Batty Bear

Catri's fingers caress my palms as I reminisce my journey; Nina rests a guest, another awaits his companion, one leaves for an evening of work.

"Stacking newspapers..."

Braid finishes a pitcher of citrus tea; her eyes soften clarity, rain falls from her lids.

"There's a rhythm."

Avie's water carrier arises; Allison informs me she is frozen.

"You will see; whatever may come to be thou shalt not fuck with these."

Fear is an expression; I watch several faces die from skin.

"I know what she said but we's been fucked with."

Ally sparks a button; seven humans walk an electrical formation.

"We's fucked. I can't get me self out this block."

"Just think about pizza George."

"Maybe he likes oranges."

"He ain't a going to like what I'm a going to do and she's going to remember me. I hate for her to feel sad; I hate for her to be gone. I hate for her to hate what I do. Something's wrong....so wrong...I ain't feeling well that's all.......I'm a going to remember her....little gal with curls...yep."

"Folding scarves...purple's soft..."

"I need a bath; he knows that."

"My bong is dirty.....guess I won't be needing where we's headed."

"....she sure knows something."

Lucidity returns with a bruised and beaten scientist.

"He fought them off."

"Who?!"

"Intra phase spooks."

"What......"

"They can hurt us."

Nina pours hazelnut brown sugar chai for my husband; the aroma arouses his nose nuzzle, my fingers caress his cheeks, his tender lips look delicious. Sparrows whimper sorrowful earth; we concern for their tears, one sits alone wrapped inside an earthen woven blanket striped burgundy wine, orange sand, white blocks across crimson into sunshine lengthwise lines centers two spacious gaps. We listen to sadness; she comes closer. Nina's face is stern stressful grief; her eyes forecast thunderstorms.

"I need to tell you something."

We worry for us; we worry for ours.

"Nina.....where will you sleep?"

"On the couch; I'm used to it."

"?"

"Tis good for my back."

A boy shies from the shadows.

"You look like a teddy bear!"

"I got him a teddy from town."

"His name is Yogi; he goes wherever I shall."

"His hair reminds me of ripe melons from the farmer's market."

"See you at the park!"

"He loves it there."

"Am I dreaming?"

"Aren't we all....any who....let us move on...."

Xenya's hands soothe my hips; I tremble a bit. Our silence introduces a mad scientist.

"My name is Alsworth; I'm a mad scientist."

Nina favors seating herself darkness thus her garment as she begins.

"It all started with a book."

I adjust my garter belted stockings; Zen undoes three of his shirt buttons.

"They grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I stood up with all of them attached to my clothes."

"Dearest me."

"I am not surprised."

We are aware of such happenings however inexperienced.

"I told the banker and his wife. They asked me to stay with them then they kicked me out."

"...?..."

"His brother in law and sister in law."

"Oh."

"She was pregnant."

"....."

"I had a marijuana pipe; they broke it when searching my laundry pockets."

"....."

"I lived with Charles and Young."

My husband locates an empty cup; he fills half for her from his own.

"He drinks a lot of coffee. They both do."

"My husband enjoys flavored espresso."

"It smells like shit."

"?"

"The coffee they make."

".....ew."

"It smells like fucking shit at that and the fucking bread."

"........oh."

"He eats the same shit every fucking chance he get! Drove me insane!"

"How did you...?"

"Ack."

"Huh."

"Smells like burnt hair. Smelled like that when they....I thought nobody cared."

"About what?"

"I don't know what came over them."

"They didn't care for him at all."

"He didn't have any money left neither did she. They ran out of funds. I didn't know.....I could of sworn everything was alright. They always acting like nothing a matter....she always going out to dinner....he always messing with computers....things of that nature. Poof! Gone!"

"What of the neighbors?"

"They always keep to themselves; I don't know."

"What prompted them to....?"

"I never told anybody except for this one big girl; she cried. I showed her my bruises; I cried too."

"......"

"I fought with him twice."

"......dearest..."

"He pulled my hair!"

"!"

"Remember my hair. You'll see it again."

Lunar eclipsing waves silhouette her mane.

"I must be dreaming."

"That's where I am."

"....I wonder if I'll ever wake up..."

"Me too! I be waiting for that! I be waiting by the garden; I like those porches for sitting."

"We often think of ourselves as unreal."

"You can say that again!"

".....I know that park.."

"You should! You be dreaming it!"

"There is a white trash can visible at night."

"I went to jail! Twice!"

