computer’s capturing and outlining the waves around the walls. This is our second exercise. I like those thinking exercises, best.”

The mayor nods and smiles at Marsilla and then Duchie. “Excellent, Marsilla and Duchie!”

Marsilla smiles and nods. “Do I receive a hundred points?”

The mayor frowns at Marsilla. “No. This is the part of the exercise, displaying the maps. Each of you will receive hundred points for battling your fear by crossing the dangerous bridge, some swiftly and some slowly. From now and forward, you must use cross the walking bridge in order to access the map. This is the purpose of the bridge, keeping out nosy assistants. And, the door will close automatically, after you enter, keeping the heating elements and sunlight out of the room. It is not locked. You can leave at any time, coming and going for your private use. Now, for the exercise, but, first, these are your desks. Each desk is built into a wall corner of glass. There’s the southeastern desk, empty. The southwestern desk is occupied by Rincon. The northwestern desk is occupied by my daughter. And, the northwestern desk is occupied by Duchie. Please sit inside the empty deck, Marsilla. The desks are made from glass. You can write on top of the desk with a special marker, like dust,” She giggles. “The marker is similar to a pencil with an erasing function at the tip. So, you can solve the exercise, after you have failed. I promise. These exercises are not listed inside any textbook for you to peruse or inside an electronic library to find.” She smiles, extending her arms. “Let us start with the map. The map is outlined in either a long or a wide rectangular. Each township is represented by a particular rectangular. Each wall holds one or two electronic townships. Starting behind both Nephella and Rincon, you see the color of yellow, representing the town of Dandine…”

Duchie sits on table of her desk, wiggling her crossed leg, frowns. “Wait, Tonkey is located, before the township of Dandine. However, I don’t see the pink electromagnetic waves, here, on the map room.”

The mayor grins and nods to Duchie. “Excellent, intern Duchie.”

“Does she get another hundred points for that simple observation? I know that the outer township of Tonkey occupies the lands, before the outer township of Dandine, too, Ms. Mayor.” Marsilla sneers at Duchie. “You should sit inside the desk, not on top of it, Duchie, like a proper intern.”

Duchie giggles. “I’m short. I see better with the added height, right here.”

Marsilla hisses.

The mayor smiles and nods to Duchie. “No. I have confused you about the scoring of this exercise. I will announce, when the points are up for grabs, if you wish. But, I strongly encourage all vocal outbursts, which will lead to the final solution for the exercise. Right now, I am explaining the map. Starting with the north and south western wall, behind my daughter and Rincon, the wall is a solid yellow line. The electromagnetic waves do not really distinguish between the clouds, the birds, the peoples, the houses, or the ground soil. It is simply, echoing the color tone of the barrier wall. The north wall is behind both my daughter and Duchie, holding three colors, yellow, green and blue. The green walls represent Burrville, the farms. The blue color is Montag, the shops. Now, the reason, there are three colors is the physical geographical landmass of the farms. The farmland is between the yellow barrier wall and the blue barrier wall. To provide you with a sense of mass, the farmland is ten miles in length and thirty miles wide, over 200,000 acres of land for our food. I would like to stop and emphasize, here. Our food comes from Burrville. The yellow barrier wall is the sewer plant for dookie. The blue color is the numerous shops, carrying the designed and decorated merchandise, which is housed inside our homes and our office…”

Duchie wiggles her foot, giggling. “Ah! So, we’re learning about the economies of Colfax.”

The mayor crinkles her cheekbone piercing into her wrinkles for a smile and nods to her. “Hundred points, Duchie! That is an outstanding observation. Yes, we are learning about the economies of Colfax, which rely upon the outer townships. And, the outer townships rely upon me, the mayor of Colfax. My primary job is to ensure that the outer townships flow both smooth and easy, without troubles or problems. As we continue around the room, the north and south eastern wall is completely blue. This is the landscape of Montag, where our new golden tinted leather clothing, our new golden tinted shoes, and our new golden hair bands come from. The merchants design their merchandise then bring it into the mall, here, inside Colfax. The Colfaxians purchase the merchandise, during the day or night time hours, and then the merchants leave our posh city. Now, the wall behind Marsilla and Rincon is colored in blue, green and red, and yellow. There is no color of pink, either. The green colors represent the outer township of Hamlin, where the gardeners, house cleaners, and janitors reside. They come into Colfax, during the day or the night, cleaning our houses and buildings. The color of red is Albend, where the raw food and raw hides of animals are processed and packaged for our stores. You also see the color of yellow, being repeated. The explanation, the sewer plant is very, very big place, requiring lots of landscape. Now, I have explained the four walls and the representative colors, and the relationships.” She presses the button on her necklace cell. “I press my button. You see tiny small black circles, scattered throughout the maps. Please, take a few minutes to study the circles.”

Marsilla frowns at the tiny black circles. “I can clearly see the circles. What do they represent?”

The mayor nods. “This is the first exercise and worth hundred points. I do not know what they represent, either. You see the tiny black circles are concentrated along the invisible barrier walls. For example, inside the four green barrier walls of Burrville, the black circles park exclusively along both the northeastern and southeastern wall corner. And, then the tiny black circles along the both corners of the north and south western corners. On the opposite side of Burrville, inside the yellow barrier, the black circles exclusively concentrate in the middle of the yellow barrier wall. In another instance, within Albend, the black circles line along the red barrier wall between Dandine and Albend. Inside Montag, the tiny circles are peppered along the blue barrier wall aligning with the golden barrier of Colfax. This is an interesting mystery to me and my staff.”

“You didn’t have any staff members, Mama.” Nephella leans into the wall with her feet on the desk, totally ignoring the black circles on the walls. She picks at her fingernails with the small pen knife.

Rincon frowns at the objects, studying the walls. “I am taking an educated guess, here. Since, I do not posses any additional information. The black circles are caused by animals, rubbing or charging at the e-field. Any type of discharge would rattle the electrons, like that, maybe, producing an echo back to the map room.”

The mayor nods and smiles at Rincon. “That is a very good guess, but, not correct. There is not any type of human or mammal life forms associated with the black circles. The map room possesses heat sensors, too.”

Marsilla frowns at the objects, too, studying the walls. “Alright! If there is not heat associated with any of the black circles, then it is an individual, or a set of broken tree limbs, maybe, other larger natural debris from other tall trees or high mountain peaks that has hit and banged at the barrier wall.”

The mayor nods and smiles at Marsilla. “That is another very good guess, but wrong. The black circles shifts from the old position to a new position along the wall, without explanation or cause. If it was a downed tree trunk, then it would not move.”

Duchie sits on desk, wiggling her leather boot up and down, giggling. She studies both Marsilla and Rincon.

They possess serious faces, rotating their skulls back and forth at the walls.

Duchie studies the mayor.

The mayor rotates her face at the interns, going back and forth from the teens.

Nephella carefully cuts her fingernails with the dull pen knife then drops the dirt onto the clean glass floor, sniggers.

Duchie smiles. “The Wally Hole…”

Rincon chuckles. “The what?”

Duchie giggles. “When tall and ugly Wally kicked his boot toe into the wall, then it created a big ugly hole. It’s called the Wally Hole,” she laughs with Rincon, Nephella and the mayor.

Marsilla sneers.

Duchie giggles, wiggling her boot. “Actually, the black circles, inside Dandine, are the teens messing around with the barrier wall.”

Rincon, Marsilla, and the mayor view Duchie, dropping her mouths.

Nephella drops her feet from the table, frowning and studying Duchie.

Duchie giggles. “Each black circle represents a ding into the electromagnetic field by a sneaky teen, who is trying to escape from Dookie Town.”

Marsilla gasps. “Impossible! You cannot injury an electromagnetic field. It is a physical field produced by a set of electrically charged objects.”

Rincon frowns then studies the maps. “Electromagnetic fields or e-fields are everywhere, but invisible to the eyeball. Hey, why are the e-fields colored?”

Duchie giggles, kicking up and down her leather boot into the air. “A property of space is caused by the motion of an electric charge. A stationary charge produces only an electric field. An e-field is a form of non-ionized radiation. The barrier walls are both radiated and colored, giving off a subtle hint of both danger and beauty.”

The mayor smiles and nods to Duchie. “Outstanding, intern Duchie! However, I still do not understand, why there are a set of black circles, kissing the walls of each barrier.”

Duchie giggles. “An e-field is nothing, but scattered electrons, that have become packaged into a solid form, like a barrier wall. The dumb teens whack and attack the barrier wall, trying to break it, like a heavy concrete slab, which don’t work.”

The mayor gasps, fingering the objects. “Are you saying, that every single black circle represents a teen, trying to escape from their designated home town through the barrier wall, and then into Colfax? All the black circles lead into our posh city of Colfax.”

Duchie giggles. “Tried and failed. Ta-da! Yeah, I should know I tried and failed, too. Ya see, ya take a rock then slam it into the wall. The wall doesn’t move, at least, in your eye sight. However, I didn’t think the echo of the impacted rock would be recorded upon the wall. I learned something new, today.”

The mayor whispers for her eardrums, only. “So, have I…”

Nephella exhales, frowning with worry. “I disagree with Duchie, totally. An e-field is impenetrable. The walls have existed for zillions of centuries, between the outer townships. If one teen has successfully broken out and then through the barrier, then you, mama dear, what have learned about it.”

Rincon chuckles. “Is your mama a zillion centuries old, Nephella?” Duchie giggles with Nephella.

Marsilla frowns with annoyance. “I do not believe Duchie, either. As a matter of act, I believe that we should investigate each single black circle and confirm her silly explanation, a set of wicked teens, or a set of annoying animals, or a set of broken tree limbs to determine who is most correct?”

Rincon drops his mouth. “I have estimated that there are about 173 black circles, more or less. If my fourth grade skills are perfect and they are. You suggestion would require utilizing the rest of our time, every day of the six months, tracking down every single black circle. Then, at the end of it, we would not have a valid explanation, because we would not have time to theorize a hypothesis of the cause, much less a solution, Marsilla.”

The mayor smiles at Rincon. “Outstanding, intern Rincon. I agree with his issue. Outstanding, intern Marsilla. I agree with your solution. Therefore, we should investigate and learn. Which outer township shall we visit, interns?”

Marsilla smirks. “I propose that we visit the township with the least amount of black circles, saving our precious time and developing causation, swiftly. The township is Burrville. There are only four circles within each directional corner. It is the wind, tearing off the limbs, then the limbs attack the barrier. I am correct, then I will earn the hundred points. Ms. Mayor, what is the current point status among the teens?”

The mayor smiles. “All four teens are even-steven at 200 points, apiece. Very good, interns, it is time for lunch, also. Lunch will be served in my office on the third tier, too. I am sorry, but I will not dining with you, either. I have an appointment…”

Nephella drops her mouth. “Lunch with whom, Mama?”

12:02 pm. dining room. third tier of the mayor’s office. lunch

Rincon sits at the eating table, slapping the napkin into his lap. “Most correct!? It is correct, or it is not correct, Marsilla?”

Duchie giggles. “Someone’s sucking up to the teacher for brownie points?”

Marsilla chews with good southern belle manners, avoiding the insulting question.

Nephella slides the water goblet side to side, frowning with worry. “Duchie, you shouldn’t diss your family and friends from your own township of Dandine.”

Duchie giggles, chewing. “I’m not dissing. I’m tattling on some mischievous teens inside the barrier walls.”

Marsilla wipes her mouth then frowns. “They all should be punished for damaging the barrier wall…”

Rincon wipes his mouth then frowns. “You cannot damage an e-field, Marsilla, no matter how many rocks you toss from the sky, or from the wind, or from your big ugly man-hands.”

Marsilla smiles. “How did your mother become mayor of Colfax?”

Nephella stabs the food. “It’s an honorary position, not elected.”

“Who bestolen that honor on your mama?” Rincon chuckles and winks at Duchie. Duchie giggles.

“Bestow, not bestolen!” Marsilla sneers.

Nephella chuckles and chews the food. “Don’t know! I guess your parents and the good folks of Colfax…”

Marsilla wipes her mouth then smiles. “You are not most correct, Nephella. The Cubby Hole dictated the mayor’s position, when your mama selected that job title among the five intern positions, during her testing stage.”

Duchie nods. “Ah! Very good observation, Marsilla! Therefore, Nephella will lead our people into the next century, as the new mayor of Colfax, after your mama retires. Is that a most correct assumption?” She chews, grinning.

Nephella stabs her food. “Naw, maybe not…”

Marsilla gasps then grins. “Why, not? What has changed, within the intern formula? The mayor talked about evaluating and assessing each one of us for our current position, or maybe, a new position within Colfax. Does the mayor have some serious doubts about her only child, leading the populous into prosperity of the next century for Colfax?”

“I wanna be a me-chee technician.” Duchie chews and nods.

“I desire the medical technician position, no other, please,” Rincon smiles then stabs his food.

Nephella stares at Marsilla, opening her mouth, holding the fork. “And, I am going to be the next mayor of Colfax, after my mama retires and I have met all the requirement of my internship, here, within the next six months. Is that clear, Marsilla?”

Marsilla smirks. “Okey dokey,” she chews her food, grinning.

Rincon wipes his mouth, standing. He places the used utensils into the dirty plate. He swings towards the stairs.

Marsilla wipes her mouth then says. “Where are you going, Rincon?”

He says, flowing up the steps. “I am going to study inside the library. I want to learn more about e-fields.”

Marsilla stabs her meat. “That is an excellent idea! We shall be prepared for our visitation into Burrville, tomorrow, for the expected damage to the e-field. I want to be able to provide a solution on the spot, immediately, to Ms. Mayor.”

Nephella chews the food. “An e-field cannot be damaged, Marsilla. Matter is changed, never destroyed. I thought you passed into the golden circle,” she giggles.

Duchie stands, sliding her plate towards the middle then swings towards the stairs. She climbs upwards.

1:03 pm. library. second tier of the mayor’s office

Duchie giggles then slams her leg into Rincon, sweet breathing on her shoulder. “Ya know, who lives inside the Burrville?”

Rincon pretends to read the textbook, without viewing Duchie. He says. “Ketona and Buffo, do ya know the location of his family’s farm homestead?”

Duchie lifts the book of something, looking at the pages. “No. I know, where my grandfather used to live. I guess, I could ask my family member out there about Buffo. They might not know his name, thou…”

Rincon bumps her arm, grinning into the book. “They might know about a girl from the city, living in the country, now.”

Duchies nods. “How are we going to meet them?”

Rincon turns the page, smiling. “How are we going to meet them and get them out, ya mean?”

Duchie exhales and nods. “I wish we could get them out. I like living, here, but it’s different.”

Rincon views her. “Where are you living, here, in Colfax?”

Duchie smiles and winks. “Under your nose, I’m living with Ketona’s parents.”

Rincon gasps then smiles. “Really, when did that happen?”

“After the end of Citizenship Day, my parents were crying and happy for me. However, I was ill prepared with any immediate accommodations. Ketona’s parents were ill prepared with losing their only child. So, they invited me to stay, until my six months internship is up. I spent, last night, tattling and talking about Ketona’s bravery. She should be here with us. She helped me with the snakes. I couldn’t have done that, alone. I couldn’t have conquered my fear of the snakes. I hate snakes. Ketona helped me. I feel sad, and glad, and mad about everything. Ketona should be the next medical technician,” she giggles and punches his elbow.

Rincon gasps then tickles her arms.

She giggles, leaning into his nose profile. “I think we should stay the evening, inside the township of Burrville, and, at least, try and find Buffo and Ketona. Say hi! Can we bring them a gift, too?”

Rincon chuckles then sours. “You know the Establishment rules better than I. No gifts or presents, unless it is a holiday. And, the mayor is going to be on our sightseeing tour. I think that is one of her many reasons for accompanying us…”

Duchie flips through the pages of the book, scooting away from Rincon.

Marsilla plops into a solo arm chair, lifting the book, spying on Duchie and Rincon.

Duchie says. “I think that I am the only reason for the mayor coming with the interns to Burrville. The mayor does not approve of me. I’m from the outer township, an outcast among the elite in Colfax. I, shockingly, penetrated the golden circle, not being a Colfaxian.”

Rincon exhales, pretending to read the book. “I agree, most correctly. And, Marsilla is the spy among us. She can’t stop watching me…you…us. I talked with my parents, last night, too. They were completed shocked that Ketona abandoned her dream job for love.”

Duchie gasps. “That’s so sad and glad, at the same time!”

“Yes, it is both very sad and glad. I would give up everything for love, too.”

Duchie nods and smiles. “Me, too! Love is the most important thing in the world for happiness.”

Rincon grins, bumping her arm. “Me, three!”

Duchie giggles.

Chapter 3

Burrville.

6:01 pm. farm home of Buffo’s grandparents

Dining room. supper time

I sit with my ladylike manners at the supper table, listening to the other farmers. The farmers are Buffo’s family members, including his aunts, uncles, and cousins and their respective spouses. The eating table holds thirty eight place mats with his grandfather sitting at the head of the long squared table.

Buffo’s grandfather: tall, gray hair, gray beard, dark skin, wrinkles, slender. He chews and says in his loud deep tenor. “Farmer Brown has almost finished his dirt tilling. He plants his wheat seedlings, tomorrow. We need to wrap our tilling and plant our seeds, before the rain storms, next week. The summertime weather’s filled with T-storms of mean lighting and loud thunder. Are ya scared of thunder, Ketona?”

I chew then swallow, sitting in the middle next to Buffo. “No sir! I like to see it rain. And, I like to play in the puddles,” I slap Buffo on the kneecap for fun, giggling.

He chuckles then chews.

Buffo’s grandmother: tall, gray hair, black lip mustache, dark skin, wrinkles, plump. She chews then frowns at Ketona, sitting on the opposite end of the long squared table. “Play in the mud puddles at your age, girly. You’re almost twenty years old, too old, to play in the mud puddles with the chickens. Little tiny children play in the mud puddles, girly. This is a farm. There are lots of mud puddles. If I catch you bringing mud into my house…”

Buffo exhales, nodding. “Ketona is being funny, grandmother. It’s a joke to reference the farm and the rain, here, in Burrville.”

Buffo’s grandmother chews then frowns at Ketona. “Being funny, then tell a funny joke, not stating a game for a child.”

“Yes ma’am!” I view my plate, eating my food.

Girl: pre-teen, blond hair, freckles, crooked teeth, dark skin, sitting between her parents, slightly left of her grandfather. She giggles and smiles. “Mama, when are ya finishing my dress? My birthday party is on Saturday. Remember?”

Her mama views the plate, mashing up the potatoes. “Well, I’m about to start…”

Girl: pre-teen, black hair, dark skin, dimples, sitting between her parents, slightly right of her grandmother. She smiles. “My dress is going to be blue, like the sky for my birthday party. Mama, when do I try on my dress for the party?”

Girl: pre-teen, red hair, pink skin, freckles, sitting between her parents, slightly left of her grandmother. She smiles. “Mama, what time is the party, this Saturday night? Don’t we need to be fixing up the barn, too?”

I giggle and smile, scanning the table. “There’s a party, a birthday party. Who’s having a birthday party?”

The three young girls raise their hands, giggling and laughing.

I smile and nod. “I love birthday parties, too. When is the party, on Saturday? What time? I’ll help do something.”

Buffo’s grandmother frowns at Ketona. “The time has not been set, yet. Finish your vegetables, children, before bath time, or ya got no dessert, either.

The children view their plates, eating the vegetables.

Buffo’s grandfather clears his throat then stands. He lifts his dirty plate into the air. “Ya know, the weather’s going to be bad on Saturday, lots of rain and thunder and lightning bolts. I don’t know, if we can get everyone over to the barn through the rain puddles. Folks don’t like getting out, when the weather is bad.”

The girl frowns. “O! When will we know, for shore, tonight’s Monday? My birthday is in five more days.”

Buffo’s grandfather frowns. “We will know, tomorrow, maybe. So, we just see about the party, later. Okay, girls?”

The second young girl frowns with sadness, holding her dirty plate. “Okay, grandfather.”

I exhale, viewing the sad faces of the girls and then stand. I collect my plate, walking into the kitchen, helping with the clean up, after supper.

7:10 pm. my farm house. front porch

Buffo cuddles with Ketona inside the swing on her house.

I smile, studying the sky. “Do we see the colored sky decorations, every night? Since, the orange dust has settled in the air waves and been rubbed off my body, I feel clean and can see the hundreds of the tiny pretty pink circles, hovering in the air over Tonkey. I see yellow tiny bubbles hundreds of them float up from Dandine. The colors are pretty in the night sky. I know what the colors represent, but the colors are pretty.”

He views the wooden planks. “Yeah.”

I pat his arm, frowning with sadness. “What’s wrong, Buffo? You seem sad.”

He kicks the wood planks, making the chair swing. “I didn’t know.”

“You didn’t know…what exactly.”

“I didn’t know about the supply shortage.”

“What supply shortage?”

“The young girls are my nieces. They turn thirteen years old, on Saturday. Their mamas promised them a new dress for their party, but I didn’t know…”

I shake my curls, exhaling. “You didn’t know what?”

“Their cells were taken away by the Establishment.”

“Why?”

“I need to restate. There is one single cell inside the fire house for requesting supplies, but it is used for acquiring equipment parts, gasoline, and other necessaries for the farm. The luxury items are not necessary per the Establishment.”

I exhale. “Well, sometimes, luxury items are not really needed, like a cell or a…”

“A dress is for a very important day, like the birth of your life. Yeah, I guess a luxury item, like that is not needed, too.”

I clear my throat. “I thought her mama couldn’t finish the party dress in time, on Saturday.”

“Her mama couldn’t get the fabric to make the dress. It was ordered, six months ago. She watched and waited for every supply shipment and then the unloading, but it didn’t come.”

“Six months ago, does anyone know the reason for the misplacement?”

“Mistake. Establishment is running their lives…our lives out here, in Burrville, and the surrounding outer townships. They take everything from the outer townships for themselves the food, the meats, the fabric, the clothing, the furniture. My grandfather placed an order for new furniture inside this house, six months ago, too. It never showed it,” he fingers the door of the house.

I gasp. “Why?”

Buffo stands, grabbing Ketona by the hand, walks towards the garage. He enters the garage then releases her hand. He pulls and drags out the two-seater flier for him. He says. “Let’s take an air ride. I wanna show ya something.”

“Okay.” I strap into my one-seater flier, standing and waiting on Buffo, frowning with worry. I view the sky. “How can we fly away from the farm and around the clouds, without getting into trouble, by your grandparents?”

“Naw, the flier is fanned by air waves. Suck in invisible wind and then orange dust comes out. So, the higher ya go up into the clouds, the more orange dust ya create around you, kinda like a baby tornado. My grandparents won’t really approve, either, since they run a strict homestead. But, we’re not really monitored by them, during the evening hours. They’re in bed, now, since they rise with the horizon, every morning.” Buffo smiles, lifts and then hovers over the dirt, waiting on Ketona.

I whisper for my eardrums, only. The air fan prevents any type of conversation between the flying machines. “I rise with horizon, too, for the rest of my life.” I lift then fly beside him. I smile, enjoying the air. The wind hits my face, cooling the heated day from my cheekbones. The air pressure pops within my ears, lifting higher than the flying birds. I giggle. “Watch out, birdie! I don’t have wings. I got jets of heated air. Burn ya up!” I giggle, since Buffo can’t hear me over his roaring engine, too.

I see for miles and miles and miles orange dirt. I see a few houses. The homesteads are about 3000 acres, apart, for the benefit of the growing crops for food.

Buffo flies in a southern direction.

I lag behind, enjoying the freedom of flying, like a bird. I guess, I did enjoy the challenge of the Cubby Hole. Now, I understand, how a teen could get caught up into the fantasy world of cougars, and snakes.

The Cubby Hole is a once in a life time adventure, never to be repeated. However, it awaits for the next generation of seventeen years old, next year.

I giggle and putt-putt in the sky about ten feet from the soil, slowly flying in the darkness.

The moon is lighted with yellowish-white, almost full. I wonder, if one day, a teen would ever travel to the moon and live there.

On my right, I see the glowing yellow barrier wall. If I narrow my eyelashes, I think I see some small fires, behind the wall, probably camping out, like savages on the ground.

On my left, I see the glittering blue barrier wall of Montag, where the shops are located with new and developing merchandise. If I narrow my eyelashes, I think I see hills of twinkling glass. I guess, the homes of the shop owners.

We travel about five miles through the air.

I see ahead of me, a golden barrier wall. I gasp. This is the barrier between Burrville and Colfax.

I feel suddenly sad and homesick. I lived in Colfax, since my birth, too. My parents still reside in Colfax.

The barrier wall is golden tinted with light color, but I can see the outline of the skyline building of businesses, the medium sized slender buildings of residents, and the tallest building is the shopping mall. I gasp at the beauty of posh Colfax in dull colors of gray and tan. “Yuck! Colfax is not beauty or posh, it is dull and grey. The sky is prettier than the city.”

The buildings bleed in dirty white, where the white has melted into a more dark gray.

Buffo hovers about ten feet from the wall, studying Colfax.

I slam into the barrier wall, gasping with shock. The handle bars of the flier ricochets from the solid wall, without harming me. I giggle, backing up from the wall.

Buffo lowers the flier to the ground.

I slowly wobble side to side, not getting used to landing then roughly kick the soil into the air from my lousy descend.

Buffo stands, removing the flier from his body. He places it on the soil.

I remove the flier from my body then walk and stand beside him. I gasp. “The city looks like a power plant in the dark clouds. The skyline buildings are outlined in tiny colored light bulbs, making the white colored building, look like a different shade. I never noticed the color light bulbs around the buildings. Did you?”

“I saw them years ago, when I first visited my grandfather. I thought the sight was pretty, too. Then, I started growing wiser in both my mind and my heart. I don’t think Colfax is pretty, anymore.”

“You sound bitter about your Cubby Hole experience.”

“You shouldn’t have to pass a test, figuring out, what ya want to be. You should be allowed to grow and make mistakes and then grow some more into what ya wanna be, not forced into something, that you don’t wanna be.”

“I guess not. But, if a farmer is the best you can be then you have selected the appropriate job position, within our society.”

Buffo mouth spits on the soil, sneering. “What shame is there, being a farmer, Ketona? My grandfather grows food that feeds his family, his friends, his neighbors, like the folks, inside Dandine, and Montag, and, Colfax, and everywhere.”

I cross my arms, feeling the chilling air. “Why are you so angry? You wanted to be a farmer. Ya snapped your fingers and here you are.”

He exhales. “I’m mad,” he hugs Ketona. “I bitter about other things, for other folks, like Jara and Hatch, and my young nieces, who can’t have a pretty dress on their birthdays.”

I nod, studying Colfax. “I know, birthday parties are very special, especially, for the birthday recipient. But, if your aunt can’t pay for the fabric for the dress…”

Buffo releases Ketona, dropping his mouth. “She can pay for the fabric. She did pay for the fabric of the dress. Actually, I think my grandfather did, six months ago.”

I drop my mouth. “Then, I didn’t understand. I guess I don’t understand a lot of things.”

Buffo nods. “Yes, there are lots of things that I do not understand, either. But, I am beginning to formula some theories. My aunt paid for the dress fabric, in advance, picking out the color and texture. However, inside each supply shipment, there was a note attached, saying the color wasn’t available. So, my aunt ordered a different shade of color. Inside the next supply shipment, the attached note said the texture wasn’t available. So, my aunt ordered a different type of fabric. Inside the next supply shipment, the color wasn’t available.”

I nod. “Well, I can understand, being upset. But, if the color or fabric is not available, then it is not available. So, I don’t understand the fuss.”

Buffo exhales. “The fuss is the three girls are having a birthday party. They didn’t want any other particular present, only a fancy dancing dress for their once in a life-time thirteen year old birthday party, which will never be repeated, ever.”

I nod and smile. “Then, they could just order it from the shop inside Montag, instead of getting the fabric delivered inside Burrville.”

Buffo frowns with annoyance. “Yeah, my aunt could order from Montag any particular manufactured item from any store, but it never seems to arrive inside Burrville.”

I shake my curls. “Now, that doesn’t make any sense to me, Buffo. My mama ordered all types of merchandise, all the time, at the mall, and then it was delivered at our house, on time, all the time.”

Buffo says. “Therefore, all clothing and furnishing is home-made, here, in Burrville. I mean, all the female farmers and some of the talented male farmers do a good job, anyways, of making clothes and furnishing pieces. But, my nieces wanted something very special for their thirteen year old birthday party.”

I shake my curls. “I can understand the lost fabric, the misplaced orders of merchandise. However, I do not understand all the fuss over three party dresses that would have been outrageously expensive for the little girls. A party dress is very costly.” I view the soil then Buffo. “Probably, as costly as, a pound of corn seedlings for this here, crop field. And, I would know, first hand. When my parents purchased my thirteen year old party dress, it was grand and fancy and a month of their payroll salaries. They special ordered it from the shop keeper at the mall and then it was made, especially, for me then delivered to our house for my party,” I smile and nod.

He sneers at her. “So’s!?”

“So’s!? Buffo, I believe your grandfather is being very wise in cancelling a party, where a girl’s true dream can’t be achieved.”

“What are you talking about, girl?”

I exhale, tossing my hands then extend outwards and towards the plowed crop field. “Your family doesn’t have the money to pay for one fancy dress for one pre-teen, Buffo?”

