The Cubby Hole (IQ Testing Book 1) (10 page)

Duchie drops her mouth. “He’s remained inside the orange tone colored park place with the thunder storm, rain and lightning bolts. The ocean is east. The room is west. The south direction shows more of the ocean water and skyline since the cliff encircles the water. That means the boundary of the barrier wall is north.”

I wink and swing around running in the white sand swinging my boots and arms towards the north going faster than Duchie.

Orange barrier wall.

I slap into the wall even though I could clearly see the shimmery orange. I scan the landscape then gasp. “Where’s the rain, the thunder, the lighting bolts?” I back step then study the wall barrier. “It looks just like the yellow one. The seam is seamless. The touch is stingless. I don’t understand. There ain’t no rain or thunder or lightning.”

Duchie frowns at Ketona, saying. “There’s a dry desert out there inside the orange color tone instead of a wet forest of trees. How’s this possible? I don’t understand it.”

I touch then bang then slam my shoulder into the wall. The wall doesn’t move. I say. “The wall is an electromagnetic created barrier coming from lots of invisible beams and zillions of invisible ion particles, compliments of our planet. I can’t create one but someone can…”

“Establishment, they control us. They dictate our lives,” Duchie nods and scans inside the color tone.

I bang my shoulder into the wall then back step, panting for air. “I can’t break or bust or bruise it…”

Duchie touches her nose into the wall, saying and smiling. “I see him.”

“No, you don’t. I know my guy instantly. And I can’t see him. I see orange dust, running horses, and numerous teens…”

She bounces and fingers with happiness. “I see him. He’s over there on top of a horse. He said that his grandfather lived on a farm. He can ride a horse too. I love horses and farms. I love the smell of tulips too.”

I narrow my eyelashes scanning the objects. “I see running horses on the left side. I see standing teens on the right side. Where is he? I can’t see him…”

Duchie fingers the wall. “Buffo is sitting on top of the black horse near the rear of the white gate. The horse is tall since he’s tall too…”

I drop my mouth. “Wow! The horse’s running away from the gate towards a barrel. Ouch! The horse hit the barrel…”

“Naw, the horse and the rider are racing around the barrels for fun. Each barrel holds tons of sand so the barrel doesn’t tip over from the rider’s boot or the horse’s weight. Whoa! This is a mini-rodeo fro the teens. Each teen is riding a horse. The horses are competing with each other within a specific time limit,” giggles Duchie.

“Time is a common factor today,” I frown with annoyance of Citizenship Day.

She smiles and jumps. “I see Buffo. He is the rider on the horse. Watch him! He glides towards the first barrel then slides around the second barrel and then scoots elegant around the third barrel. He whips the rump of the horse with the riding crop making the steed go faster to beat the previous time winner. He flies out the gate. Cool! This is so much to watch. I wished I were riding too. What do you think, Ketona?”

I exhale. “I’m scooting around the sand on my knees looking for a weapon or tool to shatter the barrier wall into tiny cracks. If I can find a hard object like a diamond or a ruby or a sapphire gem stone? They’re some of the hardest mineral on the planet…”

Duchie eye rolls then turns watching Buffo. She smiles. “The park place is a beach not an underground mine of raw minerals.”

I gasp then reach the object. “I found a very large seashell.” I stand then run. I ram the shell into the barrier when it shatters and breaks into tiny glittering particles. I sob with sadness then swing to the sands. I drop onto the heated whiteness then dive my hands into the sand for another weapon to use on the wall barrier. “What weapons exist on the beach? Seashells are too soft. The trees are too tall with smooth bark, not good. I found a coconut. The outer shell is hard like a rock,” stands and runs. I toss the coconut into the wall. It breaks into two halves then falls onto the sand. The white milk of the coconut leaks from the cracked side. I exhale then swing sliding into the sand.

Duchie giggles then lifts the broken half of the coconut. She smells it then smiles. She slowly sips the tart coconut milk from the shell while spying on Buffo.

