Parlor Tricks

Candlelight provided the only illumination in the room. Seated on the loveseat in the parlor, Karli held her glasses in her right hand as she massaged the bridge of her nose with the thumb and forefinger of her other hand. So many things to juggle. The shrieking wind outside sounded like it was going to tear the house apart.

Angeline appeared in the room, approach silent.

“This house is magnificently prepared,” Karli said, replacing her glasses on her face.

Angeline nodded, “Thank you. Do you like it?”

Karli nodded slowly before looking around, “It’s perfectly delightful, elegant with a heavy dose of southern charm,” she said, smiling.

“How long do you think it will take?” Angeline inquired.

Karli pursed her lips, “It’s different every time. The ones you think will take the longest usually end the quickest and vice versa. Despite possessing permanently stunted adolescent brains, don’t be fooled, Aedin and Eddie are both incredibly intelligent, Pete is fearless, and Charlie is wise, so it could be interesting,” she explained.

“They should be rousing soon,” commented Angeline, looking toward the corridor leading to the bedrooms.

Karli checked her wrist watch, “they should all be awake by now and coming to terms with their environment,” she said.

Angeline nodded. “The bus driver?” she asked.

Karli considered a moment. “Let him sleep for the time being. We’ll see what happens with the band and depending on that we can decide on him later,” she instructed.

Angeline nodded again, rising from her seat, she inclined her head slightly before taking a candle and exiting the parlor.

Amanda walked into the room and sat down beside Karli, curling her legs under herself. “None of the girls can sleep, they’re all too excited,” she said.

Karli smiled and nodded, “Understandable, given we are only moments away from the fun. Remember, the limit is two per person which means two of the girls could wind up with a pair and one may wind up with none. Trading will be permitted, but again as long a no one exceeds the limit. Impress upon your girls these conditions because failure to abide will result in being disqualified from continuing,” Karli advised.

Amanda nodded, “I went over the conditions with all of them and they are aware,” she assured.

“Good,” replied Karli, nodding in approval. “Why don’t we go and get the girls ready?” she suggested.

Amanda nodded.

“Are you sure you don’t wish to participate?” Karli asked as she rose from the loveseat.

Amanda chuckled, “I’ve been considering it. I’ve half a mind to get ahold of little Eddie and teach him some respect,” she said, eyes filled with bad intent.

“Let me know before we begin, it alters the dynamic slightly but certainly won’t be a problem,” Karli said with a smile.

“I will,” replied Amanda as the women exited the parlor.

Concealed within his hiding place, Aedin’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe the conversation between the women. What the hell was Karli talking about? From the flavor of her conversation with Anna’s mother, it sounded like she was completely aware of what had happened to them and that it seemed almost pre-planned. He shook his head. Nah, he mumbled low under his breath. Couldn’t be? There was no way she could have known about the rum. No way. Angeline’s seeming deference to Karli that was also weird. The bits and pieces were just too incredulous to be true, well first off, being tiny was fucked, but Karli in on it? He scratched his head, trying to make some sense of the jumbled thought bouncing around inside his pumpkin.

Quickly making his way back to where the others were hidden, whistled. One by one the other members of Injustice appeared.

“Did you that?” Aedin asked.

“Yeah, the part where Amanda says want to teach me something, pfft,” Eddie said, making a noise with his mouth.

“The part he’s talking about is that it looks like Karli may have orchestrated this whole thing, from the get go,” Charlie said.

Pete’s eyes widened, “You mean?”

Charlie shook his head, “Yes dim bulb, all of the women are in on it somehow. They knew we were shrunk and now apparently they are going to cut the girls loose on us,” he said.

“But,” Pete started, trying desperately to see how the pieces of the puzzle fit.

Aedin nodded slowly, “I should have spoken to Karli, found out the rules to this fucked up game,” he said.

“Or she could have just stomped you, right? How do we know?” Eddie queried.

“Or she could have said, stay hidden for ten hours and you’ll all wake up in the bus, or I don’t know, fuck, I just think I missed an opportunity,” Aedin grumbled.

“Way to let the team down,” Pete condemned, serious expression on his face as he glowered at the lead singer.

Charlie shook his head, “What’s done is done and we shouldn’t be standing around here gabbing like a bunch of hens in a chicken coop when the foxes are about to pounce, we should find a place to hide,” he suggested, pivoting on the spot and trying to identify a good place.

“I say we split up, it increases our odds of staying hidden,” Pete said, nodding his head.

“So instead of limiting them to one spot to find, you’ve now doubled their odds by creating two groups, or more if we all go solo,” Charlie offered by way of reply.

“Charlie’s right, we need to stay together, especially if what Karli says is true, no one girl can have more than two of us. If we’re together then we’re four and we can try and get one of them disqualified. Again, that’s according to what I heard,” Aedin stated.

Charlie nodded. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on, I think we still need to get info from Karli, make her undo whatever the fuck this is, you know?” he said, frowning.

“I say we find a place to hole up and weather this storm,” Aedin said. Pointing back into the parlor, “In there,” he added, surmising the girls might not begin their search in that room. “If I get a chance, I’ll make the approach to Karli.”

“I like it,” said Eddie.

Charlie frowned. Pete snickered and also nodded.

“Are we decided, all for one and one for all?” Aedin asked, lopsided grin on his face.

The other members of the band nodded in agreement.