Book Review: One Piece, Vol 13: It's All Right! by Eiichiro Oda

 

One Piece, Vol 13: It’s All Right!       

Author: Eiichiro Oda

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: January 2, 2007

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Action Adventure/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

Who would have thought that the first stop on the Grand Line would turn out to be an island filled with Pirate hunters! After a large welcoming feast, everyone is passed out, except for Zolo, who is battling against the members of Baroque Works. Ms. Wednesday has a giant duck which she rides, although not very well. And the bird seems to be directionally challenged. A bloated Luffy finds himself outside, but is too sleepy to make sense of anything and decides to take a nap even as two more agents join in the battle – Mr 5 and Ms Valenine! They announce that someone is missing from the kingdom of Alabasta! Turns out, someone is not who they appear to be!

Luffy awakens to find, to his dismay, that Zolo is battling the hosts who fed him so well. Fed up with this behavior, Luffy challenges Zolo to fight him! When Nami finds out that they are being offered a billion berries to escort the princess of Alabasta to her home, she forces them to quit fighting so they can help her. Igaram offers them the Eternal Pose that should guide them to Alabasta. However, on their way out of town, they discover Ms All Sunday on their ship, and she has been up to no good. The princess swears she hasn’t revealed the top boss’ identity… until she does. Oh dear, are they in trouble now?

The next stop on their journey is an island called Little Garden, but they are hard put to understand where the name comes from as it resembles a jungle more than a garden! The animals here seem to be a bit… big.  Luffy and Ms Wednesday decide to explore a bit, as Luffy yearns for adventure. Sanji challenges Zolo to a hunt, so off they go, leaving Usopp and Nami on the boat. They quickly learn the reason behind the island’s name. Apparently, it’s a location trapped in time, and here be dinosaurs and giants! Two giants, actually, who are in the middle of a battle that has spanned one hundred years!

Now that our heroes have reached the Grand Line, I am sure they will have many exciting adventures ahead of them and this is just the first. If this is any indication, things are gonna get wild! Will everybody become friends and have a feast with the animals Zolo and Sanji kill? Gotta wait till the next volume to find out!

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time #18

Hello and Happy Wednesday! Welcome to another edition of Wednesday Briefs, your weekly dose of flash fiction from the authors who love it so! This week the prompt was: "Pride goeth before a fall" and the alternate prompts are: use: window, hovercraft, eels or use : comfy chair or "Nobody expects..." or "That is a dead (fill in the blank)" or use: silly walks, balloon, a larch.

Last week in Trapped in Time we witnessed a battle between a TRex and a triceratops. What next? Stay and find out, then go see what the other Briefers are up to! Their links follow my tale!  Enjoy!

Trapped in Time #18

Morning comes again and my hand feels much better, thanks to the poultice that Charlie applied. Vittorio gathers fresh material for a new bandage and promises I shall only have to wear it for one more day. I can live with that.

Charlie peers into the canyon below us, although I am careful to keep as far as possible from the edge. The memory of crossing the flimsy bridge, and the fear of the huge battling dinosaurs on the other side, are still too fresh, and I have no desire to exacerbate my fear of heights.  Charlie whistles. “That is a very dead dinosaur,” he comments. Myron stands beside him, but I notice he doesn’t look down. From here, he seems a little green. But I have to admit, he is braver than I am, to stand so close to the precipice. “I don’t think he expected to end up down there.”

Myron shakes his head. “Nobody expects to die, do they?”

“Pride goeth before a fall,” Vittorio murmurs as they turn away from the edge.

If it weren’t for its location, so close to such a steep drop, I think I could get used to his cave. It’s more shelter than we’ve had since our arrival. But our destiny does not lie here.

Breakfast consists of more fruit, and some more insects, which I again decline, although Charlie persuades Myron to ingest some of them. I cannot stomach the thought.

The terrain on this side is rockier, and the trees are farther apart, so we spend more time beneath the blazing sun than I would care to spend. My fair skin is taking on a reddish hue that passes into a light brown. I can feel freckles popping out too, but there is nothing I can do about it.

 We have the penny farthing with us once more, although Vittorio walks it by his side, his other arm about me. I am trying to take notice of our surroundings, to keep a mental map in my head for future reference. If we are to live here—and that seems a very great likelihood—it would be good to choose the best location where we shall live.

