Question Class of 2020-A Whateley Anthology

Dollars to Donuts

Daniel writing in his diary, told by Miz Debby he should write stuff down. Flashback to 3 months ago, Daniel's head feels funny and tells his mother, having felt like this since early morning and now evening, now that is stubborn. Idaho in the winter, part of Reverend Barkus' little community, oh boy.

Everything checks out, but Daniel still feels funny in his head. Looks at his eyes and reacts that way, he has manifested and she knows it, trying to keep it from her own son and saying he just needs some rest. I have a very bad feeling. Not able to sleep, listening from his bunk, his siblings Jimmy, Jordan, baby, Terry, didn't want to snuggle, his sisters Samantha and Rebekah didn't come in to bug him. They are going to sell him out to the Reverend Barkus, I just know it. Mother and father arguing about something, I hope his mother is on his side at least.

Slept till past 10 am, not woken up for chores, no fever, bad feeling increasing. Mom and dad waiting for him, no breakfast, danger, Daniel, danger! Missus Hatty watching the boys, the twins over at Madeline's house, and they told everyone Daniel was really sick, Mom's idea. A talk to Daniel, he thinks he is going to die but nope, and they aren't letting the Reverend Barkus hear about it if they can help it.

Daniel hasn't seen himself in a mirror lately, his Mom has one in her hands and he sees his eyes are kinda pink. Stress making him hungry, really wanting a donut, and suddenly right on the table in front of him is the exact kind of donut he wanted. Worse ways to figure out what your mutant power is.

People in the community starting to talk, Daniel had made a dozen donuts, a couple dinner rolls, and had tried to make an apple pie, but got a headache. The better part of a week and they can't keep up the lie about Daniel being sick much longer. Oh boy, Mom thinks they are going to have to say he has something so severe he has to leave, but Daniel doesn't want to leave his family.

Great, anti-mutant Reverend and would burn Daniel alive himself if he found out, just what the world doesn't need.

The revered claimed that the M-words were people who'd lost their souls to the fires of hell and damnation.

Ugh, one of those types, dehumanize those you hate or are jealous of. Fake an ambulance visit from Twin Falls, Daniel, it might be your only hope to get out of their alive. At least Dad believes in family above the stupidity of the Reverend.

Back to the present Daniel, all those little blue notebooks, Daniel has a lot to write about but what are the diagrams and equations for? A dog standing guard and not letting Daniel leave the room, even shoves back a meat pie he offers, a devisor dog as well. And faked his illness with something called Syrup of icky-cap, sounds nasty enough.

A bit over two months ago, Daniel is welcomed to Miz Debbie's home, a cafe in Twin Falls with her house in the back end. Signed over to her indefinitely, eep. Help with chores and the cafe, and find a way to get him placed in school. Good idea by his father to say light hurts his eyes.

"Um, maybe. Only managed stuff I know pretty well."

"... what if I teach you some more?"

Thank you, Miz Debbie, for teaching more stuff.

Debbie Browning does all the baking for her cafe as well, cool.

She worked Daniel hard for the next two months, teaching him the basics of baking as well as all the little tricks she'd picked up over the years. After they got him a pair of shades that fit, she had him waiting tables as well. It was a bit like taking lessons from your maiden aunt, Daniel figgered -- if auntie were also a drill sergeant.

What we've seen of Daniel at Whateley these lessons didn't go to waste. And both so good and neither manifested, great teacher in Miz Debbie.

An hour on the phone with Daniel's mom each week and he only gets a few minutes of that, aww. Delivery to Miz Cordelia, the next-door neighbor who is ninety and practically family to Miz Debbie, how sweet.

Back the present and Daniel had a long nap on a lumpy and uneven old mattress, yikes. *eyes bug out* Okay, who is he staying with? Something that appears to be alarm clock which melts when you try to reset it isn't normal. Miz Debbie helped him be positive about being a mutant, yet he knows he can never go home to family, ouch.

Doc Tattletale, madder than a shaved skunk, and created the two-headed dog which is guarding Daniel, third day running and hasn't left to eat, seesh. Is this Cookie or another two-headed dog Doc Tattletale made? And Doc Tattletale hasn't been seen since Daniel arrived there, that is very bad.

Earlier that week, the same day as the cinnamon roll taste-test challenge. Tales about creatures like that in the mountains, with someone like Doc Tattletale around I wouldn't dismiss such tales so quickly. A giant rabbit with two jagged horns on its head and charges Daniel, run as fast as you can!

And there are more than one of these creatures, seems no chance for Daniel to escape. Herding him towards a field at the edge of town, these jackalopes are being controlled by someone. Fangs, the freaking things have carnivore fangs! Daniel says a prayer to not get eaten, when a sorta-bat comes down and a man gets off, only to basically be abducted by this man and his sort-bat, not a good day for poor Daniel.

Freaking out like Daniel is, how many wouldn't in that situation.

A pair of goggles like Coke bottle bottoms covered his eyes, and a bandanna hid the rest of his face. Around the goggle straps, the man's white hair stuck out in five directions at once. The rest of him was dressed up in an old Air Force pilot's suit, decades out of date. Then the goggles came off, the bandanna was pulled down, and there was another surprise for Daniel.

Daniel thinks it is Mr. Carlyle, only for the crazed man to babble about growing new eyes to replace Daniel's current pair.

