《We the People Are Good to Eat》 1 / "More Meat to Eat" 1 ¡°More Meat to Eat¡± At 7:37 AM, on the 1378th Level of the City Building of Manhattan, thousands of people moved along the West 55th Street Corridor, going east from the 9th Avenue to the 8th Avenue corridor. Many teenage students walked among them, heading toward their local Public High School; HS L-1378-55, which stood between 8th and 7th. As the crowd moved along, they went past an enormous advertising billboard, displaying a photographed line of full figured Warrior Women dressed in bikinis, while armed with swords and spears. Shrunken human heads were tied on their belts. Superimposed above them, across the top of the photo, was the slogan, ¡°Paradise Meats. Healthy Tasty Treats¡± Louise Torelli, a dark haired senior who wore glasses, walked beside tall, blonde, Alyce Vanderland. Like all their classmates, both girls carried their personal edu-computers. They also wore the lightweight school jackets, and knee length skirts, along with a pair of shrunken heads on each of their belts. As they walked along beside the poster of the women warriors, Alyce began to sing. ¡°We are the Warrior Girls! We¡®re brave and deadly pearls!¡± Louise joined in the song. ¡°Angels of Death at play, When in Combat Games we slay! ¡°We kill with sword and spear! When we¡¯re killed we show no fear, While we help supply the meat, For everyone to cook and eat!¡± Louise told Alyce, "I''m not sure if I want to join the Warrior Girls Squad this year. Now that I''ve got that college scholarship, I''ve got something more to look forward to than being packaged meat." Alyce asked, "Then why don''t you try out for cheerleader with me?" "Me?" Louise laughed. "A cheerleader?" "Much less risk of getting killed. They only hang one cheerleader a game, and that''s only from the losing team. Besides, it''s a great way to meet guys." "Forget it Alyce. I had enough of being a team''s girlfriend, when I was a warrior girl. The next time for me''ll be with a guy who thinks I''m special." "But if you''re not on either the warrior squad, or the cheerleaders, you and your family won''t get those extra rations." "Me and my family have decided that my getting into college is worth the sacrifice. I won''t look as sexy, or get as many dates, but no one in my family will starve." Half a block behind them, 17 year old Karen Bennet moved with the crowd. She was dressed in a lightweight, dark green jacket, with the words "HS L-1378-55", printed in yellow on the back. She also wore a light blue skirt, hanging to her knees. Like all the other students in the crowd, the hungry, blonde Karen carried her educomputer, and like many of them, she also had a pair of shrunken human heads tied on her belt. She was about halfway down the block, when her steady boyfriend David Krendell came up beside her. ¡°Hey Karen!¡± He was irritated. Like most of the people in the City Building of Manhattan, he was a little thin and his energy level was low. She was also thin and not very energetic. A daily ration of sausages and meat patties was allocated for each citizen, but the portions were small. Karen was annoyed. "Hi Dave." "I hear¡± he accused ¡°you''re planning to try out for cheerleader?" She snapped at him. ¡°Since I already fought on the Warrior Girls Squad last year, I¡¯m now qualified to join the cheerleaders. All cheerleaders and their families receive triple rations for the entire season, just like the warrior girls. Why not?" "You might be the cheerleader who gets hanged, after we lose a game." "The extra rations will improve the health of me and my whole family for the entire season. Isn''t that worth the risk?" ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t have to take that risk at all.¡± She sighed, ¡°And I wish you weren¡¯t such a wimp, Dave.¡± "I¡¯m not being a wimp.¡± He told her, ¡°The extra rations are intended to make the cheerleaders fill out, so they''ll look sexy, instead of unhealthy." She laughed, "You''ve got a complaint about that?" "The girls on the cheerleading squad are expected to do it with every guy on the Warrior Team. I''m the Team''s equipment handler, so I know everything that goes on. I want you to be my girlfriend alone. Not the entire Team''s." "I know what''ll be expected of me, and I don''t see the point of me being a well fed, sexy cheerleader, if I''m not a team girlfriend. They''re the girls who have all the fun." "What about me?" She groaned. "You''re too much of a wimp, and not all that much fun." Karen stepped away from Dave. Two months later, a population trimming and meat harvest combat game was being held in the gymnasium of Public High School L-1378-55. The warrior guys and girls on the H.S. L-1378-55 team, fought to the death, against the guys and girls on the Warrior Team from the L-879-27 Jihadist Religious Academy. Both teams were armed with swords or spears, and circular shields. Blood dripped from their blades and from their shields. The Jihadist Statement of Faith contained the Declaration: ¡°We are God fearing people who worship God with human sacrifices. We observe Combat Games as Sacred Rites of Sacrificial Worship.¡± On the sidelines, the H.S. L-1378-55 Band played the ancient melody, of the Notre Dame Fight song, while members of the alumni tried to remember the words to their Alma Mater''s version. "Fight! Fight-for Fifty-five High! Thirteen-seven-eight, Fifty-Five-High! Uhm...Uhm..." Karen Bennett was among the H. S. L-1378-55 cheerleaders, who wore tight, green and yellow tee shirts, and very short skirts. They leapt high while whirling about, waving their green and yellow pompoms, and chanting. "Jimmy Haskins--He''s our man! If he can''t do it--Landis can! Larry Landis--He''s our man! If he can''t do it--Patterson can! Mike Patterson--He''s our man! If he can''t do it--Denski can! Sarah Denski--She''s our gal! If she can''t do..." The seats were filled with cheering students and faculty from both schools. Whenever an H.S. L-1378-55 team blade cut deep, through a Jihadist Academy Warrior, the fans in the home team bleachers cheered. The Jihadist fans cheered, whenever one of their blades impaled an H.S. L-1378-55 guy or girl. Whenever a Warrior Guy or Girl was killed, the one who killed him or her shouted, "Welcome to Paradise!¡± Warrior guys and girls from both teams lay dead or wounded on the gym floor. Dave Krendell sat in the gymnasium''s home team seats, with Louise Torelli beside him. Dave would be taking her to the Homecoming Dance that night. This afternoon, Dave''s attention was not on the home team in their dark green and yellow uniforms, or the visitors in the red and blue. Dave Krendell''s attention was on Karen Bennett. Louise sat beside him thinking. He still wants to do it with his ex-girlfriend. He doesn''t look at me that way; so you can keep it in your pants tonight Davey. The Scoreboard displayed: KILLS WOUNDS GOALS VISITORS:__17__|_______28______|______3______| HOME:_____12__|_______31______|______3______| Whenever any team member fell dead or wounded, the number on the scoreboard, under ''Kills" or "Wounds", increased by 1. On the opposite side of the gym, the Jihadist Academy Cheerleaders waved their black and red pompoms and chanted. "Seventeen Killed! More meat to eat! Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!But we''re not thrilled! More meat to eat! See that score! More meat to eat! We want more! More meat to eat!" Each goal consisted of a pair of fifteen-foot high vertical posts, standing five feet apart, connected by a horizontal bar across the top. Mike Patterson and Sarah Denski stood together, blocking the H.S. L-1378-55 goal post. They both were armed with swords and shields. Mike fought a warrior guy, who was equally armed. Sarah fought a warrior girl, who also fought with a sword and shield. Sarah got her sword around the girl''s shield, plunging it deep through her left breast. The girl cried out. Then she laughed. "You''re still not gonna win!" Sarah told her, "Welcome to Paradise!¡± The Jihadist Academy girl fell dead and the home team''s kill score rose to 13. In the seats, the home team fans cheered. Along the H.S. L-1378-55 sideline, Cheerleaders, Alyce Vanderland and Karen Bennet stood beside each other. Alyce waved her hand out toward the fighting. She asked, ¡°Did you see how Francine just got herself killed? She kept her shield down. That was so careless.¡± ¡°Francine wasn¡¯t being careless.¡± Karen told her, ¡°She deliberately got herself killed ¡®cause she was pregnant. That¡¯s the right way to handle it. That¡¯s how I¡¯d handle it.¡± Alyce smirked. ¡°Then she was careless.¡± The girl hesitated. ¡°No. She got the same mandatory implant that we all get. So what happened? Did her implant break? That does happen every now and then.¡± ¡°No. You see, she was a Catholic girl. They have the freedom to choose not to receive the implant, on Religious grounds.¡± ¡°Then good for her. She made sure she really would be welcomed into Paradise. On the other hand, if she was pregnant and Catholic she might have a problem.¡± ¡°Well I attend a Presbyterian Church.¡± Karen said, ¡°I¡¯ve accepted Christ as Savior. That¡¯s all anyone really needs to enter Paradise.¡± Both girls returned their attention to the action out on the Gym floor. Mike Patterson''s opponent stabbed his sword through Mike''s ribs; and shouted, "Welcome to Paradise!¡± Then Mike Patterson fell dead, and his opponent ran through the home team''s goal post. On the scoreboard, the visitors'' Kill number rose to 18. The Goal score was now, VISITORS:..4 HOME:........3 A loud groan rose from the home team''s fans. In the cheerleading squad, Alyce Vanderland said, "Oh crap! Mike Patterson''s just been killed. Now I don''t have a date for tonight. I can''t show up alone." There was less than one minute left to play and the coach had decided to let the clock run out. On the opposite side of the gym, a loud victorious cheer rose from the fans in the Jihadist Team''s seats. The visiting cheerleaders'' voices echoed the victory chant. "Now we''ve won the game! More meat to eat! Bet they''re sorry we came! More meat to eat! Now they''ll hang their bitch! More meat to eat! ''til the whore can''t twitch! More meat to eat!" Karen Bennett called out to the other cheerleaders. "Forget the Game! One of us''ll still be crowned as Homecoming Queen tonight!" Alyce told her, "That''s easy for you to say Karen. Your date hasn''t just had a kill scored off him, just six hours before the Dance. Now I''m not gonna have anyone to bring me to the Dance, or do it with me afterward." "It''s all part of being a cheerleader Alyce." Now the time had come for one of the losing team''s cheerleaders to be hanged. Mrs. Ramierez, the cheerleaders'' faculty advisor, now approached the squad. The firmly built, full figured, God fearing Jihadist woman, wore a tight tee shirt and shorts. She carried a closed carton box, with strings hanging over the edge. The girls quieted down, and began trembling. Then the girls gathered around Mrs. Ramierez. One at a time, each girl took hold of one string, and drew it out of the box. Each string had an empty noose tied on the opposite end. Karen took hold of one string, and drew out a cheerleader doll with the noose around its neck. Karen began to tremble. The other girls all looked relieved. She thought; I¡¯m going to die now. Be brave. Die brave. I¡¯ve accepted Christ as Savior. I¡¯m going to Paradise The H.S. L-1378.55 warrior team had come to the sideline. They now approached Karen, with blood dripping from their swords, spears and shields. She stood still, fearlessly waiting for them with her hands at her side. She told them. "I''m ready." Karen then walked across the gym floor between two warriors, Jimmy Haskins and Larry Landis, stepping around the bodies of dead warrior guys and girls from both teams. They escorted her to the home team goal post, where a rope with a noose had been tossed over the horizontal bar, and was dangling at shoulder height. She thought; I¡¯m going to be killed, cooked and eaten. It¡¯s the right thing to do. I¡¯m going to Paradise. Larry and Jimmy stood beside Karen inside the goal post. She faced out across the gym floor, while every warrior on the H.S. L-1378-55 team, every visiting team member, both cheerleading squads, faculty advisors, and officials from both schools, all gathered around the goal post. This is part of being a warrior girl. She thought, I¡¯ve killed other warriors. They died brave, and are now in Paradise. I¡¯ll die just as brave. I¡¯ll be in Paradise. Jimmy Haskins stood behind her. She felt Jimmy''s hands grab her wrists, and pull them behind her back. Then she felt the cold metal handcuffs, snap shut around her wrists. The shivering Karen said, "You''d better hang me quick. I don''t want to be late for the Homecoming Dance tonight." Jimmy, Larry, and the others who heard her laughed. Karen also laughed, as Jimmy put the noose around her neck. She felt the noose tighten, and she was yanked straight up off the floor. She thought; Die brave! Die brave! Our Father Who art in Heaven¡­ She began gagging and squirming, as she was lifted above the heads of everyone surrounding her. Some of them had to duck away from her thrashing legs. She was lifted higher, so her kicking feet passed safely above everybody''s head. She could see team members and the cheerleaders below her and everyone in the seats. They were all cheering her moment of glory. In the stands, Louise also cheered heartily at the death of Dave''s ex-girlfriend. Dave prayed silently. "Lord Jesus. Please keep Karen alive. I love her." Karen hung there, feeling her throat being crushed, while everyone standing around her and in the stands shouted. "Welcome to Paradise!¡± Karen''s throat was crushed shut. She could get no more breath. She continued squirming. Her awareness of everything was quickly vanishing. She was barely aware of the gym, the guys and the girls on the team, the cheerleading squad, and the people in the seats. She no longer heard or saw anything. The pain was gone. She no longer felt cold. She was aware of nothing. Karen''s ghost came out of her body. The gym was dark and empty, except for the bodies of the slain members of both teams, who''d remain where they''d fallen, until they were collected by the men from the West Side Meat Company. She saw herself dangling ten feet above the gym floor, with her neck crushed tight at the end of a stiff rope, her wrists handcuffed behind her back, her breasts thrust forward inside her tight tee shirt, and her bare legs had no more kick left in them. I was a good hang, she thought. Didn''t whimper, hold back, struggle, cringe, or act pathetic. Good looking hang too. Inside her mind, Karen heard the voice of David Krendell. "Lord Jesus. Please keep Karen alive. I love her." Then Karen was back inside her body hanging by her neck, at the end of the rope, ten feet above the gym floor. Her throat was no longer crushed. The noose was no tighter than it had been when Jimmy first put the loop around her neck. The lights were back on in the gym. Men from the West Side Meat Company were collecting the bodies; tossing them onto wheeled skids, which they pushed around the floor with jacks. None of them looked up at her. She was shivering in the cold, and nobody paid her any attention. She heard one man say, "Hey. The hanged girl." He was told, "We''ll take her down last." "No. I just saw her move." "Just muscular contractions. Dead people do that all the time." The men continued their work, methodically collecting every member of both teams, who''d been killed in that afternoon''s game. They all look very comfortably dead, Karen thought, as she hung there gagging, cold and shivering, unnoticed by the workmen for more than a half-hour. It felt like a hundred years. Then someone finally came over to the goal post and undid the knot, where the other end of the rope was tied around the post. Karen came down fast. When she hit the floor, she made a loud groan. The workmen came running over to Karen, and removed the noose. "Look. Her neck''s undamaged." "Then she can attend her Homecoming Dance tonight." 2 / Homecoming Dance 2 Homecoming Dance The tables had been moved out of the H.S. L-1378-55 Cafeteria. Green and gold streamers radiated from the revolving prism lights in the center of the ceiling. Beneath the radiating streamers, teenage boys wearing suits and ties danced to the beat of recorded music, with High School girls wearing formal dresses. Chaperons drifted around the couples on the dance floor. A stage had been set up against a wall. A simulated throne had been set up on the stage. A sign on the wall above the throne declared: "H.S. L-1378-55 ANNUAL HOMECOMING DANCE" Jimmy Haskins danced with Alyce Vanderland. That afternoon, while Karen was still twitching, the crowd had begun to disperse. Jimmy saw Alyce standing beside the body of Mike Patterson. Jimmy came over to her. "So Alyce," he said. "I see you''ve suddenly become a candidate for Homecoming Queen, without a date for the Dance." "And you''ve just put yourself in the same situation Jimmy." "Then maybe we ought to help each other out tonight." "Sure Jimmy. I''d love to." She looked up at the dying Karen. "''It''s part of being a cheerleader.''" Whoever the Homecoming Queen was, she''d be crowned around 9 P.M. Then she''d do it with whoever her date was. Win or lose, Alyce would be doing it with Jimmy that night. Tonight, Dave Krendell danced with Louise Torelli. That afternoon, right after the game, Louise had come over to Dave, who''d stood at the foot of the seats, looking at the dead Karen Bennet, hanging at the end of a rope. "So Dave," she''d said, "your former girlfriend''s had her moment of glory." He said, "She told me she wanted to be a Teams'' girlfriend Louise. She said they''re the girls who have all the fun." She told him, "It wasn''t all that much fun for me." That night, as they danced, she asked, "Tell me Dave. If Karen Bennett hadn''t been hanged this afternoon, and you were still dating, what''d you two be doing tonight?" "The same thing we''re doing." "What?" "I meant dancing." "Oh." She sounded relieved. Then she asked, "What about doing it?" He smiled and stood taller. "Why thank you Louise. I know we haven''t been dating that long. I didn''t think you''d want it tonight." She felt like saying, "Oh I do. With you. Tonight." What she said was, "I wasn''t talking about us Dave."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. "Then what are you talking about?" "You and Karen Bennet." She said, "If you were with her, that''s what you''d be doing after the Dance, wouldn''t you?" "Oh yes. That would have gone with her being a candidate for Homecoming Queen. Either reward for the winner, or consolation for the loser." He held her a little tighter. "Or it can be a very pleasant time for us." She smiled. Then she drew back. "I''m sorry Dave." she told him. "It''s never been a pleasant time for me. I''ve never been able to enjoy it, and neither would you." She thought, Why did I have to tell him that? Now I''ve lost him for sure. Dave said, "Louise, there''s no rush. Listen. I''m glad to be with someone who I know''s still gonna be around, after all the combat games are over." Louise drew herself up closer. She put her lips up near his ear. She whispered, "You won''t have to wait that long." Then she gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. As the music blared, he and Louise danced under the flashing lights. Dave noticed that people had stopped dancing. They were all turning their attention to the entrance. Karen Bennet stood alone in the entrance, wearing the dark green strapless gown that she''d bought for this occasion. The recorded music still blared out a lively beat, but no one was dancing. Even the people at the refreshment table had stopped munching on the fried Jihadist Warrior sausages. Karen''s gaze moved across every face in the crowd. Everyone in the crowd looked at each other. Then Karen''s gaze stopped moving. She was staring at Jimmy Haskins. She thought, He''s dancing with Vanderland, most likely to be chosen Homecoming Queen. Karen started heading across the floor, straight toward Jimmy and Alyce. Someone said, "Her neck''s undamaged." That was Dave Krendell''s voice. She stopped and turned in his direction. He''s with his new girlfriend Louise Torelli, Karen thought. That nerdy girl with glasses, always gets top grades, and has plans for college. Karen walked up to her former boyfriend. She said, "You prayed for me, didn''t you?" "How did you know?" "I heard your voice in my head." Karen now turned away and walked up to Jimmy and Alyce. She spoke to Alyce. "Are you planning to do it with my date, who stood me up tonight?" Jimmy said, "Stood you up? I thought you were dead." Alyce was taken aback. All she could think of to say was, "Well, I''d had a date with Mike Patterson tonight, but he was killed during the game; and after the game...you didn''t look...like you''d be... available...for any guy to¡­do it with...ever again. It''s the same thing you''ve done. "''It''s part of being a cheerleader.''" Karen shouted, "The noose was tied incorrectly!" Everyone heard that. They relaxed, and resumed dancing. Jimmy said, "Now don''t go blaming this on me. All I did was pull the rope. Your former boyfriend Krendell''s the equipment handler. You ought to be asking him what happened." Karen called out, "Mr. Avery! Is my name still on the ballot for Homecoming Queen?" "Yes!" The Principal was a little tongue-tied. "Karen! You''re still eligible!" She again spoke softly to Jimmy. "Then after I win, I''ll be very available, for the complimentary fking that every candidate is supposed to receive from her date." "Forget it.¡± said Jimmy. "Our date was canceled when you were." Alyce repeated, "''Part of being a cheerleader¡¯." Karen asked, "Do you expect me to be the only candidate for Homecoming Queen who''ll go home without doing it tonight?" Alyce said, "We expected you to be getting ground into a pile of sausages tonight. It''s wrong that you''re not." Alyce and Jimmy resumed dancing. Everyone seemed to be dancing, except Karen. She stood to the side with her arms folded in front of her. Jimmy and Alyce danced a few steps away from Karen. Dave and Louise were also nearby. Alyce called out, over the music. "Do you see that Karen? Your former boyfriend David Krendell''s with the studious Louise Torelli tonight. I bet she''s not going home without getting it tonight!" Karen answered over the loudness of the music. "It''s over with him and me! I hope he gives her a really good one tonight! The horny nerd could use one!" Louise stopped dancing. She stepped away from Dave, who followed her as she brought herself over to Karen. "I heard what you just said about me." Karen said, "I just meant that I hoped you''d have a very pleasant evening; if you''re enough of a woman to handle it." "Oh I am," said Louise, "and I will. We horny nerds know how to keep a guy around; unlike you." She and Dave moved away from Karen, and resumed dancing. Mr. Avery walked up to Karen. He said, "I want to see you in my office on Monday morning, Miss Bennet." At 9 o''clock that evening, Mr. Avery stood on the stage, behind a microphone. All the candidates, who included Karen, Alyce, Sarah Denski, Debbie Sheridan and Carlotta Obregon, stood on the stage behind him, in front of the throne. Mr. Avery held a 3" by 5" card in front of him, and spoke into the mike. "This year''s winner, as Manhattan High School L-1378-55''s Homecoming Queen is..." A recorded drum roll was played. He read from the card. "Miss Alyce Vanderland!" The students cheered. Some girls sighed. Everyone applauded. Karen and the four other candidates forced themselves to smile. As Alyce stepped out of the line, heading toward the throne, she moved close to Karen, and gave her the finger. Karen stopped smiling. Alyce seated herself upon the throne. Mr. Avery placed a tiara upon her head. She sat there grinning victoriously at everyone. 3 / Principals Office 3 Principal¡¯s Office On Monday morning, Karen Bennet and Louise Torelli sat in Mr. Logan''s 2nd Period, 12th Grade History Class, taking notes on his lecture. He told them, "The natural environment of the entire Earth had become so badly polluted, that all life would have perished, unless drastic measures were taken. That''s why the City Buildings were constructed. They were meant to be places of refuge for the entire Earth. Once they were completed, everyone on Earth entered the City Buildings. Then the pollution was sealed out, and everyone was sealed in, and this is where we''ve been living for the past 1,322 years, with only one another to eat, and we thank God for every meal." Louise Torelli raised her hand and asked, "Isn''t it true that conditions weren''t really as bad, as we''ve been taught? I''ve read about a group of Environmental Terrorists, who called themselves the ''Kaczynski Brigade''." "Oh?" The teacher asked, "And what have you read about the Kaczynski Brigade?" "What I''ve read," she told him, "is that they said they loved humanity, but they hated individuals. They got their hands on a number of biological and nuclear weapons. Then they threatened to use them, unless the City Buildings were built and occupied; and our wussy ancestors gave in." Some of her classmates laughed, at Louise''s use of the word "wussy". Mr. Logan said, "The influence of the Kaczynski Brigade, and what you call the ''wussiness'' of our ancestors, has been greatly exaggerated by certain present day historians, whose work you have obviously read, Miss Torelli." There was a knock on the door. A student monitor entered the room, came over to the desk and handed a note to Mr. Logan. He said, "Miss Bennet. Mr. Avery wants to see you in his office now." Karen stood up, picked up her edu-computer and left the classroom, escorted by the Student Monitor. When Karen entered the Principal''s office, she found Dave Krendell seated across the desk from Mr. Avery. Today the Principal had the rope from Karen''s hanging, coiled in the middle of the desk, directly in front of him. She said, "You sent for me Mr. Aviary? I mean Avery." "Miss Bennet." He said, "I know that many students find it amusing to call me ''Mr. Aviary'' or ''Mr. Birdhouse.'' I hear them twittering as I walk by. I find it best to ignore it, when I''m out in the corridors, or in the classrooms. However, I won''t tolerate that disrespect in my own office." "I apologize, Mr. Avery." She seated herself beside Dave. A copy of that morning''s Student''s Newsletter, lay on the desk beside the rope, with a front-page photo of Karen, taken while she died gagging at the end of the rope. The photo showed the noose crushing her neck, to the width of her wrist, her breasts thrust forward inside her tight tee shirt, with her arms behind her back. Karen smiled. "What do you know! I was a good hang and a sexy hang too; but not one guy at the Homecoming Dance was enough of a gentleman to dance with me; let alone fu...I mean...Well, it was very humiliating." "Miss Bennet." The Principal said, "I want somebody to explain to me, why you are able to sit there today. You are the very first cheerleader, who I''ve ever had come to my office, on the first day back to class, after she''d been hanged. Karen said, "I''m surprised to be here myself sir." The Principal then asked, "Do you have an explanation Mr. Krendell?" "It''s a mystery to me sir." "Is it?" "Sir?" "You are the Warrior Team''s equipment handler, aren''t you?" "One of them sir." "But you are the one who brought out this rope, aren''t you?" "Yes sir." The man picked up the rope''s noose end. "There''s a kink in this rope." "A kink?" Mr. Avery grabbed the rope above the noose knot, and tried to pull the loop through. The loop jammed. He said, "As you can see, there is more than enough space, for Miss Bennet''s neck, to move freely within this loop." "Dave?" Karen asked, "What''d you do?" "I didn''t tie the noose. That''s how they''re manufactured. I just grabbed the rope out of the equipment locker and brought it out to the Gym. Then I put it down in its usual place. Then I sat in the stands. I didn''t tamper with it." The Principal said, "I understand that you and Miss Bennet are going steady." "We were, until she decided to become a slut." Karen said, "Dave!" "I won''t tolerate that kind of language in my office. Apologize to Miss Bennet immediately." "Okay Karen. I apologize." "I can see that you still have strong feelings toward her. What were your feelings, when you saw that she was the one who was going to be hanged?" The boy hesitated. Then he said, "Mixed." Karen laughed. "This isn''t funny Miss Bennet. We may be dealing with sabotage." Dave snapped, "I didn''t sabotage it! It''s a very old rope. They''ve been hanging cheerleaders with it for years. Look at it. It''s fraying. It''s probably been jammed like that before." "Oh has it?" "Probably. Have you noticed that the last few girls we''ve hanged have taken longer to die than usual?" "Not until now. You''re in very serious trouble Mr. Krendell." "But I didn''t sabotage anything!" Now Karen spoke. "He''s right. He didn''t. The noose worked properly. I was dead in less than two minutes. I just don''t know why I''m alive now." "Miss Bennet. Please!" "I saw you standing there Mr. Avery. You were standing close enough for me to try to kick you in the head, while I was thrashing around in my final agony. And look at this photo Mr. Avery. Do you see how tight my neck was squished? There is no way that anybody could survive that." "Apparently not." said the Principal. "The question is, how do I explain to the school board, why you not only survived, but why your neck is back to its proper shape?" "Prayer sir." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it."Prayer?" "Yes sir. You see. Right after I died..." "Miss Bennet. Don''t try my patience." "You asked me a question sir, and I''m trying my best to answer it." "Very well. Answer it as best you can." "Right after I died, I came out of my body. Then I heard Dave''s voice." Dave said, "Whatever she says is all subjective sir." "I''m trying to be as objective as possible, Mr. Krendell." The girl told the Principal, "I heard him say, ''Lord Jesus. Please keep Karen alive. I love her.'' "Then I went back inside my body." Dave said, "This is a clear demonstration of the validity of Ehrling''s Universal Theory, Mr. Avery." The Principal asked, "Do you know what Professor Allan Ehrling''s Theory actually states, Mr. Krendell?" "Yes sir. ¡®God governs the motion of every subatomic particle, in every galaxy, throughout the entire universe.'' "I believe that God governed the motion of every single subatomic particle, in both the rope and Karen''s neck, in response to my prayer sir." Mr. Avery said, "Is that what you expect me to tell the School Board? That this was the result of someone violating the ban on prayer, at a School sponsored function?" Karen said, "You asked me what happened sir, and I told you what happened, and Dave just explained how, whether the School Board likes it or not." "Mr. Krendell." The man said, "Every reputable theologian recognizes that in this severely overpopulated world, where we have nothing to eat but each other, the Commandment; ''Thou shalt not kill'' is a luxury we can no longer afford. Believing otherwise is utopian fanaticism, which always leads to despair. "Now any decent person, who truly cared about Miss Bennet, would have prayed for her suffering to end quickly. Tell me. Did you pray for her to survive?" "Yes sir I did. Those were my exact words." "Oh Dave." She said, "You really do love me." "Yes I do; and if you ever want to stop being...what I''m not supposed to say in this office, I''ll be here for you." "Don''t count on it." said Mr. Avery. "I don''t think you realize what a serious thing this is." Karen asked, "Is love against School Board regulations?" "Only if it''s irresponsible." "According to School Board regulations," Karen said, "every girl on the cheerleading squad, and on the combat team, gets a mandatory implant. How then is it possible for any of us to be irresponsible about love? Unless she¡¯s Catholic like Francine; and she was exercising her Constitutional right." "That isn''t the responsibility I''m talking about. Anyone who interferes with filling the kill quota is being irresponsible and antisocial." Dave said, "All I did was pray that one single cheerleader, out of who knows how many would live. What danger is there in that?" "Supposing," the Principal said, "that one person prayed for every cheerleader who was hanged on Saturday, and they all lived? Wouldn''t that be a disaster? There''d be widespread panic throughout the City. That can''t be permitted to happen. An example must be made of you Mr. Krendell." "But sir, I thought you understood. The kink in the noose was caused by the rope''s fraying." "I understand that this is the story that you''re telling. I never said that I believe you. You should also not have been praying at a school sponsored activity." "But it was a silent prayer, and I''m more surprised than anybody, that the prayer was answered." "There is an ancient saying Mr. Krendell. ''Be careful what you pray for''. I''m dropping you from your position as equipment handler." "Dropping me?" "You are to be excluded from all extra curricular activities for the remainder of the year." "You''re kidding." "Beginning immediately, you are being suspended for a week, and you are not to return to your classes, until I''ve had a conference with your parents." "Suspended?" "You will also be forbidden to attend your graduation. You will receive your diploma in the mail, but you will be banned from the ceremony. Now go to your locker, take your edu-computer and all your personal belongings with you, and go home." Karen said, "This is ridiculous, Mr. Avery. You''re exaggerating beyond all good sense and reason, Mr. Avery." "That will be all Miss Bennet. Now you may return to class." "But I really was dead." "Miss Bennet, if you really had been dead, you would still be in that condition. You might have been a co-conspirator in this antisocial activity. I intend to look into that." She asked, "Look into what?" "As you said Miss Bennet, I was standing right there. I heard you tell James Haskins, ''Hang me quick. I don''t want to be late for the Homecoming Dance.''" "That was a joke. I was trying to act brave." "I''m going to see what Mr. Haskins has to say about that. I intend to see just how much of an act it really was." Dave and Karen left the Principal''s office. They moved along the empty corridor, passing rows of gray lockers. "Co-conspirators''?" she said. "Neither of us did anything wrong. Jimmy didn''t either. I was dead in less than two minutes. Everybody saw it." Dave said, "What does it matter? Nobody listens to kids. They think we''re all a bunch of juvenile delinquents." "Why don''t you talk to Pastor McDougal? If he speaks up for you, Mr. Avery will listen to him." "Avery and the entire School Board are all a bunch of atheists." "But Pastor McDougal is the Chief Presbyter of all the Presbyterian Churches on Level 1378. That makes him a highly respected member of the community. The Principal will be obligated to listen to him." "But he''s not obligated to change his mind." "At least give it a chance Dave." "What''s the point? This suspension will be on my permanent record. After I graduate, wherever I go to find a job, they''ll call the School to find out about my records. They''ll tell them that I was suspended for saving your life, and I''ll never be hired." She said, ¡°Then I don¡¯t know what to tell you Dave, except that Avery may have been right. From now on, be careful what you pray for.¡± 4 / Girls Gym 4 Girls Gym Second period had ended. Karen was on time for her third period girl''s physical education class. When she entered the girls'' locker room, Alyce Vanderland and Louise Torelli were changing into their gym uniforms. Karen''s locker was beside theirs. As Karen began changing into her uniform of shorts, socks and sneakers, Alyce asked, "So what''s the twitter from the Birdhouse?" "Mr. Charles Avery is a God damn mthrfkr!" Alyce asked, "He''s a what?" "I can''t believe what that man just did. He said that the noose had a kink in it, and that somebody deliberately saved my life." Louise said, "A kink?" "Yeah." said Alyce. "Her." Louise laughed. Karen said, "This is serious. He said that the rope had been tampered with, and he blamed Dave Krendell for it." Louise said, "But Dave would never do anything like that." "I know; but that mrfkr Avery doesn''t care. He just suspended Dave for a week." Alyce said, "I don''t believe it." Louise shouted. "Suspended for a week?" "That''s not all. He''s being banned from all extra curricular activities for the remainder of the year." "No!" "Yes Louise; and he won''t be permitted to attend his graduation." "But I was beside him when he took the rope out of the equipment locker. The noose was already tied. I was with him when he brought it out, and he didn''t touch the rope after that. He was sitting right next to me in the stands, while you were being hanged." "It wasn''t just that. Dave admitted that he prayed for me, during the hanging. That might have been what saved my life." Louise said, "He''s not gonna graduate for that?" "Oh he''ll graduate. He''ll receive his diploma in the mail. He just won''t be permitted to attend the Ceremony." Louise said, "You know you''re right. Mr. Avery is a God damn mthrfkr!" Alyce laughed, "He prayed?" "Yeah. He said, ''Lord Jesus. Please keep Karen alive. I love her.''" Louise shouted. "He said that?" Karen said, "Face it girl. If Dave Krendell¡¯s not getting any from you, he knows where I am." Louise said, "He told me that he likes girls who are intelligent, dignified and have some class." "Then what''s he doing with you? Forget it Louise. Last year, Dave was doing it with Homecoming Queen Alyce here, even before he started dating me." Alyce said, "That only happened once Louise. We were celebrating after we won a game. Dave''s the equipment handler, and as part of the celebration, I let him handle my equipment while I handled his; but only that once." Louise said, "He told me that he likes knowing that I''ll still be around, after all you warrior team sluts are dead." Karen said, "Well being a shirking wussy, who never thinks of anybody but herself, is nothing to brag about." Alyce said, "You got no business calling her that." "No? Remember last year, when she joined the girls'' warrior squad? During her first game, she got one little wound. Then she fell down and played dead for the rest of the fighting; but as soon as the clock ran out, she jumped up and ran to the infirmary." Alyce said, "That''s not true. I fought right next to her in the phalanx. Her shield and mine overlapped. When the opposing team broke through, I saw her get stabbed really good, with a spear deep through her side. I was sure they''d scored a kill off her." Louise said, "So was I." Karen told her, "So was the score keeper." "If he¡¯d stuck it in me just half an inch higher, we would have all been right about that. Now I don¡¯t know who got up and ran, but it wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t know that I wasn¡¯t dead until after the game was over and everyone had gone home. ¡°I woke up stretched out on a pile of dead warriors, who¡¯d been piled up on a skid by the guys from the meat company. Then I got up off of the pile, and limped groaning, into the infirmary." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Alyce said, "What more do you expect?" Karen said, "She didn''t fight in one single game after that and she forfeited her family''s extra rations. That''s what I call shirking." Louise shouted, "You''ve got no business talking about my family!" Karen said, "The only reason you joined, was so it''d look good on your college resumes. You only had to show up for one game to do that, and that''s all you did. You didn''t care about the game, or the team, or the school, or reducing the population, or your family, or anybody but yourself; "So why would Dave Krendell think he could count on someone who''s as selfish as you?" Mrs. Ramierez, the Phys. Ed. instructor, stood at the end of the locker row. "Karen." She said, "Could I talk to you for a minute?" "I apologize for using an obscenity, Mrs. Ramierez." "Apology accepted, but this is something else." Karen walked up to the woman. She said, "As your faculty advisor, it is my unfortunate task, to advise you, that as of last Saturday, you are no longer a member of the cheerleading squad." "You''re kicking me off the squad?" "It''s not my decision. It''s the School Board. You see; you are now listed as an officially hanged cheerleader. I don''t know what happened, but you no longer officially exist, and the School Board doesn''t want to provide any extra rations, for someone who no longer exists, or your family. "I also have to ask you to hand in your cheerleader uniform and your pompoms." "They''re taking away our extra rations?" "Sorry, but that''s what I was told." "But after a cheerleader''s hanged, her family''s still supposed to receive the extra rations, for the remainder of the season." "Yours would, if you were really dead." Then Mrs. Ramierez blew her whistle. The girls went out into the Gym. Louise ran past Karen shouting. "I wasn''t playing dead! Were you?" During this grading quarter, the class was graded on punch fighting. The girls wore no gloves, but thick leather pads were tied across their fingers and the backs of their hands. Mrs. Ramierez paired them off, generally by size. Karen was paired with Alyce Vanderland. She pounded her anger into the Homecoming Queen. Alyce hammered back, making Karen cry out in pain. Nearby, Louise punched out her opponent Sarah Denski with all the anger she felt. She slammed her fist hard into the girl''s jaw, knocking Sarah out cold. "Nice going Torelli!" Mrs. Ramierez shouted. "That''s what I like to see! That''s an automatic A plus!" After hearing that, Karen called out, "Teacher''s pet!" Karen had won her fight with Alyce. Alyce was seated on the floor moaning, with two black eyes and a broken nose. That always happened to the Homecoming Queen, during her first gym class after the Dance. Karen had one black eye, a bloody nose, a split lip, and she was groaning in pain. That always happened whenever she was paired with Alyce. She was however still on her feet, but numb, groggy, and had trouble standing. Mrs. Ramierez called out, "That''s a ''B'' for you Bennet! A ladylike ''C'' for you Vanderland!" The pain in Karen''s neck had returned. She felt a severe burning where the noose had choked her. Her throat felt tight, and she had trouble breathing. Now Louise stood facing Karen, with her fists ready and a lusty grin on her face. She shouted, "You keep away from Dave, you slut!" Karen was too groggy to move. The nerdy girl''s fist banged into the wobbly cheerleader''s jaw, making a very loud crack. Karen was flat on the floor, aware of nothing. Then through the nothingness, a Voice spoke: "Karen arise," the Voice said, "and choose life, so that you and your children will live, and possess the land, that the Lord your God has given you." 5 / Harvested 5 Harvested Karen felt herself moving. She also felt cold, and she was shivering. She was lying on a cold metal surface that rumbled beneath her, as it carried her in the direction of a loud, continuous growling roar. She opened her eyes. She was being moved along, with girders crisscrossing above her, beneath a massive dark ceiling. She looked at herself. She was naked but unwounded. She looked to her left, where another naked woman lay dead. A naked dead man was on her right. She sat up and found herself in the midst of an endless pile of dead, naked men, women and children, lying on a massive conveyer belt, as wide as an avenue. The conveyor belt was carrying the bodies toward a massive, black aperture, like an unending giant tongue, bringing endless piles of food through a monstrously gigantic mouth. From inside the aperture, she heard a continuous growling roar, and the scream of a woman being killed. This is a meat packing plant! Karen thought. The growling machine is a meat grinder, and everyone here is about to be ground into sausages! Including me! In less than a minute! Karen stood up, with her bare her feet against the cold metal of the conveyor belt, and the crisscrossing girders passing less than a foot above her head. She turned, with the approaching aperture to her right, and hurried toward the side of the conduit, through which the conveyer belt transported the unprocessed meat. She couldn''t avoid stepping on some of the bodies. She reached the side of the conduit, which had a waist high barrier. From here she saw long lines of tables, beneath florescent light fixtures, that hung on wires, suspended from the overhead girders. People stood beside the tables, sorting mountainous piles of clothing. Shirts, pants, shoes, dresses, blouses, skirts, hosiery and undergarments, and children''s clothing were all being sorted. Briefcases, personal computers, wallets, keys, eyeglasses, jewelry and other personal items were also being sorted. Those personal belongings, Karen thought, were taken from all the dead people here and from me too. I was killed again? I was in the gym. I was killed after that punch fight I had with Alyce. After that my neck was in pain where the noose had choked me to death. Then Louise Torelli punched me in the face, and knocked me to the floor. That''s all I remember. I was killed, a second time? By that nerd Louise Torelli? Over a boyfriend? Now I''m alive again? Again? Or until I get dumped screaming into this giant meat grinder. Karen was getting much too close to the aperture. She could now plainly hear the sounds of flesh being ripped off bones. Karen sat upon the edge of the barrier, picked her feet up, swung her legs over to the other side, and leapt away from the conduit. She tried to slow her fall, by grabbing onto an overhead light fixture, knocking it sideways, causing shadows beneath to sway back and forth. Then she landed on a table, and rolled onto the floor. Everyone sorting at the table jumped back. Karen stood up, with her bare feet against the solid, cold floor. Everyone around her had stopped sorting. They stood staring at the naked teenage girl, who had just fallen off the pile of moving dead bodies, and she was alive. A woman called out, "Live one! Live one! Aisle 15! Got a live one who needs shooting! Aisle 15!" She heard the sound of feet clanging against a catwalk, above the overhead lights, where she couldn''t see. A man shouted from above, "Yeah! I see her! Everybody step back!" All the people around Karen moved a good distance away from her. Then she was completely alone and exposed. Above her, she heard the loud buzz of a laser pistol, and the tabletop to her right splintered. Karen jumped away and began running along the aisle, between two long lines of sorting tables, while laser shots cracked around her. She ducked down as she ran, stopping to pick up a pair of slacks, shoes and a halter-top. She carried them with her, as she continued to flee, until she came to the end of the rows of tables. She heard the same woman say, "This happens every now and then, when somebody¡¯s wounded but not killed. When they reach here, they jump off and try to run; but they all end up as packaged meat, just like this one''s gonna be." A door with a bright red EXIT sign stood about thirty steps away from where Karen crouched. She gripped the items she''d grabbed, and ran for the door, trying to stay crouched. Now laser shots came at her from the right. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.A man on her right shouted. "I''ll get her!" She reached the fire door, stood up, pushed the door open, and ran through the doorway, while a laser blast struck the spot where her heart had just been. Karen ran across the landing of a dimly lit stairwell. She began running down the steps, with a gray wall to her right, and the banister to her left. She had almost reached the first landing, when she heard a loud laser buzz, from the landing above and behind her. She felt a hard electric jolt slam into her back, and go through her entire body, knocking her forward. She also heard the sound of shattering glass to her right, and a powerful white light surrounded her. Then she lay sprawled on her breasts, at the bottom of the steps, with her legs stretched out on the steps she''d just come down. She heard a man on the landing above and behind her call out. "Welcome to Paradise!" Then Karen heard the door shut. She put the palms of her hands against the floor, and pushed down, raising herself up, while groaning in agony. What the hell is going on? She wondered, I can''t stay dead? Every other slutty, sexy cheerleader, who got hanged on Saturday, is now a pile of sausages or meat patties that are being cooked and eaten by some of our fellow citizens. That''s what should be happening to them. That''s what should be happening to me. Instead of that, I''m alive. That is not only wrong, it''s... "Irresponsible, immoral, unnatural, and antisocial!" And my family still won''t be getting the extra rations. She rose up to a squatting position. The garments she''d grabbed, while rushing past the sorting tables lay on the landing beside her. She slipped into the slacks, which were a little tight. The shoes were also a tight fit, but she''d be able to walk in them. The halter was just too small to wear. She thought, I''ll just have to walk along the corridor streets topless. It''ll be like I was wearing my gym uniform. Lots of women go topless in public, including me now and then. That''s how a lot of the girls were dressed at the Homecoming Dance, including Homecoming Queen Alyce herself. She also thought, There are just too many things that I''ve got no idea how to handle! I have no idea where I am! I have no idea where my home is, or if I''ll be able to get there from here! Then when I do get there, I no longer have my key. Now I''m getting hungry, and I''m thirsty; but now my money''s gone! Of all the cheerleaders and warrior girls who got killed, in all the combat games that took place on Saturday afternoon, on every level of the City Building, why did the one who came back, have to be me? There was also something else mysterious going on. When she''d first rushed through the doorway, the stairwell had been dimly lit. Now it was fully illuminated by a strong but soft white light. It came through a foot wide hole in the gray wall, which was actually painted over glass. The glass had been shattered by the laser blast that had nailed her. Karen wondered what kind of light could be so powerful, but remain so soft? She climbed halfway up the flight of stairs, being careful not to step on any shards of broken glass. She came over to the spot that had been blasted away, and looked through the opening. Karen found herself looking out through a window that was three inches thick. Through the window she saw a vast green plain, stretching all the way to a range of rolling blue mountains, beneath a glaring blue sky, in which fluffy white clouds drifted. She also saw the ruins of small ancient structures, scattered around the plain, rising as much as twenty levels, above the surrounding woodlands. She also saw a broad river, flowing between the City Building and the plain, flowing from right to left, as far as her eye could see. Far below her, to her right, a suspension bridge crossed the river, from the greenery of the plain, to someplace beyond her view, along the City Building¡¯s side. There was also a flock of birds, much nearer the window, flying in a V formation. They''re outside, Karen thought. I''m looking at what''s outside the City Building. There are living things outside. That means that the world outside the City Building is no longer polluted. That means that we can live outside. On the landing above her, Karen heard the fire door open. She jumped up and ran down the steps to the first landing, turned left, ran down the next flight of steps, and the next flight. She ran down three more flights. Then she stopped running. She was on a landing, beside a door to a City Building¡¯s corridor street. She had no idea what Level she was on, or how far she was from home. Karen opened the door, and stepped out into whatever would be there. 6 / "I Want to Celebrate!" 6 ¡°I Want to Celebrate!¡± Dave Krendell had left the school that morning, carrying his edu-computer along the thickly packed corridor streets. At 3:30 in the afternoon, he was alone in his family''s tightly cramped apartment cubicle. He''d turned on the TV that was embedded in the wall but Dave couldn''t concentrate on the movie. He wondered what he was going to tell his parents about his suspension. How can I be a religious fanatic? He thought, All this season, I''ve been carrying out the rope to hang our own cheerleaders on. The doorbell rang. Dave got up from the sofa, came over to the door and slid it open sideways. Louise Torelli stood in the doorway, carrying her edu-computer. She had a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eye. "Hi Dave. Can I come in?" "Oh yes. Please come in. I''m glad to have some company." Louise entered the apartment. Dave shut the door behind her. She looked at the TV screen. Louise asked, "So what are you watching?" "It''s an old movie. It''s called ''Soylent Green''. It was produced before the City building was constructed. It predicted that the world would become so overpopulated, that people would start eating each other." She spoke in a light tone. "It turned out they were right, huh?" "Only the idea about eating people." He told her. "They got everything else wrong. The people in this movie are uncivilized. It''s a totally chaotic world in the movie. Everything is out of control. People are acting like savages. Somehow, the fact that people are being killed and eaten is kept as a deep, dark Government secret; and people who find out about it go mad." Louis asked, "Why would they? We know what we''re eating, and sometimes we know who, and none of us go crazy." "Some of us do go crazy, if we don''t kill and eat each other." He said, "Mr. Avery went absolutely insane, ''cause one dead cheerleader, not only didn''t get eaten, but she came back to life. Then he started exaggerating, beyond all good sense and reason; and somebody who''d done nothing wrong, got suspended for a week." Louise picked up the remote control, and switched the TV off. "You''ll never guess what." She said, "I''ve got you reinstated." "Reinstated?" She said, "You''ll be allowed back in class tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" "That''s right." She kept smiling. "Your suspension is ended. You''ll be graduating in cap and gown with the rest of us." "How is that possible?" Louise put her edu-computer down on the coffee table in front of the sofa, and drawled pleasantly. "Well, today I personally eliminated the source of your problems." "The source?" "Yes." Now Louise grinned broadly. "This nerdy teacher''s pet, personally eliminated Karen Bennet from the land of the living, where she didn''t belong any longer." "What? You killed Karen?" "Right." She nodded with a laugh. "And I got an A plus and four gold stars for it. It was a gym class punch fight. I punched her right in the jaw, and knocked her flat. When her head hit the floor, it broke her neck. Instant death at my hands. "The vertebrae in her neck were probably weakened by the noose, but I''m the one who finished the job." "Karen''s dead?" "Right." She chanted. "''We hanged our bitch. More meat to eat. Now the whore can''t twitch. More meat to eat.'' "That''s just the way thing should be. Now Mr. Avery won''t have to explain anything to the School Board." Dave repeated, "Karen''s dead?" "Imagine that." Louise spoke proudly. "She was my very first kill ever, and I did it with just one punch. I can''t tell you how great I feel." Louise stepped up to Dave. She put her arms around him, pressed her body up against his, and kissed him on the mouth, sticking her tongue between his lips. Then she grabbed him between the legs. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Then she said, "Shove that inside me now Dave. I want to celebrate." He took a step back. He said, "You''re raping me?" Louise laughed, and took a step back. Then she went on. "Just before I killed her, I knocked Sarah Denski out cold. I got another A plus for that; but she didn''t die, so there were no gold stars. "Then after I killed Karen, Mrs. Ramierez paired me with Carlotta Obregon;" Louise giggled. "But Carlotta was afraid to fight me. Mrs. Ramierez had to threaten her with an automatic F, if she didn''t. I did want to see if I could kill Carlotta too, just ''cause it felt so good; but she really beat the hell out of me, and knocked me senseless, for about a minute. That got her an A plus too. "Mrs. Ramierez said it was the best class she''s ever taught." Dave again said, "You killed Karen?" "Yeah. It''s gonna help bring up my grade average, and it''ll look good on my college resumes." Dave said, "But I said that I loved Karen. I prayed for her." Louise stopped smiling. "How did she feel about you?" "Well..." "Then guess who really loves you Davey. I got an A plus and four gold stars to prove it. "Now listen. Mrs. Ramierez wants me to join the girl''s warrior squad again. This time I''ll stay on for the entire season, or as long as I last, so no one''ll accuse me of shirking. That means I''ll get extra rations again." She smiled sweetly. "Then I''ll fill out nice and sexy. Then, since I''ve already got my implant, I''ll let you fk me. Just you and me. No one else." Dave repeated, "You''ll let me?" She said, "What''s the point of me having a permanent implant, when I never have any need for it? You won''t have to go anywhere else for it." Dave shook his head. "I really don''t know what to say." "Well you can say ''Thank you for killing her'', like any gentleman would." "Well I certainly am grateful, to be able to graduate with the rest of you, and to be able to get a good job in the future; "But I prayed for Karen and she came back. That means that God had some very special plans for her future." "Well she didn''t come back any more virtuous than she was before. Maybe God saw that He was wasting His time with her." "I don''t know Louise. That sounds like heresy. Like you''re saying that God is less than omniscient." "Tell me Dave. Was I wasting my time over you, when I killed her? Am I gonna be wasting my time, when I''m doing it with you?" "No! I''m very glad that you killed Karen Bennet, and there''s no one who I want to do it with more than you." "Why thank you Dave." He said, "I''ve also decided that it would be good for me to join the warrior team myself. It''ll get me the extra rations too. Then I''ll fill out strong and healthy, and I''ll give to you the best fking you''ve ever had." Louise smiled and sighed. "You know, that''s the nicest thing that any guy''s ever said to me. What a terrific day I''m having!" She and Dave went into each other''s arms and kissed warmly. The doorbell rang. Dave said, "Wouldn''t you know?" She asked, "Your parents?" "No. They wouldn''t ring. They¡¯d walk right in and catch us in flagrant whatever." Louise giggled. Dave went over to the door and slid it open sideways. Karen Bennet stood in the doorway, dressed in only tight slacks and sneakers. Her hair was disheveled. She said, "I didn''t hear anyone pray this time." Dave looked back at Louise, who began to tremble. Karen entered the apartment and said, "This time I heard the voice of God Himself. "And I''ve decided to stop being a slut." She looked at Louise and asked, "You don''t waste time, do you?" Louise shouted, "I think that''s what I''ve just been doing!" Then she picked up her edu-computer from the coffee table, and ran out the door. 7 / Principals Office Again 7 Principal¡¯s Office Again The next morning, immediately after Homeroom, Dave, Louise and Karen stood in the Principal''s office. Mrs. Ramierez stood with them. They all faced Mr. Avery, who sat behind his desk. He said, "Miss Torelli. I thought you settled this problem for all of us yesterday, in a very satisfactory manner." Louise said, "So did I sir." He said, "Mrs. Ramierez. Are you certain that Miss Torelli killed Miss Bennet, during yesterday''s Gym class?" "Yes sir. The vertebrae in her neck were severed. No question about it. That''s why I gave Louise four stars, along with an A plus." The Principal said, "It looks like those stars have lost their twinkle." He spoke to Karen. "Were you really dead Miss Bennet?" "Just as dead as I was at the end of the rope sir." "Mr. Krendell, your reinstatement is dependent upon Miss Bennet''s being dead. Did you pray for her again?" Dave said, "No sir. I had no idea that Louise killed her, until she told me about it after school." Louise asked, "And why would he have been praying for her, when we were about to celebrate my killing her?" Karen said, "When I showed up, they were about to celebrate, by engaging in unprotected sexual relations." "That''s not true." Louise said, "I have my implant." Mr. Avery said, "I don''t want to know about that. What I do want to know Miss Bennet is why you''ve been killed, and come back to life a second time." Karen said, "This time I heard the voice of God Himself. "He said, ''Karen arise, and choose life, so that you and your children will live and possess the Land, that the Lord your God has given to you.'' "Then I arose again from the dead." Louise gasped. The others looked startled. Louise said, "That''s blasphemy! Dave, yesterday you said you thought that something I said was heresy. What she just said is blasphemy." Karen said, "This isn''t blasphemy. When I said, ''I arose again from the dead'', it just came out sounding that way." Mr. Avery spoke. "Whatever it is; blasphemy, heresy, or even Ehrling''s Universal Theory, I don''t want it happening again." Dave told him, "This isn''t any of those things, sir. This is the Hand of God. The words that Karen just repeated are the Word of God, straight from the Bible." The Principal said, "The Bible is often quoted, by people who are perpetrating a hoax, Mr. Krendell." Karen said, "This isn''t a hoax sir. What I just told you is the truth." "The truth? I''ll tell you what the truth is Miss Bennet. The truth is whatever we tell you it is, and all of you had better believe it." Mrs. Ramierez made a soft gasp. The man said, "Do you have a class to teach Mrs. Ramierez?" "Yes sir." "Then I won''t keep you from it. Good day." "Good day Mr. Avery." Mrs. Ramierez went out the door, shutting it behind herself. "The truth is," Mr. Avery went on, "that I don''t want any more dead cheerleaders coming back to life in my school; and I''m going to be keeping an eye on you three, to make sure it never happens again." Louise said, "I don''t see how it''s possible to prevent it. He prayed for her, and he said that he loved her, and God brought her back to him. How can anyone fight that?" Avery said, "Easily, in Miss Bennet''s case. She''s no longer a member of the cheerleading squad." Karen said, "And my family''s not getting the extra rations any longer either." Dave said, "Can''t Karen join the warrior girls'' squad, Mr. Avery? Her family''ll get the extra rations that way." Karen nodded. The Principal said, "No she can not. Miss Bennet has a very embarrassing way of not staying dead. I don''t want that happening again." Karen asked, "But what about the extra rations?" "Your family will just have to get along, like most other people in this City. As far as I know, nobody''s starving." She said, "My father''s talking about getting a lawyer." "The School Board has lawyers, and the law, on their side, Miss Bennet." "He''s still gonna get a lawyer." Now Dave said, "Excuse me Mr. Avery, but am I still suspended?" "No Mr. Krendell. As long as there are no more resurrections, you may return to your classes right away." Dave said, "Thank you sir." The Principal said, "Now all of you get back to your classes." Dave, Karen and Louise all left the office. There was a knock on the door. Mr. Avery called out, "Come in!" Mrs. Ramierez reentered the office, and shut the door. "Mr. Avery." She said, "I think there''s something you should know. I am a God fearing Jihadist who worships the Lord with human sacrifices. I am also a Jihadist Priestess, and I perform human sacrifices regularly." He said, "I know, and I respect your Constitutional right, to participate in your chosen Religion to the fullest, Mrs. Ramierez." "When I was sixteen sir, I volunteered to be sacrificed myself, as part of the 13th Centennial Commemoration of the Final Sealing of the City Building.¡± Mr. Avery said, "I hope you''re not going to tell me that your beating heart was ripped out.¡± ¡°No sir, and my head wasn¡¯t chopped off either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± ¡°I was among a squad of 24 sexy, naked teenage girls, who''d all volunteered to fight each other to the death with swords. I killed my first two opponents. Then my third opponent killed me with a sword through my heart. I was then among the two dozen fresh killed, sexy dead girls, with blood on our naked boobs; who everyone, including me, expected to be cooked and eaten. Hopefully as a satisfying meal." That day at lunchtime, all the Homecoming Dance decorations had been cleared away from the Cafeteria. The tables and chairs were back in place. A sign on the wall outside the kitchen entrance declared. "TODAY''S LUNCH: 3 Warrior Sausages & 1 Blood Drink" Students were seated at the tables, having lunch. Each Student had 3 long fat sausages on a plate, and a plastic cup of diluted blood on a tray in front of him or her. Louise was seated at a table beside Alyce. Alyce''s bloody nose and black eyes had been treated in the Gym''s Infirmary at the end of Monday''s class. She was no longer injured, and she showed no bruises. Louise told her, "I was having a really terrific day! I killed the slut who was after my boyfriend! I got two A pluses and four gold stars! My boyfriend told me that there was no one who he wanted to fk more than me; and he wanted to give me the best fking I''ve ever had!" "Oh that''s wonderful!" "Now Karen Bennet''s showed up again, once more, and ruined everything." She sighed. "Dave Krendell prayed for Karen Bennet. He said that he loved her, and God brought her back to him--twice! How can anyone compete against that?" Alyce told her, "Dave Krendell isn''t the only guy there is Louise. Just take a look around." "That''s easy for you to say Alyce. On Saturday night, you were chosen Homecoming Queen. Then you did it with Jimmy Haskins. I was ready to do it with Dave then, but I wussied out." "Listen." Alyce told her, "The Team''s gonna be at the Glad He Ate Her Lounge, after practice. Since you''ve decided to rejoin the Team, you''ll be welcomed. Larry Landis''ll be there, and I''ve heard him say that he''d like to fk you again." Louise asked, "Isn''t he dating Sarah Denski?" Now Dave Krendell came out of the Kitchen, carrying a tray with 3 sausages on a plate, and a cup of blood drink. He saw Louise seated with Alyce, and he came over to their table. When he stood beside them, Alyce said, "Hi Dave." Alyce had finished her sausages and her drink. She stood and picked up her tray. Louise said, "Good-bye Dave." She also stood and picked up her own tray. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Dave said, "Wait Louise." Louise halted. He said, "You shouldn''t have run out like that yesterday. You weren''t wasting your time." Alyce said, "What do you know. Even better than we thought." She stepped away from Louise and Dave, carrying her tray to the disposal unit. Louise sat down again. Dave sat beside her. She asked, "Is it better than I thought? You said you loved her. You didn''t say that about me. You said you wanted to do it with me, but you didn''t say you loved me." "That''s the same thing," he reminded her, "that you said to me, but we''d be off to a very good start." Louise asked, "What about Karen Bennet? You prayed for her, and God brought her back." "The girl, who I used to date, was dying on the end of the rope that I''d just brought out. Do you expect me to have no feelings at all?" "What were your feelings toward her after I left yesterday?" "My feelings toward her are as dead as she''s supposed to be. They died when she did." "Did you do it with her anyway?" "No." "Why not? Not afraid to of it like I am; and she brought it to you like room service." Dave said, "I have no idea why God brought her back; but He certainly wouldn''t have done something so extraordinary, just so a high school cheerleader could get back with her ex-boyfriend." Someone was standing behind them. They turned to look, and found themselves facing Karen. She also carried a tray with sausages and blood drink. She said, "I don''t object to people talking about me behind my back, as long as they''re not saying anything nasty." Louise told her, "We weren''t saying anything nasty. We''re trying to figure out what''s going on." "What have you figured out?" Dave said, "I told Louise that God brought you back, because He has some extraordinary plans for your future." Karen said, "I''m not the only one involved in this Dave. He may have extraordinary plans for you too." "Me?" "Tell me Dave. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, who was the extraordinary one; Lazarus or Jesus?" Dave thought it over. Then he said, "They were both extraordinary." Karen told Dave. "But if Jesus hadn''t prayed for him, Lazarus would have stayed dead. Now on Saturday, I was just an ordinary sexy dead cheerleader in a tight tee shirt, hanging at the end of an ordinary rope. If you hadn''t prayed for me, my classmates might be sinking their teeth into my well-cooked flesh right now. That makes you even more extraordinary. That means that you are the one who God has chosen for some extraordinary things." Louise asked, "Chosen for what?" Karen said, "Isn''t it obvious? Dave''s the one, who God has chosen, to raise the dead through prayer." Classes ended at 2:30. At 3 o''clock, warrior guys and girls were in the gym, practicing with plastic weapons. The cheerleaders were on the sidelines, rehearsing their routines. Dave and Louise came out of the locker rooms, dressed in their gym uniforms. They stepped up to an open bridge table, which was set up just beside the gym''s main entrance. A clipboard lay on the table, with a sign up sheet in its clip. Alyce was among the cheerleaders. She waved at Dave and Louise. They waved back at her. Dave picked up a pen, on a string tied to the clipboard. He said, "Once we sign this list, the extra rations are ours." Out on the Gym floor, Jimmy Haskins nudged Larry Landis. He waved his hand in the direction of Dave and Louise. They both headed over to the bridge table. Dave had finished signing his name, and Louise was signing hers, when Jimmy and Larry stepped up beside them. Jimmy asked, "Why are you joining the team Krendell?" "Same reason as everybody else. Extra rations." Larry asked, "So you gonna stay with the Team this time Louise?" "Yes. This time I''m staying ''til the end of the season Larry, or ''til the end of my life." He put his arm around her waist. "Then it''ll be nice to have you back." She slapped his hand away. "Just as a warrior." she told him. "This time I won''t be a slut." "Fine with me. Last time you weren''t all that great as a slut." "Neither were you Larry." Louise stepped away from the bridge table, and headed over to the cheerleaders. Now Jimmy said, "Listen Krendell. We don''t want you on the team." "You got no business telling me that. I''ve got as much right to join the team, as every other student." "That''s not what I meant. You''ll be more helpful to us if you stay out of the fighting all together." "Come on Haskins. I can''t be that bad; and if I am, I''ll be killed off before I could do all that much damage." Now Larry spoke. "You''ll be more helpful to us, if you''re not killed at all." Dave told him, "The families of equipment handlers don''t get the extra rations, Landis." Jimmy said, "Karen Bennet told us, that you prayed for her and that''s why she came back." "And I got suspended for it." Jimmy looked around. Then he lowered his voice. "If you get killed, you won''t be able to pray for us, like you prayed for her." Dave said, "Forget it. I''m in enough trouble with Avery already. He said I was an antisocial, religious fanatic. If anyone else comes back to life, Avery will see to it that I get expelled permanently." From the middle of the Gym floor, the Coach called out. "Hey Haskins! Landis! Are you here to practice, or here to talk?" Jimmy and Larry moved away from Dave, and headed back out to the Gym floor. Sarah Denski came up to Larry, looking angry. "What were you doing, putting your hand on her like that? I thought you said it was over." "It was over last year. Just one time, and she wasn''t that great." "Then why''d you put your arm around her?" Larry headed over to Jimmy. Now the Coach shouted, "Krendell! Are you still the equipment handler, or are you joining the team?" Back at the table, Dave saw Jimmy and Larry stop what they were doing, and stare at him. Dave called out; "I''m joining the team Coach!" "Good! Weapons are over there!" Jimmy and Larry put their heads together and whispered. Louise was among the Cheerleaders, speaking with Alyce. Alyce asked, "So are you and Dave still together?" "Dave''s not sure about anything, but Karen Bennet believes that God has extraordinary plans for their future." "Do those plans include Dave?" "She thinks so, but she''s only guessing." "Then you''d better make sure you''ve got him nailed down quick." "Nailed down?" "Right. By getting him to nail you down." "Alyce!" "Believe me, he''ll forget all about Karen Bennet. Just don''t wussy out this time." "I won''t. Not with Bennet on the prowl." "Good." Alyce assured her, "It''ll work. It worked for me with Mike Patterson. Believe me. You''ll have him smiling all the way home." Louise giggled. The coach stood beside the bridge table, looking at the clipboard. He called out, "Hey Torelli!" Louise called back. "Yes Coach?" "You''ve signed up for the warrior team, not the cheerleaders; so pick up your shield and weapon and start training now! You''ve got less than a week to get into shape before the next game, so you got to start now!" Louise went over to the side of the Gym, in front of the stands, near the locker room entrance, where plastic swords, spears and shields were piled. She picked up a sword and shield and stood beside Dave, who also carried a shield and sword. They stepped out onto the Gym floor together. Jimmy Haskins, Larry Landis and Sarah Denski approached Dave and Louise. The three warriors closed in on the two trainees. Jimmy and Larry both took on Dave, and began pummeling him with their swords. Sarah stood in front of Louise, looking angry. Louise said, "Hi Sarah. How''s your jaw?" She whacked her sword against the side of Louise''s head and shouted. "You stay away from my boyfriend, you slut!" Then the two girls started whacking at each other hard. 8 / Glad He Ate Her 8 Glad He Ate Her An hour after Warrior Team practice ended on Tuesday afternoon, members of the HS L-1378-55 Warrior Team and the Cheerleading Squad, had gathered at the Glad He Ate Her Lounge; a teen hangout, three blocks from H.S. L-1378-55. The floor was half a level below the street entrance, which was reached by steps going up from the floor, to a landing just inside the entrance. Here under the bright fluorescent lights many students were seated at tables, or in booths along the sides. Others stood in line, to get carbonated blood drinks from a bank of vending machines in the rear. Some of their classmates crowded around the video games. High on the wall above the vending machines, a giant screen TV was turned on. Alyce Vanderland and Jimmy Haskins were seated in a booth, across the table from each other. Sarah Denski and Larry Landis sat with them. Each one had a plastic bottle of carbonated blood drink in front of him or her. Jimmy spoke. "Avery had me come to his office today. He wanted to know if I did anything to tamper with the noose, that I hanged Karen Bennet with; and if that''s why she came back." "The noose wasn''t tampered with!" Alyce said emphatically. "He''s pulling the same thing with you that he did with Karen and with Dave Krendell; but he''s wrong. Just look at the photo in yesterday''s Student Newsletter. You''ll see it was a good hanging. Nobody did anything wrong." Jimmy said, "What he told me was that if I did do ''anything wrong'', I should keep my mouth shut about it; or I''ll lose my extra rations." Alyce said, "That means that any of us can lose them, if we don''t keep our mouths shut" Now Jimmy said, "Hey it''s Avery." The others at the table looked around. Larry asked, "What''s he doing here?" "Not here. There." Jimmy pointed. "On the TV." Everyone in the Glad He Ate Her turned and looked at the giant screen TV above the vending machines. The Principal was on screen, speaking with a TV News reporter. The music was turned all the way down. Avery was saying, "...know how anybody could believe such a ridiculous rumor. The girl we hanged didn''t die. We were using a very old rope, that was badly frayed, and it jammed. The wrong photograph was printed in the Student Newsletter. They mistakenly reprinted the photo of a girl who was hanged two years ago. "And since the girl who we actually hanged didn''t die, she did not come back to life. She received proper medical treatment at our infirmary. That''s why her neck went back to its normal shape. "Then yesterday morning, she was killed in a gym class punch fight. There was nothing mysterious. There''s really no story here." Jimmy said, "That''s what everyone''s supposed to say. It''ll be easier to explain what can''t be explained in a scientific way, if everyone just pretends it didn''t happen." Larry asked, "Does anyone have an unscientific explanation?" Alyce said, "If anyone does, it ought to be Karen; and maybe Dave Krendell too." Jimmy said, "And speak of the Devil-Man himself." Dave stood on the landing, just inside the entrance. Louise stood beside him. They came down the steps, and made their way through the crowd to the booth, where Jimmy and the other three were seated. "Hey Haskins!" Dave said "What the hell were you and Landis here doing, ganging up on me during practice like that?" "Just part of the training Krendell." Jimmy told him, "If you can''t take it, you don''t belong on the Team." "What do you mean ''if I can''t take it''? That wasn''t part of the training. You were both trying to beat me into doing something that can get me permanently expelled." Larry said, "Could you not talk about that so loud?" "I''ll keep quiet, if you don''t try it again. If I get expelled, there''ll never be any extra rations for me or my family, and I''ll never be able to get a good job after I graduate. Those are the things that matter to me." Jimmy shrugged. "Same with us. Welcome to the Team Krendell." Then he and Larry shook hands with Dave. Sarah asked, "So how''s your head Louise?" "Same as your jaw." "So you gonna be keeping away from Larry now, Louise?" "No problem Sarah. Last year it was a mistake, that I''m not gonna repeat." "Then welcome to the Team girl." She and Louise shook hands. Alyce said, "Now here comes the Devil-Woman. Do we shake hands with her?" Karen stood on the landing, just inside the doorway. Then she came down the steps, went through the crowd, and came over to the booth, where she stood on Dave''s left. Louise stood to his right. She asked, "What do you mean ''Devil-Woman''? Am I still welcome among the living?" Alyce spoke. "Tell me something Karen. I''m curious. I''ve got as good a chance as every other girl on the squad, to be the cheerleader who gets hanged the next time we lose a game, and I''d like to know. What''ll it be like when I die?" Everyone around the table and beside the booth stared at Karen. She said, "Dying wasn''t as bad as it looks..." Sarah said, "Wait a minute Karen. I work on the Student Newsletter, and I''d like to take this down." She reached beneath the table into the handbag at her feet, and took out her edu-computer. She put it on the table in front of her, and switched it on. Then she said, "Go ahead Karen." Karen began again, "Dying wasn''t as bad as it looks." Sarah began typing. Karen went on. "Once I stopped squirming around, and gave myself to it, it was very comforting. Then once it was over, being dead was an eternity of totally comfortable contentment." Alyce said, "That''s good to know." Now Sarah asked, "Do you have any idea why you returned?" Karen told them all, "All I know, is that while I was being hanged, Dave prayed for me. He said that he loves me and God brought me back. Then yesterday Louise killed me, and He brought me back again." Louise sighed. Dave looked very uneasy. Karen went on. "Just before I revived this second time, I heard Him say, ''Karen arise and choose life, so that you and your children will live, and possess the land, which the Lord your God has given you.''" Everyone seated at the table looked startled. Louise looked angry. She spoke sharply. "Children? Aren''t there too many of us to feed already? We have to kill each other constantly, just to prevent famine, and God wants her to add more? And what''s this business about ''land''?" Now Alyce said, "I think I know what''s going on. God brought Karen back to Dave, so that he can be the father of those children." Karen, Dave and Louise were horrified. Karen said, "Please don''t say that!" Dave said, "Children? Alyce. Karen and I are only 17. We''re much too young to even think about marriage, let alone children. Besides, everyone''s forbidden by law, to get married or have children, before they''re 21." Alyce said, "That''s what I was talking about Dave. After you''re both 21." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Then let''s keep it that way." Karen said, "If both of us manage to live until we''re 21, we''ll discuss it then. Not before." Louise said, "Right. Not before." "Okay." Sarah spoke, "Let''s get on to something else. Karen. Could you tell us what your final conscious thoughts were, while you were being hanged?" Karen thought it over. "My final thought...was...''My pussy is coming''." Everyone around the table howled with laughter. "Forget it!" Sarah chuckled. "There''s no way, we''re gonna be allowed to print that! Avery''d have a fit." Larry said, "Not if you say that she was on her way to Paradise, and had already begun to party." The others chuckled. ¡°Or she could say,¡± Alyce told them, ¡°that she was entering Paradise in ecstasy.¡± Karen said, ¡°Well what I was also thinking was that I should have been hanged with my boobs naked. Then you could say that I was entering Paradise in ecstasy, while dressed to party.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Jimmy said, ¡°Dead Warrior Girls and Cheerleaders always look their best when their boobs are naked.¡± The others nodded and laughed in agreement. Dave now noticed that Louise was no longer beside him. She was climbing the steps. Then she went out the door. He moved away from the table, and followed her up the steps, through the doorway, and into the corridor street outside. He found Louise standing beside the doorway, a few steps to his right, keeping herself back from the surging crowd. Dave went over to her. She had tears in her eyes. She told him, "Go back to Karen, Dave. I''m not gonna risk having God strike me with leprosy, or turn me into a pillar of salt, for getting in your way." "Don''t say that Louise." He told her, "Alyce was only guessing. We''re all just only guessing; but there''s one thing I know for sure. I''d rather be with you than with Karen." "Thank you Dave, but if she''s gonna be your future..." "I have no idea what''s gonna happen in the future. Karen may have received a special message from God, but I haven''t. He did not say who the father of her future children would be. Like I said, Alyce was just guessing, but no guy has been identified yet." Louise asked, "Just how much does Karen mean to you Dave?" "Not as much as you do Louise. I know she would never fight over any guy, but you fought over me. You did kill her in a fight over me, and you did come to claim me as your reward. I know Karen wouldn''t have done either of those things; so it means a lot to me. You mean a lot more to me than she ever did, or ever will." Louise said, "Then I really wasn''t wasting my time. Those gold stars haven''t lost their sparkle." "All I know about the future," he said, "is that we might both be dead after the next Combat Game; so I''d like to make the most of the time we''ve got, with the woman who means more to me, than anyone else." "Why thank you Dave. What a wonderful thing to say." They went into each other''s arms, and kissed warmly again. Once they released each other, they saw Karen standing beside them. She said, "Dave. We have to talk." Louise told her, "I thought you just said you''d wait ''til you''re 21." "That''s not what this is about." Karen told them both, "It''s more important than this little squabble we''re having. I haven''t told this to anyone else yet. Something of very great significance is happening here." "What is it Karen?" Dave asked, "Do you know something for a fact, or are you just guessing like the rest of us?" "This isn''t a guess about the future." She told them, "I saw something yesterday, right after I revived. "I woke up in the meat packing plant, where I was about to be dumped into a gigantic meat grinder. Well I just jumped up and ran, and the guards started shooting at me. I managed to get to a fire exit. I ran through the doorway, and down the steps. One of the guards followed me, and hit me with a laser blast. It was a weak blast. He thought he''d killed me, so he went back inside, but I was only stunned. "The thing is, that when he fired, he also shot out a part of the wall, that was actually a painted over window. "Then I got up and looked through the window, and I saw the world outside the City Building of Manhattan." Louise said, "You saw the world outside?" "Yes. The world outside is beautiful. Things are living out there. I saw trees that were green and growing. I even saw a flock of birds flying. Just like you see in old movies." Dave said, "You saw birds flying?" Karen nodded, "Living things exist outside. The air is not polluted. That means that we can exist outside, and raise non-human food, like our ancestors did. That means that the kill quota can be decreased, or even eliminated entirely; and we won''t need rationing anymore." "Non-human food?" Louise said, "Eliminate the kill quota? No more rationing?" Dave said, "The world outside the City is supposed to be so badly polluted, that any exposure to it would cause immediate death. That''s why the City Buildings were constructed in the first place. They were meant to be places of refuge for the entire Earth. Once they were completed, everyone on Earth entered the City Buildings. Then the pollution was sealed out, and everyone on Earth was sealed in, and this is where we''ve been living since then." Karen said, "The City Buildings were constructed during an environmental crisis, 1,300 years ago, but has anyone taken a look outside lately?" "Take a look outside the City Building?