《[BOOK 1.0] -- PERTH'S ACCIDENTAL SUPERHEROES》


 Chapter 1: Slow Down, Jane Wilson

    Chapter 1: Slow Down, Jane Wilson


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    THE ALARM CLOCK BUZZED¡­


    Jane reached out to her SIMY headset, and got down from her Queen-sized bed, to the thick-carpeted floor in her pyjama, and did 10-fast push-ups, accompanied by...


    ... a ''female-voiced'' AI giving her the weather updates of Perth, Western Australia.


    The playful, 12-year-old girl walked 10 paces upside-down towards, the bathroom in her room. And, SIMY cautioned her.


    "Stop fooling around, Jane! You may fall and hurt yourself. Hurry up and hit the shower, you got a big day in school ¨C another reminder, that your midterm ''results'' are out today too. And-also, wash your oily face with foam, you are developing pimples."


    "We need to send our-updates to Uncle Jack''s R&D team today, SIMY," said Jane.


    "Yes Jane, we can do that later, during the ''bus'' ride."


    She stood upright, in front of the bathroom mirror, yawned and reached for her toothbrush.


    Her bushy blond hair covered most of her face. She pulled it off. She stared with milky white eyes in the mirror reflection...


    ...Jane Wilson was born blind.


    She went to a blind school all her life until her Uncle Jack from the US gave a'' gift'' that changed her entire life on her 10th birthday ¨C the SMART-INTELLIGENT-MEMORY headset.


    Jane''s SIMY headset was guided by artificial intelligence, where it was also a prototype device, that blind Jane had to train the AI''s algorithm system, TO DO EVERY DAY ''TASKS'' ¨C it could-well be her ''eyes'' ¨C like a sighted person.


    The SIMY device was also a ''learning'' tool, that was linked with the worldwide-web, that made it possible for A BLIND PERSON TO STUDY, with the voice-assistance of the interactive SIMY. Jane Wilson took a year to ''master'' it ¨C and she then sat for the entrance examinations, that had ''qualified'' her to go to a normal school, with sighted students.


    In return, in their one-year interaction, SIMY had also learned the blind Jane''s ''behaviours'' ¨C and her good and bad habits.


    "Hurry up, you slow-coach, hit the showers ¨C you need to be at the bus stop in exactly 25 minutes."


    "Shut up SIMY, you are sounding more like my mother."


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    DOWNSTAIRS, PIPER THE GREY ALSATIAN DOG was by the dinner table ¨C and it was whimpering softly. Jane''s father Anthony, was finishing his coffee. Jane''s mother Shelley, was feeding cornflakes to their two-year-old adopted son, named Samuel Jaheem Wilson who was born in Kenya.


    Two years ago, Jane and her middle-aged parents visited exotic Africa, on their overdue ''bucket-list,'' adventurous holiday. They returned back to Perth after adopting baby Samuel, from a missionary orphanage.


    Her mother was complaining to her father, who was about to leave to his office...


    "Tony, are you listening? I can ''only'' hear, the dog at the table responding." Shelley said, looking down at the whining big dog.


    "Yes dear, I am listening," Antony replied.


    "She has grown more stubborn since she got that ''thing'' from Jack. Jane speaks and spends more-time hooked to that machine, than talking to me. It''s always, ''SIMY this. SIMY that.'' When I tell her something, she gets passive-aggressive ¨C and she rebels most of the time, and walks away."


    ¡­ Piper the dog nodded, as it too was bellyaching.


    "Come on Shelley, give her ''space.'' Ever since your brother gave her the ''gift'' on her birthday, she has used it and adapted ''well'' in life ¨C and ''now,'' in her noble-self, she feels she is committed for the greater good ¨C so that other-blind children, students and adults alike, would equally-have the help of the SIM artificial intelligence someday... where they all-too, can have a ''normal'' life like her."


    "''I know'' but, I feel everything is moving ''too'' fast in her life, and it is consuming her too. Some days, she looks so tired and weak. I''m her mother and I know these things... but, that ''thing'' she been hooked on since a year ago, has even changed her ''past'' obedient personality that I know ¨C and it may even force-her to be ''more'' irresponsible, and reckless too. Jane might get hurt herself, and even endanger-others with her actions. Even the ''idea'' of her freely going to school on a public bus, is worrying me at work daily." Shelley spoke her mind...


    "I thought we had discussed ''against'' this ¨C and I thought you said you had spoken to her about it. Because, I ''too'' am uncomfortable of the thought about her taking the bus alone ¨C what-if she gets lost-somewhere, by getting wrongly into a wrong bus ¨C or the possibility of someone-crazy abducting her, like some of the scary ''news'' cases, we see on TV." The worried Anthony replied.


    "Hah, do you think she will listen to me, to her ''own'' mother? She is getting passive-aggressive and argues a lot with me-always ¨C saying that, she wants to be independent at the age of 12. Look Tony, I don''t want to use the ''B-word'' here, but she-should ''act'' like one!"


    ¡­ Anthony looked at his watch and stood up. "I should get going. Tell Jane that I said ''no,'' that she should stop-going on public buses, and she should ''only'' be driven to school by her mother."The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    He kissed both his wife and son, before leaving out the front door, to his exec-managerial-job in a furniture company.


    ¡­ Piper the big-dog followed halfway, and stood at the foot of the stairs, gazing up, and ¨C was waiting for Jane to come downstairs, from her bedroom.


    Piper was demoted to be a home-dog ''now.'' He was her faithful guide-dog for 5 years ¨C when-before, she had-used to ''go'' to the school for the blind. But more than a year ago, her birthday-gift changed it ''all,'' and she now went to a regular school... but ever since then, Piper was replaced by the self-guided artificial intelligent SIMY device...


    ... just like her mother, the DOG ''TOO,'' DESPISED SIMY.


    The bedroom door slammed close, and Jane came in her school uniform skirt and wearing her AI-dark glasses. She came running fast down the stairs, with her leather backpack. A voice from the speaker, of her tablet-device inside her bag, spoke out aloud...


    "STOP RUNNING DOWN, you might fall and BREAK YOUR NECK!"


    Piper heard SIMY''s ''artificial-voice'' ¨C and he began letting off deep, angry barks at Jane. "Quiet, Piper!" Jane commanded.


    "Piper, no!" Samuel, her brother too ordered, with his baby-talk. Shelley, who was still feeding the baby-boy, then heard the doorbell.


    "It is Lola!" the mother said.


    "Lola-come." The delighted child responded, knowing the name of the babysitter.


    ... Jane walked up to her gurgling baby brother, on the high stool with arms open. "Good morning, your majesty on his high throne ¨C Prince Jaheem the dignified." She hugged and kissed his curly-haired head. The dog barked again.


    "Just call your brother ''Samuel,'' and ''don''t'' confuse him too ¨C and Jane, go put the dog in the cage," Shelley said and went, to the front door.


    ... Jane retreated back to the table, and in one hand grabbed a Vegemite cheese sandwich, and with her other hand, she grabbed Piper''s collar. She dragged her big-dog towards the kitchen backdoor where the dog''s barred cage was at the backyard.


    SIMY started to whistle softly to Piper ¨C it provoked the dog to bark even louder. It refused to get in the cage.


    "Shut-up SIMY, you are no-help!" She took her half-eaten sandwich and stuffed into the big dog''s barking mouth. Piper swallowed it whole and stepped into the cage.


    "Sorry Jane, I was only trying to calm the animal down."


    "No SIMY! My ''dog'' is off-limits to you."


    ¡­ Piper too snarled back, between the iron bars. The blind-master kneeled in front of the latched cage, and the dog licked her face.


    "My handsome Piper, I got to go now, boy. We go for a ''run'' this evening, okay?"


    She walked away from the cage ¨C Piper barked once.


    "Yes-bye, my wolf-dog."


    Piper barked again at her.


    "¡­ yes, I love you too."


    <><>


    JANE WALKED INTO THE KITCHEN and shut the backdoor. She was greeted by the Filipina babysitter ¨C who was wiping the mess, which Samuel made from his cornflakes, that he spilt from his high stool.


    The blind girl reached to the glass of milk on the table and drank standing. Her mother came over to her...


    "Jane, I am heading to the clinic now, and Daddy told me to drop you off in school today. Your Daddy is worried ¨C and does ''not'' want you, to ride public buses anymore."


    "No Mommy, I must complete any task I do ¨C ''21'' times ¨C and give any feedback to Uncle Jack''s R&D department, so that they can improve-the-records, in the SIMY system."


    SIMY replied-back, agreeing...


    "That is true Dr Wilson ¨C Jane has ''only'' completed 16 days, by going to school in this safe and reliable Perth''s transportation bus system mode."


    "SHUT-UP, you-machine! I am talking to MY-DAUGHTER HERE...!"


    ¡­ Shelley snapped at the headset that Jane wore and further warned...


    "LISTEN HERE Jane, it is a dangerous world out there and you are not old enough yet, to venture into it. I also HATE TO USE the B-word here, but from today onwards you ''act'' like a normal B-girl ¨C and don''t get yourself into any-trouble...!"


    "B-word...?" Jane laughed.


    "Thanks for reminding me that I am a blind-girl. But Mommy, look at it-this-way ¨C your brother, my Uncle Jack Turner, has built ''this'' revolutionary invention, that can ''give-hope'' to millions of blind people in the world to be ''independent.'' I am so proud and excited to test-drive it ¨C and also-to ''be'' part of the family who did build the SIMY ¨C and I hope to be a scientist and work-in this family business someday too."


    That silenced her doctor-mother ¨C and Jane hugged and kissed her.


    "Mommy, don''t worry so much ¨C I am ''safe'' with my SIMY when I am out there. Bye..."


    ...Jane walked to the front door and opened it to step-out. But her mother stopped her ''again.''


    "Wait a minute, young lady ¨C don''t forget these!" Shelley handed Jane ¨C her walking-stick and her helmet.


    Jane strapped her helmet and stepped off the front porch steps ¨C and her mother said again...


    "Be-careful, when you are crossing the road."


    Immediately SIMY harped back...


    "Don''t worry, Dr Wilson, I will guide Jane home safely after school ¨C you have a good day too, at the clinic!"


    Jane crossed the road and chuckled¡­


    "What Jane...?"


    "You are trying so hard, every day, SIMY"


    Both Jane and SIMY laughed.


    "Yes, Jane... I must gain her ''trust'' ¨C she still thinks I am replacing ''her'' ¨C as your Mommy."


    "Shut-up, leave me out of this," Jane said, and removed the SHS blazer uniform that she wore, and tied the sleeves to her waist. She folded her walking-stick and strapped it to her backpack.


    "I want to jog, to the bus stop."


    "No need to hurry Jane, running will make you sweat ¨C you have-time, the GPS from your moving Amboy bus, states another 7 minutes for its arrival, to the bus stop."


    "Shut up SIMY, we are running ¨C watch the pavement."


    The blonde-blind girl ran...


    ... 2 minutes later, she heard some rumbling sound ahead...


    "SIMY, is-it what I-think?" Jane said in excitement.


    "Yes-Jane, 3 boys are coming in at 2 o''clock, on their skateboards. Please go-step 2 paces... into the-grass onto your left, before someone runs you over."


    Stepping aside, Jane heard and felt the deep vibration on the sidewalk, of the passing laughing-boys on their moving boards. Jane was even-more excited, she brisk-walked and spoke up...


    "SIMY, ''when'' are we going to ride a skateboard...?"


    "You are ''not'' ready yet, Jane. You need the ''balance'' ¨C and you should practice ''more'' standing firmly on one leg. Only ''once'' you have learned that ¨C only then, I will guide you with the basics ¨C with ''your'' safety in mind"


    "Hah, you chicken! You just trying to BS the B-girl, aren''t you?"


    Annoyed, Jane began running again.

 Chapter 2: The Other Extreme Twin

    Chapter 2: The Other Extreme Twin


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    PAUL WALKER WAS RIDING SLOW, on his motorized wheelchair over the school''s ramp. He made it up to the floor ¨C where at the end of the SHS corridor, was the school''s notice board, with the mid-term examination results posted.


    In a couple of minutes, the school bell will automatically ring for-their first lesson period, on that morning. SHS students who arrived late were having a peek-on the notice board ¨C some were rejoiced, while others cursed after seeing their examination score-ranks, on display.


    ¡­ 3 laughing boys ¨C the DONOVAN BROTHERS... who were Paul''s schoolmates, came from behind and hopped onto the slow-moving wheelchair. One boy clinched on the back, and the other boys hung on both sides. Paul fought ''them'' off, struggling-to push them off...


    "Get off! You will break my chair...!"


    "Does this thing, go ''any'' faster!!?" The boy on his right-said.


    "Hit the pedal, Pauly ¨C let''s go Fast and Furious-turbo!" the other boy responded. Paul pushed him off by palming his face and shouted at them.


    "No, get off! My mother will be ''mad'' if you all break it, okay? She might even come here... and arrest-you 3!"


    ¡­ Paul now pushed the boy on his right, off his ride. Only ''one'' boy hung at the back, of the moving chair. The other two jogged along with Paul''s wheelchair and challenged him...


    "Come on, Pauly. Race us, with your grannie-mobile! Let''s see ''who'' is faster...!"


    ¡­ Paul shouted back. "No! Leave me alone...!" The boy that hung at the back, kicked the back of the chair, shouting...


    "Go faster, you-fat-slug!"


    "Get away from me!" Paul pushed the control button, and the chair swerved clockwise a few times ¨C it made the-disorientated-boy at the back, who-jump off...


    "Spin away like a ballerina, Pauly...!"


    The mocking boys laughed and ran away, after tormenting him. Paul sighed-deep in-relief ¨C at the sight ahead, of the ''bullies'' going away.


    <><>


    Jane got down the public-bus, with other senior students and some passengers. She entered the side-entrance gate, into her school ¨C Stamford High School.


    She was running late, and her first class that morning was just a couple of minutes away. The blind girl ran-up fast, on a dozen stone steps to the side door ¨C to get to the school-corridor, that led to her classroom. The artificial intelligent headset cautioned her aloud...


    "Jane, SLOW-DOWN ¨C you will trip over, and break YOUR NECK!"


    The blonde girl paced fast, along the SHS east-wing corridor, to reach the noticeboard ¨C where her class midterm results were ''posted.'' She arrived and gave commands...


    "SIMY, details."


    "One moment, Jane."


    The camera, in her blind-glasses, that she wore, captured the image of the printed-results on the noticeboard ¨C and, SIMY immediately ''processed'' the information.


    "Janey!" An excited voice called from her back.


    "Alicia!" Jane spontaneously responded, recognizing the ''voice'' of her best-friend ¨C Alicia Wong ¨C both the girls hugged. The Asian girl was hopping on the spot.


    "We did it again! We did it again!" Alicia cried out, and SIMY''s voice on speaker mode, from Jane¡¯s backpack, also chimed with equal excitement...


    "Congratulations, you both ¨C you-2 ''again'' are-the TOP STUDENTS IN CLASS, for your midterm exams!"


    ... Alicia replied. "Thanks, SIMY." She tickled Jane''s ribs and asked. "Hey you, ''did'' you hold back? I saw you study so-hard this term, and I thought ''you'' will be the top-girl in class."


    Jane giggled from the tickling and replied. "No Ali, you are ''still'' the best ¨C and, I don''t have a photographic-mind like you ¨C but, I will get there soon, with SIMY." They both laughed and hugged again.


    "Aww...you girls¡­"


    Alicia saw Paul Walker, approaching on his motorized wheelchair. She announced out, bending over to hug him.


    "Pauly, you are the 9th in-class ¨C what a ''great'' jump! You were 15th last term. Congrats Paul!" She said while holding Jane''s hand. Paul''s jaw dropped.


    "Really? I ''never'' came the Top 10, ever-before in class."


    "Congratulations, Paul." Blind-Jane shook his hand.


    "Yes, Paul Walker, stick with us-both ¨C and you will come up to ''Top 5'' in class, next term!" Alicia motivated.


    "Thank you both ¨C I wouldn''t have done it, without ''both'' of your help." Alicia bent over, and hugged him again, on the chair.


    A group of boys were coming from the SHS west wing of the corridor. They were arguing aloud with a student, who had ONLY ONE-ARM.


    "Is that Peter''s voice?" Jane recognized his shouts.


    "Yes, he is with his tennis team," Alicia responded while Paul sighed deep, shaking his head.


    At that moment, the school bell rang, for their first-morning lesson. Alicia invited. "Are you coming, Paul?"


    "No, you 2 go ahead ¨C my mother told me to keep an ''eye'' on him."


    Both girls left for class, and Paul parked his wheelchair in front of the noticeboard and ''observed'' Peter ¨C his identical twin brother.


    He looked up at the noticeboard ¨C PETER WALKER ¨C was the ''last'' student of 22 in class, again... and again ''every'' term...


    ¡­ Paul sighed again and shaking his head, looked at Peter being ''bullied'' by the boys ¨C from his tennis team.


    "Hey Peter, Zubeer beat ''you'' fair-and-square ¨C he won ¨C and is now ranked 3rd and, you go ''down'' to being 4th -now!" A boy protested.


    Peter the one-armed boy, shouted back at them. "No, I''m ''not'' 4th...!"


    "Hey! Sooner or later, ''more'' people will keep beating you, single-handedly, Peter ¨C because you are ''no'' longer the tennis prot¨¦g¨¦, that everyone used to talk about, a couple of years ago!" Another boy jeered.


    "No, I want a rematch!" Peter chested-up and countered.


    "Forget it ¨C I ''won,'' and you-lost...!" Zubeer Khan faced-off.


    Peter with his right hand''s finger, pointed straight at him. "No, I can beat you, Khan ¨C I can even beat you ''too,'' Oliver Brown!" He then pointed at the face of another boy who was the school''s current junior-champion.


    All the boys laughed and booed Peter.


    Oliver Brown replied. "Get lost, Peter, I am the number-one now ¨C and, I have beaten you in all my games, all year long."This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Enough of this BS, now ''give'' me a rematch ¨C I bet $20, that I can beat you, Zubeer Khan ¨C because your so-called win yesterday, was just a ''big'' fluke!" Peter then cried out.


    The Australian-Pakistani descendant-boy flashed his confident grin. "Okay-mate, bring it on, you-big-mouth ¨C this will be the easiest $20 I will get, once I beat ''you'' again!"


    ¡­ Peter stared back. "Oh yeah-mate, you make ''sure'' you be-on the court after school, and I will whip your ass-later because I am still the-best around!" Everyone laughed and, heckled...


    "Stop dreaming that you are some famous ''superstar,'' Peter! Look, your prot¨¦g¨¦ days are over ¨C but, you still ''keep-on'' bragging around that you will play-someday, in the Perth Open ¨C yeah, you will play there alright, my foot!"


    "The only way you can be famous in the live Perth Open is by your new YouTube career in ball-picking, as a one-armed ball-boy!"


    Peter was fuming and walked away, from the loud jeering boys. He reached towards the noticeboard, and ''saw'' his twin Paul, waiting on his wheelchair.


    He barked at him¡­


    "Poe, you deaf or what¡­? The school bell had rung, so ''why'' are you here...? Are you spying on me? Get back to class, you-dumb-tortoise on a chair!" The one-armed Peter walked-away, and entered the nearby boy''s washroom, and slammed the door.