Not Mr. Carlyle, had a spy watching Daniel and knows what he can do, and is ranting in a way that makes even what he is talking about sound crazy. Great, made a donut for a little girl who was upset there wasn't even one left and Mr. Carlyle was there. Scares him into making donuts and other pastries then locks him up in a 'guest room' and forgets about him. Daniel is in a very dangerous situation.

Back to the present with journal up to date, actually sees the guard dog has eaten the meat pies. Aww, the eyes of a puppy pleading for more, guessing this is definitely Cookie and this is how he won him over. Cute when he lets Daniel scratch him behind his ears, then his face licked by both heads after he feeds them each a meat pie, Cookie is so adorable. I can see why Daniel gave him a different name, and they agreed to Daniel calling them Cookie.

Two more floors below, and one above the one he is on, 4-story house, wonder what he uses all the space for. And Doc Tattletale has a menagerie, oh boy. And finds Mr. Carlyle on the upper floor, and it sounds like Doc Tattletale is some form of split personality or Jeckle and Hyde situation for Mr. Carlyle, the poor man.

Daniel makes Mr. Carlyle his favorite pastry, and right as Mr. Carlyle speaks of him Doc Tattletale starts to come out. At least Mr. Carlyle is able to ask Cookie to get Daniel back to Twin Falls before his other side completely takes over.

As soon as the doctor is back, he'll send out the jackalopes, the flittericks, the rubberados, and maybe even the splintercat."

Do I even want to know what the rest of those creatures are or are capable of? And as Cookie and Daniel go running for it, Mr. Carlyle calls a number, I hope it is someone who can stop Doc Tattletale and his creations.

A logging road within a half an hour, Cookie signals to Daniel to climb on his back, a ride on Cookie's back and they're off! An hour later and the Doc's forces have caught up with them, and Cookie avoids the flitterick which tried to crash into them.

Looking back, Daniel could see the pointy ears and beady black eyes of an oversized squirrel pop up and chitter nastily before the shape ran off.

Giant flying squirrels, now that is scary. And a baker's dozen more of them, eep.

The edge of the forest but Daniel can't ride anymore.

At one point, they hid under a fallen tree as some monsters that looked like porcupines, only blown up like balloons, bounced past. Those would be the rubberados, he figgered.

What kind of person dreams these things up, what kind of person would want to make them real?

Chicken pot pies, Daniel can make chicken pot pies, yum. Oh good, no snake-based creatures. Cookie between Daniel and an incoming threat.

At the base of the blasted trunk, a spiky-furred critter was moaning and shaking its head. It was about half the size of Cookie, and even stockier. Four legs stuck out sideways, and a bushy tail stood straight. When it turned around, Daniel could see two yellow eyes like dinner plates, and a broad smile filled with sharp teeth.

The splintercat, I can see where it got its name, that is just nuts.

Miz Cordelia'd had a lot to say on this one. It was super fast, but couldn't change course that good. Usually it rammed trees to get at the critters that lived in them, but it'd attack anything else that came near. As the splintercat hunkered down for another mad dash, he remembered something else, too: that all those blows to the head made it crazy and irritable.

And at this point, I hope Cookie isn't hurt too badly by this monster.

Cookie in a fight with the splintercat and now the rubberados falling from the trees after Daniel, I won't say the fateful phrase. Daniel good at baseball from the sounds of it and how he knocks one rubberado out of there. Poor Cookie all cut up like that, fallen on his faces and trying to get up, good thing Daniel sent the last rubberado towards the fight and its hits the splintercat in the face.

Ooo, lemon meringue pie to the face with the quills still in, Daniel knows how to fight dirty when needed. Blinded by meringue, Cookie biting on its tail, and Daniel beating it on the head with the branch until it stops moving and bleeds a lot, splintercat might be dead. Glad that Cookie heals quickly, though he is going to be feeling that for a while still.

Ouch, Cookie slowed by his wounds, and they are being surrounded by the jackalopes. Dang, takes out one of them but breaks his improvised bat. 6 of them left, it looks hopeful for our heroes. Someone or thing at least 8 feet tall with horns sticking out its head, Daniel is afraid it is the Devil, but definite human voice and concerned for Daniel. Ah, a man in a suit with horns on his helmet. He was sent out to rescue Daniel, probably called by Mr. Carlyle, and is about to kill Cookie when Daniel stops him. Hehehe, the way this guy is taking into his wrist it is his wife/husband and gets him to let Daniel keep Cookie, waiting for pickup. Bullhorn, interesting codename.

Daniel back at Miz Debbie's, a happy reunion as she ushers them all inside. Okay, how is Miz Cordelia out of her home but looking healthier? George aka Bullhorn and his partner Blackhorn flys a rescue helicopter with her brain, awesome. MCO office in Boise for MID, pick something up for Cookie as well, hope they are one of the nice MCO offices.

Yeah, yeah. Sheesh, my parents wouldn't even let me have a hamster..."

"And that's because of what happened to the goldfish, George," said Miz Cordelia.

"Granny!"

Bwahaha, I like Miz Cordelia a lot, she considers Daniel practically family. Dang, missed his birthday by 3-4 days because of this, Miz Debbie even made him a cake. Daniel officially shunned from the community, that Reverend is a close-minded fool imo. And Mr. Carlyle shows up, he is Bullhorn's grandpa, does that mean he is Miz Cordelia's ex-husband? At least he has come to apologize, good man when Doc Tattletale doesn't take over.