I exhale spreading the sand. “What else is a weapon of the sea? Starfish? No. The sand. Yes,” gathers two handful of sand. I stand and run then toss the white sand at the barrier wall. The wall doesn’t sizzle or burn. I toss my hands then slump into the sand.

Duchie giggles then back steps, dropping into the sand beside Ketona. “I don’t think the ocean produces a weapon that can be used on land. I think that’s why the ocean and the land have separate species and breathing methods like air versus water. So you should dump that mental thought possessing a high IQ. So you can’t shatter the barrier wall and communicate with Buffo with hand signals or smoke signals from within the red color tone. However you could talk to him face to face within the orange color tone,” nods and grins.

I view the pretty glittering sand feeling the heat on my face and hands. “I want too, so bad. I love Buffo. We’re getting married next week on Payne Mountain. My BPs…”

“Whoa! Ya’ll are getting married, next week? Wow, ya’ll are in love.”

I nod and hold the sobs and tears from my eyeballs. “Since the fourth grade, Buffo stole my lunch while I was eating it. He was tall and mean then. I tamed his wild habits. I was short and meek but determined. I stomped to his table then parked my hands on my wrist and shouted at him. ‘Give back my lunch.’ Buffo stood then vomited on my hair roots…”

“Ugh! Uoo! Yuck! I did not ever need to hear that tender love story, Ketona,” Duchie laughs.

I exhale. “I was impressed with his yuckiness. Buffo was impressed with my stubbornness. I didn’t cry. I laughed wiping the mouth vomit off my hair and dress. My mama was miffed. She’s a medical technician seeing sick people all the time. Nothing bothers her…”

“But her little girl not getting the golden job…”

I drop my mouth. “I will get the golden job. Me and Rincon are tied. I think…”

“I think some of the other teens are tied with ya, darling. Marsilla was first within the red color tone. You told us that you were first within the pink color tone. Rincon was first within the yellow color tone. That unnamed tall girl with the tats was first within the orange color tone also. I do believe that you are tied for the golden job with three other smart teens too.”

“I guess.”

“I guess you gotta figure out how to get Buffo out of the orange zone and into the red zone too.”

“I can.”

“I can too.”

I drop my mouth and view her nose profile. “How can you too?”

Duchie stands and spins to the wall. She touches the wall, grinning. “You cannot break an electromagnetic field until you cut the charged ions. You don’t have access to the me-chee control room for that evil purpose. You can’t signal Buffo. He really is too far. He’s down inside a valley. You’re up high on a cliff. Buffo would have to catch a beam of your face or your hand to see you way up here, if even possible, babe. But I suspect that the barrier wall works one way since an electromagnetic field keeps people in, not out. That’s why we can touch the wall without stinging pain or permanent dead. The beams surround the orange color tone not inside here. Therefore you could stand here all morning, noon, afternoon, evening and night he will not see you. But…”

I frown with puzzlement, “But, what?”

She nods and grins. “You go and see Buffo.”

I toss my hands. “I can’t. I’m in here. He’s in there. You’re making no good logical sense with your high IQ, Duchie.”

She giggles and winks. “Well, it’s a good thing that I’m a sweet girl who possesses a higher IQ ‘cause you don’t. Go back now into the me-chee chair and then land inside the Cubby Hole. Then you answer the next round of posed questions except ya get two of the questions totally wrong with a minus 50 percent which is less than numeric zero, honey. Then you fail to advance forward into the green color tone, instead ya go backwards into the orange color tone.”

I gasp then race to the wall. I tenderly touch the wall seeing Buffo. He is slapping and laughing with some of the other teens.

Duchie stands next to Ketona touching the wall too. “You slide into the orange room then run into his loving arms…”

I nod, giggle then back step from the wall. I swing and run panting for air and working the sweat towards the red room.

Duchie follows Ketona lagging behind.

Chapter 10

Red room

I slam into the wall then back step, folding at my waist and panting for more air into my lungs. I wipe the sweat from my eyebrows then stand. I slowly walk into the cool room from the heated air. I scan the room. Empty of teens. Lots of me-chee chairs.

