Part 2:
With dinner complete, we walked back to the car.
The budding lovebirds were all smiles.
Rick suggested dropping me off at home and taking ‘Candace’ out for the rest of the evening.
To my delight, she asked if the three of us could go to his house and watch a movie.
I said that I was quite free and available the entire evening.
Rick tried to pretend that sure, yeah, that sounded great.
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror.
Somehow, for some reason, my thumb and finger flashed an ‘L’ on my forehead.
At least he laughed, even with his plans for a big night seemingly on hold.
I had to give him points for that.
The budding lovebirds were all smiles.
Rick suggested dropping me off at home and taking ‘Candace’ out for the rest of the evening.
To my delight, she asked if the three of us could go to his house and watch a movie.
I said that I was quite free and available the entire evening.
Rick tried to pretend that sure, yeah, that sounded great.
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror.
Somehow, for some reason, my thumb and finger flashed an ‘L’ on my forehead.
At least he laughed, even with his plans for a big night seemingly on hold.
I had to give him points for that.
I am, at heart, a forecaster.
A forecaster through and through.
As such, I tried to discern what movie genre Professor DeMize would select.
Although data was limited, I managed to hazard some guesses.
Predictions were as follows:
Sci-Fi > She had some obvious nerd in her, so sci-fi became a probable yes.
Comedy > Maybe; but definitely something smart, not stupid.
Scary > Hard to tell, we had yet to see her personality other that of “professor,” so horror seemed possible.
Romance > Blecch, I’d already witnessed enough awkward flirting to last a lifetime.
A forecaster through and through.
As such, I tried to discern what movie genre Professor DeMize would select.
Although data was limited, I managed to hazard some guesses.
Predictions were as follows:
Sci-Fi > She had some obvious nerd in her, so sci-fi became a probable yes.
Comedy > Maybe; but definitely something smart, not stupid.
Scary > Hard to tell, we had yet to see her personality other that of “professor,” so horror seemed possible.
Romance > Blecch, I’d already witnessed enough awkward flirting to last a lifetime.
We got out of the car and walked to the front door.
Rick let us inside, switched on the foyer lights and called to Dale.
How much of the lion my brother would reveal?
We soon heard the creak of floorboards.
Our companion was on his way.
Rick looked quite proud.
“I have some for you to meet, Candace.”
“Oh please, call me … Candy.”
She offered a pleasant smile.
Until the moment a low, lacerating growl filled the room.
Booming with hatred and fear.
Dale stood with teeth bared.
A ridge of fur spiked along his spine!
Rick quickly turned to apologize for Dale’s outrageous behavior.
But Professor DeMize … was no longer there.
Replaced by a different woman.
One who deserved no apology at all.
Blonde hair turned strawberry brown.
Taut skin added lines and wrinkles.
Blue eyes, once dewy and bright, went dark.
It was a face last seen in a cruel, sugar-filled forest.
Rick let us inside, switched on the foyer lights and called to Dale.
How much of the lion my brother would reveal?
We soon heard the creak of floorboards.
Our companion was on his way.
Rick looked quite proud.
“I have some for you to meet, Candace.”
“Oh please, call me … Candy.”
She offered a pleasant smile.
Until the moment a low, lacerating growl filled the room.
Booming with hatred and fear.
Dale stood with teeth bared.
A ridge of fur spiked along his spine!
Rick quickly turned to apologize for Dale’s outrageous behavior.
But Professor DeMize … was no longer there.
Replaced by a different woman.
One who deserved no apology at all.
Blonde hair turned strawberry brown.
Taut skin added lines and wrinkles.
Blue eyes, once dewy and bright, went dark.
It was a face last seen in a cruel, sugar-filled forest.
She pointed her hands and explosions erupted!
Invisible power slammed me, smashing me so hard my head bounced off the hardwood floor.
Everything went blurry.
Ears were ringing.
Rick splayed out ahead in my line of sight.
Dale now unseen.
The attack had been swift, stunning, defenseless.
No incantations spoken, no words said.
Just raw force.
She had us at her mercy.
I could only hope Dale had escaped, had blinked away elsewhere.
He probably did, I thought, lifting my head to look.
I lifted my head, but … it did not respond.
Doubling my efforts, I strained to move my arms, my legs, anything at all.
My body failed to answer.
I felt myself breathing. Eyelids opened and closed.
But nothing else moved.
“You might be the single luckiest entity in a hundred years," a voice cackled. “You bested me!"
The ceiling above looked blurry and unreal.
“But that’s all in the past now, isn’t it?”
Invisible power slammed me, smashing me so hard my head bounced off the hardwood floor.
Everything went blurry.
Ears were ringing.
Rick splayed out ahead in my line of sight.
Dale now unseen.
The attack had been swift, stunning, defenseless.
No incantations spoken, no words said.
Just raw force.
She had us at her mercy.
I could only hope Dale had escaped, had blinked away elsewhere.
He probably did, I thought, lifting my head to look.
I lifted my head, but … it did not respond.
Doubling my efforts, I strained to move my arms, my legs, anything at all.
My body failed to answer.
I felt myself breathing. Eyelids opened and closed.
But nothing else moved.
“You might be the single luckiest entity in a hundred years," a voice cackled. “You bested me!"
The ceiling above looked blurry and unreal.
“But that’s all in the past now, isn’t it?”
The witch grabbed my face.
A sharp slap battered my cheek.
“You wicked little girl.”
Fingernails dug into my flesh until red trickled to the floor.
“Although your blood is first spilled? You shall be last to die. I want you to see everything.”
She turned my gaze until it rested on Dale.
His frozen form stretched out awkwardly.
The victim of the same evil magic.
Our eyes met.
I tried to communicate my thoughts, to broadcast: “Blink away! Just go!”
But he remained helpless before me.
“Oh, I’m no fool. His tricks are quite disabled."
My last hopes evaporated.
“Can’t have anyone leaving early," she sang. “We’ve so, so much to do.”
A sharp slap battered my cheek.
“You wicked little girl.”
Fingernails dug into my flesh until red trickled to the floor.
“Although your blood is first spilled? You shall be last to die. I want you to see everything.”
She turned my gaze until it rested on Dale.
His frozen form stretched out awkwardly.
The victim of the same evil magic.
Our eyes met.
I tried to communicate my thoughts, to broadcast: “Blink away! Just go!”
But he remained helpless before me.
“Oh, I’m no fool. His tricks are quite disabled."
My last hopes evaporated.
“Can’t have anyone leaving early," she sang. “We’ve so, so much to do.”