Vittorio and I. Living together. The thought makes me smile.

“You think of something amusing?” Vittorio asks. His skin has taken on an even darker olive hue that is so very attractive.

“Nein, nein.” I shake my head. “I am just happy, that’s all. Thinking about us. Together.”

He leans close to me and I feel his lips brush over the top of my head. “That makes me very happy too, mi amore.”

Lunch is more fruit with some wild vegetables that we discover growing along the edges of a small field. Something that resembles potatoes, and wild scallions. What I could do had we some heat to work with! I moan about raw food and the lack of meat in our diet. What I would not give for some wurst! Or a thick veal chop. Somehow I do not think we shall be running across any calves any time soon.

Vittorio whispers in my ear, arching his eyebrows in a question. I am apprehensive, but nonetheless, I nod. He turns toward Myron and Charlie, who sit across from us, while Mary is swinging from the trees above our heads.

“Myron, perhaps you can use  your wand and make us some fire?”

“Fire?” he repeats uncertainly.

“Si, fire. Just a little one, so Doll can cook a little food, and then tonight, maybe for a little warmth.” He offers Myron a confident smile.

“I… I’m not sure.” Myron looks rather doubtful, in fact. He glances my way, and Vittorio squeezes my hand.

“You can do it,” I offer, trying to sound more sure than I am, but perhaps I should give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Come.” Vittorio rises and pulls me after him, and we gather some rocks together, so I shall have something on which to cook, crude and makeshift though it is. We also father some wood and some greenery to burn.

Charlie is stroking Myron’s cheek, looking into his eyes, lending his own moral support. Mary is nowhere to be seen.  “You can do it, Myron,” he says encouragingly. Finally Myron nods and grits his teeth.  He raises his wand, aims it at the pile we have assembled, and mutters something I cannot hear. We hold our collective breaths and wait.

Nothing happens.

Well, it could be worse, I think. He could have turned us into toads or something.

Myron looks frustrated. He takes a deep breath, one hand automatically going to his villainous moustaches, twirling it, the other holding the wand. Then he aims and mutters again.

At first I think nothing has occurred… again. But then Vittorio nudges me and points. Do I see a tiny bit of smoke? I peer more closely, as a small blue flame curls and consumes a large leaf, and spreads to the wood as it envelops it.  He’s done it! Myron did it! And without killing us in the process!

Cheering loudly, we circle Myron, clap our hands upon his back and congratulate him, all bad things forgotten in our excitement. Charlie grips one of the moustaches between two fingers. “Can we make this go away?” he asks hopefully.

Myron blushes, as he nods. “When I can find a razor,” he promises.

I hold my hand out to Myron. “You did a very good thing. Thank you very much.” He takes my hand and we look eye to eye with one another as we shake hands.

If I only had a knife, but I don’t, so I must make do with what I have. I take the potatoes and roast them in the embers, and then I season them with what I can find, add a bit of the vegetables that I have also roasted, and we make a very fine meal indeed. Maybe later, meat?

 to be continued

Now go visit the other Wednesday Briefers!

Tali      m/f Nephylim     m/m MC Houle      m/m

Until next week, take care!

♥ Julie

 

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time #17

Good morning one and all and welcome to the Wednesday Briefs! Your source for fun flash fiction! This week's prompt was: "I thought I knew you, but..." and the alternate prompts were: Use: daft, punk, rooster, or "The first time we kissed..." or use: Danube, power, kiss, or "High as a kite, he..." or write a sex scene, but without removing any clothes!

As you may recall from the last episode of Trapped in Time, we left our heroes in a pretty pickle, what with Doll too frighened to cross the flimsy bridge, followed by the appearance of the t-rex. See what's happening there, then go visit the other Wednesday Briefers, whose links follow my story!  Enjoy!

Trapped in Time #17

I am seeing my life play out before my very eyes, but my time on this earth has been so short that it would  not even make a decent one reel film. I quickly cross myself and begin to pray. “Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy—”

The monster roads and I jump, my foot sliding too close to the edge. Luckily Vittorio has quick reflexes, and he keeps me from a horribly rapid descent into the water far below.

“Can he reach us, do you think?”