I giggle touching each chair then find mine by remembering where I parked it. Hatch learned that painful lesson swiftly for all who carefully observed when he sat inside another chair and got bit on the butt. I remembered where I parked the chair every color tone.

I giggle and dance with giddiness seeing Buffo. He will be so surprised with me. Actually, this was Duchie’s brilliant idea. That girl’s too smart. I’m watching her now. Duchie stands inside the wide archway out of the sun panting for air running after me. I flip my wet hair then slide into the soft fabric feeling a sting. “Ouch!” I scoot out feeling heat sucking on my butthole.

“It doesn’t work for some reason,” Marsilla stands inside the archway, frowning with disappointment. She walks inside standing at the mirror. “I don’t understand the reason either. I tried to slide into my me-chee chair and got stung like sizzling heat. I thought my cat suit absorbed too much heated air and hot sun from the beach sand on my fanny. So I tried it a second time sliding into the me-chee chair. I got stung with sizzling heat again. So I touched the fabric with my hand getting hotness on my skin,” cuddles her burnt hand. “I don’t understand. Its like the chair doesn’t want you to leave from here…”

“You have to do it,” the unnamed tall girl with the tattoos slides from the sunny heat and stands inside the shade of the room. She waves the lighted cigar around in the air, nodding. “You have to do it…”

I frown with confusion at her. “Do what? What do you have to do?”

The unnamed tall girl fingers the chair then thumbs the sand. “You have to do what is required within the particular color tone,” swings around then walks into the shade of thick trees.

I slap the chair then frown with disappointment. I exhale. “I can’t leave here. I gotta leave here now and go back into the Cubby Hole. What’s it that I gotta do to leave here now?” I follow her, shouting. “Hey you! Hey girl! What’s your name?” The tall unnamed girl sits on the white sand leaning against the tree bark, grinning. I slide into the sand not close to her, nodding. I say. “I need to leave here too. I’m hot and heated from the sun. I got sun poisoning and sick to my stomach. Hey, I never ever had trouble before leaving the color tone room. I dropped into the chair then zoomed right back into the Cubby Hole. What’s different now?”

Marsilla and Duchie slide between Ketona viewing the tall unnamed girl.

“My name is Nephella,” she flecks the burning cigar towards the opposite side of the sand, not smiling.

Marsilla drops her mouth and fingers. “You’re the mayor’s daughter. She’s the mayor’s daughter. Her mama is the mayor of Colfax. She’s the mayor’s daughter. Why aren’t you in our academic classes at school in Colfax? I’ve never seen your face but I know your name. My mama works with the mayor at her legal job. My mama has met you before,” nods and grins.

Duchie frowns with fury. “What do you burn that cigar? You’re a teen. Do ya smoke it too?”

Nephella views the burning cigar, exhaling. “I burn it to remember my grandfather. He died a couple of months ago,” views the other teens. “I loved to lie at his feet when he lounged inside the sitting chair puffing funny geometric shapes of white for me as a small child. I don’t smoke the lighted cigar but I wave the good smelling odor around. I think of my grandfather. I’ll extinguish it from my new friends,” nods and smiles as the body pieces curve sideways. “I know your mama too, Marsilla. I know of ya’ll too by your BPs, a silly little acronym.”

“Good, you’re a friend, not a foe,” I say and glance at Duchie with suspicion then nod to Nephella. I ask. “What makes the me-chee chair not go-go?”

Nephella exhales. “You must jump off the cliff into the water, cliff diving…”

Marsilla screams then stands, back stepping and shaking her curls. “No. No. No. I can’t. I can’t do that. I scared. I scare to cliff dive…”

I frown with confusion at Marsilla patting the sand. “Sit down, Marsilla! We’ll figure out something else for you to do.” I view Nephella, asking. “Why must I jump off the cliff into the water?”