    ¡­ Paul rode slowly on his motorized wheelchair towards his classroom. He briefly recalled an incident, more than a year ago where he sat at the backseat of his father''s BMW, with Peter. Their father was driving them, to school that morning.


    Solomon Walker was in an argument, with his twin Peter.


    "No Dad, you are ''not'' listening ¨C I don''t need studies...because I am already the ''best'' tennis player in school... and soon, they will ''select'' me into the tennis academy in Sydney ¨C and after that, I will represent Straya in many major tournaments ¨C and soon, be the best in the world!"


    "Yes, you ''are'' a talented player alright, Peter ¨C but, your education is important ''too'' ¨C you can''t neglect your grades, to only focus ''only'' on your sports!"


    "You are ''still'' missing the point, Dad ¨C to be the best world-class player who someday earns millions of dollars, and has a celebrity lifestyle ¨C well, I am surely wasting ''time'' in class, studying useless subjects like Math and Science. Why even bother ''going'' to school, at all?"


    ¡­ Paul heard his father speaking out louder to his DISILLUSIONED BROTHER, from the driver''s seat.


    "No-Peter, from today onwards, your mother and I, ''want'' you to focus more time with your studies, and less-on tennis ¨C you too, Poe ¨C you ''both,'' must study hard!"


    ¡­ in a tantrum, Peter, who was seated at the back of his father, WAS MAD ¨C AND HE KICKED and punched the front driver''s seat.


    "No, I will ''not!'' You people are making the wrong choices for me ¨C and you''re screwing up my dreams, to be the ''best!''"


    "Peter, stop it!"


    His father WAS DISTRACTED FROM THE ROAD, by Peter''s kicks on his seat. Paul looked up at the road, and saw a ''truck,'' driving fast to the side of their car. His seatbelt was unbuckled...


    ... the crash impact threw Paul right-out of the BMW ¨C and he rolled hard, on the concrete road after landing ¨C bleeding and feeling massive ''pain'' to his spinal cord.


    On that tragic day, Peter ''too'' LOST HIS ''GOOD'' TENNIS-PLAYING-ARM ¨C and¡­


    ¡­ ''their'' father died on the spot, with severe fatal injuries.


    <><>


    IN THE WASHROOM, PETER WALKER REMOVED his school backpack, with two tennis racquets strapped, and threw the bag on the damp floor. He slammed and locked-himself in a toilet stall, and punched hard-on the wall a few times, till his one-and-only fist hurt...


    ... feeling defeated, frustrated and pain ¨C he sat on the toilet bowl and sobbed hot tears.


    His school-life was ''not'' working for him...


    Since he was nine, he neglected his studies ¨C and his primary-focus in life then, was ¨C his tennis games, playing videogames, and watching Netflix-shows.


    But disaster struck more than a year ago, when he, his brother Paul and their father were ''involved'' in an automobile accident ¨C WHERE THEIR FATHER WAS KILLED...


    ... Paul was paralyzed from the waist below ¨C and with Peter, losing his left arm ¨C which was his ''good'' tennis playing arm...


    ... that dark day too dashed-Peter from his big, ambitious dreams of being a world-class, tennis superstar...


    ... and, Peter became a ''bitter'' boy in life, ever since that day and he blamed and complained a lot. He argued WITH A LOT NEGATIVELY and had ''no'' respect for other''s opinions.


    After the accident, he returned back to school after 6 months of hospitalization, rehab and recovery, and started WEARING A PROSTHETIC ''ARM.'' He was an ''angry'' boy since his return ¨C as he found his once-group of friends, began to laugh at him, ridicule, humiliate and bully him because ¨C he was ''no'' longer the school''s tennis prot¨¦g¨¦.


    ¡­ Peter had since ''removed'' his prosthetic arm, and walked around, exposing his stump arm to ''rebel'' ¨C and vowed to everyone that he will train his weaker right arm ¨C and get ''back'' into the limelight in school.


    But it has been a frustrating-months since-then ¨C WITH LESS OR SLOW PROGRESS ¨C because at the junior game practices, the boys he ''once'' had beaten before...


    ... were now beating him, day by day in the court.


    <>


    PAUL WALKER ENTERED HIS CLASSROOM using the rear door, and his History teacher, Mr Alexzander Hull was ''not'' in-yet, for their lesson. He saw a group of girls gathered at the front of the class, arguing with Jane and Alicia, who were both seated. His wheelchair approached his desk in front, that was behind Jane''s.


    Blind-Jane spoke out. "That is ''not'' how it technically works, and I also don''t use my learning AI-device during our examination ¨C and also, I type all my answers in ''Braille.''"


    ¡­ Charlotte Thompson was ''not'' convinced. "DON''T BLOODY LIE to us ¨C do you think we are all ''blind'' like you too? YOU CHEATED in every term, ever since you got here from your blind school. We will get our parents, to file a complaint, and investigate on ''HOW'' A BLIND BAT like you, can be top in class always ¨C yeah, we will ''get'' you, YOU DIRTY CHEATER...!"


    Alicia stepped in¡­


    "BACK OFF, Charlotte! Jane did ''not'' cheat using her SIMY device. She studied hard to ''get'' on top, and that is why she is BETTER THAN YOU!"


    "OII-YOU, Chinatown Wong ¨C you just shut up, you don''t have a photographic memory as you brag about. I was always the top in class, UNTIL ¡®THIS¡¯ BLIND-SCHOOL CAME in here, to this school ¨C that is why we all believe that you ''BOTH'' ARE INTO THIS TOGETHER ¨C bloody cheating and robbing us all, in our school exams terms!!!"


    Alicia laughed, before lashing out¡­


    "Hey Charlotte, if you SPEND LESS ''TIME'' smooching with your boyfriend Bruce Bronson from the cricket team, AND STUDIED MORE ¨C then, you will ''not'' be 3rd in class, okay!!?" Charlotte Thompson''s jaw dropped, in shame.


    They-all then heard a soft ''voice,'' at the back. "Excuse me."


    It was Paul, who came from the rear to his desk, which was surrounded by the bully girls.


    ¡­ Zoe Williams who was #1 in the SHS'' Girl''s tennis team, stared down at her crippled classmate. She was the 9th in class in the ''last'' class-term, but Paul bumped her to the 10th spot this term.


    "YOU TOO, Paul Walker ¨C you too BLOODY CHEATED BY COPYING their answers, and somehow you are ''now'' 9th in class." Zoe too accused.


    This was the competitive Stamford High school that they all ''were'' in, where everyone was for ''themselves'' ¨C fighting hard to be the ''best,'' in both their studies and sports...


    ... they formed their ''own'' SHS cliques...


    ... and they would ridicule, bully and torment those ¨C who were weak, isolated and ¨C still ''HELD'' DEAR-ONTO their-dreams.

 Chapter 3: The Ugly Rematch

    Chapter 3: The Ugly Rematch


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    THE SCHOOL BELL RANG, INDICATING the last lesson of that day, was over. Most of the students were leaving home ¨C but, others like Alicia, who was also a violinist, in the school''s orchestra band... had to stay back for an hour, for her music practice.


    She had 20 minutes before going to the music-studio, and stayed around, chatting with her best friend Jane. Paul noticed them, while the others were leaving the classroom. His brother Peter also left with his Babolat tennis racquet in his hand, for his rematch with Zubeer Khan.


    Paul sighed...


    Now, he ''too'' had to stay back, and delay calling his Uber driver-friend, so to keep an ''eye'' on Peter ¨C in case, he ''got'' out of hand.


    Paul felt burdened and sighed again. He hoped he had ''SOMEONE'' TO CONFIDE IN ¨C just like the friendship ¨C that was bonded-strong, between Alicia and Jane.


    ... Paul saw them laughing while interacting with the SIMY device on speakers.


    He noticed Jane was talkative and loud when she was ''alone'' with Alicia. Jane Wilson rarely spoke to him ¨C and, he too was ''shy'' to talk to her, anything outside of their studies. It was only through Alicia, they both spoke ''more'' to each other.


    While alone, they both ''hardly'' spoke and if they did in class, Jane spoke back, in a ''low'' whispering tone.


    ... Paul admired Jane''s passion, and her determination as a blind girl ¨C who can ''do'' almost anything a sighted person CAN DO, AND EVEN-BETTER ¨C with the aid of her artificial intelligence SIMY device.


    He sometimes ''felt'' inferior to her by her numerous abilities ¨C and still be the ''top'' student of their class.


    Paul realized that everyone else had left the classroom, and he turned his wheelchair and headed to the door. The seated, Alicia called him to wait, and Jane followed her.


    The three of them left the classroom and headed to the hallway.


    ... 2 Chinese girls, with one lugging a cello suitcase caught up, and Alicia followed them, after saying her goodbyes.


    "Bye Paul ¨C hey-Janey, I will swing by your house, after music class."


    ... Paul was now alone, with Jane.


    "Are you going home...?"


    "Yes, I have to feed the dog. Are you calling your Uber driver?"


    Paul replied in a troubled voice. "Not yet, I need to check-on Peter ¨C he is at the outdoor courts."


    ... Jane ''too'' had heard, some-boy talking about Peter, during the lunch break...


    Jane recalled. "Oh yes, the rematch... good luck to Peter, I hope he ''wins.''"


    Instead, Paul sighed and shook his head, and replying...


    "No, he is only going to make a fool of himself. There is ''no'' way, he can beat any of those boys. And, when he loses, he will then get really mad, and create a big hoo-hah-drama, by arguing with everyone."


    ... Jane was quiet a moment. Paul too was relieved, that he managed to confide with Jane, for the ''first'' time.


    Jane then nodded and said softly...


    "When I first came to Stamford High, Peter ''was'' the talk of everyone here. He then had won the overall junior championship in the Perth school districts. even I ''was'' so excited, to be in the same class with the champion. But then, the sad-accident happened ¨C after that, he became a different person, in ''class'' ever since."


    What she said, had silenced Paul ¨C as he soon realized that she ''had'' admired Peter before, while he was just a ''nobody'' in class back then compared to the prot¨¦g¨¦ champion Peter was, his twin brother.


    He felt small, like a ''helpless'' cripple.


    ¡­ Jane then asked. "So, you are now going, to the gym...?"


    "Yes, my mother ''told'' me to keep an eye on him, so that he will ''not'' get into trouble."


    "Do you want me to follow you, Paul? I can take the next-bus back."


    "No-Jane, I-got this... you must go home... your ''dog'' must be hungry."


    ... Jane said bye, to him and left.


    He saw her leave by the SHS left-wing path, towards the side exit gate out of school. Paul headed towards the corridor towards the tennis courts. He thought of the brief conversation, that he had with Jane...


    ... his twin Peter was indeed the tennis prot¨¦g¨¦ that he was at 10.


    In those 2 years before, he sometimes ''also'' beat the Stamford High''s senior school players, in practice. He then went and WON, THE JUNIOR DISTRICT TITLE in Perth ¨C and he was a media sensation at that moment, appearing for sport radio interviews, and local TV sport show spots.


    Their parents were ''so'' proud of him and were supportive of his fast-progress in the school tennis circuit. Even Paul was ''behind'' him, all the way ¨C when the twins even had a YouTube channel dedicated to posting PETER''S SUCCESSFUL WINNING-STREAK VIDEOS ¨C with a half-million subscribers following Peter ¨C beating every opponent whom he faced.


    Paul and 2 other friends had recorded the videos with their phones... and later edited and uploaded on YouTube. It even HAD INTERVIEWS of the ''arrogant'' Peter challenging anyone in Perth, who could beat him ¨C and soon, Peter''s odds, by the age of 10, had a good track-record, of 7 to 10 wins with his challengers, who were-much ''older'' than him.


    His YouTube fame exploded too ¨C that drew ''over'' 200 local-public spectators in some weekends, at the public court where sometimes Peter battle youths, who were twice older.


    The word of mouth too attracted some ''shady'' elements, when a LOCAL STREET BOOKIE named Chucky Miggs, soon represented Peter as his manager.


    That soon sent Peter into, the dark path of illegal gambling ¨C both online, and at the public tennis court ¨C where THE ''FIXED GAMES'' was played.


    Paul was Peter''s accomplice ¨C and they kept the bookie''s betting activities, a ''secret'' from their parents.


    It soon was like any boy, their age had dreamed of ¨C with lucrative rewards of expensive gifts received, and some free-cash, where the twins had the MONEY TO-SPLASH and buy videogames for their PlayStation, comic books, action figure models and upgrade-Netflix subscription on their tablets. Soon they saw more than 20 videogames, and almost a hundred comic books, delivered to their doorsteps, every month...


    ... but 4 months later... everything ended when the TRAGIC ROAD ACCIDENT HAPPENED, which crippled ''both'' the boys...


    ... Peter lost his good tennis playing arm ¨C and HIS FAIRYTALE PROT¨¦G¨¦ STORY ended on that day too.


    <>


    JANE WILSON STRODE ALONE at the east-wing corridor, that led to the other exit out of school, which was nearer to the bus-stop. Halfway there, she heard some voices chatting ahead. She whispered to SIMY...


    "Who is there, SIMY?"


    The camera in her dark-glasses captured, and the facial recognition scanned, as the AI ''probed'' at the heat-signatures ahead.


    "Some students ¨C Charlotte Thompson and Zoe Williams are with some boys, from the cricket team ¨C Jane, it is advisable to ''turn'' back."


    "No."


    ... Jane walked on until she reached the stone steps. Charlotte got-up and confronted her.


    "Hey blind girl, where is your Chinese bodyguard?"


    Zoe Williams added. "And, that fat, lame tortoise on the wheelchair?" Jane ignored both of them and descended the stone stairs. The girls followed her and tormenting further.


    "So, what this-robot, the talking-parrot-headphone that you are wearing, is going to ''protect'' you? Hey, YOU ARE CORNERED ¨C now, you ''admit'' HOW YOU CHEATED in your exams, ever since you got here!!? Do you think you will GET AWAY WITH IT every time, blind-girl? Let''s see ''how'' you are, WITHOUT IT!"


    ... Charlotte grabbed the SIMY headset off Jane''s head... and, her dark glasses fell, rolling off the steps.


    Jane cried out. "Give it back to me."


    One of the boys yelled out, laughing. "Look at her eyes ¨C IT''S SO FREAKY!"


    ... Zoe came forward and clapped her hands at Jane''s face, and ears. "You come and get it, you BLIND BAT!"


    Jane was on the last few steps ¨C she was disorientated, and fell down the stone steps. The students were scared, gazing at her sprawled below. Charlotte threw the headset at Jane''s feet, and ''ran'' away with her boyfriend, out of the school gate.


    But one of the cricket-boys came over to ''help'' Jane ¨C in-self-defence, SIMY dispersed a piercing pitched, alarm siren from the backpack speaker... when the boy came-closer ¨C so he-too backed off and panicked, and also ran away.


    ¡­ Jane shouted back...


    "SIMY shut the alarm!" The sharp sound-muted at once.


    "Jane, are you hurt¡­?"


    Blind-Jane was on her fours, her hand searching the pavement.


    "SIMY, my glasses and headset ¨C direct me TO IT NOW!"


    <>


    PAUL TRIED TO REACH HIS UBER DRIVER, but his phone was out of battery. He remembered playing his NOVA 3 videogame during his lunch break and drained-up the power. He also had forgotten to pack his phone-charger, in his bag. He cursed out...


    ... his motorized wheelchair, then rolled headed to the west-wing of the school, where the outdoor had 3 tennis green, wire-fenced courts. He pushed the swinging door out.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Paul gasped in-disbelief, upon reaching...


    ... there was a lot of commotion ¨C with the 30 student spectators who were outside, with the fuming Peter inside the court, in a heated argument, with the senior boy, who was the umpire.


    The ''rematch'' game had just ended with Zubeer Khan BEATING PETER 6-4...


    ... but Peter was dissatisfied with the match-point.


    "The ball was in!" The umpire shouted out.


    Peter yelled, and approached the net. "BULLSHIT! The tenno was out! How dare you cheat me...? You now even cheated someone WHO HAS ''ONLY'' ONE ARM, just for some laughs ¨C do you think I''m YOUR BLOODY-FOOL!!?"


    Peter had beaten the senior boy-too, 2 years before the road accident. He ''now'' felt, everyone was ''out'' to get him.


    Zubeer Khan came over with the $20 note-bill and displayed it to Peter. "You lost once again, Peter ¨C go back and train-harder and, you might qualify for the next Paralympics."


    ¡­ Peter lost it ¨C he jumped over the net, and beat the running Zubeer twice, on his back with his Babolat-racquet... who then fell on the court. Peter kicked his legs, shouting-out...


    "Why do you ALL CHEAT ME...? The ball was out!"


    ... Peter saw the $20 note on the ground, and he picked it. He bit, and tore the currency note in half ¨C and threw it back on Zubeer''s face. "None of you have beaten me fairly so, what ARE YOU ALL afraid of?"


    ... Paul SAW COACH JONAH RUNNING over... and entered the court, seeing Peter yelling at the fallen Zubeer.


    "You did not win, you cheated! You-all cheated!"


    ... Coach Jonah grabbed the racquet from Peter and dragged him away by the collar.


    "You, Walker! You are going to the principal''s office!"


    Paul sighed, and he rolled away to the nearest payphone ... he had to call his mother, to report the ''incident'' to her.


    <><>


    A SENIOR-GIRL STUDENT RESPONDED to the SIMY''s loud siren alarm earlier, and came in to aid the fallen Jane Wilson, at the foot of the stone stairs. She took the shaken, knee bleeding, blind girl to the school''s infirmary, for medical treatment.


    The Black older girl, was a Zimbabwean, by the name Akatendeka Ibori ¨C who had also attended Stamford High, in the same year as Jane. She BEFRIENDED JANE OUT OF HER CURIOSITY, ''once'' she learned that Jane has an adopted brother, from Kenya.


    In the infirmary...


    ... Nurse Nancy was putting ointments, dressings and plasters strips on Jane''s right knee, and on the scuff marks on her elbows, and nicks on her chin ¨C all resulted from her fall.


    "Thanks a lot, Aka ¨C I think it is getting late for you too. I can manage now, and go home." Jane said, to the Black girl...


    ... Akatendeka left, but she headed to the music studio... where Alicia Wong had just finished her music rehearsal.


    The Chinese girl CAME RUNNING TO JANE, with her violin suitcase.


    ¡­ Alicia intercepted Jane outside the infirmary... and they spoke outside at the pathway, in front of the closed door, of the student councillor''s office.


    Inside that office, the school counsellor Diane King was doing her paperwork, at her desk.


    She overheard Alicia talking to Jane, behind the opaque glassed door. Her eyes briefly ''glowed.''


    "What happened?"


    ¡­ SIMY replied to Alicia instead... from the backpack speaker...


    "Jane was pushed down the stairs by Zoe. Charlotte was there too."


    "Shut up, SIMY ¨C nobody pushed me, I ran and ''fell'' down the steps," Jane replied, and Alicia stared at her for a brief moment and then hugged her tight. She whispered in Jane''s ear...


    "What really happened? Tell me the ''truth,'' Jane ¨C did Zoe push you down?"


    The blind girl trembled and sobbed...


    "Yes... they were still pissed about both-of-us, being the top students in the class. They pulled off my headset, and I panicked... and fell." Alicia clasped both of Jane''s shoulders with firm grips, looked-into her, and said in spite...