“I’m not sure, but I’d rather not find out. We’d be better off on the other side,” Vittorio replies, urging me toward the bridge. “Please, love, we need to move.” I do not resist quite so adamantly as I did before, although I am far from confident about what I am doing.

“Hurry!” Charlie yells across the bridge, echoed by Myron.

I try to bolster my failing courage by whistling. But my rendition of The Beautiful Blue Danube sounds more like something one might hear from a hurdy gurdy so I give up any pretense of bravery and take a step onto the fragile bridge, under my own power, at least while I may.

“You are doing good, Doll,” Vittorio praises me, leaning in for a quick kiss.

I can’t help but remember the first time we kissed. It was one of those moments, just like in the movies. Eyes meet, and you find yourself holding your breath because there is nowhere for it to go as  your heart has suddenly take all of the room in your chest. And your move toward each other without thinking about it, as your lips meet for the first time.

I knew then that I loved Vittorio, and always would.

As I’ve been reminiscing, apparently Vittorio has been inching me across the bridge. I sincerely pray the creature does not follow us. This flimsy structure will barely hold our weight, much less his. Daring a glance behind us, I see that the large dinosaur has halted at the edge of the cliff, bellowing at us, probably in anger at seeing his dinner escape his clutches.

“Don’t look back, look ahead, love,” Vittorio cautions me. I heed his words and slowly work my way across the bridge. He is right behind me, encouraging me, but the bridge, it is so fragile, and it shakes so much… I am convinced that it will collapse long before we reach the other side.

We’re half way across now, although it feels as though the bridge is sagging even more greatly than it was before, which is too much for my taste. Suddenly the cry of the great beast. From anger to a challenge.

Vittorio and I both turn our heads to see what is going on.

Another large animal has come upon the scene.  It is shorter, with a large bony ridge on its head, and three horns. And it is undoubtedly angry.

“Triceratops,” Vittorio says, awe in his voice. “Doll, this is amazing. No one has ever seen such a creature before. Not alive anyway. Just in fossil form.”

I’m not sure if I’m more honored or scared, but the triceratops has accomplished one thing. It’s diverted the attention of the tyrannosaurus from us.

“Keep moving, you’re doing fine,” Vittorio encourages me. I glance at my injured hand, which is red and swollen. I really do need to get to the other side, don’t I? I take a deep breath and plunge ahead, refusing to look down, or anywhere but the other side. Vittorio keeps one hand on me at all times, calming me, so that within a reasonable period of time we have reached the far side and I fall onto the blessed ground with relief.

Vittorio is right there, his arm about me, murmuring sweet words. He pulls me into his lap, and we turn our attention to what is happening with the two gargantuan creatures. The shorter dinosaur charges the larger, using his horns to tear chunks of flesh from the predator. The tyrannosaurus responds by snapping at whatever he can reach, ripping and rending the triceratop’s body. It’s a horrific sight, but we cannot seem to look away.

Charlie seems particularly upset, and Mary is agitated as well, jumping up and down and screeching. I’m not sure which animal she is rooting for, if either.

It seems that his unease is merited, for the two creatures, locked in mortal combat, pay no attention to their own personal safety and roll off the cliff, plunging into the water below, bouncing on the rock walls along the way.

It is not a pretty sight.

Charlie leads our somber little group to a nearby cave, and this is where we decide to spend the night. While Vittorio and I bring out food for the evening meal,  Charlie busies himself in looking for a particular plant, which he mixes with something else, and then applies to my hand, wrapping a leaf about it. At first it feels odd, and has a strange texture, but soon I find that the heat in my hand is lessening, and so is the pain. I lean against Vittorio, and Charlie sits beside Myron, with Mary  on Myron’s lap.

“Do you think we can have a fire?”I ask hopefully, but Vittorio shakes his head. “Not tonight,” he says. “Too dangerous. Besides, I’m not sure how we would light one.”

He has a point.

“Come, I shall keep you warm.” He wraps his arms around me, as we press together closely.  “You were very brave today,” he whispers into my ear, and I melt at his words and his touch. “Maybe tomorrow, we shall see what else Myron can do with that wand, si?”

I think for a moment, before I respond, “Si.”