¡± Louise wondered, "Is it possible?" "If it is," Karen said, "I''d like to see for myself. There''s no Combat Game this Saturday, and that''s when I''d like us to go and take a look." Louise said "Us? If you mean just you and Dave..." "No! I meant you too Louise, and a few others; like Alyce, and Jimmy and Larry and Sarah. Is that okay?" "Sounds good to me." Dave asked, "What do you say Louise?" "This Saturday," Louise said, "I have to take the College Entrance Exam, so I can''t go with you; but as long as you''ve got Alyce along, to keep an eye on both of you; it''ll be okay with me. "There''s just one thing." She added, "Is it really possible to go outside? All I''ve ever heard is that we''re sealed in. Is there any way at all, to reach the outside?" Dave told her, "I''m wondering that myself. I''ve seen maps of the entire City Building. Down on level 1, there are the entrances to the old tunnels that went to the world outside. That was before the City Building was built. If we can get to one of those tunnels, we might be able to reach the outside." "Can you get to one of them?" Louise said, "The Elevators go all the way down to Level 10. Below that it''s off limits to the public." Dave told them, "That''s where all the City''s power plants, the waste disposal units, and all the other centers of operation are located. Only people who work in those facilities are permitted access." Karen said, "What about the fire stairs? Don''t they go to all Levels, even those below Level 10? Wouldn''t they go all the way down to Level 1?" "That''s possible." Dave told her, "Let''s give it a try on Saturday." 9 / Weekend Excursion 9 Weekend Excursion At 7:30 on Saturday morning, Dave and Karen joined the crowd on the thickly packed elevator, which filled the entire block on the west side of 7th Avenue, between West 57th and West 58th Streets, on Level 1378. They both wore their HS L-1378-55 jackets, along with full-length rugged slacks, and sturdy shoes. They''d boarded a local elevator, which took them up two Levels. Here they headed over to 10th Avenue, where they boarded an express walkway and rode it downtown to 39th Street. Then they headed over to 40th Street, where they boarded an express elevator. They rode it down, stopping at every 10th Level. When they reached Level 1300, they transferred to a Super Express Elevator, going down and stopping at every 100th Level. The Super Express stopped to let the crowds on and off, at the Levels which contained major stores; at the Levels with museums and art galleries; entertainment Levels, containing legitimate theaters, along with theaters for opera and ballet; along with movie and TV studios. Crowds stepped on and off at Recreational Activity Levels, and Levels containing Stadiums where professional sports teams fought. The Elevator also stopped at Theme Park Levels, and major Financial and Business Levels. Dave and Karen reached the last stop on Level 10, at 10th Avenue and 40th Street, around 8:30 AM. There was a cafeteria here, where they''d agreed to meet the others. Jimmy, Alyce, Larry and Sarah were not in the cafeteria. Dave and Karen waited for an hour, and the other four still hadn''t shown up. Karen reached in her handbag, took out her multi-tasker, and switched on her cell phone. She dialed Alyce''s number. Alyce''s voice yawned. "Oh I''m sorry Karen. But I''ve just got so many things to do today; so does Sarah. She and I agreed to go shopping, and Jimmy and Larry are gonna be tagging along." "Shopping?" Karen said, "You mean you''d rather go shopping, than be the very first people to ever...." "To ever what? All you''ve told us about this big secret of yours is that it''s the most important thing that''s happened in the last 1,322 years, but you haven''t said what it is." "I''m sorry Alyce but..." "Listen. If it''s that important, it can wait, can''t it?" Alyce hung up. Karen growled in frustration. "Dave." She asked, "Do you want to wait?" "We can''t wait." He told her, "There¡¯s a strong possibility, that neither you or I will survive the next game. Today might be the only chance we''ll ever have." Then they got up, left the cafeteria, headed one block south to 39th street, and then west until they came to a dead end, where a line of fire exit doors stood shut. Dave said, "So here it is Karen. If the fire stairs continue going down from here, we might have a chance to reach the outside. If they stop here, so be it; but we''ll have the rest of the day to go back up to one of those theme parks, if you''d like; or shopping." Karen spoke emphatically "No shopping today! No theme parks either!" Dave put his hands on the push bar of a fire door. He pushed it open. Then he and Karen stepped onto a dimly lit landing, in a dark gray stairwell, with flights of steps going up and also going down, into dimly lit grayness. "Now it starts." Dave said, "I have no idea what we''ll be getting into after this. We might be getting ourselves killed." She said, "And we could be doing that, while spending a day in any theme park. At least where we''re headed they won''t be charging admission." "Okay then." Dave shrugged, "Here we go." The two of them descended the first flight of steps. They came to the first landing, turned left, and descended another flight; then another flight and another flight. As they continued their descent, Dave and Karen came to one landing, where they found themselves engulfed by an overpowering stench, coming through that level''s fire door. Karen said, "What the hell is that?" Dave said, "I think it the human waste treatment plant. That''s where we all end up eventually." Karen made a retching noise. He asked, "Are you sure you want to go on?" Karen was trembling. "What do you think, I''m a wussy Dave? Are we gonna be stopped by a bad smell?" She laughed. "Besides, if we get lucky we''ll be killed, so we won''t have to come back through this." The two high school students continued their descent. They finally reached the bottom landing. The sign displayed on the inside of the fire door said "LEVEL 1". They pushed their way out, into a much darker place than the fire stairs. There was no sound, except the echo of their footsteps. They''d both brought their handheld multi-taskers. They turned on the flashlight feature, and waved the powerful beams around. All they saw were cinderblock walls, on the north and south sides of a long abandoned street. The circle of light from Dave''s tasker framed an ancient sign that said, "LINCOLN TUNNEL===>" The two of them then went in the sign''s direction. Their footsteps had echoed for more than a half hour, as they made their way through the long abandoned tunnel, with the lights from their taskers, illuminating the dark brown pavement ahead of them, and the yellowed tiles along the sides. Inside the chilly tunnel the lights also illuminated their steaming breaths. About 15 minutes earlier, their lights had illuminated a painted sign on the tiles to their left, saying: "<===NEW YORK|| ||NEW JERSEY ===>¡± They continued on toward New Jersey. "Were completely alone Dave." Karen''s voice trembled. "For the first time in my life, I''m in a place where there''s nobody around. I don''t know if I can handle this. It''s so dark and scary and lonely." Her voice became panicky. "I just want to get out of here!" "It''s okay. I''m here." "But if you get killed, I''ll have to come back through here alone! I don''t know if I can stand it!" "It''s okay Karen. I think we''re coming to the exit." The tile wall ahead of them had begun turning to the left, and continued turning to the left, and turning to the left. Then their flashlight circles came to the end of the roadway, and shown against a flat, monstrously high wall of cinderblocks, blocking the entire exit. "No!" Karen whimpered with a shaky voice. "No! I don''t want to go back through all of this tunnel, and the stench! Dave. Kill me now. Please!" Dave''s flashlight circle framed the lower left corner of the wall, where a pair of overlapping metal doors stood shut. A sign above the door displayed the word "AIRLOCK". "That might not be necessary." He said, "We might have a reason for us to stay alive." The two of them hurried over to the pair of doors. Two square pads were set in the doorframe on the right side. The top pad was green. On it was the word "OPEN". The pad below it was red; it displayed the word "SHUT". Dave touched the green pad. The doors slid open sideways to the right, and a bright fluorescent light came through the opening doorway, illuminating the tunnel behind them; revealing several skeletons, dressed in men''s and women''s garments. Karen said, "Just bones? How is it possible? All of their meat''s been collected, but they''re still in their clothes, and their bones haven''t been pulled apart?" "Their meat wasn''t collected." Dave said, "Nobody knew they were here, so nobody came to collect their bodies. Nobody ate their meat. Their flesh just rotted away." "Oh!" Karen shuddered. "That''s horrible!" Then she said, "That''s what''s gonna happen to us! They opened the airlock, and were killed by the polluted air! I know what I saw, but everything that''s alive out there has probably adapted to the conditions, but the air would still kill us, and we''ll be just like them." "No we won''t." Dave said. "This airlock''s no longer airtight." He stepped into the airlock. Karen stepped into the chamber beside him. He waved his hand along the double doors'' edges. "There''s a draft," he said, "coming through from the outside, and it''s warm. If the air outside was still polluted, we''d both be dead by now." He stepped over to the right side of the outer doors, and touched the green control pad. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Karen shouted, "No Dave!" The doors slid open from left to right, filling the chamber with a glaring white light, dazzling their eyes for a moment. Their nostrils were filled with the aroma of warm soil, and the air around their bodies was comfortably warm. After a few moments their eyes adjusted to the daylight. They were looking out at a grove of tall trees with thick dark trunks, under a glowing blue sky. The warm air was filled with the chirping of birds, and a soft hissing breeze that blew through the thick, leafy green branches above them. "It''s alive." Dave said, "The world outside the City Building is alive." They stepped out of the airlock, putting their feet onto solid earth, and deeply inhaling the warm fresh air. High on a hill above and behind them, they heard the sound of dogs barking. Dave said, "Carnivorous beasts. They might be ''man-eaters''." He reached down and picked up a stone, a little larger than his hand. He said, "I want to make sure we don''t get locked out." He went back to the airlock, and put the stone up against the open door, placing it atop the groove, through which the doors slid back and forth. Then a loud beeping sound began. He and Karen looked back inside the airlock. A bright red sign was flashing on and off, above the green and red pads, announcing, "ENVIRONMENTAL PROTOCOL U HAS BEEN VIOLATED! ENVIRONMENTAL SANCTION U IS NOW ACTIVATED!" Karen asked, "What''s an ''Environmental Sanction''?" "I''m not sure. I think that means we''re supposed to be polluted to death. Like those skeletons back inside." Karen laughed, "Then the Sanction has ceased to function. That means that you and I can continue to function." Now they stepped away from the beeping airlock, and entered the grove of trees, which were growing in the ancient Toll Plaza. The trees blocked off their views in all directions. Through the trees to their left, they saw a crumbling wall of orange bricks. Far to the right, was another crumbling, orange brick wall. Through the trees ahead of them, they saw the ruins of a small structure. They made their way through the underbrush to the ruins. They came to the remains of the line of tollbooths. Their windows were gone, and the metal signs posts were thick with rust and what few signs remained were washed blank, by 13 centuries of weathering. "Weather." Karen said, "We may be the very first people to actually be ''out in the weather'', since our ancestors were sealed inside." They again heard the dogs barking far in the distance. Dave picked up a fallen tree branch, about the length of his arm. He said, "We may be the first people out here, but we''re not the only living creatures who eat meat." Karen also picked up a fallen branch, to use as a club. She went on ahead of Dave, through the grove of trees, and came to the edge of the grove. She saw the remains of the roadway, rising in a broad, overgrown ramp ahead of her. She stepped out from under the trees, and felt the warmth of the sun upon her body. Karen looked to her left, and then she screamed. In front of her, a massive, shimmering wall rose, almost to the center of the sky. It stretched to her right for miles, where it ended abruptly in a sharp, vertical line. The wall stretched even further to her left, where a hill blocked her view of its lower levels. The wall shimmered in the sunlight, and hissing sounds came from all along its side. Dave came running up beside Karen, with his club raised. He halted, and was also stunned by the sight. Karen caught her breath. Then she said, "It''s horrible!" "It''s the City Building of Manhattan." Dave told her, "It''s home." Karen was again trembling. "I can''t stand to look at it." "Do you want to go back inside?" "No." Her voice shook again. "I said I''m not a wussy." "The way you screamed, I thought you were being attacked by one of those man eaters." They continued on their way, climbing the ramp under the hot sun. They both removed their jackets. Dave wore a long sleeved light blue shirt, and blue jeans. Karen also wore jeans, along with a yellow blouse. They both had sturdy shoes on their feet. "Don''t look directly at the sun." Dave warned her. "I''ve read that it could permanently blind you." The ramp turned left, and the roadway continued to rise in an elongated spiral, between two waist high walls. Karen and Dave made the turn, and they saw a broad river flowing between them and the City Building. There were overgrown ruins along the near shoreline. Facing in the opposite direction, above the opposite side of the grove of trees in the toll plaza, was a hill on which many crumbling ruins stood. All around them, flocks of birds were in flight, and insects buzzed. Dave and Karen continued on, with the toll plaza below them to their left. The City Building wall rose high above them, reaching into the clouds, beyond a green hill to their right. As they made their way through the waist high shrubbery, Karen halted. She moved a few steps to her left and halted again. "Hold it Dave." She said, "We''re not the first people to come out here." He came over to her. Karen''s feet stood beside the grinning skull of a human skeleton sprawled forward on the ground, with its arms spread wide, and plants growing between its ribs. There was also the shaft of an arrow sticking out through its back ribs, just to the left of the spine, at heart level. She said, "This one''s meat rotted away too." "But whoever this was," Dave said, "wasn''t polluted to death." "Yeah. Some cowardly wussy shot whoever he or she was, in the back." He reached down and yanked the arrow out. "This shaft isn''t made of plastic." He said, "I think it''s wood. It''s the same substance that all the hard parts of these plants are made of." She said, "There''s writing on the shaft." He wiped some dirt off the arrow and read, "''Kaczynski Brigade''? That sounds familiar." "Of course it does." She told him, "The arrow came from Kasin''s Key''s to Paradise, the weapons supplier on Level 500. That''s where the Combat Team gets all its weapons from." "No." He told her, "This name''s spelled different." "Well however you spell it, he or she was killed a very long time ago, so whoever killed him or her, went back inside back then." They continued on their way up the rising roadway, until it leveled off, hundreds of feet above the grove of trees in the toll plaza, and again turned left. Here the overgrown roadway headed west. Dave and Karen went to their right, and sat on the waist high barrier, facing south. He reached in his jacket pocket, took out his multi-tasker, and switched on its phone function. Karen asked, "Can you make a call from outside the City Building?¡± "I''m not sure, but people do call each other from different City Buildings." He tapped out a number and said, "I''m calling Louise." "Louise?" "We have to let people know about this; and who else should we tell first?" He put the tasker-phone to his ear and listened. He told Karen, "Her phone''s off. I''ve got to make a recording." Then he spoke into the tasker-phone. "Hi Louise. This is Dave. I''m calling you from outside the City Building. I''m with Karen Bennet, and we''re in the land she saw, through that broken window. This is an overgrown, abandoned wilderness. Karen and I are the only people out here--that I know of. There might be a few other people in scattered places, but Karen and I are the only one''s I''m sure about." Karen said, "Can I talk?" Dave handed her the phone. She said, "Hi Louise. This is Karen. Let''s forget about the fight. This is much more important. "For the first time in my life, I''m in a place where there aren''t crowds of people. We can see for miles from where we are, and we don''t see a single human being. All we''ve seen are ruins, and they all look uninhabitable. We also see the outside of the City Building of Manhattan, and it''s monstrous. "There are flocks of birds flying all around us; and there are some creatures in the distance. We hear them roaring and growling. Dave thinks they might be man-eaters, but they haven''t come near us yet." Now Dave reached for the phone, and Karen handed it back to him. "Louise." He said, "There''s something I''d like you to look up. When we came through the airlock, it set off an alarm. There was a flashing sign that said we had violated something called ''Environmental Protocol U'', and that some kind of ''Environmental Sanction'' had been activated. Could you..." Dave hesitated. Karen stood up, facing to the right. Now Dave said, "I''ll have to call back Louise. Some people are approaching. Armed." 10 / Extended Stay 10 Extended Stay Outside the City Building, on the remains of the ancient highway, an armed Patrol of a half dozen men and women approached Dave and Karen from the west, moving through the waist high weeds. They wore light blue shirts, black pants and black boots, and carried crossbows set with arrows ready to shoot. Dave and Karen stood beside the barrier, holding their wooden clubs at waist height. She said, "Welcome to Paradise Dave." "Right." The Patrol halted about 30 feet from them. The Patrol Leader, who had Sergeant stripes on the shoulder of his shirt, called out. "In the name of the Sovereign State of New Jersey, I order you to put down your weapons and come with us peacefully!" Karen raised her club and shouted, "Not if I''m gonna get raped!" She raised her club higher, preparing to get shot and killed, with one or more arrows through her chest, and maybe some other parts; ready to make her often practiced, warrior girl¡¯s sexy death grunt and sigh. The Sergeant called out; "We are Officers of the Law! I assure you, that neither of you will be harmed in any way, if you put down your weapons, and come with us now!" Dave dropped his club, and raised his hands. Karen said, "Dave? You''re wimping out? We¡¯re supposed to get killed now." "This isn''t a combat game Karen. The Warrior Code doesn''t apply out here. This is their jurisdiction, and they''ve given us a legal order. We have to obey it." Karen reluctantly dropped her club, and raised her hands with a sigh. The Patrol came over to the two High School students, and stood around them with their weapons lowered. The Sergeant said, "Young lady, we are God fearing people. Just cooperate with us, and you will have nothing to fear." Then he said, "You two came through the airlock, which is in violation of the Environmental Protocols." Dave said, "We apologize, Sergeant. We didn''t realize that we''d violated any law. As a matter of fact, we had no idea that anyone was living out here at all. If you let us go now, I promise that we''ll go right back inside the City Building, and you''ll never see the two of us out here again." "That will not be possible." The man told Dave and Karen. "Anyone who leaves the City Building can''t ever return. The airlock can not be opened from the outside." Karen gasped, "You mean we''re out here, in this wilderness, permanently?" He said, "We can not allow people inside the City, to learn that life exists out here. Once they do, they''ll come pouring out through the airlocks by the millions. We can not allow the thoroughly corrupt, immoral, depraved and violent customs, of the City Building of Manhattan, to be inflicted upon our fellow citizens." "Sergeant." Dave said, "You aren''t the only people, who know that we''re out here." He asked, "Who else knows?" "Just one other person knows right now, but she''s sure to tell others, and everyone in the City Building''ll know it in the next few days. Then everything out here is going to change; whether you like it or not." The Sergeant said, "Come with us." The Patrol then escorted Dave and Karen along the remains of the highway, which went between high stone walls. Then they ascended a ramp to the right, and began moving along tree lined streets among overgrown ruins. They halted beside a padlocked door. The Sergeant had a keychain on his belt. He took one key, then unlocked and opened the door. Dave and Karen were escorted through the doorway, into a tiny room with a small window up against the ceiling and a table with two chairs. The Sergeant told them, "We''ll be back." Then the Patrol went outside and shut the door. They heard the padlock click, and the Patrol move away. "What''s going on Dave?" Karen asked, "If they don''t want City people to know that they can live out here, why didn''t they kill us on the spot?" "He said they''re God fearing people." "But it still doesn''t make sense not to kill us." "Maybe they''re keeping us alive temporarily, until we''re interrogated." Karen was horrified. "''Interrogated''? You mean they''re gonna torture us?" "Not if we just tell them everything we can, about what they want to know. That shouldn''t take long. You and I''ll probably be dead within an hour." She said, "What if they ask us about things we don''t know about? What if they ask us, if there are any plans for the City to invade out here? We''re High School kids. We don''t know anything about the City''s plans for anything; but they might not believe us; so we''re gonna be tortured. They might start killing us within the hour, but it''ll take us many hours to die. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°I''m a Warrior girl. I¡¯m ready to die sexy, with a quick blade through my boob. I¡¯ve practiced my sexy death grunt and sigh. The pain''d vanish in a moment; so I¡¯ve got no hesitation about that. Then I¡¯ll be a sexy dead girl and in Paradise. And I¡¯ll be good to eat. I¡¯m prepared for that; but I''m not prepared for prolonged torture." "Karen don''t panic." Dave told her, "What you''re talking about is the way they interrogate people in the movies. This isn''t a movie. These people aren''t savages. I''m sure they''ll kill us in a quick and civilized way." She sat in one of the chairs beside the table and sighed. "I hope so." He sat in the other chair. Dave reached in his jacket pocket, and took out his multi-tasker once more. He said, "You''re right Karen. They made a mistake by not killing us on the spot. I''m gonna see if I can get Louise this time." He dialed his girlfriend''s phone number, and listened. Then he said, "Still just a recording." Dave hung up, and put the tasker back in his pocket. They remained seated in the nearly empty room for more than an hour. Then they heard the padlock click open. Dave and Karen jumped to their feet. He said, "Welcome to Paradise Karen." "Welcome to Paradise Dave." The door opened. The Sergeant and one Deputy stepped inside, both armed with crossbows. The Deputy also carried a small, brown paper bag. "Sergeant." Dave said, "Miss Bennet and I have decided to cooperate with you fully. We''ll tell you everything you want to know, to the best of our ability; so that you won''t think it necessary to torture us, before we''re killed." Karen added, "I also ask not be raped, or dishonored in any way, before you kill me." "The bravery of you two is truly admirable," the Sergeant chuckled, "but tortured? Raped? Killed? What kind of savages do you think we are?" Dave said, "Oh I didn''t think you were Sergeant. We just wanted to make sure." Now the Sergeant and the Deputy both chuckled. The Deputy tossed the brown paper bag on the table. "We thought you might be hungry," he told them, "so we brought you some sandwiches. Just cold cuts for now. You''ll have something warm to eat later." Dave asked, "''Cold cuts''? Cuts of meat?" "That''s right. Ham, chicken, and turkey slices." "Animal meat?" The Deputy said, "I hope you like it." Karen asked, "Something warm to eat later? Aren''t you gonna kill us now?" The Sergeant spoke firmly. "I said we are God fearing people. Since we can''t allow you to return to the City, we''ll have you transported far enough away, so that you won''t be able to return." Dave asked, "Are you taking us to jail?" "No. You''ll be going to a community of God fearing people, where you''ll be treated right. I''m not sure exactly where it is yet. We''re trying to arrange for transportation. It might take a good amount of time." Then he and the deputy went outside and shut the door. Karen heard the Sergeant laugh. "Rape? Her? Hah! Talk about conceited." Karen looked annoyed at his words, while the padlock clicked again. Dave said, "They''ve left, and we''re alive?" Karen snapped, "What was the matter with you Dave?" "Me? What''d I do?" "Why''d you have to wimp out and surrender in the first place? If you hadn''t, we''d both now be comfortably dead and in Paradise. Instead of that, they''re gonna take us who knows where?" She whimpered. "We''ll never see our homes again, or our families, or anyone who means anything to us either, ever again!" "Karen. It doesn''t have to be that way." "Well what way should it be Dave? The way it should be, is that I should now be a sexy dead warrior girl, with an arrow or arrows sticking through my boobs. ¡®Sexy meat to cook and eat.¡¯ It¡¯s Saturday afternoon. If we were still inside the City Building, I could be that way right now. ¡°That¡¯s someone you can be proud of; who I could be proud of. I shouldn''t be locked in here, crying like a baby!" Dave came over, put his hands around the trembling Karen, and held her gently, while she tried to suppress her tears. The multi-tasker phone in the pocket of his jacket rang. Dave stepped back from Karen, took the phone out, turned it on and put it to his ear. "Hello." "Dave." The caller said, "It''s Louise. I just got your message. What''s going on with you and Karen? You''re outside the City Building?¡± "That''s right. Permanently. We''re locked out permanently. Karen and I can never get back inside. Ever." "You''re locked out?" "Listen Louise. Whatever Alyce guessed, about the father of Karen''s future children, there''s a possibility that she may have guessed right." 11 / Protocol U 11 Protocol U Louise had arrived at the Glad He Ate Her early in the afternoon. The hangout was not as crowded on Saturdays, as it was after school on weekdays. She joined Alyce, who sat at a table with Jimmy Haskins. Alyce asked, "So how''d the College Entrance Exam go?" Louise spoke with a tearful tone. "I''m not getting in." Alyce and Jimmy both looked startled. Alyce asked, "You''re not?" "No." There was now a tone of bitterness in Louise''s voice. "I didn''t score as high as I needed." "But you''re so smart." Alyce told her, "You''ve done so much studying." "It doesn''t matter." Her voice shook. "What matters is that I scored two points less than is necessary for admission." Jimmy said, "Only two points? Shouldn''t that qualify you to reapply?" "Forget it! I''m not getting in. After this, the only thing I''m qualified for is to be packaged sausages or meat patties." "Other than that," Alyce asked, "do you have any idea what you''re gonna do now?" "Yeah. I''ll do what any responsible citizen should do, when he or she has no other alternatives. I''ll take part in the population trimming and meat harvest. That''s what we''re all on the Combat Team for isn''t it?" The other two nodded in agreement. "Now that I no longer have to worry about getting into college, everything''ll be a lot easier from now on." Louise told them; "During combat games I won''t have any reason to hold back. I won''t be a shirking wussy any more. I''ll fight in every game until I''m killed, and when that happens I''ll be as good to eat as the rest of you, and I won''t have any regrets.¡± Alyce told her, "Then welcome to the Team Louise. You¡¯ve got the right attitude." Louise then sat down at the table, with Alyce and Jimmy. Now she was calm. She said, "I thought you two were going on that expedition with Dave and Karen." "Sorry." Alyce told her, "I went shopping instead; so did Sarah. Jimmy and Larry went with us. I''m sorry. We''ve all got a lot to do, and this is the only day we''ve got." Louise asked, "You mean that Dave is alone with Karen?" "Oops." Jimmy said, "Looks like this just isn¡¯t your day, is it Louise?" Louise sighed. Then she said, "I want to check my messages." She took out her multi-tasker, turned on the cell-phone function, tapped out the voice mail, put the phone to her ear, and listened. Then she said, "I don''t believe it!" Alyce said, "You don''t believe what?" "It''s Dave Krendell. He and Karen Bennet are outside the City Building!¡± Jimmy said, "Outside?" Louise said, "Listen." She put the tasker on the table, and replayed the recording, using the amplifier. She, Alyce and Jimmy heard the words, "Hi Louise. This is Dave. I''m calling you from outside the City Building. "I''m with Karen Bennet, and we''re in the land that Karen saw, through that broken window. This is an overgrown, abandoned wilderness. Karen and I are the only people out here--that I know of. There might be a few other people in scattered places, but she and I are the only one''s I''m sure about." Then Karen got on and said, "For the first time in my life, I''m in a place where there aren''t crowds of people. We can see for miles from where we are, and we don''t see a single human being. All we''ve seen are ruins, and they all look uninhabitable. We also see the outside of the City Building of Manhattan, and it''s monstrous. "There are flocks of birds flying all around us; and there are some creatures in the distance. We hear them roaring and growling. Dave thinks they might be man-eaters, but they haven''t come near us yet." "Louise." Dave was back on. "There''s something I''d like you to look up. When we came through the airlock, it set off an alarm. There was a flashing sign that said we''d violated something called ''Environmental Protocol U'', and that some kind of ''Environmental Sanction'' had been activated. Could you..." Dave hesitated for a moment. Then he spoke again. "I''ll have to call back Karen. Some people are approaching. Armed." The recording ended. Louise shut off her tasker. Jimmy asked, "They''re outside the City Building? Things are alive out there? Birds? Man-eaters?" Louise nodded. "And armed people approaching. That was a recording, so they''re probably both dead by now." Alyce asked, "Karen saw something through a broken window? Just what the hell was that all about?" "Well you see," Louise told them, "After she escaped from the meat packing plant, Karen happened to go past a broken window. She stopped to look out through the window for a moment. Then she saw the land outside the City Building. She believed it was the ''...land that the Lord had given''...to her and her children.'' "There is life out there in abundance. She told Dave and me about it. Today they went outside to do some exploring." Jimmy asked, "Is that what the big secret was? Is that what they were inviting us to join them for?" "That''s right." Louise told them, "That big secret''s probably got them both killed by now; but that means that Karen wasn''t having any hallucination." Jimmy said, "But you don''t know for a fact, that they have been killed, do you?" "Right. Who knows what people out there are like?" Alyce reached into her handbag, which was on the table beside her. She took out her edu-computer, put it on the table in front of her, and switched it on. Then she said, "Let''s see. ¡¯Environmental Protocol U'', and ''Environmental Sanction U.¡¯¡± Louise picked up her tasker again, and pressed the return call. She put the device to her ear and listened. Then she said, "Dave. It''s Louise. I just got your message. What''s going on with you and Karen? You''re outside the City Building?¡± She listened. "You''re locked out?" Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. They spoke for a few minutes, while Alyce entered the words "Environmental Protocol U" into her edu-computer. Then Louise hung up and said, "Dave and Karen are under arrest; somewhere in the wilderness, outside the City Building. They say they''re being held in some ruins called ''Weehawken '', and the ruins are in the ''Sovereign State of New Jersey.''" Jimmy said, "Under arrest?" Louise nodded, "Yes. They not only haven''t been killed; they''re not going to be killed. The people who arrested them, are gonna send them to some community, that''s so far away, that they''ll never be able to return." "You''re kidding." Alyce said, "There''s not only people out there in the wilderness, there''s an actual ''Community''? I had no idea anybody was out there at all." "Neither did I." Louise told them, "Dave said that the people out there don''t want any of us to find out that life is possible out there. That''s why he and Karen are being sent to where they''ll never be able to return from." Jimmy asked, "Then why didn''t they just kill them? It''d be a lot easier." "Who knows?" Louise shrugged. "The people out there are sure to be very different from us." She sighed, and was quiet for a few moments. ¡°Okay.¡± Louise spoke firmly. ¡°Since I won¡¯t be holding back during the fighting, I think I''ll become a team girlfriend too, and just as slutty as the rest of you, and I won''t have any regrets about that either." Jimmy laughed. "Neither will the guys on the team, Louise." "And I''d like to start by being slutty with Jimmy here!" Alyce said, "What! Now I don''t like your attitude." "If you don''t like it, you and I can have a bare boob chick fight afterward, with all the guys cheering! If you want to." "Oh believe me, I want to." Jimmy tapped Alyce¡¯s edu-computer. "Let''s get back to this. We might be able to learn something here." ¡°Right.¡± They all turned their attention to Alyce''s edu-computer. She told them, "It says here, that the Environmental Protocols were the laws governing the construction of the City Building of Manhattan." Louise and Jimmy then got out their own edu-computers, and the three searched for whatever they could find, regarding the City Building''s construction. They learned that near the end of the 20th Century, a number of bombs were set off by someone who called himself "The Unibomber". The bombs killed a few people over many years. When the bomber was finally apprehended, he turned out to be a former college professor named Theodore Kaczynski. He claimed that he was committing the terrorist acts, to protest the destruction of the environment. After he went to jail, a Gang of Environmental Terrorists was formed. They called themselves "The Kaczynski Brigade". The Brigade began setting off bombs, in restaurants, food markets and meat packing plants all over the Country, killing hundreds of customers and employees, to protest the eating of meat. Then at midnight on New Year''s Eve, at the beginning of the year 2012, a nerve gas canister bomb was detonated in New York''s Times Square, killing everyone within a 10-block radius of Broadway, 7th Avenue and West 44th Street. More than one million people died in less than one minute. The next day, an e-mail was sent to every major news organization in the Country. It said, "We of the Kaczynski Brigade take full credit for last night''s attack. We obtained the nerve gas bomb, from our own agents, who have acquired thousands of biological and nuclear weapons, from the poorly guarded arsenals of the former Soviet Union. "We intend to use them, unless our demands are met. "The Earth must be saved from humanity, by removing humanity from the Earth. A single building is to be constructed, on the Island of Manhattan...¡± Louise, Jimmy and Alyce followed the news stories. They read about the enforced construction of the City Building of Manhattan; and the other City Buildings; the forced relocation of all the people of the Earth, into the City Buildings; and their final sealing away from the Kaczynski''s Brigade''s beloved Earth. The Kaczynski Brigade then announced, "Since you will no longer be able to eat the flesh of God''s blessed animals, and have refused to eat only vegetables; from now on, you will only be able to eat one another. "We, the American People, deserve this. ¡°Future generations will thank us for what we, the Kaczynski Brigade are doing today. "Any attempt to damage any of the seals, which have been put in place, to keep you confined inside the City Building, will result in the activation of bombs, which have been implanted inside the City Building''s structure, and will destroy this entire City, and totally annihilate its entire population. "How many severely wounded survivors, will you be able to evacuate, when they will have no place to go, and no way to get there?" Louise, Jimmy and Alyce sat at the table in the Glad He Ate Her Lounge, not sure what to say. Louise finally spoke, "When Dave and Karen went outside, they activated the Environmental Sanction. Is the entire City Building of Manhattan, going to be blown up at any moment? How many people can we evacuate? Is there any place to go?" "Relax Louise." Jimmy said, "Krendell and Karen can''t be the first people who''ve ever gone outside. The ancestors of the people, who are living in those communities, might have left the City Building centuries ago; and when they left, the City Building wasn''t annihilated. "Besides, if this Kaczynski Brigade did plant any bombs, that was 1,322 years ago. By now they''ve all corroded into duds. After all this time they couldn''t possibly be detonated, and if any of them are, all they''ll do is go ''poof''." Now Alyce said. "You mean there never was any environmental crisis? There was never any real need for us to be confined inside the City Building? Everything we''ve been taught about our reason for living in here, was a hoax? The reason for us to kill and eat each other, is based on a hoax?" 12 / "Lost and Frightened 12 ¡°Lost and Frightened¡± The following day, the H.S. L-1378-55 Combat Team fought with swords and shields in the Gymnasium of a Yeshiva High School on Level 723. This School''s Team fought on Sundays, to avoid profaning their Sabbath. Warrior guys and girls from both teams lay dead or wounded on the gym floor. The seats were filled with cheering students and faculty from both schools. On the sidelines, the Host School¡¯s Band played the ancient "Washington Post March." In front of the Visiting Team stands, Alyce Vanderland was among the H. S. L-1378-55 cheerleaders, who wore tight, green and yellow tee shirts, and very short skirts. They leapt high while whirling about, waving their green and yellow pompoms, and chanting. "Jimmy Haskins--He''s our man! If he can''t do it--Landis can! Larry Landis--He''s our man! If he can''t do it--Torelli can! Louise Torelli--She¡¯s our gal! If she can''t..." Today, Louise Torelli was among the warrior girls and guys, who fought hard against the guys and girls on the host team. This is a lot better, Louise thought, than me being a shirking wussy, sitting in the stands with Dave Krendell. He was praying for someone who wasn''t me. The day before she''d thought, Dave is gone, permanently; with Karen Bennet; permanently. He''s gone, with the one who God Himself had chosen to have his children. They''re outside the City Building; in the custody of people who are not gonna kill them? They''re probably gonna live so long that they''ll die in bed from old age. I, on the other hand, am still inside the City Building. I''m now a warrior girl, who''ll probably be dead, cooked and eaten, sometime before graduation. That''s what I''m here for. It''s the right thing to do, so why not party? Last night she had attended a team party. Everyone there got drunk, and got laid; including Louise, who''d done it with Jimmy Haskins. After that she and Alyce had punched each other out. The two fought bare breasted, and the guys were cheering, and it was all a lot of fun. Once the fight was over, she and Alyce remained friends. Today in the midst of combat game fighting, Louise got her sword around the shield of the girl she was facing, stabbed her under her left breast, and drove the blade up into the girl''s heart. The girl made a single, brave cry. Louise shouted, "Welcome to Paradise!