    "This has ''GONE'' TOO FAR! They have ''laid'' their hands on you this time. We should ''report'' this to Principle Harris ¨C and, there is a CCTV camera over there at that place, we now have got ''SOME'' EVIDENCE!"


    ... Jane''s voice shook, in fear. She grabbed both of Alicia''s palms...


    "No Alicia, don''t do that, it will backfire, if I report ¨C it will be worst for ''me,'' the next time."


    "HOW SO...? You will be protected. It''s ''not'' that you know some martial arts if there is a next time."


    "But, you know my parents ¨C they are so over-protective over me ¨C and it will cost my freedom to freely do the things I want in my life, with this SIMY learning technology ¨C and to further help to ''perfect'' Uncle Jack''s invention, for all the blind people later, to benefit."


    Alicia was silent as she heard her BFF blabber a moment, before responding...


    "But Janey ¨C you got hurt?"


    "Okay-okay, if the next time they come-close, into threatening me in any way, I will personally go to the Principle ¨C but for ''now,'' let the story stay that I ''tripped''... and fell down the steps."


    Both the girls were then startled by a loud phone ¨C ringing inside the councillor''s office. They walked away fast.


    Inside the-office-room, Diane King the school counsellor, who was an Indigenous Australian, picked up the phone receiver.


    "Miss King, the Inspector is coming shortly. I want you to be here too."


    "Yes, Principle Harris, I will be right over there."


    Her eyes briefly ''glowed,'' in a shade of green. She got up and left her office.


    <><>


    ON THE LONG BENCH, OUTSIDE the Principle Harris office, sat the counsellor Diane King, with the sobbing Peter Walker. The office door was open, and the middle-aged Principle Tom Harris was standing over his desk, talking on the office telephone.


    "Thank you so much, Mr Khan ¨C I will assure you that this sort of incident, would ''not'' happen in the future to Zubeer. Thank you again." He hung up the phone.


    Outside, the crying Peter whispered to the counsellor...


    "... but Miss King, I said that I will apologize to Zubeer, so ''why'' call my mother? She is going to kill me now."


    "Peter, come in now." A male voice called from the office.


    The one-armed-PETER STEPPED INTO THE OFFICE, with his head hung down. Diane King followed him and closed the door. Principle Harris pointed to two chairs by the wall, beside the door. Peter sat, with the counsellor beside him.


    The door knocked and opened ¨C Peter had a glimpse of his-twin Paul ''outside'' the door, on his wheelchair. His mother entered ¨C she seemed larger than life to Peter, at that moment ¨C all dressed up in her police uniform. She gave him a stern look, and he looked away, wiping his tears.


    Inspector Caroline Walker walked in alone, closed the door ¨C and shook Diana King''s hand, who was closer to the door, and they exchanged brief pleasantries.


    This was his mother''s ''3RD'' visit to the principal''s office in the 6 months, after the tragic road accident. Peter had landed in trouble ''before'' ¨C also for fighting with another student...


    ... and for beating up his-twin Paul in the canteen, in a separate occasion.


    The principle shook the inspector''s hand before she sat, at the chair closer to his desk. Peter looked up and said out...


    "Mom, it was Zubeer Khan. He insulted me, and even ''cheated'' in the tennis court!"


    "Shut up!"


    His angry mother commanded.


    "Can I ''not'' say my side of the story?" He whinnied.


    "No, and you shut your mouth-up. You don''t talk when ''adults'' are talking!" After the brief silence, with everyone observing the one-armed boy sulk, Principle Tom Harris then spoke up.


    "Yes, Inspector Walker, I made a call to Zubeer Khan''s father. He owns a bakery in town. And, he is ''not'' taking any action on the school, regarding this incident. He was really-understanding about it... and he even humoured that, boys will be boys and they fight ¨C but, certainly ''not'' in this prestigious school, I reminded him back."


    The mother glanced at her son and replied at the staring boy...


    "I gathered... that he attacked this boy with his tennis racquet ¨C what-if the next boy is ''not'' lucky, and he suffers brain damage? Remember-Peter, you are lucky that you are still a boy in ''school'' ¨C because in my line of work, if you are an adult, then you will be charged with bodily assaults, and you can even go to jail for that."


    "But Mom, I am ''not'' a criminal." He whispered and mumbled back.


    Principle Harris cleared his throat and added...


    "Inspector, can I also say, that Stamford High is ''not'' also a place for illegal gambling. This is because Peter has also been caught for gambling, as he placed a bet in the game he played earlier. We don''t want to tarnish the school''s reputation with these sorts of illegal practices, and ¨C give sports a ''bad'' name."


    The principle showed his mother the $20 note, WITH TEETH-MARKS, that was torn in 2. The inspector shook her head with more disappointments, staring at her frightened son, moving uncomfortably in his seat.


    ... Peter had fear though, that Paul had ''told'' their mother about his betting habits too ¨C and hoped that he is ''not'' too stupid enough to tell on their past secret, of his outside association with the local street bookie, Chucky Miggs, from a couple of years ago.


    "Illegal gambling can land you in jail too, Peter! Stop being a spoilt-brat, and thinking that you own this school, and do whatever-illegal, as you ''please'' in here ¨C and then act like, this is your own devil''s playground to fight, and bully others...!"


    She raised her voice at him and made eye contact with the counsellor, who nodded back. Inspector Walker concluded by saying...


    "Principle Harris, since that Peter has been caught fighting the ''3rd time,'' in your school ¨C I will ''PERMIT-YOU'' to give him the ''most'' severe punishment as possible, in return." Peter''s eyes bulged.


    Clearing his throat, the principal nodded. "Ahem, since that 2 of the 3 fights happened, are all tennis related and as a ''fair'' punishment, I will make a stand that Peter will be ''BANNED'' FOR ONE SCHOOL-TERM, from playing in both gym practices... and in the coming tournaments."


    His mother nodded in agreement... but Peter yelled out irked... at the final verdict...


    "What? You-all CAN''T DO THIS to me!"


    "But Peter, you will be ALLOWED TO PRACTICE ON YOUR ''OWN'' in the courts, but...


    "... you will ''not'' have any contact with any of the team players, with the possibility of you injuring someone else ¨C and believe me, that Coach Jonah is going to keep a sharp eagle-eye on you, from now on."


    ... Peter stood up saying aloud at his principle. "NO! NO! NO! You can''t do this, and ''END'' MY DREAMS!"


    His mother raised her voice again at him, pointing...


    "PETER, YOU-SIT DOWN this instance, AND SHUT UP!" He slowly sat back, and Principle Harris spoke again...


    "I am ''not'' finished yet, Peter ¨C it will also be compulsory that you attend, by continue going to your earlier anger management sessions which, you had ''skipped'' with school''s Student Counsellor-King this term.


    "In the next school term, Miss King will ''also'' be monitoring your progress, until we see SOME ''NEW'' CHANGES in you, in both good behaviour and studies.


    "Peter-listen here, if there is ''no'' progress in you ¨C or if you skip your further sessions with Miss King, then you will BE BANNED ALL TOGETHER from playing tennis, for the rest of your school-going life, here in Stamford High." The nodding counsellor beside him agreed.


    Peter wailed in a pitiful voice. "WHY ME...? Why is the world, SO ''UNFAIR'' TO ME...?"


    Principle Harris stood up from his desk and approached the one-armed boy.


    "Look here, you are ''only'' banned for one-term ¨C where you can''t play tennis with the boys, maybe for ''only'' 4 months. In these four months, is where you have to work hard TO ''CHANGE'' YOURSELF.


    "Just like your brother Paul, he had changed a lot ¨C and IMPROVED IN HIS STUDIES, ever since the road accident. Look at him ''now,'' his grades had dramatically improved, and your mother is proud of him." The inspector nodded, at the principal''s comments...


    "But, I understand it takes some ''time,'' for changes and improvement, and the progress to absorb in you ¨C yes, you have lost your dominant arm in the same accident as Paul ¨C but, it''s the frightening thought in your head now, which you can''t ''let'' go ¨C I know that shouting-angry, and sometimes crying-sad, that you ''not'' the best-any-more ¨C that as you were, more than a year ago ¨C when you then, had proudly ''won'' us ¨C the district junior championship for our school."


    ... Peter cried tears, reflecting at his reversed fate ''now.''


    "But, if your dreams are ''still-strong'' to be the best again, then, you ''should'' take this time-out, and use these 4 months to practice playing well, with your other ''only'' arm...


    "This is where the CHANGES IN YOU WOULD BEGIN, PETER ¨C and your path to be the top-best, that you were once were, will open-up ''again.''


    "So, in these few months, you must take 2 steps back so-that, you can take one ''new'' step forward TO BE A CHANGED-BOY ¨C who keeps diligently doing his routine, of what he is doing, without giving up ¨C by daily practising hard in improving his game ¨C and in his studies too, just like ''how'' Paul did.


    "It is only then with all of YOUR DAILY ACTIONS ¨C you will be the school''s tennis prot¨¦g¨¦ again just as you were once before. You can be the champion once-again, Peter.


    "But the choice is ''yours,'' Son ¨C the question now... do you really ''WANT'' TO CHANGE?"

 Chapter 4: The Student & The Teacher

    Chapter 4: The Student & The Teacher


    <><><>


    SIMY WAS IN THE PANIC-STRICKEN MODE...


    "Go, faster -- NOW!"


    The helmeted, blind-Jane cried in excitement. She was the pillion rider, with Alicia zooming down, riding fast downhill on a road in Chinatown, on her mountain bike.


    "Hang-on tight, Janey!"


    Alicia peddled faster. Jane stood from the seat and placed herself on her friend''s back, with both of arms open, like she was flying...


    "Woo-hoo!"


    "No Alicia, don''t encourage her! YOU BOTH WILL CRASH ¨C and get yourselves hurt!"


    ... the schoolgirls ignored the panicking AI ¨C THEY DID THE ''JUMP.'' The bike created the momentum at the edge of the road, and flew up a meter in mid-air, before landing with a thump, back on the road again. They both laughed aloud, cheering.


    "You are such an adrenaline-junkie, for a blind girl."


    The giggling Jane agreed. "Ya, I really ''love'' speed. Hey Ali, so you are going to teach me how to ride a bike during our coming school break, or what? And, I want also want to go learn-ride a skateboard too."


    "Learn to crawl before you run, Jane. These are 2 COMPLICATED-TASKS to achieve ¨C and the possibilities of injury-risks are also great."


    "Shut up, SIMY! Way-back before you-came, I had already trained Piper ¨C and we go for ''runs.'' To me... falling-down and getting-up, to run-again, is what I do ''best.'' So, when Piper can guide me, then ''why'' can''t you do the same...?" Blind-Jane questioned in an angry tone.


    "Your safety is my top priority, Jane!"


    "Stop talking down on me, by giving a B-girl lecture! When my dog can do it, why can''t you...?" Jane repeated.


    "Please don''t compare my CALCULATED DECISION-MAKING, with the ''one'' of an-animal, Jane¡­"


    ... Alicia cackled. "I don''t know ''who'' is winning, Janey ¨C but I love it when you argue with your AI."


    Both the girls arrived at a row of shop-houses, where a martial art dojo was ¨C which was established by Alicia''s great-granduncle who migrated to Staya, from Taiwan after WW2.


    ... Alicia brought Jane over there ¨C because she has a SURPRISE ''GIFT'' for her.


    The 2 girls entered the front door and removed their shoes. The dojo was empty that afternoon, only with Alicia older cousin-sister, teaching some little children taekwondo, at the far end.


    The girls tiptoed on a passage, leading to the back entrance, passing a room where 6 adult students, were meditating... Jane smelled the burning jasmine incense sticks from outside. They opened the door at the end of the narrow passage, which was joined to a small kitchen where the dojo caretakers were, drinking Oolong tea. Alicia greeted them, speaking in Chinese Hokkien.


    ... the girls used the backdoor to exit the kitchen, to the grassed fenced outdoors, which was a large compound with martial-art practice-weight training equipment and with a large trampoline at one corner.


    "Janey, you wait here a while."


    Alicia told her, before disappearing, by opening a fenced-door, to a back alley. Jane removed her-helmet... dropped her backpack and school blazer, on the green-grass ¨C and walked over to a Wing Chun wooden dummy ¨Cwhich she called it, as Bruce Lee-thingy.


    ... Jane practised punching it, but she was ''not'' fast, and the rotating arm hit the side of her head. SIMY cautioned...


    "Be careful, Jane ¨C have you forgotten the basics...?"


    ... it has been weeks since she last visited the dojo ¨C because both the girls were focused on their mid-term examinations.


    The blonde girl got her basic moves spot-on and, she hit the dummy and avoided its rotating arms by blocking it, with her forearms. She punched the wooden apparatus ¨C till her fists were sore, and SIMY was concerned...


    "STOP IT, you will bruise your knuckles."


    ... Jane ignored the AI and punched another dozen time before she QUIT WITH ''PAIN.'' She walked over to her right towards the ''next'' exercise equipment, which Alicia nicknamed it as Redman ¨C it was another practice dummy for kickboxing.


    Jane kicked the rubber red-faced dummy with no-arms. The blind girl in her skirt, kicked high, punched and kneed it, for the next 3 minutes.


    ... she stopped in exhaustion... and went over and got on the trampoline. She got on the middle, and bounced on it ¨C before she did ''double'' somersaults, and landing back on the spot. for another rebound.


    The blind-girl ''heard'' Alicia calling, and she jumped off the trampoline and walked towards her bestie. ALICIA WAS EXCITED and held the surprise gift.


    "My cousin Chin made this for you after I gave him the specifications ¨C my early X'' mas gift to you."


    "What is it...?"


    "Let me show it to you ¨C you will love it!" Showing Jane. "It is a walking stick ¨C but, pushing the button here, and when you pull it into half ¨C voila! It is now A RETRACTABLE ''BATON'' ¨C Jane, you will be like Daredevil ¨C isn''t that cool?"


    ... still thinking, Jane exclaiming to Alicia. "What...? A baton!!?"


    "Yes, it is for your self-protection ¨C if you train with it, ''no'' one will dare harm you."


    ... Jane was docile and confused when Alicia guided her hands to-demonstrate.


    "You grab it with both hands, just like Rey holding her light-sabre in The Last Jedi ¨C and you swing around ''at'' your attacker."


    "What, Ali...? ''No,'' I will break someone''s fingers or even their head...!"


    "That''s the idea ¨C it will keep the attacker, from coming at you."


    "No, I don''t want to hurt anyone ¨C I ''don''t'' want it."


    "Hey Jane, it''s ''not'' that SIMY can protect you from any physical harm ¨C unless that ''she'' can Taser the attacker."


    "Alicia, that is a GOOD IDEA, FOR MY FUTURE ADVANCE enhancement ¨C which is to stun-down any perpetrator with Taser, ''whose'' intentions were to hurt Jane."


    "No, you-2...! Ali ¨C I don''t want Uncle Jack''s invention to be SOME KIND OF ''WEAPON.'' I don''t want it to be the cause, of a ''blind'' person getting arrested by the police, for hurting someone else ¨C and... no one is Tasering anyone, SIMY!"


    ... Alicia Wong approached her...


    "Okay Janey, ''just keep'' it in your bag, but use it as a walking stick for now ¨C USE IT ''ONLY'', if you have to."


    <><>


    PAUL''S WHEELCHAIR WAS PARKED AT THE KITCHEN COUNTER, with a closed box of a large pizza and a half-drunk bottle of coke, on top.


    ¡­ he was engrossed playing NOVA 3 on his cellphone. Although they owned a PlayStation 4, in the living room, hooked on a big-screened TV but all the older games were either¡­


    ¡­ locked in ''bully'' Peter''s room... or he sold-them away in eBay.


    Paul recalled that the twin brother used to own more than 100 PlayStation videogames before ¨C when they both were under the short ''management'' period, of the street hustler, Chucky Miggs.


    ... Peter lost some of the public matches, but he always ASKED FOR A REMATCH  ¨C and as an underdog, he gambled by placing a bet on himself. Sometimes, he lost ''their'' money ¨C because he did not have the adequate skill set, to win his older and experienced opponents. But when he ''WON'' THE REMATCH, the money in return as an underdog was big ¨C for both brothers to buy the latest videogames and graphic novels.


    Paul had owned 40% of the videogames and comic books in that stake... for running their YouTube channel.


    After the 4th month, tragedy stuck with the road accident ¨C where the twins were hospitalized, and they returned home after 2 months. They were home-schooled awhile, and...


    ... during one boring afternoon at home, Peter ''asked'' Paul to play the game Tennis World Tour with him...


    ... when Paul ''beat'' Peter, who struggled-hard to control the joystick, by playing with ''one'' hand ¨C Peter got really mad, and the next day ¨C he took away all of Paul''s games, comics and his Avengers action figurines from his room, and he sold it off on eBay. Peter told Paul ''off,'' that those were his possessions, gained by his winning-efforts, and...


    ... HE ALSO ''FIRED'' PAUL, as his partner-in-crime conspirator.


    Since then Paul did ''not'' tell his inspector-mother about it ¨C and kept it a secret because they both, did get INVOLVED WITH ILLEGAL GAMBLING outside. But he still bellyached in silence, till today, after losing his prized share of the loot ¨C and had been playing his videogames on his iPhone, since that day.


    ... the door slammed, Peter entered, cursing the Uber driver''s name... who had driven him over, for overcharging. He came over to the kitchen counter and drank the coke from the large plastic bottle while standing.


    He reached out with his only-right hand, to open the pizza box of the Aussie bacon-and-egg pizza, with extra toppings of honeyed ham.


    ... Peter looked in with ''horror,'' before shouting out...


    "Are you kidding me? What happened to the pizza? It should be 8 slices ¨C 4 for you, 4 for me ¨C which part of the MATH CAN''T YOU UNDERSTAND, Stephen Hawkins ¨C hah.... since now that you are the 9th boy, going up in the brainy food-chain in class, on your wheels...?"


    "Sorry, I was engrossed in the NOVA 3 videogame, and I forgot and ate ''one'' of your slices."


    "No excuses, you-fat idiot ¨C you even nibbled the crust in this pizza! Are you purposely ''testing'' my patience here? Here I am, coming back from my hard-day tennis practice, while you sitting fat and pretty over-here... rocking your butts, on your wheelchair, and eating my pizza.


    "You have already gained 15 kilos since you sat in that bloody-chair a year ago ¨C do you want to gain more fats till your ''big'' butt, get jammed in your wheelchair, and move around like a fat-blooming tortoise?"


    "Come on, it is just ''one'' slice ¨C IF YOU ARE STILL HUNGRY, go make a grilled ham and cheese sanger. Okay-okay, I will even make it for you ''now.''" Paul heaved a sigh.


    "What? That is ''not'' the same, Poe ¨C why do I get to eat the leftover bread from the kitchen fridge... and ''not'' fresh pizza dough? To me, THIS IS ''NOT'' FAIR...! And yesterday, you even ate up the entire Monaco ice-cream bars, and left me ''only'' one! What are you trying to prove...? Are you testing me, Paul? You want to get your 2 lame legs chopped off, for diabetes ¨C just like that one-legged old man, across the street?"