Nephella smiles. “Inside the pink color tone you patted the baby animals. I bet you patted and stroked each baby animal, since I did too. They all were so cute and innocent. Then you left the forest when the fist fight broke out and then returned into the Cubby Hole. Inside the yellow color tone you ate the food from the picnic basket. The food was good until the ants showed up for a snack too. Then you turned tail and ran back to the me-chee chair and then landed inside the Cubby Hole. Don’t you see a pattern here? You did something physical inside each color tone, so far…”

“Naw,” I frown with confusion. “There is no pattern. You’re wrong. Inside the pink color tone there was playground equipment too. I played on the seesaw while other teens played on the swings. Not every teen touched the playground equipment either since a group of mean teens were fighting at the sight. There is no pattern here…”

Nephella smiles. “Ah! Which created a lasting permanent deeper emotion within your neurons touching a piece of cold steel or a part of warm fur? I didn’t touch the playground equipment either since the vile teens were having too much fun. However the warm fur was soft and pretty making me feel good. Then the vile teens killed the baby animals making me feel sad. Within the yellow color tone eating the good food I felt safe and seeing the big ugly ants I felt scared. This…”

Duchie frowns with confusion. “Inside the orange color tone it was raining with lightning bolts. Geez! I didn’t get struck by a lightning bolt just to feel dead,” she chuckles with the others.

“You got wet from the down pour of the raindrops.” I say and nod. “That was the physical something that affected each teen. So this is a high cliff over low water. We each gotta jump off the cliff…”

Marsilla shakes her hand and curls. “No. No. No. I can’t. I won’t. I couldn’t. I am…scared.

I pat her arm, nodding and smiling. “I scared too Marsilla but I will do it to get out of the red color tone. We have to do it to get out of here and continue to the next color tone.”

Nephella smiles with her sideway piercings. “She is right or you are trapped inside the red color tone….”

Marsilla shakes her hands and curls. “No. No. No. I didn’t wanna jump. I didn’t be trapped here either.”

I toss my arms. “I’m going to jump from the cliff. Who’s coming with me? I gotta go back into the Cubby Hole now…”

Rincon stands over Ketona’s hair roots laughing. “Allow me to assist, milady,” offers his hand when she stands and giggles into his red heated face. “I’m the non-official cliff diver instructor. Now you remove your boots,” views her naked feet then smiles. He says. “O! They’re removed. Now, remove your cat suit,” he chuckles when she slaps his arm, not his face. He chuckles. “That’s a test. Ya passed. Now let’s go and jump,” cuddles her. They laugh for fun.

Marsilla sobs with tears in her hands, mumbling and rocking in the sand. “I can’t jump. I’m afraid. I’m afraid of heights. I’m been afraid of heights as a little kid.”

Nephella frowns with puzzlement. “Heights!? You’re afraid of heights.”

Rincon frowns with worry. “It’s no big deal, Marsilla. Look, I’ll toss your butt off the cliff then you’re done,” chuckles when I slap his arm again, not his face.

Duchie frowns with puzzlement, saying. “I don’t understand your explanation, Nephella. My mama told me nothing about performing a physical act which in turn is required to activate my me-chee chair to go back into the Cubby Hole…”

Rincon frowns with puzzlement at Duchie’s hair roots. “Nephella’s right.”

I frown and finger Nephella. “Ya know her?”

Rincon nods and smiles. “She’s the mayor’s daughter. Hey, Nephella! Are ya going to jump too? The cliff’s all clear for a good run and leap maneuver. I think all the teens are done but the circle of you little chicky girls. Some of the teens are exploring the cliff. Some of the teens are exploring for fishing pole for food,” laughs.

I frown with fury then jerk Rincon down into the sand with me. I say. “Okay, buddy! Spill all your beans from the opened tin can! How do you know Nephella? How do you know that Nephella’s right when you didn’t hear our private conversation? And how do you know that it has to be done? What has to be done?”

Rincon exhales then frowns. “You must jump from the cliff. You must perform a physical feat inside each park place within the color tone or stay within the current color tone. Upon returning into the Cubby Hole, you must pass the next set of academic questions into the new color advancement and then you must accept the new physical feat and do just it,” holds his hands. “Or you are trapped within the current color tone. I learned this from my BPs…”

“Stop calling them that. They’re your biological parents, not some two squashed initials of BP,” I exhale with fury.