Mr. Carlyle pulled up a chair and sighed. "As I told you, Daniel, I'm not a good man. Always had a touch of the madman's laugh, as we used to call it. Diedrick's Syndrome, as it's known these days. And as I got old, my mind would sometimes get hazy and wandering, like old folks do. If it wandered too far, then the space behind got filled in with the crazy laughter, and then you'd get--"

"Doc Talltale."

That is a form of Diedrick's Syndrome, now that is bad. At least Mr. Carlyle has realized he can't deal with this all by himself anymore.

"The Doctor had some interesting notes on these pastries of yours. Do you realize they've got healing properties that go beyond anything that should be possible?"

Miz Debbie and Miz Cordelia shared a look. "We noticed something was going on," the former nurse admitted. "Your wife's polymyalgia is almost gone, and so is her arthritis. We were going to have her looked at later this week, but in my opinion, it's like she's a decade younger now."

We knew his pastries have healing properties, but not that potent, Daniel is a powerful healer.

For my part, the Doctor's hold seems to be loosening. My little episode this morning lasted just half an hour, instead of the usual day or two. Even now," he said as he examined his pie, "I can feel that he's there, but I can push him back. I think... with Daniel's help, I think I can reverse the progression of dementia in my brain, which would reduce the symptoms at the least. I'd still have the madman's laugh, but the Doctor... well, if God wills, I might be rid of him entirely."

Very good news, and not Miz Cordelia's ex, just keeping his distances due to Doc Tattletale.

"So let me get this straight," said Bullhorn. "The villain's been bested by giving him fruit pies? When did my life turn into a comic book Mostest-brand snack cake advertisement?"

"Hey, my pies are better than that!" Daniel said. He wasn't sure what Bullhorn was talking about, but he'd had a Mostest fruit pie before, so he knew enough to be insulted.

The adults all laughed at that. "That they are, Daniel," Miz Debbie assured him. "That they are."

Bwahaha, a great way to finish this little tale. Nice to learn how Daniel manifested, learned all his baking skills, and came to have Cookie as his dog. And Daniel's pastries being that potent with healing properties, I think the school might wish to keep that secret or someone might abduct him.

Muse of Krewes

Wednesday, Feb. 3rd, 2016

---New Orleans

Catherine Brooks arrives at a worn-down home, goodbye kiss for her mom, and greeted by her Aunt Renée, all of the obviously related. Why give her mom a goodbye kiss if she was staying there with them? Catherine's eyes turned bright cobalt blue last Thanksgiving, mention of getting all sparky sounds like an energizer.

Constance Brooks not uncomfortable around Cathy's impromptu light shows, and there is the reason for the kiss goodbye. Cathy is staying with her aunt and mom is just making sure everything is okay before she leaves. An energizer-based speedster with how quick she gets her luggage to the guest room.

Teddy-Beau, the stuffed bear she refused to mention to friends at school, took his usual spot beside the pillow. A stack of old Cajun hip-hop CDs occupied part of a nightstand, where Aunt Renée had already placed a banged-up player.

One last touch, though... From its protective cardboard tube, Catherine extracted her latest treasure: a full-color poster of New Orleans' own resident heroine, the Crescent Muse. Unrolling it carefully, she applied sticky-tack to the corners and fixed it to the wall. The dark-skinned figure in the blue super-suit with its crescent moon logo had never looked more dashing.

Well, we know why she is in Poe.

Eating her parents out of house and home, eep. That is one small fridge. The Garden District, houses not at least a hundred years old, whoa. Latter Public LIbrary used to be a mansion, interesting.

Four short stops later, they were just past the big circular intersection where the statue of General Lee stood. From there it was a short walk into the Warehouse District, some 80% less industrial and 200% more artsy than it was when it got the name. Aunt Renée was enjoying the role of tour guide, pointing out artistic flairs and decorations added within the past year. There were quite a few.

Interesting locale. Ack, seafood!

Triple lunches for school, now that is an appetite. Nice day planned for Cathy, meet up with Alicia and the others for a parade. Muses parade sounds fun.

"Hey, I'm a busy lady! The office has got me working overtime tomorrow because they know we'll all be skipping out for Mardi Gras weekend. And if at all possible the boss finds a way to saddle us with visiting partners who just have to try and catch a coconut at the Zulu parade."

And they have to hand them out due to liability issues, good thing especially if they were tossing coconuts. Fancy shoes, just what else do they give out at parades there?

This year, that meant Solange Knowles, little sister to Beyoncé, but while Catherine was a fan of the lady's music, she had a different person she wanted to see at the event.

Didn't know she had a little sister with that name. And of course, Cathy is going to see Crescent Moon, hope she doesn't go overboard.

"She only debuted at the Muses parade in 2007, after all! Geez! It's a major part of her image as a heroine of the city. Where have you been for a decade? Are you sure we're really related?" She gave her aunt a dirty look. "I'm gonna have to ask you to prove you're really from N'Awlins," she said with an affected drawl.

I hope Cathy is just teasing her aunt. Hehe, aunt is just messing with her, and knows the heroine of their city and even saw the poster in the guest room.

Thursday, Feb. 4th

Ever since her brain had switched from DC to AC, or whatever it was that was going on in there, Catherine's grades in every class had seen a sharp increase, but the ability to focus and process did not make the subject matter any more interesting. If anything, she was more bored now that she could finish everything in half the time.

Boosted brains as well, nice. HIgh hopes for future growth spurts, Cathy is going to shocked when she sees some of the girls at Whateley.

