STORIES
137 - A Mess
2008
Saturday, in Racolo, Aless and Lithium's room…
RACOLO:
Aless, glad you're home. I'm looking for a book. I thought I put it in my bag but I can’t find it. Have you seen it? It’s small, red ...
ALESS:
I d-don't think so, b-but I’ll help you look for it.
It must b-be very important.
RACOLO:
It contains all Gram's notes on vampires. I’m hoping there's
something in it I can use to get Es some time with Lith during the day.
ALESS:
That’d b-b-be g-great. I used to th-think being a vampire could be
k-kind of cool, but I’d hate not being able t-to see the sun.
Are there sp-sp-spells in it too?
RACOLO:
I'm not sure, but I know there’s a section on sunlight.
RACOLO:
… Damn. Where the hell could it be?
ALESS:
Isn’t there a spell you c-c-ould d-do to find it?
RACOLO:
Yeah. Why didn’t I think of that? A summoning spell should work.
ALESS:
Really? C-can I watch?
RACOLO:
Sure, just stay over here.
Magic words are spoken and a spell begins to manifest ...
… instantly taking form and ...
- POOF! -
ALESS:
Uh-oh - Who's th-th-that?
- ? -
Oh for heaven’s sake, this isn’t Grand Central Station.
ALESS:
Rac-c-colo -you b-better send her b-b-back!
RACOLO:
Back to where? I don’t even know how she got here.
- ? -
Alright boys, you may think your little prank is funny and all, but I have no time for this. So tell me, what have you done with Grand Central Station?
ALESS:
What's she’s t-talking about?
RACOLO:
I don't know.
ALESS:
Racolo, l-l-look at her, isn’t she …. familiar?
RACOLO:
Maybe …
RACOLO:
Can I help you up?
- ? -
Yes, thank you. Now about Grand Central, did you magic
it away? Perhaps a cloaking spell? I couldn’t possibly
have miscalculated again. Could I have?
RACOLO:
I hate to break this to you but - you're in San Francisco.
- ? -
San Francisco? Oh for heaven’s sake. How could I be off by all that
distance? I’ll never pass this Teleporting test. Well, since I’m here, we might as well make the best of it. I’m Qualina Genaro.
How do you do?
ALESS:
R-r-racolo, th-th-that’s Grandmother’s maiden n-name, isn’t it?
RACOLO:
Uh-huh … and now I know who she looks and sounds like.
QUALINA:
Where are your manners? Here you are - having a private
conversation with me, a guest, right befoe you. Why I never! Don’t you know that when someone introduces themselves,
it’s polite to offer them the same courtesy.
RACOLO:
Oh yeah, it’s her all right.
OK Qualina, have it your way. I’m Racolo Legalle
and this is my brother Aless.
QUALINA:
Legalle - that's my finance's name, Pat Legalle.
Perhaps you know him?
RACOLO:
I think you better sit down.
QUALINA:
Thank you.
RACOLO:
This is gonna sound crazy but, you’re our grandmother.
QUALINA:
Don’t be ridiculous. Do I look old enough to be anyone’s grandmother? I’ve a good mind to slap you both for even suggesting such a thing.
RACOLO:
Let me put it to you this way. Our grandmother was a sorceress,
and I was trying to summon one of her books that was misplaced.
QUALINA:
Well dear, if you put your things in their proper place, you’d
know where to find them. I don’t mean to be rude,
but this room is a mess.
RACOLO:
Forget the room, will you just listen to me? At the conclusion of my
spell, when the book should have materialized, you did.
QUALINA:
Oh? Then perhaps it was you who interrupted my teleportation spell? You need to fix this.
RACOLO:
How?
QUALINA:
I don’t know but this is your fault, isn’t it?
ALESS:
B-but Grandmother …
QUALINA:
Don’t you dare call me that, young man, I’m no one’s Grandmother.
ALESS:
B-but you are - and I c-can prove it. I have your
old photo albums, from when you were young,
I mean, except you l-look like you d-do right now.
RACOLO:
I'm not sure how, but somehow you came here
from our past. Do you know anything about time travel?