I hope we won’t live to regret that idea.

to be continued

Now go check out the other Wednesday Briefers:

Nephylim    m/m

Lily Sawyer      m/m 

MA Church    m/m

MC Houle      m/m

Michael Mandrake  m/m

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time #15

Happy Wednesday one and all! It's Hump Day so it must be time for another bit of flash fiction from the authors of the Wednesday Briefs! This week our own Prompt Diva MA Church has offered these prompts: "Nose to the grindstone..." or the alternate prompts of: use: type of cloth, stone, painting or "Oh my God, is that..." or use: a story about finding a case/bag of money or use: cookie jar, lunch box, spoon.

Last week, as you'll recall, in Trapped in Time, our boys found some baby dinosaurs, only to face something a little more dangerous in the form of their angry mother! See what happens in this week's installment! Then don't forget to visit the other Wednesday Briefers, whose links follow my tale!

Trapped in Time #15

As the large creature pounds its way toward us, smaller creatures begin to raise a fuss—running, flying, slithering themselves out of its path by means of whatever locomotion is available to them. Only we stand rooted to the spot, as if frozen in fascinated horror, staring at this oncoming dinosaur. My only coherent thought is that I’m grateful that it’s not the tyrannosaurus rex again. Perhaps I am counting my chickens prematurely, however. Maybe this type of lizard is as bad, if not worse than, the other one.

What happens next appears surreal in hindsight.  Mein Gott, is that really Myron? What is the dummkopf doing?

Myron brushes by Vittorio and myself. But he’s not, as I imagined, running away from the situation, rather he’s moving toward it. He takes up a position between us and the charging creature, one hand raised in the universal gesture for halt. I do think the dinosaur understands sign language.

“Don’t worry!” he cries to us. “This dinosaur is a stegosaurus. She’s not a meat eater. Those must be her babies.”

That is rather impeccable logic, I must admit, but I still don’t want to be in her path. Being trodden is probably little better than being eaten.

And then I notice something in Myron’s hand. What the deuce? He’s slipped his wand away from Vittorio somehow, and now he’s aiming it at the charging mother, from who can be heard what I assume are her words for ‘Get away from my children!’

Vittorio and I move synchronously, leaping toward Myron. From the corner of my eye, I can see Charlie doing the same, Mary on his shoulders. I have no idea what Myron thinks he’s going to do… and I’m not sure that I want to know. “Nooooooo,” we cry out simultaneously, just as a ball of shimmering light emerges from the end of Myron’s piece of wood. It hovers for just a moment, before enveloping the dinosaur, which at this point is mere feet away from us and closing fast…

And suddenly she has stopped moving, frozen in mid-stride. In fact, every living creature within that strange diaphanous ball has ceased to move. Our jaws have just simultaneously hit the ground.

“That is… amazing,” Vittorio whispers, taking my hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. Although I hate to admit it, I must agree with my lover. But my concern is this—Myron seems to specialize in magic that does not last and cannot be controlled, so maybe we should… leave immediately?

Charlie envelops Myron in a huge hug, and Mary lays thick monkey kisses on his cheek. Myron casts his eyes toward the ground, then turns to face us, uncertainly, as if he’s afraid we’re about to yell at him. Maybe we should, but I let the moment pass, albeit grudgingly.

Mary scrambles down from Myron’s shoulder and scoots along the ground until she reaches the nest of baby dinosaurs. Tenderly, she lifts one of them then glances at us. Vittorio and I get the idea and we each gingerly pick up one of the tiny babies, so different from their huge mother. They are small and cute and make little mewling noises. It takes two hands to hold one of them, though. Good thing they have no teeth yet.

Following Mary’s lead, we carry the children to where their mother has been arrested in mid-flight, and set them where she will see them, but not step on them. Now it is time to get ourselves away from here, as quickly as possible.

“Charlie, which way?” Vittorio asks. “We must leave here, quickly.”

Charlie wastes no time. He points past the dinosaur. “That way. There’s some hills not too far from here. She won’t follow us.”

I hope he’s right.

Vittorio and I climb onto the penny farthing. Although it was not designed for two, we’ve managed to ride together before, an ability that stands us in good stead now, as we (or rather, Vittorio) pedals furiously—this is one time when I am grateful for my diminutive stature as I perch on his shoulders—while Myron and Charlie and Mary all run as fast as they can ahead of us.