The drawer to the side of the bookshelf held a treasure trove, however. A complete set of the Crescent Muse comic books, in plastic sleeves -- one for every year that the Krewe of Muses had produced them. There was even the original from 2007, back when she'd called herself Supermuse. The name change had happened the following year, after the city government sponsored her for membership in the Cajun Criminal Counter Force. A Crescent Muse for the Crescent City.

Nice history for a major superhero in the universe. Different artist each issue and even different origin except for the part about the Katrina fridge, oh brother. *eyes bug out* The fridges got that bad, never knew that.

Meet her friends at the Latter Library, and that is a great event for teachers to let students out for it. Alicia, Berenice, and Diana, and this parade and everything involved, including the seller of fried foods, sound awesome. All those bills and Cathy uses some to pad her bra, heh. The Krewes of Muses, nice to have a theme to the parade floats and candy- or -pastry-related appearance is great.

A sign powered by Cathy, now that is ingenious. Alicia getting the first shoe, and some guys by them are bitching about them cheating, oh brother.

"Hey, they ain't got a battery on that light," the same man shouted. His breath reeked so much of booze that she coughed and sneezed, sending the display into another tizzy. "They got a mutant! That's cheatin'!"

"It's a free country," Catherine said, releasing her grip for a moment to cover her nose. "And you're free to leave us alone."

"Stupid mutie bitch!" The man with the horrible halitosis swung his fist at her, smacking into the lit display when she ducked. Somewhere in the background her friends were shouting rude things at him, while his dude-bros cheered him on.

This kind of drunk morons needs a harsh lesson about messing with others just because they are different.

At least Cathy is smart enough to just avoid the attacks instead of fighting back. A lot of phones out of and recording, I hope this works in her favor. Ouch, burned off so much her stomach is growling loudly. The creep closing in and told to stop by Crescent Muse, the parade held up as she stops the attack on Cathy. And the drunk moron doesn't even know who she is, trying to approach her only to be slammed to the ground.

"As a legally sworn officer of the law, I have the authority to detain you for drunk and disorderly conduct, as well as assault. Members of the NOLA PD will be by to pick you up for processing. Eventually," she said as she walked away. "It's a busy time of year for them."

And this is a good reason for superheroes to be part of the local police force, arrest stick.

Cathy helped up by Crescent Moon and even takes her to get protein bars from her car, now that is a heroine. And Cathy is in full frozen fangirl-mode. And a mask to disguise Cathy and her codename is Zapper. And asked by her idol heroine and crush to help toss and give out things, whoa. Can't recall if she threw stuff for the rest of the parade, now that is fan-brain there.

In the car and the shock has worn off, oh god, Crescent Moon is her Aunt Renée!

"You forgot the Where, When, and Who," the woman teased. "But... why: because I've been a member of the Krewe of Muses since practically the beginning. Maybe that answers part of the How as well? What: this is me doing my job. Marketing and brand image awareness, plus a side of law enforcement."

"Does, does Mom know?"

"Who do you think dared me to kick that damn Katrina fridge to begin with, huh?"

Bwahaha, priceless. And of course, Nola Rizing is a fake name. Bawhaha, Cathy asking to be her sidekick, should have seen that coming.

There was a long silence from behind the steering wheel. "This is why your mom never wanted you to know," Aunt Renée said finally. "Short answer, no. You're too young, untrained, and there are specific laws against this sort of thing. Long answer... Do you think I just started fighting crime, right off the bat? Or the fridge?"

And of course the comics are made-up and not accurate, too close to the truth and someone might figure out her real identity. Catastrophic late onset mutation, huh. Aunt Renée at least tells her there are places she can train to learn stuff to learn how to survive with mutant powers.

Birthday 10 days early with a few gallons of ice cream, nice.

A shoe. The shoe. Stiletto heel, sapphire blue and sterling silver sequins, with a crescent moon buckle. The Muse's personal throw, from her personal Muse-Mobile float. "This... this..."

"A 'thank you' would suffice."

"Thank you thank you thank you! Oh lord! I could kiss you right now!" The words hit her ears, and she blushed herself into silence.

"Well," Aunt Renée said with her usual aplomb, "that would explain the chap stick marks on your poster of me."

Her blush could've lit an entire parade float. Her aunt merely chuckled all the way home.

Hard to find out your big crush is your own aunt. Fun story, how Cathy learned her Aunt Renée is Crescent Moon, time with her friends, saved by Crescent Moon from a drunken idiot, and everything. Just so fun from start to finish.

Tears of the Unicorn

Avsel Goran's tale now.

There once was a little town, nestled in a corner of land where the borders of Syria, Iraq, and Turkey nominally met. It had a name, but no one ever seemed to agree on what it was.

An interesting little place so far. Oh god, militant zealots who shoot first and plunder later, that is a nightmare.

Avsel's father, Ibram Goran was all of these things. When their neighbors had left, he'd simply seen it as an opportunity to claim what remained behind. To him, the exploding shells or echoes of gunfire were a sign of better things to come for him and his two children, and he ignored the shaken heads and muttered words that followed his behavior.

She needs to get herself and her sibling out of there already. Avsel is almost 15 and has to put up with this, yikes. And her father thinking a new and better world will arise, oh brother. Praying like that for the new world her father dreams of to come.

And now he would pass her his little treasure, a string of round red prayer beads known as dumiu al-karkadann, the tears of the unicorn.

Interesting name for prayer beads. Smart move to flee from such a place.

7 days since she left her house.

Seven days since the old life had ended, and a new one, a worse one, had come to replace it. Avsel sat at a folding table beneath a crude tarp tent. A glass of water and a plate of sweetened biscuits sat in the space before her. She would not touch either.