Rincon laughs and touches Ketona’s arm. “Yes, milady.”

Nephella says. “I feel both your fury and frustration. This is a sick mind game played on the teens within the confines of the Cubby Hole…”

Rincon frowns with confusion. “Naw, it’s a brutal competitive game of wits, guts, and smarts…”

Nephella nods and says. “Within each color tone teens exhibited violent fun. Inside the pink color tone represented by the forestland of baby animals the teens dueled with knives. Some of the teens got cut but survived. Where did those sharp knives come from?”

I gasp and nod. “I asked Buffo the same question. He said that some of the boys carried their personal hunting knife underneath the cat suit, since the steel blade didn’t activate the me-chee. In the girl’s locker room the cellie alarm sounded.”

Duchie rubs her tight fitting cat suit. “Where do you hide a switchblade or a toothpick along the slick slim vertical lines of the cat suit? It fits like a glove on each one of us.”

“Not right,” Nephella shakes her curls. “Inside the yellow color tone the giant ants attacked the food baskets smelling the goodies. We were camping on their nesting site established eons ago. Some of the teens got stung but survived too. Inside the orange color tone the rain storm produced both thunder and lightning bolts. The thunder is the song of the flying white bolt before it strikes the soil. Some teens got broken arms slipping over the water but survived. Now I sit on top of a cliff and must jump to my death or be trapped here in the red color tone.”

Marsilla drops her mouth. “Are you saying to me that someone wants to harm me for being a smart girl within the Cubby Hole?”

Nephella shakes her curls. “No, I’m saying that your fears will prevent you from achieving your dream or your goal, the golden job. I didn’t completely understand the underlying idea within the pink color tone. But I’m afraid of lighting bolts. Lighting is my terrible fear. When I was a small child a storm rolled in from the west I was playing in the yard then a lightning bolt struck down my pet dog. The dog was running around in the rain having fun. From that moment and forward I have been afraid of thunder storms running into the house like a small child. Inside the orange color tone I was afraid to move out into the rain. I was going to huddle near the mirror away from the opening and the landing me-chee chairs then soar back into the Cubby Hole. Then Buffo saved me. He put his arm around my shoulder then we raced into the rain. I was scared inside the cave every time the thunder sounded…”

I gasp. “I’m afraid of knives. During elementary school my daddy was teaching me to cut up my meat with the sharp knife. I slipped and hit my finger. I bleed out for days and ached for weeks. I cried forever. I never ate meat with the knife until I became a teen and could handle the sharp shiny blade. I find it so strange that there were knives inside the pink color tone too…”

Rincon stares at the sand, nothing. “I’m afraid of ants. I got stung as a kid playing around the yard then tripped my naked feet over a natural ant hill. My daddy believes nature needs to live and survive too along with the humans. It was an accident but a brutal childhood memory that hasn’t gone away in my teens…”

Marsilla says. “I’m afraid of heights since birth. I can’t jump off the cliff. I can’t. I’ll hit the water and die. I can’t swim either. I’m trapped inside the red color tone park place here forever,” sobs with tears in her hands.

I frown with confusion. “Dang, this is sick psychological mental game.”

Rincon frowns with annoyance. “This is an intelligence test for smart kids. If you fail…”

Duchie tosses her hands. “Wait a minute! This is just worse chance or bad luck or bad karma. How’s it possible that knives were in the pink color tone? Bad weather happened inside the orange color tone, because of the geographical location of the forest along that part of the planet. The me-chee chairs zoom us all over the planet for this stupid day-long competition. This is just chance or luck like a mommy-to-be having a boy or a girl. Ya got a fifty-fifty chance…”

Nephella says. “I wrote down my fear on the electronic application. It was a specific question that specifically miffed me off. I asked my mama. She told me to answer all the questions completely or become a radiation worker in the outer town of Tonkey. I got scared or frighten or intimidated. So I filled it in with my true fear of lighting bolts. Then I submitted my electronic app. Ya’ll did too?”