¡± The girl sighed, collapsed, and lay dead on the gym floor. The H.S. L-1378-55 kill score rose by one. In the visitors stands the fans cheered. Then another girl on the host team took on Louise. They both eagerly slashed at each other, with their blood stained swords. Louise managed to get her sword around the shield of this second girl, and stabbed her to a killing depth. This one also made a brave cry, and fell dead while Louise again shouted. "Welcome to Paradise!¡± The H.S. L-1378-55 fans cheered again. Now I''ve scored two kills, she thought. I''m really enjoying this! Then she turned to her right, to take on her next opponent. She found herself facing a guy twice her size, who was plunging a spear deep inside her chest, between her breasts, straight into her heart. Now it was her turn to make the single brave cry, while she thought, I¡¯m killed! I¡¯m dying! I¡¯m harvested meat! It¡¯s the right thing! A good thing! She saw the words, "Kasin''s Keys to Paradise", engraved along the weapon''s shaft, and thought, I¡¯m unlocked. She fell away from the spear head. The blade ripped the front of her tee shirt open, exposing her breasts for everyone to see. The guy called out, "Welcome to Paradise!" He''s sending me to Paradise, dressed to party. Louise lay dead on the gym floor. The host team fans cheered. Alyce was among the H.S. L-1378-55 cheerleaders, who chanted. "...See that score! More meat to eat! We want more! More meat to eat!" Louise''s ghost rose up out of her body, while the fighting continued all around her. She saw herself lying dead on her back, in a drying puddle of her own blood, with a deep broad gash between her fully exposed breasts. Inside the gash, she saw her heart split open. She lay beside the two girls who she''d just killed. Debbie Sheridan and Carlotta Obregon also lay dead, a short distance away. I''m a ghost. She wondered, Am I gonna be watching myself get ground into sausages, and watch my meat getting cooked, and then eaten by the students at this school? I don''t want to see that. Then Louise''s ghost was no longer in the Host School¡¯s Gymnasium. She was no longer inside the City Building of Manhattan. She found herself standing in the open, beneath a glowing blue sky and bright yellow sun. She knew she was facing north. To her left was a one story tall white Church building, with a tall steeple rising high, beside a leafy green tree with a thick trunk, which grew on the building''s front lawn. The Church had a line of six arched stained glass windows along its side. A dark gravel road passed in front of the wooden structure. A pathway of blue slate went across the lawn from the road to the church''s entrance. Beside the pathway to the Church, a white wooden sign with black lettering stood. The sign stated, "First Presbyterian Church Zabelton, Pennsylvania Rev. Domnick Luzak: Pastor Sunday Morning Worship: 10:30" A larger, temporary sign was set up on the lawn, announcing, "Annual 4th of July Barbecue! All Are Welcomed" On the opposite side of the gravel road there was a single; two story tall, bluish gray building with a front porch. A sign above the porch identified the building as, "Zabelton General Store". At the back of the porch, the storefront consisted of a pair of picture windows, with a screen door between them. The road between the church and the store went further on to the west, going between green fields, with growing crops planted in rows, and continued on, passing a barn with a silo, then disappearing over a low hill. The fields were surrounded by tall rounded mountains. Another dark gravel road went north and south, along the east side of the Church, crossing the east-west road, and continued on past the general store, with the fertile green fields to its west, and thick woodlands to the east. The road between the church and the general store came out of the woodlands to the east. She wondered. Am I in Paradise? Two men were seated in wooden chairs, on the front porch of the general store. One was in his mid forties, wearing neatly pressed black pants and a white, short sleeved shirt. The other man was a few years older. He wore blue jeans, and a short sleeved shirt with narrow blue and white horizontal stripes. Louise''s ghost was then beside the men. The man in the striped shirt said, "Fourth of July''s this Wednesday Domnick. How many do you expect to show up?" A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The other man said, "The entire Congregation as always, Frank; about 100 of them, along with an equal number of guests. The ladies are gonna be spending all morning, preparing all the fish we catch on Lake Wallenpaupack, the day before." "If any of you catch any." Domnick chuckled. "If not, there''s always plenty of everything else for everyone." Then he got serious. "What we don''t have this year, is Margaret Kranowski to supervise." "It''s always a pity Reverend." "Well she was 79 years old, and her suffering has mercifully ended, but like you said. It''s always a pity." "Is the funeral Tuesday?" "Yes. Funeral and burial, Tuesday morning. Then the next day''s the barbecue." Frank said, "Well she wouldn''t have wanted us to cancel it on her account. She''d want us to celebrate the fact that she''s now with the Lord, and back with her husband Jack again." Domnick nodded. Then he said, "My bigger concern about the barbecue, is who''s gonna show up. There''re always those people from Hawley, who bring the liquor to everything, including Church sponsored events. People are gonna get drunk, and then you know what happens." Frank nodded, "Nick starts hitting Beatrice." "Then she comes running to me. Then he shows up fully repentant, but she won''t take him back. Then he has to spend the rest of the week at my brother Henry''s Motel. "I''ve see these things before Frank." Domnick went on. "It''s just gonna get worse." Louise thought, This is not Paradise, but it''s a lot better here anyway. Now as they sat together on the front porch of the General Store, a State Police hover-car came along the road through the woods on their left, hovering six inches above the gravel, with its rotating lights flashing. It went through the crossroads. Then it stopped moving, and set down at the foot of the Church''s slate walkway. The left rear door opened, and two people stepped out of the vehicle. They were a young man and woman in their mid-teens. They both wore zipped open dark green light jackets, with yellow trim, full-length dark pants, and sturdy shoes. The left rear door of the vehicle shut. Then the Police hovercar lifted up and sped away from the crossroads, heading past the barn with the silo, then over the hill and out of sight. Domnick said, "What going on? The Police just dropped two strangers off in front of the Church, and then took off without saying a word to me?" The two stranded young people turned and looked at the Church. They had insignia on the backs of their jackets, which said, "HS L-1378-55." Frank said, "These kids are lost." "That''s what we Christians are here for Frank." Louise''s ghost recognized the two lost teenagers. They were Dave Krendell and Karen Bennet. She was immediately beside them. Dave and Karen looked around nervously. "Is this it?" Karen asked, "Is this the ''Community''? One tiny Church building and a tiny store? Only two guys and their families? Is this all there''s gonna be for us, from now on?" "Don''t worry." Dave said, "From now on isn''t gonna be all that long. Look at that sign." "Fourth of July Picnic?" "Right. We haven''t been brought here to help with farm work. We''ll be getting barbecued and eaten by the people of Zabelton Pennsylvania, at the Holiday Celebration." Karen told him, "I''m not so sure about that Dave." "Of course we will. These people are obviously very successful, at filling their kill quotas." "I don¡¯t think they have kill quotas Dave. Besides, people out here don''t eat people." ¡°Maybe they do. It''s just those characters who live out in the wilderness, outside the City Building. They don''t eat people, but they are very strange and backward." Louise''s ghost thought, This is wonderful! This is what I''m here for. The moment that Dave''s killed, I''ll be here to greet his ghost. Then he''ll be here with me, in this beautiful place forever; but so will Karen Bennet. Then her ghost will always come between me and Dave, for all eternity. Now Karen told Dave, "This may be the land that the Lord has given to me and my children; so I''m not going to be killed and eaten here, at least until after I''ve had those children." He asked, "Then why have we been brought here, just before they have a major celebration?" She moved her hand in the direction of the General Store. "Let''s ask them." Then Dave and Karen headed across the gravel roadway, and came up to the porch. Domnick and Frank got up out of their chairs. The High School Kids stood on the hard packed soil in front of them, looking very uneasy. Dave said, "Good day gentlemen. My name is David Krendell. She is Karen Bennet. I''m not sure what else to say." The man in the white shirt said, "Good afternoon David. Good afternoon Karen. My name is Domnick Luzak." Karen said, "You''re the Pastor." The other man asked, "How did you know that?" Domnick said, "They''ve read the sign Frank." Then the Pastor asked, "Are you here for the barbecue?" Dave said, "It looks that way. We weren''t told exactly what our part in it would be." Frank asked, "Why were you brought here in a police car?" "We were transferred to them, by the New Jersey State Police." Domnick asked, "What unlawful activities were you engaged in, in the State of New Jersey?¡± Now Karen spoke, "Nothing unlawful sir. We were just lost, in the land near the City Building of Manhattan." Frank asked, "What were you doing in that wilderness?" Domnick said, "If you were lost, why did they bring you here, instead of returning you to your families?" Dave and Karen looked nervously at each other. He told Pastor Luzak, "They couldn''t return us. Our families are inside the City Building of Manhattan." Now both men on the porch looked startled. Frank said, "Inside the City of Hell?" He spoke to Domnick. "They''re Citizens of Hell, Dom." "They are kids Frank," Domnick told him, "lost and alone. "Remember what the Lord said. ''I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and in prison and you came to visit me.''" Frank asked, "You want us to invite them in?" The Pastor told him, "The Lord said, ''Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me''." "Brothers of His?" Frank asked Dave, "Are either of you cannibals?" "Yes sir. We both are." "Frank." Pastor Luzak said, "In the City Building of Manhattan, they have nothing else to eat." Frank asked, "Have either of you ever killed anyone?" "Yes sir." Karen said, "We are both warriors, on our High School Combat Team." "''High School Combat Team''? I''ve heard that war was a high school sport in the City Building of Manhattan, but I thought that was just a joke." Now Domnick asked, "Tell me. Is there any knowledge of the Lord, in the City Building of Manhattan?" "Yes Pastor Luzak." Dave told him, "We both attend the Level 1378, 8th Avenue Presbyterian Church, between West 51st and 52nd Streets. The Reverend Robert McDougal is the Pastor." Frank asked, "A Church inside the walls of Hell?" Domnick told him, "The Psalmist did write, ''If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there.''" Karen said, "We have accepted Christ as our Savior sir, so all our sins are forgiven, and we have no guilt before the Lord." Frank repeated, "No guilt?" Domnick said, "That''s called the ''Scandal of God''s Grace'' Frank. His undeserved, total forgiveness is extended to all sinners, who accept Christ as Savior. Even to those who are trapped behind the walls of Hell." 13 / Accommodations 13 Accommodations In the warmth of the afternoon, Pastor Domnick Luzak strolled beside Dave and Karen, away from the Zabelton crossroads, along the gravel road that went through the thickly overgrown woods to the east. Louise''s ghost moved beside them. They stayed on the road, hearing birds singing around them. The road turned left, went down a hill, then turned right, and continued on for a quarter mile, until they came to a one story, yellow, rectangular building to the left. The building had a sign out front that said, "Luzak''s Motel". The office was on the building''s far left, with a line of eight rooms to its right. Each room had a dark green door, with a large window facing the road. Three hovercars were parked, each in front of a different room. Across the road was small stagnant pond, overgrown with old tree stumps sticking out of the water. A handmade wooden sign beside the pond declared, "No Swimming Allowed." Domnick said, "A visitor from Scranton drowned here three years ago. His father made that sign with his own hands." Louise sensed another ghostly presence like herself, but that presence was no longer here. Then they left the road, walked across the hard packed ground of the parking lot, and stepped inside the Motel''s office. Louise remained with them. She heard Karen make a very soft sigh of relief. Karen whispered to Dave, "At last. We''re inside." A 16 year old girl sat behind the desk, dressed in shorts and a halter, watching a television that was set on a high shelf in a corner of the room. Unlike the mirror thin TV''s in the City Building; this one was a rectangular box, with a 19-inch screen. Dave recognized the scene from the movie she was watching. The movie was "Soylent Green". When they all entered, the woman stood up and smiled. "Hi Uncle Domnick." She said, "My father''s gonna be in Scranton all day." "Good afternoon Charlene." He said, "I have pair of guests for you." He, Dave and Karen walked up to the desk. Charlene said, "Right. Hi." She handed a check-in card to Dave, along with a pen. He picked up the pen, looked at the card and hesitated. "I''m sorry," he said, "but there isn''t enough room on this card, for both of our addresses." "Not enough room?" Charlene asked, "Just what is your address?" "Cubicle 18, Apartment Compound 903, West 53rd Street, Level 1378, City Building of Manhattan. Her address is..." Charlene said, "City Building of Manhattan?" She looked at her Uncle, who nodded. His niece was horrified. She glanced at the TV for a moment. Then she asked, ¡°They''re people from Hell?" Domnick told her, "They are people just like you and I. They come from the City Building of Manhattan, where they attend Worship at a Christian Church. "Remember what the Lord said, ''Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me''." Charlene''s voice was shaky. "But they have no baggage. They''ll have to pay in advance." Dave and Karen looked at each other. She whispered to Dave, "Do you have any money?" He said, "Yes, but I don''t know if it''s the right kind." He told Domnick, "I don''t know if City money will be acceptable out here." The Pastor announced, "The Church will pay for their lodging Charlene." "But Uncle Domnick, I don''t know if my father''s gonna like having people from Hell staying in his place." "If he has anything to say about it, he can say it to me." "Yes Uncle Domnick." Charlene handed Dave the key to room 8, the room furthest from the office. Then Dave, Karen and the Pastor stepped back outside, while Charlene returned to the movie. "There are small refrigerators in all the rooms." Domnick told them, "They contain pre-packaged dinners that can be cooked in the microwave ovens that are in all the rooms. I''m going to ask around, to see if any members of the Congregation have extra clothing they can give you to wear." The Pastor headed back along the gravel road toward the Church, while Dave and Karen headed over to Room 8. Dave unlocked the door. Then he and Karen stepped inside, and shut the door behind themselves. Louise''s ghost had entered the room ahead of them. They were in a room with two double beds, a large dresser drawer, roomy closet with many hangers, a writing desk beside the window, and another box television. A knee-high refrigerator was in a corner, along with the microwave oven that the Pastor had mentioned. There was also a bathroom behind a door in another corner. "Will you look at this place?" Dave said, "All this for just the two of us. Back in the City Building, only the richest people have this much space." Now Karen breathed a sigh of relief. "At last! We''re inside. All that open space has been just too much. I''m used to being behind walls and under ceilings, with a lot of people around. Now we''re stuck in the middle of all this empty land that they drove us through. There''s nothing but farmland and woodland, and we hardly saw anyone at all. It''s just too different. It''s too much for me to deal with." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "But you''ve been in large open spaces before. The Gym is an enormous place. It occupies the space of an entire City block." "Yes, but there the walls aren''t too far away for me to see them, and neither is the ceiling." "And you''ve been completely alone before." "Yeah, when the doors were shut, but people were still all around me, on the opposite sides of the walls." "Karen." He said, "It''s obvious, that this emptiness is just something else that we''re gonna have to get used to." "Get used to it? Dave, when we came outside the City Building, we thought it was just gonna be for a few hours; but instead we''re gonna be living out here for who knows how long? We weren''t prepared to deal with this." "On the other hand," he told her, "when everyone we meet, calls us ''People from Hell'', don''t be surprised when your head comes off." "That''s all going to depend," Karen said, "on how we get along with the people who live around here. The Reverend''s an okay guy. He wants to give us a chance. I have no idea if anyone else around here would. We just have to make a good first impression." "How do we do that?" Dave asked, "How do I make a good impression, by telling them that I was the combat team''s equipment handler, who used to bring out the ropes to hang our own cheerleaders on?" Karen said, "What we did inside the City Building doesn''t matter. It''s how we''re gonna behave out here that does. While we''re out here neither of us is gonna be killing and eating people, and I''m not gonna be walking around in public with my boobs naked, while wearing shrunken heads on my belt." "Your not? In the City Building, girls dress that way all the time. That''s how almost one third of the girls who attended the Homecoming Dance were dressed, including the Homecoming Queen, Alyce Vanderland." "Sorry Dave. I know that''s part of our culture, but out here I''m sure it¡¯s not. It''s better not to take that chance." "Right." He said, "But we have to tell them something about life in the City Building. One thing they''re gonna want to know, is the reason why we left the City Building in the first place. If we tell them that you heard the voice of God, while you were hanging dead, and then he brought you back twice; the second time after you were killed in a punch fight? I don''t think they''ll believe us." "I find it hard to believe myself." She told him. "On the other hand," he said, "if they do believe that, we might be allowed to live." "Whether they believe us or not," she spoke firmly, "they are going to allow us to live, Dave. The Lord is not going to let either of us die, before you''ve given me children." Louise''s ghost felt a pain in her heart. "Karen we agreed." He said, "You and I are too young to even think about marriage, let alone children. I don''t want to sound nasty Karen, but even if we were old enough, I know that I don''t want to marry you or have children with you." The pain in Louise''s heart eased. Karen told him, "Forget about Louise Torelli Dave. You can''t fight against God." He told her, "But I''m not sure that I''m the one who God chose for you Karen. What I do know, is that I''d rather be with Louise." "Forget it Dave. God has made his choice. He''s put you out here with me, and kept Louise back inside the City Building. We can''t avoid it. You''re gonna have a long healthy life with me. All Louise is gonna be, is a dead Warrior Girl, who you might have some nice memories about." "I don''t want memories about her. I want her." Karen said, "Then it''s better if we don''t talk about this. I don''t want to even think about marriage either." "Good. That''s something we can both agree upon." "Dave." Now Karen stepped up to him and spoke with a gentle tone. "Is the idea really all that awful? I know I treated you wrong, when I decided to become a team girlfriend. Well that''s over now. It''ll be just you and me from now on," she smiled, "starting tonight." He said, "Tonight?" "One advantage," she smiled, "to having been a team''s girlfriend, for the past two months, is that I''ve learned how to do it really good. Starting tonight, it''ll be all yours." He now also spoke with a gentler tone. "I''m sorry I''ve been sounding too harsh. I apologize for that. It''s just that we''re much too young to think about marriage. On the other hand, if this really is what God has decided, everything between you and me should work out very well; and you''re right. Louise is just someone who I''ll have to have only nice memories about." They put their arms around one another, and they both smiled. Dave said, "I don''t see why we have to wait ''til tonight." They then kissed each other. At that moment, Louise''s ghost felt a pain in her heart, like she was being impaled again. She made an unheard loud cry. Then she was no longer in Zabelton. 14 / "Its Happened Again." 14 ¡°It¡¯s Happened Again.¡± On Monday morning Alyce arrived at H.S. L-1378-55, about 15 minutes early. She carried her edu-computer into the crowded Lobby. Jimmy Haskins was standing outside the door to the Principal''s Office, looking nervous. Larry Landis and Sarah Denski stood beside him. Alyce went over to them and asked, "What''s going on?" Jimmy spoke with a peeved tone. "Avery wants to talk to me, about something that happened during the game yesterday." "What happened?" Alyce laughed, "We won; by 15 kills!" Jimmy told her, "The problem is that when I killed one of the Yeshiva Warrior Girls, my sword ripped the front of her tee shirt open, exposing her boobs." Alyce shrugged and made a face. "So what do people expect? That happens in combat games all the time." Larry added, "And sometimes that''s the uniform." "Yeah." Now Sarah spoke. "Remember a few weeks ago, we fought against one school, where their teams'' top garment was their belt. Two weeks from now, we''ll be the ones who''ll be fighting with bare boobs." "The problem," Jimmy told them, "is that every girl who attends a Yeshiva School is expected to be modestly dressed at all times." Sarah laughed, "Even during battle, with all those blades ripping everything and everyone open? When Louise Torelli got killed, the front of her tee shirt got ripped wide open too, showing everything and nobody''s complained about that." Jimmy said, "It wasn''t just that. You see, when I pulled the sword out, it pulled both the tee shirt and the warrior girl forward, and she collapsed against me, and her naked boob fell into my hand." Alyce said, "Yeah-right. Your hand and her boob just happened to be in the same place at the same time, by accident; so you could give the dying girl a firm comforting squeeze?" Sarah said, "I still don''t see why anyone''s complaining. Any girl, who fights on a combat team, ought to expect to have guys grabbing her boobs during a game. It happens to me all the time,¡± She grinned ¡°and it¡¯s nothing I¡¯d ever complain about.¡± "Besides," Alyce said, "that girl''s in Paradise by now, along with Louise, and they both arrived dressed to party." Larry spoke. "You know what this is really all about. Yeshiva High doesn''t like the fact that we scored 15 more kills than they did, and they''re being sore losers." Sarah noticed that many of the kids in the lobby were turning to face the entrance. She turned to look at what was going on. "Larry." She spoke uneasily. "That''s 14 kills." "14? What are you talking about?" She said quietly, "It''s happened again." The other three turned to see what she was looking at. Louise Torelli stood just inside the entrance to the lobby, completely alive and intact. She was dressed in her High School jacket and knee length skirt. All her fellow students were staring at the girl who they''d seen getting stabbed with a spear through the heart, during yesterday afternoon''s game. Then Louise shouted at the top of her voice. "I didn''t hear anyone pray, and I didn''t hear the voice of God either!" She made her way through the crowd. Her fellow students backed away from her. She came over to the very nervous looking Alyce, Jimmy, Larry and Sarah, outside the door to the Principal''s Office. Alyce stammered. "H--hi L-l-ouise." "I didn''t hear any prayers," she repeated "and God didn''t speak to me either, but I did see Dave and Karen; alive and intact." They were all taken aback, not knowing what to say. "Sarah." Louise told her, "Have I got a news story for you." She chuckled. "The biggest news story in the last 1,322 years, is about to be broken by the H.S. L-1378-55 Student Newsletter." The door to Mr. Avery''s office opened. He stepped into the lobby, where he faced Louise and the others. "Miss Torelli," he said, "I assume that all of your assignments are completed, and ready to be handed in." She said, "Yes sir." "That''s good to know Miss Torelli. That''s all that anybody in this School needs to know, or the School Board either. Nothing else. I''m sure you don''t want to risk losing your family''s extra rations; and the rest of you don''t want to lose yours either. Do you?" The five students all shook their heads. Jimmy said, "None of us want that sir." "Miss Denski." The Principal looked at Sarah. "I believe that the Student Newsletter should print a correction about one of the casualties that occurred during yesterday''s game. Miss Torelli''s name should now be listed among the wounded. I''m sure you agree, don''t you Miss Denski?" Sarah nodded, "I certainly do Mr. Avery." "Good." He said, "Then everything''s settled." He looked at Jimmy. "You can come into my office now Mr. Haskins." He and Jimmy stepped away from the others and entered the Principal''s office, as the bell rang. Around 3:30 that afternoon, Sarah and Larry were in the Vanderland apartment cubicle, alone with Alyce and Jimmy. They were seated on a couch. A large steaming platter of sausages and meat patties was set on a coffee table in front of them. They had just been cooked in the microwave oven that was embedded in the wall, and the four had begun munching on them. Larry asked Jimmy, "So how''d things go with Avery?" "I''m not in any trouble." Jimmy told them, "I''ve actually got some really good news. I''ve been chosen to receive a sports scholarship." They all cheered. "Hey that''s really great!" "It''s ''cause we beat Yeshiva by 15 kills! Believe it or not, seeing me rip that girls tee shirt open, clinched it for me with the people from the Athletic Scholarship Board." Larry said, "Then you know what you can tell those people at Yeshiva High, what they can do with their complaints." "Yeah!" Jimmy laughed, "I wish we had that girl to eat!" They then returned to their meals of sausage or meat patties. Alyce stuck her fork into a sausage, picked it up and put it in her mouth. She bit off a piece, chewed and swallowed. Then she sighed. Sarah asked, "What''s the problem?" "It just suddenly feels wrong." "What does?" Alyce told her. "Eating people." The others made faces. Sarah said, "What?" "I know," Alyce told them, ¡°that all there is to eat is us, and everyone has a responsibility to contribute to the food supply. If we''d lost yesterdays game and I''d been hanged, the students at Yeshiva High would have been eating sausages made of me at lunchtime, and it would be the right thing for them to do and for me too." "Then why" Sarah asked "do you suddenly think there''s anything wrong with it?" "On Saturday afternoon, Jimmy and I found out that the reason we''re sealed inside the City Building, with nothing to eat but each other, may have had nothing to do with any environmental disaster." Sarah looked even more puzzled. "Nothing to do with it?" Alyce asked, "Have either of you ever heard of the Kaczynski Brigade?" "Kaczynski?" Larry asked, "You mean Kasin''s Keys to Paradise? The weapons supplier?" "No. The name''s spelled different. It was a terrorist organization that had a lot to do with the construction of the City Building. Dave Krendell had some questions about it." "Dave?" Sarah asked, "I''ve heard that Dave Krendell and Karen Bennet went outside the City Building, and discovered a few things. I was talking to Louise Torelli yesterday before the game. She told me that Dave called her from outside, using his cell phone. She was saying that all we''ve been taught, about there having been some kind of an environmental disaster, has turned out to be a major hoax." "That''s right." Now Jimmy spoke. "Alyce here and I were right beside Louise on Saturday afternoon, when she played a recording of Dave and Karen''s call. They asked us to find out what we could about the construction of the City Building. We did the research, and found out that there never was any environmental disaster." "There never was?" Sarah exclaimed, "Wait a minute! Louise did say that she had a major news story for me. She wasn''t kidding. I''m the editor of the student''s newsletter, and I''d like to talk on a cell phone with Dave and Karen myself! If I can verify that they really are outside the City Building. That really would make a great story to put in the Students Newsletter." Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The doorbell rang. Alyce got up from the couch, went to the door, and slid it open sideways. Then she said, "Come right in Louise." Louise Torelli stepped into the room. Alyce slid the door shut behind her. Jimmy said, "Hi Louise. There''s something I''ve been wondering about all day. Karen told us that when she was being hanged, her pussy was coming. How about you? Were you coming and going at the same time too?¡± Louise, Alyce and Sarah all rolled their eyes and groaned in annoyance. ¡°Sorry Jimmy.¡± Louise told him, ¡°The spear that was ripping my heart open had my full attention. I really didn¡¯t notice what any of my other parts were doing. What I was thinking was, ¡®I¡¯m killed. I¡¯m part of the meat supply. It¡¯s a good thing, and it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡¯ Now that I¡¯m back in the Land of the Living, I¡¯m thinking that this isn¡¯t good and this just isn¡¯t right.¡± "Forget that!" Sarah spoke, "We''ve got serious things going on here. Tell me Louise. What is this major news story, other than you being the second High School L-1378-55 Warrior Team Girl, to get resurrected?" Louise told her and everyone in the cubicle. "The major news story is this. David Krendell and Karen Bennet are not only still alive and in this world. They are in a place called Zabelton, Pennsylvania. I''m sure you''d want to print everything I can tell you about it, Sarah." "I sure do Louise. Everything you can tell me," Sarah said, "And everything Dave and Karen can tell me too; so could you please tell me Dave Krendell''s cell phone number?" "I can''t get him on the phone any more." "Then can you tell me your story?" "Sure Sarah. I can''t wait to see what happens when people read it. Everything is about to change." Louise looked at them all and said, "Yesterday at this time, I was another ordinary half naked dead girl, with a deep, wide gash between my exposed boobs, and all was right with the world. Today I''m alive, and the world''s about to be turned upside down." Sarah reached into her handbag, which was on the floor beside the couch. She took out her edu-computer, put it on the coffee table in front of her and switched it on. Then she put her fingers on the keys. "Okay Louise." She said, "Tell us." "Before I revived," Louise told them, "I had a vision. I found myself outside the City Building, in a fertile valley, surround by green mountains, and farmland. I was at a crossroads, with a small white Christian Church on one side of a road, and a single building with a porch, across the road from the Church. "I saw a teenage boy and girl from the City Building, speaking with two men from that crossroads. One of the men was the Pastor of that Church. The kids I saw were Dave Krendell and Karen Bennet. The name of the crossroads is Zabelton, Pennsylvania. The Pastor''s name is Dominick Luzak. The other man is named Frank." Sarah repeated, "Zabelton? Pennsylvania?¡± "Yes." Louise told her, "I looked it up. Would you like me to show you?" "Please do." Louise came over to the coffee table, and stood beside Sarah. "Log on to ''ancientmaps.com''." The others on the couch leaned over, to see what would appear on the monitor. Following Louise''s instructions, Sarah made a few clicks, and the screen display showed a roadmap of northern New Jersey, with southern New York State and western Pennsylvania included. There was a bright red line traced across roads on the map. Louise said, "The red line traces the most scenic route, from New York to Zabelton. See it begins here, at what''s called the Lincoln Tunnel. Then it goes along this Route 3, which goes into Route 46, which goes into Route 80. Then it turns north here, between Dover and Sparta, and goes along this Route 15, which goes into Route 206, which goes all the way to the Delaware River.¡± Now Sarah joined in. "Once it crosses the Delaware River, it goes into Pennsylvania, at this place called Milford. The route goes from Milford, along this Route 6, through what''s called the Pocono Mountains. Then it turns west onto Route 590, just north of this Lake Wallenpaupack, and south of this town called Hawley. Then it goes on to about halfway between Hawley and Scranton. It stops at that dot on the map called Zabelton." Larry said, "Or it stops where people would have found Zabelton, 1,322 years ago." Sarah pointed to the screen. "Look. ''Average Driving Time: 2 & 1/2 Hours''. Of course that was the driving time, 1,322 years ago." "Today it''d take a lot longer." Louise told them, "Now all these routes have probably eroded away. Do you see all these rivers? The bridges that went across them were probably all washed away centuries ago." Alyce quoted the Kaczynski Brigade''s ancient e-mail. "''No place to go and no way to get there''." "But there is a place to go." Louise tapped the screen. "And if Dave and Karen could get there, so could anybody else." "Anybody else? Like who?" "Like me." "You want to go outside the City Building, and try to find Dave Krendell?" "Not just me." Louise said, "Any of you who''d like to come along are welcome." Jimmy said, "Any one of us?" "Right." Louise asked, "How about you Sarah?" The Student Editor was startled. "Me?" "It''ll be a good way to verify anything I tell you, before you print it in the Newsletter." Sarah said, "I don''t know about that Louise. Leave the City Building?¡± "That''s the reason why Dave and Karen went outside; so they could verify that life exists outside the City Building. Wouldn''t you want to do that? If you''re the one who breaks the story, you''ll have a great future in the News Business, wouldn''t you?" Now Jimmy spoke, "Hold it Louise! You two can''t go off and leave the City Building, and start searching through some wilderness, just like that. You''re gonna have to make a lot of plans and preparations first." "Right Jimmy." Louise told him, "Dave and Karen didn''t make any plans, and that''s why they''re stuck out there." Sarah said, "I''m glad you said that Louise. If we do decide to go outside the City Building, we''ll make all the plans we need, and take all the time it takes. If I''m gonna do anything like this, I''m gonna do it right." Louise said, "I agree with you completely." Jimmy, Larry and Alyce also nodded in agreement. "Okay then." Louise asked, "What''s the first thing we have to do?" The other four all looked puzzled. Larry said, "Good question." Now Jimmy spoke. "Aren''t you forgetting something else Louise?" "Like what?" "Remember what we learned about the construction of the City Building of Manhattan? During its construction, the Kaczynski Brigade imbedded hundreds of very powerful bombs inside the structure. Then the construction was finished, and all our many millions of ancestors were sealed inside. Then the Kaczynski Brigade announced that all those bombs had been set to go off, if anyone tried to escape. The entire City Building of Manhattan would be blown to bits, killing all of us millions of people inside." Sarah and Larry were both startled. Sarah said, "Then you can forget about me going outside." Louise told her, "Dave and Karen went outside, and the City Building hasn''t been blown to bits." Then she told Jimmy, "You told me that all the bombs have probably corroded away by now. You said that if any do get detonated, they''d probably just go ''poof''." He told her, "A bomb did go poof Louise." "It did?" "It was on the News this morning. An explosion occurred down around Level 920. It killed 32 people. It was mentioned in a traffic report. It blew a hole in the corridor floor, and passenger traffic was blocked off along the entire block." "Just 32 people killed?" Louise spoke with scorn. "It really did go ''poof''. That''s less kills than you''d get in an average combat game. If that''s the worst that can happen, there''s no reason not to go outside and verify what Dave and Karen told us." Jimmy said, "That may not be the worst that can happen. There is always the possibility that even after 1,322 years, something we do might still get the entire City Building blown to bits." 15 / "People From Hell" 15 ¡°People From Hell¡± Until Tuesday morning, most of Dave''s and Karen''s time in Zabelton had been spent in their motel room. On Sunday afternoon, they''d turned on the television, and watched a movie that had recently been produced outside the City Building. The picture titled, "And the World Will Be One", concerned events that had occurred outside the City Building, at the time right after the mighty structure had been sealed. The drama showed people who''d remained outside, living on a vast collective farm, where they existed at a subsistence level. They were shown working in the fields, with the massive bulk of the City Building of Manhattan rising in the background. Dave said, "That''s the world that the people who ordered the construction of the City Building, wanted to create all along. They called it ¡®Social Justice''." The movie showed what happened when winter came. A heavy snow and ice storm occurred. The power was knocked out. They had no heat or electricity, and no way to contact anyone who could help. The power lines were down all over a vast region, and the people qualified to handle the problem, had all been sealed away. The roads were blocked with heavy snow. Gasoline powered vehicles had been banned to prevent pollution, so there were no trucks to push snowplows and clear the roads. They were unable to go and get help. They were running low on food. Many of them were sick, and their "folk medicines" weren''t strong enough. The nearest doctor was blocked from coming by the snow. The snow finally melted. They were able to get through to people in a nearby collective, who told them, "We''re sorry. We''re having the same problems ourselves. We just don''t have enough for ourselves, so we don''t have anything to spare to help you." Then the people in both collectives attacked each other, in an attempt to grab what little the other''s had, for themselves. After the movie, Dave and Karen turned off the TV, and it was time to eat. They''d found pre-packaged dinners in the room''s refrigerator, and put two of the dinners in the microwave oven. They ate this evening meal while seated at a circular wooden table near the door. The meals, set in plastic plates, consisted of meat called pork chop, with two vegetables called string beans and carrots, along with a dessert called chocolate cake. The food was accompanied by a beverage called apple cider, which they drank from large plastic cups. "This was really good!" Dave said. "Imagine this, so many different types of food, with so many different tastes. I like this ''pork chop''. It tastes so different. Everything we''ve eaten so far has tasted so different than what we''ve always had before." "Right," Karen told him, "But it''s still a shame that human meat won''t be on any of their menus." "I know what you mean. That girl in the office looks like she''d be good to eat. She''d be fun to harvest too. Give good squirm and squeal.¡± "The Pastor''s niece? I agree, but let''s not tell her that. She might not consider it a compliment." They''d just finished dinner, when there was a knock on the door. Karen went over and opened it, and found a man in his early forties standing there. He looked startled at her appearance, and turned his face away. She said, "Yes sir?" "Good evening." He stammered slightly. "My name is Henry Luzak. I''m the proprietor of this Motel." "Good evening Mr. Luzak." Dave walked over to the door and stood beside her. "Miss." Now the man spoke firmly. "In the City Building of Manhattan, it may or may not be acceptable for a woman to come to the door, dressed the way you are, but it is not acceptable here." Karen had removed her top garments a few hours earlier, and now wore nothing above the waist. "I''m sorry sir." She told him, "We don''t want to offend anybody. I thought it would be okay, since we weren''t in public." She turned away and headed for the closet. "Mr. Luzak." Now Dave spoke. "We don''t want any trouble with anyone living around here." "And we don''t want trouble from either of you." "Sir." Dave told him, "You people out here seem to know a few things about us, but we don''t know anything about you at all. Until yesterday, we had no idea that anyone was actually living outside the City Building. We didn''t even know that life was possible out here. "Now we have no idea about what''s gonna happen with us. What we do want to know is what we have to do, to get along with all of you, so we can avoid trouble." "That sounds reasonable." The Motel''s proprietor told them, "You''ve met my brother the Pastor. You can always get a lot of good, practical advice from him." Now it was Tuesday morning. Dave and Karen left their motel room fully clothed, and stepped out onto the gravel road, that went through the woodlands. In the warm morning breeze, they walked up the hill, to the Church. Yesterday, Charlene had come to the door, with some used clothing for them to wear. She''d told them that Members of the Church had contributed the garments, at Pastor Luzak''s request. She''d also said that there were some things that the Pastor wanted to discuss with them. They arrived at the Church a few minutes after 8 AM. About 3 dozen people had gathered in the Sanctuary, where the organ was being played. In the warm weather everyone was casually dressed. This morning, everyone wore a black armband. When Dave and Karen entered, the man named Frank handed black armbands to them. Dave asked, "What''s going on?" The man said, "Funeral for Margaret Kranowski." The two young strangers from the City Building, put the armbands on, and sat in the back row. People kept turning around and looking at them with curiosity. They heard a few whispers of "Cannibals." Up front, displayed before the pulpit, a wrinkled old woman lay dead in an open oblong box. Karen spoke softly to Dave, so no one could hear her over the music. She said, "That''s the unhealthiest meat I''ve ever seen. If they''re gonna be eating her, everyone here''s gonna get sick." He replied, "I don''t think they''re gonna eat her. I think this is what our ancestors called a ''funeral''. It''s a ceremony in which everyone says ''good-bye'' to somebody who''s died." "You mean it''s like saying, ''Welcome to Paradise''?" "I think so, except that this takes a lot longer. I''ve read that some of these ceremonies lasted even longer than any combat game." Karen sighed with a groan. "She doesn''t look like any warrior girl. Not something I¡¯d want to put in my mouth." Some people seated nearby turned around and looked at Karen. She looked away from them. Dave said, "I think the best thing for us to do, is to just sit here and be quiet." "Right." The Ceremony began. Reverend Luzak read from a liturgical text, praying the same prayers that Dave and Karen had heard back in the City Building. In the Level 1378 Presbyterian Church, those prayers had been spoken during the Moment of Bereavement, at every Sunday Morning Worship Service. That was when Pastor MacDougal took a moment to offer the perfunctory prayer, for everyone who''d been killed and eaten during the previous week. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The difference here was that Pastor Luzak was praying only for one person and the entire funeral went on for almost an hour. Sorrowful people actually spoke words of tribute about the wrinkled dead woman in the box. Then the box was shut, and carried outside the Church, to a graveyard just west of the House of Worship. There the box with the inedible woman''s meat and bones was put in a hole in the ground. The hole was then filled in. Dave told Karen quietly, "It''s their way of waste disposal." Throughout all this, many of the people wept at losing the old woman. Dave and Karen moved away from the grieving crowd and spoke to each other quietly; making sure that no one overheard them. ¡°Oh.¡± Karen shuddered. ¡°This was so awful. Did you hear what they were saying during the ceremony? She was sick and suffering horribly for more than a year.¡± ¡°Right.¡± He nodded. ¡°Is that how it¡¯s gonna be with us? Are we gonna be stuck spending the rest of our lives out here, and die from old age like she did? Are we gonna be sick and suffering like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯d want.¡± She told him. ¡°If I had a choice, I¡¯d want to die healthy, fighting fearlessly like a warrior girl should. I¡¯d want to be killed with a quick blade stabbed through my boob and into my heart, while my meat¡¯s still healthy, firm and edible. Then I¡¯d want my friends to cook and eat my sexy, healthy meat. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d want them stuffing me into the ground, where my flabby diseased meat would continue to rot.¡± When the burial ended, and people began to disperse, Reverend Luzak came over to Dave and Karen. He said, "Thank you for coming. Let''s go to my office. We''ll discuss things there." The Pastor''s office was a room behind the Sanctuary, with an open window behind a screen, facing out across the fields of growing green corn, toward the rounded mountains in the west. The singing of birds came through the window. He sat behind the desk. Dave and Karen were seated across from him in padded folding chairs. The Pastor told them. "I''ve phoned the local Police. I asked them what they have to say about you. I''ve also spoken with the New Jersey Police. They told me the same thing you told me, that you were lost outside the City Building of Manhattan. They also told me that you didn''t explain why you had left the City Building, except out of curiosity. "Now many of my neighbors are very concerned about having you two staying here in our community. We''ve heard many evil stories about the things that go on inside the City Building of Manhattan. I am sure that many of those stories are greatly exaggerated. Now whether or not they are exaggerations, those stories have made the people of this community worried that you may be a threat to them. I have to take their concerns into consideration. There are some things I have to know, that I hope will reassure the neighbors." Dave said, "We want them reassured too, Pastor Luzak." "Good. In order to do that, you''ll have to be completely honest with me." "Then we will Pastor," Karen looked at Dave, "About everything. Even about the things that we don''t think you''ll believe." "Right." Dave agreed. "Very well." Pastor Luzak asked, "What do you want to be honest about, that you don''t think we''ll believe?" Dave told him, "The reason we''ve come outside the City Building in the first place." "Which is?" "Well, we''ve told you that we were both members of our High School Combat Team." "Yes. We''ve all heard stories about those activities." "I was a warrior, Karen was a cheerleader. Something like you have in this game you call ''Football'', that we¡¯ve watched on the television in our motel room." Karen smirked, "But ours is not a wussy game." Dave said, "Karen. Please. Be careful what you say." "What did I say? He wants us to be honest, and that''s what I''m being." She spoke to the Pastor. "I was a cheerleader, like he said. Now you''ve probably heard that when the game ends, one cheerleader from the losing team is hanged from a goalpost." "Yes." The Pastor told her, "We''ve all heard about that too." Dave told him, "Well, a week ago on Saturday, our team lost and Karen was the cheerleader who got hanged." Pastor Luzak was taken aback for a moment. Then an amused look appeared on his face. "Oh was she?" "Like I said sir, there are some things that you''d find hard to believe." "Indeed." Karen said, "I have proof Pastor." Dave said, "You do?" "The same proof, that Mr. Avery had." Now Karen reached inside her handbag. She took out a laminated clipping from last Monday''s edition of the H.S. L-1378-55 Student''s Newsletter, containing the photo of her hanging dead from the goal post. She put it on the man''s desk, right in front of him. Pastor Domnick Luzak gasped. He recoiled backward, and turned his face away from the clipping. "This is." He had trouble finding words. "This is horrible. This photo is. It''s... It''s obscene. It''s sadistic pornography. It''s unbelievably evil." Dave and Karen gave each other a puzzled look. Dave asked, "It is?" The man was trembling. He told them, "I don''t know what else to say about it." Karen told him, "You can say if you recognize who the girl is." "It''s you." he said, without looking at the picture again. "Could you please put that thing away?" Karen picked up the photo and showed it to Dave. He looked at it, and made another puzzled expression. Karen looked at it herself, shrugged, and put it back in her handbag. She said, "That was taken at the end of the combat game that was held at our school, Saturday before last." She asked the now deeply troubled man, "Do you believe me now?" "Yeh...yes. But how is this possible?" Karen repeated what she''d told Mr. Avery. "Prayer sir." "Prayer?" "Yes sir. I was as dead as every other cheerleader who got hanged that day and then got ground into sausages or meat patties that night. I heard Dave pray for me. He said, "Lord Jesus, please keep Karen alive, I love her." Domnick asked Dave, "You prayed that?" "Yes sir. Those were my exact words." Karen said, "I also heard the Voice of God. "He told me, ''Karen arise and choose life, so that you and your children will live, and possess the land, that the Lord your God has given to you.'' "And that''s just what I did." Pastor Domnick Luzak, of the Zabelton Presbyterian Church, sat there silently, trying to understand what the girl from "The City of Hell" had just told him. The man finally said, "You''re quoting the Bible. Deuteronomy: Chapter 30." Dave told him, "She''s quoting the Word of God, spoken by the Voice of God Himself." Karen said, "Now I am alive and intact, and in Zabelton Pennsylvania.¡± Dave added, "This might be the land that the Lord has given to Karen and her children." Pastor Luzak again didn''t know what to say. After a long silence, the man finally spoke. "I''d like you both to come with me. Today I''m going fishing in Lake Wallenpaupack, with my brother Henry and my niece Charlene. You''re both welcome to come along." 16 / "An Unbridgeable Gap?" 16 ¡°An ¡®Unbridgeable Gap¡¯?¡± Dave and Karen left the Church and got into Pastor Luzak''s dark green hovercar that was parked out front. Then he drove them down the hill to the Motel, and told them to put on garments that were strong and rugged. Back in their Motel Room, Dave told Karen. "I think it''d be better if we don''t show that photo to anyone else around here." "Good idea. People out here have very different attitudes toward sex and violence than we do." "Right.¡± He told her, ¡°I can''t believe that anybody would call a routine picture of a sexy dead cheerleader ''obscene''. For us it''s saying, ''A cheerleader''s hanged; all''s right with the world''. There''s nothing obscene about that." Karen said, "If the Pastor thinks that photo is obscene, I wonder what he''d say if I''d been hanged after one of those games when we cheerleaders go topless?" Dave grinned. "In the City Building, where sexy girls are the best thing on the menu, sadism is gonna be part of our culture." "Right." She agreed. "It''s found in all our sports, recreation, entertainment and art." Then she said, "It''s too bad that the High School L-1378-55 Team isn''t scheduled to play any games out here. Not even fully clothed. Our cultures are just too different." Then she sighed. "Dave." She spoke with a sob in her voice. "We''re never gonna see any of them again." "I know, and we''re too far from the City Building to use our cell phones. Now we can''t even write to them." She said, "Maybe we can." "What?" Karen perked up. "It might be possible to mail them letters. Let''s ask Pastor Luzak." They went outside dressed in the rugged pants and shoes that they''d worn when they''d left the City Building. He also wore a short sleeved, light blue shirt, while she''d put on a yellow blouse. These were among the garments that had been contributed by members of the Congregation. Domnick and Henry Luzak wore blue jeans and light, pullover shirts, while Charlene was dressed in full length, tight slacks, and a very tight halter. The three were loading fishing poles and other gear into the trunk of the hovercar. Dave whispered to Karen. "See how she''s dressed? Healthy meat to cook and eat." He and Karen came over to the three beside the vehicle. Charlene looked cautiously at the two Motel guests. Domnick said, "Well we''re just about ready to go." Dave said, "Pastor. Karen and I were wondering. Is it possible for us to mail letters to people back inside the City Building?¡± The Pastor, his brother and his niece all looked puzzled. Henry said, "Mail letters? Are you permitted?" Karen said, "We weren''t told that we couldn''t. The only thing we were told we couldn''t do is return to the City Building.¡± "Right." Domnick said, "Of course you can send mail to any address you want. I''m just not sure that it would be possible for any mail you''d send, to actually be delivered inside the City Building.¡± Charlene asked, "An ''unbridgeable gap''? Are these two like Lazarus?" The Pastor was startled. "Lazarus?" Dave looked at Karen uneasily. She asked, "The man who Jesus raised from the dead?" Charlene said, "No the other one." Her father explained, "You know, the one who couldn''t cross the unbridgeable gap between Heaven and Hell." Karen sighed. Then she spoke with annoyance. "Oh will you people stop it! The City Building isn''t Hell and we aren''t demons, and neither are any of the people who we want to write to! We are human beings, no different than you." This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Dave said, "There are differences, but they''re just cultural." Karen went on. "If your ancestors hadn''t sealed our ancestors inside the City Building, we''d be eating the kind of food that you eat out here, instead of each other!" "That''s true." The Pastor said, "You are people just like us, and from what I''ve seen so far, you both seem to be good kids." Charlene asked, "Good kids? Uncle Domnick. They kill and eat people. I''ve seen the way they''ve been looking at me; like I''m a piece of meat!" "So what if we have?" Karen insisted, "That doesn''t make us bad people!" "Charlene." Pastor Luzak said, "Since they''ve left the City Building, they haven''t killed or eaten anyone; and Karen is right. If the people inside the City Building, were able to eat what we eat, they''d stop killing and eating each other." He asked Dave and Karen, "Am I right?" Dave told him, "Yes Pastor." Karen smirked at Charlene. "Except for special Holiday dinners, of course." The Pastor looked troubled. His niece and his brother looked even more troubled than he did. Then he said, "Of course." "Uncle Domnick?" Then they all got in the hovercar. Charlene made a point of sitting up front, beside Domnick, sitting as far as she could from Dave and Karen, who were in the back seat with her father. Then Domnick started up the vehicle, which lifted a half-foot off the gravel-paved parking lot, and skimmed above the narrow gravel roadway. They went east through the woodland of tall trees with thick trunks, driving under the overhanging tree branches, passing the impenetrable undergrowth on both sides of the road. Henry spoke to Dave and Karen. "You''ve told the Pastor that you actually fight as Warriors, on a High School Combat Team?" Dave said, "Well I''m on the Team. Karen''s a Cheerleader." She said, "But last year I also fought on the Warrior Girls Squad." The man asked, "That means you''ve both killed people, who were then eaten?" "Yes sir." Dave told him, "You see, every citizen is required by law to help add to the meat supply and help keep the population trimmed. When we take part in the Combat Games, we are fulfilling our responsibilities." Karen added, "Besides, no one is permitted to get a job, go on to college, vote in an election, get married or have children, or take on other adult responsibilities, until he or she has contributed in some way to the population trimming and meat harvest." Domnick asked, "Do both of you hear that? These two young people have accepted their responsibilities as citizens, in the society of which they are members. That means that when I say they''re good kids, I am not wrong." The Pastor''s niece looked back at Karen. "I hope you weren''t looking at me when you said ''Meat Harvest''!" Dave told her, "Inside the City Building that was all we had to eat Charlene." "Out here you don''t," she told him. "and if you want to be accepted as members of our society, you never will!" Karen told her, "No problem." They drove on through the woods, for about a half-hour, passing a few houses and about a half dozen cars coming from the opposite direction. Domnick told Dave and Karen, "It just isn''t right, that you won''t be able to send letters to your families and others who must be worried about you. You should be allowed to let them know you''re all right. I wish I could get in touch with them, and let them know that things are okay with you. It''s just wrong that you won''t ever be allowed to return home." "Unfortunately,¡± Now Henry spoke "that''s the way things have to be, Dom. We can''t allow the people inside the City Building to find out that life exists out here. If they do, then millions of them would come pouring out. There''d be no way we could stop them. We''d be overrun. The land would be totally devastated." "I know." Domnick said, "That still doesn''t make it right." 17 / "Welcome to Paradise" 17 ¡°Welcome to Paradise¡± Pastor Luzak had driven Dave, Karen, his brother Henry and niece Charlene to a small cove on the shore of Lake Wallenpaupack. At this point, the Lake was about a mile across. Far out on the water, several boats glided slowly with their sails hanging limp. Fishing lines trolled behind the vessels. Domnick had parked outside a small refreshment stand, with a sign on the roof identifying the place as "Natalino''s Landing". There were two other hovercars in the parking lot. A narrow pathway ran from the parking lot down to the shoreline, where a wooden dock stretched out into the water. The five from Zabelton were now fishing from the dock. Henry had shown the two kids from the City Building how to bait their hooks, and cast their lines. He''d also warned them to be careful with the hooks, and make sure they looked over their shoulders before casting, to make sure they wouldn¡¯t accidentally hook into anybody. Karen had been squeamish at the sight of the worms. "You don''t actually eat these things, do you?" "No." The Motel proprietor had chuckled. Then he patiently explained, "We use them to bait the hooks. Then the fish bite them. Then we eat the fish after we cook them." "Good." She''d said, "They don''t look like any kind of meat that I''d want to eat, even after they''d been cooked." Henry had also warned them to make sure that their lines didn''t overlap with anyone else''s. Now Dave and Karen sat together on the dock, not too far from the thickly wooded shoreline. Their red and white bobbers floated undisturbed on the quiet water where they''d been cast. Their fishing lines lay a good distance apart, across the top of the ripples. Under the warm morning sun, there was no breeze. The occasional call of a bird sounded in the distance, and the lapping of the water against the dock were the only sounds they noticed. Domnick, Henry and Charlene had moved to the far end of the dock, where they were now fishing, a few hundred feet away from Dave and Karen. "Charlene and her father keep looking at us." Karen told Dave. "I know the Pastor''s an okay guy. He wants to give us a chance. I don''t know about anybody else around here." "We just have to go along with them Karen. Obey their laws, and...and I don''t know what. Forget about the City Building?¡± "Forget?" She asked, "How can we forget? The City Building of Manhattan is our home. That''s where we belong. Not here. As beautiful as this all is, we don''t belong here." "If there were other people from the City Building out here, it would be a lot easier." "If our friends were here Dave, we''d be able to enjoy it. I wish we could welcome them to come out here." "We can''t." He told her, "It''s just you and me Karen." She sighed, "Why did you have to pray for me Dave?" "Let''s not get back to that again, please." Karen sighed once more. She gave the reel on her fishing rod a few cranks, bringing her bobber in a little closer. Then she sighed again. Dave said, "The Pastor''s coming over." Domnick had left his gear beside Henry and Charlene. He moved along the dock in Dave and Karen''s direction. Then he came over and stood beside them. He said, "I''ve been thinking over what you told me before, and what I saw in that photo you showed me." "In the City Building," Karen told him, "pictures like that aren''t considered obscene. It shows me involved in what we call ''sadistic recreation'', and we are sadistic people, and we consider it a virtue." Now the man said, "That''s not what I want to discuss. Karen. You said the Lord brought you back, after Dave prayed for you. Now you''re here. This is a sign from the Lord that something of great importance is occurring." "That''s what we''ve been thinking too." Dave told him, "We and our friends have been trying to figure it out, but up ''til now we''ve just been guessing." "This is what I''ve figured out." The man told Karen, "What isn''t a guess is this. You told me that the Lord spoke to you. What he said to you, are the same words that are found in Deuteronomy chapter 30. They were originally spoken by Moses to the Israelites, after they''d left their captivity in Egypt and were about to enter the Promised Land. "That isn''t a guess." He went on, "What is a guess, is that your receiving of this message, your reviving, and your leaving the City Building, might be a sign that the same thing is about to happen again." "The same thing?" Dave asked "''Freedom from captivity''?" "Yes Dave, Karen. It may be that after 1,322 years, the time for the unsealing of the City Building of Manhattan has come. The Lord might have sent you to us as a warning." Karen repeated, "Warning?" "That your ''virtuously sadistic'' people, might be about to enter our land." Then Dave said, "Karen." He pointed out toward the water. "I think you''ve got something." She looked where he was pointing. "Where''s the bobber?" Domnick said, "A fish has taken the bait. Now reel it in slowly." She lifted up her fishing rod, and felt a tug on the line. She put her fingers on the crank, and began reeling in the line, feeling an even stronger tug on the other end. She raised the rod higher, and it bent forward toward the water. Domnick said, "You''ve got him now. Reel him in quick." She did as he said, and began rapidly cranking the reel. Then the approaching bobber again appeared above the waves, followed by an eight inch long black fish, with a wide round head, that had appendages sticking out from around its wide mouth. "It''s a bullhead." The Pastor told her. She reeled it in right up to the edge of the dock, and lifted the thrashing creature high, while the rod remained bent forward by the weight of the catch. "It''s a bullhead." Domnick repeated. "Larger ones are called ''catfish''." As the bullhead thrashed around, with its tail bending sideways, up and down, Karen told it, "Welcome to Paradise.¡± Dave also said, "Welcome to Paradise.¡± She swayed the rod, bringing the bullhead in over the dock, where Domnick helped her remove the hook. Then he tossed the catch into a bucket at her side that had been filled with water from the Lake. Then he asked, "Why did you both welcome the fish to Paradise?¡± Dave told him, "We''re supposed to say that to everybody who gets killed or who we kill ourselves." Karen added, "And with the way that fish was squirming around, like some cheerleader who''s getting hanged, it was just the right thing to say." Across the parking lot from the refreshment stand, a picnic area was set up with tables and benches, and open barbecue pits made from stone, with metal grills across the top. Around 12:30, the Luzaks, Dave and Karen carried their morning catches of fish up from the dock, and into the picnic area. Domnick carried the fish that he, Henry and Charlene had caught, on a line with hooks through their gills. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Dave told Karen, "Like a line of hanged cheerleaders." She called out, "Welcome to Paradise, fishes!" The fish were put down atop one table, where they were cut open, and seasoned for cooking. While the others prepared the meal, Henry brought a bag of charcoal over from the trunk of the hovercar. He loaded the briquettes into one barbecue pit, tossing them under its metal grill. Then he set the briquettes on fire. Once the fish were cleaned, they were tossed on the grill, along with potatoes and carrots that the Luzaks had brought with them from Zabelton. The aroma of barbecuing fish, carrots and potatoes soon filled the air throughout all of Natalino''s Landing. When the grilling was done, everyone sat at one of the tables, on the long wooden benches. The Luzaks sat on one side of the table, while Dave and Karen sat across from them. Just before they began eating the barbecued fish, potatoes and carrots that were on paper plates in front of them Pastor Luzak spoke. "Would you like to say grace, Dave?" They all bowed their heads, while the young fellow from the City Building spoke. "Thank you Lord for this food that we are about to receive, and thank you for receiving these fish that we are about to eat, into Paradise with you. In Jesus Name. Amen." The three Luzaks looked puzzled, as Dave and Karen began to eat. The Pastor asked Dave, "You thanked the Lord, for receiving fish into Paradise?¡± "That''s how we say grace in the City Building. Except there we say ''for receiving these people who we are about to eat''." He and Karen continued eating, while Domnick, Henry and Charlene had no idea what to say. Then Charlene asked, "What do you think Uncle Domnick? Do animals go to Heaven?" "I''m really not sure." He told her, "Somebody asked me that once. I told him that I couldn''t think of any reason why they wouldn''t. "Then he told me, ''That means that Heaven is full of flies''." The others laughed. Domnick went on, "Yes. Heaven is full of flies; and mosquitoes, gnats and hornets and big hairy spiders. There are snakes and scorpions, and alligators, along with lions, and tigers and bears." "Oh my." said Charlene. Henry added, "And don''t forget about all those giant dinosaurs." Domnick went on, "Along with all those thieves and harlots." His niece repeated, "Thieves and harlots?" "Yes. Jesus did say that they would be the first to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, because they were the first to repent at His teaching." "Right." Henry nodded. "There will be thieves and harlots in Heaven." Domnick added, "Along with all those warrior guys and girls, and cheerleaders from inside the City Building of Manhattan, who''ve accepted Christ as Savior." Then Karen said, "Amen." The Pastor told them, "Heaven should be a very interesting and exciting place." Then Karen said, "Oh everything here is just so wonderful. We wish that it was possible for us to invite our friends to come out here and it enjoy it with us.¡± "I''m sorry Karen." Henry said, "We are all doing our best to help you both feel welcomed. Unfortunately, we can''t do the same for your friends. It''s like we''ve been saying. If they learned about the way things are out here, people would come pouring out of the City Building by the millions, and the world would be turned into total chaos." "Mr. Luzak." Dave told Henry, "Karen and I are not the only ones who know it. Right after we came outside the City Building, I was able to call someone on my cell phone. We told her that we were out here, and that there was life in abundance out here. By now the word''s sure to have gotten around to a lot of people." The Luzaks all looked troubled. Charlene said, "Millions of cannibals from Hell, are gonna start pouring out?" "Calm down Charlene!" Domnick spoke firmly. "There is no reason for alarm. Just because a few people have found out, it doesn''t mean that millions of them are gonna begin pouring out three days later. There may be a small trickle at first, but it''s going to take a good amount of time and planning, before any groups of any considerable size begin to emerge. "This is something that has always been expected to happen eventually, and plans have been made in preparation for it." Henry asked, "Do you have any ideas what those plans are, Dom?" "Well, to begin with," the Pastor told them, "I''ll have to go down to Scranton tomorrow. I''ll go to Congressman Salinski''s Office, and talk to somebody there. What I''ve heard about the plans is that a delegation will be appointed and sent to the City Building, where they will speak to Government officials. They will hopefully agree to work with us, so that when City People do begin to emerge in large numbers, the whole thing will be managed in an orderly way. That will prevent chaos." Henry said, "That sounds reasonable." Charlene nodded in agreement. "Pastor Luzak?" Dave asked, "Are you going to enter the City Building yourself?" "I probably would be appointed as a member of the Delegation, David." The Pastor smiled, "And since no member of the Delegation, would know a thing about what''s what inside the City Building, we''ll need people to guide us, and those people would obviously be the two of you. The Lord is with you Dave, and he is also with you Karen. He will be bringing you home." "It''s not that easy Pastor." The high school boy told everyone there. "We were able to get out of the City Building with no trouble at all; but the airlock can only be opened from the inside. It can''t be opened from the outside." "You''re forgetting something." Henry said, "You told us you were able to speak to someone on the inside, over your cell phone." "That''s right. She was my girlfriend." "Then you could go back to the same place where you called her from, just outside the City Building. Then you can call her again, and ask her to go down to the airlock and open it for you, and let the Delegation in." "Wait a minute!" Charlene spoke sharply. "You said that the girl you called was your ''girlfriend''? What about Karen?" "Karen''s my former girlfriend. The girl I called is my present one. It''s kind of complicated." Domnick and Henry both chuckled. Now Charlene gasped. "You mean you''re not betrothed? You''re both sleeping in the same room that we''ve rented you, and you''re not even betrothed?" Karen told them all, "In the City Building of Manhattan, people our age just don''t get ''betrothed''. No one is permitted to get married or have children, until he or she reaches 21 years of age. Dave and I won''t even discuss marriage or children seriously, until we reach 21." "You mean your relationship isn''t ''serious''? And you''re staying in the room we''ve rented you? That the Church is paying for?" "Back inside the City Building," Karen said, "our relationship wouldn''t be more than temporary, but as long as we''re living out here, it would be right to call us ''betrothed''." Dave asked, "It would be?" "Yes Dave." Karen told him firmly, "You and I are betrothed!" "Right." 18 / "The World Turned Upside Down?" 18 ¡°The World Turned Upside Down?¡± On Wednesday morning, the headline on the H.S. L-1378-55 Student''s Newsletter declared: "SECOND DEAD STUDENT RESURRECTS!" Beneath the headline two photos were printed. The one on the left showed Louise Torelli, lying lifeless on the floor the inside of the Yeshiva High Gym, after Sunday''s game had ended, with a wide, deep, fatal gash between her bare breasts. Beneath the photo were the words: "Among the wounded: 3:30 PM. Sunday. All is right with the World". The photo on the right showed a smiling Louise, standing alive in the crowd at the Glad He Ate Her Lounge. She had her hands on her hips. Her breasts were naked, with no sign of any wound between them. Beneath this photo were the words: "Among the wounded: 3:30 PM Monday. Will the World turn upside down?" Larry asked Sarah and Louise, "Aren''t you two afraid that you''re gonna get into trouble with Avery for this?" Sarah told him, "We expect to get called into Avery''s office any time now." Neither of them was called to the Principal''s office that day. They weren''t asked to speak with him on Thursday either. On Friday morning, just before 3rd Period Gym Class, Louise entered the Girl''s Locker Room. Before she could change into her shorts and sneakers, Mrs. Ramierez came over to her. She said, "Would you please come into my office Louise. There''s something I''d like to talk to you about." Louise followed the Gym Teacher into her office, on the side of the locker room. Mrs. Ramierez shut the door behind them. The girl asked, "I''m not gonna be banned from the Team, and have my family''s extra rations taken away, like happened to Karen Bennet, am I?" "That is under discussion, but no decision has yet been made. "Louise." The woman told her, "It looks like you, Karen Bennet and I have all had the same experience." "The same?" Louise asked, "You''ve been resurrected too?" "Yes. 22 years ago." The woman told her, "I was among the multitude of Jihadist Warrior girls and guys, who died in sacrificial Combat Games at the 13th Centennial Commemoration of the Final Sealing of the City Building.¡± "Yeah, I''ve seen historic documentaries about that on TV." Louise told her, "What they showed were the mass immolations that were going on, on every Level of the City Building that night." "Yes. A glorious time was had by all. I volunteered to be among a dozen pair of Warrior Guys and Girls, who fought to the death in elimination rounds. In the first round, all 12 pairs fought; and I killed my opponent. In the second round, six pair fought, and I also killed my opponent. Then in the next round my third opponent killed me, with a sword through my heart." Louise told her, "Then you were as dead as me and Karen." ¡°Exactly. I was a regular naked dead girl, who expected to be partying in Paradise, among the thousands of Warrior Guys and Girls who were sacrificed that night, while our meat was cooked and eaten by our fellow Jihadists.¡± ¡°Yours obviously wasn¡¯t, Mrs. Ramierez.¡± ¡°Yes. ¡¯Obviously¡¯. There was also more to the Games, than just the combat sacrifices. Once all the Sacred Combat Games ended, every Warrior Guy and Girl who didn''t die received a full scholarship to any Jihadist School of Higher Education they chose. Along with that, their families received triple rations, for the full length of time that were covered by those scholarships." "A full scholarship? Triple rations for the full length of time?" "That''s why I volunteered to take part in the Elimination Rounds that night Louise. "Well, about a half hour after the Game; the bodies of all of us who¡¯d died were picked up by some of our fellow Jihadists. They brought us to the Temple Arena¡¯s kitchen, where our meat would be prepared for the feast in the dining area. When they got to me and picked up my body, I started breathing. I was alive and unwounded." ¡°This sounds very weird,¡± Louise said, ¡°but it¡¯s also starting to sound too familiar.¡± ¡°Listen Louise¡¯, her teacher said, ¡°During the time that I was dead, I heard the voice of God. ¡°He told me, ¡®This is not your time to enter Paradise. When you Jihadists leave the City Building, you will be the Chief Priestess, and you will provide a place for them to worship me beneath the open sky, when the moon and the stars are shining.¡¯ ¡°¡®Beneath the open sky¡¯?¡± "After I revived, I also received the same full scholarship, as the Warrior Guys and Girls who didn¡¯t get sacrificed." "Oh, now I see what you''re getting at." "If a decision is made, to ban you from this School¡¯s Combat Team, and take away your family''s extra rations, I will recommend to the Jihadist Priesthood, that you be allowed to take part in the next Jihadist Scholarship Rounds of Combat. All the Warriors who aren''t sacrificed will receive full scholarships to any Jihadist School of Higher Education. The score you already achieved, on your college entrance exam, will be enough to qualify you for admission to any Jihadist Institution; along with the same triple rations deal." "I thought that those scholarships were reserved for Warrior Guys and Girls who are official members of the Jihadist Religion." "You are welcome to convert at any time Louise." "Thank you Mrs. Ramierez. I''ll wait to see whether or not my extra rations are taken away. If they are, I''ll think it over." "That''s what I''d expect you to do. There is no rush. Take all the time you want." Louise spent all day thinking it over. What she was thinking was "I can get that scholarship, if I agree to be one of 24 Warrior Guys and Girls who¡¯ll fight to the death in elimination rounds, until only 1 survives. That¡¯s a chance of 24 to 1 against me. How many rounds would I have to survive? But if that¡¯s the only way I can get a scholarship? Would I come back a second time, like Mrs. Ramierez? Or like Karen did? " Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. On Friday evening, around 6:30 PM, Louise hurried into the Glad He Ate Her, which was as crowded as usual. Alyce and Jimmy were already there, sharing a booth with Larry and Sarah. Louise came down the steps, and hurried through the crowd to their booth. "Sarah." She spoke before she even sat down. "Get ready to make journalistic history. This time the world really is about to turn upside down, and you''ll be first reporter on the scene." Larry asked, "What''s this, another vision?" "Not a vision." She told her friends, "A phone call." She slid into the booth beside Alyce and Jimmy. Then she took out her multi-tasker, put it on the table, and switched on her cell phone. "Now listen to this." She told them. She turned on the amplifier, and a recorded voice spoke. "Hello Louise. This is David Krendell." Now everyone in the booth leaned toward the cell phone. They continued listening to Dave''s recorded voice. "Karen and I are back in that place we told you about. Weehawken.¡± Larry repeated, ¡°Weehawken?¡± "We have other people with us. They''ve been given official authority to enter the City Building, but it''s like I told you, the airlock can''t be opened from the outside. We need someone on the inside to open it for us. "Please give me a call as soon as you can." The recording clicked off. "You''re right Louise." Sarah spoke. "The world really is about to turn upside down." Jimmy said, "Or get blown to bits." "Don''t exaggerate Jimmy." Louise said, "All that''s gonna happen, is that three dozen people are gonna be contributed to the food supply." Alyce asked, "Have you called Dave back? What did he say?" "I haven''t called yet." Louise now picked up her multi-tasker, dialed Dave''s number, put the device to her ear and waited. Then she heard Dave''s voice. He sounded tense. "Hi. Louise?" "Hello Dave. What''s going on? You''re allowed to get back inside now?" "We can, but we need your help." "Just who do you mean by ''we''?" "Well there''s me and Karen of course. Then there''s a clergyman from Zabelton, Pennsylvania.¡± ¡°Zabelton, Pennsylvania?¡± "Yes his name''s Domnick Luzak." "Pastor Domnick Luzak?" Larry asked, "What does that mean?" Louise told him, "I wasn''t hallucinating. It was a true vision." Dave spoke again; "He wants to talk to you." Now a man with a voice that she''d heard before spoke over the phone. "Miss Torelli?" "Yes sir." "I am Pastor Domnick Luzak, from Zabelton, Pennsylvania. I''ve come to speak with the Government of the City Building of Manhattan. It concerns the future of both the people outside the City Building, and those inside the City Building itself. According to your friends, Mr. David Krendell and Miss Karen Bennet, we are going to need your help, to enter the City Building.¡± "Yes Pastor Luzak." Louise looked at Jimmy and said, "We have to let them in. It''s too important not to take the risk." "Okay." He shrugged. "We''re a Warrior Team. We always contribute more than three dozen people to the food supply, every other weekend anyway." She again spoke to the Pastor. "Can I talk to Dave?" "Yes Miss Torelli." In a moment, Dave was back on the line. "What is it Louise?" "Dave. It''s after 6:30 in the evening. I don''t know what time it is out there, and I don''t know how long it''ll take for me to get to you. I also don''t know exactly how to get to you." "It''s okay Louise. It''s getting late out here too. I''ll give you directions now, and in the morning we''ll be waiting for you, just outside the airlock." Now Louise spoke softly. "I love you Dave." There was a silence at the other end. She asked, "Did you hear what I just said?" "Yes." He spoke with hesitation. "I heard what you said." "Is Karen standing there, right next to you?" "Yes. She''s right here." "Okay. We''ll discuss it, when I see you tomorrow." Dave then gave her detailed directions, telling her exactly how to get to where he and the Delegation would be waiting. Then she told him, "That''s an awful long trip. It could take all morning to reach you." "Right. So give me a call when you get to the fire doors on Level 10. It took me and Karen about two hours, to get from there to the airlock. So I''ll say good-bye now." She again said softly. "I love you Dave." His cell phone clicked off. Then Louise told her friends at the table, "I''m gonna be getting up very early tomorrow morning. Maybe 5:30. I''ll be going down to open the airlock for Dave and Karen, and this Pastor Luzak, and anyone else they might have come with. Would any of you like to come along, and take part in one of the most important moments in history; or do you plan to go shopping instead, like last time?" Larry said, "Well Jim and I had planned to go to one of the Amusement Centers on Level 700. They got a place where you can watch them shoot string bikini tops off women, with crossbows. We might even get to shoot a few of them ourselves." Sarah snapped at him. "Larry!" "It''s a Lottery. Takes place every Saturday at noon. You bet on the ones who you think are gonna get nailed. If you get at least four right, it starts paying off." Jimmy added, ¡°And the ones who don¡¯t get nailed, get paid really good too.¡± Sarah said, "I don''t believe it! You two are passing up..." Larry chuckled, "We''re just kidding." "That''s good to know." Jimmy said, "But if we can get things done early..." Sarah sighed. 19 / Historic Journey 19 Historic Journey By 7 AM the following morning, Louise, Alyce and Sarah had boarded the express elevator on Level 1380, along with Jimmy and Larry. They''d all dressed in rugged pants and shoes, and wore their yellow and green High School L-1378-55 jackets. Following Dave''s directions, they rode the elevator up two stops, to Level 1400. Then they boarded the super express elevator, going down, stopping at every 100th Level. When they reached Level 700, a dozen cheerfully chatting full-breasted women, wearing tight string bikini tops and very short skirts, were among the people who disembarked. One of them said, ¡°This bra¡¯s awfully tight. It¡¯s hurting my boobs. I wish we didn¡¯t have to wait ¡®til noon.¡± Larry asked Louise, "Are you sure we won''t be done by noontime?" Now Alyce shouted, "Hey guys!" ¡°I¡¯m sure that woman¡¯d be grateful for my not only relieving her discomfort, but for sending her to Paradise.¡± The woman called out to him. ¡°As long as your aim is good and quick,¡± she grinned, ¡°I¡¯ll be praising you in Paradise guy!