Five days since she had arrived here, wherever here was. Everyone spoke Arabic or English, and while her brother Ismal had taught her something of both, she did not know enough of either to understand or be understood. So far, no one had responded to her questions in Kurdish or rudimentary Turkish.

Oh boy, at least it sounds better. Not much appetite of late, yet ate enough for 3 men when she first awoke there. No idea where she is either.

"'Here' is a refugee camp, managed by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. I represent certain supporters of their efforts, and as no one else could speak Kurdish well enough, they asked me to talk with you, Miss..."

On the border between Syria and Lebanon, how did she get there?

My name is Sahar Chibany, and my organization works with refugee placement. Do you have any relatives left that you know about?"

Please say that is Gen 1 Sahar, her still around would be great.

2 months stuck at the refugee camp.

Three or four nights a week of unconscious mumbling and crying in a foreign language unnerved everyone, until the old women were making open signs against the evil eye when Avsel passed, and mothers pulled their children from her path.

Yikes, what more did she go through before arriving here? Ms. Chibany the only one who will have anything to do with her, poor Avsel.

Even she, however, wore a nazar, a blue-eyed glass charm that warded against evil influences. She swore to Avsel that it was nothing personal, just a precaution. Against what, she would not say.

Don't tell me, supernatural threats might be in the area.

Helping Avsel learn to understand and communicate in both Arabic and English, good start. Calling her 'accursed' and 'daughter of jinn', ugh. Great, no survivors from her town, no one who knows her at least, that means her father is either dead or can't be located. Virginia in America seemed like a strange and fanciful land from some grandmother's tale, boy, the things you take for granted. And leaving that night, can't say Sahar doesn't work quickly.

Less than 3 hours to an airport, figures Sahar is a crazed driver when she has to be.

Ms. Chibany was aggressive behind the wheel, taking her little car through spaces between other vehicles that should not have been attempted, at speeds that were best left unconsidered. After two months of being stuck in one place, Avsel found herself actually enjoying the ride.

Guessing she took that driving course at Whateley. Two days and three changes of airplane, Avsel has some endurance to only be exhausted after that.

And now to meet her foster family, please let them be nice people. Ouch, all that fear of meeting new people and staying with them sounds like she is on the verge of a panic attack.

Ms. Chibany's hand was a warm, friendly sensation on her shoulder that somehow dispelled the panic before it could carry her away. "I know this is a big step," the woman continued in Kurdish, "but fear not. We are in America now. Rules are different here. Do you trust me?"

Pretty sure Sahar used her powers to calm Avsel. Mr. Daoud Aoun and Mrs. Sareen Aoun, interesting names. Mazia, half a year older than Avsel, Kitianna, 4 years younger than Avsel, this is going to be an...interesting family to stay with.

Now those are some nightmares, I can only hope she gets help for dealing with them soon.

She ran to keep the sun above the horizon, to keep the world as it was from disappearing, for she had no faith that the next would be any better. No matter how fast she ran, however, the sun always won their contest, and the world would come to an end. She would cry and race in circles, lost until the crescent moon rose before the dawn to show her the way forward.

Having that on loop, yikes doesn't cover it.

Sleeping in the same room as the girls and sure her crying out in her nightmares is an annoyance even if they don't complain, poor kid. At least Kitianna is a nice little girl, giving her her Rainbow Dash doll to cuddle and try to keep the nightmares away. Envious of how the daughters get to go to school, just listening to Kitianna talk excitedly about a class helping with Avsel's English.

Avsel going everywhere Mrs. Aoun goes during the day to help her learn about America, I guess seeing a land as strange is a matter of perspective. Oh god, Avsel having to wear stretchy fabric over tee-shirts and get fitted for a bra for the first time. And Avsel loves running, nightmares less terrible on jogging days, I would let her go jogging around the neighborhood when she wishes if it would ease her mind.

Yay! The nightmares fading to hazy dreams, so glad to read that. And Kitianna joining for a jog sometimes is great. Once a week to the mosque, similar yet different from what she grew up with. The largest mosque within a hundred miles or so, impressive. And Avsel sees it much like the pilgrimage to Mecca her father and Ismal had made, the mixing of so many different peoples all sharing the same faith. And she still has her father's prayer beads her gave her, good. Sahar popping in from time to time to check up on Avsel, the possibility of summer classes as her English improves, that would be nice.

The land of Virginia, this part of the strange fantasy that was America, held many strange things which she would never have imagined. A simple walk through the food market building was enough to shock her the first time. Entire sections were devoted to something called bah-bîk-yu involving large amounts of unclean foodstuffs, like a perverse shish kebab.

Culture shock, you hear about it, but reading and seeing someone experience it is another thing entirely. Cherry blossoms, not that is a sight to see for the first time. Kitianna dashing through the trees in fun, Avsel chasing after her only to have a flashback, ouch.

Wishing to use the tears of the unicorn to calm herself, but she left them at home, this is going to be rough. Katianna helps Avsel to a picnic table, for some jerk who reserved the space and can't wait even a few minutes telling them to get. *eyes bulge with fury* Calling anyone a rag-head, you bigotted ^*^%*! And don't even care that Avsel isn't feeling well and just needs a few minutes, creep. Grabbing them by the arm and trying to force them to move, these guys all need a harsh lesson about how you treat others.

