OVERFALLS (The Merworld Water Wars, Book 2) (29 page)

“POLLY! You’re back!” said Jex, awkwardly pulling her into a hug to shut her up.

“Of course I am. Are you just noticing this? Why are you hugging me? I feel confined. Stop.” She backed away from Jex, her cheeks a bit flushed.

Mr. Anderson collected all the trinkets, delivered them to the judges, and dutifully awaited their score cards. Once they were done, the judges handed Mr. Smarmy the scores, which he immediately began tabulating using his trusty pocket calculator.

“While we await the tabulations and verification,” said Kori, “shall we meet the team mascots?” The muttering crowd turned up the volume once more. “All right, then! For team Merpeople, please meet the ferocious, the terrifying, the mighty…Crustrex, the monster crab!”

“Jesus,” groaned Jex.

Save a few inches, Crustrex was as massive and horrifying as the beastly crab Katrina sent to kill me during the Fair Weather Fair. The creature scuttled out from the tunnels, circled his team, and tauntingly lunged at us.

“Let’s see how he does with our man-dog,” said Trey, to which Jex dropped his head and chuckled.

“Greet the feisty, spunky, powerhouse mascot for team Normals…Spritz, the Shih Tzu!”

“A SHIH TZU?!” said Polly incredulously.

From deep within our tunnel, a gold and white, toy-sized fluff ball came running. The crowd couldn’t possibly laugh any louder, although there was a heavy ‘Aww,’ to which I was grateful; even our opponents were snickering (apart from Airianna, who clearly wanted to cuddle with the puppy, and Troy, who hid his mouth). Spritz ran right up to me, stood on his hind legs, and pawed at me to pick him up.

“This is embarrassing,” muttered Trey.

Stooping down, I scratched the little guy’s head. I wanted to scoff. After all, we needed a big, bad, mean dog. But as he cocked his precious, fluffy head, blinked those big, brown, glistening eyes, and wagged that happy tail…yeah, I fell in love.

Katrina’s cackle practically shook the field. “Did wittle Mawina get herself a wee wittle doggy?”

“Shut up. And, dude, how old are we? Grow the hell up,” I shouted. “Brave things come in small packages.”

Wearing a mock-surprised face, Katrina said, “Really? Let’s test that theory, shall we? Crustrex…snack time.” The monster crustacean skittered for Spritz, kicking sand and snapping its claws.

“Come here, Spritz. Stay,” I said, trying to hold him, but he wriggled so madly that he slipped from my grasp. “Damn it.”

Snarling, growling, and barking, Spritz rushed up to the beast. He stuck his butt in the air, tail wagging, then jumped from one side to the other, thoroughly confusing the monster crab. As our little fighter weaved in and out and around the beast’s legs, the crowd’s cheers shifted, for the first time, to something related to team Normals. Spritz paused just beneath the monster’s underbelly and darted from right to left so fast, our eyes could barely focus. Clearly, Crustrex suffered from the same blurred vision because as it tried to catch Spritz on his last maneuver, the creature became so tangled, he crashed to the ground.

“I’ll be damned,” said Jex as the crowd, Troy, Airianna, Benji, and all of team Normals screamed and celebrated, with many chanting ‘Team Spritz.’

Spritz faced the downed crab, snorted at him, and trotted back to us. He jumped into my waiting arms, where we decorated him with lots of love.

“That is going to be one spoiled pup,” said Jex, patting the top of Spritz’s head in spite of himself.

“Think a star is born!” cried Kori, clapping for our spirited little squirt. “For the record…I’m team Spritz!” The crowd started chanting ‘Team Spritz’ once more as Katrina’s face twisted into a truly repulsive scowl. “Yep, I hear ya, guys! But little Spritz won’t be bringing in the scores tonight, and I understand the scores have been tabulated and confirmed by the wish jars! Mr. Anderson, if you’ll bring me the envelope, I’ll crack it open!”

“How do they get the jars to verify the accuracy of the scores?” I asked Jex.

“Anderson places his final calculations in an envelope and slips it under both jars. If the jars glow, his calculations and the rankings are accurate and fair; if they don’t, it’s back to the judges and calculator,” said Jex. “Nice way to keep the little moles honest.”

Mr. Smarmy handed Kori a mint green envelope. “All right, here we go!” She slipped her finger under the seal and removed the results. Her head reared back and her face registered slight shock. “The winner for match one, the water element, is…team MERPEOPLE!”

“Fu—” said Meikle, the audience’s raucous applause drowning out her continuous string of colorful metaphors.

