Team Dynamics

The Chief was going to leave again. The agony that Stella felt the first time The Chief left came rushing back in a wave of tears.

"Chief, you just got back! How could you leave us again?"
"Stella, I have to go" was the only explanation The Chief would give.
"But Chief, I love you" she sobbed.

The Chief and The Captain were both shocked. They stood in silence and watched Stella weeping.
Finally, The Captain said "You can't be in love with The Chief. He's leaving. And he isn't in love with you."

Stella was furious. "I'm not in love with The Chief. I love him like my brother," she screamed.
"That's not the impression I get from all the crying," said The Captain.
"Well it's the truth. "

The Chief didn't know what to think.

Feral

Stella sat at the table. The meadow around her was teeming with life. Children were running in every which way.

Montano walked out of the darkness around the clearing and took a seat next to Stella. He rested his elbow on his knee and put his face in his hand. After a short time of silently shaking his head Montano muttered

"Ugh, these kids."

Endings

Part 1:
Stella looked down over the ledge upon the knight. His screams made her cringe and she wished he would move his arms away from his face. Flames climbed around his body and the knight flung his arms open. He was just a child and in only an instant - he was gone.


Part 2:
The lady was translucent and Stella could see the moon through her ribs. A rope was loosely draped around the lady's chest, but her arms remained free. Stella was hypnotized. The rope tightened against the lady's body and she zoomed up into the sky.


Part 3:
The goldfish were very happy in their bag. Stella was happy too. One bag dropped to the floor and the two fish in the bag were surrounded in ice.

"Emilio! Quick! Grab the fish! Grab the fish!"
"Why can't you just do it?" Emilio asked.
"I can't touch them. You have do it. HURRY."

Emilio pinched a fish between two fingers. He had waited too long.

Three

Stella peeked her head around the bedroom door. There in the soft white sheets were three very fat bodies. Two brown. One white.

She backed quietly out of the room and closed the door.

The Walk Through Life

Part 1.

There was a flash of red swirling toward the shower drain.

"What is that?" Emilio wondered.

Stella reached to pick it up. It was a toenail. Her toenail. She reached to the ends of her feet and realized that all her toenails were gone. She let her hand rest on the bottom of the tub and lifted it to reveal a handful of toenails - piled rather high.

"For some reason I can't seem to keep these things on. Well. We'll just have to give them to Pat. Pat will know what to do with them."

Part 2.

It was very grey, cloudy, and cold.

"Is this the prairie?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

Family

Stella insisted on going through every artifact. A handkerchief, a slipper, a stack of pictures. Emilio grew impatient...

"Let's go down in her basement. It's neat down there. There are stacks of papers and concrete blocks. You don't need to sort though this junk. You have what you need"

"I have never been in that basement in my life. If I was supposed to go down there, I would have by now. We're staying here to look through these pictures. We aren't supposed to go down there."

...

Cloths were draped in the stairwell. They grabbed at the skin like billowing ghosts. It was uncomfortable, stale and Stella wanted to go back upstairs. But they pushed on. As they reached the bottom step Stella's greatest fears were realized. It was a battle ground. Paralyzed bodies were scattered across the mustard yellow carpet. Stella walked to the back of the room in horror. How could her grandmother keep something like this from her? She turned to meet Emilio's eyes and saw him transfixed on a body. It was breathing. They were all breathing. Stella recognized Michael when his eyes opened slightly. Something was wrong.

"Have you ever seen so many needles?" Emilio wondered.
"No. What do you think is going on?"
"They're probably using."
"But they're only children. Children don't use. And not Michael. He's too smart."

They stirred. Stella grabbed Emilio's arm and started walking to the stairs. "But freedom is the other way," said Emilio. Regardless, Stella ran up the stairs. She knew they had to get out before those kids saw them. Just as Emilio's foot landed on the ground floor, Stella turned to slam the door. But there was a child there; feral, dangerous. It vomited on Stella's foot as she tried to kick it back down the stairs.

"Oh god. What if I have AIDS? They're just kids. They don't know about the transfer of disease. I could have AIDS."
Emilio bit his lip and grabbed Stella's hand. "There's no time to worry about that now. We'll have you tested when we can take your shoe off. But for now we need to get out of here. I don't know what they're using, but they're mad."

They ran out into the parking lot. It was cloudy and yellow. Michael stood in front of their car with his arms crossed. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Michael, please. I know we aren't the closest, but you're my family and I love you. Please don't hurt us," Stella cried.

"What were you doing in her basement?" Michael demanded.

"N-n-nothing. We were just curious"

"You weren't supposed to go in the basement."

"Michael, what were you doing with those kids? What was wrong with them? One of them attacked us. I might have AIDS."

"Don't worry about it. "

Michael unfolded his arms and walked toward Stella. She flinched a little with each step he took. He wrapped his arms around her and she returned the gesture. Stella stretched her neck up and nuzzled her head into Michael's neck.

Everything was fine.