Ugh, they are all bigotted a**holes. Oh crap! Avsel mixing the world of now and the horrors of her past as one, this is extremely bad. Going for her headscarf, you creeps know no limits. And it seems she moved with superhuman speed or something to the effect, the idiot knocked to the ground with ease. *eyes bug out* She either has some kind of bullet-time or is moving at superhuman speed to pull off those moves. Definitely superspeed, as she has herself and Kitianna back at the Aoun residence in moments.

Only then did she look back, to see the long trail of hoofprints dug deep into the asphalt, all the way into the distance.

Don't tell me she becomes part-unicorn when running like that.

Men with dark suits and darker glasses, please let Avsel be okay. A grey room and one light, now that is cruel. Sahar shows up, she works there and Mr. Aoun used to work there as well.

"That we do. Among other things. I was out doing those other things when you first turned up at the camp, and they called me in to figure you out. It took me two months to rule out every possibility, every explanation for how you crossed eight hundred kilometers in two days without anyone noticing. Somehow, you'd done it by yourself. That made you doubly interesting to my employers, so they pulled strings to get you here."

800 kilometers in 2 days without anyone noticing, dang. Eyes of burnished gold now, cool. No wonder Sahar wanted her out of there, twisting a poor young girl's sense of self-esteem like that.

And she is growing a horn, figures.

"Another mystery," said Ms. Chibany, "undoubtedly connected to the greater one I have been working to solve. And to do so, I shall have to see what happened for myself." At the girl's look of surprise and confusion, she took Avsel's hands in her own and squeezed gently. "Please. There is something I can do that might help, but I need your consent before I do. Know that I would never try anything I thought harmful, and if you say it is over, then it is. Do I have your permission?"

And Sahar is going to go into her memories.

Once more into the nightmare she escaped from, running through the fields and the Daesh spot her, firing, not even aiming, sickening. Running towards the sun and safety beyond its horizon, the tears of the unicorn wrapped so tight around her fingers they cut, and she falls into a thicket of thorn bushes. Where did this spring come from?

A horse, and yet not. Tall and powerful, with pillars for legs and wild hair along its head, its hooves, and its chin. Muscles that moved like a landslide beneath plated armor skin. Eyes that burned as coals surrounded by braziers of gold. A long, twisted horn that shone as a torch.

A unicorn, whoa. His tears are red beads like her father's prayer beads, dang.

"Child of Âdam and of Hawa, from what dost thou flee?"

And she says she would run from him, just how determined is she to run towards the sun.

*eyes bug out* Sahar pauses the memory there and confronts the being...and it responds. She demands to know why he is there, he asks her the same, she answers truthfully and he responds in kind.

A loud snort, angry and horselike, escaped those nostrils. "I am here because this maiden said yes, because it is in her soul to run, and I would fain allow her to come to the end fate seemed ready to bestow upon her. I am the Sunset Wind!" he brayed. "I am the Courier of the Desert Sands, Knight of the Court of Fire, known in this day and age as al-Karkadann! And who art thou?"

Whoa, that is huge.

"I was once called the cursed child, the daughter of the jinn, a tool for others to use. Now I am al-Nazar, the charm that wards against evil, and though I may work for others, no tool shall I be. Does that please your lordship?" she asked bitingly.

I love Sahar's final response as to who she is.

"And those to whom thou dost report, I trust not at all."

The woman shrugged. "I would not blame you for that, either. They will, at least, be upfront about certain things, especially in regard to what they can do for you, and what you might do for them. When it comes to other things, Avsel herself shall need to learn to handle them. What I can tell you," she said, looking the Karkadann in one lantern-eye, "is that Avsel is in a difficult situation now. However justifiable, the fact remains that she laid hands on a man in an obvious display of power, and there are many who would see her punished regardless of circumstance. Right now, my employers are willing to place her in a school where she can learn to be of use to them, and where she will be safe from reprisals."

Great, defends herself from thugs, along with her foster sister, and she would be the one in trouble. So glad that Avsel wishes a place to learn and al-Karkadann listens. Whateley is going to be an interesting experience for her. I loved this story, the best part is seeing my own culture and country through the eyes of someone from a completely different culture. I'm glad Avsel has the Aoun family to help her along with Sahar, that the nightmares have faded, and I have to wonder now if she is an avatar and al-Karkadann is being hosted by her now.

Ratel and Hum

Aww, Rachel when Honey Boo-Boo, the honey badger at the Rosevear Memorial Zoo in Terre Haute, died. Always visited him first and her family has a lifetime membership pass.

Whenever the zoo took suggestions for ways to improve, fortify, or otherwise maintain the enclosure to keep up with its occupant's creatively destructive tendencies, she was the first to write in, and some of her ideas could be seen even now in the shape of toys and fixtures scattered throughout.

Only one of 5 establishments in the country with a ratel, interesting.

The cat-sized weasel cousins were notoriously good at digging, and equally tricky when it came to using the items they found to facilitate escapes. Suggesting new diversions was a game for the eighth-grader, and she liked to think that Honey Boo-Boo appreciated the attention.

And yet these animals are some of the most dangerous, pound for pound. And Rachel kept going even after Honey Boo-Boo died, aww.

Rachel in the principal's office two months later.

The mousy young woman he'd come to know over the years had vanished, sublimated into something new, and he'd yet to figure out what. To outward appearances, Rachel Altus was largely the same: curly brown hair and glasses, standard girls' uniform for Three Oaks Charter School, simple sneakers in accordance with the dress code. It was the small details that told more. Her skirt was now regularly hitched up to well above the knees, and her blouse was criss-crossed with stitches. The girl wore them proudly, like battle scars, and she sported a bandage across the bridge of her nose with matching tape to hold her glasses together.

