Rhetoric Relations

I nudge Diesel with my left palm, he swings with his right fist, I duck underneath a shelf, he laughs hysterically; Pookah lifts me inside her arms, tears soak my black t-shirt. Subway Thirteen rails the curve into Queens; condensation dripping aluminum alloy, motionless people, timeless intervals. You Know Who's white leather jacket chimes metallics; glistening reptilian skin is alive. Andain curls between my knees, I kiss the dome of his forehead, he purrs and licks my nose.

"Will you remember me Andain?"

".......me...me...meyou...meyou...me."

"...you look like a Mad Triangle rain cloud."

"What is that?"

"Now he is awake..."

"Sort of...what is it?"

"............there's this part of the islands that whirlpools into a pyramid."

"For real?"

"Yeah..."

"How do you know?"

"Ruby and I took a boat out there."

"Why?"

"To see it do that!"

"............well holy fuck."

"We layed a bunch of banana peels on the surface."

"What happened?"

"We fell asleep."

"Oh."

"Ruby are you awake?"

"Are you?"

"Where did all the banana peels go?"

"What is that?"

"It's probably just the sun's reflection."

"........okay."

"I didn't know the damn sun spirals like that."

"I didn't know it was so red."

"Red?"

"....blood or something."

"Oh.."

"That looked like a damn face..."

"Whose?"

"Some ugly motherfucker."

"Hhhmmm..."

"Do you hear that?"

"Sounds like somebody talking."

"What did you hear?"

"What did you hear?"

"Something about the sun's fire."

"I heard dragons underwater."

"...........I miss Nadia."

"I miss Zen."

"....................let's go home."

"Okay."

Pookah sets a cup of tea next to my right open hand while Andain munches a piece of orange. Die Die curses at dream people.

"Did you tell him about that kid?"

"................god damn he's so fucking annoying."

"Yeah he is. He's so god damn obnoxious. I don't understand how they put up with him."

"Sunny is going fucking nuts."

"He doesn't even want to be there."

"He's got to rest his head and store his food somewhere."

"And the bike."

"Bikes..."

".....oh yeah."

"...damn I never experienced anybody that god damn annoying before."

"His voice is a nasal blood vessel rotting in between stained teeth."

"That bitch that lives there....she stinks...and she's fucking stupid as all god damn donkey shit balls falling out a god damn donkey ass."

"She's so ugly."

"How can they stand to be who they are?"

"They think he likes them."

"They just figured it out."

".......how?"

"Some lady freaked out and laughed at them."

"What does it look like?"

"She's got brown painted hair."

"What did she say?"

"......she said Victoria doesn't even know they are there and that she knows what they are."

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

"She told them that Victoria is a Sailor and a Singer's child and that they are beautiful people, nobody alive believes they are relatives of hers....nobody cares about them at all....nobody cares if they die...everybody wants them to disappear...she told them Victoria doesn't care and that she is a vampire that lives forever."

"...wow..."

"...they didn't say anything."

"Really?"

".....she drooled a little and he peed."

"Some guy was there."

"You saw him?"

"I'm feeling weird."

"Sunny fell asleep with Andain but he hears when he's shut closed."

"The guy has gray hair and was eating some kind of pastry."

"Did you hear what he said?"

"He said she doesn't need them and does not care for them one bit."

"..........so they will figure it out then."

"They got it loud and clear."

"....blood in the water....Ruby did you hear him say the blood river flows infinitely?"

"Amethyst...there was a man and a woman in there too...some little kid...some elderly appearing person...there was a bunch of them...but they all looked the same...why?"

"They all looked the same?"

"...yeah."

"You all requested the same people..."

"We did?"

"Yes."

"Allison."

"Yes teacher."

"They will all look the same?"

"Yes."

"What of their peculiarity?"

"...no..."

"What do you mean?"

"...you all saw the same sort of thing but they are not the same exactly...they just look the same."

"Strange.."

"It was all we could do because of the blood trait."

"They have blood?"

"Not really."

"What is it?"

"Kool aid."

"What?"

"...Thad will explain."

"Did you see that little kid Pookah?"

"He's looking for her everywhere."

"He knows almost everything about her."

"She knows about him too."

"Does he like her?"

".....he tries not to care about anyone."

"Why?"

"...I don't know."

"......well he's looking for her."

"He should know."

"She is looking for him."

"...sort of."

"He feels better when he thinks about her."

"Has to do with his maternal father."

"Maternal?"

"He likes him."

"...."

"She can't do nothing about that."

"...."

"I don't know."

"I can't believe they thought she liked them."

"She can't figure nothing out because it's all hidden."

"That damn trigger."

"Yeah."

"She's damn haggard."

"Kevinya is my son Sunny."

"......I knew that..."

"No you didn't."

"...he told me you were different."

"Yeah well."

"What did you do with all the children?"

"He wasn't exactly a kid."

"....yeah."

"He's my one and only."

".......uh huh."

"They were with us."

"How?"

"Same chambers."

"Oh."

"..........he's different."

"How?"

"....he had a pet I guess if you want to call her that."

"She was a bat."

"Oh."

"He was always with her."

"He never told me that."

".....she was in there with him."

"......"

"......"

"You should of seen his face."

"Damn."

"They told them everything!"

"That she knows.."

"Yeah."

"She knows all of it!"

"Pretty much..."

"Your son is handsome."

"..............his neighbors beat up that lady."

"He didn't even notice."

"She knows about Victoria."

"!"

"They told her."

"She's got a trigger too."

"She sort of looks like that weird lady."

"Which one?"

"The one Sun has to deal with."

"....she does."

"....except she's supposed to be Mexican or some shit."

"........he's dying."

"So is she."

"Her baby got into trouble."

"Something about a weapon."

".....yeah."

"They moved her somewhere that's driving her sad crazy."

"She is going mad."

"What was it?"

"....a weapon."

"What kind?"

"....some kind of puncturing utensil."

"......I don't get it."

"I didn't see it."

"Do they let her out?"

"........they got to..."

"She didn't like the lesbians."

"Is that what they call those people?"

"I want her to be a lesbian."

"Victoria can I zap her?"

"No you cannot."

"Why aren't you a lesbian?"

"I do not desire my own genitalia."

"....I never thought of it like that before."

"....do you ever think of what disturbs you?"

"Do you?"

"Like what?"

"Me."

".........you wanted it."

"Did you really?"

"I acted and so did my husband and ours..."

"....oh."

"I'm married."

"...are you going to know you was acting?"

"Are you going to know that was your body?"

"What?"

"....she doesn't understand Thad."

"...holy hell Marsha! You were wired to a transfiguration! It was your physicality in the appearance of what seventeen girls who are not Victoria look like from what you wanted her to look like...do you get it?"

".......I didn't want that!"

"You agreed to it. This weight is making me angry."

"....yeah I know."

"I don't understand why she wanted this."

"....it was sort of an accident."

"I gained whatever you lost."

"...."

"Damn."

"What of the past in the present of my digital personality?"

"You will cue in and have to deal with it."

"......I suppose that's a problem."

"Yes it is."

"Especially that one."

"Which one?"

"...you don't know who I'm a talking about?"

"No."

"........he shaves his head a lot."

"What about him?"

"...I would say nothing but it don't work."

"....."

"Was that the guy you wore?"

".......I don't remember."

"Your baby."

"Yes?"

"...I guess I fucked him."

"What?"

"....shit."

"He was the one she lost her....whatever...the first time thing."

"Yeah you wore him."

"I fucked him trying to look like you."

"What?"

"......you wanted us to replace them."

"You have to."

"They have to appear real..."

"Resident Evil?"

"Yeah."

"You know there is an electrode that wires vital frequency?"

"....is that what that was."

"Was that a question?"

"I knew what it was."

"It's what paramedics use to jump start the heart."

"It's more complex than that."

"What?"

"That thing is more than convulsive."

".....we made that game for Clyde."

"...................."

"He loves zombies."

".....why?"

"I don't know."

"..."

"Is she going to get her body back?"

"..........she already has her body."

"No I mean will it cue inside the box?"

"....I am not worried about her body."

"Neither am I."

"We want her brain back."

"Precisely."

"....that's her body."

"It is."

"She's right."

"What of her mind?"

"That will cue in as soon as I get what I want."

"What is that?"

"....wait she already got that..."

"Yes but I know what she means....I will be lost."

"You'll get it back when you work for that damn shop."

"What?"

"She is trying to make you her slave."

"Oh for her double inside the fake company?"

"It's a real fake too."

"She doesn't understand."

"What?"

"It's going to go under."

".......you should of seen her face."

"Why would they think Victoria would like them?"

"...that was their reason for living."

"Why?"

"Made them feel slightly important."

"Why?"

"They want to be a part of something."

"....I don't think that is why they were living."

"I wish he was a white donkey and she was a white pig."

"Me too."

"I wish that little boy thing was a white mouse."

"Me too."

"And that guy and that woman."

"Me too."

"I wish that older looking whatever lady was a white bison."

"One of those big ugly god damn bloody horn cow things?"

"Yeah."

"Wish I could read myself talking."

"Would you understand?"

".....I don't know what I'm saying most the moment."

"....Thad I am done communicating."

"Aldous said the same."

"I miss my husband."

"She doesn't understand."

".....I didn't know it was that important."

"What do you think life is you god damn sack of fucking turd shit?"

"Thad..."

"Sorry....Sorry....that's what you are Marsha."

"..........mistakes make mistakes."

"God damn you know what I used to think I was one until I met you then I realized there are none just some god damn mean motherfucking nasty fucking people without a god damn care for anybody or anything just cause they really believe somebody owes them for being a bitch."

"She shut it off before you said that."

"I wish she could of heard it."

"............"

"Diesel."

"Sunny?"

"What are you talking about?"

"....why was that guy following you?"

"Who is he?"

"Some guy with an ugly spatula."

"He makes cookies."

"What does he want?"

".......she loses him eventually."

"What does he want?"

"...cake."

"Huh?"

"Cake!"

"....I don't get it."

".....he's pissing me off."

"They can't hide everything."

"They try."

"Those are some big hints."

"He sleeps a lot."

"Kevinya saved a lot..."

"He did."

"What for?"

"....."

"He's going nuts."

"So is she."

".........will he find her?"

"........."

"How can he find me?"

".....doesn't he know her name?"

"The first part."

"....damn."

"Somebody's got to say something."

"Where is my baby?"

"Victoria will you always see her like that?"

"Yes."

"....."

"She's inside a white box."

"Why?"

"What was that thing Pook?"

"....we all use it."

".....it was sharp."

"She was paranoid."

"They let her out."

"What?"

"They move her somewhere else..."

"Good."

"........will she be able to find me Thad?"

"...."

"What?"

"...."

"...."

"Don't worry teacher."

"How?"

".....did you see her Pookah?"

"Yeah I did."

"She lost it all."

"....who was that?"

"........had something to do with taxes."

"I had a dream you were undoing buttons."

".....mmmm........I love your buttons."

"They were not mine."

"?!"

"My wife was undoing buttons that did not belong to me."

"....what color was the shirt?"

"......it had a picture of a mountain and water but you did not notice."

"Just one?"

"There were so many..."

"Not yours?"

"............no."

"I don't know why."

"You were wearing your ring but it was sliding off."

"Why?"

"Your fingers were small."

"...oh."

"She does that so well."

"That guy has got to be a bee low."

"That's what I was thinking."

"What did you think about her?"

"....how did she do that?"

"...........she loves her."

"Is that enough?"

"Looks like it."

"Who taught you how to take care of your hair Sun?"

"Nadia."

"Her hair is so straight and laid back."

"I used to blow at it and watch it go up."

"..........."

"Damn Sun."

"She knows."

"She's got to."

"She thinks it's a dream."

"......"

"Did you put my name on the stone?"

"Yes."

"The one inside that world?"

"Yes."

".......what of my husband?"

"..........he's not next to you."

"I desire him to be next to me."

"I desire you to be alive."

"Maybe so."

"You can't live without him."

"No....he is me."

"...............it's cold in there ain't it?"

"She's listening now..."

"....it's chilly."

"What else?"

"It's dark."

"How dark?"

"They asked for nocturnal daylight."

"What is that?"

"Day is darkness and night is black."

"That's how it is already..."

"No....day is without natural light and night is without light reflection from natural light."

"I don't get it."

"There's no sun but there is a moon."

"Then it's darker during the day than at night."

"The sun is artificial."

"How?"

"....how did you do that Victoria?"

"..........you have it partially factual."

"The sun is the moon and moon is artificial."

"Sort of..."

"Then what?"

"The moon is ever present."

"Huh."

"....why did you all want that?"

".........to see what would happen."

"She's got one of those things."

"They all got something like that."

"....wow."

"She don't know."

"She's asleep."

"If I read what I talked about it wouldn't make sense to nobody but us."

"Where is Kevinya?"

"........I miss my son."

"We tried to build four but they were all destroyed by wind."

"Really Thad?"

"Yeah...we got it right on the fifth try."

"I need to read it."

"Why?"

"....so I can remember."