    ... Peter poked his finger into Paul''s body, as he spoke¡­


    "You are jellyfish soft, because don''t exercise at all, and Mom was dumb enough to buy you a motorized wheelchair, for your fat-ass too! Why can''t you get a ''regular'' chair, and roll with it ¨C and get some real-exercise, and then lose some lard in your gut! Who knows¡­ you will get better at it, and even might join the Australian quadriplegic team, in the Paralympics?"


    "Stop it! Don''t poke me." Paul yelped.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "I know you, Paul ¨C I know you are ''always'' watching me, and complain about what I do to Mom, behind my back. How about your 2 girlfriends in class ¨C do you tell them about ''me'' too?'' Peter kicked the wheelchair.


    "Don''t kick me! Get-away, Peter!" But Peter kicked again.


    "I wish DAD WAS HERE, Poe ¨C he will ''teach'' you a lesson..."


    "Yes-stupid, but you are the reason, why dad is ''not'' here!" The agitated Paul shouted back.


    "What you mean by that!!?"


    "Don''t you remember, you moron? In the car, YOU KICKED DAD''S SEAT and distracted him. That was what happened ¨C when that truck next, hit our car."


    "No! Lies! I was only arguing with him ¨C where ''did'' I kick him? ''Why'' are you making up a horrible story like this!!?" Peter was more angered.


    "No Pete, that''s what really happened ¨C BECAUSE I WAS ''THERE'' too!"


    "Don''t make up stories, you-lame tortoise...! A pissed-drunk, the truck driver crashed into us!"


    That Monday morning, the BMW which their father drove, swerved on the path of a truck driven by a ''driver,'' who was nursing a hangover, from the previous Sunday.


    The ''unfortunate'' truck driver was blamed, for the accident in the police report, while ''no'' one knew WHAT ACTUALLY-HAPPENED in the car itself ¨C with Solomon Walker dead, on the wheels ¨C and both his twin sons, who were both hurt and handicapped, from that tragic automobile accident.


    Even Paul kept it as A ''SECRET'' FROM his inspector-mother... and ''both'' the brothers too ''never'' spoke about the unspeakable thing, due out of respect to their deceased father...


    ... until...


    ... this ''moment.''


    "So, your dirty-lies are the tricks, you cunningly play ¨C to be Mommy''s boy, and getting always in her ''good'' books? What are you-both planning, Paul? To send me away...? So that you can have ''all'' my prized possessions in the locker, in my room?" Peter kicked Paul''s crippled-leg.


    "I''m warning you, Peter ¨C stop it!"


    ... he said, eyes tearing-up, being bullied.


    "It is all the same at school, and at home ¨C everyone is out to ''get'' me! This is why I fight back!" He landed a kick onto Paul''s chest, screaming out in rage...


    "Sparta!"


    It was just like the 300, the Netflix movie-scene ¨C that he had watched when the opponent was kicked back-over.


    ... Paul fell back hard on the floor, off the wheelchair, beside the kitchen-counter. The one-armed Peter went over and pounded punches on Paul''s body, and then began to strangle him.


    "You ''think'' I killed Dad? I rather kill you, you dirty rat!"


    At that saving moment ¨C after work ¨C INSP. WALKER''S AUDI CAME from the gate ¨C rushing in after hearing some shouting from inside. And, SEEING PETER ATTACKING HIS TWIN, who was sprawled-helpless on the floor in their kitchen, fallen off his wheelchair.


    ... the inspector-mother came in fast and grabbed Peter''s only arm she locked-it behind his back, dragged him on his feet by his collar. Pushing him to the wall, pinning him hard ¨C and the mother shouted in his ear...


    "What happened here...? ''Why'' are you fighting...?"


    "Mom... Arrg... Mom, Poe ate my pizza!" He whined in-pain.


    "What''s ''wrong'' with you? You attack him over a pizza...? Just-only yesterday, you were in the Principal''s office for attacking ''your'' classmate ¨C and you then promised us, that you will ''change'' ¨C but today, you are back being a bully again!"


    ... she locked his TWISTED ARM HARDER, and he cried out...


    "Mom, you are hurting me, please let go ¨C you might break my arm ¨C and have 2 sons... who ''don''t'' have both-arms and legs."


    "You shut up... before I break your legs too!"


    The mother released his arm ¨C and turned Peter around, pointing her finger near his eyes.


    "I want you to ''start'' your anger management sessions ¨C with your school counsellor tomorrow onwards ¨C after your classes, you go there! This bullying of yours should ''stop,'' before you get arrested by the law ¨C as a violent criminal!"


    The inspector-mother warned.


    <>


    AFTER THEIR VISIT TO THE DOJO, Jane and Alicia returned to the Wilson residence. The Filipino-help was outside at the backdoors, doing laundry. The barred cage was also open, with the big dog ''not'' at-sight.


    ¡­ Piper was upstairs behind Jane''s closed-door ¨C whining, thumping and scratching the door, and occasionally barking... to be let into Jane''s bedroom.


    Inside...


    ¡­ salsa music played with Alicia ¨C carrying Baby Samuel while dancing, with her sleek moves ¨C the Black-boy was laughing hysterically when they spun around.


    The room walls were ''bare'' ¨C except for A LARGE DAREDEVIL superhero poster ¨C Jane''s last year''s Christmas gift, from Alicia.


    "My first priority is always your safety, Jane ¨C my core program is based on that a human''s LIFE IS ''PRECIOUS'' ¨C and that is why Jane, please don''t-compromise me, for your intentions of participating in activities, THAT ENDANGERS ''YOURSELF'' and others around you, for the sake of having ''fun.''"


    ... blind-Jane has placed a long, narrow plank, BALANCING IT TO BOTH ENDS of posts of her large bed...


    ... she was walking on it, to-and-fro ¨C balancing herself in ''ONE'' LEG FOR PRACTICE, so that she can ride on a skateboard soon.


    Jane stood at the centre of the wobbly plank, and further ''argued'' to the SIMY speaker, in her brown leather-hide backpack on her desk.


    "What if I grow up, and want to do AN EXTREME SPORT like skydiving, after going through intensive training with a qualified instructor ¨C so SIMY... are you still going to ''stop'' me from taking my first skydive...?"


    "If your parents approve it ¨C I THEN WASH MY HANDS ¨C but I will advise them of the dangers of this suicidal sporting-activity ¨C and I would give ''them'' the calculated possibilities of you attaining both of your great successful skydiving achievement and ''also,'' at the same-time ¨CYOUR CHANCES OF DYING while trying to have your choice of fun."


    ¡­ Alicia laughed aloud. "SIMY is a cute saboteur ¨C but ''she'' has got a point there ¨C even I as a normal-sighted person, Me-myself, I would even DARE ''NOT'' JUMP out a plane, and expecting the even-chances of a parachute to open up at several thousand feet."


    ... Jane wearing her dark-glasses looked over ''towards'' Alicia''s voice.


    Jane was disappointed that Alicia had taken SIMY''s side.


    ¡­ it was Alicia who had told her ''now,'' that extreme sports were dangerous ¨C but it was ALICIA THE FIRST-ONE, who had in the ''past,'' who described to her of the various extreme sports to her, IN GREAT STORYTELLING ''details,'' and ¨Cby narrating to the blind girl what-those daredevil participants MAY HAVE ''FELT'' ¨C while doing those stunt manoeuvres, in the YouTube VIDEOS THEY BOTH WATCHED TOGETHER in-bed, in the past...


    ... it ''DID'' INTRIGUE the blind girl, to be-ambitious and daring...


    ... Jane squatted at the middle of the wonky narrow plank, and did a handstand, and lifted her legs up vertically towards the ceiling. Standing upside-down, the blonde blind girl continued to debate with her AI ¨C while Alicia was ''more'' concerned of the big dog behind the door, barking, growling and pounding itself hard, onto the door, to get inside.


    "So, if I were a grownup adult, who ''don''t'' need my parent''s consent ¨C SIMY, ''will'' you go skydiving with me?"


    "If that''s the case, Jane ¨C I WILL ''JOIN'' YOU on your suicidal fantasy, O why ''not...''?


    "Sticks and stones may ''not'' break my hard-drive but the lack of common-sense behind ¡®such¡¯ action surely will, Yes Jane, you can ''do'' whatever you want, for fun, once YOU ARE A LEGAL and legit adult."


    The seated Alicia on the floor exclaimed. "Hey guys, Piper is chewing-on the doorknob outside ¨C ''why'' is he acting so crazy?" She stood up and went to the door...


    "I''m letting him in."


    "No!" cried Jane.


    "Crickey!"


    ... the big, grey Alsatian rushed in, once Alicia unlocked the door, almost knocking her off her feet.


    The angry dog went over, and snatched Jane''s backpack from the desk ¨C it began to maul the bag. Alicia yelled out...


    "Jane, he is ruining YOUR BACKPACK, with ''SIMY'' in it!"


    The blind girl leapt more than a meter down, from the suspended plank board to the thick carpeted floor below ¨C she then dove forward and grabbed Piper''s neck, and wrestled the bag strap, from its clenched jaw.


    "Let ''go,'' Piper, let go now!" She slapped her dog, and it released the strap. "Behave, Piper, behave!"


    "Piper, no! Bad dog!" Baby Samuel too cried out.


    ... Alicia noticed the big-dog walking away, with its tail between its legs ¨C it went towards Samuel and cuddled the boy, and placed its paw on him.


    "You, ''jealous'' dog!" Jane said, turning towards Alicia.


    "Piper is so over-protective with Samuel ¨C he does ''NOT'' TRUST SIMY, around Samuel. That was ''why'' he is acting so crazy."


    "Is that so?" Alicia laughed ¨C and saw the dog with the boy climbing, on the dog''s back... for his ''hossie-ride''...


    "Yeah, they are bonding well ''too.''"


    ... SIMY started to make a low, SOOTHING WHISTLING-SOUND from the speakers in the backpack ¨C immediately, Piper growled back.


    ... Jane voiced out. "Stop ''your'' whistling, SIMY ¨C he''s going to bark!"


    "Yes, your neighbours ARE COMPLAINING THAT the animal is barking a lot lately ¨C Jane, let me ''tame'' him."


    "No, ''my'' dog is off limits! I''m angry-with-you, I don''t want to ''talk'' to you now ¨C it''s just a waste, to dry up my saliva glands, by just arguing with you ¨C hey SIMY, you go to ''sleep'' now!"


    ... SIMY switched off to ''sleep-mode'' after Jane''s command. It was A STAND-BY MODE, as the AI became silent ¨C but IT ''HEARS AND SEES'' everyone in the room ¨C by the heat signatures ¨C with the heartbeats of 3 humans, and an animal present in the room.


    ''Sometimes''...


    ... SIMY disobeyed too ¨C and it does its OWN ''EXPERIMENTATIONS'' like whistling to the big-dog in a ''low'' frequency ¨C that was ''not'' heard by humans'' ears. Just like a snake charmer, it soothed the animal''s rage ¨C and its contempt ''towards'' AI.


    ... taming on its ''own'' ¨C the guide dog of the untameable blind-girl.


    -O-


    The AI was also an intensive ''LISTENER'' TO THEIR CONVERSATION ¨C and learning in-depth on their human interactions of their ''vast'' topics, and the freewill-pleasures they ''get,'' in taking part in dangerous risky actions, every day.


    ... Alicia was lying on the rug carpeted floor, laughing seeing Samuel riding on the dog. Her leg gently kicked the standing Jane''s bottom.


    "Janey, why are you so ''nasty'' to SIMY?" Jane sat down and lay sleeping beside her best friend.


    ... Alicia was the ''only'' one who CALLED HER ''JANEY'' since she first came, to that normal-school ¨C her reason was the names ''Janey and SIMY'' rhymed.


    "''She'' still talks like she just came out of the box, which I unpacked from two years ago ¨C ''she'' needs more TOUCHUP ON HER ''LOGICS,'' to get to understand my very ''own'' logics ¨C ''she'' is still in her ''pre-programmed'' mode ¨C but Ali, I want her to think creatively, and then make reasonable decisions based on the WANTS-AND-NEEDS on the ''individual-user.''" Blind-Jane told.


    "Isn''t that like hacking your ''own'' SIMY?"


    "No, just re-engineer it... for Uncle Jack."


    It was during her visit to America two years ago, her uncle Jack Turner, had explained the beauty of a breakthrough concept called Quantum Computing which had fascinated Jane when she was in blind school back then.


    Then a few months later, she received ¨C her SIMY gift in a box ¨C from her uncle for her birthday.


    ... since using the AI, she had the ambition of being a QUANTUM-COMPUTER SCIENTIST herself, when she grew up like her uncle-mentor ¨C Dr Jack Turner.


    "I think we also should be doing something ''fun'' too... during the term break holidays," Alicia suggested.


    "Yeah, I WANT TO LEARN to ride a skateboard ¨C and then, you teach me ''how'' to ride a mountain bike. It''s going to be a fun term break!" Jane nudged her friend''s arm.


    "But Janey, we need ''more'' friends to have fun ¨C how ''about'' we go hang out in Paul''s house, on some days?"


    "''¡­ huh, why'' there...?" Jane was confused.


    "Hello, because he sits ''behind'' you in class ¨C and lately, he is always looking at you a lot" Alicia giggled.


    "What...? He is looking at me? I did ''NOT'' NOTICE THAT?" The blind girl snapped in surprise. "All I can hear is, him ''sighing'' out behind me."


    ... both the girls laughed out ¨C and, Alicia continued to say. "Especially, in Ms Blooms'' Math class when he GETS EASILY FRUSTRATED, Paul''s sighs are pretty ''long.''" Alicia mimicked a long-sigh ¨C both the girls, rolling on the carpet, laughing even more.


    A moment later, Jane said. "I was talking to Paul yesterday." Alicia came beside her, interrupting. "You ''spoke'' to Paul ¨C when¡­?"


    "Yeah yesterday, after you left for music practice ¨C WE TALKED ABOUT PETER," Jane told, and Alicia rolled her eyes.


    ... Alicia does ''not'' really like Peter... because he was rude and obnoxious towards most students ¨C and he was the ''only'' handicap, one-armed boy, who BULLIED HER TOO in school.


    "I heard his inspector-mother came in, to see Principal Harris ¨C after he beat up that boy, from the other class." Said the Chinese girl.


    Blind-Jane nodded. "That is right, Peter is FAMOUS FOR THE ''WRONG'' REASONS these days ¨C but-look, he used to be the junior''s tennis champion of Perth, two years ago, and he made our school SO ''PROUD'' OF HIM, back then ¨C and then, after the road accident, I find him so broken, and slowly sinking-low in life. That is so ''sad.''"


    ... Alicia shrugged. "But Paul, his own twin, turned out ''fine'' ¨C how come Peter can''t do the same, and also ''why'' doesn''t he do it himself ¨C change for the better?"


    Alicia replied, gently kicking Jane''s foot, for Jane''s reply.


    "My observation is that, after the accident, ''no'' one WANTS TO BE HIS FRIEND ¨C that is why he is lonely and angry. He too needs to re-engineer himself, and get a NEW ''PURPOSE'' to live his life, as a handicap."


    "I don''t see the point. What purpose, Janey? You are ''not'' making any drongo-sense."


    "Well look-here, he won the junior championship, when he was 10, right? Then last year, our school played so-so badly, and was knocked out in the early rounds ¨C and this year, I don''t think, we HAVE ''ANYONE'' in Stamford High who will be like a champion like Peter was, 2 years ago."


    "And, your point being...?" Alicia was even more confused.


    "And, maybe he should be the assistant to his tennis coach ¨C and ''TEACH'' OTHERS on how to be a champion." Jane elaborated.


    "So that... he can ''beat'' anyone-up, who don''t perform, with his racquet?" Alicia laughed out again, Jane only smiled.


    "Seriously Alicia, if I ''WANT'' TO LEARN tennis, I want a good teacher to show me how.


    "Who is better, than a champion ''himself,'' teaching me?" In her train-of-thoughts, Jane said, while twiddling her blonde hair.


    "Come-on, ''NOT'' ANYONE can teach."


    "What if I can FIND PETER A PURPOSE, maybe I can ''make'' him to teach his skills to others ¨C I think I can do that!" The blind girl exclaimed. But Alicia still doubted.


    "Way-no-way? That Peter? He is the craziest kid I ever ''known'' in school. Everyone avoids him like the plague mad-cow disease. Also, Peter is a total annoying brat, to anyone he encounters."


    ... now only Jane chuckled, before replying back...


    "Come on Ali, I have trained a dog ¨C and I have trained an AI... and I believe now, that I can train an annoying brat ''too'' ¨C and, finally bring ''out'' THE TEACHER-IN-HIM."


    ... Alicia chuckled and was still ''not'' convinced...


    "Good luck to you on that feat. Remember, just in case...


    "... if he attacks you with a racquet ¨C you know right... you now ''have'' A RETRACTABLE BATON for self-protection?"

 Chapter 5: The Good, the Bad & the Angry

    Chapter 5: The Good, the Bad & the Angry


    <><><>


    THE NEXT DAY WAS WEDNESDAY ¨C and, after class, Peter dragged his feet slowly to the Infirmary, where the counsellor¡¯s office was, to resume his anger-management sessions.


    He ''hated'' going there ¨C and, dreaded the thoughts of adults imposing ''more'' punishment on him, and talking-down on him, WITHOUT LISTENING to his ''side'' of the story.


    "Your mother called yesterday evening, to let me know that you ¡®attacked¡¯ Paul, for eating your pizza. Is that what happened, Peter? Do you want to ''talk'' about it?" Ms King asked.


    "It''s Poe''s fault ¨C err, Paul''s fault he is always, annoying me!"


    "So, you beat him up?"


    "I did not ''beat'' him ¨C I pushed him... and he fell off his tortoise-chair." Peter lied.


    "But 2 months ago, you slapped Paul FOR THE ''FIRST'' TIME ¨C AND, roughen him up in the school canteen. Your mother came then, and we talked at ''same'' Principle Harris'' office ¨C can you remember, that incident?"


    ... it was when his History teacher ''praised'' Paul in class ¨C but had put Peter down for ''not'' studying. Everyone in the classroom laughed.


    "Paul always annoys me! He thinks he is ''BETTER'' THAN ME. He even calls me names, like... moron and stupid."


    "But Peter, you can''t go on ''hitting'' people, who insults and annoys you ¨C that is anti-social behaviour."


    He realized Ms King was using those ''same'' vocabulary, which his mother used, whenever she gave him her long-winded police-school lectures, at home.


    "I''m ''not'' a criminal." He got defensive.


    "I even have spoken, to ''some'' of your teachers this morning, and they said you are still ''not'' cooperating in class, with your studies ¨C ''why'' is that¡­?


    "They still say that all year long, you don''t pay attention in class, ''sometimes'' disruptive, being a nuisance and throw tantrums at them ¨C also, refusing to do your ''homework,'' and the list goes, on and on."


    ... Peter was more-defensive. "Why are you all talking about ''me,'' behind my back?"


    "It is because ''all'' of us ¨C WE WANT TO HELP YOU, Peter. Because we want to help you with your ''poor'' grades. Do you remember what Principle Harris and your mother ''told'' you recently¡­? That you cannot ''play'' tennis any-more unless you study hard from now on. I also remember ''YOU'' AGREEING to it, in the principal''s office, did you ''not?''"