So Rachel used to be mousy, I would have never imagined it.

Mr. Badou, principal of Three Oaks Charter, and he has to deal with Rachel's mother, the school's chairman of the board of directors, eep. Mrs. Altus knows about everything because Rachel told her.

"Never started a single fight, never threw the first punch, and usually defending a younger student."

If all of this is true, why call in her mother? Their stance on fighting, sure, blame those who only defend those weaker than themselves.

"This last fight, however..." He waited for her to open to the appropriate page. "If we hadn't caught the entire thing on security video, with the young men blatantly stalking and ganging up on her, we'd be looking at criminal charges for Rachel. Five students hospitalized, and Sullivan Bullock will have a limp for the rest of his life, most likely."

An ambush and ganging up on her, they got what they earned. Finish the school year through in-house suspension, ugh. And then insisting they find another school for Rachel, *sigh*

Asking why now Rachel has entered a rebellious stage, that is complicated and requires testing. And Rachel is just going on feelings.

"It's..." she began, stumbling over the words. "It's the same every year. Same bullies, same victims, always kept quiet and outta the way. I used to be able to look the other way, y'know? Ignore it and pretend it's not happening. I can't, not anymore."

Good for her, I say.

"So? If there's gonna be trouble, let it be out in the open for all to see." Rachel pushed up the bandaged bridge of her glasses with an equally battered finger. "Open and honest, down and dirty. That was Honey Boo-Boo's way."

"Honey Boo-Boo is dead, Rachel honey."

"I know, Mother. But I like to think that she's still with me in here." She didn't wince as she tapped her chest right over the heart, even though the bruises were still pretty fresh there. "She was strong, fearless. Honey Boo-Boo didn't give a shit, so why should I?"

Boy, when she learns the truth about where Honey Boo-Boo's spirit went.

Her mother shocked by everything that has changed with Rachel, wondering where it is coming from, Rachel just thinks it is all her. Going for ice cream instead of drinking, a good compromise.

"Mmm... just what the doctor ordered," Mother said, spooning a combination of rum raisin and cherry amaretto into her mouth. It was the closest she would allow herself to either liqueur.

Heh, guess she can't avoid it completely. Green clouds and on the wrong side, uh oh, mutant attack I think and Rachel is going to get involved leading to her being tested.

Nope, some idiot thieves using knock-out gas, but Rachel wakes up and spots the hole in the wall of the old savings & loan.

One was tall and thin, wearing a long trench coat tied tight around, and an Indiana Jones hat on top. When he moved his head, she could see the gas mask. The other was taller and bulkier, close to eight feet tall and a bit more than half that in width. She blinked the last of the gas out of her eyes for a moment before that second figure resolved itself into a clay caricature of a football player, with bulging muscles that sloughed little clouds of red dust as he moved.

Definitely mutant for the second one at least. Knock Out #6, figures, that stuff can be bought easily it seems. And Rachel thinks this is awesome, and Rachel realizes she doesn't have to hold herself back anymore against these guys. I kind of pity those two right now.

Leonard Schmaltz aka the Mad Gasser, low-level mutation of sturdiness, though that codename would have me laughing.

His pure, undying hatred of his boss, his coworkers, his banker, that rude barista at the Pequod Cafe, and just about everyone else who he thought was keeping him down? That was different. One town over, there was a therapist who would hopefully never realize how much damage her little pep talks about "taking control of life" and "showing them who's boss" had actually caused.

Therapists need to be careful about how they word things.

His powers made him resistant or immune to every type of gas he'd bought from the Cuckoo Channel's grey market, but it never hurt to let opponents think otherwise.

Shoot, was hoping she could take his gas mask off and the gas would knock him out.

Boy, he is in for a shock when Rachel gets going. Groundpounder is his partner, sounds like he is actually a teen and only a criminal because of a huge chip on his shoulder.

"Okay, girly," he said to the grade-schooler. Through the mask's vocorder, his voice was deep and gravelly. "Make this easy on yourself and give up. No matter how hard you hit me, won't make any difference. I'm just that tough."

"Really? Awesome."

And he immediately regrets telling her that, nice to see her spirit come out some for some fun.

Gah, she is just brutal, size 7 shoes and yet so, so brutal. Tries to gas her again and it doesn't work, yikes, pops MG's shoulder out next. Left knee next, and she is told to stop that by Groundpounder aka Claude from her school. A suit made of dirt and gravel, figures. And acting like he doesn't know Rachel, bad move.

Claude Rousse dropped out of Three Oaks Carter School last year, found he had power over loose earth and stones, and still isn't using his brains with the power he has. Rachel avoids several blows, gets hit only to bounce back up again. Heh, at least he is smart enough to know he might not be able to stop her.

"I am? Nuh-uh. Y'ain't figured it out yet, but I'm the honey badger here, and you're the termite mound."

He should have run the second she said this. Ooo, the PK claws, now he is in serious trouble. Tearing apart the earth armor then goes after the legs made of gravel. Ooo, headbutted unconscious, Rachel is only starting out and already so brutal.

Blue Blaze, a former police officer, is talking to Mrs.Altus about Rachel being an Avatar.

"Yes, ma'am. Avatars act as hosts for various spectral entities, sheltering them in return for powers. Your daughter is claiming a spiritual link to an animal called a honey badger." He'd needed to look that one up online, specifically the hilarious YouTube video the girl had recommended, but he kept mum on that.

