Joseph rides in his Honda through the New Heights to a nice little café. He parks the car and gets out. He walks into the café and there is woman tending the area. Joshua has a seat in front a woman. She looks up and smiles at Joseph. She reaches over the table and hugs him. He hugs her back with a smile on his face.
“Madison, how have you been?” Joseph asked her. “I’ve been doing fine Jas. What about you? You look a little different and I do mean in a bad way. What happened to you?” Madison asked.
“Yeah, we’re going to have to talk about that in private, not here. Sound good to you Ms. Golden Globe winner?” Joseph said to her. “You watched it? I’m surprised; usually you forget that those events actually happen, to your best friend.” Madison said.
“Well I made sure I didn’t forget this one. Madison Parks…world class actress is my best friend and she won a Golden Globe. You totally gave me some bragging rights.” Joseph joked to her.
“Well my best friend can kill a man with their pinky and I can’t tell a soul.” She said. “You don’t have to worry about not telling anyone anymore. Talk away. Talk it up. Talk it down.”
“Okay don’t be lame Joseph. So your family decides to move here and how does your mother take it?” “My mother didn’t take it very well. She was very unhappy about moving away. But she had to suck it up. Dad was moving whether she came or not.”
“Think she will like here?” Madison asked her friend. “I do. I like it here. It’s very calm…peaceful…relaxing. It’s just the change of pace I needed Maddie.”
“I don’t know why you would need a change of pace but I’m happy for you. I’m glad you moved here because I don’t have to hide in public…as much.” Madison said.
“Here you go you two. Here’s our couple’s special today.” Big Lucy said handing them both a drink. Joseph looks at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Uh, this isn’t my girlfriend.” Joseph said. “Really? You’re both a little too chummy if you ask me. I wouldn’t have known. You sure? You’re not lying to me are you?” Big Lucy asked putting her eye on Joseph.
“No ma’am. He’s not lying, we’re really good friends. They’re hard to find these days.” Madison said. “That they are. Well, it’s still on the house.” Big Lucy said. “You two new to town, you just passing through?”
“No. I actually live here now. She doesn’t. She’s just visiting town for my sake.” Joseph said. “Well, welcome to New Heights, Virginia. I think that you’ll like it here.” Big Lucy said returning to the counter.
Joseph smiles and takes a sip of the drink. Madison doesn’t touch it. Joseph sniffs it and looks up to Big Lucy.
“Sorry but she can’t drink this. She’s allergic to cinnamon.” Joseph said apologetically. Madison raises her eyebrow to him.
“You must really feel safe. You always act like someone is attacking you and me. You didn’t even smell the cinnamon. You pick up on that before I do.” Madison said.
“Well, better to be loose than tense. Anyhow, how about we go for a little walk huh?” Joseph said. “Sounds like a plan to me.”
“You two can take the park trail walk. It’s right across the street and it covers some distance.” Big Lucy said. “Thanks.” Joseph responded.
They both entered the park. They walk side by side.
“So it’s time to talk Jas. What is going on with you? Why are you so different?” Madison asked him. Joseph looks up and closes his eyes. He smells the fall air and enjoys. He felt completely calm, completely at relief to be around someone who understood him.
“The IOSTA.” He told her. “When isn’t it the IOSTA Jas? What did they do this time?” she asked. “They changed me, violated me. I thought I was about to graduate once and for all, which I was. But it turns out that graduation is different forever one. Ron’s and mines were to test if our loyalties were true to the IOSTA.
I refused to fight Ron. He however, made the mistake and thought that he could win. He didn’t hold back. I warned him a number of times before I decided enough was enough. I put him down quickly.
He tried once more again. I stopped him from hurting me any longer. He was there on the ground, defeated, by me. I was told by O’Connor to end him and my master told me that it had to be done. I refused, and they decided it was time to make me loyal if I would not be willingly.
I was detained by a neurotoxin momentarily, and they placed a collar on my neck. The collar injected something into me. The formula was something they had been working on for thousands of years, the Beast Formula, to make the ultimate humanoid fighter.
It would also take away any inhibitions about death. We could kill if we were told to do so. We would not kill if we were told to do so. It creates a neutral and emotionless state towards those dead. For instance, if you were to die in front of me right now, the knowledge about your death would activate the chemicals in my brain.
I would have no feelings towards you. You would be nothing to me. If I killed you, I would not hate nor love you. You would be just another mark. If I hate you to my core, then I can’t kill you. It restricts that feeling though I think its buggy. Basically, I’m inhumane to death. I don’t care about anyone who’s died in my life at all.” Joseph told her.
“That’s sick! Why would they do that to you?” she asked of him. “To test the formula. It worked. I killed Ron. I killed him and it was nothing to do it. I was angry at him but that was not the reason I killed him. The resounding order to take his life was what drove me to take him down once and for all. That made me sick, that I could become something like that, inhuman…emotionless.” Joseph said. “So, I walked out. I beat every man that got in my way to a pulp.”
“What are you going to do now Joseph?” she asked him looking him in his eyes. She was worried about him. “You don’t have to worry Madison, I still love you. I’m only affected if you die.” Joseph said to her. “Not that, what are you going to do Joseph?” “I’m going to find a way to take the IOSTA down. It’s the only thing I can do.” “I don’t think you can do that now. Try something a little simpler.”
“I’ll try and see if I can’t reverse the curse as they say.” Joseph said pointing to his head.
“That’s more like it Jas. We’ll do it together.” “I doubt you have hacking knowledge of the mind.” “Please Jas…if there is one thing I know, it’s how to fix everything.” She said with a confident smile. “No, you broke your cell-phone, after trying to “fix it” and then you had me fix it. You break things, not fix them. So don’t go anywhere near my head. I want to keep it screwed to my body.”
They continued walking down the path. Joseph happens to notice a man sneaking behind a woman. He squints and reaches for his side. Madison looks and knows that he was on the prowl and stood back. She was not going to get hit like every other time.
The man ran and snatched a book from the woman. She stomped her foot and ran after the man who snatched the book. An old man looking threw his cane in the air, waving it around and shouting at the boy to give the book back to the woman.
Joseph took out his staff and took off after the thief. Joseph leaped into the trees and leaped from tree top to tree top. He soon landed in front of the man. He came up from the ground and placed his staff on the ground.
The man swung his fist and Joseph spun his staff into the man’s side. The man bent over and Joseph smashed him in the back. The man lied on the ground in pain. Joseph spun his staff and retracted it. He placed it back to his side and bent down to the man.
“It’s not polite to steal sir. The next time you should and I hear about it, I will beat you until your crying wee wee wee to you mommy all the home. Are we clear sir?” Joseph said it and he was given a nod of weakness.
Joseph lifted the book and carried it to the running woman. She stopped and smiled. He was about to hand her the book when he stopped. He stared into her face with his mouth open. He had never seen someone like her. He was impressed, amazed, he didn’t know what to do.
Her beautiful eyes stared into his eyes and he couldn’t move. She reached for her book and took it out of his hand. She snapped her fingers in his face.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Yes, yes I am.” He responded with a stiff body. “Okay. Well, thanks for the save.” She said, “My name is Annabelle by the way.” “Well nice to meet you Annie.” Joseph said finally being able to move.
“Hold your horses pal. No one calls me Annie, just call me Annabelle.” She said holding her hand up. “Well, it’s only polite to tell you my name, and excuse me. My name is Joseph Arlington. And that book in your hand must be worth…my goodness…that’s an original Latin Vaus Vataun!” Joseph says.
He snatches it out of her hand looks over it. He opens it and starts flipping through the pages.
“This book is worth $10 Million on the black market? You have an original copy in not mint, but perfect condition. It looks like it was printed yesterday.” Joseph said. Annabelle smiles and places her hand on the book. He lets it go.
“You know your books don’t you. Well, it was my mother’s and now it’s mine.” She said. “And you know how to read Latin?” “Yeah. I’m not perfect at it but I can understand the text very clearly. Are you fluent?” “Yes.”
Madison finally makes it. She huffs and looks at Annabelle and Joseph. She places her arm on Joseph to prop herself up.
“You’re both…very fast…and I…need a trainer.” Madison said to them both, “Who’s the chick Jas?” “I’m Annabelle.” Annabelle said to her. “Nice to meet you Annabelle.” Madison said.
“You’re Madison Parks! You’re Madison Parks!” Annabelle said excitedly, “I can’t believe that you’re friends with Madison Parks! Wow.”
“Yeah, he is friends with the greatest actor ever. Well Annabelle, I think we have to go now. We’ve got some research to do.” Madison said. “I’ll leave you to it.” Annabelle said.
She walks off looking at the book in her hand. Mr. Johnson walks beside her and huffs.
“That’s a fast boy there.” Mr. Johnson said to her. She didn’t look up from her book to him. “What’d you think of him?” Mr. Johnson asked. She pulled the book down with a smile on her face.
“He’s cute.” She told him. He looks at her with a smile. “Really? Someone finally caught the attention of the elusive and alluring Annabelle Lightman? I’m taken aback by this recent development.” He said with a taunting smile on his face.
“He’s alright.” She said with a blushing face. “Oh yes, you hide how you think very well by the way.” Mr. Johnson taunted. She put her head back in her book. Mr. Johnson laughed and walked the other way.713Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKX3erNpkl