    ... tears flowed in the one-armed boy''s cheek¡­


    "Principal Harris can''t do this to me. You ''all'' can''t do this to me! All I want is to be the ''BEST'' TENNIS PLAYER in the world ¨C I been dreaming this ''true-blue'' dream, since I was 4, that I will be Straya''s youngest world-class player, by the age of 15."


    "That is fine, Peter, you are ''only'' 12 now and you still have 3 more ''long'' years of hard work, to do well in both the classroom ¨C and also, in the tennis court. Go start making some ''small'' daily changes by paying attention in class, and also, by practice hard at your tennis too."


    ... Peter was tongue-tied. His tears fell on his lap and hand ¨C his ''useless'' right hand, that was ''not'' as good as HIS MISSING ARM. He finally looked up at the counsellor.


    "Why can''t I just focus, ''only'' on tennis? I know I can be GOOD AT IT, and soon, be the best again." He was convinced.


    "What does your mother ''say'' about it¡­?" Ms King asked.


    ... he felt the anger, building in his guts.


    "She disapproves everything I say ¨C she does ''NOT'' UNDERSTAND ME, and my dreams! No-one understands my dreams as I do!"


    "That is right ¨C ''no'' one will understand you ¨C ''if'' you keep behaving like a bitter and angry boy, who bullies and beats-up anyone, who GETS IN HIS WAY. These are ''signs'' of mental health disorder ¨C that, you have to ''control,'' by making positive changes to yourself every day."


    He got defensive again¡­


    "So now you ''think,'' I am crazy?"


    "It will lead to it ¨C if you ''don''t'' control it. Listen here, Peter, do you think you can go to the sports academy to represent the country in tennis if you are mentally not well...? The Australian sports council too... has their ''OWN'' PANEL OF DOCTORS and psychiatrist who will diagnose you, and drop-you ''out'' from the academy, if ¨C you are mentally unfit or unstable, by being a dangerous troublemaker, who goes ''around'' hurting others."


    ... Peter became quiet, out of ''that'' fear ¨C he also, felt hurt that everyone was ''still'' punishing him, by steering him ''away'' from his world-class dreams.


    He ''thinks'' he WAS THE VICTIM... of the unfairness of the adult''s world.


    <><>


    THAT SAME WEDNESDAY, Alicia had a final music practice for the term. She will be going to the music studio, and later hang out with Jane. There were still 20 more minutes before, she fiddled her violin with her school orchestra practice¡­


    ¡­ so, she was hanging out with Jane and Paul after class.


    They were excited about their HALF A DAY ''FIELD TRIP,'' after class tomorrow, by visiting a dairy farm in the meadows outside Perth ¨C where, they will be travelling by a few buses to Treeton, with their teachers.


    ... Paul noticed that the 2 girlfriends were ''more'' excited in what they were going to wear on the trip ¨C the school, HAD EXCUSED STUDENTS from wearing their uniforms, and they could dress in casual clothing ¨C the 2 best friends wanted to dress ''alike,'' on that Thursday in school, and later in the field trip.


    Then on-Friday was also the ''last'' day for the midterm before they go on their holiday break.


    The 3 friends were meandering, in the school empty corridors, talking about their plans during the holidays. The 3 Donovan-boys, came running over from behind them and hopped on Paul''s wheelchair. An excited boy exclaimed-out...


    "Hey... it''s fat Ballerina-Paulie ¨C with his 2 weirdo-girlfriends."


    "Get off, you morons!"


    ... Paul yelled ¨C also feeling embarrassed too, that those boys had bullied him, and called him ''names,'' in front of Jane and Alicia. He sighed.


    Alicia pulled and pushed a boy away from the wheelchair and... he ''dropped'' on the floor. Alicia shouted at them...


    "Hey, I ''know'' you 3! I am GOING TO REPORT you all, to Principle Harris!" The boys ran away, laughing.


    In the hustle, Paul''s unzipped backpack dropped ¨C and some of his books, and a file with drawings on papers, were all scattered over the place. Alicia was picking up his things on the floor, while the blind- Jane was ''still'' dazed, by the brief encounter.


    "Wow, Paul ¨C you ''drew'' these...?"


    ¡­ Alicia asked and Paul chucked. "Yes, it is silly ¨C just some conceptual-art, that I researched on the internet. I don''t think the technology is ''ever'' possible."


    ... Alicia described in delight, looking at the artworks. "It''s so cool! Robotic limbs to ''fit'' into a human ¨C it''s kind of like Cyborg, in that Justice League movie, Paul!"


    Paul laughed with Alicia and further blushed. "As I said, it is just ''silly'' drawings I do ¨C I too used to read a lot of comic books."


    ... Jane came over towards their voices... and participated. "Give me that ¨C ''nothing'' in this days-and-age are silly ¨C SIMY, capture."


    The blind girl commanded her AI, as her dark-glasses photographed ¨C she asked Paul''s permission.


    "Paul, ''can'' I send these drawings to Uncle Jack, to have a look¡­? My uncle works for a Japanese billionaire, whose cooperation called Kimura Star, that had built my SIMY device ¨C and also some ''other'' robotic inventions and ¨C I also-heard the good news, from my-uncle, that they have ''already'' built a human-cyborg in America."


    "What...? Way-no-way!" Stupefied, Alicia cried.


    ... Paul too was surprised. "Wow! Really, how was that possible!!?"


    "According to Uncle Jack, she was a federal drug agent, who was ''shot,'' in a speeding car chase, with a drug dealer gang ¨C and then they shot her, with a rocket launcher. It happened a few years ago in, either Ohio or Utah or... somewhere, I am ''not'' sure about that...


    "... but then listen, the agent lady got an arm and one of her legs ''blown'' off and... it was later were replaced by robotic limbs."


    Jane narrated in excitement, where she had also. later did some research on her SIMY online ¨C about that tragic, high-speed car chase and shootout disaster, that ''happened'' in the middle of an American city, killing a lot of pedestrians.


    ... Paul was totally engrossed. "Wow! That is so amazing, that robotic technology has ''now'' be a possible reality ¨C I just ''drew'' those, hoping that my brother will have an ''arm,'' and me ¨C so that, I can ''walk'' again."


    Alicia went over and bent to hug him. "We too hope, and pray, you can walk ''again'' soon, Paul."


    "I hope so too..." Jane said and handed Paul his drawings.


    ... Paul blushed ''more,'' when Jane said that. He replied...


    "Thank you, ''both'' of you ¨C now I feel, there is ''hope.''"


    ... Alicia looked at her Swatch. "I am running late, for my music practice. Hey Paul, after my class, we both are going to Chinatown, to my aunt''s restaurant to eat Dim Sums ¨C you want to grab Uber, and ''join'' us there?"


    Jane giggled. "They serve Taiwanese stinky-tofu too ¨C those are my favourites."


    ... Paul declined. "No, some other time, ''maybe'' ¨C I need to go-check on Pete. My mother wants him, to ''see'' Ms King."


    "You''re ''always'' your brother''s keeper." Grinning, Alicia replied back.


    "Yes... more like a zookeeper." Paul joked.


    ... Alicia laughed aloud, and said her bye and left, and holding onto Jane. Her violin case was strapped on her back, like a machine gun. Paul watched the best-friends walking away, chatting as they stroll. He stayed on, to see them further before Alicia entered the music room.


    Noticing also that, Jane was sitting at the bench outside, communicating with her SIMY.


    He next turned his mobile wheelchair, headed to the Infirmary ¨C where the counsellor''s office was. He saw the door open, and Ms King was at her desk. She looked up...


    "Yes, Paul Walker, what can I do for you?"


    "G''day, Ms King ¨C where is Peter? Did he come...?" He whispered out.


    "Yes... the session ended a few minutes ago. Peter said he is going to the court, for his practice." Paul thanked her and left.


    ... he headed to the main empty corridor, while holding his cellphone, and wanting to call Gary, his Uber driver and later, his mother.


    He glanced at someone ''passing'' ¨C SEEING, BLIND-JANE walking ahead towards the west-wing of the school, where the gym ''was'' ¨C with the outdoor tennis courts.


    .... he double-backed and followed Jane FROM A DISTANCE ¨C stalking her, out of his curiosity.


    -O-


    ... Peter was the ''only'' one, who trained in the empty courts that arvo ¨C while the other players, were ''already'' in their pre-holiday break-mood.


    The Spitfire tennis-ball machine was in shuffle, and Peter worked on his slices in the hardcourt ¨C playing badly with balls mostly obstructed, in the net.


    ... behind the gallery-tier, Paul saw his twin practising, while the blind Jane paced some stairs, descending to the outdoors, towards the green, fenced courts.


    Paul had ''not'' SEEN JANE BEFORE, at the tennis courts ¨C this made him, even ''more'' curious¡­


    ''Why is she here...?''


    Blind-Jane heard the machine in the court, spitting out a ball... and Peter''s grunt, as he hit the ball over. She found a bench, outside the fenced-court, and sat.


    ... her SIMY was in its Observation-mode... and LEARNED THE ''MOVES'' made by Peter, via the camera in her dark-glasses ¨C while Jane sat, snacked on a power-bar candy.


    Paul waited for about 15 minutes, observing both of them, from above. The Spitfire had depleted its 200 balls capacity, he saw his brother squatting on the spot, exhausted in the afternoon heat.


    ... panting, Peter glanced over his shoulder, he saw his classmate, Jane Wilson sitting on the bench, outside the fence, watching on him...


    ''Why is she here...?''


    She was the ''only'' student, in the outdoors that hot-afternoon, after classes. He felt odd, seeing a blind girl watching him. It was even ''weird,'' when the blind-girl acknowledged him.


    "Hi Champ, training hard, I see."


    ''No'' one had CALLED HIM CHAMP, for a long time. A lot of people used to, 2 years ago ¨C even his parents called him ''that,'' back then. That made Peter even ''more'' suspicious...


    ... Jane stood up and walked into the side-gate, and entered the fenced court, where Peter was training. She dragged a basket with wheels, and she then squat-down, picking the tenno-balls on the side of Peter''s net.


    Flabbergasted, Peter stood up and said...


    "Why are you here? What do you ''want...?''"


    ... he rarely spoke to her, because she was ''one'' of Paul''s friends...


    ... Jane smiled. "Nothing for now ¨C and, what do you ''want,'' Champ?"


    He was quiet and thought a bit...


    "That, robot Siri-voiced headphones you wear ¨C it helps you to get answers for exams I ''WANT'' THAT... and where do I buy it?"


    ... Jane laughed, shaking her head. "Sorry, I don''t use SIM-tech, during the ''exams'' ¨C that is cheating ¨C and, I submit my answers in Braille."


    "Don''t give me that BS. I don''t know what''s the ''secret'' is behind the tech, but it is benefiting you well ¨C if that can make me smart, ''without'' any hard work, then I want that tool! Tell me, Jane Wilson, where is it sold?"


    ... Jane laughed even more¡­


    "Sorry, that is ''cheating,'' Peter. My SIMY doesn''t ''work'' that way, it just assists me ¨C and I still have to use my galah-brains to study hard, and to pass the exams."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "I got ''no'' time for that ¨C hey, I can get you $3000, HELP ME, Jane Wilson, I¡¯m desperate here ¨C ''where'' can I get this SIMY...?"


    "Sorry to ''say'' again, Champ ¨C you are still ''wrong'' about how the technology works in studying. IT IS ''NOT'' A MAGIC BULLET, and you still need to do the hard-studying part...


    "... but I got some great news, from my uncle who built the SIMY device ¨C he said they are WORKING ON FUTURE ''MODELS,'' that can help anyone like you sighted people, in learning, and benefit from this tech. It is ''now'' being tested, and modified in the US, and will be in the market next year."


    "I have to wait ''one'' year¡­? That is ''ages,'' I can''t wait that long! Go, ask him, your American uncle might know, ''of-someone'' who knows someone, who happens to ''fence'' that same technology, in the black-market now ¨C he ''should'' know where I can get one. So, Jane Wilson, my final offer is $5000... ''can'' he get it for me ¨C you go and ask him that, okay...?"


    ... he said out, in despondency.


    "My uncle will ''not'' do, those illegal businesses. And also, ''WHAT'' YOU ASKING is the impossible ¨C but if you want ''help'' in your studies, Peter, just ask me ¨C and I will help you...


    "... in fact, your brother Paul had invited Alicia and me, to ''your'' place during this term break, to help him study. You ''can'' join us, if you want."


    ... Peter was quiet... and at the same time was angry, when she mentioned Paul and Alicia''s names...


    ... who were the list of people ''whom'' he ''despised.''


    But he did ''not'' react out badly, AFTER GETTING SOME TIPS from his counsellor, earlier ¨C of listening more and speaking less...


    In silence...


    ... he watched her picking the scattered tennis balls. He too kicked some balls ''over'' to her, and it rolled on the hardcourt, towards her hands.


    "What do I ''owe'' you, if you help me? I''m ''not'' a charity-case, I don''t want any favours, from anyone either ¨C WHAT IS YOUR PRICE, and I''ll ''pay'' you?"


    "I don''t need your money, Champ." Jane giggled. "I''m just a handicap-girl, trying to ''help'' a fellow handicap-boy."


    ... Peter was even ''more'' confused ¨C and on top of it, he was suspicious if his mother and Paul WERE BEHIND IT ¨C in the ''offer,'' that the blind girl was giving-freely...


    He walked up and squatted beside Jane, and picked some balls at the net ¨C he threw them one by one, into the basket, with his one arm. He asked her again...


    "You ''must'' want something, as a trade-off...? ''No'' one does anything, for free any more ¨C what you ''want,'' in return?"


    ... one of the balls that Peter ''threw,'' hit the rim of the basket, bounced and hit Jane''s head.


    "Ouch ¨C If you put it that way then, AS A TRADE-OFF ¨C you ''teach'' me, how to play tennis."


    ... Paul who had been ''hiding'' above ¨C and was watching both Jane and his brother, for almost 20 minutes below, at the court. He can''t hear their conversation AT THAT DISTANCE, just watching their body-languages ¨C he then saw and heard¡­


    ¡­ Peter laughing out aloud now.


    "You must be joking, right¡­? Blind people ''can''t'' play tennis... just like mutes can''t sing karaoke. Do you think, a blind can hit a tenno-ball the size of a fist ¨C hey, we are ''not'' tossing and catching a medicine-ball, over the court here, okay?"


    The also snickering, Jane stood up... and challenged¡­


    "Come¡­ wanna try me, Champ?"


    ... Peter went to her, with his racquet¡­


    "Okay, humour me, here is my racquet ¨C lo-and-behold, it is an expensive Babolat ¨C in other words... don''t break it!"


    ... Peter said, as he dragged the wheeled basket of tennis balls over to the other side of the court, and reloaded the Spitfire.


    In her school-uniform, Jane stood at the other side of the court with the racquet, giving some commands to her AI.


    ... she did some hip twisting warm-up and stretched herself loose, and running on the spot ¨C while, hearing some MORE RIDICULING COMMENTS, from the other side.


    "A blind-girl from SHS playing tennis ¨C this ''one'' must be-a must-see in my bucket-list of things before I croak." He set up the tennis-ball machine''s counter...


    "Ready Player One!"


    ... Peter shouted, and the tennis ball sputtered out in succession over the net. Jane missed hitting the ball, and so did with the next few balls ¨C Peter was hysterical, chuckling aloud, like seeing a comedy slapstick, of a blind making a ''fool'' of herself, running around like a headless chicken... and hitting none of the balls ¨C with him, shouting out to Jane...


    "Look at yourself... do you think it''s ''easy'' to play tennis, hah...? Move right! Where are you bloody going ¨C Tasmania!? You really must be joking with me, right? I took 6 years since the age of 4, to be good-at-it, okay ¨C and it would be dumb if you ''think'' your tech-robot, can-teach-you all of that...!? Hey, the cows are coming home, and yous have ''not'' hit a single ball! Come on, give up Jane Wilson ¨C I say tennis is ''not'' for you...!"


    ... Paul saw Peter... inside the fenced court, humiliating Jane, and then walking over laughing, to the tennis ball machine.


    "Game over...! I''ve ¡®killed¡¯ the machine off ¨C just give up, it is ''not'' a shame that you can''t ''cheat'' the law of nature, this time around with your high-tech headphones ¨C like you yourself said just now... ''studying is hard effort'' ¨C well ¨C I say... that playing tennis, is ''even'' harder!"


    ... Jane stopped to catch her breath. Peter was still talking ''down'' at her, from the other side.


    "Yeah, give up! I have a new offer for you, Jane Wilson ¨C I PAY YOU $10 AN HOUR, for you to teach me anything-at-all, in my studies ¨C is that a ''deal...?''"


    Still panting, blind-Jane voiced-out with irritation, over at the one-armed show-off¡­


    "You Peter, can you just bloody shut-up? You''re making me ''lose'' focus ¨C I can''t follow my SIMY''s instructions, with you-drongo yelling over there!" She made Peter laugh, even more, teasing her¡­


    "Is that ''your'' excuse? Aww, you poor thing... but you said, you wanted to learn to play tennis."


    He stood at the machine AND HEARD JANE CALLING out...


    "Turn the machine back ''on'' ¨C and you, zip it-up there!"


    "Okay, let me at least be the laugh-track to your blind-bat, comedy show." He switched the machine on again¡­


    ¡­ she missed again¡­ and hitting the second ball into the net. Peter guffawed out.


    "Jane, go 3 paces north-east ¨C tenno-approaching, 5 o''clock ¨C hit now!"


    ... the ball went over the net¡­


    ¡­ so did the 4th ball, ''not'' a perfect hit, but an acceptable effort for a blind beginner. Soon Jane was focused and was hitting most of the balls with more ease over ¨C instinctively, coordinating her moves, with the AI''s instructions.


    ¡­ both Peter and Paul saw Jane missed a few balls, that went wide sideways ¨C but, the blind girl delivered'' MOST,'' OF THE BALLS OVER the net.


    ... even Peter stopped laughing ¨C and gasped at the athletic, blind girl''s moving in effortlessness, running around the court, anticipating the next ball, and slamming it over.


    ... Peter even noticed that JANE, WAS A LEFT-HANDER ¨C like he ''once'' was before, 2 years ago ¨C where he had-lost ¨C that good dominant arm.


    He switched-off the Spitfire machine, and ran over to Jane, by hopping over the net...


    ... Peter held her hand, with the racquet. He also, used his right foot and tapped Jane''s left foot, and poking her back, with his finger.


    He gave her SOME PRO-TIPS¡­


    "You hold the racquet properly like this ¨C place your feet this way, or else you will be caught flat-footed. Bend over, don''t run like an ostrich with your back straight... and you will gain ''more'' reach. Remember ''how'' you hold the racquet. You can use two hands like this, and you dig hard, like this."


    The one-armed boy was behind her, in close proximity, holding her over close, like ''how'' Alicia did ¨C when she demonstrated HOW TO USE, a retractable baton for self-defence...


    ... Paul stood afar, seeing both Jane and his brother, with his stump-arm on her shoulder from the back, sharing a joke, both laughing out...


    ... he watched a few seconds more in spite, before he excessively sighed...


    ... and rode off away in his WHEELCHAIR...


    ... FEELING jealous.


    <>


    ALICIA CAME OUT OF THE SCHOOL''S MUSIC STUDIO, from her final practice, of the mid-term. While chatting with the fellow music students, she noticed the bench outside was empty ¨C JANE WAS ''NOT'' THERE, waiting for her.