Rachel is the eighth person in the past 10 years to receive a spirt from there, the zoo was bequeathed to the city by Animagus after he died, yikes. Oh goodie, Blue Blaze is the one who told Mrs. Atlus about Whateley Academy.

Rachel giving testimony to the police, Claude singing like a bird about the Mad Gasser after the officers used the threat of having Rachel come talk to him, hehe, a very effective scare tactic. Claude sent to Whateley as part of a juvenile detention program, good, he can learn and possibly get smarter. And upon hearing about the kind of classes at Whateley Rachel can't sign up fast enough.

This was a great story, learning about Rachel's connection to the honey badger Honey Boo-Boo whose spirit she houses, how she deals with bullies, how she used to be before the spirit became a part of her, even all the little details about her mother. The Mad Gasser, you have to question how he didn't think of all the teasing and jokes that codename could get him. Glad that Claude is being given a second chance at Whateley and now we know why Rachel loves fighting so much, hard to fight such a strong urge.

Unaccompanied Minor

Kareela Greer's tale now. Leaving home in Perth and being told travel broadened the mind and heart, not what most teens wish to hear. 4 hours from Perth to Sydney, then 9 hours to Tokyo, another 9 and a half hours to her next destination, no wonder she is in a foul mood. San Francisco, more traveling to do before she is done I bet. All the MCO checks without making faces or cussing, that must have been torture for her.

Twitching like that from sitting too long, reminds me of my brother when we were younger. 118 cm tall, good grief, I knew she was short but not that short. Ah, one of those toys, seem so simple yet so hard to master. Oh boy, frustration and makes the ball land on the spike using her power. Milena Tarkisian, going to Whateley Academy as well and asked to watch out for Kareela. Kareela is a PDP, Milena is a causality warper.

The teen chuckled. "Causality. Basically, something happens because of something, which happened because of something else, and so on and so forth. In a very limited and personal way, I can skip a bunch of those steps and get to the one I want to happen."

"Say whut?" Her jet-clogged brain wasn't gettin' it.

"I teleport. Myself or inanimate objects, mostly. Like, imagine there's a door I need to sneak through. Normally, I'd have to find the key, unlock the door, open it, walk through, close it and lock it back behind me, but instead I skip all that and just make myself be on the other side. Pretty convenient."

That is one potent and highly useful power.

TK is the easy part for her, other part got her locked in the Institute, just what kind of place is this, sounds like a house of horrors.

That left option number three... She sighed. "I kin... put a word on someone. Like, if I pointed and called someone an idjit, then the name would sorta stick fer a while, and everyone would think it when they see him."

Okay, I wonder when are going to learn what the third ability she doesn't talk about is. Nice guy and wants to chat, nice to see Kareela use it to help someone out.

The businessman with the little girl, I would have been suspicious myself. Why did she teleport the little girl into the seat by the businessman? I'm worried about her getting caught, but curious about why she is doing this. Milena doesn't realize Kareela's age due to her height, thinking she is a little kid, oh boy.

And Milena goes to buy something, while the little girl stares at Kareela, awkward. A fidgit spinner, worse things to distract Kareela with. And the little girl is gone once more. Oh no, Kareela can see dead people, having people quote that movie at her more than once would be annoying. Aww, still doesn't want to tell people about the power, even knowing she isn't the first one at the school who's had it.

Great, 8-year-old little girl, possibly killed by the businessman and trying to get help to find justice so she can rest in peace. 'Unaccompanied minor', being short has its perks for Kareela. Sitting by each other and isolated from the rest of the row by an aisle, oh brother. And of course the businessman is a bit ahead of them in the rows, with the little girl phantasm in the walk-space.

"Hm, you are a little short for a storm trooper," Milena mused.

Kareela fixed her with the flattest, most humorless look she could muster. "I like ya, but cut it with the short jokes."

At least she asks her to stop, I know some people who would have bopped after the third joke. Five and a half hours, *groan*

Oh boy, Milena confirms the businessman is asleep and says time to get to work, what does she have planned? And she swiped his small note PC... *eyes bug out* Milena's power can hack a computer with just a few minutes. Forensic hacking is actually taught as a winter course at Whateley, very interesting if Milena isn't joking about that. And Milena found stuff that isn't for the eyes of anyone with a shred of decency.

And the creep has pictures of the little girl on his computer, hidden well but looked at often. And now to use a word to get this creep caught, tagging him with suspicious. And people waiting for Kareela with a sign, the Ministry back home wanted a host family for her. Sister Secret, of course, and Essemmelle, fought her codename, easier to remember Kareela's real name. Mike and Ami Dwyer as her host parents, and Kareela even says she made a new friend during the last part of her trip.

Fun story, so much attitude in such a...petite package. Kareela is always fun to read about, her trip to the U.S.A., meeting Milena, how they dealt with a murderous pedophile and became friends along the way was an interesting trip. Is her ability to see ghost her third power or is that just on top of her PDP abilities?

All great stories and origins of each character, fun reads. Wouldn't mind another anthology like this in the future.

Fact: Kareela sees ghosts.
Fact: She is a proportionate dwarf, i.e. a midget.
Fact: She has spent time in a mental institution of some sort.
Fact: She is free to go as she pleases now.

Conclusion: The best description for Kareela is that she is a diminutive psychic who has escaped the sanitarium. This makes her a literal Small Medium at Large.

S M L