We do not stop running until we are a good distance away. I was concerned about the spell that Myron used. What if it never wears off? What happens to the mother and children then? But we hear an indignant trumpet coming from behind us and I am relieved that all is well once more.

We have stopped at the top of a large hill, beneath the shade of the single tree that graces it, breathing heavily, and letting our hearts beat at a more regular pace. Vittorio has his arms about me, and Charlie and Myron are hugging, while Mary sits contentedly at their feet.

Vittorio nudges me, looks toward Myron. I know what he’s saying, without his having to speak aloud—that is how closely we are attuned. I know, and yet I am concerned. With good reason, I think.

“Myron…” I begin. He glances up at me in some surprise mixed with a bit of trepidation. “Myron… you did good,” I grudgingly admit. I’m rewarded with a hug from Vittorio, and Myron manages a shaky smile. I think maybe he was more unsure of the outcome of his actions than he let on to us. But it was a good outcome, and that’s the main thing.

“How… I mean, how did you do that?” I fumble for the correct words, but this is what comes out. I’m still amazed that his spell didn’t backfire and cause great harm to us. Amazed and grateful.

“I don’t know,” he admits in a small voice. “Something inside of me. Something just felt right.”

“That was a very good thing you did,” Vittorio adds. “Very quick thinking. It is good you knew about that dinosaur being harmless. Thank you.”

Myron blushes, and cuddles against Charlie, who kisses his head softly.

 to be continued

Now visit the other Briefers!

Nephylim    m/m

Lily Sawyer      m/m 

MA Church    m/m

Michael Mandrake  m/m

MC Houle     m/m

Tali      m/f

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time 11

Happy Hump Day! It's Wednesday, so it must be time for more Wednesday Briefs! This week's prompts are courtesy of our very own Prompt Diva, MA Church: "Tough road to hoe..." or the alternate prompts are: use: wood, fireplace, smoke or "What do/did you think about this?" or use: rope, a desk, window, or include a gravel road in your story.

Trapped in Time continues with the crazy antics of three guys who find themselves trapped in prehistoric times. Today's question is - what is Charlie's idea of breakfast, and will it be edible? Stay tuned!  Then be sure to check out all the other Wednesday Briefers, whose links follow my tale.

Trapped in Time #11

Vittorio continues to console me as I choke out my feelings against his chest for what I’ve done, my negligence in leaving behind my faithful pennyfarthing. Suddenly I’m taken by surprise by a pair of strong arms.

“Don’t be sad, Doll!” Charlie cries, throwing his arms about me from behind, and suddenly I find myself the filling in a Doll sandwich. Luckily Myron refrains from adding a bit of pickle to the mix.

“We’ll get it, don’t worry,” Vittorio whispers to me. He pulls out his handkerchief from his pocket, and although it’s lost something of its usual starch, probably due to the humidity, he dabs at my eyes, and then tells me to blow and I obey.

Charlie kisses my cheek before returning to Myron. He takes his hand, and leans down to him, kissing him with a great deal of passion and enthusiasm, before he announces, “Let us get our food!” And once again he’s leading the way, Vittorio and I bringing up the rear.

I’m not sure what I am expecting. It’s not as though we’re likely to find an automat here, in the middle of the jungle, even though they are very popular back home. It’s a very efficient idea; a quick and easy way to obtain one’s food when one is not at home.

Somehow I doubt there are any of those here. In fact, I am rather skeptical as to just what we will find when we finish this trek through the jungle.

Which we’ve just done, apparently. I stop short of running into Vittorio, and look around me. It looks exactly like every other bit of jungle we’ve seen thus far—full of trees veiled with vines, large broad-leafed plants, swampy areas, and assorted small creatures that skitter from view too fast to ascertain what they might actually be.

“Where are we?” The question needs to be asked, so I ask it.

“Home!” Charlie proclaims proudly.

Home where? We glance around. Not as though I had expected Charlie the monkey to possess any sort of man-made structure—according to Darwin, we’re far too early on the evolutionary scale to expect our forebears to put in an appearance—but I did expect… something.

“Home up there!” Charlie points up into the tree he stands under; all our gazes rise skyward.

“What do you think about this, Vittorio?” 

“Well, I think that it is logical that Charlie lives in a tree.”