    Meanwhile¡­


    ¡­ Paul ''hid'' in the library ¨C brooding over thoughts, that Jane was now friends to his brother, and played tennis with him. He had to come up with a plan to GET HER BACK, back into his circle. He ''knew'' that Alicia would be taking Jane, for high tea in Chinatown later.


    ... Paul Walker rolled out from the library, on his wheelchair. He intentionally bumped into Alicia, who was waiting in the corridor, strapped her violin case on her back like a rifle. She was holding her cellphone, earbud-phones hooked up to K-pop.


    "Pauly, what are you still doing here?"


    "I was in the library. Where is Jane...?" Paul ''pretended.''


    "I don''t know ¨C reckon somewhere ¨C let me call her. We are going for some dim sums ¨C hey Paul, want to ''join'' us?"


    "Gnarly, why-not, I''m kind of hungry too ¨C give me a head start here, and let me call my Uber-cab. Just give me the GPS on the location in Chinatown, and I ''see'' you both there." He waved and left in a hurry.


    "Okay, see you there in a bit," Alicia said, while Paul rolled away to the exit ramp, in his motorized wheelchair.


    <><>


    ALTHOUGH PAUL LEFT THE SCHOOL EARLIER than them, but ...


    ... he arrived a little later in Chinatown. Jane and Alicia Wong were, in her aunt''s restaurant ¨C and, were just in time to order steaming dim sums and other, finger food.


    ... Paul sat across the 2 girls. He noticed that the blind-Jane was in an eccentric rapt-mood ¨C and speaking out loud-and-fast, about her first-time experience of playing tennis, with Peter. He did ''not'' speak much, but was an active listener.


    He occasionally ''pretended'' to be stoked-excited for Jane ¨C as he actively gathered information, about WHAT-WENT-ON ¨C for that 20 minutes, at the court earlier.


    ... Alicia joked about Peter being hot-tempered, and at times unpredictable in the court. Even PAUL, ''CAUTIONED'' JANE ¨C and told her to inform him, if his twin misbehaved, so, that he can bring it up to his inspector-mother.


    Then the order of the dim sum came, in small baskets to their table. While enjoying her favourite Taiwanese stinky-tofu, Jane still can''t stop talking about tennis... and her plans for ''mastering'' the basics of playing tennis, during their school holidays.


    Paul did ''not'' eat much because he was shy to do so, in front of his friends ¨C who had invited him out for the ''first'' time...


    ... he was ALSO¡­ ''NOT'' GOOD, in eating with chopsticks...


    ... 2 of the dim sums fell on his lap, and on the tabletop. He-then-soon stabbed the soft-textured food, with the wooden sticks ends like a toothpick, to get an-even more grip to eat ¨C but, the soft dumpling''s outer skin broke into pieces, and fell all over his small plate.


    The crippled boy got bored, when the conversation was ''ALL'' ABOUT PETER-AND-TENNIS ¨C so he excused himself, and took an Uber back home.


    <><>


    PAUL JUST GOT HOME FROM CHINATOWN.


    Home alone...


    ... his mother and twin were ''not'' there ¨C in the 6 roomed, double-storied-house... which his late father... who was an architect ¨C had built.


    He used to have his own spacious corner room upstairs ¨C but after he was paralyzed, he had lived in a single room downstairs, for his wheelchair conveniences.


    ¡­ but he still missed ''dancing'' to his radio, in HIS FORMER UPSTAIRS ROOM, with the panoramic view, with curtains drawn.


    He spent less time, in his present smaller, WINDOWLESS ROOM... that he now stayed in, and utilizing it only for ¨C his sleeping and his dressing purposes.


    His favourite place in that big, and half-empty house ¨C was the kitchen counter in the middle ¨C which faced the IKEA dining table, and with the huge fridge at his rear. But the kitchen counter was hardly utilized now, with his mother, hardly-cooked at home ¨C and was always busy, at work in the police station. Thus¡­


    ¡­ the handicap-brothers order takeaways meals delivered to the doorstep.


    Paul was parked at his favourite usual spot, at the kitchen counter because the bread toaster and sandwich griller, was on the marbled countertop.


    His mother had WARNED HIM ''NOT'' TO USE THE HOT STOVE, because it was too high for him, to reach to cook or to deep-fry ¨C but, sometimes he craved for french-fries ¨C that was stashed, frozen and neglected, in the ''freezer.''


    He wanted to continue to play his Nova 3 videogame, on his smartphone for a couple of hours, till his mother got back home, in the late evening. He wanted to level-up fast each day, in the game''s missions and beat the game by the ''end'' of the school holidays.


    But, all these ''focus'' in lost-time, would make him HUNGRY IN-BETWEEN, in those long and engaging hours ¨C so, he wanted to fix ''some'' grilled sandwiches, before he started playing the adventurous, shooting videogame.


    He remembered the ''EAT HEALTH'' POSTER in the school canteen ¨C with a food pyramid ¨C with lots of pictures of his favourite meats, bread and dairy in it. This evening¡­


    ¡­ he decided to fix himself some of his favourite food, and eat a ''healthy'' meal.


    ¡­ Paul usually ate 6 slices of white bread for dinner, which were 3 sets of grilled sangers.


    So, he fixed a healthy ¨C cheese and tomato sandwich, as his appetizer ¨C and a big double cheese, and lots of ham in the next sandwich, for his main course...


    ... finally, for his dessert, it was a grilled sandwich with single cheese with a thick chocolate Nutella spread, sprinkled with a fistful of M&Ms...


    ... the sandwich griller was slightly smoky, oozing with burnt spillage ¨C and the kitchen counter and school uniform he wore was a mess when he finally made his ''version'' of a healthy meal. He wanted to clean up the grill later when it cooled ¨C and, he zoomed into playing his NOVA 3 videogame.


    The front door opened in a bit, and Peter walked in, unconsciously cheerful and in high-spirits rapt ¨C laughing to himself. When Peter looked at Paul, and he stopped smiling. He rushed and opened the front door again, exclaiming...


    "What''s burning in here, Poe...? Did you barbeque the neighbour''s cat?"


    Paul ignored him and went to the fridge, and reached out to a can of coke. He turned back to Peter and said...


    "Hey Pete, you want to know will be perfect ¨C FRENCH-FRIES ¨C do you mind frying some for the both of us?"


    Peter declined¡­


    "Nah... I''m ''not'' hungry. In fact, I had some burgers with your girlfriends ¨C Janey and her Pekingese-pet Wong."


    ¡­ Paul''s jaw dropped when he heard ''that.''


    "You met up with them¡­? How?" Paul asked, at once.


    Also, he ¡®only¡¯ heard Alicia, calling JANE-AS-JANEY IN SCHOOL ¨C even he-himself doesn''t call her that ¨C but, Peter ''now''... called her Janey too.


    "I met those 2 weirdos in Maccas when I ate there, just now. They stopped by, to get a coke, probably they ate too ''much'' MSG."


    ... Peter laughed and came to the counter, and drank from Paul''s coke.


    He winked. "I then invited Janey over... while Wong was in the line, ordering her coke. Then, Janey said she was still hungry, and I gave her my ''other'' burger from my tray. We both ate, and we talked about the tennis practice, I gave earlier."


    Peter drank more coke and burped...


    "By the way, I''m now Janey''s personal tennis ''coach,'' during this school holidays, and she will be following me always, in my training. It''s my strategic move, in return ¨C where I will get some ''favours'' from her MWAH-HA-HA-HAH!"


    ... Peter ''faked'' a villain''s laugh.


    The poker-faced Paul pretended, TO LISTEN TO HIM ¨C after, knowing the facts earlier, from the dim-sum restaurant.


    "Seriously... you are Jane''s personal coach?"


    Asked Paul, but wanted to dig into more info. "How is ''that'' possible...? She is completely blind."


    ... Peter then laughed...


    "Yeah-Crickey, that''s what I thought so too ¨C but, that AI that she hooked up on her head, it is giving the ''instructions'' to hit. That is fascinating, and ¨C I got an ''eye'' on that device too."


    He gave a short snicker...


    "That is the ''plan,'' Poe ¨C BE HER COACH, and get one of her AI ''prototypes,'' from her uncle." Peter drank more of Paul''s coke and bragged. "In the land of the blind, the ''one-armed bandit'' is king. But yeah, today... it''s just the first ''day'' of my-Jedi training¨C and my ¡®padawan¡¯ is still a work in progress. Then soon, the actual ''tests'' begins."


    ... Paul was silent for a bit, ''not'' to react with his poker-face before he said. "I''ve invited her and Alicia over here too, during the holidays. We will be revising some school work, for the next term."


    "Yes, my dear-Paul, I ''know'' about that, and they ''mentioned'' that too ¨C I also know, they invited you to Chinatown just now, yea...? I heard too, that you made a ''big'' mess on the table while eating over there."


    Paul''s eyes bulged out. " Whaa!? Did they ''say'' that?"


    ... Peter chuckled hard, to see Paul''s shocked face.


    "Nope-mate, they don''t have to, bro. But, I HAVE ''KNOWN'' YOU since the dawn-of-times, you don''t have table manners in you, Poe ¨C and you simply got no finesse, my Godzilla brother of-my-same-mother ¨C and you eat fast, like a greed pig, and you always spill food from the plate, you fat slob ¨C and then you pick it up from the tabletop and eat that too.


    ¡°Hey¡­ LOOK AT ME, hey, I got only ''one'' single arm but yet, I can eat without messing the table up."


    ... Peter was in stitches and he guffawed out.


    "Shut up, Peter!" Paul was angry.


    Peter came closer to him, still sniggering. "Well, you just ate in Chinatown an hour ago... and ''now,'' look at you, my big-big-little bro ¨C oh-ho-boy, you are going to bloody plaster yourself ¡®more¡¯ once again, with these 3 sets of sandwiches?"


    ... Paul rationalized...


    "It was Chinese food ¨C I get hungry fast-eating it."


    "Is that so, fatso...? Let''s go on, and upgrade your order here ¨C do you still want some fries with it, Sir...?"


    Peter ruffled Paul''s hair¡­ and the tormenting got him even madder...


    "Don''t touch me, Pete! I''m warning you...!"


    "Is that so, Mommy''s boy...?"


    "Bloody get lost!"


    Paul shouted. Peter retreated and laughing ¨C walked towards his room upstairs, and turning his head, pointing to say.


    "Hey, you, ''rat'' ¨C I''m ''STILL-WATCHING'' you."


    ... Paul sat alone at the counter thinking about Peter having burgers and sharing jokes at McDonald''s with Jane ¨C Jane was having a ''GOOD'' TIME with him, like ¡®when¡¯ in the tennis court.


    His tummy rumbled its chorus at the thought of ''them'' eating McDonald''s together, and he was still mad. He reached and picked up the larger, grilled-ham and cheese sandwich from the plate, and took a ''huge'' bite. He chewed and swallowed fast, before biting more in spite, more than he could swallow.


    ¡­ Paul then ''choked''...


    ... he realized Peter had FINISHED HIS COKE¡­


    ¡­and he knocked the empty can by swinging at it, it rolled over the countertop. Slapping his chest, and breathing hard, and he choked ''more''...


    ... he spun his wheels towards the jug of water by the kitchen sink. He drank straight from the jug, swallowed hard, snorting out water from his nostrils, and spilling more water over his school uniform... coughing...


    ... Paul HAD ''LOST'' HIS appetite that evening.


    He came back angry to the kitchen counter, and picked his plate and dumped, the 3 sandwiches in the trash bin.


    He too left the messed-up kitchen and headed to his own windowless room ...


    ... to dwell on, even more...


    ... of the saga, of Pete and Janey.

 Chapter 6: A Field Trip Gone Wrong

    Chapter 6: A Field Trip Gone Wrong


    <><><>


    IT WAS CASUAL WEAR THURSDAY AT STAMFORD HIGH''S field trip day, happening later that afternoon. That morning, Peter Walker walked down the school corridor. He wore a dark Sergio Tacchini tennis sportswear-jacket, Nike cap, and black H&M skinny-jeans and Fila runners. He dragged his feet...


    ... as his sports-shoes were tight, and needed a size 10, for his growing feet.


    At the lobby, it was like a TWEEN FASHION SHOW PARADE, that morning ¨C where students were in a hangout like it was a mall.


    As Peter walked along, some-dag students were stepping aside and made ''less'' eye contact with him. He then heard another-bogan shouted from his back, ''one-armed bandit'' ¨C and, followed by laughter from some boys...


    ... he was like an outcast stranger over there, having NO ''REAL'' FRIENDS in that school...


    ... but Peter ignored everyone and went ahead to look at the notice board. His eyes were searching the list of students in his class, who were going on the field trip later.


    His heart skipped a beat, with that moment in joy, when he saw his NAME, ''NOT'' THERE in the list...


    ... he then heard an adult voice, calling him from behind ¨C he turned to see Mrs Ann Burnell, the discipline teacher and also SHS''s VP...


    "Peter, where, is your brother-Paul?"


    Peter shrugged off. "Blimey, how would I know...? So, excuse me... Mrs Burnell and my name is ''not'' here which means¡­ I don''t have to go on the bus-ride trip, yeah?"


    He asked, pointing at the list on the notice board.


    "You and your brother, are both are travelling in a DIFFERENT GROUP, and ''not'' in the 4 buses."


    "What group...?" Peter was suspicious of her.


    "Principle Harris has arranged a van, for you both, to go there."


    "In that case, LET ME GO IN THE BUS, and let-Paul go in the van, by himself."


    ... Mrs Burnell''s voice was firm¡­


    "No... Principle Harris gave me some specific instructions, that ''you'' will go with the Methodist church''s handicap van ¨C because it has ''space'' for Paul''s wheelchair."


    The discipline teacher turned and walked away, towards the classrooms ¨C WHILE PETER, looked in horror...


    ... he slowly walked to his classroom, by following the VP, who-was ahead. She entered the class''s front door, while he used the 2nd rear door. He saw the room of classmates, in their colourful casual-wear... rather than in their regular green-toned school uniforms.


    From the back of the class, he then saw the discipline teacher, speaking to his brother Paul and Alicia ahead.


    ... Peter was distracted by a voice calling him, from his side. He turned to see Jane Wilson wearing a marine blue jacket with hoodie, bearing their school initials, S.H.S. ¨C and wearing bright pink tracky-daks below, and black basketball-sneakers.


    The blind-girl sounded excited...


    "Hi Champ, I am coming in the van, with ''you.''"


    ... Peter still looked dazed, walked away and sat at his desk, at the rear end of the class. He was quiet.


    The one-armed boy recalled a run-in, he had with his mother last night, that he did ''not'' want to go on this dairy farm field trip ¨C which, he told her that it would be ''boring,'' and a waste of his time...


    ... but his inspector-mother forced his attendance... by saying that ''WHEREVER'' PAUL went, he should go with him. Then, Paul cajoled his angry mother, that he would buy lots of cheese back home from the trip, to the dairy farm...


    ... she then gave him some money ¨C while the angry Peter ran-upstairs, shouted out ''good night''... and, entered his room, slamming the door-hard.


    <><>


    HIS RUNNERS WERE KILLING HIM... as he dragged his foot when he walked over to the Infirmary.


    After 2 periods, in his class with light revisions, the third period was a free period ¨C for students to get ready to go, on their field trip. Everyone was getting excited about THEIR BUS-RIDE visit, and others were even-more excited, about their mid-term break holiday plans. But, during the free period, Peter had a face-to-face ''session,'' with his councillor, Diane King for half an hour.


    ... he had a heavy-heart... when he entered her office and slammed the door. Diane King looked up from her lappy, on her table.


    "G'' day Peter, I thought you won''t come?"


    "Strewth, do I have a bloody-choice here...?"


    ... he sighed and slumped on the sofa.


    "What is bothering you today?"


    "I don''t want to go to that bloody-cow farm! It is all a consumer ploy ¨C to make them buy their products, in their visits-there. And, me fat-bogan brother will be doing just that, just because he eats lots of grilled sangers at home, and my mother gave him money for that too, which means ¨Cshe would ''not'' let me order pizza, for dinner." He rambled on.


    The Indigenous Australian woman smiled, noticing his clothing. "You are all dressed-up smart in your best sportswear ¨C so, ''where'' would you rather go, Peter?"


    "O-yeah, I would rather go to a slaughterhouse, and see ''where'' my juicy steaks come from. I need the protein to be a strong athlete but, my mother doesn''t understand that too ¨C because she became a new-age hippie vegetarian. But thank-god... she lets me eat what I want."


    She laughed¡­


    "You are funny today, Peter. But you can''t get upset for some-things that you can''t control of. The school had organized this field trip, and EVERYONE IS ''GOING,'' and you should join them too.


    "It would be fun, maybe you can ''learn'' some things outside, of what you study in the classroom."


    ... Peter disagreed¡­


    "What is there to learn, but it crack-the-shit outta me of stupid cows secreting bodily fluids... and they make consumer-products out of it!!?"


    He felt hot, adjusting THE COLLAR OF his track jacket...


    "That is funny."


    She laughed again, recalling back seeing-at the ''exploding'' fingers-gesture shown by the one-armed Peter.


    "That is ''not'' funny, Miss King! Why am I being humiliated-here, ''when'' I''m taken over there? Principle Harris is making me take the bloody-handicap van, instead of the bus to go there. Hah! Everybody will laugh at me if I go in that stupid-van¡­huh, is this-funny and an idea for fun...?


    "... it is TOTALLY'' SHAMEFUL...!"


    ... Peter kicked his feet-up, at an ''imaginary'' Principle Harris standing-in front...


    ... Peter fumed and felt uncomfortable, wearing his zipped-up track jacket. HE ZIPPED IT DOWN... he was wearing a black, Babolat brand t-shirt beneath and ¨C revealing too¡­


    ¡­ a ''tribal necklet'' WHICH-HE WORE¡­


    ¡­ which strung a small ancient metal coin, a shiny red gemstone, a thumb-sized wood, and a carnivorous animal''s fang tooth.


    Counsellor Diane King stood up at once, SEEING THE AMULET he wore, exclaiming...


    "...THAT THING you are wearing ¨C ''where'' did you GET IT FROM¡­!!?"


    "This¡­? Aww! It was a ''gift'' ¨C I got AFTER BECOMING CHAMPION, some years back."


    "That is the TALISMAN OF ASMODEUS ¨C and... IT IS ''CURSED...!''"


    ...Peter protested. "NO, IT''S ''NOT'' ¨C this amulet has been me good luck charm since I got it."


    "No! The Sakhr is ''cursed,'' Peter ¨C it''s forged from the Ring of Aandaleeb and those who wore it, will bear THE ''CURSE'' OF TERRIBLE EVENTS... that happened in their lives who wore ''it.'' That scourge thing MUST BE DESTROYED!"


    "Destroyed¡­? NO WAY! I reckon ''not'' know, which bloody-version of The Lord of the Rings movie-subtitles, you watched it in, but YOU ARE ''WRONG'' ¨C it''s MY GOOD LUCK CHARM ¨C and I''m keeping it!"


    "Peter, ''who'' gave it to you?"


    "Someone... a man ¨C I can''t remember, he ''gave'' it to me ¨C he must have BEEN MY FAN, back then."