He drops his mouth then frowns with annoyance at her. He exhales, shaking his skull. “Ketona, my grandfather is extremely rich. He can pay for the delivery of sixty of these little fancy dresses for his granddaughters…”

I gasp, dropping my mouth. “What? How?”

Buffo grins and nods. “Farms grow food and raise livestock. Food and meat are eaten by everyone. Everyone pays money for food to eat. Therefore, the money is paid to the farmers. All the farmers are all very wealthy, here, in Burrville.”

I narrow my eyelashes, scanning the distance homesteads under the bright moonlight. I can’t see all the homesteads, since the great distance of field crops. But, I remember from my tour, that the inside of Buffo’s grandparents’ house is grand, not draped in silks or satins.

I smelled the fresh pine from the new additional room, new paint on the walls, and new carpet over the floors. The interior layout is massive compared to my parents’ tall two story townhouse, in the posh city of Colfax. I swing my face, studying the guts of glittering Colfax, wearing the fake colored light bulbs around the dull white painted skyline buildings.

I exhale, shaking my curls. “I can’t believe this. Why do they live, here, in Burrville? They could move and live in the city. I admit the city could use some new paint and more creative citizens, enhancing the quality of life in Colfax…”

“What for, Ketona?” Buffo frowns with sadness. “Why would they move from the soil, that they love and the life that they love? They love it, here, in Burrville. I love it, here, in Burrville, better than the city life.” He slams his hands on the barrier wall, growling. “Now, I understand. I didn’t understand, before, but I do, now. The Colfaxians take everything from the outer townships for themselves, first and last, never leaving anything for the outer townships.”

I gasp, studying the lights of Colfax. “That’s impossible, Buffo. The population of Colfax is much smaller then the outlying townships, so small, that it could fit inside a small auditorium with room for numerous rows of empty chairs. No, that’s impossible. The Colfaxians must purchase everything, including their food, their clothing, their furniture, their electricity, and their goods and services at the mall…”

“The raw materials come from the land, the farms, the manufacturing plants, the shops. Then, all the merchandise goes to Colfax, first. After the Colfaxians consume every piece of merchandise, there’s nothing left for anyone else.”

I shake my curls. “That doesn’t make any sense, Buffo. If the shop owner was given money then the merchandise could be produced, that’s economy flow of goods and services.”

Buffo growls. “Except, the shop owner can’t afford to make any more pieces of goods, without the raw materials from the farms and the factories. The shop owner is forced to sale, only, to the Colfaxians, at a reduced rate. Because, the Colfaxians are poorly paid for their working services, then the shop owner is poorly paid for their goods, and then the raw materials is, only, sold to the shop owners. That’s a dictatorship, Ketona. Establishment dictates who gets what, when, how many, and how much.”

“You’re wrong, Buffo.”

“Then, explain to me, why the ordered and paid in advance fancy dresses didn’t come to my nieces, here, in Burrville. The farmers got money, lots of money.” Buffo laughs. “They got so much money, that it’s hidden under the wooden planks in their houses.”

I giggle. “You’re so silly and dramatic. There is a simple explanation, Buffo. The dresses were not available and then the money was refunded to your family members.”

Buffo studies the lights of Colfax. “Naw, the money was kept and replaced with a larger shipment of seedlings, or equipment pieces, or another staple that farm doesn’t grow…”

I gasp. “The money was kept and the merchandise was substituted. Then, someone is…”

“…playing a mind game, like the Cubby Hole. The Cubby Hole is nothing but a deterrent, keeping the populous in place and away from the beautiful people, living in Colfax. A teen shouldn’t be judged, exclusively, on one single question, regarding his abilities. A teen could be talented in other ways with numerous other gifts, like drawing a picture, or painting a portrait, or singing a song, or making a quilt, or cooking a meal, or cuddling a baby. Who is the authority figure, deciding that your life is, only, a crop farmer, or a dookie work, or a me-chee designer?”

I nod, stomping my foot. “We should complain. We should go to the mayor and point out the flaw of the economics. She’s in charge of Colfax. She approves all the flowing merchandise between the outer townships. The mayor has the authority to change the flaws in the shipment lanes.” I nod. “Yes, she could aid and assist the outer townships. I am most certain of my plan and my presentation. We should meet with her, immediately.”

Buffo grins then snorts. “Yeah, that’s an excellent plan, Ketona. But, how do we escape from the barrier wall between us and Colfax?” He slams the wall, again, with his fists. “This is an electromagnetic field around each township or rather it is around the posh city limits of Colfax, keeping us out, forever.”

I gasp, missing that obviously scientific fact. I clear my throat. “We could call her.”

Buffo frowns at Ketona. “Do you know the mayor’s cell number?”

“I know of her daughter Nephella. We could call her daughter.”

“Do ya know the mayor’s daughter’s cell number, Ketona?”

I shake my curls, viewing the soil. Now, I understand my mama concerns. I’m trapped inside Burrville, without a cell, or a chance of communication with my family or any other person, living within Colfax. I exhale, holding back my tears, too. I have realized, too late, that it doesn’t matter, if you had studied your entire life with text books, math equations, and chemical formulas, if you can’t get a fancy dress for your thirteen birthday party. I feel sadly depressed for all the Burrvillians, too.

Buffo hugs Ketona. “I sorry. Thanks for listening to my complaint. There’s nothing that can be done, short of a rebellion. Let’s go back home! We have work tomorrow.”

I nod, hugging him.

Buffo assists her with the flier than loads the flier onto his body.

We fly back to my house, storing the fliers inside the garage for tomorrow’s work.

Buffo hugs Ketona then kisses her. He pulls back, walking towards the front door of her house. “Good night, sweetheart! I love you, Ketona.”

I hug and kiss him, too. I pull back, grinning. “Sweet dreams, darling. I love you, too.”

Buffo swings around, walking with his face into his chest. He views the manicured grass then disappears into the house.

Chapter 4

8:03 pm. My farm house. Front porch

I exhale with worry, watching his back muscles then pivot and enter my house.

The house is three stories of crowded junk stuff, both used and broken merchandise. It is the storage house, containing used furniture and used merchandise, since nothing is wasted on a farm.

I slowly walk into the kitchen, sitting at the bar, grabbing the cookie.

Buffo’s grandmother cooks and bakes all the food meals for the entire family. She spends from sunrise to sundown, inside her modern day kitchen, with the clean gleaming appliances. She had baked numerous desserts for the evening meal and then left basketfuls of food, inside my house.

I chew the cookie, dropping the crumbs over the bar counter. I frown with depression for Buffo. He’s worried about his family and mad with the Establishment, inside Colfax.

I feel angry and surprise with the Establishment, too. Since, I’m permanently living in Burrville for the rest of my life, also. Because, I passed into the gold color tone, correctly answered the most difficult question, and then selected a farmer, as my dream job.

So, here, I am with Buffo.

I frown with sadness for the young girls. They will not have a happy birthday party, because their mamas could not get the fabric needed to make them a dress for their individual birthday party, which is the highlight of any party event, especially for a girl.

I had a big birthday party, every single year, with lots of presents, a fancy ruffled dress, and a big cake with flowers.

“Yeah, I big deal, too. I want that, too, for the young girls. They’re going to be thirteen, a teenager…”

I stand, walking to the refrigerator. I open the door, grabbing the milk. You always eat cookies with a glass of milk. I grab a glass, pouring the milk then drink, standing and pondering my mental thoughts and tender feelings.

I frown with more sadness for Buffo, whispering for my eardrums, only. Since, I do not believe there are any ghosts, living inside the old house with me. “He thinks about Jara and Hatch, permanently residing inside Dookie Town, too. I sorta think about them, too. I should do something. But, what is the something, that I should do? I know, the what. The what, it is the numerous pretty colored electromagnetic fields around the farmlands, and the shops, and the sewer plant, and the other townships. Wonder if, there were no more e-fields around the farms and the shops and the sewer plant.”

If I had my cell, then I could come up with an answer, or a solution, or a something, but I couldn’t take any of my personal possessions with me into Burrville, only my cat suit and boots. I had to leave my clothes and my cowgirl boots, and my cell. I exhale with depression.

Then, I snap my fingers, giggling.

I stomp around the big house into the different unexplored and mysterious rooms.

I smile, standing in the archway of the library. There are millions of books, along the book shelves. I dash to wall, looking for the book. Then, I find the letter ‘E’ within the shelf of hard copies manual of the encyclopedias.

I pull the book, back stepping into the lonely chair. I sit, flipping through the pages, finding electromagnetic fields. I exhale then read out loud. “An electric field or e-field is an invisible spot of energy,” I drop the book, staring at the far wall. “Hmm! Why can I see the e-fields? Radiation. The electromagnetic field is radiated. Not good! Nope, it is very bad.”

I touched the barrier wall, during the Cubby Hole trials and tribulations, except I was wearing a body hugging electromagnetic field, too, my cat suit. So, I wasn’t harmed.

So, I can’t touch the e-field.

I frown with confusion then read the book. “An e-field pushes the electrons through the air, like water being pushed through a pipe. Power lines, wiring, and electrical appliances produce extremely low frequency wave of current. Yikes. That’s live electricity, folks. Electric fields are shielded or weakened by a wall, a set of walls, or other objects.” I gasp. “An e-field is weakened by an object. That’s good to know, except, an object is going to get burned with the radiation ions, even Marsilla knows that. What object is safe from radiation? Magnetic field can pass through objects, like buildings, living things, and any other materials. A m-field passes through any objects. In physics, magnetism is a force that attracts, or pulls closer. It repels, or pushes away objects that have a magnetic material. A magnetic field is charged by a magnet. Duh! A monkey can figure out that one. Well, I guess Marsilla couldn’t, without studying her chemical textbook.” I giggle. “A magnet can make an object move, without touching it.” I nod and smile. “This is the answer to my problem with the e-fields. I can’t touch the e-field with the flowing live electricity. However, I can use a magnet to scatter the charged electrons within the e-field all over the space. I’m a genius. Thank ya’ll, very much! I accept that earned title. A magnet. I need a magnet.” I jump, dropping the book to the floor.

I run down the hallway. “Where are some magnets, inside the house? Maggie, where are you hiding?” I enter the living room, scanning the furniture. “Maggie, come here, girl!” I giggle. “Use your brain, Ketona. Think, slowly! What household appliances have a batch of magnets?” I snap my fingers then run towards the refrigerator.

I giggle, seeing a dozen colorful covers, attached with a tiny magnet behind the drawing.

I snatch the magnets, examining the dimension: round, small, and black. I nod, giggling. “Okay, I need to test my working scientific theory. I know. I’ll go to the barrier wall and test it. Yeah, test it.” I view the wall clock.

The time read 8:11 pm.

I giggle, walking out the door towards the garage.

I gear up, wearing the flier. I press the button, starting the air fans.

I soar into the air, without any fear of discovery. One, the flier is silent, like me. Two, the flier kicks up orange dust, disguising me. Three, everyone is asleep, but me.

I fly over the crop field towards my tractor in a northeasterly direction.

8:43 pm. Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and the northeastern orange colored barrier wall corner

I land on the soil, gently placing the flier on the soil. If I damage the equipment, then I get to walk back home over four plus miles.

I exhale, surveying the barrier wall. It glows in orange electromagnetic charged ions. I raise the set of magnets, six. I decide to test with only one. I drop the magnets into the soil then prance to the wall, smiling.

I two step, scooting between the tractor and the wall corner for my secret science experiment. And, I don’t want anyone else, accidentally, discovering my secret experiment, either. If Buffo is correct, and he is, then the Establishment might get curious about a punched hole, within the barrier field, if my working theory is correct, and it is.

I giggle with overconfident. I kneel, pressing the rounded tip into the wall.

The wall sparks in orange and yellow colors, sucking up the tiny magnet, first. Second, it clearly opens up a tiny hole between the ions of the e-field, scattering the ions. Third, the e-field ions touch then sting with a burning pain on both my thumb and my index finger pads. I swiftly jerk my hand from the wall.

The tiny refrigerator magnet becomes engulfed inside the wall. Then, the wall sucks up the tiny dimension, spitting out on the other side, when the planet gravity jerks it out and then down towards the grass. The magnet falls on the other side of the orange barrier wall into the thicket of forest.

I frown with confusion at the tiny hole, slowly closing. I see green forest of trees and grass. “I wonder who lives out there. Colfaxians are not the only humans on the planet. There are about two billion other folks living here, or behind the orange barrier wall. Okay, this theory works. I just need a bigger magnet, like a hammer with a handle, or an arrow with a tip, or a longer magnet, enduring the scattered ions bombardment for a few minutes. Then, what?” I exhale. “I will figure out the ‘then what,’ later.”

I stand, walking to the flier. I load the equipment onto my back then press the button.

I fly, pondering. “What other objects contains a set of bigger magnets, inside the house? I can’t use the cute set of decorative refrigerator magnets. They’re too small, getting sucked in and out of the wall. I need a great big one then my theory will work.”

9:03 pm. My farm house

I land near the garage side, hiding both me and the flier from any naked eyeballs, not sleeping inside their beds.

I enter in the rear door of my house, stomping down the hallway. I stop inside each archway, scanning for appliances and object that use a magnet.

I gasp. “The stereo speakers, yes.” I waltz to the stereo, ripping off the face plate of the two speakers. I see the object. “Yes, there are magnets, inside the speakers of the stereo. The speaker houses a paper diaphragm with wire coiling. When electricity hits the paper diaphragm the magnet inside the metal frame door of the stereo makes the paper diaphragm vibrate in and out. The vibration produces all the sweet music notes within your eardrums. No problem, either. I got a big wall of charged ions for you, darling.” I giggle and rip off the plastic door, revealing a very small magnet. I grab it then swing towards the door. I examine the small magnet. “I need bigger magnets.”

I stomp out the room then down the next archway, scanning the room. “Nothing, here!” I exit then stomp down the hallway. I gasp. “The vacuum cleaner, yeah, man! It has an electric motor ran by magnets.” I rip off the lid. “The wire coils produce repulsive forces with electricity. Yeah, the entire motor is a big huge magnet with shifting parts. I can’t use this, unless I smash into the e-field. That could create some serious trouble for me.” I slap the lid over the vacuum cleaner then stand.

I run out the room and down the hallway.

I stand stop inside the new room, gasping. “A choo-choo train set. The cars are connected to the toy train set by numerous magnet couplers. Yeah, boy!” I rip off the cars then collect the physical couplers.

I back step out the room then trot down the hallway with my new gifts.

I enter the kitchen, placing my new loot beside the other small pieces of magnets. “I have magnets, small and numerous. I can’t weld them together. Magnets attract to other magnets.” I slap them together, building a long chain-like magnet line. “But, when I touch the wall with the first magnet of my home-made chain, the power of the something is going to break the chain into numerous tiny parts.” I exhale, grabbing another cookie. I chew and ponder my problem. “I have the magnets. I need a long, longer magnet, about equal to a broom handle or more...”

I stand, walking to the refrigerator. I open the door then grab the milk bottle. I drink from the bottle, not bothering with dirtying another clean glass. I have to clean my own dirty dishes, too. I replace the cool bottle of milk into the refrigerator then slam the door. I pivot then sit on the stool. “What else has a magnet, a long magnet? Think, Ketona!” I grab another cookie, chewing. “I don’t know. I’m out of ideas. Magnets are both visible and invisible. I found the visible ones, the cute door decorations. I, also, found some of the invisible ones inside motors, speakers, latches, and other devices. What other device houses a magnet? I know. Telephones have magnets, too small for my purpose. Washing machines have a set of magnets, too, which will be built into the motor, like the vacuum cleaner equipment.”

I exhale, wiping my dirty hands on my clothes with the chocolate goo from the cookie then stand. I walk to the refrigerator, opening the door.

I grab the milk bottle then chug the rest of cold milk. I frown then burp, giggling. I spin around, walking then toss the empty milk bottle into the recycle bind near the rear door.

I stand, scanning the kitchen. “What else houses a magnet?” I toss my head back, exhaling with frustration and empty thoughts. “My theory is good. I need a great big longer magnet.” I giggle. “Then, I can walk through the wall.”

I frown with annoyance, forgetting to close the refrigerator door. I walk to the refrigerator door then stand, hiking my kneecap into my chest then slam the door shut.

The refrigerator kinda shimmies side to side in pain.

I frown with concern. “I really didn’t mean to hit ya, so hard, baby. I’m strong or stupid. Pick one, Ketona?” I giggle and walk to the injured refrigerator then jerk on the handle.

The door sticks, good.

I exhale, frowning with annoyance. “Dang! I forced the magnetic door seal into shock,” I gasp. “The magnetic door seal,” I bounce and giggle, clapping. “A refrigerator stays closed with a magnetic door seal along the edge.” I giggle, jerking open the door. I squat, examining the rubberized magnetic seal. “Yo, babe! This is it. The rubber is a single long piece of black magnetic.” I giggle, standing then whip out my girly pen knife.

Every southern belle carries a girly pen knife for such emergencies, since a beau, sometimes, is not needed.

I open the blade, holding in the air. I see the blade gleam from the artificial overhead lights. I view the magnetic door seal. I cut at the top of the seal and then at the bottom of the seal.

The magnetic nicely falls into my open palm.

I slap the blade, using my leg, back into its metal pouch and then back into my pocket. Then, I giggle and dance around with the magnetic strip. I prance to the bar stool, hitting with my leg.

The bar stool slams into the wandering refrigerator door, keeping it shut with coldness of my food stuff.

I giggle and exit the house with my prize.

9:21 pm. Buffo’s grandparents farm and the northeastern orange barrier wall corner

I land the flier then gently plop it into the soft dirt. I run towards the wall then slide into the dirt. My hands shake with anticipation, slapping the tip of the magnetic seal into the wall.

The wall sucks in the tip and a little more, and then it stops, sucking.

The magnetic hangs between the dancing ions, like magic, inside the wall. Then, part of wall collapses underneath the hanging magnetic, until the ions reconstitute into another solid wall.

I gasp with shock.

The magnetic has scattered the ions far enough that a two-fingered sized hole exists within the wall.

I giggle, nodding. “I get it. Okay, feed ya some more magnets.”

I gently pull the magnet cord from the wall, hearing a slurring sound then giggle. Then, I cut the five feet magnetic seal into about equal fourths, based on my eyes and neurons. I gently insert one piece of magnet into the northwest corner of the wall, in front of my kneeling position. Then, I gently insert the second piece of magnet into the southwest corner of the wall.

The wall corners tumble from the magnet, creating a rectangular opening as the scattered ions flee from the big bad magnet.

I gasp and clap with my idea and magnet performance.

I raise the third piece of magnet then position at the northeastern corner of my geometric figure then halt. My heart drops, examining the opening.

Wonder if, the opening doesn’t reconstitute back into the wall, then there will be a hole in the barrier wall.

I gasp with shock. I could get into major trouble.

I exhale with fear. I could get Buffo into serious trouble, being his almost wife.

I sob with fright. I could get Buffo’s grandfather into extreme trouble with the Establishment, which could mean something, very bad. This is his farm, his tractor, and his portion of the barrier wall, which is not supposed to be touched, or injured, or damaged.

My hands shake with fear. I gently tug on the first piece of the magnet.

The magnet falls into my palms, free from the wall.

However, the hole is still there.

I gasp with fear. “O no! No!” I hold my hands over the opening, without touching the wall or the opening. “Please, close! Please, close up! Please, close up, now! Okay, I need to remove the second piece of magnet. Yeah!”

My hands shake with fright. I gently tug on the second piece of magnet.

The magnet falls into my palms, free from the wall.

However, the hole is still there.

I gasp with fear. “I’m in trouble with everyone. I damaged the wall.”

Then, the opening slowly rolls, without sound, over the emptiness of space. The charged ions rebuild the wall portion then slams with a sizzle into the wall.

I exhale with relieve then grab my heart from the pretend heart attack. “Okay! The magnet scattered the ions to the side, or rolls them into the wall. I need to do one more experiment, before bed time. I need the hole to be bigger, like life sized for walking a upright person through the space, landing on the other side of the dirt. Yeah, babe!”

I stand, not being afraid of the wall or the ions, or the magnet. I shove the magnet even with my forehead on the northwestern corner. Then, I shove the second magnet even with my ankles on the southwestern corner.

The wall nicely bends away from the two magnetic, creating a vertical up and down opening with a rectangular shape.

I whisper. “I need it bigger than that.”

I shove a third magnet into the southeastern corner.

The wall nicely bends away from all three magnets, creating a perfect right 90 degree angle.

I raise the fourth magnet then hold at the northeastern corner then halt.

I whisper. “No. I’m afraid the fourth magnetic might modify the ions. Matter is not destroyed, it changes into another form.” I back step, studying the opening.

I see a perfect right angle, big enough for one person to walk through and stomp into the other side.

I nod, smiling.

Chapter 5

Tuesday

Burrville

6:11 am. sunrise. pink sky. green clouds. hot. humidity 95%. 4 mph winds. sunny. 88°F

I stand inside the cab of my old tractor, seeing through the dirty glass windows. I drop the binoculars then slam the button.

The wind shield wipers swish back and forth, cleaning the dusty orange soil from the dirty glass windows.

Then, I spy on the tight commotion, occurring on the opposite side of crop field. The crop field is a flat parsec of land. Therefore, my awesome binoculars sees close-up the lots of bright objects, including the tractor, the golden barrier wall, and the huddle of golden people.

I giggle with amusement.

The golden people wear a set of golden clothes, gleaming in the bright sunlight.

I gasp with shock.

The huddle of golden people is examining the barrier wall.

I gasp with worry, dropping my mouth and the binoculars. I swing to the rear barrier wall colored orange. I don’t see any damage or opening. I swing back to the commotion, lifting the binoculars.

The golden huddle member tosses their arms and fingers at the sky, the wall, and then the tractor.

I giggle with delight.

The farmer is explaining that he had tapped the barrier wall with the tractor implementation, because I did the same thing, yesterday, when I parked my tractor, sideways towards the plowed dirt.

I haven’t started my day’s plowing, since the mysterious huddle of golden clothing showed up, after finishing my light catnap.

I yawn, wearing the binoculars. I went to bed late, last night, after conducting my scientific experiments, pondering my new applications of an opening inside the wall.

I gasp with surprise.

The golden huddle includes the mayor: tall, plump, gray hair. She wears a new suit of golden leather with matching low heels.

Rincon: short, olive-skin, black-hair shoulder length hair, cat whiskers, slender, bookworm. He stands inside the huddle, wearing a golden leather vest. My heart sinks with sadness and gladness. He was very gentlemanly about losing me to Buffo.

Nephella: tall, slender, pale skin, black long hair, colorful tattoos, body piercings on ears, nose holes, and eyebrows. She wears her cat suit in gold from the Cubby Hole, a symbol of her continuous defiance.

Marsilla: petite, pixie brown hair, mint colored skin, slender, smart. She wears a golden jumper and sandals, marking verbal notes on her cell, as usual. She is the tattle-tail of the group.

Duchie: petite, red hair, pink skin, freckles. She looks cute in her leather thigh boots and short skirt. Her hair is pinned into a bun, losing it, during the blue color tone with the knife whack.

I grin and nod at my old friends from Colfax. I wish I could some how signal them to see me, but not in the presence of the nasty mayor of Colfax.

I get a bad vibe that she doesn’t like me.

I gasp with shock. I wonder why they are here. Then, I realize, the dent into the barrier wall. I exhale.

Matter is not destroyed. It only changes format.

I grin and nod. The mayor and her golden children might be visiting with Buffo’s grandfather, since I bounced the tractor against the wall, also.

I giggle with delight. I will get to see Rincon, Duchie, and Nephella.

Farmer Brown and his southeastern orange colored barrier wall corner

The mayor stands in front of the tractor engine. The farmer stands in front of the tractor. The farmer wears his orange colored cowboy hat over his skull, the orange scarf around his throat, and his orange jumpsuit over his body. His orange gloves cover his hands. The man is dressed in orange.

The orange dust floats and drifts around the nostrils and lips of the other people, wearing the golden clothing.

The mayor fans her face with her hand, distracting the attacking the orange dust from the plowing farm tractors around the other farmlands. She stands next to Nephella, Marsilla, Rincon, and Duchie.

The mayor says. “What has happened here, farmer?”

The farmer mumbles behind the scarf. “Don’t know.”

The mayor exhales, fanning the dirt. “We have detected a dent in the barrier wall that is connected to the city of Colfax. So, what has happened here, farmer?”

The farmer mumbles behind the scarf. “Don’t know.”

The mayor coughs then says. “Please, remove your scarf. I cannot hear you words, farmer.”

Rincon chuckles. “He said, don’t know.”

The farmer mumbles behind the scarf. “Remove it then I cough from the dirt.”

The mayor exhales with annoyance.

Marsilla shifts from the line, scooting around the plow of the tractor. She stands in front of the barrier wall of gold, fingering the exact spot of the black circle, being beamed into her necklace cell from the map room inside Colfax. “Right, here! I am standing in exactly the spot, where the dent has occurred in the barrier wall. Why isn’t there a dent here, Mr. Farmer?”

“What dent?” Rincon chuckles and fist bumps with Duchie.

The farmer mumbles behind his scarf, staring at the mayor. “Don’t know.”

Rincon fist bumps with Nephella. “The tractor?”

The farmer mumbles behind the scarf. “The tractor is here.”

Rincon extends his hand, smiling. “Good morning, sir! I am Rincon. This is the mayor of Colfax, her daughter Nephella, my co-workers Marsilla and Duchie. And, you are?

“Farmer Brown.”

Rincon nods and smiles. “Well, it is nice to meet ya, Farmer Brown! Do you always park your tractor, here?”

“Right, here!” Farmer Brown mumbles behind the scarf.

Rincon smiles and nods. “So, you putt-putt your tractor back and forth along the soil then park it, right, here.”

“Right, here!” The farmer mumbles behind his scarf.

Rincon back steps, nodding. “I believe the mystery is solved.”

Marsilla fingers the wall. “There is a dent right, here.”

Nephella says. “Mama, the tractor bumped the wall. The wall get hurt and then echoed for help. The helpers arrived to find no dent, but dum…”

“Thank you, daughter for your detailed and amusing explanation. I am impressed,” the mayor fans her face. “We shall leave.”

“We should verify and confirm the indentation story with another local farm homestead around the dirt, Ms. Mayor.” Marsilla scoots around the tractor, standing and nodding in front of the mayor.

Rincon punches on Duchie. “I concur with the marvelous idea of Marsilla. We could go to, maybe, the closest one, right around here, too.”

The mayor exhales, shaking her curls. “No. We shall leave. My nose cannot take any more dust.”

Nephella giggles then nods. “Yes, that’s an excellent idea, coming from intern Marsilla. Let’s get back into the travel car and talk with one more farmer about the tractor, Mama.”

Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and the northeastern orange colored barrier wall corner

The flier lands in front of the tractor.

I gasp then smile.

Buffo doesn’t move from his flier.

I scoot out the cab then stand in front of him.

He yells through his orange scarf, covering his sweaty face. “We need to leave here and hide.”

“Hide!?”

“Get onto your flier and follow me back home to your house. We have to hide, now.”

I frown inside my scarf then trot to my flier, loading into the chair. I lift then hover in the air, following Buffo.

My farm house. garage

I land, sliding off the flier then store it into the garage.

Buffo grandfather comes out the house, wearing his scarf, too, yelling, not mumbling to the young kids. “We’re getting visitors from the mayor’s office.”

I giggle, behind the scarf, smiling and bouncing on my boot toes.

His grandfather mumbles behind the scarf. “I want ya to hide inside the house, until the mayor and her party leaves…”

“What for?” I sneer and frown behind my scarf. “We’re in our orange farming disguise,” I shake the scarf as dirt flies into the air. “If you’re concerned about me, being seen or heard or talked about then don’t. I’m a big girl. I wanna meet the mayor and her party.”

Buffo mumbles behind his scarf, wearing his cowboy hat. “She’s right. I don’t know, why the mayor is coming here, to your farm, to visit, but we didn’t do anything wrong, grandfather.”

Buffo’s grandmother comes out the house, yelling. “The mayor and her party are entering the through the gates. What are we going to do with the girls and the others?” She eyeballs at Ketona.

I grab Buffo’s hand, smiling and swinging his arm. “We’re going to meet them on the front porch, like social folks. They’re visiting, here, for some reason. So, we need to find out the reason then they’ll leave. That’s all. That’s it. Everyone settle down. Ya act, like this is the first time that the mayor has visited, here.”

Buffo’s grandfather mumbles behind the scarf. “It is...”

I drag Buffo around the corner of the house, since I’m covered in orange dust, too. I don’t want to mess up the interior of the main house.

Farm house of Buffo’s grandparents. Front porch

I stand on the front porch with Buffo beside me.

Buffo’s grandparents and some of the other family members stand in a crooked line on the front porch next to Buffo.

The mayor and her party rides inside a travel car. The car is made of solid shiny silver tone metal of nickel, without windows. The car roughly rolls over the dirt with a set of powerful engine, stirring up more orange dust and black smoke in the air waves.

I giggle at the sight.

The hatch flips upright on one side.

The mayor exits, first. She fans her sweaty face with her hand.

Marsilla stumbles from the hatchway, dashing and walking beside the mayor. Nephella exits the car, standing and smiling at the sunshine. Rincon and Duchie dash from the car, running towards the front porch.

I smile behind the scarf, feeling excitement at seeing my old friends from the Cubby Hole.

The mayor stands in the sunshine below the shaded front porch, daring not to enter the homestead. She says. “I am the mayor of Colfax. I want to know why you dent,” she exhales, fanning her face. “Rincon, please address the proper questions towards the farmers for me. Thank you.”

Rincon and Duchie move closer to the front porch. He says. “Good morning, I am Rincon. I am, so happy, to be here at your homestead. We were wondering, if you parked your tractor, along the barrier wall, and, if so, if you, sometimes, accidentally, whacked the barrier wall. And, if you did happen to whack the barrier wall, do you perform this action, often?”

Buffo’s grandfather mumbles behind the scarf. “What?”

I giggle, studying both Rincon and Duchie. I clear my throat, very loudly, drawing all eyeballs on me. “Matter is not destroyed; it is modified into a different format. If one of the tractor plows, accidentally, whacks the barrier wall, it be fine, ya’ll. No hurt. No harm. No alarm. Thank ya’ll, kindly.” I nod, wiggling my hips, causing the dust to flutter and float then fall onto the front porch.

Rincon nods and chuckles. “Very well spoken, Ms. Farmer! I can’t see your female face, but I recognize a female soprano.”

The mayor frowns with annoyance. “Thank you. We shall leave…”

Duchie dances side to side, giggling. “Ya know, Ms. Mayor, the new interns should stay, maybe, the morning, until lunchtime and learn more about the farm stuff. Since, we’re, now, responsible for the so much more of something and something…”

The mayor fans her face. “I…”

“I agree with Duchie, Mama. We should learn more about the farm stuff and farming stuff, being interns and all.” Nephella stands beside her mama, nodding and smiling at the line of farmers.

The mayor wraps an arm around her child, nodding. “Good idea, daughter. Alright, the interns can stay through lunchtime and then return back to the map room for another assignment.” She swings around, fanning her face and then enters the car.

The travel car slowly swings around then roughly rolls over the plowed field. It stops then disappears into the barrier wall in the far distance.

Rincon tosses his hands then slaps his chest. “Hi, again! We’re ready to learn about farming and the farm. Who would like to teach us?”

I stomp down the steps, extending my arms for a warm embrace, when Rincon back steps. Then, I halt, realizing that he doesn’t recognize me. I drop my arms then finger the corner of the house. “I can show ya the farm. We can start with the interior of a farm house. How’s that?” I lead, saying. “Please, follow me, coming this way.”

My farm house. kitchen

I stomp into the rear door of my house, entering the kitchen with the tile flooring. The floor is easier to clean up the piles of dancing orange dirt.

Marsilla scans the room, pursing her lips. “Is this a farm house? A farm kitchen?”

I remove the hat and scarf, standing behind the bar counter, nodding and smiling. “A farm girl?”

Marsilla gasps in surprise, standing at the rear door.

Rincon smiles, stomping and hugging Ketona. “Hi, love.”

I giggle with excitement.

Duchie smiles, galloping and hugging the both of them.

Nephella giggles, trotting over than hugs the growing lump of bodies. She mumbles, breathing on Duchie’s hair roots. “Buffo, do not…”

Buffo chuckles, slamming his tallness into the stack of upright bodies.

The pile of lump bodies chuckles then slightly shift to the left. The bodies compensate then shift to the right.

Duchie yells. “Move off, Buffo!”

The pile of lump bodies stands.

Rincon yells. Get off, Buffo!”

The pile of lump bodies chuckle.

Nephella shifts her arms and legs from the lump, when the pile of bodies breaks apart. She giggles. “The love fest has ended. Okay. How are the love birds doing? Is this your house? Ugh! Not nice. Not beautiful. Not you, Ketona, darling…”

Marsilla stands at the rear door. “I have seen enough. Let’s go back to the map room for our next assignment.”

Nephella walks to the side wall, opening the window. She lights the cigar then holds it against the screen, burning the legs of the butterfly parked on the screen. The butterfly flies away. Nephella dumps the cigar ashes out the window, not bothering the sinuses of her friends.

Rincon, Duchie, Buffo, and I sit around the bar, nodding and giggling at each other.

I frown with confusion. “How did your travel car penetrate the barrier wall?”

Marsilla stands and yells at the rear door. “By a resonant phase jump into an enhanced e-field, which is caused by a surface phonon polar…”

“O! Ya inserted a long metal wire through the e-field then rotated it, sideways.” I giggle with the others.

“When’s the wedding, kids? I wanna be a bridesmaid.” Duchie winks, giggling.

“During the holidays, I promise ya can be my maid of honor. How’s that?” I giggle, slapping Duchie on the bicep.

“Who’s want a cold drink?” Buffo stands, walking towards the refrigerator.

I smile. “How’s your medical technician’s training coming, Rincon? Are you healing all the sick patients, yet?”

Rincon frowns then exhales. “Not yet!”

Buffo frowns with confusion at the bar stool in front of the refrigerator door then shuffles it to the side. The door opens, hitting the wall. He leans into the shelf, looking for the cold beverages. He grabs four drinks then scoots to the bar counter, passing out cans to the other teens.

Duchie frowns with annoyance. “We’re…we are not training in our new jobs. We are…”

Buffo swings to the refrigerator then grabs another drink, raising it towards Marsilla. “Do ya want one, Marsilla?”

Marsilla stares at the rear skull of Nephella. “We are not learning about the farms or farming, so we should leave from here and return to the mayor’s office…”

I ask. “Aren’t you going to be a medical technician?”

Rincon winks and smiles. “I might just slide over to become a me-chee designer, making an empty slot for an available medical technician…”

I gasp. “Why would you do that?”

Buffo shrugs at Marsilla then slams the door shut. It hits the metal frame then ricochets back to the wall. It hits the wall, advancing towards the refrigerator, again, when Buffo catches the door. He frowns, saying. “What’s wrong with the door?”

Duchie exhales. “The mayor has changed our training schedule for our jobs. She is….”

“…updating us on the economics of Colfax. That’s all, interns!” Nephella exhales, burning the eight legs of spider, relaxing inside the window screen. The spider crawls away from her. She dumps the cigar ashes out the open window. “Then, we will start our new dream jobs.”

Buffo closes and opens the refrigerator door, frowning with confusion. “It doesn’t close. What’s wrong with the door?”

I exhale, smiling and nodding at Rincon and his new information. “It’s an old refrigerator, so the door broke, Buffo.”

Buffo closes and opens the door, frowning with confusion. “It’s a new refrigerator. Why’s the door, not holding,” he closes the door, releasing the handle.

The door opens, sailing towards the wall, again.

Buffo catches it, studying the interior of the door.

I giggle. “The mayor has changed the training schedule. Why did she do that?”

Rincon winks. “The mayor said that there are five dream jobs and only four teens to fill them.”

I gasp then giggle. “There’s a fifth job left. Who will occupy the fifth dream job?”

Rincon exhales then nods. “I believe the mayor is required to fill all five dream job positions. However, she only has four teens, ever thou, five teens presented into the gold color tone.” He winks at Duchie. “It sounds to me, like the mayor needs to fill the missing position, or something else might get her fired from her posh job, as mayor of Colfax.”

Duchie giggles and nods.

I gasp with shock.

Marsilla yells. “It is time for all the interns to leave the farm, now. I have called the driver of the travel car. It will be here in a few minutes, since the time is close to lunch.”

Buffo kneels, examining the door. “The seal’s missing on the interior of the door.”

I giggle with Duchie and Rincon. “It’s an old refrigerator door. I just told ya, Buffo. It’s broken! Come and sit down, please. So, what are you doing, now, in your dream jobs?”

Duchie frowns. “We’re wasting our time, investigating the numerous and useless rounded black pings, surrounding the barrier wall.”

I giggle. “You can’t break through a barrier wall. Those are vibrating echoes from a hit, or a whack, or a punch from an object…”

Nephella burns another set of legs on the housefly. The housefly sails away from her. She says. “We all know that. This is a simple exercise. That’s all, ya’ll!”

Duchie grins. “Maybe, there could a more serious explanation, too. We’re tasked to determine that explanation, if one truly does exist…”

Rincon leans into the huddle of Duchie and Ketona, whispering and smiling. “Ya know, if somebody were to figure out the causations of the pings, along the barrier wall, then, maybe, somebody might be labeled as brilliant. Then, maybe, somebody might be asked to fill the vacant position among the five dream jobs. Ya know, brilliance cannot be substituted.”

I gasp. “Brilliance cannot be substituted. I like. And, how would somebody communicate this brilliant solution to the mayor? She lives in Colfax, since somebody doesn’t reside there, either.”

Rincon whispers. “We’re visiting every outer township, investigating the whacks on the barrier wall. I would suggest, that maybe, if somebody does actually figure out the answer to the whacks on the barrier wall, then somebody leave an obvious funny message for the mayor. Ya know, something like, I was here.”

I nod and smile. “Yeah, that’s a great idea! However, when will somebody know your next visitation, within the outer township?”

Rincon says. “We go to Dookie Town, tomorrow. However, I don’t know the rest of the schedule. So, somebody needs to leave a set of numerous funny messages along the barrier wall, in case of identification,” he nods and grins.

Duchie giggles, touching her bun. “Ya know, I got this new hair bob. I couldn’t bring ya a present, since the mayor visually inspected each of one us, this morning. Then, the me-chee electronically inspected each one of us, getting into the travel car, again. So, I wanna give ya my new hair bob, since it’s on my person. Put your hair into a bun, I’ll wrap it around your hair, Ketona.” Ketona wraps her hands around her messy hair into a loose bun, holding it up against gravity. Duchie ties the long golden chain around the messy hair bun of Ketona and then smiles, “You look marvelous!” She giggles.

Marsilla swings around to the rear door, opening it. She walks outside, yelling. “The travel car is here. Let’s go!”

Buffo stands, frowning at the door. “It’s broken! I guess, I’ll get some tools and fix it. But, it’s a new refrigerator. I can’t explain the missing seal.”

Nephella burns the legs of the wasp. The wasp flies away. She tosses the burning cigar out the window. She stands, walking to Ketona, Duchie, and Rincon. She gives Ketona a hug, whispering. “See ya at the wedding. Okay! Bye, girl!”

I giggle and grin. “See ya, really soon, too. Bye Nephella!”

Rincon hugs Ketona. “I’ll be watching and waiting, Ketona.”

I giggle and hug him. “I’ll be watching and waiting for you, Rincon.”

Duchie hugs Ketona. “Good luck, Ketona!”

I giggle. “I don’t need luck. I got my brains.”

Duchie giggles, punching Ketona on the bicep, nodding.

Buffo closes the door then slides the bar stool in front of it. He swings around, smiling. He gives a hug and a handshake to each intern. Then, he dresses in his hat and scarf, along with Ketona.

Buffo and I escort them into the orange dust then watch them load into the travel car.

I fiddle with the new hair bob from Duchie, watching the travel car roll over the open field then stop at the golden barrier wall.

My hair bob glitters in bright lights inside my hands. I gasp with shock.

The hair bob is my old necklace cell from my old house. I drop my mouth.

I watch the distance electromagnetic waves swallow up the travel car of nickel, allowing it to roll smoothly through the electromagnetic field, without harming the humans inside.

I gasp then snap my fingers, giggling.

Chapter 6

7:02 pm.

Farm house of Buffo’s grandparents

suppertime

I kick my ankle into Buffo then stand, holding my dirty plate filled with uneaten food. “Please, excuse me! I’m not feeling well, at the moment. I’m going to retire for the evening…”

“My cooking making ya sick, girl.” Buffo’s grandmother chews, studying Ketona.

“No ma’am! I just tired from working sunup to sundown. I need some more rest. That’s all.” I nod and grin.

Buffo stands, holding his dirty plate, almost cleaned of his food items. “I’m gonna check on Ketona and see, if she needs anything, like water or blankets. The meal was great, grandmother. Thank ya!” He swings, walking into the kitchen.

We wash both of our dirty dishes, placing onto the clean towel on the counter.

We exit the house, cuddling into each other arms.

7:12 pm. My farm house

I walk into the garage.

Buffo frowns, standing behind Ketona. “What ya doing? I thought you were sick, or something.”

I dress in my dusty hat, scarf, both gloves, and the jumpsuit from this afternoon’s farm work then drag one of the abused two-seater fliers from the garage towards the rear of the garage, out of eyeball sight. “I get a plan to get Hatch and Jara out of Dookie Town. Get dressed and grab one of the two-seater fliers, too. We need the transport, since we’re rescuing both of them…”

Buffo drops his mouth. “That…that’s impossible, Ketona!” He grabs the orange farm gear and the flier, walking behind Ketona, viewing the cloudy sky of orange from the farming dust. “Where are we going? How are you getting them out of Dookie Town? Gimme some more information, honey…”

I walk away from the garage, my house, and the main farm house into the rolling dust. I cough from the thick particles of dust then load the flier onto my back. “We’re going to fly towards the southwestern corner of the orange barrier wall. Then, we’re going to walk through the wall into Dookie Town,” I giggle.

Buffo frowns. “That…that’s impossible, Ketona!”

I giggle, pressing the button. The air fans power on, blowing and scattering more orange dust everywhere. This is part of my disguise, flying within the drifting orange soil.

All the farmers are readying for bedtime of a new day, anyways. No one will bother to examine the rolling waves of orange soil, drifting across the open fields with two fliers, dusting up more dirt. Anyways, all the dust settles down later in the evening, at midnight.

I plan to be back home, before midnight.

I lift my flier, watching Buffo.

Buffo exhales, dressing in his orange farm gear then loads the flier over his back muscles. He lifts and hovers next to Ketona.

I lead towards the southwestern corner of the orange barrier wall.

Buffo’s grandfather and his southwestern barrier wall corner

I land next to the parked tractor.

Buffo lands next to Ketona.

I gently place my two-seater flier on the ground, giggling and trotting directly behind the tractor. All the farmers stow the tractors perpendicular to the crop field for ease, starting the plowing maneuver, the next morning.

I scoot around the plow implementation then kneel onto the dirt, whipping out my instruments.

Buffo removes the flier, frowning with confusion at her behavior. He tosses both the hat and scarf inside the flier, shaking his skull of dirt. He walks then stands at the plow. “What are you doing, Ketona?”

I wipe the orange dust from the wall, seeing the orange color. I frown with confusion. “I can’t see inside Dookie Town.”

Buffo exhales, frowning with confusion. “That’s correct!”

I shake my curls. “I saw through the barrier wall, into one of the park places, during the Cubby Hole. I saw your inside the park place, too…”

He chuckles and nods, sitting next to her. “The Cubby Hole is a pretend fun-time for a graduating senior. The electromagnetic walls are only temporary, for an only temporary purpose.”

I frown. “O! That makes perfect sense. So, I can’t see the other side of this, here, barrier wall, for any reason. So, I guess this is Dookie Town location. Right? Do you agree with me?”

He scans the sky, the field, and the tractor. He stands, walking towards the extreme southeastern point. He extends his arms then hits the orange dust. “I am touching two barrier walls at an angle. This is the Dookie Town barrier wall inside Burrville with my right hand. My left hand is touching the barrier wall connecting to Colfax. You are right. This is the correct location of Dookie Town.”

“Excellent,” I smile and slide the tip of the first piece of magnet into the lower corner, southwestern portion. “I stole the magnetic seal from the interior frame of the new refrigerator. That’s why it wouldn’t close shut. An e-field is a group of charged ions. A magnet will scatter the ions in different directions, without harming, either the ions, or the electromagnetic field.”

The wall rips with a small hole, the size of two-fingers.

Buffo drops his mouth. “I see a hole.”

I stand, sliding the tip of the second piece of magnet into the upper corner, northwestern portion. “I am creating a sloped opening, within the e-field. The ions are not hurt or harmed. They slide away from the magnet, creating a hole. Now, I slide a piece of the ripped refrigerator magnet into the northeastern portion of the wall. Ta-da! We got a perfect right angle.” I back step, admiring the hole in the barrier wall. I stand, beside Buffo.

He hugs Ketona, nodding and smiling. “Wow! Ya did it!”

“The magnets are doing it.”

“How long will the opening last?”

“Forever, I guess. But, we don’t have forever. We need to quickly locate Hatch and Jara and then rescue them, more quickly.”

Buffo frowns with puzzlement. “Rescue them! They aren’t in danger, in there.”

I giggle. “They’re trapped in there. You’re so sad that Hatch and Jara got trapped inside Dookie Town. So, we rescue them from here. They can stay with us…me at my big ugly house and then become farmers, too. They’re plenty of land to farm and plenty of tractors to steer. Do ya like my plan?”

“Yeah, I do. But, my grandparents are going to ask a lot of nosy questions.”

“Naw, we hide them for awhile. Then, you can construct a little white lie, saying the teens were trouble on another farm, so they came to live with me…”

“I don’t know.”

“I do know. Okay, ya need to wear your hat, the gloves, and the scarf going through the barrier wall, along with the jumpsuit, because the objects are also made up of electrons, like the e-field, which was like our cat suits in the Cubby Hole. And, you cannot walk through the opening inside the barrier wall, either. No part of your biological body can touch the exposed wall corners. So, you jump through the wall.”

He gasps, back stepping from Ketona and hole. “Jump!?”

I giggle, dragging his arm back to the hole. “The hole’s big enough for two people to jump through. But, we jump, one at a time, through the opening for safety. I’d suggest get a running start at an angle. That’s less danger, whacking your elbow into one of the exposed corner, lift your legs into your chest, and then fall, sideways, through the opening. Then, ya roll over the ground. Ta-da! We be inside Dookie Town!”

Buffo frowns with confusion. “I don’t know. Why can’t we touch the barrier wall?”

“It’s charged electrons. Our biological body is both balanced, exactly right, of charged electrons and protons. If your finger touches the wall, then your electrons will turn into electricity. You will fry and sizzle, like a potato chip. Zap!”

“Don’t know about this, Ketona!”

I back step from the opening, giving my body more room to run and leap into the hole. “I do. Back away from the opening, getting a good leap. So, watch me! And, ya gotta wear your hat and scarf and gloves. And, the scarf needs to cover your eyeballs, too.”

He lifts the hat and the scarf, studying the opening. “Why cover my eyes?”

“The material of our clothing is added protection from the radiation leaking from the barrier wall. This is why our clothes are always the color of orange. The radiation droplets are absorbed into our clothing then turns them orange colored.”

He exhales. “Radiation, how much radiation?”

“Tiny, too small to measure. Okay!” I exhale with excitement and fear. “I am ready.”

Buffo holds his hat, back stepping, standing next to Ketona. He grabs her hand. “Wait! I like your plan, so far. However, when we fall and then roll inside, our clothing’s going to be colored in orange. Someone will notice us.”

I giggle. “Naw, our clothes will absorb the new radiation droplets then turn yellow, like inside the park places of the Cubby Hole. We will fit right into the landscape of Dookie Town, without suspicion.”

“How will we find Hatch and Jara? We could be inside there, all night...”

I nod. “I know that. However, we use logic. Hatch and Jara, like me, do not have any family members, in there. Therefore, they would be living inside one of the smaller, or the smallest house, like me. So, we think, like me.” I giggle. “So, we find the smallest house then spy, first and then knock, second on the door. Then, we rescue them and leave here. Easy! Okay! I’m running inside, first. Then, you run behind me.”

“Why about the opening? Someone will see it.”

I exhale. “Yeah, I know! O! I know. The magnetic seal is a single piece of rubber. It sticks out the other side inside Dandine, also. I’ll remove the three magnets, after we land inside to ensure no one finds my nifty invention,” I giggle and nod.

Buffo views the dirt then her. “It’s going to smell pookie dookie, in there.”

I nod. “Yeah, I know that, too. But, I can’t do anything about that. Just hold your nose. Since, holding your breath, you’ll die.” I giggle, wrapping my scarf around my face with a very small opening for my eyes. I jog towards the opening.

I leap into the air, holding my knees, closing my eyelashes. I sail into the air, feeling the cooler air temperature, inside the township of Dandine. My body twirls, sideways, and then lands on my right side, hitting my shoulder, kneecap, and boot. My cowgirl hat falls from my curls. I roll then halt, falling on my face.

I exhale, scrambling on my boots, getting away from Buffo’s tallness.

I bend at my waist, running away from the opening.

Buffo rolls then lands on his face, too.

Chapter 7

7:18 pm

Dandine yellow barrier wall

moonlight. night. dark sky. white clouds. no rain. 3 mph winds. 59% humidity. cool. 66°F.

I giggle, covering my mouth with the loud sound. I run then slide into his rib cage, giggling, again. He grunts. I lean into his face. “Get up! Hurry! Act like a dookie worker!” I help him stand, leaning into his chest. I trot to my cowgirl hat, picking it up then sliding into my jumpsuit. I need the hat, a second time, for my journey back through the barrier wall. I survey the landscape, gasping. “This is so beauty.”

Buffo swings around, running to the opening. He holds his fingers near the first piece of magnet then halts. He feels the sizzling ions, scattering and bombarding each other. He wiggles his finger then pulls the first magnet, following by the other three from the barrier wall.

The barrier wall collapses then closes into a solid form.

He whispers with nervousness. “We’re trapped inside Dandine.” He stands, storing the three pieces of magnets inside his jumpsuit of many pockets. He exhales with nervousness and excitement of the rescue. He touches his jumpsuit, glowing in yellow. “It worked.” He stands behind Ketona. “It worked, nicely.”

I stand, surveying the landscape, without moving or talking. “Look, how pretty this place is. There isn’t any bad odor, either.”

Buffo cups his hands over his eyelids, looking on his left in the far distance. “I see miles of white gravel, tall green leafed trees, flower beds of colorful flora, and the large slated covered rounded objects. I guess those are the cesspools. We got lucky, darling! This parsec contains rows of houses, too…”

“Why doesn’t it smell, here?” I sniff the air. “I smell pine from the trees and sweet vanilla from the flowers.”

He grabs her arm, leading down towards the gravel. “Don’t know! Let’s find Hatch and get outta here.”

I view behind my collar bone, thumbing the thicket of trees and flower beds. “We’re going the wrong way?”

“Naw, we’re dookie workers. We’re coming back home, after working all day, like on the farm. There must be twenty four hour shifts, here, as well, since, folks dookie twenty four hours, too. We cut through the trees then walk down the pathway, like real workers. We got lucky, again, babe. It looks, like it suppertime, here, too. Everyone’s inside the house, or working on the other end, away from here…”

Buffo doesn’t cuddle Ketona but walks close to her. He cuts through the trees, standing on the pathway.

We walk slowly towards the rows of houses of white paint.

The houses are scattered around the landscape. The bigger houses of white paint are scattered near the rear of the barrier wall. A set of medium sized houses of white paint are between the bigger and smaller one-story homes.

“Why doesn’t it smell, here? Why is white gravel everywhere on the ground? Why are there green trees? Why are there pretty colorful flowers? I smell the pine trees and the flowers.”

Buffo leads Ketona down one of three walking paths towards the end of the row. He says. “Me, too! Okay, I see three rows of tiny houses. Each one is only one level. Hatch would be here, somewhere. Okay. We snake around each pathway, spying into the windows, like we’re out for a moonlight walk.” He views the sky. “The moon is full, too.” He surveys the walkway. “Not many folks out, either. I guess, they’re like the farmers, eating and then sleeping for tomorrow’s work day.”

I halt, whispering. “Wait! Hatch is new here, too, in the outer township, like me. He’s living inside one of the not so nice houses, reminding him of his failure, too. I would guess right in front of the trees, so he sees the cesspool walls. Ya know no one likes, sitting in the front of the class, or in the front of the bus, or in the front of the crowd. Therefore, he got the front house. Okay! We slowly glide down the sidewalk of the front row of house, spying into the open windows. You look into the window of the first house. I will view the trees. Then, you look at the skyline. Then, I will look inside the windows of the second house…”

“Get it!” Buffo holds her hand, like they are married.

We slowly walk and pass each tiny house. A least, one window is draped open and then framed by curtains.

I view the trees, narrowing my eyelashes. I see a thicket of tall trees and white gravel, glowing under the moonlight. I see two foot high rounded walls of gray slate behind the thicket of trees. I see, in the far distance, many more thickets of trees and white gravel.

Buffo bumps her shoulder.

I view the second house, stealing a glance into the open window. The family is eating inside the dining room. The open window is the living room.

We keep marching down the pathway.

I view the skyline. The moon is a hazing yellow bubbles, drifting from the cesspools. I sniff, again, not smelling a nasty fragrance.

Buffo bumps her shoulder.

I view the fourth house, seeing the living room furniture from the window.

A male: tall, muscular, cropped blonde hair, cat whiskers, peachy skin, athletic body build.

I can’t see his face. And, I don’t see anymore family members. I slow our pace, narrowing my eyelashes into the dark room.

The male walks around the kitchen inside the illuminated room.

I still don’t see any more family members. I exhale with nervousness and eagerness to locate both Hatch and Jara and then leave Dookie Town.

The female: tall, blond hair, pink skin. She sits upright on the sofa, wiping her face.

I halt, narrowing my eyelashes at the girl. Then, I dash to the front door, knocking.

The person stomps towards the door, gently opening the wood.

I grin at Hatch.

He wears a frown of confusion, smelling of both pine and vanilla.

Buffo shoves Ketona into the room, closing the door.

Hatch drops his mouth. “Buffo…”

Buffo hugs his friend then pulls back, nodding. “Put on your dookie work clothes. Bring your helmet, gloves, and scarf, too. We’re rescuing ya from here, buddy!”

Hatch smiles and nods.

I rush to Jara.

She wears a swollen red face, messy blonde hair, and her pajamas.

I kneel on the floor, holding her hand. “Get dressed in your dookie uniform, also. We’re taking ya’ll to the farm. You can live there with me for the rest of your life. I promise.” I nod, smiling.

Jara wipes her tears, gasping. “How’s that possible, Ketona? Buffo? You can’t escape from the barrier wall.”

Buffo says. “Ketona figured out how to penetrate the barrier wall. Get moving! We don’t have all night for your rescue,” he nods and chuckles.

Hatch nods and drags Jara into the bedroom, smiling and whispering into her face.

I dash to the window. “No much activity, here, but the moonlight, we’re going to success with our rescue plan.” I swing around, surveying the room.

The room contains a long sofa and a chair, no other electronic appliances like a television or stereo. There is a plain old card table with two chairs, non-matching. The walls are peeled and painted in dull tan over dull tile flooring.

Now, I understand Buffo is correct. The Colfaxians take everything, first. The outer townships get nothing, but the leftovers.

Hatch drags Jara towards the door, smiling and nodding. “We’re ready.”

I smile at Jara. “I’m sorry. You can’t bring anything else with you, except you and your work uniform.”

“Fine! Let’s go!” Jara says.

Buffo opens the door, leading outside. Hatch cuddles Jara, walking beside Buffo. I walk beside Jara. Buffo says. “Okay. Part of the barrier wall will be opened by a visual hole. You must dress, completely, in your work jumpsuit. The hat, scarf, both gloves, and jumpsuit will protect you from the radiation.”

Jara halts, gasping. “Radiation!?” Hatch cuddles her, slowly pacing between Buffo and Ketona.

Buffo says. “Tiny droplets of radiation, that don’t harm you or me. The barrier wall will be opened with a hole…”

Hatch frowns, walking with Buffo and Ketona. “How’s that possible?”

Buffo says. “We’ll show ya, instead. Let’s hurry towards the barrier,” he halts, surveying the wall. “Where’s the wall corner of Burrville and Dandine?”

Hatch stops, scanning the wall. “There isn’t a wall corner of Burrville and Dandine. The barrier wall inside Dandine is one continuous line of glowing yellow, as far as the eyeballs can see. What’s wrong, Buffo?”

Buffo frowns, holding the magnets. “I see that. We came inside at the extreme southeastern wall corner of Dandine and Burrville. That’s where the fliers are located. That’s our transportation back to the farm.”

Jara sobs. “Then, you’re trapped with us, inside Dandine, too.”

I stomp to the wall, wiping off the yellow dust from the bubbles. I see more yellow wall, exhaling. I view the manicured grass then Hatch. “Why’s there grass? Where’s the smell?”

Buffo frowns with annoyance. “How are we going to figure out, where the exit point is along the barrier wall, Ketona?”

Hatch smiles and nods, cuddling Jara. “The shit lives in water. Then, the soggy shit water is sucked underground. Then, the soggy shit inside the underground pipes fed the trees and the flowers beds. There’s no shitty smell, ever.”

I giggle, winking at him. “You smell like pine and vanilla.”

Hatch smiles, winking and cuddling Jara. “Thanks.”

“Ketona, how do we get outta here, now, tonight, before sunrise and work, tomorrow? We’ll get into serious trouble.”

“I wanna go back. I don’t want to get into trouble.” Jara whines.

I exhale, viewing the wall, grabbing the magnet strips. I kneel, sliding the first magnet into the lower corner, forming my new right angle. “Our exit point is somewhere, between here and the thicket of trees. I don’t wanna get to close to the trees, since the shit pools are parallel to the city of Colfax, for some funny reason. So, we will create a new opening, here. Then, we hike it to the fliers.”

Buffo frowns. “We could be miles from the fliers.”

I slip the third magnet into the barrier wall. “And, we got hours, before sunrise. I don’t wanna take the chance of sliding into Colfax by mistaken. Then, we’ll get into major trouble.”

The wall slides into a perfect 90 degree angle.

I stand, swinging around. “Okay! Do not touch the edges of the exposed wall. Wear your complete gear, the helmet over your head and the scarf around your mouth. Close your eyes…”

“I can’t do this. I won’t do this. I want to go back into our little house, Hatch.” Jara back steps, removing her helmet. “I will live here, forever.”

Hatch frowns, hugging her. “No. I don’t wanna live here, forever. Not if, we have the chance of living on a farm and with Buffo and Ketona, our friends. I want to do this, Jara.”

I wave my arms. “This is easy. Get a running start, curl into a ball and then jump through the opening. Ta-da! You fall on the other side.”

“Jump with my eyes closed!?” Hatch exhales.

“Yes, it’s very easy. Buffo and I did it.” I walk behind Jara, pulling her from the open. “You go, first.”

“No.” Jara shakes her curls.

I order, surveying the manicured grass. “Buffo, go first. Show her!”

Buffo back pedals then runs. He leaps, curling his body, like a ball, and then lands on the other side. He stands, tossing the hat and scarf, smiling and nodding. He laughs, motioning with his hand.

I exhale, shoving on Jara. “You’re next.”

Jara is taller than Ketona, plowing backwards from the opening and over Ketona. She shakes her curls. “I can’t do that. I can’t. I’m afraid.”

Hatch cuddles Jara. “We’ll jump, together.”

I toss my hands, saying. “You can’t do that, either. Your body is a delicate balance of your selected electrons and protons. If you both jump through the opening, your individual electrons and protons become scrambled, like eggs, and then something bad might happen.”

Jara sobs. “I can do this.”

Hatch exhales, snapping his fingers. “Okay. Ya can jump forward through the hole, like diving. Then, I’ll be on the other side to catch ya. How’s that, sweetheart?” He hugs and kisses her crying face.

She sobs. “I guess so.”

Hatch wraps his gear around his face, stepping closer to the wall. He feels the sizzling of the ions. He exhales, leaping over the wall, without touching the edges. He rolls into a ball, landing on his back, chuckling. He stands, bouncing and smiling. He motions to Jara, saying. “Come on! Copy my aerobics, darling!”

Jara sobs, back stepping from the opening.

I exhale, frowning with annoyance. I scan the houses, the lawn, and the thicket of trees. Lucky, I don’t see any walking or wandering dookie workers, coming from or to the houses. I shove Jara towards the opening.

Jara doesn’t move.

I’m petite compared to her tallness. I exhale. “Okay, I will…”

Jara sobs. “Don’t leave me, here, please.”

I exhale. “No. I won’t.” I walk to the Dandine opening, motioning. Buffo and Hatch walk towards the Burrville opening. I exhale, nodding. “Okay. How’s about you and Hatch toss Jara through the opening? That way, she’s soaring on your combined muscle power then she can’t wiggle away or harm herself, going through the opening.”

Hatch nods and smiles. “Great idea, darling! Stay back! I’m coming back inside.” He replaces his helmet and the scarf and then leaps into the air. He curls into a ball, jumping through the wall, a second time. He lands then stands, walking to Jara.

They move from the opening

Buffo leaps then curls into a ball, jumping and landing along the grass, a second time. He stands, wearing his hat and scarf, like a thief in the night.

Hatch says. “Okay, darling! Buffo and I are going to lift you then toss your body through the wall. Close your precious eyeballs. You’ll soar, like a flying bird. When your gloves hit the dirt, roll your body into a ball. “Okay!?”

Jara exhales, sobbing. “Is it going to hurt? I don’t wanna get hurt. I don’t wanna get dirty, either. Is it safe?”

Hatch smiles and says. “You be fine. Okay, get stiff, like an ironing board with your arms stretched forward and your legs stretched backwards.” Hatch and Buffo lift her into the air. “Okay. Release her on three, Buffo.”

Buffo nods.

They gently tote Jara, like an ironing board, using their muscle strength, towards the opening then swing her back and forth.

Hatch says. “One, two, three.”

They release Jara.

She clears the edges of the wall, landing on her gloves, slides into the dirt. She lays, not moving.

I frown with annoyance then jerk Hatch from the opening. “Go on, get inside! We don’t want anymore attention drawn to us.”

Hatch back steps then runs, curling and landing onto the orange soil, a second time. Buffo runs and curls, falling onto the orange soil, too, a second time.

I exhale, running then halt, giggling.

I remembered that Rincon told me, that the mayor is visiting Dookie Town, tomorrow.

I back stepping, surveying the lawn and the flowers. I nod, pulling the red flowers. I crumble them into my gloves then write, sideways, onto the yellow wall.

I be here.

I giggle, wiping the red flower petals from my gloves. I back step then run, leap and curl into a ball. I land, sideways, grunting in both pain and relief.

Buffo jerks the three magnets from the wall then leads towards the two-seaters fliers on the opposite end of the crop field.

Chapter 8

Colfax

8:11 am. northwestern golden barrier wall. sunny. partly cloudy. warm. no rain. 4 mph winds. 78°F.

Duchie sits inside the travel car, studying the outer township maps, again.

The mayor fingers the new black circles on her palm-sized cell. “There are a few more black circles inside the orange barrier walls, today, which had appeared, last night. However, we learned from the farmers that the echoes are collisions with the tractors, hitting against the barrier wall. So, we will concentrate our efforts on the inner barrier walls of Dandine. I am very concerned about naughty teens, murdering the electromagnetic wall.”

“Mama, you can’t harm an e-field, ever. What’s your next assignment of the six remaining? I assumed that we completed the first one, yesterday.” Nephella stares at her mama, wiggling her facial piercing.

The mayor fingers the cell, crinkling her cheekbone piercing into her wrinkles. “Duchie successfully addressed the first assignment with her brilliant explanation of the pings along the barrier wall. Therefore, we are going to investigate within Dandine, today, like yesterday.”

Marsilla holds her nose, on purpose, talking funny. She sits across from the mayor, next to Duchie. She says. “Inside Dookie Town, we must go inside Dookie town. Why can’t we call someone in authority and ask our single question, while we lounge inside the pretty map room, or inside your gorgeous office, Ms. Mayor?”

The mayor frowns with annoyance, twisting her nose bridge piercing into ugliness at Marsilla. “We must visually review some of the black circles along the barrier wall. This was your original brilliant suggestion, intern Marsilla. Why are you hesitating, now?”

Marsilla smiles, elbowing Duchie. “This is Duchie’s original birth town. She should review the black circles and then interview with the authorities for the day. I would like, maybe, insist, here, that I be allowed to investigate the black circles inside the city of Montag, where…”

“…the shops reside with new merchandise.” Rincon chuckles and nods. “We all want to visit inside the Montag shops, Marsilla, not just you. Don’t bother sucking up to the mayor. I suggest we stick with our original agreement. The interns view each outer township as a group.”

The mayor nods and grins. “I agree.”

The travel car jolts then halts at the end of the pavement roadway inside the city street of Colfax. It slowly glides and kills the manicured lawn grass and some wildflowers. The pointy engine hood of satin shiny nickel slowly taps and then penetrates smoothly through the golden barrier wall.

Dandine

8:13 am. southeastern yellow barrier wall

blue sky. sunny. white clouds. cool. no rain. 3 mph winds. 68°F.

The travel car emerges from the wall then sharply turns, without injury to the car or the bodies, from the stationary rows of limestone gray slate colored rounded walls.

Marsilla holds her nose, sitting inside the car. “Poo-wee! We’re emerged, exactly, in the middle of the cesspools, containing everyone toilet water and disgusting nasty contents from their own bowels. I am not leaving the car. You can conduct the interviews, without me. I have generously volunteered to visit Montag, by myself, tomorrow. I can stay all day long, there, during the morning and evening shifts, while investigating each and every black circle then reporting back my findings.” She nods.

The mayor frowns at Marsilla. “Very well, Marsilla! You may stay, here, inside the travel car, during our visitation to Dandine, keeping the me-chee happy. Everyone else, get out!”

Rincon slides from the door then stands. He smiles, holding his breath, being concerned about the dookie smell, too. But, he is, also, curious about the black circles.

Nephella smiles and stands, firing up her cigar. No one will complain about the nice smell, here, in Dandine. She shakes the cigar side to side, smelling the woody odor.

Duchie slides from the car, dancing into the middle of the grass. She twirls around, giggling and sniffing. “Ya’ll are so dense. It doesn’t stink here.”

The mayor glides from the car, standing. She removes the handkerchief, gently sniffing. Then, she smiles. “What is that lovely fragrance of pine talls and vanilla flowers?”

Duchie fingers the thicket of trees, saying. “All the dookie poop is collected underneath the ground from underground pipes of rain water. The dookie poop lives in water, venting the smell, one. Two, the pipes of rain water is flushed underground, bathing the trees and flowers. This is a wetland sewer treatment plant. The field of white gravel around the trees allows the dookie particles to float into tiny air molecules then evaporate into the green leaves and flower beds, so the trees and flowers absorb the nasty odor, not the human noses. That’s why you don’t smell anything stinky.”

The mayor smiles and nods. She walks towards the first worker. The worker is disguised in a yellow hard helmet, a yellow scarf, a pair of yellow gloves, and a yellow jumpsuit. She doesn’t know the name or the gender of the worker. “Excuse me, worker! I am the mayor of Colfax. I would like to speak with someone, here, in Dandine.”

The young worker continues to measure the long metal devise, like a stick, inside one of the cesspools then swings the long stick in the direction of the mayor.

The mayor gasps, back stepping from the draining stick of dookie poop. She sneers. “Who is in charge of Dandine? I would like to establish a meeting, immediately, regarding some urgent business.”

The worker smiles behind the scarf, saying with a clear timber, looks at the stick. “You be mayor. You figure it out.” He swings, walking away from the mayor.

The mayor frowns, watching the worker. The worker walks to another cesspool. She snarls. “Thank you for your time.” She views her palm-sized cell, studying the black circles.

Rincon elbows Duchie, smiling. “Ms. Mayor, there are some new circles along this wall. I think we should investigate the newest ones, first. We might be able to solve the issue, there, too.”

The mayor nods, exhaling and reading her cell. “Yes. That is an excellent idea! You can lead in the direction, intern Rincon.”

Rincon and Duchie read their individual cells, walking in the direction of the newest black circles. He wipes the yellow dust, examining the barrier. He frowns with confusion. “Okay. This is the newest black circles. But, I don’t see any message, I mean mess, here. The farmers whacked their plows on the barrier wall inside the Burrville township. So, I thought, maybe, the workers whacked something along the wall, too, here, inside Dandine.”

Nephella squats, burning the neatly cut healthy green grass with the fiery cigar. “I can address and answer the silly question. The barrier walls have been, accidentally, whacked with the lawn mowers. Look at the nicely landscaped yard, the nice flowers bed, and the trimmed tree and shrub plants. That is the unsolved mystery, here, Mama. Let’s leave.”

The mayor stands before the barrier wall, studying the smooth line of yellow coloring. “What is on the other side of wall, at this particular barrier wall position?”

Duchie frowns with confusion then says. “Colfax is on the opposite side.”

Rincon shakes his curls. “I don’t think so. Based on the map room diagram, Colfax is in the middle of the yellow barrier wall. There are the two additional landscapes of both Burrville and Albend on the opposite side of Dandine. I believe, this is a direct passage or an open pathway, if it existed, into Burrville.” He nods and smiles at Duchie.

Duchie smiles and nods. “O! I be wrong. This is Burrville. If you every broken the wall to the other side…”

Nephella burns the grass, saying. “This wall position is Colfax, Mama. We solved the pings on the barrier wall, inside Dandine. Let’s go back to your office for breakfast, or lunch, or something.”

The mayor studies the wall then Duchie. “Why did you change your mind, intern Duchie? You lived here, during your childhood. Are you confused or lost?”

Duchie frowns then smiles, nodding. “O! No ma’am! I did live, right here, but I didn’t attend to the cesspools. I attended school, which is located, over yonder, way on the other side of the cesspools. These tiny houses, over there, belong to the single families, without any children.”

The mayor views the wall, stepping closer. “I do not see any dents.”

“Matter is not destroyed, Mama. Matter is changed. You can’t damage an e-field, ma’am.” Nephella says and burns more of the manicured grass.

The mayor frowns with confusion. “There are not any indentations on the walls. However, we must prove, it is the set of lawn mowers, causing the pings and then eliminate those nasty teens from damaging the barrier wall. Who can we ask, Duchie?”

Duchie laughs. “Well, I guess you can ask a citizen of Dandine. But, they won’t tattle on the teens, since one of them might be their son or daughter.”

The mayor nods.

Nephella burns the grass. “We are done, here, Mama. Let’s leave.”

Rincon kneels at the wall, rubbing his hands over the surface then halts. He smiles. “I found something, Ms. Mayor.”

The mayor gasps, walking to Rincon.

Rincon rubs his hands over the wall. “Right, here, I found something different.”

The mayor frowns with confusion. “What do you feel different, intern Rincon?”

Rincon kneels, rubbing the spot between the yellow particles of dust. “An e-field is composed of charged ions. Normally, the ions are scattered, within an equal pattern, comprising the entire barrier wall. I have found a tiny spot, where the ions are cold, like ice water.”

The mayor gasps, nodding.

Nephella stands then swings to Rincon, frowning with confusion. “A tiny spot out of zillions of tiny spots, an astronomical weird conclusion, intern Rincon. It is nothing, Rincon. Let’s leave, Mama.”

Rincon nods, touching the spot. “I feel a slight coldness to this particular spot, when I compare to the surrounding spots of warmth.” He stands, extending his arms.

Ketona had discovered something, within the barrier wall, which was directly behind the city of Burrville, like he had challenged her. Since, Rincon plans to get Ketona moved back into the mayor’s office for the vacant fifth dram job.

He is even with her height, reaching upward with his arms and hands, where her hands would touch. He smiles and nods. “I found another coldness spot, here.”

Nephella drops her mouth, stomping to Rincon. “Impossible. An e-field cannot be harmed or modified.”

Duchie bounces to Rincon, kneeling. She rubs the spot. “Dang! I feel a cold spot, too, when compared to the warmth of the surrounding molecules around the wall. Rincon is correct.”

“What does it mean?” The mayor drops her mouth.

Nephella drops to the grass, touching the cold spot, too.

Duchie stands, swinging and nodding to the mayor. “Well, of course, I can’t prove this. But, of course, I’ve witnessed it about thousand and one times. Well, I do believe one of the teens…”

“Brilliant teens,” chuckles Rincon. He rubs the cold then the warm spots, nodding.

Duchie nods and smiles. “Yeah! I believe one of the brilliant teens has figured out how to penetrate the wall.”

“Impossible.” Nephella frowns, rubbing the wall, feeling the cold then warm spots, also.

“How would that be possible? Explain, intern Duchie!?” The mayor frowns with confusion, smashing her nose bridge into ugliness.

Duchie swings side to side, smiling. “Well, I believe one of the brilliant teens might have created a something like devise to insert into the wall.” She snaps her fingers. “That’s it! She or he must have created a new something like devise and then inserted it into the wall. Then, the insertion procedure has created all the new black circles, here, inside Dandine. Clever, ain’t it?” She nods and grins.

The mayor drops her mouth. “Unbelievable! That particular method would be impossible and unbelievable. That teen would, indeed, be brilliant, if that teen mastered that brilliant technique.”

Rincon nods and stands. He swings to the mayor. “I believe that one brilliant teen has accomplished that feat, too, based, of course, on the single cold spot on the barrier wall.”

The mayor walks to the wall, wiping the yellow dust. She rubs on the wall. “Would that teen be located, here, inside Dandine?”

Nephella stands, winging and frowning at her mama. “Look, go, and ask one of the citizens that lives here. They must’ve seen this miracle brilliant technique, too.”

The mayor nods then spins from the wall, walking towards a crowded table of dookie worker. The workers are eating lunch, wearing the yellow helmet and jumpsuit, not the gloves or scarf. And each worker wears a pair of sunglasses. The mayor says. “Yes, daughter, an excellent idea! Excuse me, worker! I am the mayor of Colfax.”

The first worker sits and stares at the mayor, saying nothing.

The mayor smiles and nods. “Worker, do you, usually, view a teen, or a group of teens near this barrier wall of yellow coloring, during the daylight or night time hours?”

The second worker frowns at the wall then at the mayor. “The lawn mowers tap the wall, during the daytime hours.” She chews her food.

The mayor drops her mouth, swinging to Rincon. “You are incorrect, intern Rincon. You are so smart, daughter. We shall leave. We will investigate Montag, tomorrow. Please, everyone enter the car.”

Rincon frowns with confusion, sliding into the seat.

Marsilla types on her cell. “What did you conclude with the black circles, Ms. Mayor? Is someone telling…”

Nephella pitches the cigar into the grass then slides inside bench, slamming her body into petite Marsilla. She sneers into her eardrum. “The pookie travels underground. It doesn’t smell inside Dookie Town, so I guess it’s your imagination, smelling your farts, intern Marsilla.” She giggles with Rincon and Duchie.

Rincon elbows Duchie.

Duchie nods then exhales. “Mayor, I believe, sometimes, the lawn mowers have tapped the barrier wall. I never really saw it, since I was in school, learning about e-fields. But, think it, like this, Ms. Mayor. I did see some the teens whack and hit the barrier wall. Wonder if, one really smart brilliant teen has figured out, how to whack the barrier wall, just right, then the one really smart brilliant teen could escape from Dandine, anytime she or he wanted. Then, the one smart brilliant teen could walk around Colfax and go shopping, or eating the good chocolate cookies, or playing at the entertainment centers for fun. Wow! One really smart brilliant teen could do that.”

Nephella frowns at Duchie. “Impossible. An e-field cannot be harmed or broken.”

Rincon says. “I disagree. We drove into and then through the barrier wall, between the cities of Colfax and Dandine, without getting burned.”

Nephella frowns at Rincon. “Inside a specially designed and fortified car made of nickel, if we were not inside this car, we would burn and sizzle, between the exposed edges of the electromagnetic field. Mama, did we accomplish the second assignment? Are we done for the day? And, what is the third assignment? I wanna get started then finished with our special assignments, today.”

The mayor frowns at Rincon then Duchie. “One really smart brilliant teen could figure out how to escape from the barrier wall. How would that be possible, Duchie?”

Rincon frowns, shrugging. “I don’t, especially, know, but I guess we could ask the one really smart brilliant teen, that did it. She or he would be a valuable asset to the internship. I would think.”

The mayor frowns with annoyance, reading her cell. “The lawn mowers pinged onto the barrier wall. We have finished our tour, here, in Dandine. We will visit Montag, tomorrow. For the afternoon, we will research the maps of Montag, being a very large city.”

Chapter 9

6:48 pm

Burrville.

Farm house of Buffo’s grandparents. suppertime

I fidget side to side inside my eating chair. I can’t ask to be excused, again, from the dining table, a second time, for a second night. Buffo’s grandparents would get worried or suspicious of my weird teen behavior or my non-sneezing facial cold.

I exhale, staring at my empty platter of food. I wait on the younger children to finish eating their supper, before the family members are dismissed from the table.

One of the pre-teen girls smiles at her mama. “Mama, where’s my dress for my birthday party on Saturday? Don’t I need to try it on, before the pins stick my legs? I hate it, when the sewing pins stab my legs.”

The second of the three pre-teen girls smiles at her mama. “Can we decorate the barn, starting tonight? I want pink balloons.”

The third pre-teen girl bounces, saying to her mama. “I want flowers on my special birthday table, too.”

“Me, too!” The second pre-teen nods and smiles.

“Me, three!” The third pre-teen nods and smiles.

Buffo’s grandfather clears his throat, saying. “We gotta plant the seedlings on Saturday morning, honey. That’s going to take the farmers all day long. So, we plan to have a smaller party, right here, in the dining room. How does that sound?”

The pre-teen girls stare at their dirty plates, nodding their curls, in silence.

I exhale, staring at their hair roots of the three pre-teens with sadness.

Buffo’s grandmother stands. “Supper be done! Everyone grab your dirty plates. Time to wash and clean the kitchen for your poor ole grandmother,” she chuckles.

I stand, holding my dirty plate, watching the pre-teen girls.

They sit, staring at their hands.

My farm house

I slam the door, loudly.

The social signal indicates, someone is inside the house, so hide, fast.

Hatch and Jara are hiding inside one of the eight bedrooms. The house is massive with eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and numerous living room spaces for a naughty teen party, if they had secret friends.

I giggle, saying. “It’s me. Come on out!”

Hatch and Jara creep down the stairs then come into the kitchen. They nod and smile.

Buffo follows behind Ketona, sitting and smiling at the bar counter. “How was your day?”

I stand behind the bar counter. “Forget that! We’re going to perform another rescue.”

Buffo frowns. “Another rescue, of whom!?”

I nod and smile. “Three fancy dresses for your nieces and their birthday parties, on Saturday. No time to talk. We can chat inside Montag, while shopping.” I swing towards the rear door. “Come on! Move it!”

Hatch frowns as Jara giggles. She cuddles with Hatch, whispering. He smiles.

Buffo frowns with confusion. “We can’t go shopping, inside Montag…”

I swing around, giggling. “Of course, we can’t, unless we got some money. Where’s the money, honey? Ya told me that your grandfather was wealthy, last night, Buffo.”

Buffo nods then frowns with puzzlement. He stands from the bar stool then stomps down the hallway, squatting. He taps then lifts the two wooden planks, showing tiny squared chips.

I gasp with shock. “Aluminum chips, thousands.”

“Probably closer to millions, I told ya. The money’s under the flooring.” Buffo laughs.

I kneel, touching the chips. “Okay. Go and find some bags. We need to pay for our merchandise.”

Buffo frowns, parking both hands on his hips. “What are you conjecturing up, Ketona?”

I smile at his face. “Your nieces are going to have a terrific birthday party with their new pretty fancy party dresses. So, we pierce the barrier wall with the three magnets, again and then we venture into Montag for the first and last time. We go shopping, which is Jara’s specialty.” I wink at her. “Then, we come home with all the pretty and paid merchandise. Yay hay!”

Jara nods and smiles. She enters the kitchen, looking for some bags.

Buffo frowns. “How do we explain the new merchandise, without it being a holiday or ordering from the supply shipment, which has already come and went, this afternoon?”

Jara returns, scooping up handful of aluminum chips.

I exhale. “Good question. Okay. I can fib, that I found them on the supply shipment.”

“Naw.”

“Okay, I can fib, that I found them in the attic of this old house.”

“Pretty good.”

“Okay. I can fib, that…”

Jara wraps the bags. “Forget it! Girls love clothes. They’re Ketona’s old dresses. Believe or not, we can receive packages from our parents. Sometimes, the packages are damaged or get lost. Ketona’s parents sent her the dresses. How old are the girls?”

“Thirteen years old, first year teens…”

Jara nods and smiles, standing with the bags. “They’re about Ketona’s height and weight, too. They’ll love any fancy dress received for their party. I got my bags filled. Let’s go shopping. Should we purchase shoes?”

I lead towards the rear door. “Alright! We go and collect three dresses. That’s all. Now, everyone wear your jumpsuit, cowboy hat, both gloves, and smelly scarf, as we jump through the barrier wall.”

“Naw, they have plenty of shoes from their other cousins.” Buffo says, walking towards the garage.

I drag out the fliers for our travels, giggling and laughing.

Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and the northeastern orange colored barrier wall corner

I land my flier, first then scoot from the equipment. I jog to the wall. I kneel, dressed in my farmer gear for both disguise and protection. I shove the first magnet in the lower northwestern portion of my geometric right angle design upon the wall.

Hatch says. “Wait a minute, here, Ketona! I know that anything else, but the same invisible charged ions, traveling through an e-field is safe. How are you going to get three physical fabric dresses with ruffles and bows through the e-field, without them, burning up into ash?”

I giggle and stab the second magnet into the northeastern corner. “Three bodies are going to drape the fancy party dress underneath their jumpsuits. Are ya are not naked underneath your uniform, Hatch?” I giggle with Jara. Buffo laughs.

Hatch frowns, shaking his head. “What about the aluminum chips?”

Jara says. “They’re inside my jumpsuit, save and cozy.”

The wall quickly scatters, revealing a dark blue object of solid metal.

I gasp with shock. “Okay! This is a bad spot. Something’s leaning against the wall big, blue and metal, not growling. No growling sound is always a good sign.” I exhale and jerk the two magnets from the barrier wall. I stand, two stepping twenty feet sideways then kneel. I stab the wall with the first and second magnets.

The wall scatters, revealing a purplish sunset to my eyelashes and a nasty stench to my nose holes.

I giggle. “Okay. Who farted? Who had baked beans for lunch, Hatch?”

“Not me!” Hatch holds his nostrils, too. “But, someone has a nervous stomach.” He looks at Jara.

She frowns, shaking the bag of chips at him.

I stab the third magnet into the wall.

The wall nicely scatters, revealing an open flat level ground of dirt.

I frown with confusion. “Something smells really bad in there, inside Montag and not in here, inside Burrville.”

Jara stands behind Ketona, shoving her inside. “Get moving, Ketona! We don’t have all night. My mama told me that some of the shops stay open, during the nighttime, working on their merchandise. We need to find one or two of those shops, quickly and quietly.”

I stand, back stepping then dive forward, using my arms and straight legs, going through the wall.

Jara follows Ketona, diving inside, too. She slides onto the dirt, giggling with the fun activity.

Hatch frowns, back stepping and punching on Buffo inside the farm crop. “Do we really need to go with them? I don’t like shopping…”

Buffo shoves Hatch towards the opening. “I go to protect Ketona. Get inside, Hatch!”

Montag

sunset. purple sky. red clouds. cool. 3 mph winds. 25% humidity. 58°F

The outer township of Montag holds all the warehouse and shops for merchandise, purchased by the Colfaxians and the outer township people.

Buffo dives through the hole, sliding down the sloped hill, without stopping. He doesn’t yell from both fright and fear, alarming the true citizens of Montag.

Hatch crouches at the bottom of the slope, catching Buffo.

They tumble then fall backwards, chuckling.

I frown with annoyance at the silly boys, dropping my cowgirl hat over my hair roots and eyeballs. I wrap the scarf around my throat, mouth, and nose, breathing through my mouth. I scan the ugly landscape.

The sky is purple from the sunset.

The city of Montag is a series of gray dull hills of concrete. I don’t see any tall brown bark trees or colorful patches of wildflowers or, low green plants. The single gray road goes up and down along the outline of the hills, leading somewhere into the darkness.

I look behind my collar bone, gasping. “We rolled down a dirt hill, which is the garbage dump. That’s the smelly smell, tickling my sinuses. They toss all the garbage along the barrier wall. Why would they do that?”

Jara walks with Ketona up the hill. “So, the garbage me-chees can collect the nasty filled trash bags. No human nostrils could withstand this foul odor, including me.”

I halt, swinging around and studying the hill. “Me-chee garbage machines.” I giggle. “I never thought of them, doing that nasty job.” I swing around, walking. “I believe, the me-chee machines should do all the nasty jobs, even digging for the radiation pits for something radiated. What do the radiation pits do for the people of Colfax? I don’t know. Well, then, no person would ever die from radiation. Don’t ya agree, Jara?”

Jara nods, fingering. “There’re a set of tall apartment buildings of gray white on our left for the residents of Montag. At least, in Dandine, we got a small house, freshly painted in pretty white. The shops are on our right. I don’t see many illuminated interior lights. I hope we aren’t too late, in the evening. Ya know, folks go to bed and sleep for work, tomorrow.”

I exhale, nodding. “I know the feeling. I was exhausted, this morning, from last night’s adventure of saving ya’ll. I don’t really do my farm work, today. Now, I’m going to be doubly exhausted, tomorrow morning, trying to finish my farm work…”

Jara walks towards the fourth store, halting on the steps. She scans Ketona. “Okay. You’re blue and I’m blue.” She scans the males, removing her hat, gloves, and scarf. “They’re blue, too. Leave the hats, gloves, and scarf,” she gags then coughs. “Okay. Wear the scarf. It really stinks, here, like pookie, dookie.”

I drop my hat and gloves, giggling behind the scarf, walking into the small shop.

Montag shop

The door bell rings.

We stand in a row, surveying the window display.

Hatch and Buffo both advance towards the window, smearing the glass with their nasty smelly blue gloves. Hatch says. “Cookies.”

Buffo says. “Cupcakes.”

Jara exhales. “This is a bakery. We need a dress shop. Let’s go, Hatch!”

Hatch two steps, surveying the cookie trays. “I wanna cookie. I, just, can’t decide, if I wanna chocolate cookie, or a peanut butter cookie, or a lemon cookie, or an oatmeal cookie…”

Buffo studies the trays. “I wanna cupcake. I, just, can’t decide on a vanilla, or a chocolate, or a colored one…”

I giggle, swinging around. “Okay. Ya’ll stay here and eat your cookie. Let’s walk down to the next store with more illuminated interior lights. If we don’t find a dress, tonight, maybe, you can come back tomorrow, during the daytime.”

Jara frowns. “I don’t know, if I should do that, without…”

“Good evening, sirs! Can I help you with something special?” The nice bakery clerk smiles and says.

I swing around, frowning with disgust.

The bakery clerk wears a blue jumpsuit covered in white flour and colorful frostings from decorating the cupcakes. Her face looks odd, wearing a pair of weird blue eyeglasses, covering her pupils, which is attached to the blue mask around her nostrils.

I giggle with amusement.

Buffo fingers the object. “I wanna vanilla cupcake and a glass of milk.”

Hatch fingers the object. “I wanna oatmeal cookie with two glasses of milk…”

Buffo slaps the glass with his dirty blue smelly gloves, saying. “I wanna both a vanilla and a chocolate cupcake with three glasses of milk.”

Hatch slams the glass with his dirty blue smelly gloves, saying. “I wanna oatmeal cookie and peanut butter cookie and lemon bar cookie with three glasses of milk…”

Jara giggles then slaps Hatch on the collar bone. She views the clerk. “Please, give…”

“Hatch!?” The clerk frowns at him then studies the other customers. “Are you, Jara?” She removes her blue eyeglasses and nose mask, walking around the bakery counter.

I giggle, dashing and hugging her. I pull back, smiling. “Lamis, are you are the talented baker, here? Is this your bakery shop, too?”

Lamis: tall, plump, bronze colored skin, short blonde-hair. She giggles, shaking the flour from her blue jumpsuit around the air. “No. I’m an intern-in-training, like ya’ll. We go around to the different business shops, working with the shop owners, trying to decide, what we want to do for the rest of our lives. I like decorating, so I’m learning to decorate baking goods.” She walks around the counter, pulling the tray of cookies and cupcakes from the display shelf. She totes the two trays, two glasses, and a pitcher of cold milk to the small table, smiling and nodding. “Eat up, everyone! We bake a fresh batch of cookies and cupcake, ever morning. At least, I do.”

Buffo and Hatch sit at the table, devouring the food, like animals.

I view the sunset behind my collar bone then frown at her. “Why ya working, so late, here, in the bakery, at night? It’s passed sunset, out there.”

Lamis flings the cloth with the flour as it flutters in the air. “No big deal! I get to practice decorating on the baked goodies. During the day, we’re too busy baking and decorating and then toting the baked goodies inside the pretty wrapped boxes towards the transport, for the folks in Colfax.”

I growl. “The folks in Colfax come first, of course. Do you service the folks, here, in Montag?”

Lamis nods. “After the working shift, there’re hundreds of stores, thou. We get more little kids, rather than adults, since we produce both cookies and cupcakes. I’m here, late, catching any late comers for some sweets.” She frowns. “Hey, now! How’s it that you’re here, inside Montag, during the evening? You don’t live, here, in Montag. You and Buffo live in Burrville.”

I exhale, dropping my mouth. “Yeah! Well, we’re visiting with my parents in Colfax. Then, we came over on the travel car transport, made of nickel for traveling through the barrier wall. Ya seem that cool move. It’s really cool and fun, too. We’re, here, just, for a short trip, this evening. Ya know, I working on my wedding. Remember? We’re looking for some party dresses. Do ya know of a dress shop, close?”

Lamis frowns with puzzlement then smiles. “Yeah, we got dresses, too. The shop owner also makes dresses. We can walk through the baker floor then exit into the shop’s floor of clothing.”

Bakery floor

I follow behind Lamis, smelling the cake dough, flour, and flavored icing of strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate.

The bakery floor and working counters are covered in pots and pans, flour and sugar, and row of three tiered cakes.

I stop at the row of cakes, admiring the white icing and the pretty colored flowers. The flowers fan around the three tiers of cake, like a growing vine. I finger the cake, smiling. “Lamis, can I buy a cake?”

Lamis halts then spins around to Ketona, frowning with confusion “I beg your pardon.”

“Can I buy from you, this cake?” I finger and smile at the cake.

Lamis walks and stands next to Ketona, staring at the cake. “That’s a birthday cake, without the birthday name, of course. Why do ya wanna a birthday cake?”

I smile and nod. “Well, I love the cake design with the pink flowers. And, well, I’m working on my future wedding, but I really don’t know about anything, yet. And, well, I might like to have this particular design for my wedding. So, can I buy the cake from ya, now, tonight?”

Lamis frowns. “Don’t know!”

I punch Jara then say. “I have money.” Jara shows the chips.

Lamis drops her mouth. “Ya got real aluminum chips.”

I nod, smiling. “Yeah, I got real aluminum chips.”

Lamis smiles and nods. “Well, yeah, you can buy the cake. Normally, we take the order and then we get paid at the end of the month, electronically. My shop owner will be really pleased with the real money currency of chips…”

I wink at Jara. “Let’s go and see the party dresses, too. I feel, like shopping and spending some more of my money…”

Dress shop

I gasp, standing in the archway. The room is filled with rows of hanging short and long dresses. The dresses are arranged in colors from white to yellow to pink to orange to black to others shades. I exhale, walking towards the row of pink dresses.

I scan each dress, looking for an appropriated dress for a young teenager. I choose the pink one: sleeveless, ankle-length, rows of ruffles.

Lamis comes from the side, holding a white gown, frowning at the dress. “Why are ya getting one in pink? Aren’t you wearing the color of white at your wedding?”

I nod and smile, holding the dress next to my petite body. I am about the same height and weight as the three pre-teen girls, who will grow tall, like their mama and Buffo. “Yeah, white for the wedding. This is to wear at the after party of the wedding…”

Lamis frowns. “The after party of the wedding? I don’t know, there was an after party of the wedding.”

“Yeah, for, after the wedding, there’s a party, too.” I drape the dress over my arm, scooting into the new aisle of clothing. I select a yellow dress: long sleeves, v-neckline, a big bow on the waistband, plantation style skirt. I nod and smile at the pretty party dress.

Lamis frowns, standing in front of Ketona. “Do you want the pink or the yellow one, Ketona?”

I giggle. “Both of them, one for the, after the wedding party, and then one for the, before the wedding party.” I scoot into a new aisle of clothing. I select a baby blue dress: sleeveless and ruffles, too. I giggle, draping the dresses over my arm.

Lamis frowns at Ketona. “Why are ya getting a third dress, Ketona?”

I giggle. “For walking around, before, the before, wedding party.”

Jara laughs then whispers. “You should tell her what’s going on, here. She’s getting suspicious of you and her face is going to permanent scar with that ugly frown.”

I whisper. “Naw, this is our secret, not to share.”

Jara selects a long dress, holding up to her body. “I like the dress, too. Why are there so many pretty ankle-length dresses, Lamis? Who buys them from the shop owner?”

Lamis touches each dress, saying. “The majority of our merchandise is for the me-chee machines.”

Jara gasps. “What, the me-chee machines?”

Lamis nods. “Yeah, the me-chee machines are used, a lot, inside Colfax. I didn’t know that, either. Apparently, the me-chee machines wear these pretty party dresses, all the time, during their work hours in all kinds of places, like the banks, the stores, and the restaurants…”

Jara nods, touching the dress. “I barely remembered, seeing the me-chee machines, when I lived inside Colfax as a teen and small child. They did dress very nice. They dress nicer than me, now,” she views her torn and re-patched blue jumpsuit from the used and abused farm clothes. She feels depressed.

Lamis says. “Yeah, they work as store clerks, banks clerks, waitresses, waiters, and other service friendly jobs, waiting on the folks in Colfax. So, we supply the pretty dresses for the female me-chee. There’s another store that supplies the male clothing for the boy me-chees. Are you getting your bridal dress, today, Ketona?”

I giggle, walking around the room. “Naw, I wanna lose some weight, before my wedding. I’ll come back, after I lose the weight.” Jara laughs, replacing the dress.

Lamis frowns at Jara. “Are you going to get a bridesmaid’s dress, too?”

Jara laughs. “Naw, I’m losing weight with Ketona, first.”

Lamis frowns, shaking her curls, replacing the white dress.

I giggle, nodding. “Okay. I be done with my dress shopping for the day. I’m ready to pay for all my nice merchandise. Your shop owner has lovely items. I will be certain to come back here for my wedding stuff.”

Lamis exhales, saying. “Okay. I need to ring up the dresses, over yonder, near the register.”

“Okay.” I prance to the counter with the dresses.

Lamis slowly rings up the dresses, punching the buttons.

Jara frowns. “How are we going to get all the cakes into the…transport, Ketona? We don’t have enough room for four teens, three cakes, and three party dresses. What are we going to do? Maybe, we should come back for the three cakes, tomorrow evening…”

Lamis says. “We provide to each customer a hover cart for the delicate cakes.”

Jara frowns. “How do we get it through the wall, without it exploding into ashes and flames?”

Lamis says. “We cover the cakes with an e-field cloth for any type of barrier wall transport. We have to cover everything with e-field cloth for transportation into Colfax or the outer townships. I thought you came here, before...”

I giggle. “We did. But, my mama transported the merchandise for me. Ya know, mamas take care of their babies, until death…”

Lamis nods. “Okay, the price is 3,100 chips.”

Jara nods, rattling the chips, counting out the aluminum.

Lamis smiles, re-counting the chips. She frowns with confusion. Then, she recounts the chips, a second time. She says. “The number of chips totals 5,000 even. The price is 3,100 chips. I am sorry, that I confused you…”

Jara smiles and winks. “Naw! The extra chips are for you, Lamis, working, so late, at night and helping Ketona with her perfect wedding. Can you get a bonus, here, at the shop?”

Lamis drops her mouth, nodding then grins. “Well, yes, I’m paid on the number of items that I sell for the day.”

Jara smiles and winks. “Well, tonight, babe, ya made a hog killing, honey. I’d take the day off, tomorrow, also, for your good selling job, tonight.”

Lamis nods, sliding the chips into the drawer for the purchased the merchandise. Then, she slides the remaining chips into her jumpsuit pocket. She nods, saying. “Right, yeah! I’m going to ask for a day off, tomorrow, so I can go shopping for myself. Thank ya’ll, so much! Are ya’ll finished inside the dress shop? Do you want anything else, here?”

I smile. “Naw. We need to go back home, too. It’s getting late. Where’s the e-field cart? We can wrap the cakes and dresses, while Buffo and Hatch load the cakes and dresses onto the e-field cart for you.”

Lamis leads out the dress shop with Jara and Ketona following behind.

Bakery floor

I walk through the bakery floor behind Lamis.

She wraps the e-field cloths around each cake. Jara and I carefully wrap the dresses, without any merchandise item getting sizzled between the electromagnetic field ions.

Buffo and Hatch load the cakes and dresses onto the e-field cart.

I nod and smile to Lamis. “Thanks for waiting on us, Lamis. I’ll come back real soon for…my wedding dress and my wedding cake design. Do you design cakes, too?”

She nods and smiles. “Yeah, I stay late to practice with my pretty flower designs. If you come back, come later in the evening, like now. I don’t work in the morning time. I usually sleep. And, don’t come back, tomorrow. I’m taking the evening off. I’m allowed some work time off, since I really have some chips to spend. Thanks, again for the bonus money!”

I nod and smile. “Okay, see ya’ll, again, on another day.” I walk out the door into the night.

Lamis exhales, spinning from the front entrance door. She sees the mess that Buffo and Hatch left on three different tables with the cookies crumbs, cupcakes frosting, empty glasses, and the scattered chairs. She giggles at their silly boy like behavior then exhales. She’s too tired to clean up the mess for the evening. She’ll leave it for the other intern-in-training to straighten the chairs and clean the table surface, before the daily customers arrive for their bakery treats.

Lamis cuts the lights off then slams the rear door, walking to her apartment building.

Garbage hill

Buffo exhales, pushing the e-field cart. “Why ya buy the fancy dresses and tall cakes, too?”

“For the birthday party,” I giggle, shoving the e-field cart up the hillside, making me sweat inside the scarf. I smell my stinky breathe, too.

Buffo frowns. “How are we going to explain everything, Ketona?”

Jara giggles, shoving the e-field cart up the hillside. “Don’t worry! Girls love dresses. And, boys love cake. And everyone loves a party, including me. No one will ask any questions, since they’ll be too busy eating and partying for some fun in boring Burrville.”

I skip ahead, stabbing the three magnets, really quickly into the wall, getting good at my new stabbing technique. I expand the field, watching the ions scatter, creating a great big hole.

We shove the e-field car through the opening then Buffo dives over. He catches then halts the cart from drifting over the field.

We load on the fliers then Buffo lift the rope of the e-field cart, flying towards the house.

Chapter 10

Wednesday

8:09 am. Colfax

travel car. rainy. gray sky. dark clouds. cold morning. 65°F

Duchie scoots next to Rincon, giggling.

Marsilla sits beside Duchie.

The mayor and Nephella sit, together, on the opposite side. The mayor studies her cell, saying. “Last night, a new set of recorded black circles has mysterious appeared, inside Montag.” She views Marsilla, smashing her nose bridge with ugliness. “We are very fortunate to visit Montag, today, to witness this event. Marsilla, you expressed, yesterday, that you would like to explore and explain the black circles.”

Marsilla nods and smirks. “Yes ma’am! I will volunteer to visit each circle and then propose an explanation.”

The mayor nods and smirks. “Excellent answer. Have you ever visited Montag, before, intern Marsilla?”

Marsilla drops her mouth. “No ma’am! I don’t have any blood-relatives, living here.” She smiles. “But, ya know, I might have a long lost fourth cousin, or something like that. Ya know, I might wanna stay the entire day and visit with my long lost fourth cousin. Ya know…”

The mayor exhales, nodding. “I do not know. But, if you wish to stay the day, you may stay. The travel car will collect you, before sunrise. How does that arrangement entice you, intern Marsilla?”

Marsilla nods and giggles, rattling her aluminum chips inside her dress pocket.

The travel car halts at the golden barrier wall then slowly penetrates its sharp point of the engine design into the e-field. The car punches through the opposite side, slowly rolling over the smooth roads, inside the city of Montag.

Marsilla gasps, viewing her cell. The cell immediately shows the surrounding viewing field of energy and objects. “It’s…it is so ugly. Gray paved hilly roads, gray colored big trucks with blue smoke, and a stack of grayish white tall buildings, and a stack of low grayish white buildings. Where’re the tall pine trees, and low green shrubs, and pretty flower beds, like we saw in Dandine?”

The mayor chuckles, fingering the glittering hillside of her cell. “Not here, inside Montag, this is the warehouse district. The business shops make our clothing, our food stuffs, our shoes, our golden leather dresses. Do you see the hillside, inside your new cell, intern Marsilla?”

Marsilla gasps, touching her cell, nodding. “The hillside is composed of tall and ugly mounts of garbage.”

The mayor chuckles, nodding and studying her cell, too. “Yes, the shop keepers discharge the trash along side the hill, where the me-chees collect the piles, both day and night. It takes months to collect the garbage, since the shop owners work, almost all day and night, too, creating the goodies, coming into Colfax for our wonderful citizens.”

Rincon narrows his eyelids at the mayor. “Why do the shop owners work all day and night?”

The mayor smiles. “Well, not all the shop owners, only the untalented ones.”

The travel car halts.

The mayor smiles. “Before, we all exit into the city of Montag.” She hands the objects to Marsilla. “You will need a pair of glasses and a nose mask.”

Marsilla accepts the items, studying each one. “What, for?” She views the cell, seeing sky and the landscape. “I see pretty skies of yellow sunshine. No rain, here. I see the paved roads and sideways.”

The mayor chuckles. “You will need the face mask, before, exiting into the city.” She hands the objects to the other interns. “We all will need the face mask for both protection and recognition.”

Rincon frowns at the face mask components: eyeglasses and nose mask. He slips them over his face.

Duchie slips them over her face, too. She nods and giggles.

The mayor and Nephella place the face mask over their eyes and nose holes.

Rincon chuckles at the odd sight of five people, looking like a group of aliens.

Marsilla cannot frown but says with fury, sounding funny with her nose clipped. “This is a joke. I don’t like jokes. I am a serious intern, here. This is a sorry joke from Rincon. He’s jealous, that I get to explore Montag, all day long. No. I refuse.” She tosses the items onto the bench.

The hatch opens.

Marsilla holds her nose, coughing. “Ugh! The smell!? What’s that smell?”

The mayor talks funny with her nose clipped, not sliding out the travel car. “The smell comes from the garbage located on the hillside, before the me-chees collect the garbage, at the end of the day. And, it is, also, the location of the mysterious black circles.”

The interns laugh funny with their nose clipped.

Marsilla holds her breath, grabbing both the eyeglasses and nose clip. She places over her face, frowning with depression at the tall mount of garbage.

The mayor giggles and fingers the hillside. “So, get going, intern Marsilla, for your review and interview of the black circles.” She scans the row of shops. “We will be waiting for your vocal report, inside the closest food shop, over there. I would suggest, starting with the newest set of black circles, way over there, near the set of empty trash bins, before more trash accumulates along the dirt tracks of the hillside. And, please, take your time, also.” She scoots from the car, walking towards the shop.

The interns laugh funny with their nose clipped, following the mayor.

Marsilla exhales, sobbing with tears, making a big mistake. Her tears cause the eyeglasses to blind her eyeballs. She rips off the eyeglasses, cleaning her eyeballs of moisture, walking towards the empty trash bin.

Bakery shop

The mayor enters the shop, holding her breath. She removes the face mask, inhaling the recycled fresh air. She shuffles towards one of the tables, smirking and chuckling at naïve intern.

Nephella frowns with annoyance, sitting inside one of the empty chairs around the table. “Mama, that would really mean and cruel.”

The mayor raises her hand for the waitress to come to the table for her food order, saying. “Daughter, you are training to be the next administrator of Colfax, eventually, replacing me, when I retire. You must learn to recognize both techniques of deception and betrayal, immediately, in order to act, appropriately for an appropriate…action.” She giggles, wiggling her fingers at the busy waitress.

Rincon sits near the window, viewing Marsilla.

Marsilla walks up the hill then slides back down.

He chuckles then winks at Duchie. He says. “I believe we have found a clear cut explanation of the black circles, inside the smelly city of Montag. The metal trash bins hit the wall then echo back with a set of black circles. The numerous black circles, lining the wall, are the numerous tall and ugly trash bins.”

Duchie frowns with sadness, thinking it’s mean and cruel to make Marsilla climb through the trash bins. She watches Marsilla climb up and then fall down into the trash. She softly asks. “How long are you going to make Marsilla climb around the trash? I agree with Nephella. Marsilla has learned her lesson, today.”

Rincon laughs. “Marsilla is going to stink up the travel car on the way back into Colfax. I do not wanna ride back with her smelly…body.”

“Me, either.” Duchie nods.

The mayor wiggles her fingers at the bakery clerk, standing behind the counter for attention. “I have ordered a new travel car, coming and arriving through the wall, within the hour. That should be sufficient time for Marsilla to find and locate one of the newest set of black circles. Then, she can confirm that all the dents come from the metal trash bins, banging against the barrier wall. In which time, we should be finished with our beverage and pastry, if I can get the attention of the clerk.”

Rincon stands. “I don’t think, this is a restaurant setting, mayor. I believe we select our entrée from the window displays and then pay for the food…”

The mayor exhales. “You are very acute with your observations, Rincon. You would make a fine administrator technician in Colfax, too, but my daughter possesses that job.”

Duchie stands and giggles, punching Nephella on the bicep, being shorter.

Nephella exhales, walking behind her mama. “Thanks for the compliment, as always, Mama!”

Rincon stands at the window display, ordering. “I would like a cupcake and a beverage…”

The door opens with a bang, hitting the wall.

“I’ve be robbed.” The shop keeper tosses her arms, yelling. “I’ve been robbed. Someone stole my cookies, cupcakes, and birthday cakes. Who’s the authority, here, inside Montag? Who do I contact for assistance in this urgent criminal matter? I have been robbed. My lovely cakes are gone, missing. I want my cakes found…”

The shop baker frowns with confusion. “You have been robbed. Well, there has never been a robbery, here, inside Montag, before, that I know of. I don’t know, who to call. I don’t know, who the authority figure is here, in Montag.”

The mayor gasps with shock, swinging around to the angry shop owner. “I am the mayor of Colfax. I am the authority figure, here, in Montag.”

The baker frowns at the mayor’s back. “You live in Colfax, not Montag. Why do you have authority here, inside Montag?”

The mayor shoves the shop owner towards the door, ordering. “Show me! Show me your evidence? Then, I will find the robbers and punish them.”

Second bakery shop

The shop owner nods, swinging around. She dashes out the room, running down to her shop. She exhales and opens the door, standing along the wall. She fingers the room. “Look at this mess! The robbers ate all the other cookies and cupcakes that were not stolen, last night. Then, they robbed me of my cakes, too.”

“What cakes?” Rincon stands inside the archway, scanning the messy room.

The lobby of the shop shows three out of ten messy tables. The messy tables are covered in numerous cookie crumbs and smeared cupcake colored frosting. The chairs are scattered around the room. The window display is empty of fresh baked cookies or cupcakes.

The shop owner walks behind the counter, saying. “I arrived at my usual time. When I entered the lobby of the shop, I found this ugly scene. Every night, the tables are cleaned. And, the chairs are scooted underneath the table. When I left, last night, the tables were neat and clean, also. The robber entered my shop and then robbed me of my livelihood. I depend upon selling my cookies and cupcakes, every day to the Colfaxians.”

The mayor gasps. “The goodies were traveling to Colfax.”

“Yes.” The shop owner shifts, moving towards the rear table.

The mayor and interns follow her into the bakery room.

The shop owner stands in the middle of the bakery floor, fingering the empty table. “On top of that clean table, there were three tall cakes of white with pretty colored flowers. The cakes were going to Colfax for three birthday parties…”

Rincon walks around the bakery floor. The room shows spilled contents of flour, sugar, milk, and other messy ingredients for making and baking both cookies and cakes. He asks. “Did you accept payment in advance for the three cakes from the parents?”

“No.” the shop owner says.

Rincon swings to her, smiling. “Excellent, you can prepare three more cakes for the birthday parties.”

“I was robbed,” the shop owner frowns.

Rincon says. “I can’t explain the robbery. But, you can recoup the lost of the thief.”

The mayor scans the messy baker room. “Who was here, last night? Did someone see the robbery, inside your cake shop? Or, did someone help with the robbery, inside your cake shop?”

The shop owner shakes her curls. “No. I was the last one to leave, last night. The rear door was closed, as usual. The other cookies and cupcakes were inside the window display, ready for selling, this morning.”

The mayor nods. “Yes, you were robbed. How did the robber get inside your shop?”

The shop owner gasps then nods. “The door is not locked.”

The mayor gasps. “What!?”

The shop owner shakes her curls and hands. “The door is latched, when it is closed, at all times from the wind or another natural event. However, any person can enter the store, at anytime.”

The mayor frowns with annoyance, parking both hands on her hips. “This is why I am not the mayor of Montag, but Colfax. You can’t claim a thief robbery, if you do not lock and seal the front door for both protection and safe guarding your goods. This is not a crime, here, inside Montag.”

The shop owner nods. “This is our way, here, in Montag. Everyone is nice and polite and honest. No one steals, here, ever…”

Marsilla rushes into the open door, scanning the room for the mayor. She saw the interns and the mayor enter the shop, spying on them from the hillside. She rushes around the window display, entering the baker flooring.

Duchie holds her nose. “Poo-wee! Someone smells like gar-barge,” she giggles with Rincon.

Nephella punches Duchie on the collar bone, frowning with annoyance at her new friend.

Marsilla sneers. “Shut it! Ms. Mayor, I found something, really weird. The last set of black circles are not located behind a trash bin, but beside it. And, I touched and examined the wall barrier. I felt two tiny slight cold spots, along the wall of the surrounding warmer molecules, like Rincon did, inside Dandine. I conclude, that a smart teen is whacking the barrier wall and breaking it, and then the teen is coming through the wall. What are ya’ll doing in here?” She scans the cookies and cakes. “I wanna a cupcake, too.”

The mayor gasps, studying Marsilla and then the shop owner.

The shop owner fingers the table with the missing cakes, nodding.

The mayor views Marsilla, saying. “Show me the spot on the barrier wall.”

Marsilla grins and nods. She swings towards the front door. She exits with the mayor and the interns, following behind her.

They all wear the face mask.

Garbage hill and the northwestern blue barrier wall

Marsilla wipes the blue dust from the wall. She fingers the sticky yellow colored trash on the wall. “I marked it, here, so I won’t forget. There! There are two separate spots, both cold…”

The mayor orders. “Everyone, snap pictures of the wall, now! Let’s get out of here, now. My sinuses can’t take the stinky smell. We will analyze the photographs and these cold spots, inside the map room. Move. Everyone shuffle back into the travel car, now. And, before we meet inside the map room, everyone will take a bath, immediately…”

Chapter 11

Colfax

11:01 am. map room

Rincon wiggles side to side inside his chair with excitement.

Marsilla fingers the photographs. The photos are displayed upon the wall from her cell. “When I discovered the two cold spots, along the barrier wall, I, also, drew a line between the two spots. The line is a perfectly straight, coming down from point A to point B. Therefore, I conclude that a smart teen has stabbed something through the barrier wall, here and there. Then, the ions scattered or parted from the something object. The parting created an opening or a hole, where one teen could walk through the wall.” She nods and smiles.

The mayor gasps. “Is this possible?”

Marsilla nods. “Yes, it is very possible. The smart teen has figured out and duplicated the simplistic concept of the travel car. I can’t explain the how, or the why, or the what, either. But, I am more than willing to find out for you, Ms. Mayor.”

Nephella wiggles side to side inside her chair with annoyance. “Not possible, Mama! The travel car is made of raw nickel minerals. When the car enters the barrier wall, the car absorbs some of the radiated electrons, tossed from the electromagnetic field. This is how we survive, passing through a barrier wall. This is how the car survives, passing through a barrier wall. No human, mammal, or insect can pass through a barrier wall, without the protection of the travel car. The human would burn into sizzling ashes. No smart teen has figured out nothin’. The cold spots are deep indentations associated with numerous hits upon the barrier wall, thus the continuous pings inside the map room, here.”

Marsilla frowns and fingers the wall map. “How do you explain that the newest black circles are very new, not old? I did my homework, late yesterday afternoon and last night. I stayed here, almost all night, looking for the results. I went backwards in time and reexamined the historical black circles, specifically, inside Montag. The new black circles are new, since last night, inside Montag. As of today, there have not ever been any visual black circles, there, positioned inside the two cold spots, because the trash bins are immovable. The trash bins are not placed there. The trash bins do not move, unless the me-chees move it. So, the trash bins did not make the two black circles on the barrier wall. Therefore, the smart teen, like Rincon keeps proclaiming for some weird reason, has punched the barrier wall, two times with something, and then entered Montag, committing a crime, stealing the cakes from the shop owner.” She nods and grins at Rincon.

Rincon frowns with annoyance at Marsilla.

The mayor nods, holding her chin. She walks around the center of the platform, looking at the polished floor, cleaned by the people from the outer township of Hamlin. “Last night, the shop owner was robbed. So, we can conclude that the smart teen has breached the barrier wall…”

Nephella frowns with annoyance, shaking her facial piercings. “No, Mama! The cold spots are deep indentations, within the barrier wall. This is, why the trash bins are not located against the barrier wall. You have asked about the pings, before from the me-chee leader, like months ago. Therefore, the me-chees shifted that particular trash bin away from the two indentations. And, the shop owner left the door unlocked. Any mischievous teen or a group of teens could have entered her store and stolen the cookies, the cupcakes, and the cakes. The shop owner needs to lock the door. Or, the shop owner needs to tattle to the other shop owners and the citizens of Montag about the crime. The citizens of Montag should investigate their own criminal incident, not us, here, inside Colfax. This is not our concern, Mama. What is the next assignment for the interns?”

The mayor exhales, studying her daughter, nodding. “You are very wise, daughter. The shop owner was most careless, leaving the front door unlocked. And, the crime occurred inside Montag, therefore the shop owners should attend to the matter.” She smiles. “The next assignment…”

“Ms. Mayor, I would like to point out the duplication of the cold spots found by Rincon, yesterday, inside Dookie Town. I find it remarkable, that we are investigating the black circles, which are causing dings to the important barrier wall. And, I find it remarkable, that we have found a series of cold spots, within two different outer townships, which are causing dings to the important barrier wall. And, I find it remarkable, that Rincon mentions a smart teen, who might be creating and causing the dings to the very important barrier wall. And, I would like to point out that the barrier wall is our only defense against this savage teen and the other more savage teens, within the outer townships. And, I have a demonstration for you and the interns, Ms. Mayor.” She presses the button on her cell.

The map room disappears. It is replaced with the blue barrier wall inside Montag.

Marsilla smiles. “I have simulated an object, two objects, punching through the blue barrier wall, inside Montag. Please, watch upon the wall. When the two objects are stabbed in the exact twin positions of the cold spots, it forms a perfect straight line. Then, the straight line scatters the charged ions, within the barrier wall. Then, the charged ions drop away, forming a neat vertical up and down opening. I would like to point out that this opening could, somewhat, allow a small external object, or a small body to slide across the barrier wall and then land into the new outer township…”

The mayor gasps.

Rincon laughs. “That’s good illustration of a fantasy fun mathematic child’s game, Marsilla. I propose that you be a me-chee designer, instead of a legal technician. And, that’s impossible to breakdown a barrier wall.”

Marsilla sneers. “I…am not breaking the wall, slo mo joe. I…am scattering the ions of the wall. Matter is not destroyed. It is changed.”

Nephella frowns at Marsilla. “And, what do you propose, Marsilla?”

Marsilla stands and grins. “I propose that we revisit Dandine and question the residents, finding and locating this particular mischievous smart teen, before any more harm is done to the very important barrier wall.”

The mayor studies Marsilla then Duchie. She nods and says. “Yes, we should visit the outer township of Dandine, again. Let’s talk with the residents and listen, if we can find that mischievous teen. I, for one, would like to learn how to penetrate a barrier wall, without the usage of a travel car of raw nickel mineral.”

Dandine yellow barrier wall

The travel car halts beside the cesspools, again. The me-chee driver sits inside the car.

The mayor slides out the car, walking towards one of the workers. The interns scatter from the car, swinging around and examining the barrier wall.

Rincon slams his hands into the wall, scattering the yellow dust, then whispers to Duchie. “Do ya think Ketona figured out how to part the barrier walls?”

Duchie whispers. “Naw! That’s impossible. I agree with Nephella’s explanation. Only certain minerals allow an e-field to scatter. And, the minerals have to be mined from the soil, usually underground. This is impossible for someone to walk between a barrier wall…”

Nephella lights the cigar, waving the smoke in the air, calming her nerves. She wishes her granddaddy was alive to give her a hug and control her mama. Her mama gets on Nephella’s nerves with her foolish folly.

The mayor stands away from the slate covered walls, yelling. “I am the mayor of Colfax. I am interested in learning, if there has been any type of visual or social activity near this yellow colored barrier wall. As you know, it is against the law to mess with the barrier wall.”

The lonely worker, dressed in yellow gear, stirs the cesspool water, ignoring the mayor.

The mayor exhales, turning towards the thicket of trees. There is a table with gathered workers. She stands away from the table, yelling and tossing her arms. “I am the mayor of Colfax. I am interested in learning, if there has been any type of visual or social activity near this yellow colored barrier wall. As you know, it is against the law to mess with the barrier wall.”

The workers chew their food, staring at the mayor.

One of the workers nods and chews, spitting out mouth salvia and food particles. The worker fingers the wall. “I saw some kids playing around there, the other day.”

The mayor gasps, nodding. “When, the other day? When is the other day?”

The worker chews. “The other day.”

Marsilla stands next to the mayor. “Hello, I am Marsilla from Colfax. I work with the mayor of Colfax. So, you saw a couple of kids, playing near the barrier wall. Could you, be so kind, as to, point out that particular area along the barrier wall for me? I would really appreciate your kindness, honey.”

The worker chews then fingers. “Somewhere, over yonder, I’d say. Somewhere, about even with the first row of houses. I saw some kids playing there, the other night…”

Marsilla nods, grinning. “You are so kind. Thank you.” She swings, dashing to the rows of houses. She stands at the edge of the sidewalk, in the grass, narrowing her eyelashes at the wall, scans the wall. She paces forward from the row of houses, then touches into that point along the wall. She gently bushes the yellow dust from the wall. She gasps, when her hands gently touch the dried red patch of flowers. She reads out loud. “I…b…here. I be there. The message is printed in crashed red flowers. There is a message from the smartie teen. I know it. There is a teen, here. And, the teen can walk through the barrier wall. But, I will find her, first. Or, I will beat it out of Rincon, first. He knows who the mystery teen.” She squats, gathering grass then mouth spits on the grass. She sticks the wet grass next to the printed message.

Rincon gasps, rubbing the wall. “I found it, again. There…is a cold spot, here, kinda near the bottom of my ankles, like someone was squatting and then stabbing at the wall.”

Duchie gasps, back stepping from the wall, frowning with confusion. “A single cold spot’s near your ankles.” She steps towards the wall, reaching her hands, rubbing the wall. She gasps. “I found it, too. There’s another cold spot, here. It is very tiny.” She gently traces her finger from the upper cold spot down towards the bottom cold spot.” She gasps. “Rincon, this is a straight line, not perfect, but very close. Something has been stabbed, twice, through the barrier wall. If we follow the logic of Marsilla’s silly mathematics, then the straight line would crack an opening inside the barrier wall.” She turns towards the noise then gasps. “Marsilla, she’s found something on the barrier wall, on the other side…”

“Ms. Mayor! O Ms. Mayor!” Marsilla dashes across the grass.

Nephella stands beside her mama.

The mayor talks with the workers, who are more interested in eating their lunch.

Marsilla stands and pants in front of the table, viewing and nodding to the mayor. “I found something, Ms. Mayor. Please, come and see!”

The mayor gasps then studies Marsilla. “What!? What have you found?”

Marsilla grins and pants. “Come and see this, Ms. Mayor!” She swings around, pacing to the wall.

The mayor and Nephella follow behind Marsilla.

Duchie and Rincon run from the opposite side, halting.

They stand in front of the yellow dust.

Marsilla prances to the wall, scattering the dust then fingers her grass stain. “I stained the object with grasslets for easy identification. See, the message in crumbled red flowers, here. I…b…here. I believe the original message reads: I be here. This is my proof, that the mischievous teen has broken through the barrier wall, right here, inside Dookie Town. We should…”

The mayor gasps then exhales. “I really can’t believe that one teen could possible break through an e-field, physically or scientifically. But, I do see an encrypted message...”

Nephella waves the smoke of the cigar around the air waves, frowning with annoyance. “Mama, these are kids, children, probably learning to spell and definitely needing to learn how to construct a proper sentence structure. If the message is supposed to read: I be here. That is visual proof, that the children failed their grammar class. And, this is not a good bragging boast.” She laughs with Rincon and Duchie. “I believe to interpret the sentence. The kids were here playing for fun. That’s all! That’s it! Let’s go back to your office.”

Marsilla stomps her sandal, dashing to the wall. She vigorously rubs her hands back and forth along the wall.

Rincon laughs, swinging around towards the car with Nephella and Duchie. He whispers into Duchie. “Do not mention our…”

“Found it!” Marsilla bounces, touching the wall. “I found a cold spot, right here, above my head. The teen must be tall, taller than me. The teen is busting through the wall, right here, Ms. Mayor…”

The mayor swings around, gasping. She runs to Marsilla. “What have you found, intern Marsilla?”

Marsilla doesn’t remove her hands. “Found it. I found another cold spot. You should touch it, here, Ms. Mayor. So, you can understand the sensation, that I am experiencing, too.”

The mayor steps forward, touching the spot. She nods. “Yes, there is a deep indentation, like something was directly stabbed into the wall.”

Marsilla rubs her hands along the bottom of the wall. She gasps. “I found a second cold spot. It is located at my ankles.” She swings her face, winking at Rincon.

Rincon frowns with annoyance, standing next to Duchie.

Marsilla rubs the spot then traces her finger upward towards the second cold spot. She touches the mayor’s fingers. Marsilla says. “This is both physical and scientific proof, that a teen has messed with the barrier wall. We should find and locate the teen, and then question her, immediately.”

Nephella frowns with annoyance. “Mama, you’re creating a scene, here. We should go and discuss with phenomena with both logic and scientific facts, first.”

The mayor removes her finger, nodding. “Yes, my daughter is correct. We shall leave, immediately, for an academic discussion. Please, everyone back into the car.”

Colfax

1:01 pm. map room

Duchie wiggles side to side with nervousness inside her glass desk located on the northwestern side of the platform.

The mayor stands in the middle of the platform, frowning with confusion. “What do all the numerous cold spots mean socially, physically, and scientifically.”

Marsilla drops her mouth to speak.

The mayor fingers Marsilla, saying. “Wait on moment, here! I have taken on your personal training for six months to teach and instill some exact character building qualities of something. Which intern would like to answer my ‘something’ query?”

Marsilla drops her mouth, saying. “Ms. Mayor, I believe Rincon knows…”

The mayor swings to Rincon, nodding and smiling. “Rincon, what are some of my character building qualities in becoming a very good citizen of Colfax?”

Rincon sneers at Marsilla then frowns at the mayor. “Well, I would guess, based on our first assignment, when we each had to cross the scary bridge, the first character building quality would be fear.”

“Very good, intern Rincon! Fear is not a good quality, but a good reminder of courage. It took courage for each intern to cross the bridge from my office and then into the map room. So, each intern has learned courage, be brave with your tasks and actions…”

“Mama, what are you doing?” Nephella wiggles side to side inside her chair.

The mayor paces around the platform, nodding and smiling. “I am building the character of each one of my interns, except my daughter Nephella. She has always possessed courage and bravery. What was the character building with the second assignment?”

Marsilla sneers. “Honesty is the ability to be honest, and always telling the truth about everything, like our mamas have taught to us, Rincon.”

The mayor swings to Marsilla, nodding and smiling. “Excellent, intern Marsilla. I am teaching each one of you to be honest, not lying or fibbing about anything. So, now, we can discuss the cold spots, that we have found along the barrier wall. I would like to hear an explanation from each intern, except for Marsilla. She believes that a super smart teen has magically created an object. Then, the object has been magically thrusted through the barrier wall. Then, the barrier wall has magically parted, which defies all scientific explanation. Who would like to give me another explanation?”

Nephella wiggles side to side, smiling. “Mama, within Dandine, the kids were playing then accidentally hit the barrier wall with something hard. Then, they had some fun, writing the improper sentence structure on the barrier wall for more fun. Or, maybe, they did it to annoy the new legal technician. Within Montag, the me-chee robots are machines, very strong machines. The machines are stronger than the humans…”

“Except, when the machines are unplugged, they aren’t strong. They’re dead.” Marsilla nods and grins.

Nephella says. “It is so obvious. One or more of the garbage me-chees banged the trash bin edges, which are very sharp, against the barrier wall, creating the pinging echoes recorded, upon the map room. Then, the lead me-chee moved the trash bin from the slightly damaged barrier wall for the inspection me-chee. The inspection me-chee was called. The inspection me-chee inspected the wall, finding the wall, not damaged. The trash bin was not moved back into place. Petty crime is part of Montag’s history for centuries. Crime occurs there, all the time, because the shop owners do not pay to place working locks on the front doors of their individual shops. That particular shop owner was finally a victim of crime, for the first time, so she has learned her valuable lesson of life.”

Rincon nods, smiling. “I agree with Nephella’s explanation.”

Duchie giggles, pressing the button her new necklace cell. She nods. “I have a scientific explanation for all the deep indentations, within the barrier wall, Ms. Mayor. An e-field produces an extremely lowest frequency band, throughout the air waves, kinda like your kitchen toaster, Marsilla. The low frequency allows both radio and telecommunication waves, coming through the e-field for entertainment of kids, not punishment of teens, intern Marsilla. Thus, a low frequency band extremely separates the existing invisible arrays of charged ions, not dense, like Marsilla’s neurons.” She giggles with Rincon and Nephella. “Thus, a low frequency band will scatter its ions, a little more apart, when it is violently assaulted with a hard object, like a soaring rock, or the edge of a trash bin. So, it is true and honest, that the ions have scattered, permanently. This is causing the rotating pings, inside the electronic maps, upon this wall. Over time, the ions might collide, if there is another violent assault from another soaring rock, from another little kid. The end!” She giggles and nods.

Rincon nods. “I concur with both Nephella and Duchie. I would like to add that the black circles wavering around on the map, inside the outer townships of Albend and Hamlin are heavy manufacturing tubs and heavier lawn mower equipment carts, respectively. Therefore, we do not require a visual inspection tour of these particular outer townships. I would like to add, that I am most eager to begin the third assignment, so I may start training to be a medical technician.”

The mayor nods and smiles at the interns. “Very good, interns! We have finished my second assignment.”

“Ms. Mayor, I would like to speak, please.” Marsilla raises her hand.

The mayor swings to her, nodding.

Marsilla clears her throat. “I feel defeated, first and betrayed, second. However, I am a good sport, within my academic learning environment. So, I propose another easy and simple suggestion. We kick the barrier wall upwards into a higher band frequency that should deter any more pings into the colored barrier walls.”

The mayor frowns with worry. “We cannot increase the power to the barrier walls. It stands at the maximum strength, now, without harming an animal or a human. No. That is a terrible idea, intern Marsilla.”

Marsilla grins. “Then, we place a single row of me-chee machines around the border of the affected barrier walls, where the newest black circles reside. If someone attempts to tamper with the low frequency e-field, then the me-chees will both record the action and stop the act.”

The mayor frowns with worry. “I don’t know, that seems like an act of terror to the citizens of the outer townships, intern Marsilla.”

Marsilla leans into her chair, nodding and smiling. She places her hands on the glass. “Well, to me, I see this. The barrier wall strength cannot be increased, due to suffering. The me-chee machines cannot be placed along the barrier wall, due to suffering, too. The barrier wall stands, at present, with the extremely lowest band frequency which might, maybe, possible breach the e-field. So, I guess the nice citizens of Colfax will suffer the dire consequences, when a violent assault of another soaring rock punches through the barrier wall. Then, the weak e-field will fall. Well, an e-field doesn’t really fall, it collapses into nothingness. The ions split then scatter, like a nest of floor roaches back into the dark corner. Then, all the outer township population will pour over into posh and sweet Colfax…”

Duchie chuckles. “Marsilla’s kitchen houses a nest of big, black ugly cockroaches. Honey, I lived in the countryside. I ain’t never seen a cockroach ,in my entire short seventeen years of life. Bring one, in here, to the map room, tomorrow, intern Marsilla. ” She laughs with Rincon and Nephella.

The mayor frowns with worry, viewing the maps. “I concur with intern Marsilla. I will post a small unit of me-chee machines in front of the current whirling black circles. Then, we will discover the identities of the mischievous children, playing along the barrier wall. Then, their parents will be reprimanded for possessing mischievous children. That is an excellent idea, Marsilla.”

Marsilla nods and smiles.

The mayor types on her necklace cell.

Chapter 12

Burrville

6:49 pm. home of Buffo’s grandparents. suppertime

I wiggle side to side with excitement inside the chair. I ate all my food, watching and waiting for the rest of the family members to finish up supper.

Buffo eats his third platter of food, along with the hunger farmers.

I smile and giggle, watching for the exhibition show.

Buffo’s grandmother and her daughters clear the dinner dishes then bring inside the dining room the dessert plates.

I bounce side to side with anticipation inside my chair. I gobble my dessert, watching and waiting for the exact right moment.

All the mouths are full of food. The cups are filled with either cold or hot beverages.

I view the three pre-teen girls.

They barely eat their food, watching it lay on the platter. Dead.

I stand, giggling and trotting towards the wall corner. I jerk the long table, holding the objects into the dining room.

All the mouths stop chewing with food. All the utensils slam down to the plates.

I giggle, standing at the side table then say. “I got three fancy dresses, here. Maybe, there are three girls that might, could, probably wear them, for some special occasion, this week. What do you think, ya’ll?”

The three girls squeal then cheer. They scoot from the chairs, running towards the table.

Buffo’s grandmother stands then yells. “Stop! Do not touch those pretty fancy dresses! Where did those fancy dresses come from? How did you order those fancy dresses from Montag? We had a supply shipment on Monday. There weren’t any dresses. Can you sew or something, Ketona?”

“I sew. I did it.” Jara appears from the wall corner, smiling and nodding.

I gasp with shock.

Buffo stands, dripping with cake from his mouth.

I giggle and finger Jara, saying and nodding. “This is my good…new friend from the other farm.”

Buffo’s grandmother frowns with suspicion. “What other farm?”

Jara smiles and nods. “I’m from the other farm, near the barrier wall, way over yonder, near the barrier wall.”

Buffo’s grandmother nods. “I know there are other crop farmers and farms, near the barrier wall. What’s your name, girl?”

She nods. “I’m Jara…from the family…”

“Farmer Green.” I say and nod.

Buffo’s grandmother nods. “Farmer Green, I don’t know his name, but I heard of his farm. Where’da the dresses come from, Jara?”

Jara smiles and giggles. “I made them. I mean, my mama made them, mostly. I helped her, a lot. She’s very talented, making stuff. I just help…”

Buffo’s grandfather chews. “How come ya, not farming on the tractor? Everyone farms the tractor, being young and healthy.”

Buffo’s grandmother exhales and sits, frowning. “Only the older women-folks sew…”

Jara raises her kneecap, showing the object on her body. “I broke my ankle. See my pink cast. My ankle is broken or maybe, strained from farming on the tractor. So, I was helping my mama with her sewing duties, since I strained my ankle from farming. Ya’ll see my broken ankle…”

I giggle and finger Hatch.

Hatch rolls into the dining room the other table.

I giggle. “I have three birthday cakes for the three birthday girls, too.”

The three girls run to the table, looking at the cakes.

Buffo’s grandmother yells. “Don’t touch the cakes, either, girls.”

Jara nods and smiles. “I helped my mama make the cakes, too.”

Buffo’s grandmother frowns. “Why ya do all this?”

Jara smiles. “For our friends, Ketona and Buffo, they’re our friends. Ketona, she told us about the special birthday party, so we wanted to help. Ya know help our neighbors and such. We all met inside the Cubby Hole on Citizenship Day…”

I nod. “Okay. We got three fancy dresses. We got three pretty birthday cakes. And, now, we’re going to have a birthday party for three birthday girls, on Saturday, too.”

The red headed pre-teen claps and jumps, saying to her mama. We need to decorate the barn, Mama. Can we do that, now?”

Buffo’s grandfather eats the cake, chewing. “Naw. We can’t decorate the barn for the party. We gotta finish the plowing and then the seeding. It’s going to rain, all day on Sunday. The seedlings need the thunder and rain to grow tall and big for food, for them Colfaxians and their hunger mouths. Naw, no time for a party…”

I exhale, nodding and smiling. “I can…”

Buffo’s grandfather looks at Ketona. “We cannot stop, plowing the fields…”

Buffo’s grandmother says. “So, we will have a nice big party on Friday night, right here, in the dining room. The girls can wear their fancy party dresses and then eat their pretty fancy cakes, too. How’s that, girls?”

The three girls nod, without speaking.

I frown with fury, without yelling. I exhale, biting my lower lip.

Buffo slides to Ketona, hugging her and praying for no yelling at his grandparents.

The mothers of the three pre-teens stand, walking to both Ketona and Jara with tears in their eyelashes. Each one hugs both Ketona and Jara, thanking them.

Buffo’s grandmother stands, saying. “Supper is done! Mamas, take the fancy party dresses up to your rooms, before something happens to them dresses. And, Buffo, you boys roll the cake and table into the refrigerator unit, before the frosting melts in the heat.” She nods and smiles. “Thanks, Ketona and Jara, the girls will have a wonderful party on Friday night.”

I nod, exhaling with defeat. I walk to the table, lifting the dirty dishes for both me and Buffo. I follow his grandmother into the kitchen, washing the dishes, like last night, the night before, and the night, before that.

This is my life, farming.

My farm house

I stomp up the steps then slam the door shut. Before it hits the frame, Buffo catches it. He says. “Look, we got the girls the dresses and the cakes…”

I walk around the kitchen, tossing my hands. “That is not enough. A dress and a cake and some presents do not make a thirteen year old coming out party, turning into a posh teenager.” I grab the mixing bowl, tossing at the wall.

The bowl shatters into pieces.

Buffo frowns with confusion. “They’re getting a party on Friday night.”

“They wanted the party on Saturday night with music, dancing, and fireworks, like my thirteen year old party.” I whine, walking around the kitchen, feeling depressed.

Buffo frowns. “I don’t know, what else to do, Ketona. Ya got any ideas, Hatch?”

Hatch nods. “Me and Jara could decorate the barn, while ya’ll farm.”

Buffo frowns. “Naw, you could get me and you both into trouble. We’re all supposed to be farming and planting, before the great big rain storm for the food crops. Everyone, who’s both healthy and young, farms on the farm. My grandfather is right. We gotta finish the plowing and staring the seedling planting, tomorrow…”

Jara looks out the window. “Where’s the barn at? I can’t see anything, but orange dirt.”

Buffo waves his hand. “Over yonder, way over yonder, near the river and the cow pastures. There’s a row of barns for the horses, the cows, the hay stacks, and tractor parts.” He yawns then rubs his belly. “I gotta go to bed, ya’ll. Our little nightly hunting trips have been costing me some good time sleep. I can’t run a tractor tired.” He walks to Ketona, hugging and then kissing her hair roots. “You did good, darling. My little nieces are so excited. They won’t be sleeping this week, until they can wear their new dresses on Friday night.”

I nod, kissing his face. “Thanks! I wish I could do more.”

Buffo swings then shakes Hatch’s hand, nodding. “Thanks for the pretend save. That was clever. I was wondering, how to explain away both the dresses and cakes, without fibbing. I don’t like fibbing.”

Hatch chuckles and slaps Buffo on the bicep. “I don’t like, seeing little girls cry, so I fib to save the day.”

Buffo nods, slipping his arm around Ketona. “Night, Jara! Thanks for the save.”

Jara nods, smiling.

I walk with Buffo towards the front door. “Good night, Buffo! See ya’ll, tomorrow, at breakfast!” I watch Buffo enter the rear door of his grandfather’s house then swing around, rubbing my hands. I walk then stand inside the kitchen, saying and nodding. “We’re going hunting, again, ya’ll.”

Jara giggles. “Hunting, for what?”

I nod, saying. “Some nice and pretty decorations, covering the old barn for the girls and their birthday party on Saturday night. The barn is way over yonder, away from the house and family. So, every night, we do some decorating, inside the old barn. This is, only, Tuesday evening. We got four days, until Saturday evening. I guess the party should be in the evening to light off the fireworks.” I nod, walking out the rear door.

Jara smiles, following Ketona, holds Hatch by the hand. “We go back into Montag, tonight, buy out the other stores. O! We need a theme, a party theme for the girls, too.”

I load the flier onto my back, nodding and smiling. “Yeah, we need a party theme. I know, fly me to the stars. We have an outer space party with stars, hanging from the rafters…”

Hatch chuckles and straps on the flier. “Jara, ya gotta fly by your little selfie, tonight. We need the extra power for the three or four or more e-field carts with stuff.”

Jara nods, strapping onto her back a flier, too. “We hang many rocket ships with a tail of sizzling sparkers from the booster engines. Then, we scatter the stars around the floor in different pretty colors.”

I nod, grabbing the rope of the e-filed cart. “Okay. We each drag an e-field cart or two behind us towards the barn, then we start decorating. We should be finished by dawn, if we’re lucky...”

Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and the northeastern orange colored barrier wall

I land the flier then skip towards the orange barrier wall. I study the wall, looking for the old wounds, but I can’t find them. The charged ions quickly reconstitute, after I jerk out the magnets.

Hatch and Jara stand at the fliers, whispering into each other’s face.

I stab the three magnets into the barrier wall quickly, building my right 90 degree angle.

The wall parts smoothly, when the me-chee falls and then lands its back inside the orange soil.

I gasp with shock.

The me-chee rises on bend kneecaps, facing the opening then swings around to Ketona. “What happened? Identify your person, teen?”

“Who are you?” I drop my mouth, asking.

“I am a me-chee.”

Hatch laughs. “Do you know that a defender will hesitate three times longer to kill off an intelligent artificial life form than a non-intelligent artificial life form, like 36.5 seconds longer?”

I slam the me-chee between the legs.

The me-chee falls forward on its smirking face. Still.

I giggle. “Three point five seconds for me.”

Hatch pulls off his scarf, studying the me-chee. “Where’s the kill switch on the me-chee?”

I squat, rubbing the machine, feeling the warmth of activation. But, I ensure it is powered down. “On a female, it’s the left breast. On the male, it’s the left…”

“Get it!” Hatch laughs, guarding his legs.

Jara gasps. “What’s a me-chee doing here, guarding the barrier wall?”

Hatch says. “It’s a garbage me-chee. The hillside is the garbage pit in Montag. They clean it all day and all night.”

I jerk the three magnets from the barrier wall.

The wall collapses into solid form.

I stand, clapping and smiling at Jara. “Okay, we have a new plan. Our new friend is going to clean out the barn and then decorate it for us, while I work, tomorrow, on the tractor. And, you, my dear friends, just relax and eat the food inside the house.” I grab the arm. “Help me flip the me-chee on its back.”

Hatch squats, exhaling. “Why? He weighs about one thousand pounds. How’da ya know about the kill switch?”

“Okay, on three. Three,” I yell.

We flip the me-chee on its back with a thud of orange dust.

I exhale from lifting the heavy machine. I stand and walk with Hatch towards the tractor. I say. “Buffo was gonna be a me-chee designer. So, I helped him with the me-chee calcs and specs sheets. All pre-built me-chee modules have to be both connected and tested for an accurate performance, in case, one becomes too unstable, or too violent, then the designer slaps the kill switch circuit off. It really is labeled an emergency cut off switch.” I open the tool box, finding the screwdriver. I walk back to the me-chee. “Every good me-chee designer creates a kill switch, like a back door into the software of your cell.”

Jara kneels in the dirt, next to Hatch, watching Ketona. “What are our doing, Ketona?”

I unscrew the throat panel. “The me-chee programming is located under the chin. I’m creating a dual program. I’m redefining the ‘garbage’ function into a ‘party’ function, ordering Mr. Me-chee to decorate the barn for the birthday party, and take orders only from me. The me-chee can be really nasty, if they didn’t have a leader-type human person.” I click the buttons with the screwdriver, typing out the code and then slam the panel shut. I say in my natural soprano timber. “Me.” I stand, motioning Jara and Hatch from the me-chee. I shout. “Me-chee rise.”

The me-chee shivers side to side on the ground and then bends its elbows and kneecaps, into a doggie pose. Then, it slowly stands on its kneecaps, placing on foot at a time on the ground. It stands, not smiling, holding the famous smirk.

The me-chee is silver toned color with an orange jumpsuit. The e-field radiation droplets converted the blue colored jumpsuit into orange, when he fell through the wall opening. It wears a cropped hair of black, without carrying any pen, pencil, or weapon.

I smile and nod. “I am your new master. Call me, master.” I giggle. “Me-chee, can you run?”

The me-chee drones. “Yes, master! I can run in ten different pacing forms.”

I nod and smile, viewing Jara. “Excellent! Jara, run and find along with the me-chee, the row of barns…”

Jara frowns. “I wanna go inside Montag and shop…”

I exhale, frowning with annoyance, staring at the me-chee. “Okay. Please, Jara, go and find the rows of barns, first. I wanna to go back into the bakery and invite Lamis to our party on Saturday. She was kind enough to provide both the cakes and dresses.”

Jara frowns. “We purchased them with Buffo’s chips.”

I frown with annoyance. “I know that, too. Please, Jara. Find the barns, first. I’m going to get some more cakes and desserts from the bakery and then return, here, inside Burrville. Then, I’ll take over your job function. You and Hatch can spend the rest of the night, picking out and decorate the soaring colorful sizzling star ships with real tails. Okay?” I giggle and nod.

Jara frowns with annoyance then smiles. “Okay. But, hurry up? I don’t wanna be there all night, either.”

I say in my natural soprano timber. “Me-chee, find the rows of barns, next to the river, which is next to the cow pastures. Then, locate the barn with the hay stacks. Then, remove the hay stacks into the barn with the tractor parts. Then, sweep and clean out the barn with the empty hay stacks and remove all spiders, spider webs, bird, bird nests, snakes, snake nests, rats, rat nests, roaches, bugs, and any other non-human critter. Then, wait for me inside the barn. Go, me-chee!”

The me-chee blinks with red lights, scanning the infrared rays at the landscape. It targets the rows of barns then runs into a south by southwestern direction.

I giggle. “Fly with the me-chee, Jara. It might be finished, before you get there.”

“I hope so. And, hurry back, Ketona, I wanna go shopping.” She powers the flier, soaring away from Hatch, Ketona, and the barrier wall.

I giggle, walking to the wall. I kneel. “Okay. Let’s try this, again. Do ya think the garbage me-chees have, finally, left for the evening?”

Hatch nods, kneeling next to Ketona.

I stab the first magnet into the wall, when a shadow passes by the tiny opening. I gasp, jerking the magnet from the hole. I stand, wiping the orange dust from the wall, cupping my hands. “I don’t see it.”

Hatch stands next to Ketona, wiping the orange dust, too. “You can’t see on the other side of the barrier wall. These walls are much thicker than the Cubby Hole walls. We could see some of the park places, when we were closer to the barrier wall. I really didn’t wanna, thou. I really messed up, not paying attention to the warning.”

I study Hatch. “What warning?”

“My parents told me about the fun time inside each park place. You could become wrapped up in the moment, forgetting about your duty to answer the academic questions with a 75 percent passing rate then advancing into the next color tone…”

I gasp. “Your parents told you that secret information.”

He shrugs. “It’s not secret; it’s shared.”

I nod, frowning. “O, yeah! It’s shared by a set of loving parents. My parents didn’t share that information with me. They told me to study and study and study. That’s it!”

Hatch smiles. “You’re really smart, Ketona. Ya studied, good.”

“Okay. Let’s use my brainpower. The garbage me-chees are working, coming from my right and then to my left. So, if we two step more to my right, then we will miss them. I wanna start collecting all the decorations, now. Then, we will have plenty of time, tomorrow night to finish.”

“The me-chee can finish the decorations.”

“Ya gotta be present to give the me-chee the vocal instructions. It’s a dumb machine. I can’t be in two places, at once. So, I’m going to get a few more trays of cookies and cupcakes, showing off Jara’s fantastic baking skills and befuddling Buffo’s grandmother. I don’t think his grandmother likes me. And, I’m going to invite Lamis to the party.”

“I…I didn’t say anything in front of Jara. She gets kinda sensitive about things, lately. But, you shouldn’t brag about your new skill, skimming between the barrier walls.”

“Why, not?”

“And, you shouldn’t invite Lamis to the party, either. We failed and fell into one particular color tone inside the Cubby Hole. Now, we’re locked and trapped inside a barrier wall for a particular reason.”

“What reason?”

Hatch frowns. “We…you and me and Buffo and the others…work for the Establishment, providing all our goods and services to the Colfaxians, living inside Colfax.”

I nod, frowning with fury. “I know that. And, I know that I can change that, too, over time. Right now, I can only do one thing at a time. So, we go and get some pretty nifty and fiery decorations for the birthday party, on Saturday. Tomorrow, we work on modifying the barrier wall, permanently, without the permission of the Establishment.” I pierce the wall with the first magnet.

The opening reveals a pair of blue boots, blocking the entry hole.

I jerk the magnet from the wall, gasping. “Okay. That is really strange. These are boots from another me-chee in blue. I thought the garbage me-chees went home or powered down, inside their home base unit, like the garbage center for the evening hours. We didn’t see them, last night.”

He nods. “Me, too!”

I exhale, shaking my hat. “Okay. The garbage in Montag smelled terrible, last night. I guess the me-chees are doing some overtime, since they don’t get paid any chips and they’re free laborers. I have four magnets strips.” I hand Hatch two of the magnets.

He chuckles, studying the magnets. “These are refrigerator door strips. Ya stole them from the refrigerator, last night.”

I giggle, nodding. “The other night. Okay! You need three of the strips to make a right angle, but we need, first, a clear exit point through the barrier wall, before creating the right angle and then getting the birthday stuff. I wanna stay below their waistline. So, squat in the dirt and then stab the magnet into the wall. The ions will scatter, but you won’t be able to see much within the tiny hole. Then, stab the second magnet about three inches below the first one, giving ya a good viewing portal. You go to my right, stopping five, ten, fifteen, every five feet and look for any more me-chee boots. I’m going to my left, stopping negative five, negative ten and every negative five feet on the mathematical ruler line.” I giggle.

“The me-chee garbage men are working down there on that end.”

“I know. I’m going to see how many me-chees are there on that end. You find a clear exit point for the four or more e-field karts.” I giggle.

Hatch laughs, scooting five feet from Ketona.

I slide five feet from my original position. I squat, stabbing the first magnet into the wall. I listen for any sounds.

Clear.

Then, I smell the garbage, wishing I had a nose clip.

I stab the second magnet five inches below the first one. I listen then hear munching noises. I jerk the two magnets from the wall.

The munching noise was the boots of the me-chee, crunching into the garbage as the bags of trash slide down the hillside, due to gravity.

I exhale with frustration. I wanted to finish our shopping spree, today. Then, I wanted to finish decorating the barn, tomorrow night. Then, I wanted to surprise the little girls, on Saturday night.

I stand, walking five feet from my previous position. I squat and stab the first magnet into the wall then hold my nose. I hear more munching sound. I release my nose, hearing a better munching sound. Then, I jerk the magnet from the wall.

I view Hatch.

He is moving fast, almost fifty feet from my position.

I stand, walking five more feet then squat. Then, I stab the magnet into the wall. I smell the nasty trash then hear the munching noise of more booted feet. I jerk the magnet from the wall then stand.

I turn, waving to Hatch.

He stands, waving back to Ketona.

I trot towards him, when we meet. I frown with confusion. “I have lots of booted feet, doing nothing, but munching the trash. They don’t seem to be working on collecting the garbage, based on their stationary positions.”

He smiles. “I worked my way down about fifty feet, every five feet, from our original position along the wall. There’re not any visual signs of one me-chee or its booted feet on this part of the line, going south. So, we can go and get the decoration supplies…”

I frown with puzzlement. “I guess.”

“Why do you guess? What’s wrong?”

“Why are there numerous me-chee machines stationary on this end of the barrier wall? That’s about the place, where I stabbed the wall with the…”

Hatch drops his mouth. “Ya stole the cakes and dresses.”

I shake my curls. “Naw, I paid for the cakes, and dresses, and cookies. And, I give Lamis a nice chip bonus, being a good sales girl, too. No. That’s not at issue, here, but there’s something different from last night.”

Hatch nods. “Okay. Me and Jara go inside and scout out some of the open shops. We can ask the shop clerks about the me-chee machines, lining the garbage hillside.”

I exhale, viewing the dirt. “I feel strange about this. And, you shouldn’t inquire about the me-chees, either. The machines might have been there, since this morning. We don’t know all the current facts.”

He nods. “Good point! Okay. We don’t ask about the me-chees. We go and get the decorations then leave…”

“We go and check on Jara. The me-chee should be finished, cleaning out the barn, needing more work assignments, before I kill it, again.” I walk to my flier.

Hatch loads into the flier.

We fly over the landscape, easily spotting the barn then land.

Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and row of barns

I stand at the closed barn door with Hatch.

We listen, hearing nothing inside the barn.

I slowly open the door.

The me-chee stands in the middle of the spotless room, following my last command. The barn walls and floor are both clean of any and all debris, consisting of hay particles, insect bodies, and any type of farm equipment or implementation.

Jara sits in the corner, playing with fingers.

Hatch dashes to Jara, smiling and nodding. They hug and kiss.

I walk to the me-chee then scan the naked red lumber nailed around the floor, the walls, and ceiling. I say. “Me-chee, I want to present an outer space theme inside the empty room. What is your suggestion?”

The me-chee says. “Master, I suggest, painting the floor in a silver color for the twinkling interstellar clouds, orbiting around the galaxy. The walls and the ceiling should appear in a black color, representing the darkness of outer space. Then, you could add an array of colorful stars and red flaming comets nailed to the ceiling, faking out the party persons. This would satisfy the party theme show for the interior of the barn.”

I nod. “Good idea! Walk 4.6 miles to the house. Then, enter the rear door. Then, collect all steel metal items from the house, but the kitchen appliances. Then, walk back to the barn, bringing the collected steel metal items. You will make many trips. Then, go into the garage and quietly gather the soldering equipment. Bring the soldering equipment to the barn. Then, solder, together, a steel metal piece for the hundred percent of the floor, the three walls, not including the barn doors, and the ceiling. If you exhaust of steel metal, then stop working and stand in the middle of the barn for my next order. Go, me-chee!”

The me-chee walks to the door then exits.

Hatch cuddles Jara, frowning at the me-chee. “Where’s it going?”

I view Jara. “For its next assignment...”

Jara smiles and nods. “Let’s go and get the decorations…”

“We found an array of me-chees, lining the hilltop of the garbage pile.” I view and study Jara.

She drops her mouth then views the floor and then views Ketona. “We didn’t steal the merchandise from Montag. We paid for both the dresses and the cakes. Lamis is the intern for the shop owner. She didn’t do anything wrong, either. She sold us the merchandise that we paid for. And, we also paid her with a nice bonus of chips, being a good clerk. Interns always get rewards. Something is very wrong, inside Montag…”

“Ketona said, the same thing.” Hatch nods.

Jara exhales. “We need to see, if there, also, are some posted me-chees inside the barrier walls of Dandine.”

I nod, frowning with worry.

Hatch frowns with annoyance. “What for? The merchandise for the party lives inside Montag. Dandine doesn’t have any fireworks.”

Jara holds Hatch by the hand, saying and nodding to Ketona. “Let’s go and see, if there are any me-chees posted, inside Dandine barrier wall. Then, I’ll feel much better.”

We load onto the fliers, flying inside the orange dust of the dark night, across the vast dirt of crop fields.

We land along the orange barrier wall, which is directly behind the city of Dandine.

Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and the northwestern orange barrier wall

I remove my flier then walk towards the orange barrier wall.

Hatch and Jara walk next to Ketona.

I say and finger the wall. “This is the exact spot, behind the old tractor plow, where Buffo and I tore through the barrier wall, inside Dandine.” I stand at the wall. I don’t bother wiping the orange dust from the wall, because I can’t see the interior of Dandine. I nod to Hatch and Jara.

We squat in the dirt.

Hatch is on my left side. Jara is on my right side.

I exhale. “Okay. The last time, when me and Hatch were on the opposite side of the Montag barrier wall, I placed the first magnet into the wall, then the ions separated the hole, a tiny bit. However, I, first, observed for any type of noise or smell. We all know that Dandine doesn’t smell, like Montag. So, after I place the first magnet into the wall, then we wait and see if there is any action.

Hatch and Jara nod.

I exhale, holding the first magnet strip near the wall. My hand shakes with both nervousness and fear. I stab the wall. The magnet slowly penetrates. I wiggle the magnet around side to side, expanding the ions for a better look-see.

I gasp with shock.

The expanded peek hole shows a single standing leg of yellow tinted color inside a jumpsuit, stationary, not moving.

I jerk the magnet from the wall.

Jara shakes her curls, viewing her hands. She whispers. “No. It can’t be. This can’t be happening, not now, not here.”

Hatch frowns with confusion, leaning over the wall. “What can’t be happening, babe? I don’t understand, what you’re saying.”

I exhale, standing. I back step and then two step over ten more feet from my original position.

Jara and Hatch stands beside Ketona. Jara nods.

I stand then stab the magnet strip into the barrier wall. I wiggle the ions to separate.

The opening shows a yellow jumpsuit connected to the back muscles of a me-chee.

I jerk the magnet out, before the me-chee is alarmed.

Jara exhales, shaking her curls. “Do you remember the location, where we all exited from Dandine, the other night?”

I nod, turning and jogging towards the spot. “It probably isn’t exactly the same exit point, but it will be close enough.” I pant then stop. I stand in front of the barrier wall then squat.

Jara and Hatch hug each other, squatting in the dirt, next to Ketona.

I view Jara.

She nods.

I stab the magnet into the wall.

The opening reveals another standing leg in the color of yellow tinted color, wearing a jumpsuit.

I jerk the magnet from the wall. “Dang!”

Hatch stands, parking both hands on his hips. He frowns, shaking his curls. “What the fudge is going on here? There are me-chees, holding post inside the barrier walls of both Dandine and Montag. I don’t get it.”

Jara stands, standing in front of Hatch, touching his collar bone. She says. “They, the me-chees, are looking for us, honey. We’ve escaped from Dandine. The me-chees are, like police officers, looking for us and then we are to be returned back into Dandine. I guess.”

Hatch frowns. “Naw. We didn’t escape from Dandine. We left on our own free will with Buffo and Ketona. Now, we’re farmers, instead of dookie workers. That’s all!”

Jara nods. “Yes. The me-chees are posted at the exact entrance points of our exit. We left our jobs and our house and our township. We don’t live inside Colfax or Burrville or Hamlin. We failed and fell into the yellow color tone, then. Now, we will live in Dandine for the rest of our lives…”

Hatch exhales, shaking his curls. “I…am not going back to Dookie Town, ever. I…like living here, in Burrville, being with Buffo and Ketona. Yeah! I wanna be a farmer, here, forever. And, how do you explain the lineup of me-chees inside Montag? We don’t live, there. We don’t know anyone, there. Look, I don’t know, why the me-chees are guarding the barrier wall. And, I don’t care…”

Jara nods. “I know why. We exited from Dandine. Then, we entered through Montag. We were wearing the cat suits from the Cubby Hole. The cat suits are tracking our signature, or heat, or something. The Establishment is after us. We should turn ourselves, into the mayor…”

“Naw.” I giggle and nod. “The cat suit had been deactivated, after we left the Cubby Hole. Well, actually, it’s made from charged electrons, which protected us, passing through the different park places inside the Cubby Hole and which were surrounded by e-fields. Just like, now, the jumpsuit is protecting, or allowing, us to pass through the barrier wall into Dandine and Montag. It’s not being tracked. You can’t track an e-field. Electrons are everywhere in the sky, on the ground, and in your curls, Jara. Anyways, I think, I supply another quick eye test, seeing what is actually going on here.”

Hatch frowns. “What, test?”

I giggle, walking to my flier. “Load on and follow me!”

Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and the southern orange barrier wall

I land on the orange dirt, removing my flier.

Hatch and Jara land next to each other, stripping off the fliers.

I walk to the barrier wall, saying. “On the opposite side of this orange wall is the golden barrier wall into Colfax. Now, the landscape of Burrville is surrounded by a yellow wall, a blue wall, and a gold wall. We have checked both the opposite sides of the colored blue and yellow barrier walls, seeing me-chees. I am not going to guess, here. Let’s squat and take a peek-a-boo.” I squat my kneecaps into the dirt, exhaling with nervousness.

Hatch and Jara squat on each side of Ketona for a good view.

I exhale, watching my hand shake. I slowly move the magnet towards the wall. The magnet sucks nicely into the wall.

The opening reveals a standing leg of gold.

I jerk the magnet from the wall, falling backwards on my legs. I exhale, panting with panic.

Jara bursts into tears, hugging Hatch.

Hatch frowns with worry, whispering. “They are after us. They are trying to locate us. They’re trying to trap us, here, inside Burrville.”

I nod. “I don’t agree. They don’t know, where you are at. So, the Establishment has surrounded the orange barrier wall from the outside with a line of me-chees, hoping to find something. I can’t read the Establishment’s mind, either. And, me-chees are not programmed for fighting or warfare. This makes no sense to me. Okay. We are going to do something.”

Jara sobs with tears. “There’s nothing to do. We must turn ourselves in, Hatch. I don’t…”

“Naw!” I shake my curls, standing. “No. I completely disagree with that suggestion.”

Jara walks, sobbing. “That’s the reason for the mayor’s visit to Burrville. They were looking for us.”

I walk to my flier. “Naw, they were investigating the dents in the e-field, which is really stupid and a waste of time. An e-field can’t be harmed, but modified.”

Jara stops, panting with tears. She views Ketona. “The Establishment is looking for you, Ketona. You modified, changed, or separated the e-field with the stupid magnets. They’re hunting for you, too. They’re hunting for us and then they’ll…”

I laugh. “Naw. My theory, the Establishment thinks that you escaped through one of the transports from Dandine. You’re living as two fugitives, inside Colfax, or Montag, or Dandine, thus the standing and stationary me-chees. Else, they would have a lineup of me-chees, here, inside the orange barrier wall. They do not know, that you’re here, inside Burrville. So, let’s keep that secret from them. I got an idea, Hatch. Ya feel like some dirty work, tonight.”

Jara stomps her foot, wiping the tears. “No. I will not be a part of this. I wanna go home, now. I’m scared and afraid and frightened of our future, Hatch.”

Hatch cuddles her, nodding. “Go home, babe! I’ll been home, after we get some decorations for the birthday party. Okay!?”

“Naw, not tonight, we will do that, tomorrow night.” I giggle, winking at Hatch. “Good home, Jara. We’re just planning for the party. Don’t worry!”

Jara exhales, walking with Hatch to the flier. He kisses her then assists her with the flier.

She lifts from the dirt, flying towards the house.

Hatch watches her ascend into the orange dust.

I slap him on the bicep. “We go back to the Dandine barrier wall. I got a great idea.”

He nods, strapping on his flier.

Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and the northeastern orange barrier wall

I giggle, landing in the middle of the dirt. I place the flier on the ground then walk towards the barrier wall.

Hatch stands next to Ketona.

I say. “Here we are again, back in front of Dookie Town. Listen to this logic. The Establishment does not know, where ya’ll are hiding out. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“They have planted a row of me-chees around the outer barrier walls, just in case, one or both of you surface inside the city, for some silly reason. Then, they will capture you.”

“Okay!”

I grin. “However, you and Jara are inside Burrville, which is beyond their smarts.”

“Okay!”

“So, we make them think that you and Jara are still inside Dookie Town, like hiding or playing…”

“Not okay!”

I giggle. “We steal all the me-chees along the barrier wall and then make it look, like both you and Jara are still inside Dookie Town, just playing a game, or something silly. Then, the Establishment will withdraw all the other me-chees from the other barrier walls along Colfax and Montag.”

Hatch frowns. “I understand, stealing the me-chees, using the magnets and pulling the robots inside the dirt. But, what does it matter, if there are me-chees, lining the barrier walls in Montag and Colfax?”

I giggle. “I wanna drive the mayor bananas with my illogic. When we steal all these me-chees, here, she will replace them with more me-chees, here, lining the wall inside Dandine. Then, we steal the other set of me-chees along the barrier walls of Montag, instead, tomorrow night. The mayor will get really confused and befuddled and be gone, maybe…”

Hatch exhales. “I don’t know Ketona. The mayor will get really mad and upset at me and Jara, being the real life fugitives, here, in this nightmare story tale.”

“At whom, a set of fictional ghosts, living inside Dookie Town? Naw, the folks of Dandine will get mad then band her designer shoes from their fair city. Pookie dookie on the mayor.” I giggle and nod.

Hatch exhales. “Someone might figure it all out! Then, they will come and find us…”

I giggle. “Figure, what out? The barrier wall is alive and eats machines. The barrier wall splits then parts for some strange reason, allowing people to pass through into another dimension. Naw, that’s fantasy fiction for almost everyone, but me and you. Do ya wanna do this or not?”

He nods, smiling. “Yeah, I do!”

“Okay! You got the two magnet strips. I am going to start on the end. You start on the opposite side…”

He says. “Naw. You start in the middle. I’ll start on the end. Then, we jump around from the middle to the end, and then towards the opposite end, and then back into the middle. We want the disappearance of the me-chees to look, like a tiger attack, or a lightning bolt strike. Lightning never strikes in the same place, twice.”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea! Remember the kill switch locations for the female…”

The left of everything, I got it!”

I giggle, stepping into the wall.

Hatch jogs towards the wall intersection of the golden barrier of Colfax and the yellow barrier wall of Dandine. He stabs the first and second magnets into the wall.

The me-chee falls through the opening, landing into the dirt.

Hatch hits the female, making her power off.

I stab the first magnet then the second magnet into the wall.

The me-chee falls almost on top of my boot.

I slide left, out of the way, then kick him.

The me-chee powers down.

We split the barrier wall, dropping one after another me-chee into the orange dirt. All the me-chees land on their backs.

Then, I squat and flip up the throat panel of the closest me-chee and then reprogram the machine for my voice recognition pattern, only, with my trusty screwdriver, ensuring their loyal, only to me. I say. “Me.”

Thirteen minutes later

I stand, after re-programming all the me-chees to my voice command. I smile and order. “Me-chees stand!”

Every single me-chee stands, before me. I giggle, saying. “Follow behind me.”

I load onto the flier then sail back to my house.

My farm house. kitchen

I giggle, leading the me-chees into the rear door. I spin around, ordering. “Go and stay inside the fourth bedroom, upstairs, on the second floor, on the east side of the sun. Then, stand quietly for my next command. Go me-chee!”

The me-chees walk around Jara.

Jara greets Ketona with a sneer. “All the doors are missing.”

I frown with puzzlement. “All the doors are missing.” I view the peeling wood of the rear door. “Where are the doors missing?”

Jara fingers the ceiling. “Upstairs. All the bedroom and closet doors are missing, Ketona. Your me-chee ripped them off the door hinges, leaving the exposed nails.”

I slap my forehead. “The doors are made of metal. Dang! Did you see the first me-chee do that act?”

Jara frowns. “It ripped off the last door then left me behind, peeing on the toilet.”

I giggle, covering my mouth then spin around. I exit the house, laughing with amusement.

I load into my flier, still laughing, wiping the funny tears of humor.

Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and row of barns

I land the flier outside the barn dirt, cutting the air fan. The barn is quiet, no sound. I remove the flier, laying the precious transportation carefully on the dirt.

I slowly walk towards the door. The soldering equipment lies beside the closed door. I slowly open the door.

The me-chee stands in the middle of the floor. The floor is smoothly built made of steel metal in an assortment of light tans, beiges, black, and green metals.

I walk over the smooth floor, not feeling any bumps or holes. I nod, smiling with excitement. “Good job, me-chee! Pick up the soldering equipment. Walk back 4.5 miles. Then, enter the rear door. Then, climb the steps and park inside the fourth door, on the second floor, on the east side of the sun then stand quiet for my next command. Go, me-chee!”

The me-chee walks forward then exits the barn.

I giggle, scanning the barn. The walls, the ceiling, and the floor are shiny in dull ugly colored metal. “It is looking better.” I clap then exit the barn for home.

I yawn, lifting the flier onto my back. I strap in then lift from the ground, flying home.

Chapter 13

Colfax

8:02 am. map room

sunny. warm. no clouds. no rain. 2 mph winds. 77°F

Rincon cuddles with Duchie, walking across the balcony. They slowly pace across the open bridge, feeling the light wind slap their faces at a height of over hundred stories of nothingness. Rincon pulls her closer into his chest, whispering into her eardrum.

She giggles.

They exit onto the opposite side of the bridge, slowly padding and cuddling towards the closed door of the map room.

“Rincon,” the voice carries from the opposite side of the bridge.

Rincon halts, exhaling. He and Duchie spin around.

Marsilla stands away from the bridge lip on the other side of the balcony, in front of the mayor’s office windows. She waves her hand, frowning with fury. “Rincon, you promised to escort me across the bridge, every morning. Did you forget, this morning? It is extremely windy, today.”

Rincon frowns with fury. “No.”

Marsilla drops her mouth. “Rincon, I can’t cross the bridge, by myself. I need your assistance, please.”

“No.” Rincon frowns with fury.

Marsilla drops her mouth, slapping both hands to her legs. “Rincon, get back over here, now. I need your assistance, crossing the bridge. I’m afraid of heights…”

Rincon chuckles. “Ask Nephella for assistance in crossing the bridge, Marsilla.” He hugs Duchie, spinning around towards the closed door of the map room. He and Duchie enter then close the door, like ordered by the mayor.

The door slams shut.

Marsilla gasps then spins to Nephella.

Nephella squats, burning the bird pookie with her cigar. The smell annoys Marsilla, which makes Nephella happy. She stands, waving the cigar in the air. The smell, also, annoys Marsilla, making Nephella more happy.

Marsilla smiles, swaying side to side, moves away from the smelly cigar. “Nephella, can you escort me over the bridge? Rincon was gonna do it, but he had already crossed, today…”

Nephella stomps towards the bridge lip, slapping her foot onto the first tile. “No!”

Marsilla drops her mouth, exhaling with fear. She is seriously afraid of heights, including this open bridge, without hand railings. If she doesn’t attend, every morning, the map room lecture, then she will lose her good job, as a legal technician, or get something worse, among the five dream jobs, like the administrator technician. She swings around, scanning the balcony of the mayor’s office for another person.

No one is present.

The mayor doesn’t have any staff members, so no one is every present, inside the mayor’s office. And, the mayor is not present, either.

She gasps with fear.

The mayor is inside the map room, without Marsilla.

Marsilla swings towards the bridge, exhaling and inhaling with deep breaths of fear. “You can do this. Take one step at a time.” She slowly walks to the edge of the bridge, staring down at the small trees from the 104th floor of the flat open balcony of the tall building. She back steps, panting. “Do not look down.”

She walks toward the first tile of the bridge, staring at the closed door on the opposite side of the balcony, exhaling. She slowly steps forward, landing her foot on the first tile. She lands her other foot on the second tile. She smiles.

The wind blows from her left side with a great mighty force.

Marsilla screams then back steps from the bridge. “That was too close.” She exhales, holding her arms outstretched to balance her petite body. She stomps onto the first tile, waving her arms up and down for balance, again. Then, she stomps onto the second tile, waving her arms for more balance.

The wind blows from her left side with a great mighty force.

She closes her eyelashes, grinding her molars. She opens her eyelashes then stomps the next foot over the bridge. She picks up the pace, stomping one foot after another over the bridge.

She lands on the other side, exhaling and inhaling with deep breathes. She wipes the sweat from her face then pads towards the door.

Marsilla enters the map room.

Duchie sits on top of her chair, as usual, giggling at Marsilla. Rincon and Nephella join the laughter.

The mayor stands in the middle of the platform, clapping and smiling. “Good job, Marsilla. You have finally conquered your fear of heights.”

Marsilla frowns, walking to her assigned glass desk. “Sorta,” she sits, fiddling with her necklace cell.

The mayor smiles and says. “Good morning, interns. Welcome to another day of my personal character building session. Today, we will focus on the characteristic from every single person, respect.”

“Before, we continue with our morning’s lecture, Ms. Mayor. I would like to point out that there was some late night activity upon the barrier wall.” Marsilla says and fiddles with her cell.

The map of Colfax and the surrounding townships appear on the wall.

Marsilla fingers the wall. “There are more than twenty new black circles, kissing the barrier wall, inside the outer township of Burrville, last night. See the map! And, I do believe that Rincon can easily explain the disturbances…”

Rincon chuckles. “Actually, I can. It is the stationary farming blades of the tractors, banging against the barrier wall. We visited, inspected, and confirmed that business activity, on Monday morning, after sunrise, this week, intern Marsilla. How many times am I required to explain these non-threatening phenomena, idiot Marsilla?” Duchie and Nephella giggle.

Marsilla sneers. “The same number of times that you promised to…”

The mayor frowns with confusion, smashing her nose bridge piercing into ugliness. “I accept the tractor explanation, the banging action against the barrier wall, inside Burrville. However, I am, just, now receiving reports, too, that all the me-chees are missing from the barrier wall, inside Dandine. Why would that be so, Duchie?”

Duchie gasps then drops her mouth. “Don’t know.”

Marsilla smirks, nodding to Duchie. “We should, immediately, investigate, Ms. Mayor. This is serious matter, within Dookie Town. The populous is rebelling against the Establishment…”

Nephella stands, frowning at Marsilla. “We gotta cross the bridge to access the travel car, Marsilla. Ya betta get moving, now. Or, the last one doesn’t fit into the car to tour Dandine, a second time.” She giggles, walking towards the door.

Rincon and Duchie laugh, standing and walking toward the door, too.

Marsilla drops her mouth then slams her face into the desk.

The mayor giggles, walking towards the closed door. “Marsilla, please, hurry along. I do not have all day, dear…”

8:18 am.

Dandine

yellow barrier wall

blue sky. white clouds. cool. 4 mph winds. no rain. 35% humidity. 71°F.

The travel car halts inside the manicured grass, a second time.

The mayor slides from the bench, walking towards the barrier wall. She gasps. “The wall is empty. Where are the me-chees?” She spins around, talking to the interns. “I want each one of you to examine every square inch of the barrier wall. Report to me, the tiniest indentations. I am getting to the bottom of this mystery, my way or another way.”

Rincon, Duchie, and Nephella look at each other then shrug. They, causally, separate then slowly walk towards the barrier wall. They slowly rub away the yellow dust, examining for any indentations.

The mayor spins from the interns, walking to the first worker. The worker stands in front of the cesspool, stirring the stick into the water, dressed in the yellow dookie gear: jumpsuit, helmet, scarf, gloves, and non-standard sunglasses. The mayor snarls with fury. “What has happened to the row of gleaming silver colored me-chees, standing along this portion of the yellow coloring barrier wall, here, in Dandine?”

The worker stirs the devise into the cesspool, without looking at the mayor. “Don’t know!”

The mayor sneers. “I am the mayor of Colfax. Where is the row of the numerous me-chee machines, lining this portion of the barrier wall?”

“Don’t know!” The worker stirs the stick inside the cesspool.

The mayor exhales, swinging and walking along the grass. She meets a table of workers, fingering the wall, sneering with fury. “I am the mayor of Colfax. Where is the row of the numerous me-chee machines, lining this portion of the yellow colored barrier wall? They were assigned, here, yesterday afternoon.”

The first worker frowns at the mayor then looks at the wall. “Don’t know!”

The second worker frowns at the wall then her lunch. “They left.”

The mayor snorts. “They left. And, where, exactly, did they go?”

The third worker smiles at the mayor then chews her food. “They walked away from that wall. I guess, they want home to Colfax. Right!? They come from Colfax, too, like you. Right!?” She eats her food.

The mayor snarls. “Who is in charge, here, in Dandine?”

The fourth worker chuckles and chews. “You are. You’re the mayor of everything. Right?”

The mayor sneers. “Who is the authority figure over the city of Dandine?”

The fifth worker smiles with food particles between the front teeth. “We don’t have an awful figure, like you. We rule ourselves. We paid ourselves. We take care of ourselves. Period!”

The mayor snarls. “I rule, here. And, I will prove it.” She spins around, walking towards the car then yells. “Interns, please, get inside the car. We’re traveling back to my office, immediately.”

8:46 am

Colfax

map room

Marsilla stands in the middle of the platform, being too afraid to travel across the bridge, a second time, this morning.

The mayor leads into the room with the interns giggling and elbowing behind her fanny.

Marsilla pouts, saying. “What did you discover at the sight in Burrville? Did Rincon tell…”

The mayor struts into the middle of the room, fingering the wall of maps. She stands beside Marsilla, saying. “We did not visit Burrville. There is nothing, or no body, inside the farmlands. However, there is something, or someone, inside Dandine. I have ordered and doubled the number of me-chees around that portion of the yellow colored barrier walls. These dang dookie workers are not going to beat me, either. Duchie, what is wrong with your people, there?”

Duchie sits on top of her desk, wiggling her boot, frowning with annoyance. “Nothin’.”

Marsilla frowns with annoyance. “The answer is located inside Burrville, not Dandine. The black circles were created within the dirt of the farmlands, not outside the cesspools of the sewer plants. And, I have told ya that Rincon knows the…”

The mayor says. “I am not concerned about the black circles, Marsilla, anymore. We have indentified and confirmed that the black circles, which are pings, come from the various metal equipment modules, throughout the colored barrier walls. If I could stop the pinging on the walls, I would. However, I have a most serious situation. I am missing a wall of me-chees, inside Dandine. Where are the me-chee machines, Duchie?”

Duchie frowns with annoyance. “Don’t know. Don’t live there, anymore.”

Marsilla gasps. “The me-chees are missing from Dandine barrier wall. I know. They are located inside Burrville. Tell the mayor, Rincon, how this is all possible?”

The mayor frowns. “Did the workers destroy the me-chees, Duchie?”

Duchie frowns. “Don’t know!”

Rincon asks. “Were the me-chees reprogrammed to come back home to Colfax, at a specific time, this morning?”

Nephella frowns. “No, it would require the travel truck to penetrate and then pick up all the machines. No truck has been scheduled, today, or last night, or tomorrow, either.”

The mayor nods and smiles at her daughter. “Very good point, daughter. Did the workers kidnap the me-chees, Duchie?”

Duchie frowns. “Don’t know.”

Marsilla walks around the room. “So, if the me-chee machines are not destroyed, or not captured, or not back home, then they must be located on another portion of the barrier wall, inside Dandine, by mistake or something.”

The mayor gasps, “Excellent observation, Marsilla! The me-chee machines are positioned upon the opposite side of the assigned barrier wall spot.”

Rincon frowns. “Are the robots tracked or traced by the computer?”

Nephella says. “Naw. The dumb machines are only dumb machines. They follow commands, without question.”

Marsilla gasp, clapping. “See, someone told the machines to walk to the other side of the barrier wall. Well, I guess, Rincon can go and get them for you, Ms. Mayor.”

The mayor frowns, studying her cell. “No need for anymore traveling through walls, today. I have doubled the number of me-chees, along the yellow colored barrier wall in Dandine, where we have found both the silly writing and the strange cold spot indentations. This should permanently stop any additional annoying mischievous teens from whacking at the barrier wall. And, the original set of me-chees is guarding the opposite side, along the parallel barrier wall, inside Dandine. Yes. I believe I have solved the issue for the day and the rest of my days. Now, we will move along with the next session of character building, respect…”

Marsilla says. “Ms. Mayor, is the row of me-chees still lining the barrier wall, inside Montag, by chance, or luck, or either?” She giggles.

The mayor exhales, studying her cell. “Yes.”

Marsilla says. “Ms. Mayor, you should take more precaution and double the line of me-chees, along the blue colored barrier wall, inside Montag. The teens have struck with one crime. They are very bold. They will strike, again, maybe, tonight, too. Ya know, thieves like to strike more than once for fun…”

The mayor frowns, smashing her nose bridge into ugliness on her distorted face. “I do not believe the cookie crime, in Montag, is seriously related to the whacking indentations on the barrier wall, inside Dandine. Thank you for your advice, intern Marsilla. The rows of numerous me-chees are all in position, now, for safe-guarding the walls and the Colfaxians, too. For the third character building session…”

Nephella wiggles side to side inside her chair. “Mama, out of curiosity, what are the other character building sessions?”

The mayor swings to her daughter, smiling and nodding. “Pride and sacrifice…”

Chapter 14

Burrville

6:45 pm. home of Buffo’s grandparents

sunset. red sky. pink clouds. hot. 98% humidity. no rain. 102°F.

Buffo’s grandmother stands, exhaling. She lifts her plate, carrying into the kitchen.

I exhale, standing and following the standard evening ritual, assisting in washing the evening dirty platters, too.

We, in silence and swiftness, finish, dry, and stack the plates and dishes into the cabinets.

I swing towards the rear door.

Buffo grabs Ketona by the arm, cuddling her, whispers. “Honey, I’m going to bed, feeling overworked and stuffed, like a piglet from the good food.” He kisses her hair roots. “Good night, Ketona, darling! See ya’ll for breakfast. Okay!?”

I hug him, smiling. “Okay, sweetheart, at breakfast,” I pull from him then exit the house.

My farm house. kitchen

I stomp up the steps, opening the door, meeting both Jara and Hatch.

They smile and cuddle with each other.

I giggle at the love couple, exhaling and clapping. “We go to Montag, tonight, and collect the all the party decorations. Everyone’s pooped inside the house, as well. They won’t be a bother to me and my precious party plans…”

“Buffo!? Is he coming, too?” Hatch nods and smiles.

I shake my curls. “Nope. He’s tired from farming. Ya know the men-folk do more of heavy lifting with both their muscles and arms. Since, Buffo is buff, too. He has bunches of work with his muscles and arms, from sunup to sundown.” I view the window inside the kitchen. “And, the sun is asleep. Let’s get moving, ya’ll. We got all night to shop and spend chips, too.” I giggle and smile.

Hatch frowns. “I should be helping out there, on the farmland, too. I’m strong and healthy, too.”

I pat his arm. “You will. We decorate the barn for the party and then slowly introduce you and Jara around to the elderly people. They get used to seeing your face. Then, you and Jara can be adopted, here, in Burrville, too. And, then, you will start working on the farm, getting tired, like Buffo and going to bed at seven at night.” I swing towards the rear door.

I exit the house.

We load into our individual fliers.

I lift from the ground, grabbing the single rope, pulling the e-field cart for the new purchased supplies for the birthday party.

Buffo’s grandparents’ farm and the northeastern orange colored barrier wall corner

I land on the dirt, gently dropping the flier onto the dirt. The e-field cart hovers in place.

I walk to the wall then squat. I stab the first magnet into the wall.

The tiny opening reveals a single leg of blue. The me-chee is stationary, wearing a blue jumpsuit.

I present a thumbs up signal to Hatch, indicating that I have located a line-up of me-chees machines on the far side of the barrier wall.

The me-chees are posed along the wall, watching for the fugitives of Hatch and Jara to appear.

He and Jara are positioned down on the opposite side of Ketona. He returns the thumbs up signal, too, indicating another line-up of me-chees machines in front of his face.

I exhale, nodding.

I stab the second magnet into the wall, when the wall splits then parts.

The me-chee falls into the dirt.

I kick the male between the legs.

The me-chee powers down.

Thirty minutes later

Hatch and I have successful parted the barrier wall, revealing twenty more me-chee machines. We both have kicked and punched the vital metal parts, making the machine power down.

Hatch, Jara, and I stand over the last me-chee. I say. “Okay. The hillside is cleaned, or cleared, or concentrated with unseen me-chees.”

Jara frowns, staring at the wall. “Don’t scare me!”

Hatch cuddles her, laughing. “I protect ya, doll!”

I exhale. “Ya’ll take the e-field cart and buy the decorations and whatever ya’ll want. We are not going to visit any of the shops of Montag, until next week, so the Establishment forgets about ya’ll and concentrates on something else new. I will re-program each me-chee…”

Hatch says. “The two bedrooms are getting really crowded with the machines. It’s standing room, only.” He laughs, when Jara tickles his chest. He giggles then sours. “What are you going to do with all the me-chees, Ketona? If you’re caught, housing them, here?”

I nod. “I know that, too. My programming is only temporary. Then, I’ll un-program them and place them back, inside Montag and Dandine, along the appropriate portions of the colored barrier walls.” I giggle. “That’d really confuse, the mayor. I really don’t like her. Get going, before the shops close. I’m going to march these bad boys and girls to the barn. I got some black and silver paint cans. They can be painting the floor, walls, and ceiling, while ya’ll shop. Come back to the barn and unload! Then, we’ll finish our party decorations, tomorrow.” I nod and smile. “O! I got two of the magnet strips. Gimme your two magnets. I will open the hole with the three magnets then leave it open for ya’ll. You stroll inside then jerk the three magnets from the opening. We shouldn’t take any chance that there really are some more dense stationary me-chees further down the barrier wall. Good luck!”

Hatch hands Ketona the two magnets strips and smiles, dragging Jara to the flier. He assists her into the flier then walks to his flier. He loads it onto his back, grabbing the rope of the e-field cart.

I walk to the wall, stabbing the first magnet into the smooth surface. Then, I stab the second magnet near my foot. I stab the third magnet above my head on the right.

The wall falls into a perfect 90 degree right angle, exposing the purple sunset of Montag.

Hatch guides smoothly through the wide opening on his flier, towing the single e-field cart. Jara flies behind him. Hatch parks his flier then trots to back the opening. He winks at Ketona then jerks the three magnets out.

The wall collapses into a solid form, again.

I exhale, nodding and staring at the wall. I swing around, pulling out my handy screwdriver. The me-chees nicely dropped onto their back metal part, making my programming job really quick and easy with five pounds of solid lead.

I walk to the first me-chee, flipping up the throat panel then tap with the tip of the screwdriver the program code for the machine. I say in my natural soprano. “Me…”

I giggle and stand, walking to the next me-chee, repeating my procedure and pondering the fate of Hatch and Jara.

Buffo was so depressed, after we landed in Burrville, missing his neighbor childhood friends. Then, he was so happy, when we rescued Hatch and Jara from Dookie Town.

I’m shocked that someone actually has noticed that both Hatch and Jara are missing from Dookie Town.

Jara secretly confessed, during one of our late night chats that she didn’t work one precious minute on her dookie job. She walked off the travel truck transport from the barrier wall then into the tiniest house, within Dandine, where she stayed and cried, every day and hour.

Hatch wore the silly yellow colored helmet, matching accessories of gloves, scarf, and jumpsuit, matching with the rest of the yellow colored dookie workers. He didn’t receive any introduction to the other workers or training for his new job. He stood at one of the many cesspools, stirring the stick device into the black water, checking for growing toxins on the gauge.

He went home and ate lunch with Jara. He went back to work and then went home at the end of his shift.

I shake my curls, slamming the throat panel down on the twelfth me-chee shut, after programming my secret code. I stand, walking to number thirteen…(yeah, I counted)…and rubbing my fanny.

The tractor ride jolts and jerks your body side to side in the uncomfortable seat. My fanny gets a good workout, along with my lean teen arms. I’m building up some good muscles, too.

Based on Hatch and Jara’s story, the dookie folks do not know or do not care, if they leave Dookie Town. And, the Establishment does not maintain a consensus log of the current population of infants, children, teens, adults and elderly, either. Since, the Cubby Hole determines the teen’s fate, or find, or failure.

My pondering question bombarding my smart neurons, how did the Establishment know about Hatch and Jara escaping from Dookie Town?

After the birthday party, I’ll announce to the Buffo’s extended family members, that Hatch and Jara are permanently living with me, inside the house. Then, Hatch and Jara will get to stay and work on the farm.

I stand, walking toward the fifteen me-chee. I exhale, viewing the me-chee machine then the open crop field.

This is my life, a farmer on a farm. This is the bestest moment of my arrival, so far, since I landed on the farm, in Burrville.

Buffo is really no fun, anymore. He eats, works, baths, sleeps, and then rinses and repeats, the next day.

I whisper. “Yeah, this is my life for the rest of my breathing days and lonely nights, a farmer. Then, I will become a farmer’s wife of more lonely nights.” I giggle and smile. “When Rincon visited the farm, he said something about the mayor needing to fill the fifth dream job. Now, which dream job would that be, inside Colfax?” I squat, flipping up the throat panel, tapping out the programming code. I say. “Me.”

I slam the throat panel. “I wonder, if I can train the me-chee to farm the field, or drive a tractor. It isn’t hard. I wonder, if they are already pre-programmed to do that domestic task. I can’t mess with the original master programming code, here, in the dirt. Maybe, I can look at its programming code, inside the house, tonight. Yeah, then, the me-chee can take my place, tomorrow morning, while I sleep in, later passed sunrise. And, I wonder, if the me-chee technician dream job is available for someone smart, talented, and brilliant. Ah! Rincon used these words, too. He wants me to showcase my talents, also. Nephella is going to be the administrator technician. I wouldn’t take that job for one billion chips. Rincon claimed the medical technician from me. Marsilla will be the legal technician. I don’t want that tough job, either. And, Duchie wanted the me-chee designer dream job. Yeah, there’s an empty slot, readying and waiting. And, yeah, I can program a me-chee, good.” I giggle then stand, back stepping away from the row of shiny silver metal, wearing the blue jumpsuits.

The particular batch of me-chees have fake blond hair. The females have fake blonde ponytails.

I giggle, rising my arms towards the sky. “I command you to rise and obey me, me-chee...”

All the me-chees shift side to side then stand and face Ketona. The program voice activation code recognized her soprano timber.

I giggle. “I command you to follow me to the barn, me-chee.” I swing around, running to my flier.

All the silver colored me-chees run in a perfect straight line right behind Ketona.

I load the flier onto my back then lift from the dirt. I giggle, flying at the maximum air fan speed of ten miles per hour.

The me-chees run in a perfect straight line right behind Ketona.

Chapter 15

Thursday

Burrville

5:55 am. moonlight. night. dark. bright stars. no rain. no clouds. hot. 98% humidity. 88°F.

Beep. Beep.

I slam the alarm clock to death with my hand. I moan with early death, too. I blink open my eyelashes into the darkness of death.

I exhale, rolling to my left then drag the linen sheets off the bed for work. I rustle with the linen sheets, winning. Then, I enter the bathroom, missing the door. I giggle, doing my biological functions, still giggling with amusement.

The first captured me-chee, literally, removed every single door from my house. Since, the doors were molded from steel metal. Honestly, I didn’t notice the doors or the other steel metal items inside the old house.

However, the first captured me-chee did a good job, soldering the piece of stolen steel metal around the floor, the three walls, and the ceiling. The old barn appears, like an old dull painted red wooden barn on the outside, fooling the farmers. However, the interior is a shiny silver glow on the floor with a nice array of black slick metal on the three walls and ceiling.

The wall, with the barn double doors, takes up three-fourths of the space, so I left it alone. The heavy steel metal would have broken both barn doors, and then my surprise party would have been soured.

Hatch and Jara returned, very late, last night with the merchandise of party decorations.

I leaned and curled my folded body against the wall, closing my eyelashes, calling out the vocal commands.

The me-chee machine is a dumb machine, which cannot harm a human, or an animal, under any circumstance. Therefore, a dumb machine follows a dumb command.

And, I had programmed the me-chee with my voice pattern, only. Yeah, I could have performed a kill punch, deactivating the me-chee for Hatch to command and administrator the decorating.

However, you do not de-activate a me-chee, in front of another me-chee. The machine is dumb, but thinks with logic. The me-chee machines would have revolted, or done something, not nice to me, if I had attacked its metal brother or sister.

I splash cold water onto my sweaty and dirty face, not bothering with bathing, last night, or the night before, or the night, before that.

I dress in my shorts and naked feet.

The orange jumpsuit lives inside the garage with the other orange dust. I dress in my farmer gear, before I load into the flier, being dirty with orange dust and dirt, all the time.

Farm house of Buffo’s grandparents. kitchen

I stomp up the smooth wooden planks into the kitchen. I don’t smell any cooking grease or fresh baked biscuits.

I stomp into the dining room. The table is not set with numerous clean and shiny eating plates and utensil. The chairs are neatly stored underneath the wooden edges.

I stand, parking both hands on my hips. I whisper, not alarming the family members. “Where’s the food for breakfast?”

Buffo swiftly appears near the wall corner. He coughs then sneezes. “Honey…”

I stand, stationary in place then wrinkle my face, recognizing the contagious cold symptoms. “Yeah, darling!”

He coughs then sneezes. “I got a cold, coughing and sneezing. Well, everyone is sick, today. We’re too sick to work on the farm. Lucky, ya got a day off…”

I gasp, dropping my mouth. “The plowing? The seedlings? The rain is a-coming on Sunday. Are you doing all the farm work, today, instead, Buffo? I can help ya, do some more…”

“I took the kids to the school house. I feel somewhat better than the other sicker adults, being young and not too sick. But, I have a headache and dizziness. I’m going to back to bed, resting. We got tomorrow and Saturday to finish the plowing and farming. Good night, Ketona!” Buffo slightly smiles then swiftly slides behind the wall corner.

I gasp, dropping my mouth. “Tomorrow and Saturday?! Naw!” I swing around, shaking my dirty curls, stealing the closed box of cereal. I have food inside my house, but, like to steal things from Buffo’s grandmother, too.

She doesn’t like me.

My farm house. front porch

I march out the house, crunching on the food. “Saturday is the surprise birthday party. You can’t be surprised, if you’re working on the farm. Naw. Nope. No.” I stand inside the kitchen, eating the cereal. “They can’t work, today, being sick. I’m not sick, so I do all the work,” then I slump my shoulders. “I’m only one girl. There are thousands of acres of dirt and zillions of seedlings.” I frown with worry. Then, I smile and nod. “Hatch, he can help me,” then I slump my shoulders, again. “He’s asleep with Jara. They did hundred percent of the shopping and decorating of the barn, last night. I slept against the wall, resting, while the me-chee machines did all the other work under Hatch’s wise command.” I gasp, smiling and nodding. “The me-chees. No. Yes. No. Yeah, buddy! The machines are denting the dull paint on the walls, inside two bedrooms. They ain’t doing nothin’. They’re programmed to work. Yeah. Yes. Yay hay!” I set the box of cereal on the kitchen counter.

I giggle, swinging around, quietly padding up the stairs, without awaking up Hatch and Jara.

First bedroom

I stand inside the archway, without the door, giggling with amusement. The house is three stories high, almost touching the skyline.

Hatch and Jara occupy the third story, needing their privacy and a good hiding place from the Establishment, and the farmers, and the dookie workers, and the mayor.

I whisper. “Me-chee.”

The machines recognize my whisper. The eye sensors turn red with alert.

I whisper. “Quietly walk down the stairs. Then, go out the rear door. Then, stand behind the garage.” I nod, swinging around, quietly padding on the stairs, too.

The me-chee are all pure logic. They walk one at a time down the stairs and then out the rear door.

I beat them out the house, standing behind the garage, in front of the big pile of orange hats, matching gloves, scarves, and jumpsuits, in various sizes. I also found a box of used sunglasses in various styles. I added the box to the growing pile of clothing. The sunglasses will hide their glowing red eye pieces, in case, one of the other real life farmers stops by the house for some sugar cubes, or coffee grounds, or nosy questions.

The me-chees create and form a long perfect straight line.

I exhale with annoyance at the pure logic, walking down the line and barely whispering. The me-chees possess excellent eyesight and hearing, being an excellent machine. “Who can operate a tractor? Please, raise your metal hand.”

No hands are raised.

I frown with annoyance. “Do you possess a program for farming crop fields on a farm? Raise your hand.”

Every hand rises towards the skyline.

I giggle. “Load the farming program, now.”

The eye sensors turn blue for activation. I giggle. “Grab a pair of sunglass a hat, a scarf, a pair of gloves, and a jumpsuit from this big old pile of orange clothing. Then, wear it and cover your entire metal body.”

I watch each me-chee sort through the pile, dressing like a farmer, sorta ugly.

I walk up and down the line, studying each me-chee.

Each machine is dressed, looking an orange geared up farmer. You cannot see the metal eye sockets, or its face plate.

I stand then whisper, not awaking up the family members. “Scan the open crop field. I command one me-chee operates one tractor. Then, steer your tractor side to side, tilling up the orange soil. Then, unload the tiller equipment from behind your tractor and store it outside the barn lot. Then, load the seedling planter behind your tractor and then plant the seeds along the tilled orange soil. The seed bags are located inside the barn. Then, plant the seeds, until the seeds are all gone from the barn. Go me-chee and locate a tractor.” I giggle.

The me-chee is a giant computer, using logic. Each machine starts walking in various geographical directions. When the first me-chee locates the nearest tractor, the first me-chee will claim and climb into the first sighted tractor seat. Being logical, not bossy, the second me-chee will scoot around the first tractor and then locate a second tractor, obeying my commands.

I giggle, loading into my flier, lifting it from the dirt.

I will fly around, monitoring all the me-chees and their farm work on the tractors.

Chapter 16

Colfax

8:01 am

map room

Duchie and Rincon giggle and cuddle, entering the map room. They halt at the archway.

Marsilla stands in the middle of the platform, smirking and nodding. She crosses her arms over her golden jumper.

Duchie and Rincon walk towards their assigned glass desks, sitting and staring at Marsilla with curiosity.

Nephella and her mama enter the map room. Nephella doesn’t acknowledge Marsilla, scooting into her glass desk, sitting and whipping out her pen knife.

The mayor smiles and nods, walking into the middle of the platform, being her usual lecture spot. “Good morning, interns.”

“Ms. Mayor, I came into the map room, here, early, this morning for my assignment. However, I have found something of interest.” She fingers the map on the wall. “All the me-chee machines are missing from the blue colored barrier wall, inside Montag, since last night. All gone! I, of course, have sent for the travel car, being a new learneth studious brilliant intern.”

The mayor gasps, swinging to the map, studying the contents. “There are numerous black circles, too, along the barrier wall, also.”

Marsilla nods. “I have been vocal, since the first day. The black circles are the key to unlocking the mystery of the barrier wall. Now, the me-chee machines are missing, but there are numerous black circles, also.”

“How is this possible? What is your theory?” The mayor asks, studying the wall.

Marsilla sways back and forth on the platform, smiling next to the mayor. “I believe that the barrier wall can be parted for a short length of time. I believe the me-chee machines are part of the causation of the mysterious black circles, upon the barrier wall. A me-chee machine is charged ions, part of an e-field. Therefore, if a me-chee, accidently, or purposefully, touches an e-field, then the e-field will absorb the me-chee mineral. Eat it, like a monster.” She giggles. “I have double counted, twice. There were twenty posted me-chees, along the blue colored barrier wall, on top of the smelly hillside trash. Now, there are forty black circles, which can be coordinated with the position of the missing twenty me-chees. Since, twenty times two equal forty, Rincon.” She giggles and nods to him.

Rincon frowns with fury. “You cannot coordinate one single posted me-chee with each pairing of two black circles, precisely, intern Marsilla. The me-chee is a machine, but it sways back and forth on top of the trash pile, when the pile shifts in both heaviness of volume and planet gravity of pull.”

The mayor nods to the teens. “Both of the interns are correct. However, I would like to hear some more detailed explanation from Marsilla.”

Marsilla sways side to side, smiling. Then she spins, walking to her glass desk in the northwestern corner of the platform. “There are forty circles, where the missing and absence twenty me-chee machines did stand, stationary, last night, inside Montag.” She stands in front of her chair. “However, I find it interesting, also. I doubled counted, twice, also. Upon the blue colored barrier wall, there were, precisely, two stab wounds, where the single stationary me-chee had stood. Therefore, I have accounted for the missing twenty me-chees, represented by forty stab wounds, twice. However, there is a particular accounting, not explained of one additional stab wound, outside the parameter of the two cold spots.” She presses her cell.

The map enlarges, showing the southeastern portion of the blue colored barrier wall.

Marsilla sits inside her chair and then fingers the map. “There, right there. There are three stab wounds. I cannot explain.”

Duchie frowns at the map. “It…is a dent from the trash bin. We’ve explained this particular theory about three zillion times, idiot Marsilla.”

Marsilla nods and smiles to Duchie. “I don’t think so, intern Duchie. The additional stab wound is new. And, using the science of mathematics, a set of three stab wounds forms a perfect 90 degree right angle.”

“A right angle is drawn upon the barrier wall.” The mayor frowns, smashing her nose bridge piercing in ugliness at the map.

Marsilla nods and smirks. “A very good analogy, Ms. Mayor. A perfect right angle would scatter and then separate the ions into a single wide opening, allowing for the me-chee to fall inside the hole, or maybe, for a teen to dive into the other side.”

The mayor gasps then swings to Marsilla. “You believe that a teen has successfully parted and penetrated through one of the colored barrier walls. That is impossible, ridicule, and insane, Marsilla. An e-field is radiated with deadly radiation. The teen would be burned, at the least, or dead, upon diving into the other side, at the most.”

Nephella laughs. “Burned and died, that’s explains my theory, too, Mama.”

Marsilla giggles. “I can’t prove my theory. I can, only, state it. However, the me-chees are all missing and are all unaccounted for, today.”

The mayor exhales, viewing her shoes then Marsilla. “Everyone get into the travel car. We will investigate and interview the peoples of Montag and find my missing me-chees.”

Marsilla stands, smirking. “I have double-checked, twice…”

The mayor frowns, smashing her nose bridge piercing in ugliness, again. She studies Marsilla. “Double-checked, what twice?”

Marsilla smiles, sitting inside her chair. “Within the barrier wall of Dandine, there are twelve missing me-chees. And, there are twenty four parallel black circles for each missing me-chee, numbering twelve…”

Rincon sneers. “We’re all geniuses, here, idiot Marsilla. We all know that twelve times two is twenty four. What’s your stinky point, coming from Dookie Town?”

Marsilla giggles. “And, there is an additional stab wound, which also forms a right degree angle.”

The mayor gasps, walking to Marsilla. “You have found a right angle formation upon the yellow colored barrier wall of Dandine, too, where the original set of twelve me-chees is missing, also.”

Marsilla smiles. “Yes, Ms. Mayor! I have found the twenty four black rotating circles and I theorize, here, too…”

Rincon frowns with annoyance. “You have provided an excellent theory, here, today, intern Marsilla. A me-chee is a machine. The machine touched and then tapped the barrier wall. The electrons collided and then collapsed, together. Now, the me-chee machine is part of the barrier wall, melting, like candle wax. The machine is made of lead, a component of the e-field, too.”

The mayor gasps, swinging to Rincon. “Yes, Rincon! That is an excellent solution to the twelve and twenty, the thirty two missing me-chees. I wasn’t very smart, placing the machines as guard units…”

“Mama, we are not a violent society. We are a peaceful one.” Nephella nods and smiles.

The mayor nods to Nephella. “You are correct, as usual, daughter.” She views Marsilla. “Thank you, intern Marsilla. You are very bright and clever in solving the mysterious barrier wall and the black circles. Which dream job did you dream about, working and living here, in Colfax, dear?” She nods and smiles.

Marsilla giggles. “Actually, I have not proposed my completed theory, which has two parts. The me-chees are really metal machines, which obey any vocal commands. I find it interesting that one, if not all the me-chees, actually rammed into the barrier wall, all, at the same time. The machines have a confirmed fail-safe programming code, preventing such a self-destructive activity, like melting your circuits within a radiated barrier wall. Secondly, the me-chee is a dumb machine, which, also, obeys based on a set of vocal commands. Therefore, a smart teen could have ordered all the me-chees into the barrier wall, thus creating a mess and a mistake, maybe…”

The mayor gasps. “What mistake, Marsilla?”

Rincon frowns. “What teen, Marsilla?”

Marsilla giggles. “Let us examine the actual electronic facts, here, present, rotating along the electronic map, inside the map room. There are thirty two missing me-chee machines with a set of mathematical associated numbered black circles, inside both Montag and Dandine. There are, also, a matching right 90 degree angle formation, within both Montag and Dandine. So, in conclusion, a smart teen has used and abused the set of the poor defenseless me-chees as a weapon, or a pawn, melting it or them into the barrier wall. We all possess knowledge of a barrier wall and the associated components. It is a low frequency band of charge ions, forming an invisible field. Adding a touch of radiation, the invisible field becomes visible in pretty colors to the naked eyeball. If the ions are parted by any type of natural earth mineral, like nickel, or aluminum, or lead, then the field collapses into a visible opening. The opening is open, allowing for freedom, a teen from the outer township of Dandine…”

“What are you saying, Marsilla?” Rincon frowns with worry.

Marsilla giggles. “I am saying the facts. Now, the me-chee is made of lead, which is a natural element of the planet and naturally reacts to the barrier wall, making it open, says me.” She giggles. “I have doubled-checked this, twice. In the past fifty decades, the five dream jobs have, only, been earned by five teens, only, coming from the posh city of Colfax,” she views Duchie. “No outer township has ever placed, inside the golden color tone…”

Rincon frowns with annoyance. “The Cubby Hole is done and gone. This is our new job position for the rest of our lives, inside Colfax. Your theory has gone south and sour, along with your pookie dookie, Marsilla,” he chuckles with Duchie and Nephella.

Marsilla giggles. “Yes, the Cubby Hole is done and gone. However, during Citizenship Day, there were five teens from Colfax, who were vying for the five dream jobs, within Colfax. The five dream jobs were a medical technician, a legal technician, an administrator technician, a me-chee designer, and a me-chee technician.”

The mayor gasps. “A me-chee technician is a person, who programs the me-chees into action and commands, within the ruling populous of my mayor duties.”

Marsilla nods. “Yes, Ms. Mayor. And, my neighbor friends from Colfax, we all studied, and learned, and prepared for our dream jobs, while attending Citizenship Day, here, inside Colfax.”

The mayor gasps. “You actually studied and prepared to program a me-chee technician.”

Marsilla smiles. “I studied, and learned, and prepared to be a legal technician, since my parents are both legal technicians, here, in Colfax. To complete my true story, Rincon studied to be a medical technician. And, here, he sits among the dream jobs with the other golden four teens of the Cubby Hole. Alas, he and I are the only ones...”

The mayor gasps, swinging to Rincon. “Is that true?”

Rincon frowns. “I…”

The mayor frowns with fury. “Is this true or false, Rincon? Did you study, learn, and prepare in advance to be a medical technician.”

Rincon says. “My parents are a pair of medical technician, too. So, it is natural…”

The mayor sneers. “Yes or no?”

Rincon stares at Marsilla. “Yes.”

The mayor gasps, swinging to Marsilla. “Tell me, everything, about your smart neighbor friends.”

The Solid Hold…is the final e-novel of the IQ Testing Book series.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1SundayBurrville

Chapter 2MondayColfax

Chapter 3Burrville.

Chapter 4

Chapter 5TuesdayBurrville

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8Colfax

Chapter 9

Chapter 10Wednesday

Chapter 11Colfax

Chapter 12Burrville

Chapter 13Colfax

Chapter 14Burrville

Chapter 15ThursdayBurrville

Chapter 16Colfax