Does this mean we have to climb the tree in order to have breakfast? That is an idea that I don’t particularly relish.

As if he can read my mind, Charlie says, “I shall be right back.” He begins to shinny up the huge tree until he is lost from sight.

While we wait, I can’t help but stare at Myron. Is it my imagination, or does his complexion seem to have cleared up a little? He seems fidgety, standing first on one foot, then the other. It suddenly dawns on me why that is, and I cannot help a slightly evil grin, knowing the cause of his discomfort. I catch his eye; he turns beet red, and looks quickly away.

Before I can say anything, Charlie climbs back down the tree with an armful of something—don’t ask me how he managed that without the use of his tail. He’s positively prehensile!

So, what have we for breakfast, and how quickly can we eat it?

He lays his burden onto the ground, stands back and surveys us as though he has just done something wonderful. And perhaps he has. We all gather around to see what he’s brought us. I see what appears to be bananas, and something else that might be another type of fruit. As well as a mass of leaves.

Not exactly what I had in mind.

Charlie takes one of the bananas, peels it, and holds it out toward Myron, who blushes but accepts it, biting off the tip. Vittorio peels one for me, and I turn my attention to my love.

“Eat this for me, Doll,” he croons. I open my mouth obligingly and take the banana in. It tastes okay, I guess, and fruit is healthy. I reciprocate by sharing this piece of fruit with Vittorio.

“I have something else!” Charlie cries. He gets on his hands and knees and starts rooting around some plants with bifurcated leaves. “Ah ha!” he cries. He cups his hands for us to see. In the middle of it are a number of wriggling things that I cannot identify at first, until I realize that those are some sort of bugs. What’s he going to do with those?

I’m sorry I asked as he takes one and wolfs it down, then hands one to Myron. Myron doesn’t look very excited at the prospect of adding insects to his diet.

“For you, Myron,” Charlie says lovingly, and holds the bugs out toward his lover again. Myron’s face turns ten shades of pale. He takes an wriggling insect from Charlie’s grasp and opens his mouth.

I cannot watch, so I turn away. It’s obvious to me that we need a little more… variety in our diet.

“Doll, you have to eat,” Vittorio whispers to me.

“Not bugs I don’t,” I insist, perhaps petulantly, but firmly. Not if I were starving and on my deathbed. Some things are simply not meant to be ingested. Insects are one of those things.

The next thing I know Charlie is standing beside us, holding out his offerings and smiling at us with the warmth of a hundred suns.

“Please eat,” he said. “We have a long journey ahead of us.”

A what? Where?

Vittorio, ever the diplomat, takes a couple of small bugs. I don’t even want to hazard a guess as to what they are.

“To see the Professor. He’s the smartest man in the jungle. He can help you.”

There’s another man in this place? Who knew? And how did he get here?

to be continued

Now go visit the other Wednesday Briefers and see what they are up to!

Nephylim    m/m

MA Church     m/m

Victoria Blisse   m/f

Sara York     m/m

Tali      m/m

Until next time, take care!


♥ Julie

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time #1

Happy happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, it must be time for another Wednesday Brief! Today's prompt was "That lucky old sun..." The alternative prompts were: "The sunlight streamed in through the..." or peppermint, vodka, pole dancing or "Brother, can you spare a dime?" or "kisses sweeter than wine" or write a time travel story involving dinosaurs. I started a new series today, Trapped in Time. I hope you enjoy it. It won't take a rocket scientist to figure out which prompt I used!  Don't forget to visit all the Wednesday Briefers who shall be listed at the end of this blog.

Trapped in Time #1

The day started pretty much like any other. I got up, ate breakfast, took a shower, cleaned the bathroom, and got ready for work.  So far so good. I actually enjoy going to my place of employment, because the love of my life works there too.  His name is Vittorio, he’s six foot one inch sexy Italian, and incredibly hunkalicious! And I love him to death.

Vittorio Genovese. Doesn’t it just roll off your tongue? It does mine, and it gives me goose bumps to boot.

In comparison, my name barely rates an honorable mention. In fact, I’d rather not mention it at all, but here goes nothing. Adalbert Klein. Yeah, very Germanic, I know. And yes, I look very German, with my curly blond hair and my blue eyes, and my incessant need to clean my apartment every frigging day.