¡± Louise wondered. Would my taking the same risk as these bikini gals, also qualify me for a Jihadist Scholarship? The elevator continued its long, slow descent. They finally reached Level 10, just after 8:30. From there they had to walk along 39th street. That was when Louise took the multi-tasker out of her handbag, dialed Dave''s number and put it to her ear. After waiting a few rings, she finally spoke. "Hi Dave. Louise here. I''m with Alyce, Jimmy, Larry and Sarah. We''ve just arrived on Level 10, near the west end of 39th Street. Yeah. I can see the fire doors from here. We''re about a block away." She listened for a few moments. Then she said, "You''ve got to be kidding." Louise told the other four, "This Pastor Luzak wants to know if there''s anyone from the Government with us." Larry asked, "Anyone from the Government?" "Something about being greeted officially." "Greeted officially? We''re just high school kids. Who do we know in the Government?" Jimmy said, "We know Avery." Alyce and Sarah spoke in unison. "You''re kidding!" "Well he knows people on the School Board, and that''s part of the Government." Larry asked, "What do you want us to go back and fetch Avery?" Now Louise spoke into her cell phone. "Sorry Dave. It''s just us." She listened a little more. Then she said, "According to my watch it''s 8:43. Okay. We''re on our way." She hung up, putting the multi-tasker back in her handbag. They began walking toward the fire doors at the end of the street. "According to Dave," Louise told them, "it should take us about two hours from here, until we get to them." Larry said, "Then we definitely won''t be getting back before noontime." Now all three girls groaned. They went through the fire doors, leaving everything they were familiar with behind them. They began descending the dimly lit, damp, chilly, gray stairwell. As they descended further, along the now foul smelling flights of stairs, the sounds of the City Building diminished gradually, until they became a soft buzz far above them. Alyce said, "I''ve never been in a place this quiet before." Jimmy said, "Or a place this putrid. I can''t believe this stench." Louise told him, "Dave said we''d be going past the City Building''s waste treatment facilities." Larry said, "You mean we passed up watching those girls in bikini tops, get arrows shot through their boobs, for this?" "Larry." Louise told him, "We are taking part in one of the major events in history. Someday everything we say and do may be dramatized for the world to see and hear, and that''s what you''re talking about?" Alyce made a gagging sound. She said, "I want to go back!" Sarah, Larry and Jimmy agreed with her. Louise said, "We can''t go back! We''ve got Dave and Karen and people who''ve come for talks with the Government! They''re waiting for us to open the airlock! You''re all Combat Team Warriors, so stop being such a bunch of wussies!" Larry asked, "Did Krendell say how many people it takes, to actually open the airlock?" "Just one." "Then all they need is you Louise. As for me, I''m heading up to Level 700." Jimmy said, "So am I. There''s still plenty of time for us to get there before noon." Alyce and Sarah decided to go with their boyfriends, up to Level 700. Sarah said, ¡°Just to make sure they behave themselves.¡± The four of them went up the steps, while Louise continued her descent. She thought, I¡¯m completely alone. For the first time in my life, I¡¯m totally by myself. No crowd is nearby. There¡¯s not one other individual on these fire steps. This is so strange. I think I¡¯m supposed to be upset by this, but I¡¯m not? It actually feels good? Then she thought, This is what our ancestors called ¡°privacy¡±. I like it. I feel very comfortable this way. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Why am I comfortable with nobody else around? I know. If nobody else is around, there¡¯s nobody here who can kill me. As long as I stay out here on these fire steps, I won¡¯t be killed; or at least I probably won¡¯t. But why would anybody in his right mind want to stay out here, any longer than absolutely necessary? On the other hand, while I¡¯m out here, I might be killed in an accident. Then nobody will know about it, and it won¡¯t be reported to the Meat Patrol. They won¡¯t come to collect my meat, and it¡¯ll all just rot away from my bones. What¡¯d be even worse, is if I have an accident, but I¡¯m not killed; just severely injured. I¡¯ll have to be more careful while I¡¯m out here. She reached Level 1. The stench was gone, and far above her. She continued following Dave¡¯s directions, and entered the Lincoln Tunnel. She moved along through the shivery cold, black silence, with only the light from her single multi-tasker illuminating the way. Unlike the fire stairs, this was scary. She couldn¡¯t see her feet as she walked. She might step into something that would make her trip and fall, and cause some severe injury. Here in this darkness, she didn¡¯t want to be alone. She wanted someone walking beside her. Anyone. She thought, I¡¯m on my way to meet Dave. Once I get to the end of this total darkness, I¡¯ll find him. Then he and I can return together, and this tunnel won¡¯t seem as dark as it does now. She continued walking, and walking, and walking. Her flashlight showed a sign on the wall: <===New York|| ||New Jersey===> The halfway point. She thought, The end of this darkness is closer than I thought. She continued walking through the darkness, until the light from her multi-tasker showed the tunnel wall ahead of her, beginning to turn to her left. She checked her watch. It really had been almost two hours since she''d gone through the fire doors. She sighed, "It''s gonna take me a lot longer to get back, but Dave''ll be with me." Then she finally reached the wall blocking the Tunnel''s exit, and came over to the airlock. Louise smacked the green "OPEN" button, and the door slid open sideways, filling the darkness with a bright, yellow glow, revealing the fully clothed skeletons on the tunnel floor. She entered the brightly-lit chamber, and heard voices on the opposite side of the outer door. Louise called out, "Dave?" She heard a muffled voice, "Miss Torelli?" "Yes!" "I''m Pastor Luzak. Will you please open the door? It''s raining!" She tapped the "OPEN" button inside the chamber, and the outer door slid open sideways. The damp coldness was replaced by damp warmth and the silence by the sound of pattering rain. Four people stood in the doorway, dressed in rugged garments. They all held objects above their heads, to shield themselves from the rain. Louise had seen those objects called "umbrellas" before, in old movies. In the center of the group was a man in his early forties, who Louise recognized from her vision. He was Pastor Domnick Luzak. Dave and Karen stood beside him. There was also another girl with them, around Karen''s age. Louise also recognized her from the vision, as Charlene. Behind them were men in uniforms, also carrying umbrellas. After a moment, the Pastor, Dave, Karen and Charlene hurried through the airlock into the Tunnel. Then they folded their umbrellas. The men in uniform remained outside "You''re alone?" The Pastor asked, "Are you the welcoming committee?" "I am for now." She told him. "The other four wimped out. They and I are the only people who know you''re here; at least for now." The outer doors to the airlock began sliding shut. Domnick called out, ¡°Thank you again for everything Sergeant!¡± The doors were now completely shut. All the light in the tunnel came from inside the airlock. Then Dave spoke, "Louise!" She ran up to Dave, threw her arms around him tight, and kissed him passionately, while he held her tight in his arms. "Oh Dave!" She said, "I''ve missed you so much." They continued holding each other tight. Karen stood a few steps away from the two, with her arms folded in front of her. She looked at Charlene, who stood by her side. Charlene told her, "You said you were betrothed." "In Zabelton," Karen told her, "there''s time to be betrothed. Back here in the City Building, there''s no time to waste." "Well she''s sure not wasting any." The sound of a loud beeping came from inside the airlock. Dave and Louise let go of each other, Domnick and Charlene headed toward the beeping sound. Dave said, "That means that the ''Environmental Sanction'' has been activated again." He asked Louise, "Did you check it out like I asked, and found out what that means?" "Yes Dave." She told him, "It means that I''ve just made a very large, anonymous contribution to the food supply." "Oh." He smiled. Then he called out, "Karen! We''re home!" 20 / Reuniting 20 Reuniting The Delegation from outside the City Building, headed through the dark, shivery cold tunnel. Dave, Karen and Louise, who used the flashlights on their multi-taskers to illuminate the way, escorted the Pastor and his niece. After the airlock''s outer doors had slid shut, Pastor Luzak asked, "Is there no transportation?" Dave told him, "Not until we get back inside the City Building sir. Until then we have to walk." That was when Charlene had cried out, "Oh my God!" and put her hand to her mouth. She pointed to the pile of skeletons, lying on the ancient roadway. The three kids from the City Building laughed. Karen chuckled. "Welcome to the City Building of Manhattan Miss Luzak." Back in Zabelton, Charlene had asked to come along with Pastor Luzak, on his expedition to the City Building of Manhattan, with Dave and Karen. She''d said, "If lots of people are gonna be coming out from the City Building, I''d like to see what they''re really like. I know that Dave and Karen have been on their best behavior, while they''re out here with us; but I''d like to see what City Building People are really like, when they''re inside the City Building.¡± The Pastor asked Dave and Karen, "If Charlene does come along with us, just how safe will she be?" Dave said, "As long as she stays with me and Karen, she''ll be as safe as we are; and Karen and I know how to handle things inside the City Building.¡± Domnick then told his brother Henry, "Dave and Karen are two very responsible young people. I''m sure that as long as Charlene stays with them, and with me, things should be reasonably safe for her." Her father had cautiously agreed. Now they continued on their way through the long dark tunnel, with Charlene sobbing softly, while Dave, Karen and Louise tried not to snicker. The Pastor and Charlene both wore back packs; so did Dave and Karen. The Pastor and Charlene walked side by side. Karen and Dave went ahead of them, but Dave now walked with his arm around Louise. Louise asked, "So what was it like out there?" Karen said, "Oh it''s beautiful, and abundant with life; but it does take a lot of getting used to." Dave added, "The Pastor saw that we had a place to stay, and there were a lot of good things to eat." Louise asked, "Do you mean non-human meat?" "Oh yes. All kinds of things to eat; both animals and vegetables, just like our ancestors did." Then Karen told her, "We also went fishing. I actually caught a fish. Believe it or not!" "That all sounds really great." Louise told them. "Was there anything that you didn''t like?" Karen said, "Well, when we first arrived, everybody we met called us ''People from Hell''." Louise laughed. The Pastor said, "I put an end to that." Karen went on, "And there were very few people. It was hard to deal with. Then there were also a lot of wide open spaces. No walls or ceilings. It would have been very easy to get lost." Dave said, "For the first time in our lives, we were in a place where we knew that we weren''t going to ever be killed. It''s a place where everybody dies in bed from old age, believe that or not too." The Pastor asked, "How did you two feel about that?" Karen said, "It was just too strange. We just weren''t sure how to deal with it." Then Louise changed the subject. "So what do people do out there for fun?" Dave told her, "Like Karen said, we did go fishing." "Do they have any kinds of recreational sports?" "Well," he told her "we did watch a game on television. It was a team sport called ''Football''. It actually took place outdoors in an open field, under a partly cloudy sky. Hardly anybody showed up. Just a few thousand people seated on bleachers. "There were two teams; with only 11 players on each side. They wore helmets and heavily padded uniforms. There was also a squad of scantily clad cheerleaders; one for each team. "Well the game is played by members of both teams, fighting back and forth across the open field. All they did was slam into each other, and knock each other to the ground. They were fighting to keep each other from carrying an elongated ball past a goal line." Karen added, "And they also had a brass band playing rousing tunes, while the cheerleaders chanted, and the fans did their own cheering in the bleachers." Louise said, "It sounds like some kind of Combat Game." Karen told her, "Oh how we wished that it was. They didn''t have any weapons, and nobody got killed. Then when the game ended, no cheerleader was hanged from either team''s goalpost." "But if nobody died," Louise asked, "what was everybody cheering about?" "Yeah." Dave agreed, "It was kind of lame." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Louise declared, "It sounds like a game for wussies." Then she asked, "Were there any other sports?" "Well," Karen told her, "There is one called ''Girls Volleyball''." "Is that anything like volleyhead?" "Pretty much, except that they use a large ball, instead of a head." "Another game for wussies." Now Dave asked Louise, "So how have things been with you?" "Oh, we won the game against Yeshiva High last Sunday, by 15 kills. Some people thought it should be 14. You see I got wounded during the Game. I thought I''d been killed, and so did everybody else; but obviously I wasn''t." "Obviously." "And another thing Dave. Mrs. Ramierez told me that my score in the College Entrance Exam was high enough to get me into any Jihadist Religious College.¡± Dave told her, "Oh that¡¯s really great!" "I could also get myself qualified for a Jihadist scholarship, and I wouldn''t have to take any test." Karen asked, "No test?" "Well not a written one. I¡¯d have to participate in a Jihadist Combat Elimination Game; and survive a few rounds. It¡¯s the only chance I¡¯m being offered. Or it might be possible for me to qualify, by being a target girl on Level 700; and taking the four to one risk, of getting my bikini top shot off with an arrow between my boobs." "If that¡¯s all that¡¯s needed," Karen told her "I might take that test myself." Pastor Luzak and his niece Charlene had been walking behind the three City Building kids, listening to all this. Charlene whispered in a whimpery voice. "Uncle Domnick?" He now spoke. "Karen, are you really serious about risking your life that way?" "I might be." She told him, ¡°I¡¯d get a full College Scholarship, along with triple rations." He asked, "Do you remember what you told me, about what the Lord told you to choose?" "Yes Pastor. I remember. He said, ''...Choose life, so that you and your children may live...''" "Then why are you thinking of choosing to risk death?" "I''m sorry Pastor Luzak. Out in Zabelton, choosing life was easy. Back here in the City Building, sometimes you have no other choice, except to take the risk." They continued on through the Tunnel. Charlene told her uncle, "You said you thought I''d be safe with them." That was when Pastor Domnick Luzak called out, with his voice echoing through the darkness. "In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask God the Father Almighty, to send forth the Holy Spirit, and cast out the Devil before we arrive; so that no one will be harmed in any place where we are present, and that everyone there will be healthy and healed of all their afflictions; and that they will know the Way of the Lord, and follow Him! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!" They continued on their way through the ancient abandoned tunnel. After what seemed like an endless amount of time, surrounded by total darkness, they finally emerged from the tunnel. They were now surrounded by the dimly lit, gray walls of the City Building of Manhattan''s Level Number 1. They quickly moved to the foot of the fire stairs. Dave spoke, "Up to now it''s been easy. From here we''ve got to climb ten levels. Then we can finally get inside where people are." Now the exhausted clergyman spoke. "''Climb ten Levels? Listen. You''re all teenagers, and in good shape. You can handle it. I''m 42 years old. It''s not as easy for me! Aren''t there any elevators around here at all?" "If we knew that there was," Dave told the man, "believe me, we''d be on it." "I know it''s bad," Karen told him, "but it''s temporary. Once we get up to Level 10, we''ll enter the City Building, and everything''ll be a lot easier from then on." Then all five of them began to climb. Domnick, Charlene, Dave and Karen remained loaded down with their backpacks. They climbed a few flights. Then they came to a landing, where they stopped to rest for a minute or two. Then they went up a few more flights. Then they again stopped to rest for a minute or two. They continued on, climbing and resting; resting and climbing. They even stopped to rest while engulfed by the foul stench of the waste treatment facility. Finally they arrived at Level 10. The living sounds of the City Building came through the fire doors. Here they didn''t stop to rest. Dave went over to one fire door, and put his hand on the knob, "Here we are ladies and gentleman." He announced, "The City Building of Manhattan." Domnick now quoted. "''Behold,'' says the Lord ''I stand at the door and knock. If anyone who hears my voice will open the door, I will come into him, and I will dine with him, and he with me.''" Dave asked the Pastor, "Will the Lord dine on what we dine on?" Then he opened the door. The kids from the City Building went through first. Then the Delegation of two, from Zabelton Pennsylvania, stepped out into whatever they would find. 21 / Magic City 21 Magic City Pastor Domnick Luzak and his niece Charlene now stood beside Dave, Karen and Louise. They stood looking across the thickly packed crowd that went past them going left to right, and right to left, while moving along the 9th Avenue Corridor. On the opposite side of the Avenue, they gazed down the length of the 39th Street Corridor, where its thickly packed crowd moved towards or away from them. The Corridors were brightly lit. The shops along both 39th Street and 9th Avenue had illuminated signs, identifying themselves and the types of merchandise they had for sale. The overly warm and humid air was filled with recorded music that mingled with the sounds of the uncountable people moving through both Corridors. "Here we are ladies and gentleman." Dave repeated, "The City Building of Manhattan. "Manhattan.¡± He then repeated an ancient saying, "''The Magic Island at the Center of the World!''" Karen said, "Now I''m hungry." Dave told her, "We all are." He pointed across the Avenue, down along 39th Street. "I see a place." Domnick asked him, "How do you make your way through this crowd?" He said calmly, "We wait for the light." Above the center of this intersection, a traffic light hung below the ceiling. The light facing the five, who''d just emerged from the fire stairs, was red. Then the light changed to green. All the pedestrians moving along 9th Avenue halted, and the five rushed across the intersection, along with hundreds of others, and began moving east along West 39th Street. The light behind them changed again and the crowd on 9th Avenue resumed moving once more. Now the five moved with the crowd on the downtown side of 39th Street, passing stores on their right. They passed a stationery shop, a pharmacy, a lighting store, and a hardware store. The crowd was thick with people. On this side of the corridor, those on the right moved away from 9th Avenue, while those on the left moved in the opposite direction. The crowd on the corridor''s opposite side moved the same way. In the warm and humid air, most of the people were dressed casually, wearing short sleeved garments. Some of the men wore no shirts at all, and were bare above the waist. So were some of the women. A few people were dressed in blue uniforms, and wore badges. They also carried nightsticks, and had laser pistols holstered on their belts Pastor Luzak spoke. "I am a total stranger here. I know nothing about anything here inside the City Building of Manhattan, and yet I have been sent here to begin preliminary talks with your Government. I know nothing about your Government, and I''d be very surprised if any of you know anyone who''s a member of your Government." Louise told him, "We were talking about that before, after I talked to you on the phone. Our School''s Principal, Mr. Charles Avery might be able to help." "Your School''s Principal?" "Yeah. That''s what we were thinking. He knows people who are on the School Board. He can introduce you to them, and the Chancellor of the School Board can introduce you to the Mayor, the City Council, anybody else you''ll have to talk to." "Good." Domnick asked, "And how soon do you think I''ll be able to talk to your Mr. Avery?" Louise looked at Dave and Karen. Dave looked puzzled. Karen said, "Monday morning Pastor. Everybody gets to talk to Mr. Avery, in his office, on Monday morning." She, Dave and Louise chuckled. Louise added, "Especially when it comes to things that are totally unexpected." "Monday morning?" The man sounded troubled. "That''s a long time to fast. Tell me, would any of you know someone else, who might know someone in the City Building''s Government?" Dave said, "Pastor MacDougal. I told you about him. He''s the Pastor of mine and Karen''s Church. He''s a highly respected member of this Community. He is able to contact anybody in the Government, and they do take his calls." "Good." The man said, "Then I''d like to attend Worship with both of you tomorrow morning. It''ll be fascinating to speak with the Pastor of a Church inside the City Building of Manhattan." Now Karen asked, "You said something about a ''Fast''?" "That''s right." The Pastor said, "Right now, after that very long walk, and exhausting climb, we''re all very hungry, but I know what you''ll be eating. It''s something that Charlene and I won''t eat. Now Charlene and I have packaged meals in our backpacks. I''m sure that if we did go into any eatery with you, we wouldn''t be allowed to eat our own food there." The City Building kids all chuckled. Charlene asked. "Would any of you happen to know, if there''s some place around here, where the two of us can eat the food we brought with us?" Dave, Karen and Louise looked puzzled. Louise said, "I have no idea. None of us have ever been down on this Level before." Domnick said, "You haven''t?" "No sir." Dave told him, "We all live up on the 1,378th Level, and we hardly ever leave our neighborhood, except for weekends, holidays and special occasions. We''ve never had any reason to come all the way down here before." Now Louise asked, "How about the Glad He Ate Her?" Domnick said, "Gladiator?" "It''s where we kids hang out; about three blocks from our school. They have microwave ovens, where you can cook anything you want in them. People are heating stuff they''ve brought in from the outside, all the time." Karen said, "Right. Sounds good." Charlene said, "Wait a minute. It''s three blocks from your school? You just said you live up on the 13 hundred something Level." "Level 13-78." "Well, just how long does it take to get all the way up there?" "Well," Louise said, "It took us an hour and a half to get down here this morning, but that was in the middle of the rush hour. At this time of day it might take about an hour." Karen said, "Well I don''t want to wait another hour, when there''s an eatery right over here." They stopped moving outside an establishment, where enticing cooking aromas came through the entrance. On the window beside the entrance, a large poster displayed the photograph of about a dozen cheerfully smiling, shapely young women standing in line, dressed in bikinis. Above the women in the photo, printed words declared, "Healthy Meat that''s good to eat." At the bottom of the photo, other words declared, "Our Meat Killed Fresh Daily." Charlene told them, "No! Forget it. I can go without a meal every now and then. I do need to go on a diet anyway." Pastor Luzak told her, "I believe that this would be a good time, for both you and I to begin that fast, Charlene." Louise sighed. "When you two get hungry enough, you''ll change your minds. The rest of you can do what you want, but I''m going in and get something to eat now." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "So am I." Dave told the Pastor and his niece. He and Louise entered the Eatery. "Me too." said Karen, who went inside after them. The Pastor and his niece stood outside the Eatery, with their backs to the poster. "Uncle Domnick." She said, "The aromas do smell very appetizing." "Charlene." Her Uncle said, "It looks like as of now, you and I are on a two hour fast, or however long it takes, until we get to this place called the Gladiator." She asked, "And after that, then what? What do we eat, when the packaged meat runs out? How long can we fast?" "The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, who''d asked what to do about eating meat that had been offered to idols." "Offered to idols?" "He told them to eat whatever was put in front of them, but not to ask questions about it, for the sake of their consciences." "Not to ask questions? Here in the City Building of Manhattan, we don''t have to ask." Charlene pointed to the smiling women in the poster behind them. "That''s the only answer." He sighed. "But that''s not the only question." Pastor Luzak told her, "We also have to ask where are we going to stay, and how are we going to pay for any of it. Our money has no value here." She asked, "Did the Apostle Paul have an answer to that?" "The Lord Jesus had an answer. He said, ''Do not worry saying, ''What shall we eat?'' or ''What shall we drink?'' or ''What shall we wear?'' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." As he said this, three bare breasted girls around Charlene''s age walked side by side, passing her and Domnick. At the same moment, two teenage boys walked past the girls, going in the opposite direction. The boys looked back at the girls. One of them said, "How''d you like to be eating one of those?" The other boy said, "I''d like to have any of them for a holiday roast. Meat in my mouth, just falling off the bones." One of the girls looked back and him. She whispered to her friends, who looked back. Then all three of them giggled. Charlene asked her uncle, "You don''t think that''s the kind of food that the Lord will provide for us, do you?" "Before I answer that," he told her, "I''d like to speak with the Pastor at Dave and Karen''s Church. I''d like to know what the teachings of the Church inside the City Building of Manhattan are, about this." Inside the Eatery, Karen stood on line with Dave and Louise, waiting to order something to take out. Dave said, "I don''t like leaving the Pastor and Charlene alone out there like that. They don''t know what''s what. One of us ought to stay with them. Karen, do you want to tell us what you want, and we''ll order it for you? Then you can go out and stay with them." Karen asked, "Why can''t Louise stay with them?" Louise told her, "You''ve spent enough time with my boyfriend already, Miss Bennet." "That''s right, Miss Torelli; and in that time, things have changed." Louise turned to Dave, "Have they changed?" "Out there they changed." He looked at Karen, "Now that we''re back in here, I''m not sure." Karen said, "Oh you aren''t?" "Karen." Louise said, "Dave told you that he didn''t want memories about me. He wanted me. Now that''s what he''s got." They both looked at her. He asked, "How could you possibly know that I said that?" Louise told them, "Remember, I told you that I was sure I''d been killed, during the last combat game, but it turned out that I''d only been wounded?" She lowered her voice. "Well, the truth is that I was correct to begin with." She lowered her voice even more. "I got a spear thrust straight between my boobs, and it ripped my heart open." She told Karen, "What happened to you, happened to me. A photograph of my gashed open corpse was printed in the Students Newsletter too." She went on. "I became a ghost, like you did. While I was in that condition, I saw both of you being dropped off by the police, outside the Church in Zabelton Pennsylvania. I saw you speaking with Pastor Luzak, and a man named Frank. I went with you when the Pastor escorted you to the Motel, and I went into the office with you, where Charlene was watching the movie ''Soylent Green'' on the TV." "Okay." Karen said, "I believe you." Dave said, "So do I. Was there anything else you saw or heard?" "Don''t worry." Louise told him, "I didn''t hang around long enough to watch you fucking her." About ten minutes after they''d entered, the three emerged from the Eatery, to where Domnick and Charlene remained waiting. The three were munching on long fat brown sausages in large buns, and drinking from plastic cups containing a red liquid, with plastic straws poking up out of the lids. Charlene said, "Buns? They come on buns?'' Domnick asked, "Where do they get buns? I thought they only had meat here." Dave told him, "The buns are made from bones that have been ground into a paste. I really don''t know anything about the process." The man repeated, "Bones?" "''At the West Side Meat Company," Karen quoted an advertising slogan, "nothing is wasted''. ''Everything is used, but the death screams.''" Louise added, ¡°And those are used in their TV commercials.¡± Then they began moving along, going through the crowded corridors, toward the nearest express elevator, that would be going up. "Karen." Charlene asked, "Doesn''t it bother you, knowing that when somebody looks at you, he might be thinking of you as something to eat?" "No it doesn''t ''bother me''. That''s the way I look at people too. We all look at each other that way." "Is that how you look at Karen, Dave?" "Yeah, sometimes. Louise too. That''s how they look at me, sometimes." Karen said, "Most girls think of it as a compliment." "Compliment?" "That''s right." Louise said proudly, "We warrior girls are good to eat." Then she began to sing. "We are the Warrior Girls! We wear our hair in curls! We walk with our boobs bare, So boys get hard and stare!¡± Karen joined in the song. ¡°And then we fuck those boys, Whose things we use as toys! And when we eat their meat, We get a satisfying treat!" Then both girls started laughing. "I''m sorry Pastor." Karen laughed in embarrassment. "I apologize, but those are the lyrics." Pastor and his niece were not amused. Neither was Dave. "Hey girls!" He said, "Those aren¡¯t the only lyrics! We''re trying to make a good impression here!" 22 / Making an Impression 22 Making an Impression Domnick and Charlene continued moving along the crowded corridors of the City Building with Dave, Karen and Louise. As they approached the "Next Elevator Going Up", a slow moving, electrically motorized open truck made its way cautiously through the mass of people, who opened a path for the vehicle. As the truck went by them, the people in the crowd kept calling out, "Welcome to Paradise!¡± Then the vehicle went past Pastor Luzak and the others in his group. The truck''s bed was packed from side to side, with several layers of dead men, women and children. Along the sides of the conveyance, the logo of the West Side Meat Company was displayed beside the words, "Healthy Meat That''s Good to Eat" along with the photo of the dozen healthy young women in bikinis. Dave, Karen and Louise joined with the crowd in calling out, "Welcome to Paradise!¡± Then they boarded the Express Elevator Going Up, which occupied about one quarter of the block, from one street to the next. The Elevator was quickly packed with passengers. The doors slid shut, and the car began to rise. It went up 90 Levels in five minutes. Then it stopped at Level 100. People getting off went to the right, while those getting on came from the left. As soon as the car was full again, the doors shut, and they rose up another 100 Levels. The procedure was repeated, every time the elevator stopped, at the next hundredth Level. Inside the elevator, the air was not only very warm; in here it was stuffy. Many people had removed their top garments, including many young women. Domnick noticed that a large number of them wore necklaces carved from human knucklebones. Their earrings, bracelets, and hairclips had also been carved from human bones; so had their belt buckles. Many of them also had one or more shrunken human heads dangling from their belts. When the doors opened at Level 700, Jimmy and Alyce boarded the Elevator, along with Larry and Sarah. They saw Karen, Louise and Dave, and came over to join them, along with the Pastor and Charlene. All four of them had removed their top garments and wore nothing above the waist. Larry also carried a bulging clear plastic bag, with a young woman¡¯s head inside. Charlene saw it and began to tremble. Dave told her, ¡°He¡¯s going to have it shrunk, so he can wear it on his belt.¡± Louise spoke in a peeved tone. "So here they are; the four wussies. You all wimped out, on one of the most important events in history, just ''cause you didn''t like the smell." "Yeah." Larry grinned, "But I did get to kill this woman.¡± He held up the plastic bag. ¡°She had these really great boobs, and I shot the string bikini top off of her. My arrow cut right through the string between her boobs and stabbed into her heart, and her whole bra went flying off in both directions. She died grinning, with her nipples on full display. That means she entered Paradise ready to party." "Hooray for you." ¡°If you remember, she was the one who was complaining that her bra was too tight. Well I¡¯m the one who relieved her of that discomfort, and I¡¯m sure she died grateful.¡± Now Dave called out, "Hey guys! I''d like to introduce our guest. This is the Pastor Domnick Luzak." Larry looked embarrassed; so did the other three with him. Larry said, "Pastor? You mean you''re the clergyman who Louise went to find; the one from outside?" The man nodded, "That''s right." The boy said, "I was just helping add to the food supply." Domnick told him. "I understand that." By the time they reached Level 1378 Domnick and Charlene were exhausted; so were Dave, Louise and Karen. The five of them moved in the crowd, going east through the West 52nd Street Corridor. Jimmy, Alyce, Larry and Sarah had remained with them. As they continued moving along, Domnick noticed a sign ahead of them saying "Glad He Ate Her", hanging out from the wall above that establishment''s entrance. Domnick said, "Oh. It''s ''Glad He Ate Her''." His voice sounded tired. "Not ''Gladiator''. The name is a pun." "Actually," Dave told him, "The name describes how the owner would like his patrons to feel, after they leave." The Pastor said, "Well personally, I will be glad that Charlene and I will have eaten the packaged food we brought with us. Then as soon as we''re done, I''d like us to find a place to stay." Louise groaned. "As soon as you''re done? I''ve been going since 5:30 this morning; and I''ve gone a lot farther than the rest of you; at least today I have." "It''s all right Louise." The Pastor said, "You''ve done enough, but I''d like Dave and Karen to stay with us. They can show us the way to the Church, and introduce us to this Reverend MacDougal. It''s like Charlene said. She and I are in going to need immediate help, finding a place to stay. I hope we''ll be able to get that help from a fellow Christian." "Uncle Domnick." Charlene said, "I''m just too hungry. I''d like to stop now. I''ve got packaged meals in my backpack." Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "It''s all right Charlene." The Pastor said, "You can go ahead with Louise and her friends, and use one of the microwave ovens." His niece looked uneasily at Larry. "I think I''d rather stay with you Uncle Domnick. I can wait to eat ''til you do." Then they said good-bye to Louise and the other four, who went down the street and through the entrance into the Glad He Ate Her. Pastor Luzak and Charlene continued on their way with Dave and Karen, heading toward the Church which stood one block east of the Glad He Ate Her, occupying the entire block between the 8th and 7th Avenue Corridors, and between West 51st and 52nd streets. They went through the Church''s broad front entrance on the east side of 8th Avenue, into a very large lobby, called the narthex. Beyond the narthex, an unbelievably gigantic sanctuary stretched all the way to the 7th Avenue end of the building. The pulpit rose high on the right, about halfway between the narthex and the 7th Avenue end. On the wall above the pulpit, a large, Presbyterian Cross hung, with a circle radiating around the crossbeams. To the left of the cross, was a symbol of the Holy Spirit/Dove descending. To its right was an Alpha and Omega symbol. The Sanctuary was crowded. The pews, that all faced the pulpit, were packed with casually dressed people. Some were praying, others were reading the Bibles that they''d found in the racks, on the backs of the pews in front of them. Pastor Luzak gazed at this all from the narthex. He asked softly. "Are there worship services on Saturday afternoons?" "No sir." Dave told him, "These are people who''ve just come in off the street to pray, read the Bible or meditate. The Church is open 24 hours a day for them." The man nodded, "That''s very good; a Church being available for these purposes whenever they''re wanted." Then he noticed just how casually many of the people were dressed. Some of the younger women sat praying, or reading the Bible, while wearing nothing above the waist, except necklaces carved from human knucklebones. Their earrings, bracelets, hairclips and belt buckles were also carved from human bones. Back on the elevator, Karen had told him, "They''re dressing for comfort." Now one comfortably dressed woman shut the Bible she''d been reading, and replaced it in the rack. She got up out of the pew, and came out of the sanctuary. That was when Domnick noticed that she had a human bone cross dangling between her bare breasts, on a knucklebone necklace, along with a pair of shrunken human heads tied on her belt. She smiled at Domnick, Charlene, Dave and Karen as she walked past them, saying "Good afternoon." The Pastor greeted her courteously. Then she went out the door, and joined the crowd on 8th Avenue. He then asked Karen, "Do you ever dress that casually yourself?" "Oh yeah. Plenty of times. All the girls do." "Do you ever wear any of those human bone ''accessories''?" "Of course. A woman never goes anywhere, without being properly accessorized." "Even the shrunken heads?" "I do, when I''m being fashionable. A fashionable lady never goes anywhere, without at least one shrunken head on her belt. Of course it''s not really considered chic, unless she has a male and a female pair on her belt." Now Charlene said, "Of course." Dave told her, "That''s what every candidate for Homecoming Queen had on her belt, on the night of the Homecoming Dance." Now Pastor Luzak asked, "So where do we find your Reverend MacDougal?" Dave said, "He''s probably in his office." Dave led them down a stairway to the left of the entrance. They started moving through a long, brightly-lit corridor. Many people strolled back and forth, between notices that were tacked on bulletin boards, on both sides of the corridor, announcing many upcoming church sponsored activities. A man''s voice called out behind them. "Karen! Dave!" They halted and turned around. A casually but fully clothed man approached them. He was in his mid-fifties, chubby and balding. The man came up to Karen, Dave, Domnick and Charlene. He spoke to the high school students with concern. "You''re here. You haven''t been killed. That means you''ve been skipping school. That''s so unlike either of you." "I know." Dave said, "Sorry Reverend MacDougal, but we have a legitimate excuse." The man sounded peeved. "You''re ''sorry''?" "Reverend MacDougal." The Pastor of the Zabelton Church spoke. "I am Pastor Domnick Luzak. This is my niece Charlene." "Welcome." The man shook his hand with both of them. Domnick went on. "David and Karen have been with me. I will personally vouch that they do have a very legitimate reason for not being in school this past week." The other man now listened. "As I said, my name is Domnick Luzak. I am Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Zabelton, Pennsylvania, where Dave and Karen have spent every day of this week, from Sunday until yesterday morning." Reverend MacDougal was taken aback. He wasn''t sure what to say. He finally repeated "¡¯Pennsylvania¡¯?¡± "That''s right. We''ve come from outside the City Building of Manhattan." "Outside?" The man put a finger to his lips. Then he lowered his voice. "Let''s all go to my office. We should discuss this in private." 