Cora, Book 1, It Begins

Chapter 12, Rouge Kerndelta

Monday morning was beautifully crisp and sunny. The aroma of the forest and the ocean was amazing. Cora decided it would be a good day to take a ride to school with Greg. They were to pick up Lisa then Dave, and Kim who had crashed at Dave's the night before. Cora had often wondered what it was like at Kim's home, was it that bad that she felt more comfortable sleeping on friends couches or floors. Several times Cora had noticed that Kim wore the same clothes for several days and sometimes she even had grass in her hair. She didn't know what was going on but she was going to find out.

They hit Lisa's first. When Cora went up and knocked on the door, Marie came out and immediately hugged Cora. "I'm so happy you are OK, I've been so worried. I'm so proud of you guys. What you did was amazing, you kids saved all those girls' lives. Can you let your mom know if she needs help I'm here, anytime."

Lisa came out of the house dressed in her typical bell-bottoms with embroidered flowers, what looked like a purple tie-dyed top under a macramé poncho. She topped herself off with a straw type sun hat with flowers stuck into the band. Grabbing Cora she pulled trying to break her free from her mom's embrace. "Oh mom, you can be so sappy. We have to get to school..."We're going to be late, we gotta go."

Finally getting Cora loose from her Mom's love embrace the girls made a break for the Bronco. "Love you, mom."

"Bye Mrs. Mom," Cora said as she was dragged off.

Marie waved to them until the bronco was out of sight.

"Your mom is so cool Lisa," Cora said. "I like her."

Lisa said nothing, every kid's parents get under their skin sometimes.

They were headed to Dave's next. Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water shook the windows and every loose screw and they were all singing along, each one trying to drown out the other. They pulled into Dave's house. "Holy shit look at the energies hanging around," Greg said.

Lisa moved back from the window. She had forgotten about those creepy things. "Yea,t hey're loaded,"

"Have you ever chatted with any?" asked Greg.

A chill ran up Lisa's spine and she wrapped her arms across her chest in a personal embrace,"No, I can see them but they freak me out,"

Greg just nodded his head in acknowledgement. He had Lisa figured. She was a peace lover and any form of negative confrontation or violence upset her. He hoped she would get over it. He made a note to him sel fto ask his mom for some help with that, things were going to get ugly.

"Stay here," he said and he got out and headed over.

Lisa cursed, temper rising as she leaned over his seat slammed his door shut and locked it. "Fucking right I'm staying here you idiot and don't bring any of those things back with you."

Cora was busy taking in the house. It was a small cottage style. It was old, perhaps in its place long before the subdivision had even been a thought. It was faded beige with brown trim. Several of the windows were so old that they were rippled from old time glazing techniques. There was a blue riding mower in the front yard with the hood up. It must have broken down and had been there a while with the grass from its cut path already regrown. The human spirits were standing around the huge old maple. Greg tried to get them to communicate one at a time. Cora smiled and waved to them but only got some strange stares in return. She decided to wander over too.

She was just getting out to go when Dave and Kim came out of the house. Both looked like they'd partied the night before and had just woken up. They high fived as they passed Cora on the driveway. Kim and Dave piled in the Bronco's tiny back seat with Lisa. As they were getting in Dave looked over. "Hey, why are Big Dude and Cora talking to our tree?"