Selene
Copyright© 2022 by Old Man with a Pen
Chapter 32
Professor Waters said, “Jimmy? Where did Selene go?”
“To fetch a towel.”
“What ever for?”
James turned and faced his dad.
“I see,” Professor Waters said. A father laughing at his son isn’t a good move. Seventeen year old males can hold grudges. Having been there, done that and had a tee-shirt printed up commemorating the event, Dr. Waters was struggling to keep a straight face. The exploded snot bubble covered James face from hairline to chin.
My dad, clueless Professor Dent, said, “Towels in the sauna.”
Naked Marsha didn’t even attempt to hold back ... she almost drowned.
I, on the other hand, hadn’t fetched a towel from the sauna. No. I was in my bedroom, face buried in my pillow ... howling.
My mind said, ‘Selene Susan Dent ... it’s not funny.’ My evil twin, still laughing, rumbled through my soul, laughing hysterically. I flat wore me out...
I got the hiccups.
A small glass of ice water didn’t help.
Breathing in a paperbag didn’t work.
Hugging my knees to my chest? Nope.
I had lemon and vinegar ... I tried both of those.
Finally, I held my breath until I turned blue ... and while I was blue ... Daddy slammed my door and shouted,
“Selene!”
I jumped a mile.
No hiccups.
Gasping I said, “Thanks, daddy.”
“Come on. We have USGS provenience for the cave mouth. ‘Muddy’ is ready.”
I grabbed a towel. On the way out my door, daddy looked the question.
“Hiccups,” I said.
Chuckling, he grinned, “Ah,” he replied, “Marsha almost drowned.”
“I don’t know if I can fix it.”
Sotta voce, daddy said, “Like him, do you?”
I nodded. Without looking at him, I handed James the towel ... and sunk myself,
I didn’t even think about it ... I said, “Here ya go, Jimmy.”
Oh shit.
James Waters turned red.
Ignoring his father, he marched to the pickup, violently jerked open the door, threw himself in the seat and floored it.
Our setting is grass ... grass all around the hangar.
Well ... it was. Now there are two dirt strips slewing across the grass. Clods and clumps of grassy dirt were still falling out of the sky as the roaring pickup, trailing blue exhaust smoke, disappeared around the side of my shipping container home.
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