23 / A Matter of Conscience 23 A Matter of Conscience Pastor Luzak and the others followed the Reverend back along the corridor, then around a corner, where they entered a small, brightly-lit windowless cubicle, containing a desk with a swivel chair, and several folding chairs stacked against the wall. Domnick, Charlene, Dave and Karen each unfolded a chair and then sat facing the desk, where Reverend MacDougal had seated himself in the swivel chair. An open computer was on his desk. "''Pennsylvania''." Reverend MacDougal spoke haltingly. "Pennsylvania is the name of a land that is supposed to be outside the City Building, where life is supposed to be impossible." Domnick told him, "Pennsylvania is more than ''supposed''. It is actual. The supposed impossibility of life out there is...I''m not sure what the word is. I could call that belief ''incorrect''. Life is not only possible outside the City Building of Manhattan. It is flourishing; as it has always done." "''As it has always done''?" Domnick nodded. "David Krendell and Karen Bennet here are witnesses to that fact." "Witnesses?" "And I have more than just their words to back up what I''m telling you." He, Dave, Karen and Charlene had finally removed their backpacks, placing them on the floor beside their folding chairs. Domnick reached down, opened his backpack, searched through it, and pulled out a large, thick brown envelope. He told the Reverend. "I have photographs." He reached in the envelope and took out a dozen 5"x 5" full color glossy prints. Then he came over to the Reverend, and showed them to him. "Here. That''s the front of my Church in Zabelton, with me standing beside the sign. That was taken yesterday morning. "This next photo shows the cornfields outside of town. That''s a farmhouse and barn in the background. That was also taken yesterday morning. "Now here you see Dave and Karen standing next to a hovercar, in the parking lot of my brother Henry''s motel, just outside of town. That''s his daughter Charlene here, standing beside them. I''m the one who took the picture. "This is a picnic barbecue that was held behind the Church the other day. These people seated at the tables are members of our Congregation, along with a few guests. You see Dave and Karen there among the guests." Now Reverend MacDougal asked, "What is that food they are eating?" Pastor Luzak told him, "That''s beef, the meat from cows; pork, the meat from pigs; chicken, and fish meat too. Then there are many kinds of vegetables. They''re drinking the juice from different kinds of fruits." "Just like our ancestors are said to have eaten and drunk?" "That''s right." Karen said, "That''s what Dave and I have been eating and drinking all week Reverend. I actually caught one of the fish that we ate. Believe it or not!" "I believe you." The man looked at her. "Many strange things have happened lately, involving you Karen. I attended the Combat Game, after which you were the dead cheerleader who''d been hanged. Then you came back to life again, twice." Charlene gasped. Then she said, "You were killed? Then you came back to life?" Domnick said, "Twice?" "Yes Pastor." Karen told him, "It was during my second death, when I heard the Voice of God." Reverend MacDougal asked, "You heard the Voice of God?" She nodded. "He told me, ''Karen arise and choose life, so that you and your children will live and possess the Land, that the Lord has given to you.''" Pastor Luzak said, "Deuteronomy 30, verse 19." She went on. "Then I arose, and I have seen the Land, and I''ve just spent this entire week out there." The man behind the desk asked her, "Has the Lord told you anything else?" "No Reverend. I have no idea if I''ll ever hear anything else from Him again." She told him, "All I know is that two weeks ago I was an ordinary dead cheerleader hanging at the end of an ordinary rope, and all was right with the world. Now I''m alive again, and I have no idea what''s gonna happen after this." Pastor Luzak quoted from the Book of Acts. "''Behold. The people who have turned the world upside down are here''." "I hope that''s not why you''re here." Reverend MacDougal told them. "A world turned upside down would be a world in total chaos." "That''s what I''ve come here to prevent." Domnick told him, "I''ve been authorized by the Government, outside the City Building, to speak on their behalf, to your Government, in hope of preventing any such chaos." "You have a Government?" Charlene said, "What?" Her uncle said, "Yes we do Reverend MacDougal. Your question shows that you know absolutely nothing about us. All we''ve known about you are rumors and stories that are probably extreme exaggerations, about the goings on here, inside the City Building of Manhattan; so I have many questions. "Now one question I have is about the eating of human meat." Reverend MacDougal said, "I was thinking you might. You''ve shown me that picture of the members of your congregation, eating all those foods that would be strange to us. I assume that the Lord has blessed all of you so greatly, that those foods alone are enough for you, and that no human meat is included in your diet." "That is true. When I return, I should ask the Congregation, to thank the Lord that we never have to eat each other." "That''s a pity." Reverend MacDougal told him, "In that photograph, some of your members looked very appetizing." Charlene told the man, "I can''t believe you just said that." "A pity?" Pastor Luzak asked, "You''re a Christian Pastor, as I am. Have you no remorse?" "Remorse for what? Here inside the City building, that''s all we have to eat, and we thank the Lord for every meal." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. "I apologize." The clergyman from Zabelton told him. "I understand how difficult it must be for you, and for all who are devout, here inside the City Building. Dave and Karen told these same things to me before we left. "The thing is that while we are here, my niece and I want to avoid eating any human meat, so we loaded some packaged meals in our back packs." "Packaged meals?" "Yes. They include some of the foods that you saw in the photograph. We will be eating them, instead of human meat." "Some people might take offense at that. It might look to them, like you''re looking down on us." "I''m sorry. It''s a matter of conscience." "I understand that." Domnick went on, "I also realize that our packaged meals will probably run out, long before my business here is completed. Once that happens, I know that I can go on a fast for a time, but I don''t know how long I can hold out." He looked at Charlene, who sat there fidgeting. "And I''m sure that my niece won''t hold out as long as I do." His niece looked away from everybody. "Now before that happens, we both want to know the teachings of the Church, inside the City Building of Manhattan, considering this matter. If we can''t avoid engaging in cannibalism, what must we do to make things right with God?" Reverend MacDougal told him. "The Scripture says in First John, Chapter 1, verses 8 and 9, ''If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness''." Domnick said, "The Lord purifies us, through our faith in the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; but Jesus died to take away our sins. Not to make it easier for us to keep them." "We know that." Reverend MacDougal explained, "We have accepted Him as Savior and Lord; and have been praying to Him to free us from the curse of cannibalism, which He will do in His own time. Until then, for as long as we have nothing else to eat, we will continue to thank Him for what we do have; and continue to wait upon the Lord for His cleansing." "I see." said Pastor Luzak. "Since my niece and I have come to stay among you for a time, that means that while we are here, we might have to take that same curse upon ourselves." The girl gasped. Reverend MacDougal told them both, "Then the Lord will have taught you humility." "However," Domnick informed him, "we will wait until our packaged meals run out." No one said anything for a while. Charlene made a few soft, sobbing noises. Then Pastor Luzak spoke again. "Now the reason I''ve come to you, is that before I can speak to any people in your Government, I''ll need someone to introduce me to them. Dave here tells me that you know people in the Government of the City Building.¡± "That''s true." Reverend MacDougal said, "I can make some calls, and arrange for you to meet with people, with whom you can discuss these things." "Thank you Reverend MacDougal. Now there is something else. It''s a personal matter that I hope you''ll be able to help me with." "That is what we of the Church are here for, Pastor Luzak." "The problem is that...This is embarrassing. You see. I''ve arrived here, accompanied by my 16-year-old niece. We need a place to stay, but our money has no value here." "I see. I understand that. The Lord did say, ''I was a stranger and you took me in.'' and He also said, ¡®As much as you did it for one of the least of these my brothers, you did it for me.¡¯ "This Congregation sponsors a hostel for travelers in need. It''s a few blocks from here. I can arrange for you and your niece to stay with them, at the Congregation''s expense." Now Dave spoke. "Just like you did for me and Karen, Pastor Luzak." Karen nodded; so did Domnick. Now Charlene spoke. "Do they have microwave ovens at this hostel?" "Yes. There''s one in every room." "Good." She said, "Then we can eat the packaged foods, without anyone giving us trouble." Then the Pastor from Zabelton told the Pastor of the City Building Church, "My niece and I thank you for your generosity Reverend MacDougal." Around four o''clock that afternoon, Pastor Domnick Luzak, and his niece Charlene finally entered their rooms in the hostel. He was in room 116, which was right beside room 118, where Charlene would be staying. Once he shut the door, he stood alone in the tiny, windowless cubicle, which had a microwave oven, television and other appliances embedded in the wall across from his bed. The bathroom was at the opposite end of the room from the front door. He stood facing the front door, spread his arms out wide and touched both walls at the same time. At that moment, he heard Charlene cry out from the next room. "Welcome to Paradise!¡± A moment later there was a knock on the door. "Uncle Domnick! It''s Charlene!" He slid the door open sideways. Charlene stood there trembling. "There''s a naked dead woman in the shower stall, in my bathroom!" Domnick came out of his room, and went into hers to see what she had found. Then he came back into his own room. He went to the intercom on his wall, and tapped the button for the desk. "Hello." He said, "I want to report a murder in room 118." He heard a man say, "''Murder''? That''s a strange word; kind of archaic." "Listen." Domnick told him, "There is a naked dead woman lying in the shower stall. It looks like her throat has been slashed." "Oh yes. She was a guest in that room last night. The fellow, who''d checked in with her, checked out this morning, without telling us about it. We didn''t know she was there until the maid found her, when she went to clean the room this morning." "She was found this morning? Hasn''t anyone called the Police?" "There''s no reason to involve them sir. The meat patrol has been notified. I''ll put in a call to them again. They should arrive within a half hour, and the room should be ready for occupancy by 5 o''clock." Pastor Domnick Luzak told the man, "Thank you." The intercom clicked off. "Uncle Domnick." Charlene asked, "Can I heat up my packaged meal in your microwave oven, and have dinner here with you?" 24 / Sunday 24 Sunday The next day was Sunday. Dave and Karen attended the 9:30 AM Worship Service, at Reverend MacDougal''s Church. Today, no one was casually dressed. Dave wore a white short sleeved shirt and tie. Karen wore a short sleeved, non-revealing, light green dress. They arrived about 15 minutes early. The pews on the main floor were already packed, so the ushers seated the two of them up in the third balcony. The Worship Service began on time. The organist performed Bach''s Toccata and Prelude. Then the Choirs entered singing the ancient hymn, "God of our Fathers." After that the Elder read from the Old Testament. He read Deuteronomy 30:19. "''This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live." After that, the Collection of Tithes and Offerings was taken. Following the Collection, Reverend MacDougal stepped up to the pulpit and read from the New Testament. He read from Matthew 4, verse 16. "¡¯The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.''" Then Reverend MacDougal prayed, "May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer." He began to speak. His voice was amplified throughout the entire Sanctuary. "I have changed the Scripture readings, from what is printed in your bulletin; as well as what I''m going to speak about, which is different from what I had intended. A change has begun here, in our World of the City Building of Manhattan. From now on, all our lives will be changed in some way. "Yesterday afternoon a man came to see me. He is a Minister of the Gospel, as am I. However, he is different from me, in one very significant way. He is a man who has come to us, from outside the City Building.¡± Now everyone in the pews sat up straight. There was a sound of murmuring. "He has presented me with proof that life exists outside the City Building, in flourishing abundance. He has shown me photographs that were taken this past week, of growing vegetation, verdant green mountains, woodlands, clear lakes and streams, and living animals, and very healthy people eating all kinds of foods that are not made from human beings. "It is now only a matter of time, until the curse of cannibalism ends for us who live within the City Building of Manhattan, and the Lord will bless us with meals that we can eat with clear consciences." There was excitement throughout the Sanctuary. "What we have been praying for, for these past 1,300 years has finally happened. The Lord has heard our prayers. The City Building of Manhattan has been unsealed. He is breaking the demonic curse of the Kaczynski Brigade, which has imprisoned us, and forced us to eat one another. The time is approaching when that will no longer be necessary! The time of our promised freedom has begun!" After Worship had ended, Reverend MacDougal quickly retreated through a door behind the pulpit, heading to an undisclosed location, to keep from being mobbed. Dave and Karen came down from the third balcony to the crowded narthex. They saw Pastor Luzak and Charlene standing together, and came over to them. Domnick wore a suit and tie, instead of a clerical collar. Like Karen, Charlene also wore an unrevealing dress. Reverend MacDougal had been careful not to point out Reverend Luzak, as the man who''d come to see him the day before. Dave and Karen had also been warned not to point him out to the crowd either. "Good." Pastor Luzak said, "You''re here. Listen. Reverend MacDougal and I have a lot of work ahead of us. We''re going to be busy all day, and I don''t want Charlene to be bored; so if it won''t interfere with any of your plans, could both of you please keep her company, for the rest of the day? I''m sure you can find some interesting things to do." "Oh sure." Dave said, "No problem." Charlene said, "That depends what you mean by ''interesting''." "It''s okay." Dave told her uncle, "We''re heading down to the Shakespearean Theater. We''ll be attending a live performance of ''Romeo and Juliet''." Pastor Luzak spoke with surprise. "You have live Shakespearean Theater here, in the City Building of Manhattan?" "Of course we do Pastor." Dave told him, "This is New York!¡± Then Dave repeated the ancient saying to Charlene. ¡°¡¯Manhattan. The magic island at the center of the world¡¯.¡± They said good-bye to Domnick, went out the front entrance into 8th Avenue, and began moving through the crowd, going along West 52nd Street. Dave said, "We''re gonna be meeting Sarah and Larry at the Glad He Ate Her. They''ll be going with us. Jimmy and Alyce said they''ll meet us at the theater when we arrive." Charlene halted. "Larry''s going with us?" Karen asked, "What do you got against Larry? He''s an okay guy." "''An okay guy''? Yesterday he killed a woman, by shooting her bra off." "That''s just part of him being a City Building guy. Every guy I know does that kind of stuff, including Dave." Charlene asked, "You do?" Dave told her, "Yeah but I always miss the straps, so they die with their bras still on; but they¡¯re just as comfortably dead as the ones with the naked boobs.¡± He chuckled. ¡°They also die squirming and squealing just as sexy, and their meat tastes just as good." Charlene said, "I can''t believe you¡¯d actually get involved in that Dave! You¡¯re such a smart guy!" Karen told her firmly, "Helping keep the population trimmed, and the meat quota filled, is every citizen''s obligation. Dave and Larry are being responsible citizens, and so are the women they kill." They came to the front of the Glad He Ate Her, and went through the entrance. Charlene stood beside Dave and Karen, on the landing at the top of the steps, overlooking everything inside the Combat Team''s after school hangout. The establishment was not as crowded on the weekends, as it was on weekdays after school. She told Karen, "Every guy here''s looking at me, like I''m something they''d like to eat." "It''s okay girl." Karen told her, "That''s not the only appetite these guys have. It''s more likely they''re looking at you, as someone they''d like to fk." "Oh. Well now that''s something I do know how to handle." ¡°Believe me.¡± Dave chuckled, ¡°Swords, spears, and arrows aren¡¯t the only things that we guys like to impale you girls with.¡± ¡°Dave!¡± Charlene asked, ¡°Do you have to keep talking about that?¡± Karen told her, ¡°Let me give you a word of advice. If you want to get along with everybody here, especially the guys, stop being a wussy pussy.¡± They went through the crowd to a booth where Sarah was seated beside Larry. Louise sat across the table from them. She and Karen looked uncomfortably at each other. Louise said, "Hi Dave. Where''d you like to sit?" He looked uneasily at Karen. Karen told Louise, "He''s not sitting next to you!" Charlene told the girl in the booth; "I''ll sit next to you." Then she slid into the booth, seating herself beside Louise. Karen slid in beside Charlene, and Dave sat across from her, beside Larry. Sarah had her edu-computer open in front of her. She said, "Now we''re all here. Hi Charlene, so what did you think of the Worship Service?" Miss Luzak asked, "Were you there?" "Yes. Larry and I came early. We were in the main floor pews. So what did you think of Reverend MacDougal''s sermon?" The niece of Pastor Luzak told them, "I''ve just learned something I never knew before. The Kaczynski Brigade was more than a myth. They actually did exist." Louise asked, "Is that what they teach you, outside the City Building? That the Kaczynski Brigade was nothing but a myth?" "Well, what they teach us in school is that the City Building of Manhattan was constructed so long ago, that the actual records have been lost, and nobody is really sure about any of the facts. There are myths and legends. One of the legends is that the Kaczynski Brigade were mythical demonic beings, who imprisoned most of the world''s population inside the City Building, and forced them to become cannibals; but that''s just part of the legend. Nobody''s really sure about the actual facts. At least nobody outside the City Building is." "Well," Louise told her; "in here we do know the facts. One of the facts is that the Kaczynski Brigade weren''t demons. They were actual human beings. They sealed our ancestors in here, because they said they were ''saving the Earth from humanity, by removing humanity from the Earth''. Here we think of them as the most evil people who ever existed. I hope you people on the outside don''t think of them as heroes." "Oh don''t worry. We don''t. I suppose it''s just easier for us to believe that demons were the cause of all this, instead of our own ancestors." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Sarah had been typing out Charlene and Louise''s words, on her edu-computer. "This is good!" the Editor of the Student''s Newsletter said, "Charlene. I''d like you to tell me more, about life outside the City Building later; but right now, I''ve got some questions about some of the things that were told to me yesterday. "First of all, I''d like to know more about the historic moment, when Louise opened the airlock, and allowed people from the outside to enter the City Building for the first time in 1,322 years. What I''d like to know, is what the very first words that were spoken were?" Dave, Karen, Louise and Charlene all looked puzzled. Then Dave said, "I think it was ''Hi''." Karen and Charlene nodded in agreement. Karen told her, "Right after that, the very first thing that happened was that Louise pounced on Dave like a slut. She was all over him." Louise said, "I was just welcoming him back." Charlene said, "Karen told me, that when it comes to guys, you City girls don''t waste time." Louise told her, "You better believe it!" Sarah laughed. "Right!" "Sarah." Larry asked, "Do you want to ask about something else?" "Right. You said that Pastor Luzak wanted to speak to the Mayor, and other people in the City Government, about making arrangements, about people entering and leaving the City Building.¡± Now Charlene spoke. "That''s right. We people outside the City Building are afraid that millions of cannibals are gonna suddenly start pouring out, and overrun the countryside, and everything would be devastated. My Uncle Domnick was appointed to speak to your Government, to make sure that it''s all done in a controlled and orderly manner; so we''ll be able to handle things." Larry said, "That''s reasonable." Miss Luzak went on. "We want to make an agreement that respects our sovereignty. We want your Government to agree that everyone who leaves the City Building must obey all the laws of whatever jurisdictions they enter. If they break any of our laws, they will suffer the same consequences, as any of our own citizens." The others nodded in agreement. "And any of our citizens, who enter the City Building, must also obey all of your laws, or suffer the same consequences." Louise said, "That''s perfectly reasonable. I can''t see how anyone could possibly object to any of that." The others again nodded and spoke in agreement, except for Dave. "The problem is," he told them, "that outside the City Building, it''s against the law to kill and eat anybody, ever. If you do, you go to jail." Then everyone at the table looked at each other uneasily. Dave went on. "That means there can''t be any Combat Games, lotteries of death, or any deadly forms of recreation. All sadistic recreational activities are outlawed." Larry said, "All of them? Then what''s the point of going outside in the first place?" Louise asked, "Sadistic recreational activities? You mean like the bare boob chick fight, that Karen and I had, that ended with me being the second one who killed her?" "Sorry." Dave said, "Outside the City Building that would not be permitted." Charlene said, "The second one who killed her? I''ve heard about that. You''re the one who killed her the second time, Louise?" "That''s right; not that it did any good. You know, I was having the best day of my life. I killed this slut who was after my boyfriend. I got an A plus and four gold stars for it. Then I went to see Dave, so we could celebrate; but before we could start, Bennet here showed up all resurrected for the second time. That ruined the best day of my life!" Charlene asked, "Dave was your boyfriend? I thought he was Karen''s." "He used to be hers." Louise explained, "That ended when she dropped him, ''cause she decided to become a team slut. That''s when I started dating him, and I thought he was a guy worth keeping around. I always treated him better, than Karen the Bitch Bennet ever did, or ever will." Karen told her, "Not any more Louise. While we were out there, things between Dave and I changed. We became more than two kids who used to date, and then got back together." Louise said, ¡°What do you mean you ¡®became more¡¯?¡± Charlene explained, ¡°According to our laws, Dave and Karen are betrothed.¡± Louise asked, ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re ¡®betrothed¡¯?¡± Larry said, ¡°It means they¡¯re engaged to be married.¡± ¡°I know what the word means Larry! I¡¯m not an ignoramus!¡± Charlene explained, ¡°The other day, Karen declared in front of witnesses, that she and Dave are betrothed. Then Dave spoke in agreement. According to our laws, that makes them betrothed." Dave said, "That''s according to your laws Charlene. Your laws, outside the City Building, say that Karen and I are betrothed. Back here, inside the City Building, those laws don''t apply." Karen asked him, "What do you mean they don''t?" Dave told her, "It''s the same thing you and I were discussing before we went outside. Here, inside the City Building, it''s illegal for anyone below the age of 21 to get married. You and I did agree that we wouldn''t even discuss marriage seriously, until we get to be 21." "What about everything that happened with us last week, Dave? Doesn''t that mean anything to you, or was I just the girl who you got lucky enough to fuck every night for a week?" "What it means," he told her, "is what we should have learned last week. That neither of us is ready for marriage, Karen." "That doesn''t mean that we can''t be in a committed relationship, before we''re 21 Dave." Now Louise smiled. "It means that you and I still have a chance, doesn''t it Dave?" "I''m sorry Louise." Dave told her, "Karen''s right. Things have changed. While neither of us is ready for marriage, she and I do have a committed relationship." Miss Torelli stopped smiling. They stayed in the Glad He Ate Her, for about a half-hour. Then they all headed out. Karen walked beside Dave, while an unhappy Louise walked apart from everyone else. They took the Express Elevator Going Down, to Level 800, where theaters, art galleries, museums and other cultural institutions were located. After going a few blocks, they came to the Shakespearean Theater, with the title "Romeo and Juliet" displayed on the marquee. Alyce and Jimmy were waiting for them here. They went inside to the Lobby, and came over to a refreshment stand, serving sausages or patties on buns. They all got something to eat, along with carbonated blood drinks. Larry asked, "Do you want anything Charlene?" The girl from Zabelton spoke haltingly. "Well...I am hungry...and...It does have an appetizing aroma." Then she spoke decisively. "Okay. I might as well get on with it. I''ll have one of those sausages." Larry bought her one fat sausage in a bun, and a plastic cup of carbonized blood drink, with a plastic straw poking out through the lid. She brought the straw to her lips, and said, ¡°Now it¡¯s time to learn humility.¡± She put the straw in her mouth, took a sip, and she liked the taste. She whispered another ancient saying, ¡°Enjoy the guilt.¡± Then Charlene took a bite of the tasty, juicy sausage. Then the girl from Zabelton said, ¡°After we leave the City Building I¡¯ll go back to being a good girl." They went inside, and took their seats. The lights dimmed, Tchaikovsky''s "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" was played, the curtain rose, and the tragedy of the star crossed lovers was performed. When the final scene was performed, with the citizens of Verona grieving over the bodies of Juliet and her Romeo, the warrior girls from H.S. L-1378-55, had tears in their eyes; so did Charlene. The tearful Louise brooded while she wept. When the show ended, the audience left the theater and the kids from the H.S. L-1378-55 Combat Team, headed back toward the Elevator that would be Going Up. Some of the warrior girls were still wiping the tears from their eyes. Alyce said, "I know it''s a beautiful story, but I just can''t imagine killing myself over a guy." "A lot of girls do." Louise told her, "The difference is that they take part in a combat game, like that girl Francine, and let a Warrior on the opposing team do the job." Dave asked, "Is that what you did Louise? Were you being a City Building Juliet?" "No!¡± She spoke with annoyance. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about me. The only reason a girl does that is ¡®cause she¡¯s pregnant, and I¡¯m not that dumb. I do have an implant, but with you I¡¯ve never had any need for it. I was being a responsible citizen, and I was doing what was right! I would now been partying in Paradise, and forgotten about you, if you hadn¡¯t prayed for me Dave!¡± Everyone halted when she said that. Jimmy told her, "You said you didn''t hear anyone pray, and you didn''t hear the Voice of God either." "After what happened with Dave and Karen, you don''t think I''d be telling that to anybody; when Avery might find out, do you?" Now Karen asked, "Did you hear the Voice of God too, Louise?" "No, and I didn''t hear anyone pray either." Now Dave told them all, "I did pray for her." Karen asked, "You did?" He told her, "That was before you and I left the City Building. I asked the Lord to keep Louise alive too." Louise told Karen, "I think that means that God wants me to choose life too; which means that you and I won''t be having any bare boob chick fight to the death with swords, over Dave or any other reason." Karen nodded. "Looks that way." The guys all groaned in disappointment. 25 / No Longer a Wussy 25 No Longer a Wussy On Monday morning, the students at High School L-1378-55 were surprised to see their classmates Dave Krendell and Karen Bennet enter the Lobby outside the Main Offices, not killed and carrying their edu-computers. They entered accompanied by Pastor Domnick Luzak and Reverend Charles MacDougal. Both men arrived wearing their black robes and clerical collars. The two clergymen and both students went directly into the Main Office, where they were immediately escorted into the office of Mr. Charles Avery. The man rose from his desk, came over and shook hands with both men. "Good morning gentlemen." The Principal said, "I was informed you''d be arriving this morning. It''s good to see you again Reverend MacDougal." "Thank you Principal Avery." The local Clergyman said, "I want to introduce you to Pastor Domnick Luzak. He has come to speak to us, all the way from Zabelton Pennsylvania." "Yes. I''ve heard the rumors, and I know some of the facts." Mr. Avery spoke to Domnick, "So you''re the man who''s come to the City Building, in hope of turning our world upside down." "On the contrary." Pastor Luzak told him, "I''m here in hope of keeping things stable, while major changes occur." Domnick looked at the two students. "But first of all, I''m here to speak on behalf of Mr. David Krendell and Miss Karen Bennet here. While it''s true that for the past week, they''ve both had unexcused absences; those absences were due to circumstances beyond their control. Last weekend, when school was not in session, they went exploring outside the City Building. Then they were inadvertently locked out, until two days ago, when I escorted them back inside. "In this past week, they have spent most of their time in my community of Zabelton, where they were staying in a Motel that is owned and operated by my brother Henry Luzak. I want you to know that we''ve come to regard them both as good people. They were respectful to me and everyone they met, during the entire time they spent in our community." Mr. Avery looked at Dave and Karen skeptically. "''Good people'' and ''respectful''? These two?" Dave spoke, "We were on our best behavior sir." Karen said, "I was a very good girl sir." The Principal nodded. "Obviously." Then he asked, "Staying in the same room?" Pastor Luzak told him, "According to them, they are betrothed." "''Betrothed''?" Mr. Avery smirked at the students. "Oh is that what you call it?" "Principal Avery." The Pastor from Zabelton told him, "When they arrived, they were two lost and frightened kids, and we took them in. As we do it for one of the least of our Lord''s brethren, we do it for Him." "I see." The Principal said, "You want me to allow them back in class, after an entire week''s unexcused absence?" "Exactly. As I said, the absences were due to circumstances beyond their control. I will vouch for that, and so can many others." "I promise to take that into consideration, Pastor Luzak." The Principal spoke to Dave and Karen, "Please wait in the outer office. I''ll speak to you as soon as my meeting with these gentlemen is concluded." Dave said, "Yes sir Principal Avery." He and Karen then went out the door, leaving the Principal alone with both clergymen. Now Mr. Avery seated himself behind his desk, while Pastor Luzak and Reverend MacDougal sat in chairs facing him. "Those two look in very good health. I suppose that means that fresh air and sunlight actually does do people good, as we''ve always read." "That''s right." Domnick told him, "And they also ate well. They ate what we eat." The Principal said, "But not human flesh?" "No Mr. Avery. They ate flesh of animals, and they also ate vegetables." "Vegetables? Is that what you''d like to have every one of us inside the City Building eat, instead of our neighbors?" "Thanks be to the Lord." Reverend MacDougal told him, "The blessings of His infinite abundance are about to be poured out upon us all, Principal Avery." Domnick said, "Amen." Mr. Avery asked, "Don''t you gentlemen think that the term ''about to'' is an overstatement? Pastor Luzak, can you tell me that people outside the City Building, have the ability to provide immediate sustenance, for all of our citizens?" "No sir. It would take a very considerable amount of time and effort, before that even becomes a possibility." "That''s what I thought. Now supposing we do stop eating each other. Do you know what would happen? It would be a catastrophe beyond measure. The population would be increased, far beyond a sustainable level. That means the kill quota would have to be increased; but if people have stopped eating those who get trimmed, the corridors of the City Building would be quickly filled beyond capacity with rotting corpses, for which there would be no method of disposal. "I know you mean well gentlemen; but the results of what you''re offering us, would indeed turn our world upside down, in a most catastrophic way. It would be just the opposite of anything that I would call a blessing." "Principal Avery." Pastor Luzak said, "You''re forgetting something very important. The City Building is now unsealed. People would not have to be ''trimmed'' as you call it. They could instead move outside the City Building, in controlled numbers, and settle there. The world outside the City Building has more than enough room for all your excess population." The man said, "We''ve always been told that there''d be no place to go, and no way to get there." "There are places to go," Domnick told him, "and you can get to Zabelton from here in less than a day''s journey." The man asked, "But how many people can your transportation system handle?" The Pastor from Zabelton told the man, "As soon as my work here is completed, it will be able to handle me and my niece, along with about six or seven of your students." The Principal was startled. "Our students?" "Yes sir. I''d like to have them come to Zabelton for a week, and experience life outside the City Building." While Pastor Luzak and the Reverend MacDougal were meeting with Principal Avery, Charlene Luzak sat in her room in the hostel, feeling restless. Both men would be busy all day. First of all they''d meet with Dave''s and Karen''s Principal. After that both clergymen were scheduled to spend the remainder of the day, in meetings with High Government Officials, and she had no idea what time her uncle would get back. The day before, she''d had a fascinating afternoon with Karen, Dave and the kids from L-1378-55 High; but today they were all in class. She was alone and afraid to leave her room, to go out into the corridors of the City Building alone. She also didn''t like being in this room either. She especially hated the bathroom, where she''d found the murdered woman. The Desk Clerk had actually been amused by Uncle Domnick''s use of the word "Murder"? "That''s considered an archaic term." Reverend MacDougal had explained, "In ancient times, it was used to describe what was then regarded as the most serious crime of all, which was punished by the severest of penalties. Now we consider the act a personal contribution to the food supply." That first night in this room, just before she''d gone to bed, Charlene had watched an ancient movie named ''Psycho'' on the TV. There was a scene in the movie, in which a woman got stabbed to death, while taking a shower in a motel room. After that, Charlene had trouble getting to sleep. I don''t want to stay in here, she thought, but I''m afraid to leave! Then she thought, Afraid to leave? Why should I be? Neither me, Uncle Domnick, or anyone we''ve been with, have been in any personal danger since we first arrived. While we were still inside the Tunnel, Uncle Domnick prayed that no one would be harmed, in any place where we would be present, and so far nobody has. We''ve moved through those massive crowds of millions of people, in total safety. I wasn''t in any danger when I was with those kids yesterday. I haven''t actually seen anyone getting killed either. That woman in the shower was already dead when we arrived. I have no idea what the motive for her killing was; but I''m sure it had nothing to do with us. The only other dead people I''ve actually seen were the ones in the motorized carts, but we weren''t present to actually see any of them getting killed. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. So why would I be in any greater danger now? Karen was right! I''ve got to stop being a wussy pussy! Besides, uncle Domnick and I have both been given debit cards by Reverend MacDougal''s Church; so why shouldn''t I put mine to use? She got up, combed her hair, put on a little make-up, and stepped out of the hostel, wearing a dark blue, knee length skirt, with a yellow blouse and dark blue shoes, while carrying a handbag on a shoulder strap. Then Charlene Luzak headed out among the crowds, to see what was going on, on the 1378th Level of the City of Manhattan Building. I might see what''s happening on some other Levels too. Maybe even Level 700. She first stopped for breakfast in a local eatery, where she ate sausages and had a blood drink. After that she went along passing the windows of many fashionable shops, where every kind of the most excellent merchandise imaginable was invitingly displayed. She stopped in front of a Rubin''s Accessories Shop, where human bone jewelry and other similar items were displayed in the window. Why not? She thought. As long as I''m here, why shouldn''t I follow the local fashions? "Dress to impress." Charlene entered the shop, where she bought herself a human knucklebone necklace and bracelet. She also bought a pair of earrings carved from human bones, and the shrunken heads of a man and a woman. Then she removed her blouse and her bra, put on the jewelry, and hung the shrunken heads, who she called "Romeo and Juliet" on her belt. After that she looked in a mirror. "Wow!" She told the sales lady, "I really do look stylish!" "You certainly do Miss." the woman told her. "I''m sure your boyfriend will be very proud to be seen with you." "There''s just one thing missing," Charlene said, "and I know what that is." Then she left the Accessories Shop, with her blouse and bra stuffed in her handbag. She went to the nearest Beauty Shop, and got her hair done. After this, she stood in front of another mirror. Topless chic and I''ve never looked better. Would my boyfriend be very proud to be seen with me? I hope Dave likes the way I look. What? Dave? No! He''s Karen''s guy! Or Louise''s guy? Whoever his girlfriend is, she isn''t me! To me he''s just a friend! Don''t think of him any other way! So what''s wrong with hoping that a guy, who''s just a friend, will like the way I look, or thinking that it''d be nice if he''d fuck me? No! Don''t think that way! Later that afternoon, the stylishly bare breasted, accessorized and coiffured Miss Luzak, was seated in a booth in the Glad He Ate Her Lounge, when the kids from L-1378-55 High arrived, after school was dismissed for the day. Alyce and Jimmy came down the steps. They went over to Charlene, accompanied by Louise. Alyce exclaimed. "Well look at you! You really look glamorous, doesn''t she Jimmy?" "Sure does." Jimmy said, "''A sexy treat to spear, cook and eat.''" "What!" Charlene was startled. "Oh. Right. This is a sadistic culture where sadism is a virtue, and that''s a compliment, and I''ve decided to stop being a wussy pussy." She regained her composure and said, "Thank you Jimmy. I''m sure you''d be good to eat too." She spoke uneasily. "That is considered a compliment too, isn''t it?" Jimmy nodded, "Yeah, it is. Thank you Charlene." The girl from Zabelton told him, "As for my being speared, the only impalement I want, is when the guy with whom I''ll be betrothed, penetrates me with is his spear of love. I won''t die from that." The other three chuckled. "I know that sounds clumsy," she told them, "but I''m trying to do my best to fit in while I''m here. I''m gonna be needing a lot of advice." Alyce said, "Well the best way to fit in is to become a warrior girl like the rest of us." "Me? A warrior girl?" "You''d make a good one Charlene." Louise asked, "How''d you like to take part in the fighting with us, in this Saturday''s Combat Game?" "What? Me? Take part the fighting? This Saturday? But I haven''t had any training." "That''s okay." Louise said, "We''ll have more than enough time, to train you how to handle weapons properly." "No you won''t! That''s not enough time. I''d be a dead virgin within the first five minutes of the Game." "Then good for you!" Alyce told her, "It means you''ll be among the first to enter Paradise." Jimmy laughed. ¡°Virgin?¡± Alyce glared at him. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with being a virgin!¡± She looked back at Charlene. ¡°Virgin meat is supposed to be the tenderest and tastiest.¡± Jimmy added, "That''s what a lot of people say, but I''ve never noticed any difference." Charlene told them, "Wait a minute! I''m not a City Building Girl! I''m not prepared to die in a combat game, like all of you!" "It''ll be okay Charlene." Louise told her, "Listen. You wouldn''t be fighting alone. Sarah and I will both stand fighting beside you, with you between the two of us. We''ll stand together in a phalanx, with our shields overlapping. Call it a ''trilanx''. The three of us fighting together like that, can fight off any attack, and kill any number of guys and gals who come against us. All three of us fighting that way, might actually all stay alive ''til the end of the Game. What do you say?" "What do I say?" The girl from Zabelton replied, "What I say is that I''m not enrolled as a student at High School L-1378-55; which means that I wouldn''t be eligible to take part." "Right." Louise nodded. "That''s too bad; but if you decide to transfer..." "Sure. I''ll keep it in mind. Believe me, being invited to die fighting as a tasty Virgin Warrior Girl, is one invitation I''ll never forget." "Good." Alyce said, "Now Charlene, we''re the ones who gonna be needing your advice, on how to fit in outside the City Building." "You? Outside?" "That''s right." Louise told her, "Your Uncle the Pastor has invited all of us, to come and spend all next week in Zabelton." "He has? Oh I think that''s great!" "So do we, Miss Luzak. He''s invited Me, Jimmy, and Alyce here. He''s also invited Larry and Sarah." Alyce added, "Along with Dave and Karen of course." Louise repeated sharply. "''Karen of course!'' Well they''re not going. They''ve already had an entire week''s unexcused absence. Now they have to stay here and make up all that work they missed." Alyce continued, "They won''t be going to Zabelton, until after graduation. And this won''t be an unexcused absence either. It''s an officially school sponsored, educational field trip." Louise said, "Unfortunately, that means we''re gonna be given all our assignments ahead of time; and we''ll have to have them completed and ready to hand in, when we return." "Also unfortunately," Jimmy said, "that means we''ve got to have an adult chaperone from the school going with us." Charlene asked, "Why is that unfortunate?" Louise groaned, "The chaperone is Mr. Avery. I''ve heard that Mrs. Ramierez wants to go along too." "You see," Jimmy explained, "It''s only a matter of time until a lot of people start moving outside; and settling in places like your Zabelton. That means that the population will increase tremendously. Then a lot of those new families are gonna need new schools. Avery and Mrs. Ramierez are going out to speak to people about having one or more schools built in the area around your town of Zabelton." Charlene nodded. "Good idea." Jimmy went on. "That''s the reason why Mr. Avery and Mrs. Ramierez''ll be leaving with us on Sunday morning, after Church." Alyce added, "That''ll be seven of us going with you, if we all survive the game on Saturday afternoon." 26 / "Healthy Bloodlust" 26 ¡°Healthy Bloodlust¡± On Saturday afternoon, Charlene attended the Combat Game in the Gymnasium of H.S. L-1378-55. This time the Home Team fought bare above the waist as publicized, against the fully clothed team from H.S. L-1791-22. The fighting was intense. There were a large number of fatalities on both sides. The visiting girl from Zabelton was delightedly thrilled by the deadly spectacle. The Game had begun with the School Band¡¯s trumpet playing the ancient Fanfare of the Bullfight. In the stands the fans from both the Visiting and Home Teams, along with every warrior, and cheerleader on both Teams all cried out joyously. ¡°Welcome to Paradise!¡± Then a male voice over the loudspeakers declared, ¡°Let the Game begin!¡± A powerful, joyous cheer had risen from the stands and from the warrior guys and girls on both teams, who rushed forward with their swords, spears and shields ready and lusty grins on their faces. The fighting began. Warrior girls began to die immediately, along with warrior guys. There were cries of ¡°Welcome to Paradise!¡± No screams of terror were heard, and none of the warriors looked frightened. The sounds of bloodthirsty laughter rose from the mouths of the lustily grinning warriors. Charlene thought, This is the first time since I''ve arrived, when I''ve actually seen people getting killed. Uncle Domnick prayed that nobody would be harmed in our presence. Until now that hasn''t happened; but he also said that while we were inside the City Building, we might have to take the curse upon ourselves. That''s what I''ve been doing all week. Now I¡¯ve chosen to be in a place where people are being harmed and killed in my presence. It¡¯s totally exhilarating to watch. She smiled. I love the sight of warrior guys and girls getting killed! Alyce was again among the bare breasted cheerleaders who leapt high and whirled around while waving their pompoms and chanting. "Jimmy Haskins--He''s our man! If he can''t do it--Landis can! Larry Landis--He''s our man! If he can''t do it¡ªTorelli can! Louise Torelli¡ªShe¡¯s our gal If she can¡¯t...¡± As the fighting raged, Louise fought among the lustily grinning bare breasted warrior girls, killing fully clothed warrior guys and girls from the opposing team; while some of her own teammates became bare breasted dead girls; who showed no fear as they died. In the stands, a bare breasted Karen sat alone. Charlene also sat in the stands bare breasted, wearing a short yellow skirt, human bone necklace, bracelet, and earrings. The girl from Zabelton also wore the pair of shrunken heads she¡¯d purchased and named Romeo and Juliet, dangling from her belt, and she wasn¡¯t alone. She sat beside Dave. She was totally fascinated by the deadly action going on in front of her; thoroughly enjoying the spectacle; cheering whenever H.S. L-1378-55 scored a kill or a goal. She happily shouted, "Welcome to Paradise!", whenever a warrior guy or girl on either side was killed. The smiling girl from Zabelton began to sing. A song she¡¯d heard a few girls harmonizing at the Glad He Ate Her over the last few days. ¡°We are the Warrior Girls! We¡¯re brave and deadly pearls! Angels of Death at play, When in combat games we slay! ¡°We kill with sword and spear! When we¡¯re killed we show no fear, While we help supply the meat, For everyone to cook and eat!¡± Dave smiled. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve got a healthy, natural bloodlust Charlene.¡± ¡°Oh I do!¡± She grinned with enthusiasm, ¡°And I¡¯ve stopped being a wussy pussy. I had no idea that being sadistic would feel so good! You City Building people are right. It is a virtue. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you feel that way.¡± He told her, ¡°You know, that means you¡¯d make a really good warrior girl yourself.¡± She continued smiling. ¡°That¡¯s what Alyce and Louise told me the other day. Of course I¡¯d have to transfer to this school and be properly trained first.¡± ¡°Right. After that, I¡¯d love to see you out there with the others; fearlessly risking death, as a very deadly, brave and beautiful, bare breasted ¡®Angel of Death¡¯.¡± ¡°¡¯Deadly, brave and beautiful¡¯?¡± Her eyes lit up as she grinned broadly. ¡°Why thank you for that wonderful compliment Dave!¡± She thought, Oh I¡¯d love to have him fuck me! If he asks me I will, but I won¡¯t ask him. Charlene looked out across the gym floor, where the fighting raged on. She watched a lustily grinning, bare breasted, deadly, brave and beautiful, Home Team Warrior Girl named Brenda. She¡¯d been joyfully slashing, cutting, stabbing and killing warrior guys and girls on the opposing team. Now Brenda was the one getting her opponent¡¯s sword blade plunged deep inside her naked chest. She made a sexy squeal, squirmed and collapsed to the floor. She lay there dead, sprawled forward on her firm naked breasts, which were pushed into a patch of her own blood. She lay among a steadily increasing number of dead warrior guys and girls from both teams; whose bodies were spread out all across the Gym floor. If I had agreed to take part in this Game, Charlene thought, I¡¯d be just like Brenda right now. Tasty, tender meat to eat. Now the girl from Zabelton told Dave, ¡°Taking part in a combat game, would be the most thrilling experience I¡¯d ever have! It would also probably be my final experience.¡± Then she smiled. ¡°But getting killed fighting in a combat game would be the most thrilling part of that most thrilling experience.¡± She thought it over. ¡°That¡¯s part of being a warrior girl, and I¡¯d be ready for it.¡± She said, ¡°Oh I wish I had agreed to take part in this Game Dave! Of course if I did, I¡¯d now be a dead virgin with blood on my naked boobs.¡± She pointed, ¡°Like Brenda and a lot of the other girls out there. But I still wish I¡¯d be taking part anyway.¡± He repeated, ¡°Virgin?¡± She spoke to him with a casual tone. ¡°I¡¯ve decided that I don¡¯t want to die a virgin, so if you¡¯d like to be the guy, who makes sure that I don¡¯t, I¡¯d love it if you¡¯d fuck me.¡± Dave glanced at her for a moment. Then he looked over at Karen.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Then he looked back girl from Zabelton, who¡¯d returned to lustily grinning at the deadly spectacle in front of her. ¡°Thank you Charlene.¡± He told her, ¡°I¡¯d love fucking you too. But with everything that¡¯s going on with me and Karen and Louise, I¡¯ve got more than enough to deal with. I don¡¯t want to add to it.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded, again focused on the game. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°But there are plenty of guys on the Team for you to choose from.¡± ¡°Yeah I know, but I¡¯ve also decided that I don¡¯t want to be a Team Girlfriend. So it looks like I am gonna be virgin meat. ¡®The tastiest and tenderest, for all the Team to eat¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be good too. I¡¯d love to eat your well cooked meat. So would everyone on the Team, including Karen and Louise, and that wouldn¡¯t add to any problems.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know. You can still fuck me anytime before I¡¯m killed Dave.¡± They then sat quietly watching the deadly recreation out on the Gymnasium floor, where the dead now outnumbered the living. After a few minutes she told Dave, ¡°It¡¯s too bad we don¡¯t have combat games outside the City Building. I¡¯d love it if we did; but out there it¡¯d be illegal.¡± He told her, ¡°Once enough people start leaving the City Building, and begin settling out there around Zabelton, and other parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and a lot of other places, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s all gonna change.¡± ¡°I hope so; and I hope that won¡¯t take too long. Then when it does, that¡¯s when I¡¯d like to begin taking part in it myself; at least every now and then.¡± She grinned, ¡°And by then I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be dying a virgin.¡± Charlene noticed that Dave¡¯s attention was divided between her, the game, Karen who was seated far from them, and Louise who continued to fight. She asked him, "Have you made up your mind yet? Who''s it gonna be, Karen or Louise?" "I''ve made up my mind." He told her, "I don''t want to say who it is yet. Wait ''til after the Game. That''s when the two of them and everybody else, will find out at the same time." Now the Game had ended. The home Team had lost. The spectators in the stands began to disperse. Many students came down from the stands and moved out onto the playing floor, mingling with members of the warrior teams. The bodies of killed warrior guys and gals lay dead around them. Dave and Charlene joined in the mingling. They stood beside the body of Brenda. Dave said, ¡°I want to talk to Karen. He stepped away from Charlene and went over to Karen who was standing nearby. He began quietly speaking to his ¡°betrothed¡±, and glanced back at Charlene. Karen also looked over at her, with a very annoyed look on her face. Now Louise and Sarah came through the crowd and over to Charlene, carrying their blood covered swords and shields. They both had bloody cuts and blood smeared on themselves; and lusty grins on their faces. ¡°Hi Charlene.¡± Sarah smiled. ¡°So how¡¯d you like the Game?¡± She grinned. ¡°Oh it was wonderful!¡± She shouted, ¡°It was the most exciting thing I¡¯ve ever seen! I loved every minute of it! I wish I had agreed to take part! If I¡¯d been killed, it would have been the most thrilling part of the most thrilling thing there is! Dave, who was standing nearby, beside Karen, called out, ¡°Charlene there¡¯s just got herself a very healthy bloodlust!¡± Louise grinned. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Good for you girl.¡± Charlene laughed. ¡°Oh I¡¯m a total sadist!¡± She pointed at Sarah¡¯s sword. ¡°Could I hold that? Sarah handed her sword to Charlene, who balanced the handle in her open right hand. With the fingers of her left hand she pointed the blade at her own breasts, moving it from side to side. She said, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how it¡¯d feel, to get this stuck inside of me.¡± Louise told her, ¡°If it¡¯s stuck in you where you¡¯re pointing it, you¡¯d hardly feel a thing. Pain¡¯d vanish in a moment. You¡¯d get very comfortable, very quick.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Now Karen stepped up to her, with a very annoyed expression on her face, and gripped the sword¡¯s handle. Charlene let go of the weapon. Karen growled, ¡°This is how it feels.¡± She stabbed the blade straight through Charlene¡¯s left breast, between her nipple and breastbone, and up against her ribs. She didn¡¯t thrust it deeper, but held the blade firmly in place, aimed straight at the girl¡¯s heart. Charlene cried out, ¡°Ah!¡± and stood there totally startled. Karen asked her, ¡°Is this thrilling enough for you?¡± Charlene¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Totally. Louise reached out and gripped Karen¡¯s arm just above the elbow. ¡°Game¡¯s over Karen.¡± She said, ¡°Adding her to the body count now is cheating.¡± ¡°Me cheating? This slut here just told Dave, that she¡¯d love to have him fuck her!¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Louise released Karen¡¯s arm. ¡°Okay. Welcome to Paradise Charlene. Time for you to get totally comfortably dead.¡± Charlene braced herself. Now Sarah gripped Karen¡¯s arm. ¡°No. If you kill her, her uncle might cancel our visit outside the City Building.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Karen groaned and pulled the blade out of Charlene, who now stood there with blood dripping from the cut in her left breast. Her lusty grin had vanished ¡°This just isn¡¯t right.¡± Karen told Charlene, ¡°I should be killing you right now, so you¡¯ll become the way she is!¡± She pointed to a nearby dead warrior girl classmate, who lay stretched out on the floor with a deep gash and blood on her naked left breast. ¡°A totally, comfortably dead virgin who¡¯ll be good to cook and eat!¡± ¡°It¡¯ll never happen again!¡± Charlene spoke in a shaky, whimpery voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Karen! I apologize to you; and I apologize to you Louise! And I also apologize to Dave! I¡¯ll never try anything with him again!¡± Karen and Louise both chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s okay Charlene.¡± Louise said, ¡°We¡¯re just playing with you. Having fun.¡± ¡°Playing? She just stabbed me in my boob!¡± ¡°That¡¯s always fun.¡± Karen said, ¡°I cut you good in your naked boob, and now it¡¯s bleeding good. Guys always enjoy watching that. It means that you¡¯re now initiated as a warrior team girl.¡± ¡°Initiated? This was an initiation?¡± She relaxed, ¡°Oh I see. You really were just playing with me. Then you weren¡¯t really gonna kill me?¡± ¡°Oh I was gonna kill you; and that would have been a lot of fun; especially after what you tried to do with Dave. It¡¯d be the one I¡¯d enjoyed the most. Then you¡¯d get cooked, and then me and Dave¡¯d eat you.¡± Louise added, ¡°I¡¯d also take part in the meal. So would Sarah, and Alyce and Larry and Jimmy. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be really good to eat. Tasty tender virgin meat.¡± Karen sighed and shook her head. ¡°But like Sarah said, I don¡¯t want any of us to have trouble with your uncle, or anyone outside the City Building.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°And God did tell me to choose life.¡± Now Louise spoke. ¡°Of course, if you do try that with Dave again, it¡¯s me who¡¯ll be stabbing my sword all the way through your boob, and straight into your heart, without stopping. That¡¯ll be even more fun for all the guys to enjoy watching. Even Dave.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Charlene said, ¡°No problem. From now on, I will only offer my affections, to whoever my future betrothed will be.¡± Now a guy standing on the stands nearby called out, ¡°Time to hang the cheerleader!¡± Along the line of cheerleaders, Mrs. Ramierez walked, carrying the box from which each girl drew a cord with an empty noose. This time, the girl who drew the cord with the hanged cheerleader doll was Alyce Vanderland. She heard Karen call out, "One less passenger for Zabelton." Alyce looked at her and said, "''It''s all part of being a cheerleader¡¯!" Then Miss Vanderland angrily threw the doll down against the floor. Without waiting for the Team to escort her, she stamped out across the gym floor, heading toward the Home Team goal post, kicking a few dead warriors on her way. She reached the goal post, where the brand new rope with a noose was dangling. She turned around to face the crowd, grabbed the noose with both hands, put it over her head and around her neck. The Students who¡¯d been mingling with the Warriors had moved back to the stands. Charlene, who¡¯d returned to the stands without Dave, was watching all this. She spoke with distress and no bloodlust. ¡°It¡¯s Alyce?¡± From inside the goalpost, Alyce called out, "Hey Haskins! Get your ass over here, and put an end to me now! And this time make sure you do it right!" The crowd of both teams and school officials were already gathering around the goal post. Jimmy came up beside her. She told him, "I want to stay dead forever! I don''t want to come back like Karen or Louise. I want to be partying in Paradise, like dead cheerleaders are supposed to do, and I want my classmates eating sausages made of me, at Monday''s lunch." He told her, "Well I''ll do what I can, but once you''re dead, who knows what''ll happen?" He moved behind her, and snapped the handcuffs around her wrists. Then he moved in front of her "Welcome to Paradise.¡± He said. She told him, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you there.¡± Then Jimmy Haskins put one arm around Alyce Vanderland, and kissed her on the lips, while firmly gripping one of her bare breasts with his free hand. After that, he moved to the side, gripped the rope, and began pulling her up off the floor, raising her high for everyone to see her die gagging, squirming and thrashing around. In less than two minutes, the chosen cheerleader Alyce Vanderland was dead. Everyone began to disperse from the gym. The spectators headed out through the main entrances, while the team members headed for the locker rooms. Jimmy stopped to talk with Mr. Avery for a moment. Then he came over to the sideline, where Sarah and Larry stood with Dave, Karen and Louise. Charlene stood nearby. Jimmy said, "I just spoke to Avery. We''ve got his permission to take Alyce to the Glad He Ate Her, and barbecue her for the party. We''ll be eating her fresh cooked meat, right off her bones." Larry said, "Great idea." Everyone else in the group expressed approval, except Charlene, who looked uneasily at the dangling, dead Alyce. She said, "Wait. You''re gonna be eating Alyce? When you know who she is? It''s one thing eating sausages or patties. You don''t really know who it comes from. Now we''ll be eating someone we actually know?" Jimmy asked her, "How''d you like to share the meal with me?" "Share the meal?¡± She looked over at Dave. ¡°Is this some kind of a date?" "You could call it that." Charlene looked over at Alyce, hanging dead inside the goal post. She said, "You City Building guys really don''t waste time, do you?" "Right. So would you like to share the meal with me?" "Okay. I just want you to understand something.¡± She looked over at Karen and Louise. ¡°I''m not going to be a team girlfriend." He said, "That''s okay Charlene. I''m just asking you to share a meal. Nothing else." "Good." The niece of Pastor Luzak said, "I''ll be happy to share a meal of Alyce''s barbecued flesh with you Jimmy." 27/ "The Way Things Are Done" 27 ¡°The Way Things Are Done¡± Two hours after the Game ended, the Warrior Guys, Girls and Cheerleading Squad of the H.S. L-1378-55 Team had gathered for the barbecue in the downstairs recreational hall of the Glad He Ate Her Lounge, along with a few guests. Charlene Luzak was among the guests. A 6 & 1/2 foot long, three-foot wide, "Full Body Size" electric barbecue grill stood at one end of the room. The dismembered arms, legs, and other body parts of Alyce Vanderland were spread out atop the metal grill, where they''d just begun to cook. The naked, headless bodies of several warrior girls, from the L-1791-22 Team, lay on a work table behind the grill, where they were now in the process of being dismembered. The heads of Alyce and the other warrior girls were impaled atop stakes that stood to the right of the grill. About halfway between the grill and the opposite end of the hall, Jimmy stood in the crowd, beside a no longer lustily bloodthirsty Charlene; who now wore a bandage pasted over the deep cut in her naked left breast. He told her, "It''s gonna be a while before we get to eat. Is there anything you''d like to do in the mean time?" "Like what?" He told her, "I don''t know if you''ve seen it, but upstairs in the back, they have some alcoves behind curtains, where a guy and a girl can be alone, and do whatever you want to call it, with each other." She smiled. "Thank you Jimmy. That''s very flattering, but I told you I''m not a team girlfriend. Don''t get me wrong. I appreciate the compliment, but where I come from, we girls do have time to wait, before we do whatever you want to call it, with a guy." He told her, "But you and I don''t have time. You''ll be leaving tomorrow." She said, "And you''ll be coming with us." He said, "Do you mean that while I''m in Zabelton with you..." "Sorry Jimmy. For me, it''ll have to be a committed relationship." "You mean a ''betrothal'', like this thing with Dave and Karen?" "That''s how it is with us outside. I''m sorry Jimmy. You''re an okay guy. If I was a City Building girl, things might be different; but I''m not. I''ve been doing a lot to try to fit in while I''m here, but that''s one thing I''m just not doing." Jimmy was about to reply, when someone working by the grill called out, "We''re not gonna have enough meat for everyone! We need one more girl to barbecue! Does anyone want to volunteer?" There was laughter throughout the hall. A girl in the crowd called out. "She will!" There was more laughter. Another girl answered, "Only if you will too Louise!" "They only need one of us, Karen!" Karen and Louise were standing in the crowd, on the opposite side of the room from Charlene and Jimmy. Karen asked Louise, "How about letting Dave decide who it is?" "That''s okay with me!" The laughter had stopped. Larry and Sarah came through the crowd, and stood beside Jimmy and Charlene. Larry said, "Krendell''s about to make his choice." Now Dave stepped out from the crowd, carrying a crossbow. There was murmuring throughout the hall. Both Karen and Louise had remained bare breasted after the Game, except for their knuckle bone necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Each girl wore a pair of shrunken heads on her belt. The two girls came over to Sarah, removed the necklaces and handed them to her. Then the two of them stepped away from everybody, and headed toward the opposite end of the hall from the grill. Now Charlene asked, "What''s going on? Is Dave gonna kill one of them? "Karen!" She called out, "Louise! You both said you''d decided to choose life!" The two girls halted and faced Charlene Louise told her, "We decided that we shouldn''t try to kill one another. We''re letting Dave decided which one of us he wants." The girl from Zabelton said, "I can''t believe you''re actually doing this Dave! I know things are very different here than they are on the outside; but are you actually going to kill a woman who says that she loves you?" Dave told her, "Don''t say any more Charlene." Charlene went on, "They''re not warrior girls on an opposing team, who you don''t know, and they''re not target girls on Level 700, who you don''t know either. They are women who both love you!" He repeated, "Don''t say any more Charlene." "What do you mean don''t? I am gonna say a lot more!" "For you own good," he told her, "don''t say any more." "My own good?" Karen called out, "One of us is supposed to die Charlene, but it sounds like you''re trying to keep us both alive." "Well I am!" "Don''t say that!" Louise told her, "That means you''re trying to save our lives, and that''s against the law." "It is?" "Yes," Louise told her, "and you can get in very serious trouble; so for your own good, don''t say any more!" "Okay I won''t, but this just isn''t right!" "Charlene!" Karen spoke firmly. "I should have killed you before, you slut! Right after the Game! I¡¯m sure your uncle would have agreed with me; and he¡¯s a very reasonable man! ¡°When we go outside the City Building, we''ll do things your way, but as long we''re inside, this is the way things are done!" Louise and Karen headed to the far end of the room; away from where everyone else had moved. They were about ten feet from the far wall, when the two turned and faced Dave, who stood in the middle of the floor, holding the crossbow in both hands, at the level of his waist. Now Dave raised the crossbow. Charlene moved closer to Jimmy, who put his arm around her, and firmly squeezed her un-bandaged breast. She slapped his hand away, and moved a few steps beyond his reach. Then everyone in the hall began to clap and to chant. "More meat to eat! More meat to eat! More meat to eat! More meat to eat!" The chanting and clapping continued as Dave pointed his weapon in the direction of Karen and Louise. Charlene stood apart from everyone, watching with the same fascination that she¡¯d had during the game, but without the bloodlust. The chanting and clapping went on. "More meat to eat! More meat to eat! More meat to eat! More meat to eat!" Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Then Karen and Louise began to sing. "We are the Warrior Girls! We¡¯re brave and deadly pearls! ¡®Angels of Death¡¯ at play, When in combat games we slay! ¡°We kill with sword and spear; When we¡¯re killed we show no fear! While we help supply¡­¡± Dave shot the crossbow. The arrow struck Louise between her breasts, cracked through her breastbone, punctured her heart, and poked out her back. She cried a quick ¡°Kuh!!!¡±, and heard everyone in the crowd call out. "Welcome to Paradise!¡± Louise collapsed, and lay sprawled on her back, dead on the floor, while Karen who stood beside her, completed the verse. ¡°While we help supply the meat, For everyone to cook and eat!¡± Then she called out. "Oh Dave! You really do love me!" She ran away from the dead girl, heading toward Dave, who tossed the crossbow aside, to someone in the crowd. She went into his arms, and he held her tight, as they kissed passionately. Charlene stood beside Larry, Sarah and Jimmy, looking at the dead Louise with the arrow sticking out from between her breasts. Sarah said, ¡°It looks like the three of us¡¯ll be the only ones going to Zabelton with you. "I thought of her as a friend." Charlene told them, "I have no idea what to say." Now Larry spoke, "Well it''s still gonna be a while before we eat. Any ideas about something to do until then?" Jimmy said, "Well I had one." Charlene said, "Forget it Jimmy!" Sarah said, "Charlene and I can have bare boob chick fight." Charlene said, "What? Why? I thought we were getting along okay." "No, that''s not it." Sarah told her, "You see, after what you just pulled, trying to save both their lives, you might get in serious trouble if somebody reports it; but if people see you taking part in sadistic recreation, they''ll know you''re okay, and you''ll avoid any of those problems." Charlene felt her bloodlust return; along with her lusty grin. "Well, I don''t want any problems with the law," she chuckled, ¡°and someday I might come here to live as a resident; so I think it¡¯d a good idea for me to start training to be a fearless Angel of Death.¡± She and Sarah removed their accessories, handing them to Larry. Then both girls faced each other chuckling, with their fists raised and grins on their faces. A woman¡¯s voice called out from the far end of the Hall. ¡°Hey Krendell!¡± Everyone turned and looked in her direction. The girl in Dave¡¯s arms spoke. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± He said, ¡°I hope this won¡¯t get us in trouble with Avery again.¡± Louise Torelli now stood above the spot where she¡¯d been lying dead, with the arrow still sticking out from between her breasts and poking out her back. She called out, ¡°This isn¡¯t Paradise, is it?¡± Later that evening, Pastor Domnick Luzak was in his tiny room in the hostel, putting items in his backpack, getting ready for tomorrow''s departure. After a week of meetings, he had a firm preliminary agreement, that he was sure the Government outside would find acceptable. Of course, that would all depend on whether or not the City Building''s Government kept their word. From outside the door, he heard two teenage girls coming down the corridor singing. "We are the Warrior Girls! We wear our hair in curls! We walk with our boobs bare, So boys get hard and stare! ¡°We only fuck with boys, Whose things we use as toys! Then when we eat their meat, We get a satisfying treat!" He went to the door and slid it open. In front of him were a laughing Charlene, Jimmy, Larry and Sarah. Both girls were bare above the waist, except for accessories carved from human bones, and shrunken heads tied on their belts. Charlene had a bruise under her left eye, and the bandage remained on her left breast. "Hi Uncle Domnick." Charlene spoke with an embarrassed, laughing voice. "I hope I''m not late." "No you''re not." He said, "I hope you''ll all remember to stay fully clothed, during all the time that you''ll be spending with us in Zabelton; and while you''re there, I hope you''ll also avoid singing that ''folksong''." Jimmy said, "No problem with that Pastor Luzak." Charlene laughed, "We''re all gonna be good girls and good boys." "Charlene?" Her uncle asked, "You have a black eye? There¡¯s a bandage on your¡­?" "Yes." She nodded, smiling. "I was taking part in some vigorous recreation; keeping myself out of trouble." Now the man asked, "So how did the Game go?" "We lost," Jimmy told him, "and the cheerleader who got hanged was Alyce." The Pastor looked troubled. "Not Alyce?" Charlene nodded, and stopped laughing. "She won''t be going with us to Zabelton Uncle Domnick.¡± Sarah added, "Along with another girl who won''t be going." Pastor Luzak asked, "And the other girl was...?" Charlene spoke. "The other girl," she looked away from him "has other plans." 28 / Zabelton 28 Zabelton Today, the third Saturday in June, was Breakthrough Day; beginning the week long Celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the unsealing of the City Building of Manhattan. Today, people would be celebrating the moment when two high school kids, named David Krendell and Karen Bennet first opened the Chamber Doors, and stepped out of the chilling darkness of the Lincoln Tunnel, into the warm fresh air and brilliant sunlight of the Wilderness. Next Saturday, they would celebrate Reuniting Day, commemorating high school girl Louise Torelli¡¯s opening the Chamber Doors, allowing Pastor Domnick Luzak and his niece Charlene Luzak into the world of the City Building; beginning the reuniting of the City Building People and the People of the Wilderness, along with the restoration of the Nation. Beginning today would be one week long Celebration, lasting through midnight of the fourth Sunday in June. Celebrations would be taking place in every community all over the Country. This Saturday morning, 42 year old Dave Krendell drove his hovercar east, passing all the shops along the two blocks of Zabelton''s Main Street. He stopped for a red light at the crossroads, with the Presbyterian Church on his right. When the light turned green, he turned right, then left, going into the crowded parking lot of the Glad He Ate Her Diner. He managed to find an empty space where he set the car down. Then he, his wife Karen and their daughter, 16 year old Alyce got out of the vehicle, walked across the asphalt pavement, and climbed the steps into the crowded diner, where things were unusually hectic. Dave and Karen''s former classmate Sarah Landis was behind the counter. He called out, "Hey there Sarah!" "Hi you two! Alyce! Larry''s in the back! He won''t be able to join you today!" "I figured that!" He told her, "Looks like you''re gonna be really busy all day; or at least before and after the Game!" "Right." She told him, "The two dozen pairs of Chosen Warriors, will be fighting to the death in this afternoon¡¯s Annual Combat Game. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s the only Combat Game we have out here!" The Krendell''s found an empty booth beside a window, looking out at the Church across the road. Sarah came over, handed them three breakfast menus, and filled their cups with coffee. The menu featured dishes with variations of eggs, bacon, cheese, pancakes, waffles, and home fries or hash browns with onions. Human sausages and patties that had been shipped out from the City Building were also included in the menu. Sarah said, "Jimmy and Charlene won''t be joining us either. Every one of their 50 Motel rooms is occupied, by present day students or faculty members, from H.S. L-1378-55. They¡¯ve come as supporters of our old Alma Mater¡¯s Chosen Warriors. Jimmy and Charlene have got even more on their hands than me and Larry." Karen said proudly, ¡°I¡¯m glad our girl Alyce here is participating. She¡¯ll be fighting to the death as one of our local High School¡¯s Chosen Warriors. It''s good for our kids to participate in an actual combat game, even if it is just one game a year, and the kill quota is much too low. I also want Alyce''s brothers and sisters to be taking part when it''s their time, instead of just watching the Professional City Teams on TV." "Mrs. Landis." Alyce Krendell spoke. "Do you know if the Haskins'' son Kevin''s gonna be joining us for breakfast today?" Sarah shook her head. "I don''t think so. They''re just too busy. It looks like you won''t be seeing your boyfriend until the Game." The girl sighed. "Don''t worry Alyce." Her mother assured her, "Whatever you two are arguing about, his parents have raised him to be a gentleman like his father. He''s still gonna be joining you at the Barbecue after the Game, and he''ll still be fucking you with love, before he brings you home on time." Dave said, "Then in the morning, we''ll all be going to Church, where everyone can repent, confess their sins, and you can go back to being a good girl." The girl said, "It might not be that easy Dad. ''The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.''" Her mother told her, "And the appetite makes the final decision. That''s why we need a Savior Alyce, and that''s why we need Him on the Cross.¡± Sarah spoke. ¡°Now look who¡¯s just arrived.¡± A dark haired, trim figured woman in her early 40¡¯s had entered the diner, wearing dark glasses, shorts and a yellow tee shirt. A teenage girl had come in with her. The girl¡¯s hair was the same color as the older woman¡¯s, and she was dressed the same. Printed in green, on the front of both their tee shirts, was the insignia ¡°H.S. L-1378-55.¡± The two of them came over to the Krendell¡¯s booth. Both women wore human knuckle bone necklaces, and bracelets. The older one also wore a pair of shrunken heads tied on her belt. The girl had four shrunken heads tied on hers. The woman said, ¡°Hi Sarah.¡± ¡°Good morning Louise.¡± The woman in the tee shirt and human bone jewelry looked at the people in the booth. ¡°Good morning Dave. Good morning Karen.¡± Dave said, ¡°Hi Louise.¡± Karen said. ¡°Good morning Louise.¡± Karen spoke to her daughter. ¡°Alyce. This is Mrs. Louise Torelli-Avery. She is a former classmate of your father and mine. She is also School Board President, of all the Schools on Level 1378 of the City Building of Manhattan.¡± Mrs. Torelli-Avery said, ¡°I am also married to the son of our former High School Principal. This beautiful girl beside me is our daughter Carlotta Avery. She is a member of our former Alma Mater¡¯s Chosen Warriors. She has come to fight to the death, against one of this Town¡¯s Chosen, in this afternoon¡¯s Combat Game.¡± Karen told her, ¡°And this is our daughter Alyce, who is a member of our Town of Zabelton¡¯s Chosen. That means it¡¯s possible, that both of our brave and beautiful daughters might be fighting each other to the death, this afternoon.¡± Alyce looked at the four shrunken heads on the other girl¡¯s belt, while the other girl looked at Alyce¡¯s belt, from which nothing hung. ¡°More than possible.¡± Louise told them, ¡°It¡¯s definite. I made sure of that Karen. I made sure that your daughter and mine will be having the bare boob chick fight to the death that you and I should have had, when we were their age.¡± Carlotta spoke smugly to Alyce. ¡°Welcome to Paradise girl. Are you a real warrior girl, ready to kill and be killed at any moment, or are you a wussy pussy?¡± ¡°Welcome to Paradise yourself.¡± Alyce replied ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering that about you.¡± Carlotta told her, ¡°I am also a Jihadist Priestess; a Warrior Priestess. Everyone who I kill in a combat game is a Sacrifice to God. Are you ready to be one yourself?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Alyce said, ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Now Dave spoke. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that neither of you is a wussy pussy. You¡¯ll both be brave and beautiful ¡®Angels of Death at play, when in our combat game you slay¡¯.¡± ¡°Right.¡° Carlotta¡¯s mother told both girls, ¡°Whichever one of you dies this afternoon, will be angel meat; the tenderest and tastiest of all.¡± Alyce told Carlotta, ¡°Sexy meat to cook and eat; both of us.¡± Sarah said, ¡°Oh I¡¯ve got a customer. I¡¯ll be back.¡± The Diner¡¯s busy hostess hurried over to someone who¡¯d seated himself at the counter. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Now the Zabelton warrior girl told Carlotta, ¡°After the barbecue this afternoon, the one of us who¡¯s not in Paradise, meaning me, will be fucking my betrothed with love.¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± Carlotta smirked. ¡°At the barbecue, I¡¯ll be the one eating your barbecued meat. Then tonight, I will be the one who is fucking your betrothed. If love is included it¡¯d be nice, but it¡¯s not necessary.¡± Now Karen said, ¡°Maybe. Louise, remember what happened when Dave prayed for the two of us? What happened to you and I, might happen to your daughter or mine.¡± This year¡¯s Annual Combat Game, between the Chosen Few from the visiting H.S. L-1378-55 Team, and Zabelton¡¯s Chosen Few, began at 1 o¡¯clock that afternoon. More than 2,500 people were seated in the bleachers on both sides of the Charles Avery Memorial High School athletic field; about 2 miles north of the Zabelton Crossroads. They sat sweating in the 92 degree heat of the early Summer afternoon; under the heavy sun which blazed in a deep blue but partly cloudy sky, surrounded by the tall, rounded green mountains of northeast Pennsylvania. The School¡¯s band played the ¡°Stars and Stripes Forever¡± March. On the Home Team¡¯s side of the field, the Zabelton Cheerleaders leapt and whirled about, waving their pom-poms and chanting. ¡°More meat to eat! More meat to eat! More meat to eat! More meat to eat!¡± The entire crowd joined in the chanting, while clapping in rhythm. Out on the field, 12 pairs of Warrior Guys and Girls from both Schools fought with swords and shields, going at each other fearlessly, all bare above the waist. One Visiting Team Warrior Guy had been killed so far, and the crowd had shouted ¡°Welcome to Paradise!¡± He now lay dead on the grass, with his sword and shield beside him. His victorious opponent was Kevin Haskins, the son of Jimmy Haskins. His mother was the former Pennsylvania State Warrior Girl Champion, Charlene Luzak-Haskins. Kevin was also betrothed to Alyce Krendell. He now stood alongside the edge of the field, joining in the chanting and clapping. The crowd had also begun chanting, ¡°Welcome to Paradise! Welcome to Paradise! Welcome to Paradise! Welcome to Paradise!¡± Dave and Karen Krendell were seated in the bleachers with the Home Team Fans. They, along with Alyce¡¯s five younger brothers and sisters, also joined in the chanting and clapping. Their attention was focused on Alyce and Carlotta, who were out on the field, dressed in only sneakers and very short skirts, fighting fully bare breasted, going at each other fearlessly with swords and shields. ¡°You were right Dave.¡± Karen said, ¡°Our daughter is a truly beautiful and brave Angel of Death!¡± She shouted eagerly, ¡°Kill her Alyce! Kill her!¡± Dave and all their children repeated, ¡°Kill her Alyce! Kill her!¡± Out on the field, Carlotta managed to get her sword around Alyce¡¯s shield, stabbed her under her firm left breast, and drove the blade up into the girl''s heart. The girl made a single, brave cry. Carlotta laughed. ¡°Welcome to Paradise!¡± In the bleachers Carlotta¡¯s mother shouted, ¡°Good kill Carlotta! Good kill!¡± In the Home Team Fans¡¯ bleachers, Karen spoke softly. ¡°Die brave Alyce! Die brave! You¡¯re entering Paradise!¡± She prayed, ¡°And please God, don¡¯t let her resurrect!¡± The Zabelton girl sighed and collapsed, falling away from Carlotta¡¯s blood stained sword, and lay stretched out dead on the grass. The crowd shouted, ¡°Welcome to Paradise!¡± Then Carlotta backed away from her dead opponent, while her Visiting Team fans cheered. She bowed smiling toward them. The Krendell family all stayed in their seats, cheering on the Zabelton Warriors for the remainder of the Game; as did all the families of those who were killed. The Game ended. People were beginning to come down from the bleachers. Louise Torelli-Avery headed across the field, approaching the Krendells. Her daughter Carlotta walked beside her, carrying Alyce¡¯s head in a clear plastic bag. Karen came down from the bleachers, while Dave and the kids headed to the family car. She stood alone waiting for both women who came up to her. ¡°So Karen,¡± Louise smirked. ¡°Your beautiful daughter is now fresh killed, tender and tasty pussy meat.¡± Carlotta laughed, ¡°When I stabbed her under her boob, just before I shoved the blade up into her heart, her final words were, ¡®My pussy is coming.¡¯ That means her meat will be very sweet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± The dead girl¡¯s mother spoke proudly, ¡°My Warrior Girl daughter died brave and beautiful, and entered Paradise in ecstasy.¡± Louise Torelli-Avery patted the plastic bag her daughter carried, containing Alyce¡¯s head. ¡°All is right with the World.¡± Now Carlotta said, ¡°That means that I¡¯m the one who¡¯ll be fucking her betrothed tonight. That¡¯ll be after he and I have eaten her very sweet, ecstatic meat at the Barbecue.¡± Karen asked Carlotta¡¯s mother, ¡°Are you planning to attend the After Game Barbecue?¡± ¡°I certainly am.¡± Louise replied, ¡°Fresh meat and fresh vegetables. There¡¯s no way this City Building woman¡¯s gonna be passing that up.¡± Carlotta had turned and now gazed out across the playing field, where she saw Kevin Haskins standing beside the bare breasted headless body of Alyce Krendell. The girl grinned, ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m passing that up either.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Karen pointed toward the plastic bag Carlotta carried. She asked, ¡°Will you please give me my daughter¡¯s head?¡± ¡°No!¡± The girl pulled it back. ¡°Her head is mine!¡± She said scornfully, ¡°I¡¯m adding it to the other ones on my belt!¡± Karen spoke to Louise. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you remember what I told you when we were back in High School. I said that Dave was the one who God has chosen to raise the dead through prayer.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Louise told Carlotta, ¡°Give Mrs. Krendell here, her daughter¡¯s head.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°Do what I tell you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The girl from the City of Manhattan Building handed the plastic bag with Alyce¡¯s head to the dead girl¡¯s mother. Then Mrs. Karen Krendell headed out across the field toward Kevin Haskins, who stood beside her daughter¡¯s headless body. A very puzzled Carlotta asked, ¡°Raise the dead Mom? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Be still and behold what God might do.¡± Out on the field, as Karen approached her daughter¡¯s body, carrying the girl¡¯s head in a plastic bag, she began to sing. ¡°I am a Warrior Girl! A brave and deadly pear! Angel of Death at play¡­ ¡°No.¡± Karen¡¯s singing ceased. I¡¯m not an angel of death. She continued to walk. ¡°Alyce arise¡± the woman said ¡°and choose life, so that you and your children will live, and possess the land, that the Lord your God has given you." THE END