But Vittorio’s so cute! He shortens my name and calls me Doll. I’m his little Doll, which makes it a play on my last name, being as it’s Klein. And seeing as I’m only about five foot four. So it fits on all counts.

Yes, thanks for pointing out that we must look like the Odd Couple when we’re together. Because I needed to hear that. But don’t worry about it. When we’re in bed, height doesn’t matter, and we fit together perfectly.

So back to where I was.

I closed and locked my apartment. On my way out the door, I greeted my landlady with a big hug and a kiss. Basically because she’s also my Mutti and I love her very much. “Have a good day, Adal,” she told me, like she tells me every day. She stood in the doorway and waved, while I mounted my bicycle; I waved back before I pedaled away on my penny-farthing.

These bikes are all the rage now; some people call them Hi-wheels. I just know that I love being up so high. Sometimes I pretend I’m a zeppelin pilot, like the ones I see overhead. I dream of flying one someday, but Mutti says no, that won’t be allowed. She’s only looking out for me because she loves me. My Vati used to fly a zeppelin. His name was Rolf, and he was a great big bear of a man. He loved me and my Mutti, and he loved my Vittorio. Ach, when the two of them would get together, there’d be so much fun! Vittorio with his wine, and my Vati with his beer, and we’d all drink together, and sing, and… I miss him so much. He died in a freak zeppelin accident. I don’t blame the airship, but Mutti does. I hope she gets over that soon, but for now I’m being patient. It’s only been six months, and the wound needs time to heal.

My ride to work takes me exactly twenty minutes. Every day the same two mile ride. But I don’t mind. I smile at people I pass along the way, and they smile back at me, because everyone knows everyone and life is grand.

Vittorio is waiting for me when I arrive, because he knows precisely when I will be there. He’s waiting on the sidewalk outside the Arabesque Theatre, and he lifts me from my bike as easily as lifting a bratwurst from a bun. They can keep their newfangled hot dogs, or Coney dogs, or whatever they’re calling them. I prefer the taste of German sausage in my mouth.

Or Italian, when it comes to Vittorio, but that’s another matter.

The Arabesque is the nicest theatre in town, and we show the best films. Vittorio is very excited about a new film that starts today. He tells me there is this very handsome man in it, and when I look at the poster he’s plastered on the front of the theater, I have to agree.

The film is called The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. If this Valentino guy can act half as good as he looks, I think he’ll go far.

Vittorio sets me on my feet, but only after a proper hello kiss, and together we walk into the theater, walking my bike between us. And there, waiting for us, is the fly in the ointment. The imperfection in our otherwise perfect job.

Myron Cornwinkle.

I swear if this was a drama, he’d be cast as the villain of the piece. He even has the moustaches for it. And he twirls them in an overly dramatic fashion. I think they’re fake, personally. I don’t think he could grow a real moustache if he tried, and someday I’m going to pull those nasty looking things off of his smirky face.

He works at the Arabesque too. Feel free to boo or hiss whenever you see his name mentioned on these pages. In fact, I encourage it.

He’s the film projector. I’m the usher, and Vittorio plays the organ, because of course the films are silent, so we have to supply our own music.

“Ah ha!” he sneers as we try to walk past him, twirling those cheesey looking things and attempting to look menacing. In one hand, he holds a reel against his chest, twirling with the other.

The trouble with Myron is that he has this idea he’s in love with Vittorio and that he’s going to marry him. Over my dead body! Or, rather, over his.

Plus, he also thinks he’s a wizard. Touched in the head is what I think.

“What do you want, Moron?” I interject myself between my love and my enemy. I’d love to run Myron down with my bike, but I don’t.

He doesn’t answer, but pulls out his “wand” and mutters something, while I tap my foot and wait.

Nothing.

Until suddenly, there’s something. The entire theatre shakes, and this big colorful ball of light envelops the three of us and then poof!

When I open my eyes again, I find myself staring up into the eyes of a Tyrannosaurus Rex!

 to be continued

I hope you enjoyed the beginning of my tale, come back next week for more! Now, see what my cohorts in writing are up to!

Nephylim    m/m

Sara York    m/m

LM Brown    m/m

MA Church   m/m

Tali      m/m

MC Houle    m/m

 Have a great day! Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie