I Struggled Into A Standing Position
according to the banner pinned to the wall- it’s bandit country.
- each of the 24 wigs
- Suddenly, I want to touch him.
- “Out loud!”
Tune in next time part 608 Click Here for Earlier Installments
I struggled into a standing position, still leaning against the damp rock for support. Carefully, tenderly, I reached for the concealed button John had used to deactivate Tessa. I felt a soft click behind her ear. She remained motionless, but powerful beams of light shot from her eyes.
Blinking and squinting in the sudden glare, I surveyed the tunnel. “Well, Tessa,” I muttered, “according to the way these stones have been fitted, I would say our little subterranean passageway is a lot older than Twerkistan. And, according to the banner pinned to the wall, it’s bandit country.”
Given the likelihood of lurking bandits, I very much wanted to revive my formidable companion. A bit more exploration around the base of her skull turned up three more buttons, the third of which released Tessa from her paralytic state. I had left her headlights on, but as soon as she regained control she turned them off. “Gives me such a headache,” she explained. Fortunately her left pinkie contained an LED that was sufficient to keep us from tripping over anything.
“John went this way,” I said. “I wonder if he’s met any bandits yet.”
We were still wondering that a few minutes later when a large heap of hair came into view. Inspection revealed it was a pile of wigs, and each of the 24 wigs was exactly alike. All the same vibrant green.
I didn’t know what it could mean, and that made me angry at John for leaving me in the lurch, again. “Suddenly,” I said, “I wish to speak to John. Suddenly, I want to touch him. With my fists. A lot.”
Tessa nodded. Something she saw over my shoulder made her freeze, and I thought for a moment John had snuck up and hit that button again. But she spoke softly. “I’m going to turn and run. Count to ten and then chase me.” Before I could get her to clarify, she whirled away and vanished into the blackness. I had no choice but to comply.
My thoughts raced with the possibilities of what she’d spotted and why her instructions had been so unconventional, so I used the activity of counting to quell this storm within my mind. One, I thought. Two…
“Out loud!” came Tessa’s reprimand from the murky distance.
“ThreeFourFiveSixSevenEightNineTen!”
bonus points for using them in order