Parousia

PERCEPTION

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As the shooting stars faded away, an odd shape remained floating in the sky. It looked like a cube within a cube to Thyone. It was as if they were folding in on one another. She'd never seen anything like it before. The only thing that came to mind were the collapsible Tupperware used at the soup kitchen. The thought of the kitchen brought back memories that she had to choke down.

"It's okay, sweetie. I miss some things too," Avodus' voice reached her daughter.

"Oh, mom, how are we going to figure everything out? I can't even find Araceli."

"Follow the cube."

"Really, did you put it there?"

"No, but it's right over your sister."

She tapped Mada on the arm and pointed to the cube. She pointed to him and then tried to use her hands to symbolize the flower crown he made Vee. But, Mada misunderstood. He touched Thyone's forehead and then trailed a finger down the side of her face. Thyone shoved him away, poked his chest, pointed to the cube, and began walking in that direction. Luckily, he followed without any more attempts of touching Thyone. Thyone had had just about enough.

~*~

In the absence of the griffin the man returned to Vee's side and put an arm around her. Araceli couldn't help but let out a huff. Her adrenaline was still spiked and the man's moves weren't helping her calm her nerves. She brushed herself off and set down the planks. She didn't look forward to trying to keep these two inline. And then, sparkling reflections shown off the ground. Araceli looked up. At first, she thought it was a UFO.

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear."

"Oh good, I can hear you. What is that thing in the sky?"

"Not sure yet, honey. I'm working on it."

"The water's avoiding it. Could it work as a structure to protect us?"

"Perhaps. Oh, Araceli, you have to do something about those two."

"Tell me about it."

Araceli looked back at Vee and the man to find them embraced looking up at the sky.

"Miracle," Vee said.

She picks up quickly. I don't think I've even used that word around her. Araceli thought.

The man put his hand on his lips and grunted. Then he put his hand on Vee's lips.

"You talk by moving your lips and your tongue," Vee said.

When the man put a finger on Vee's tongue Araceli about jumped out of her skin but then something else took her by surprise.

"Me - Melic, you - Vee, yes?" the man pointed to himself, then to Vee, and then nodded his head.

Vee's face exploded in joy as she smiled and hugged Melic. Araceli quickened her step.

"Yes. Good job!"

"You, me, yes." This time Melic had an undertone to his voice hinting at something more than name exchange.

Vee looked at him confused so he put a hand behind her head and pulled her in closer to his face. Araceli reached out but, before she could make contact, something new flashed before her eyes. Thyone and Mada had arrived and Mada was not so much a happy camper. His fist hit Melic's jaw faster than the eye could see.

Melic stumbled and fell putting his hand to his jaw. He quickly rose back up tackling Mada. The two men hit each other over and over but they wouldn't stop. Vee reached out to Mada. Everything had cleared up for her the second he came into view. There was no more confusion in her head. Mada was the only man for her. The same thing had happened for Mada. In a split second seeing Vee he'd forgotten any feelings that had surfaced for Thyone. But even with all falling into place, Mada did not stop fighting.

That's when Thyone noticed the cube pulsing stronger and stronger. It was as if it fed off their anger and in return gave them more anger back. With every assault by one of the guys, the cube changed colors. It was breathing in their energy and growing in size. And as it grew, more cuts formed on each of the men's faces. Thyone could not reach the cube.

"Stop it," she yelled. She jumped in the middle catching Mada's fist in midair. As she rolled, she pulled on Mada's arm freeing Melic. She took Mada's hair and bumped his head with the ground with not enough force to harm but enough to draw respected attention. Then she felt a great weight on her back. She somersaulted over and over with another being and when she landed, she was on top of Melic. She took his arms and shoved them to the ground. The cube exploded. Melic smiled at Thyone and she felt that same stir she had with Mada but a thousand times stronger.

It was as if she were travelling at supersonic speed. No matter how hard she tried to shove herself away from the jet seat and move forward, she was unable. Melic finally understood how much of a tease it had been with Vee. Thyone was the real thing, his everything. He was not going to let her go now. They embraced one another as if shielding each other from a bomb.

Lucifer, what is this cube and what is it doing to the gentlemen of this world? Avodus asked, no demanded.

Ah, ready to play, dear? The cube is of my making.

Why are you making the man attracted to my Thyone?

She's my daughter too, you know.

At least, you're leaving Araceli alone as she's not yours.

About that.

As the cube exploded to a million bits, something dropped from the sky. Araceli could not keep her eyes off it. Not that she wanted to look elsewhere anyway. In one direction, Mada held Vee which she was pleased about...finally. In the other direction, Thyone was consumed with the man she now knew was Melic. But, she was all alone, so why not look at the beautifully dangerous sky. The dropping object landed in a tangle of vines between the trees.

It struggled and writhed until it was free and dropped to the ground. The figure stood up and walked toward Araceli. He was in the nude and he wasn't foreign or alien or whatever a being was considered on Zitro. He was a man in the flesh. A human from their past world. How had he arrived? Araceli didn't care. She couldn't peel her eyes away from him even if someone paid her a million dollars. Not that money mattered at all here. He walked straight up to her and grabbed her hand. Araceli's breathing hitched and her heart pounded.

#SciFi #Adult #Dystopian #SYS #NewWorld

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