"Whatever for?"

"For fighting his arse!"

"......"

"Damn."

"Had to live with them; felt like their child."

"Shit."

"Bloody shit!"

"Fuck."

"Bloody fuck!"

"....."

"....."

"Bloody shitty fuck!"

"Yes."

"I agree."

"Felt like I was their prisoner or something....they always be getting at me for stuff. I try to be working but these townspeople are rough. Shops be far.....got to keeps up....stuff! Had me a difficulty....they seemed to be doing alright...."

"Am I a teddy bear?"

"Well...."

Zen acknowledges Nina's plausible response; they sip for precognitive response mechanisms.

"Shit be stinking a marsh!"

"Smelled that.....bad?"

"Uh huh. Yeah. Sure as hell does."

"This is delicious chai."

"The boy made it; that he did. He knows...stuff."

"Teddy bears are made of stuff."

"We all be made of stuff"

"Absolutely divine."

"People be getting at me inside the prison! They be acting like them! Circling around and singing....fucking shit! They be talking like them....I couldn't wait to get out of there but I had to go back to their house."

"Where is that?"

"This here."

"....."

"Oh."

"We got one room left for us to share. The boy be hanging upside down; makes him feel alright."

"How does he..."

"He got something worked out. They told the jail masters I was crazy! Told them I had head problems. Even the judge be treating me weird. Asked me if I want to see a psych. I got me a criminal record! Something about me hitting elderly people and children! That's probably why tis so hard to get me some work."

"....."

"They hid the boy but he came out."

"Where?"

".....he alright."

"This is a strange town."

"It's not real."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a bunch of acting peoples doing shit."

"....huh."

"What to do...."

"I just keep to myself that's all. The boy be disappearing but he come back when I'm dreaming."

"Disappear?"

"Black fractals."

"?"

"Aw nothing."

"Delicious...."

"How do they see out of those things!"

"?"

"Divine...."

"....."

"....."

"Guess I be joining him soon."

"Who?"

"The boy!"

".....?"

"Strangest place I ever been, still don't know if we really here."

I dream of a bat boy holding a teddy bear.

"How do they see out those things!"

He is an audio visual darkness.

"Bzzzz...."

"Bzzzz...."

"Wife...did you hear..."

"Husband...yes."

Alsworth wriggles square rim spectacles; he ponders another existence. Victoria prepares him a glass of ice water while Tex hums a song.

"Do you hear what I'm saying gotta say how I feel...can't believe you're here but I know that you're real.."

"They would kill somebody."

"Isn't that part of it?"

"An act....they would really kill one another given the chance."

"How is chance likely?"

"You're calling me mad but I know you're the same....cause you got to be seen to be playing the game..."

"We might have to find out. They mimic human reaction; I suppose it's alike."

"Will they kill us?"

"I told them I was Jesus."

"Why would you do that?"

"To see how they react."

"....."

"Lucid flipped the knob; I lost my fucking hat!"

"What does it look like?"

"....."

"?"

"An eagle with flowers in his mouth."

"She ain't got that boom like I do and she don't move the room like I do."

My husband tilts curiosity over his right shoulder.

"Who?"

"I know her from some place..."

"Pressurized lock."

Braid inspects a single disc.

"Poppiholla."

"I'm the only one who knows all the freaky things you like..."

My boyfriend submits his chestnut; he needs to know.

"I want to meet her Tex."

"Don't mess with my man I'm a be the one to break it to ya..."

Victoria turns off the radio.

"We don't need it; we have Tex."

"That's great it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an airplane, Lenny Bruce is not afraid. Eye of a hurricane listen to yourself churn world serves its own needs regardless of your own needs. Feed it up a knock speed grunt no strength no. Ladder structure clatter with fear of height down height. Wire in a fire represent the seven games in a government for hire and a combat site. Left her wasn't coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck."

"Especially that one with the blue and brown...."

Lucidity adores her likeness; I am him.

"You look like me."

"What if we forget it's...."

"She works at a sandwich shop."

"She don't like this at all."

"Who Tex?"

"The girl that be singing in my head."

"How do you get her out of there?"

"He works at a sushi bar."

"Where did they go?"

"They were gone."

"People back at home be tripping about some stuff."

"Like what?"

"Hard to say...."

"?"

"...got something to do with diamonds."

"That one drives a red car."

"Where will you be Alsworth?"

"...inside a church."

"?"

"That's where it's at."

"I wonder where the teddy bear went."

Where is my head?