Part 1:
It started with something as simple as the Alphabet.
A-B-C-D, E-F-G, H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P, Q-R-S, T-U-V, W-X, Y & Z.
I had recited it hundreds of times as a child, and now … it bore down with the might of a military death squad.
They never teach you that part back in Kindergarten.
A-B-C-D, E-F-G, H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P, Q-R-S, T-U-V, W-X, Y & Z.
I had recited it hundreds of times as a child, and now … it bore down with the might of a military death squad.
They never teach you that part back in Kindergarten.
R lunged at A in fury. L flew and clipped R, sending them crashing in a tangle of parts.
C gnashed hungry jaws, catching K’s stem in his pincer-like tips.
O rolled at J, swooping up and ringing her middle. The ugly squeeze bent J in agony.
Semi-Colon barely dodged Exclamation Point attacks.
The letter A backed away, content to watch as a spectator.
The Quotes swarmed Dale like killer bees. He whipped his top loop and smashed one hard, sending it screaming away.
The other Quote struck fast, slashing double-dagger cuts that left Dale hobbling.
My target was A. He was so smug, so bossy! But as I got near him? I didn't know ... what to do.
Now A moved closer, hovering over me. Together we silently surveyed the remaining battles.
K never quit, fighting C with surprisingly agile counter moves.
J scratched at O, using her top stem to chisel at the foul circle.
Rick flew helpless in the prongs of Y, who then spun down and pinned him in its fork.
Y rose, twisted, and spiked Rick right in the middle of his lima bean shape!
My brother needed me.
But as I tried to go to him, the letter A blocked my path.
Y floated up and slammed down on Rick yet again.
C gnashed hungry jaws, catching K’s stem in his pincer-like tips.
O rolled at J, swooping up and ringing her middle. The ugly squeeze bent J in agony.
Semi-Colon barely dodged Exclamation Point attacks.
The letter A backed away, content to watch as a spectator.
The Quotes swarmed Dale like killer bees. He whipped his top loop and smashed one hard, sending it screaming away.
The other Quote struck fast, slashing double-dagger cuts that left Dale hobbling.
My target was A. He was so smug, so bossy! But as I got near him? I didn't know ... what to do.
Now A moved closer, hovering over me. Together we silently surveyed the remaining battles.
K never quit, fighting C with surprisingly agile counter moves.
J scratched at O, using her top stem to chisel at the foul circle.
Rick flew helpless in the prongs of Y, who then spun down and pinned him in its fork.
Y rose, twisted, and spiked Rick right in the middle of his lima bean shape!
My brother needed me.
But as I tried to go to him, the letter A blocked my path.
Y floated up and slammed down on Rick yet again.
As Rick winced, R and L did acrobatics that rivaled Olympic gymnasts.
R delivered a gold-medal mashing that left L wobbly and staggered.
R moved to finish, but his opponent ... had feigned injury.
L snapped shut like a folding chair and crushed R, grinding him out in squiggles.
The letter A seemed neither pleased nor upset. He surveyed the other battles with equal aplomb.
Dale switched tactics, using his top curl as a lasso. He snared the Quote, threw it down, and drove it away with a perfect golf swing.
J sliced down a final time and O split in two, flopping apart. The arcs struggled to reattach, but J clubbed them flat.
Exclamation Point went for the kill on Semi-Colon. BLAMM! Grease-spot spackle shot out as the slam hit its mark.
Crooked stems marred K’s shape, now mangled by C’s crocodile savagery.
C aimed for a last bite. Until a flying hook yanked him away! J whipped the fiend down in a heap.
She bore into C’s curved body, then stiffened like a steel rod, cracking him limp.
C flopped lifeless, offering not a peep as he collapsed.
“I’m sorry … I wasn’t strong enough,” K said to J.
“We fight together,” she answered. “Together.”
R delivered a gold-medal mashing that left L wobbly and staggered.
R moved to finish, but his opponent ... had feigned injury.
L snapped shut like a folding chair and crushed R, grinding him out in squiggles.
The letter A seemed neither pleased nor upset. He surveyed the other battles with equal aplomb.
Dale switched tactics, using his top curl as a lasso. He snared the Quote, threw it down, and drove it away with a perfect golf swing.
J sliced down a final time and O split in two, flopping apart. The arcs struggled to reattach, but J clubbed them flat.
Exclamation Point went for the kill on Semi-Colon. BLAMM! Grease-spot spackle shot out as the slam hit its mark.
Crooked stems marred K’s shape, now mangled by C’s crocodile savagery.
C aimed for a last bite. Until a flying hook yanked him away! J whipped the fiend down in a heap.
She bore into C’s curved body, then stiffened like a steel rod, cracking him limp.
C flopped lifeless, offering not a peep as he collapsed.
“I’m sorry … I wasn’t strong enough,” K said to J.
“We fight together,” she answered. “Together.”
“You could never best me,” Y screeched at Rick. “I’m consonant, I’m vowel, I’m soft, I’m hard. I’m versatility unbound!”
Soft and hard. Hard? Rick took the word literally, tightening like a muscle, and CLANG!
Y bounced off him in a yelp.
Rick thrashed and bashed Y into submission.
Then things got even better, as we looked up and saw R had recovered.
L began chopping scythe-like slashes, but R landed a spinning kick that sent L tumbling.
J and K were lost in a private moment. Their lovers’ embrace grew tighter as Exclamation Point stalked them unseen.
WHAMMM!
A car-crash snapshot showed them mangled into a grotesque form.
R and L fought in hypnotized contempt, allowing Exclamation Point to crash ahead with glee.
Rick and Dale jumped into the way.
The towering post thundered down and they dove for cover. Explosive echoes washed over them
Dale pivoted like a tennis pro. He hit a mighty backhand that smashed the dot from under Exclamation Point!
Cries of shock filled the air, the column falling and spinning wildly.
Rick pounced and belly-flopped, crinkling the once-fearsome line to funky angles.
A second smash from Dale sent it helicoptering laughably out of sight.
Soft and hard. Hard? Rick took the word literally, tightening like a muscle, and CLANG!
Y bounced off him in a yelp.
Rick thrashed and bashed Y into submission.
Then things got even better, as we looked up and saw R had recovered.
L began chopping scythe-like slashes, but R landed a spinning kick that sent L tumbling.
J and K were lost in a private moment. Their lovers’ embrace grew tighter as Exclamation Point stalked them unseen.
WHAMMM!
A car-crash snapshot showed them mangled into a grotesque form.
R and L fought in hypnotized contempt, allowing Exclamation Point to crash ahead with glee.
Rick and Dale jumped into the way.
The towering post thundered down and they dove for cover. Explosive echoes washed over them
Dale pivoted like a tennis pro. He hit a mighty backhand that smashed the dot from under Exclamation Point!
Cries of shock filled the air, the column falling and spinning wildly.
Rick pounced and belly-flopped, crinkling the once-fearsome line to funky angles.
A second smash from Dale sent it helicoptering laughably out of sight.