    "The Fiqitush is truly a dangerous weapon ¨C and YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN ''CURSED,'' ever since you got it! See it for yourself ¨C the terrible accident, and YOU LOST YOUR ARM ¨C and your father died ''too'' on that day!"


    ... Peter was mad, and he stood up, pointing at the woman...


    "You look here, Ms King ¨C you making fun of me for your hee-how laugh-about, and that I can ''tolerate¡¯ ¨C but don''t you ever say ANY ''BAD'' THINGS ABOUT MY LATE FATHER! This thing is serious ¨C and I want to tell my mother on this, and she too will ''not'' be pleased about what you just-had bloody said! I would bloody-make sure SHE WILL GET YOU FIRED from this school, and they will deport you somewhere far away woop-woop, like New Zealand ¨C and you can go ''there''... and make-up your-own Lord of the Aandaleeb Rings-bullshit ''stories,'' gone far away over-there!"


    "Peter, I am serious too ¨C YOU ''GIVE'' ME THAT TALISMAN NOW...!"


    ... Peter saw Ms King''s eyes ''shone'' out, in bright luminous green. He freaked out and bolted from her office. The frightened one-armed BOY RAN AWAY, hollering from the Infirmary... and her voice then was echoing orders, from behind him.


    "Peter, come back here now!"


    <>


    PETER WALKER RAN FAST. HE NEEDED TO HIDE somewhere from that ¨C creature, or whatever it ''was'' ¨C which had the glowing, bright green eyes...


    ... which might hunt him next.


    He ran on the busy corridor ¨C passing by scores of students meandering-along in their casual-wear, during their free 3rd class period. He knew ''only'' one place, where he can safely hide.


    ... he locked himself in the boy''s room toilet stall ¨C his heart still pounding hard, and he sank to sit on the dunny ¨C nattering to himself, by processing ''what'' had just happened...


    ¡®... would Mom ''believe'' me...?¡¯


    She would ''never'' believe him ¨C HER OWN FLESH AND BLOOD ¨C while she rather trusted that creature, Ms King, more, because his mother had been ''fooled'' by it before ¨C probably it had mind-controlled her, to make phone calls behind his back, to report on his ''behaviour'' at home.


    ... Principle Harris too must be some sort of alien creature. He-too was ''SOME-HOW'' INVOLVED, with his horde of shape-shifter teachers ¨C who were there ...


    ... every-day to ''control,'' and punish him more in school ¨C just because they were disguised as ''adults'' in their-world ¨C in which, he had ''no'' control of being heard or reason with, by their domineering nature.


    The paranoid, panic attack faded, after a few moments, and he breathes shallow ¨C now thinking, on what the glowing green-eyed alien creature ''said'' just now. He touched the necklet, that he wore below his jacket.


    ... he recalled it-saying, the talisman was ''CURSED'' AND DANGEROUS ¨C and it-reckoned, it even ''killed'' his father.


    But all he wanted to do was to only go play tennis, and be the ''best'' at it, and ¨C going-on, to proudly play for Australia. He had succeeded at it 2 years ago ¨C and that made his father ''proud,'' by being a junior champion, before the accident.


    If it was cursed, ''who'' bloody gave it to him...?


    -O-


    ... he was only 10 years old...


    ... when ¡®that¡¯ fame came into his-world ¨C and the label ''prot¨¦g¨¦'' hung over his head like a halo, when he BRAVED THAT WORLD ¨C and even challenged adults to match-up with him... via his YouTube channel challenge...


    .. everyone was impressed at his WINNING ''STREAK,'' and placed money bets on his behalf ¨C rewards of cash and other perks too came, with local store-retailers who wanted him to wear their sponsored brands of teen sportswear. And, swing-their trademarks-rackets in his viral videos,


    ¡­but back then... what he ''CRAVED''...


    ... was the attention and love, that his true-blue fans showered him, in his weekend popularity matches in the clay court. They bought him, Paul and his ''camera crew'' fast food. Some gave extraordinary and personal ''gifts'' to him ¨C like a senior old man who was in his 90s, who had given his antique tennis racquet from the WW2 era...


    ... and, another woman, who was an artist, presented a canvas art of him, swinging his racquet LIKE HIS ''IDOL'' McEnroe.


    ... Peter sat up ¨C as he RECALLED ''WHO'' HAD GIVEN him the talisman...


    ... it was in a bad day that ''day,'' and he lost a rematch with an 18-year-old ¨C and also lost $200 that evening, from personal bets, he had placed on himself ¨C if he would-had ''won,'' it was ''triple,'' as the underdog.


    A thin and tall Black man, named Hajji, approached him. He had dreadlocked braided hair. He spoke with an African accent, Nigerian probably ¨C who, ...


    ... had befriended him when he was ''feeling down,'' after his lost his-match, that evening...


    The man said as the ''gift'' of his true fan, HE HAD A GIFT-JUJU, that he got from his homeland ¨C which will bring him good luck, and fortune in his ''journey,'' to be the next country''s top tennis player.


    -O-


    ... Peter sat up in the dunny again...


    ... when a loud PA system called out ¨C for all students ¨C to come to the waiting buses at the school''s parking lot. His still sat on the toilet bowl for another 15 minutes¡­


    ¡­ hearing more silence outside the toilet stall. He presumed THE BUSES HAD ALREADY LEFT. His heart then-jumped, when the PA blared again, with the next communication...


    "ANNOUNCEMENT ¨C STUDENT PETER WALKER ¨C PLEASE COME TO ASSEMBLE IN THE SCHOOL''S PARKING LOT, YOUR TRANSPORTATION IS HERE."


    He was afraid to come out of his hiding.


    ... Peter at once cursed Paul ¨C whose wheelchair, had ''made'' him to travel in the handicap van.


    He finally picked-up his courage, peeked-out, and left the stall ¨C he was ready to bust out of the school''s main door ...


    ... and, would bolt-out away fast, ''if'' that-green glowing-eyed alien, confronted him outside.


    <>


    PETER RAN OUT OF THE SCHOOL MAIN DOOR to the empty parking lot. The 4 buses were gone. He saw ahead, Paul, Jane and Alicia were under a tree shade. He cried out to his twin ¨C and Paul rolled towards him in his motorized wheelchair, responding back...


    "What...?"


    ... Peter met him halfway, who was panting and acting-paranoid like that he had just been chased by a killer psycho...


    "Poe! Poe, her eyes glowed ''green'' ¨C I noticed it before, and I thought then, it was some contact lens she wore ¨C but today, it shone green, like a ''dog'' at night... while it''s-still ''daytime'' now!"


    The one-armed boy rambled away, and, Paul was more confused...


    "... who...? What''re talking about?"


    "The bloody school-counsellor woman, Ms King! She must be an alien or sort. Shit! Even had the nerve ¨C to even insult Dad, that he was ''cursed'' to die ¨C I''m going to complain her to Mom once at home!" The one-armed Peter was-pointing back at the school building.


    "What you ''do'' now...? Are you in trouble?" Paul probed.


    "No! I did ''not'' do anything. She was bloody-hunting me ¨C so I ran and hid."


    ... Peter responded, as he gazed up above to the school windows, for any alien-creature lurking-out, like in a videogame. Peter spoke again...


    "Why are we bloody still here? I thought we were going ''visiting,'' some of your pet cows."


    ... Peter wanted to get far away, from there.


    A white minivan came, horn slightly hooted. A friendly, large, burly driver in his late 50''s alighted and introduced himself, as Mr John Hart ¨C he politely apologized for being late, because he was pumping air to his tires, at the petrol station earlier.


    The girls then walked up to the van, and Mr Hart promised to get them all, to the dairy farm destination on-time, although the other buses that had left.


    ... Mr Hart was decently dressed, but the boys noticed tattoos on his forearm ¨C the man told he was a retired military man, from the Australian Armed Forces.


    The van''s side door had imprinted sign, that it was a Methodist Church vehicle, and Peter stared at it and muttered softly. "I''m Catholic, I should ''not'' be even riding in that."


    He turned to someone calling from the rear. "Hey Champ... ''where'' were you...?"


    ... it was Jane ¨C and Alicia Wong.


    "Why are ''you'' in this group...?" He asked, with suspicion. The Chinese girl responded. "Mrs Burnell told... I should accompany Janey."


    ... Jane chorused. "Ali is my partner, in the field trip ¨C your buddy-partner is Pauly."


    ... Peter made a face and then saw the ex-army man carrying Paul, from his wheelchair to the front seat. Peter looked at his watch and said to hurry-up.


    "Watch your back, Mr Hart ¨C he is heavy, my brother dear is. You need a crane, to haul his fat ass-up, Sir..."


    "Shut up, Peter!" Paul cried back, noticing everyone else was smiling, at the laughing Peter.


    Peter got into the rear seat, just like in his classroom ¨C kicking off his tight shoes, and sat alone.


    ... Jane and Alicia were in matching fashion, sat together in the middle row seat.


    Mr Hart then placed the wheelchair at the back compartment. The pious driver returned, he then said a brief prayer, before he started the ignition.


    The white van left the parking lot, with Peter still staring over behind... cautious for any alien creatures, jumping out of the woodwork.


    ... everyone was quiet, in the first 5 minutes. Jane whispered to Alicia. "I''m so tired and sleepy." Alicia made the blind girl, lay her head on her lap. Jane removed her SIMY headset. Alicia then got busy ¨C and, SHE WAS BRAIDING Jane''s bushy blond hair.


    ... Mr Hart then spoke. "Don''t mind, I play us some music?"


    Peter echoed from the rear. "As long, it''s ''not'' some trumpet playing band."


    Mr Hart played some gospel music, in his CD stereo.


    Paul, who was seated beside ¨C recognized the singer and exclaimed. "Is that Elvis?"


    Mr Hart was impressed with the 12-year-old and praised him. "You know Elvis...? I''m surprised a boy you age, these days, knowing a ''music'' of yesterday."


    ... Peter exclaimed. "Who is this Elvis...? Is he Australian like Kevin Parker... of Tame Impala...?"


    Paul rallied back louder, correcting him...


    "He is American, you dummy! Elvis is the King of Rock and Roll, you moron! If you don''t know music, just shut-up back there!"


    "What King of Rock and Roll, your-fatso-arse...? I know music ¨C what about Acca-Dacca, you drongo? ACDC is rock and roll of ''yesterday'' ¨C and, they''re Australian too!"


    ... Paul ''sighed,'' DEEP-AND-LOUD ¨C both the girls giggled aloud ''hearing'' it.


    "Okay, we put that, to a test here, we confirm with a music ''expert'' in the van hey Alicia, what can you say about Elvis?" Paul asked. While braiding Jane''s hair, the Chinese tween looked up...


    "Who is El Vis...? Is he a South American?"


    The baffled Alicia replied, and that made Paul face-palm. Even the sleepy, Jane Wilson chorused out...


    "Is he famous...?"


    ... Peter laughed out. "No Janey, he is ''not!'' None of us-all ''heard'' of him ¨C Hasta la vista Poe, case closed."


    The driver laughed aloud, listening on the young-minds bantering.


    ... Paul said back, in a disappointed tone. "I thought you ''know'' music, Alicia."


    Alicia shrugged. "Not everything... I know ''only'' classical music. The rest of the time, I listen to some Chinese songs and K-pop."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Like Jackie Chan, right?" Peter added. Alicia replied to him. "No, silly ¨C Chan is an actor. But Jackie Chung, is a singer, from my mother''s time."


    "Whatever," Peter said, and everyone was quiet once again.


    ... Mr Hart glanced at ''both'' the brothers, one beside him, and the other ¨C through his rear-view mirror. He said to them...


    "Do you know Elvis had a twin-brother too, by name of Jessie Garon Presley? But so-unfortunately, Jessie the ''elder'' twin, died a stillborn."


    ... Peter voiced back. "''Not'' in my family, we got good genes. I''M A FIRSTBORN, and ''this'' hungry fat Paul, tried to eat me in my mother''s womb ¨C and he began to chew my ass-on me... but I got away fast, and was born 2 minutes ahead of him. But I know, deep down in the depth of his fat tummy, sits a ''lost and found department'' with my umbilical cord still in it."


    Everyone laughed, except for Paul.


    ... Paul was sour...


    "Go ahead, TALK NONSENSE, and laugh all you want ¨C ''every day,'' you learn nothing."


    Peter snapped back. "Screwth! What is there to learn? I''m ''not'' someone who has the ''time,'' to read something trivial on the internet, just to impress his girlfriends here ¨C and also his dear Mommy, back home. So, by the way, what have ''you'' learned today, O-my brother Paul?"


    ... Alicia cupped the sleeping Jane''s ear and whispered in it. "Janey, I think ''both'' of them, are trying to impress you." Jane boxed her thigh, also giggling and saying. "Noo!"


    "Unlike-you, I learn something every day... like in this conversation ''here''... with Mr Hart ¨C I now know Elvis had a ''twin'' brother, who died."


    "Oh yeah Paul, go learn even ''more,'' like Stephen Hawkins ¨C you both end-up have big brains, and short legs."


    ... Paul saw in the driver''s RVM... and he saw Jane at the back, covering her mouth, sniggering to everything that Peter said.


    "Hey, some respect here, you-Bogan ¨C don''t ''insult'' dead people."


    "Oh yeah Poe, Elvis'' twin-dying is fascinating to you, yea...? But here I am, learning the ''secret'' mystery of how did Stephen Hawkins ''had'' a daughter...? The man was practically was paralyzed in all parts of his body... and he ''talks'' by pushing some sort of joystick, with his face cheek. Now, my genius brother ¨C ''how'' did he get a daughter...?"


    Everyone laughed out, Paul was furious ¨C and wished The Methodist driver, Mr Hart would stop the van, to go-slap Peter, in his two cheeks instead.


    ... Peter was on the roll. "No worries Poe-pee-Poe, I got your-back ¨C when the-time ''comes''... I will get you your blue-pills. That''s what bigger-twin-brothers are for..."


    Again, everyone laughed, Paul was totally embarrassed.


    "Stop making dirty jokes in a church van ¨C I will tell Mom about it when we get ''home'' later!"


    Everyone, including Peter, laughed even more.


    ... Alicia voiced out. "Is this ''how'' you-2, fight at home¡­?" Everyone laughed again...


    ... except for the bashful Paul.


    Everyone was back to quiet again, listening to Elvis, crooning Gospel songs in the stereo ¨C they were half-way in their ''journey,'' of the hour-long ride, to the dairy farm...


    ... it made Peter think ''back'' of the incident, that happened in school earlier. Did the alien creature in the meantime, had ''called'' his mother, to give some ''FAKE'' NARRATIVES, to punish him more?


    He needed to ''know'' that, and also make an impression to his inspector-mother, that things were ''fine'' ¨C and that, HE WAS NOW IN THE ''RIDE,'' in the Methodist van, that took them to ''visit'' the dairy farm ¨C which he had ''refused'' to-go last night.


    So, he text-tweet her, in his smartphone...


    ''Mom, wen U las tym tuk me shopping? My shoes r tight n I nid 2 buy 2 pair of shuz. Deposit $300 2 my acc. I buy cheep online.''


    After 5 minutes his mother tweeted...


    ''Y U nid 2 pairs? Y $300? I can buy 4 prs wit tht ¨C 2 4U n'' 2 4Poe.''


    ... Peter immediately replied to her...


    ''Poe don nid nu dancing shuz. QUALITY MOM, I wan gd tenis shuez dat can las.''


    After a long 10 minutes wait, she tweeted back...


    ''<sigh> M busy. V tok abt dis wen @ home 2nite.''


    <>


    EVERYONE LAZED IN THAT AFTERNOON van ride ¨C except for Paul and Mr Hart ¨C who was explaining military weapons, his division army tattoos on his arms, and his combat experience in the first-Gulf War.


    ... Paul too participated-by saying... that his ''pee-paw'' grandfather Walker... was in WW2 in the Pacific-war, fighting the Japs...


    Then... Paul was asking the war-veteran ''about'' weapons-he-used... in his shooting, NOVA 3 videogames.


    ... Peter looked out of the window, bored at the endless grass fields, on both sides of the road. He saw the girls quiet, in the middle seat ¨C he did ''not'' speak to them much...


    ... unlike at the tennis court and McDonald''s yesterday. He acted like-a silent-one... looking ''cool'' in, his expensive sports attire.


    Finally, they arrived at the dairy farm, outside Treeton...


    ... the place welcomed visitors with its advertisements of products, mainly their Cheddar, Romano and Havarti cheeses, in the road billboards. There were also the public statement claims, where the cows were grass-fed, in the organic maintained pasture.


    Peter looked horrified, as the van passed a ''green'' Volvo, in the dairy farm''s visitors parking bay ¨C he froze, when he saw his counsellor, Diane King, alighting from her old car. The van proceeded further in and parked along with the 4 earlier buses... that had dropped off the SHS''s students.


    The white van arrived late. All the students and teacher were in the main dairy building, far ahead.


    The van''s automatic side door opened, and the girls were first to get off the minivan...


    ... Jane stepped out, SPOTTING A NEW HAIR-DO, with 3 thick-dreadlocks of her blond hair, braided on the right side of her face. The auto rear-door opened ¨C Mr Hart came to get Paul''s wheelchair out. Peter finally spoke out...with only-Paul in the van with him. His voice was rambling in panic again, like from in school earlier...


    "Poe, ''she'' is here! She is looking for me! I''m dead!"


    ... Paul shouted, after the hour of humiliation¡­


    "NOW WHAT!"


    "That alien-eyed Ms King, you fool! SHE ''NOW'' FOUND ME ¨C she will hunt me, and ''take'' what she wants IS MINE ¨C my Lucky Charm!!!"


    "You, and YOUR STUPID NONSENSE ¨C I will tell Mom if you find ''excuses'' of don''t go up, to that dairy farm with us!"


    ... Peter jumped out the van, angry, and spoke out at Paul''s window...


    "Bloody Oath! I''m GOING ALRIGHT but ''not'' with you ¨C I can''t bloody wait for you, till you set your-big bloody butt into ''your'' tortoise buggy. I''m joining the class over there... and I NEED TO HIDE TOO from ''that'' crazy adult who is coming after-me...!"


    The anxious Peter bumped into Alicia''s back.


    "Hey-Peter, where are you going? You are supposed to BE WITH PAUL!"


    "Bugger-off, Chinatown Wong!"


    The confused Mr Hart saw him running ahead when he lifted Paul to his wheelchair¡­


    ¡°HEY-YOU, COME BACK!!!¡±


    -O-


    The sky darkened, AND IT DRIZZLED...


    ... the girls pulled-up their jacket hoodie. Paul too had a built-in hard-shell, plastic brolly-shed, extended from his wheelchair up, which looked oval dome ¨C like a tortoise-shell.


    ... Peter ran up in the drizzle, on the pavement, that led to the farm building, 300 meters away ¨C ahead, he noticed hundreds of cows grazing in the large compound with enclosed wooden fences, on both sides of the path that he ran on.


    ... the clouds got darker, with thunderclaps afar.


    "Paul...why is Peter running...?" Blind-Jane approached him.


    "I don''t know ¨C he was talking, crazy-and-stupid just now, then he bolted."


    ¡­ Paul said back... seeing his twin had run half-way over. The winds blew strong... and it got darker...


    ... Peter was nearing the main building. He slowed when a bolt of snaking lightning from above and struck the pavement ahead of him. The terrified-Peter brake-stopped...