I glanced over at Troy, but couldn’t find him anywhere. “Where’s Troy?” I mouthed to Airianna, catching her eye. Flipping her head around, she frowned, shook her head, and shrugged.

“Boyfriend up and leave?” asked Jex.

“Apparently,” I said. “Maybe it’s another bathroom break.” It wasn’t, though. My gut knew otherwise; exactly what its definition of ‘otherwise’ might be was an unknown I didn’t care to have answered.

“Okay, yes, congrats team Merpeople! However, you won by the skin of your fin. Team Normals…you are only THREE points out of first!” yelled Kori.

“Only THREE POINTS behind?! On the water element?” I shouted. “Yee haw!”

Aside from our team, Jex, Spritz, my overly-exuberant Mom, Maile, Mrs. Waterberry, Mr. Gibbs, Bobby, and a small, polite constituency of visiting creatures, a quiet concern fell over the stadium.

“And now I’ll hand the microphone to Madame Helena for a special announcement. See y’all back here in the winter for match two, the earth element! Later, guys!” Kori waved to her adoring fans and left the stage.

Wearing a somewhat sour smile, Madame Helena approached the microphone. I don’t think she expected our team to hang in as well as we did against the merps for the water element, their equivalent to home field advantage. “Well, what an exciting first match. Who would have expected it to be so close?”

“Not you, right?” said Meikle.

“Makes things exciting for match two, doesn’t it? Indeed it does,” said Madame Helena, struggling to sound enthused, her blatant bias and corresponding worry bleeding from every syllable. “Match two, the earth element, will be on New Year’s Day, at twilight. Until then, keep an eye open, an ear alert, and your instinct tuned in, for there are many unique events to come…and equally exceptional ways to announce them! For now, we welcome Halloween.” Madame Helena dropped to a deep curtsey, bowing to the royal suite.

Turning around, I saw Queen Zale holding her arms in the air, summoning complete silence and utmost attention. “Happy Halloween, my little loves,” said the queen in her buttery voice. “What an extraordinary way to welcome All Hallows’ Evening and its haunting delights. My compliments to both teams—team Merpeople, congratulations on your win; team Normals, you showed exceptional resilience.” Spritz growled and barked at the queen, piercing her requisite silence. Queen Zale smiled disingenuously. “Yes, pup, you deserve applause as well.” She slowly clapped three times, and I felt shivers up and down my spine. “What a cute little dog…would make a wonderful basis for a baby’s first stuffed toy, would it not, doll face?”

I held Spritz tightly to my chest. Apart from those present when I challenged the queen and king in July, no one knew the identity of ‘doll face.’ I intended to maintain firm eye contact with the queen, but my ears picked up on my mom’s scared voice that she always disguised as anger. Finding her in the stands, I saw her turn her eyes from an angry Mr. Gibbs, who threw up his hands and left.

“Since it is Halloween, I think everyone deserves a little treat, don’t you?” The audience cautiously muttered their agreement. “The king and I welcome everyone to the Zale mansion for the annual Halloween Party. This year’s theme is a black and red masquerade ball. Gowns, suits, and masks will be available to all at the dress shop downtown. It’s first come, first serve, so be there when the doors open, my sweet tarts.” Focusing her heartless glare upon me, she said, “Mask the uglier of your two faces, doll.”

When she sat back down, no one cared what her words meant; her voice and riddle-like statements intoxicated them all, uncorking their excitement over the royal family providing its subjects with glittering costumes for a usually exclusive party in the noble home. Any hint of an inquisitive mind was quashed by the need to feel important, a need to belong, and a desire to finally be noticed by the regal, the ones in power.

“Goodnight everyone! See you at the Halloween extravaganza!” said Madame Helena.

“She’s one to talk about two faces,” said Polly. “I’m not convinced there isn’t a third on her ass.”

“We could ask Anderson,” Meikle mused. “He spends enough time kissing it to know the answer.”

“You okay, Squiggle?” asked Trey. “She’s just trying to get under your skin, you know that.”

“Yeah. I know,” I said as Spritz licked my hand. “Old queen-y didn’t mean mask the uglier face…she meant mask the Savior.”

“Then I think you should do the exact opposite,” said Airianna, hugging me from behind. “Oooh, hey, cute little puppy boy!” Spritz wagged his tail as I handed him to Airianna. “Oh. I want him.”

“Take it,” said Jex. “Mascots are supposed to stay with the coaches, but I thankfully reside in the mid-clouds where animals, blessedly, aren’t permitted.”