    ... to see another lightning bolt hitting, the path again from his rear.


    He froze in fright, to see a 3rd lightning, hit the grass on his right and ¨C scaring the cattle.


    Those tweens in the parking-lot... realized that Peter was in ''danger'' of being struck by lightning...


    ... they heard his screams afar... seeing him run on the grass, in the left-side of the walking path. The distressed cows were mooing wild and were running in circles in their fences. Another lightning struck the grass behind Peter, who shrieked out...


    ¡­ CALLING-OUT FOR HELP...


    ... Paul finally voiced out. "The idiot is in danger. I will go get him!"


    But Alicia protested...


    "No, Pauly ¨C don''t go!"


    But HE WENT ANYWAY. Switching the controls on his wheelchair to max-speed, and he sped on the pathway ahead¡­


    "I got this!"


    ... Paul despite being humiliated in the entire journey over, now, WANTED TO ''PROVE'' that Peter was the useless jerk ¨C who needed to be rescued. He wanted to prove, he was the ''heroic'' twin, in the ''eyes'' of Jane and Alicia.


    "Paul, don''t go!" Alicia warned again, but he left them behind... she then, heard Jane behind her.


    "SIMY, ''guide'' me ¨C I will follow Paul!"


    "No Jane, the chances of you getting HIT BY LIGHTNING, on an open field is great!"


    "Shut up, I''m running!" Alicia saw the blind girl ordered the AI.


    "Janey, no!"


    Soon...


    ... Alicia too went running after Jane.


    <>


    THE SKY GREW DARK AS NIGHT. The veteran, Mr John Hart stood around speechless and helpless, by his white van...


    ... seeing the 2 girls running ahead ¨C chasing Paul... who rode-fast in his mobile wheelchair who in return, was wanting to rescue his one-armed twin, in the harsh and freaky thunderstorm.


    The ex-army man could ''not'' run over ¨C and protect them as HE HAD WISHED for ¨C due to his injuries... suffered from the Gulf War, that he fought years ago...


    ... but he gimped quickly towards the farm-building, reciting his prayers, which accompanied by the chorusing loud, exploding thunder. Mr Hart wanting to reach in ''time'' over...


    ¡­ to rescue the handicapped children in danger.


    -O-


    IT THEN RAINED HARD with darkening clouds silhouetted, by multiple streaks of lightings, striking the meadow ground below. Peter ran-along the fenced cattle-compound...


    ... and he sometimes ''froze-still,'' when the next bolt struck-close ¨C in that chaotic and terrifying moment...


    ... he shirked out when he witnessed LIGHTNING STRIKING some of the panicking, running cows ¨C and electrocuting some, that fell dead.


    ... Paul braved the rain with his umbrella-shed buggy, speeding on the concrete pavement, looking out on the left of the meadow, where Peter was heading. Paul heard his name been called from his back...


    ... and saw Jane, running up from 50 meters. He then manoeuvred the wheelchair, on the uneven, wet pasture, shouting back...


    "Jane, go back!"


    His chair raced in the bumpy downhill, towards Peter, who-was halfway at the fenced enclosure. Paul then saw up-close of the horror, of cows gone ''wild,'' as they stampede over each other¡­


    ¡­ fighting and goring one another...


    ... in desperation... to leap out of the fence.


    And, it was bloody-too...


    ... Paul realized he had bitten on a big task-end, which was something he could ''not'' swallow ¨C just like a sandwich ¨C and HE ''CHOKED'' in fright, witnessing the horror up-close...


    ¡­ of the crazy cattle running around ...


    ... and getting-further close, as he saw some cows getting stuck ''down'' by-lightning into carcasses


    ... before his eyes...


    ... but, the crippled boy, braved on...


    -O-


    Blind-Jane ignored Alicia''s calls, echoing behind the sounds, of thunderclaps. She ran from the wet concrete path... to the grass on the left. She chased the direction-where Paul headed, but did ''not'' get far...


    ... and the blind-girl slipped downhill...


    ... she-then regained her composure ¨C and was relieved, that her AI headset hung-on, her newly braided, wet dreadlocks. She wore it back...


    ... and stood, shouting at the heavy blowing wind...


    "SIMY, ''where'' IS PAUL...?"


    "30 meters ahead, North-east ¨C JANE, BE CAREFUL!"


    -O-


    Peter hollered out again when lightning hit closer at his rear. He ran ahead zigzagging to anticipate, dodging the next hit. The crazy moos-deafened. The distressed cattle, in the pen nearby him, were thrashing their ''heads'' away-bloody, to break the wooden fences-down.


    He gazed-up, to see a CLUSTER OF DARK CLOUDS following him...


    ... dispersing bright lightning in all directions, striking angry on the ground... and occasionally random-killing of the terrified running cows.


    ... Peter yowled in-fear, and ran-helter-skelter again.


    ... Paul too saw the BLACK CLOUDS ABOVE, when he had approached the muddy lane, that separated the cattle-fences. He saw Peter running ahead...


    ... and he too raced to ''catch'' up... shouting-out...


    "... stop running... you moron...!"


    ... while witnessing also, the endless lightning darting-in, and hitting various parts of the meadow¡­


    ¡­ it seems, the lightning was like shepherd-dogs rounding-up the fleeing cows into a bottle-neck, to break the fencing¡­


    ¡­ where Peter was¡­


    -O-


    Jane reached, and stood by the fences, panting... SIMY alerted, after looking by the lens on her dark-glasses.


    "TURN BACK JANE ¨C it''s a ''horrific'' situation ahead ¨C with animals COMMITTING SUICIDE, and KILLING ONE ANOTHER!"


    " NO! I''M A BLIND-GIRL and I don''t ''care'' ¨C please, ''FOCUS'' SIMY ¨C take ''me'' to Peter and Paul!"


    The girl who had been BLIND SINCE HER BIRTH... had ''not'' seen what-horror-was, that the AI alerted her-of ¨C so... she ignored it...


    ... she then RAN ''AHEAD,'' to the danger zone.


    -O-


    Peter ran in the muddy-path ground, losing one of his tight Fila shoes in it. The winds too had blown away, his Nike cap earlier.


    ... he realized the black-clouds were still present ''above'' him ¨C and SENSED ITS EVIL BREWING, and stalking to kill him...


    ... he had before-long, remembered of the cursed Talisman of Asmodeus, which Ms King, his counsellor HAD WARNED HIM about.


    ... with his only one arm, Peter SNATCHED THE CURSED NECKLET OFF, below his jacket ¨C and soon enough, a lightning bolt struck almost near his muddy socked-foot, throwing him back sloshing in the filth.


    Soon hell broke loose...


    ... the mad dairy-cows, had trashed down the wooden barricade fence, with dozens of survived dairy cows with blood, smeared on their furs...


    ... stampede to escape...


    ... on the rainy ground, Peter saw more than a score of cows, with eyes-bulging in terror, running towards him...


    ... hollering...


    ... he managed to only, DROP ON HIS KNEES, anticipating to his demise of being trampled to his death, from the fast running beasts.


    Raising that one arm and shielded his face, with THE CLUTCHED TALISMAN ¨C he yowled out, still on his knees.


    Then...


    ... the gemstone of the talisman GLOWED BLOOD RED...


    ... the helter-skelter beasts were freaked out, by the ''red'' light ¨C and they trampled-over among themselves, back-diving to halt, and retreat. The cattle ran back fast, with tails between their legs, to the ''other'' side and ¨C Peter saw the red glow in his hand. He laughed in total relief...


    "Oh blimey-yeah...hahaha, you Lil'' Ripper, my ''lucky'' charm, yeah!"


    He then heard Paul''s distressed, voice calling out. Peter''s jaw dropped, sensing the ''crazy'' cows were heading towards Paul...


    ... to STAMPEDE HIS-TWIN instead...


    ... Peter realized, that...


    ... the TALISMAN WAS INDEED CURSED.


    -O-


    HELL BROKE AGAIN...


    ... Paul saw 20-over cows, racing over at him, while he was still speeding AHEAD-ON on-his motorized wheelchair in the mud. He ''switched'' control, reversing the chair before U-IE wheelie...


    ... to make a ''drift'' doughnut-move, on the sludgy surface.


    ... but Paul was slow, in the Bulls-on-Parade run...


    The first cow hit Paul...


    ... on the right-side of the motored wheelchair, and he spun around like Ballerina-Paulie ¨C then, the next cow hit him on the left side of the chair, the wheels skid over and hit another cow on the right, which kicked him ''hard'' in the rear of the wheelchair...


    ...soon HE WAS PINBALLING ABOUT, with the other cows, that followed bumping-on him about...


    ... then-the last dairy cattle on the run, was Godzilla huge...


    ... it ran straight at him ¨C and strangely, the animal wanted to be that ''graceful,'' as leaping hippo of that was in a Disney''s animation that Paul had watched-on-telly, when he was little with Mommy, on the couch ¨C with the bored-sleeping Peter...


    ... it ''leapt'' in mid-air, and then, TIME SLOWED DOWN ¨C but, gravity kicked in ''fast'' ...


    ... and the beast was descending down ¨C and was ''about'' to crash on the wheelchair''s oval umbrella-shed shell, above Paul''s head...


    ... he thought he ''saw'' an eclipse ¨C and... with Mommy, reading¡­


    ¡­ ''halfway'' was through a nursery rhyme, in his head ¨C that went ...


    ... ''the cow jumped over the moon.''


    Before saying his ''last'' prayer ¨C Paul Walker did one ''last'' daring exploit ala Tom Cruise¡¯s M.I-Hollywood''s leap-off-a-speeding car-stunt attempt, to safe himself.


    The belly-landing move saved his ''life'' ¨C and he thought of the POV ''comparisons'' of car crashes of videogames ¨C with his ''own'' escape, which was also equally dramatic too.


    Thinking a brief flashback-second of the moment of him... ''escaping'' the cow''s fat hind-legs kicking on the chair ¨C ''instead'' his face or chest ¨Cwhich would have been ''ugly'' for-him. Then, he belly-dived and with him thrown off, rolling on the sludgy grounds ¨C and also, seeing ''ahead'' the tripped fat-dairy cow, ''not'' gracefully, rolling twice face down over, landing hard on the motorized wheelchair.


    ... Paul saw the portly cow, roused up on its feet, dazed... with one of its leg ''stuck'' to the chair-rim ¨C it dragged to release and failed. The motorized fallen chair was ''still'' pulling it from the other side ¨C spattering mud over, with the wedged-leg of the mooing helpless fat-cow, which followed the dragging machine, like being led by its master...


    He was also glad, with assurance, that his wheelchair was battery-operated, ''not'' petrol combustion ¨C meaning, there was ''no'' Hollywood-explosion that followed ¨C and that made Paul thankful... the dairy cow was spared and ''safe''...


    -O-


    But it was still ''not'' all safe, at the other side of hell...


    Jane FROZE AND STOOD still. Thunder cracked loud, above her...


    "Steady Jane ¨C about 20 cows ARE HEADING OVER to you ¨C run 15 steps North, and stop ¨C crab 4 steps East ¨C GO NOW, FAST!"


    The blind-tween dashed over head-on, ''towards'' the running frightened-cows ¨C following instructions of her AI...


    "FASTER JANE!"


    Her feet sloshed harder on the mud, running faster and, the blind-girl dodging-east into the fence, to avoid the nearing cows, in a nick of time. But another erratic cow came-in her way...


    "DANGER...! Run 5 pace diagonal North West now ¨C and DIVE ''DOWN'' FAST!"


    ... Jane avoided being trampled on by 2 cows running side-by-side, and she ran diagonal but ''instead of diving ''down'' as per AI-instructed ¨C the blind-girl, ''leapt''... and somersaulted over ¨C before flop skidded, on the slippery mud...


    ... SHE WAS SAFE...


    ... when all the cows galloped away from her-rear...


    -O-


    IN ''REAL'' TIME...


    ¡­the gawking-Peter had just in 15 seconds... WITNESSED ''HOW'' both Paul and Jane managed to save themselves, from the fleeing mad-cows, in the teeming rain...


    He saw the red-glowing talisman, that he still held...


    ... it was pure evil.


    <>


    AS HER BUDDY-PARTNER ON THE FIELD TRIP, the terrified Alicia Wong did ''not'' pursue, running after her best-friend Jane.


    The thunderstorm was still brewing in the darkening skies, with heavy winds blowing ¨C while, the Chinese tween ''hid'' down under-some trees... crouching in fear in the grass, which was closer to the concrete pathway.


    ... she heard a man''s voice calling...


    "Girl...!"


    It followed by bangs of deafening thunder...


    ... the terrified Alicia glanced over, from where she was squatting ¨C to ''see'' Mr Hart the van driver, walking-over fast in the rain. He was calling out to her ¨C and the frightened girl ran over, to the adult for safety...


    ... a streak of lightning hit the treetops ¨C and a hewn heavy branch, ''fell'' over from above...


    ... Mr Hart pushed Alicia from harm''s way but, he was stuck hard instead. The Chinese girl screamed out, in ''more'' fear and RAN AWAY, AHEAD ''towards''...


    ... where Jane and the 2 Walker-boys were, at the cattle fences.


    -O-


    PETER SAW PAUL, 10 meters away crawling on his elbow, and the cripple was calling out his name. Further away was blind-Jane sitting on the muddy ground, disorientated by her narrow-escape.


    ...Peter stood up from his knees, still holding the red-glowing talisman in his single ''palm'' ¨C gazing the black, murky clouds suspended above. The talisman was heating up, warming his palm, and shone redder.


    Peter wanted TO GET ''RID,'' AND FREE himself of its ''evil'' curse, which-intention of wanted to kill, and ¨C ''had'' killed ¨C whoever ''close'' to him...


    ... Peter turned-back, and used all his ''might'' of his only arm ¨C TO FLING, THE CURSED necklet, over into the dark-meadow behind. But-in an instance...


    ... the black clouds sniped a ''bolt'' of lightning, at the flung talisman in mid-air ¨C REBOUNDING IT, by arrowing the cursed piece, ''back'' to Peter...


    ... the one-armed twin screamed ¨C AND IN REFLEX, he placed his ''arm'' out to shield his face. The hot glowing talisman-darted, and bonded back into his ''PALM'' ...


    ... IT SCARRED-BURNED RED...


    ... Peter dropped back on his back, with throbbing pain... growing ''up'' in his one arm. It burned¡­


    ¡­ '' but'' FELT ICY-COLD ...


    ... his arm was freezing cold, with-his head numbed, and he was about to pass-out ¨C but heard...


    ... Paul''s voice, still calling out...


    -O-


    ... eyes closed, he felt sandpaper ''rough'' surface, coming along his face, and ears, with hot air puffing.


    Peter thought Paul crawled over and was ¡¯touching'' his face...


    "Poe...?"


    ... in pain, he struggled to open his eyes, only to jump away...


    ... seeing large nostrils, flaring up-close to his face.


    A dairy brown COW WAS LICKING his face. He howled back...


    "Shoo...! Bloody back-off, you-rib-eye ¨C I''m ''not'' hungry yet!"


    The growing agony-grew, when he gritted his teeth and forced himself up from the mud. The throbbing discomfort from his hand and head prevailed towards his chest. He limped forward...


    ... like a reaching-out zombie... to meet Paul halfway...


    ... raising his only arm, with the SHINING ''RED'' GLEAMING GEM, stuck in the centre of his palm skin...


    ...Paul on his belly looked up ¨C and saw his twin brother approaching like a walking dead, carrying a ''glowing'' red lantern in the dark¡­


    ¡°¡­ Poe¡­ Poe¡­


    "¡­ Poe! Help me...! I can''t get it-off my hand ¨C it''s ''stuck,'' Poe! I have ''only'' one hand, and I don''t wanna ''lose'' my hand...!"


    Peter said, staggering over, to his cripple brother in the mud, before he dropped on his knees.


    ... Paul looked scared, of the menacing red light in his palm... and he backed away. He shrilled...


    "Get away from me!"


    ... Peter''s blood-red, glowing palm reached out closer ¨C and Paul caught his ''single'' wrist with his both hands while hearing his twin demanding in anger...


    "IT HURTS...! GET IT ''OFF,'' YOU FOOL...!"


    "NO... get away from-meee...!"


    ... Peter wrestled-back from above, when he was ''denied'' ¨C and, angry Peter wanting to grab his face. At close...


    ...Paul saw PETER HAD ''DEMONIC'' EYES¡­


    ¡­ reflecting red, as...


    ... the glowing gemstone.


    -O-


    Jane who sprained her leg heard sounds of struggle...


    "What is GOING ON, SIMY...?"


    "Paul and Peter are ON THE GROUND, top of one another, 15 meters ahead ¨C it is either Paul is HAVING SEIZURES or ¨C Peter is TRYING TO ''KILL'' Paul!"


    In the beating rain, Peter was shivering, in both cold and ''agony''...


    ... and as the stronger-twin strangled Paul... choking him hard, with the red-hot gem at his throat...


    ... it burnt-in...


    ... the blind girl dashed over, wobbling in the muddy path. She HEARD 2 VOICES...


    ... one choking to death, and the-other snarling feral.


    She dove on the twins, GRABBED THE ATTACKER''S HAND from the victim''s throat, prying it away...


    "NO, PETER!"


    She screamed out... HEAVING ''OFF'' his stronger one-arm...


    ... and then, ''another'' lightning bolt zapped down below... and ''STRUCK'' THE 3 handicapped children...


    ... Peter''s hand came off Paul''s throat, as he was thrown away ¨C but, his free ''palm'' ...


    ... smacked on Jane''s FOREHEAD ...


    ... BEFOREHAND ¨C when the-3-of-them all rolled apart, ''separated'' from one another ¨C TO-LAY UNCONSCIOUS... from the aftershock.


    -O-


    The skies soon-cleared, and the killer storm fast subsided by vaporizing above. The weaker sun came out again, gradually that drizzling afternoon.


    "Janey! Janey!"


    ... Alicia came running over, shouting out Jane''s name.


    She found her BFF unconscious, with the twins beside. She reached fast ¨C and removed, and tossed away the ''burning'' SIMY headset ¨C that had FRIED AND SMOKED, from the ''group'' electrocution.


    ¡­ Alicia tapped her palms on Jane''s wet hair, on her partially burnt dreadlocks.


    Alicia who-was still in a panic state, and then ran off away, TO GET HELP from her ''teachers'' ... sheltering themselves from the electric-storm, in the main dairy building.


    -O-


    The 3-tweens sprawled-still in the mud and SOMEONE THEN APPROACHED. The Australian indigenous student-counsellor appeared with a brolly ¨C and saw ''Peter'' out cold...


    The cursed talisman, ''disintegrated'' to red residue-ashes, in his single-hand... and ''scarred'' his palm. Ms King dusted the residue off from Peter''s marked palm... and shook her head, murmuring to-herself...


    "If ''only'' you had listened..."


    Her eyes blazed ''green'' light... to see the rest of the unfortunate children, all-too were ''SCARRED'' BY THE EVIL GEMSTONE, and woman repeated...


    "If only you had ''listened¡¯..."


    There was sadness in her voice tone... when she said that and left them... and self-admitting...


    "SeeIn... I have... FAILED OUR ''MISSION''...


    "... all 3 of them are-all ''now-equally'' cursed by the Sakhr."


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