“Then, where’s he going to stay?” I asked, scratching under his little chin.

“Next on the puppy pound list would be the captain,” he said.

“Sold,” I said.

“Ah, not quite,” said Jex. “You have to get mommy’s written consent. So, for tonight at least, Spritz will be in the care of the good doctor.”

“Oh, God. Can you see the doctor with a dog?” I asked.

“He’s already ‘mind-told’ me how excited he is to finally meet a dog,” said Jex. “I feel for ya, Spritz.”

“Um, Ophelia, Gully?” I said, knowing they were the most compassionate of the Normals. “I’m naming you two the primary caretakers of Spritz. Maile can be a primary, too.”

“And what about Meeks and me? Oh, and Trey, for that matter?” Polly crossed her arms as one of her eyeballs faded to black.

I pointed at her black eye. “Right there, that’s why. You demon out, Meeks isn’t necessarily an animal person, and Trey…Trey has other things on his mind,” I said, watching Trey get lost in a world named Airianna.

Doctor Tenly bounded towards us, rubbing his hands together with a big goofy grin hiding under his scraggly beard. “So, this is a dog! Looks like a little lion, doesn’t he?” The doctor studied Spritz’s belly, lifted his ears, and examined his tail as it softly drummed against Airianna’s arm. “Fascinating.” Doctor Tenly and Spritz studied one another, cocking their heads from side to side in complete unison. Finally breaking his focus from Spritz, Doctor Tenly said, “We ready to go home? Where’s Maile? Better if we find a hidden spot and fade away as a group.”

Airianna handed Spritz to an eager Gully and turned to me. “I guess we’re walking home?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Troy’s gone, and I can’t see my mom anywhere,” I said, trying to find her amongst the many exiting faces.

“She’s with Mr. Gibbs,” said Maile, slightly winded as she hurried up to us. “You guys rocked!”

“Maile, you share in the rocking. These uniforms are awesome,” I said.

“Thanks! All the uniforms will be like these, but, you know, with match-appropriate materials. Instead of a swimsuit top, you’ll have a shirt or something, maybe a jacket, and, of course, shoes of some kind. Stuff like that. I’m still designing,” said Maile.

“Whatever you do will be killer. Maile, were Mom and Mr. Gibbs fighting again?” I asked. Maile nodded. “I wish she’d talk to me.”

“I’ll talk to Tree,” said Doctor Tenly, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. I nodded and half-smiled. “Let’s plan on meeting in the study, say, one o’clock? Airianna or Marina, I’ll leave it to one of you to tell Troy about the meeting.”

We all said goodnight and Airianna and I headed home. The walk was nice, soothing even. We thought Troy might be home by the time we got there, but not a single light was on.

“Stay over tonight,” I said, not wanting Airianna to stay alone with her dad’s curse still upon her.

“Yay! I love sleepovers! Actually, I’d never had one until my dad tried to marry me off. How do you like that?”

“Airi, you have a way of making the most heinous things sound innocent,” I said, crawling in my window. “Ooh, it’s dark in here. Where’s Maile when you need her?”

“Guess that means your mom isn’t home yet.”

“Can’t be. She would have every light in the house on if she were,” I said, stumbling to find my lamp.

When I flicked it on, Airianna threw her arm in front of me, stopping me from flopping on my bed.

“Another one,” she said. On my bed was a red envelope with my name on it. “I’ll open it.” I nodded, my stomach sick, my mind furious. She pulled out the queen of hearts. Once again, there was a large, red, underlined ‘D,’ followed by smaller black letters. “All it says is…
D
ishelm. What do you think that means?”

Swallowing hard, I replied, “The Dealer’s taking off the helmets.” I closed my eyes and dropped my head.

“Marina?”

Looking her in the eye, I said, “The Dealer’s ready to go head-to-head. Game on.”

The hourglass has been turned.

Chapter Thirteen

The Crying Doll Face

Having silver snow tossed in your face, not once, but twice, wasn’t exactly the ideal way to fall asleep, but it certainly helped with the staying-in-a-dreamless-slumber bit. Airianna knew my brain cylinders were puffing smoke over The Dealer’s declaration of war (and the fact that he or she was in my house). After pocketing the card, presumably to take to Doctor Tenly, Airianna doused me with two coats of silver snow.

The sun peeked through my window this Halloween morning. I bathed in those first few moments of the waking up process—the ones where your mind has yet to land on something to dwell on, worry about, or analyze to death.

Stretching and rolling around, I yawned in full ugly face when SNAP, POP, BOOM!