Winfred Cowell, Smedaphites, and the Aliens 2

By Lee Ching Kai

After the horrors of an alien attack, the world is no longer as it once was. But thanks to a heroic human resistance, the powerful fire lord Zeda and his armies have been destroyed. The world, while currently tranquil, remains vigilant.

That sense of safety is tested by a series of avalanches in Canada. Could this be simply a series of natural phenomena—or the beginning of a new campaign of destruction by terrorists? Hero Winfred Cowell decides to attack them at their home base in Africa, but his plans are complicated by the arrival of strange, deadly beings who have emerged from the Bermuda Triangle. Forces unknown have transformed humans into Allosaurus-like monsters.

Worse, just when he needs them the most, Winfred has lost his abilities.

Winfred and Margaret set out on a quest to take the royal items of Zeda and release his prisoners. Once freed, the creatures now follow Winfred and Margaret back to the Bermuda Triangle, where a terrifying monster named Polkren is preparing to attack the world. But when the creatures betray their human partners, events take a dire turn. Now following the commands of their new master, Polkren, the creatures attack New Jersey. Meanwhile, Polkren has activated the machine that transforms half of the USA and Mexico civilians into zombies. The battle will claim a powerful leader before everything is done.

The forces of good and evil will both risk everything to win. Winfred must summon all of his courage and creativity when the unimaginable happens: Foxpin, the son of Zeda, comes to the Earth with a hundred spaceships at his command.

And only one of the commanders is destined to survive this brutal, epic battle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Mar 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781482894875

Lee Ching Kai

Lee Ching Kai is a graduate of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR). Besides having a Bachelor Degree of Commerce (Hons) Accounting, he has completed the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) examinations. He is an author of 7 books. He has won multiple international book awards and writing competitions. He has won the Bronze Award in WOW Kampar's MENTION 2019 Best Feature Writing Award (Malaysia) and a Bronze Medal in Florida Authors & Publishers Association (FAPA) President's Book Awards 2020, one of the largest and most prestigious international book awards contests based in the United States. Also a winner in Eyelands International Book Award's Three Rock Residency Program 2020 (Greece), he has been selected as the finalist in Eyelands Book Awards (EBA) 2020 (Greece). While having been longlisted in 2019 Bumblebee Flash Fiction Prize (Canada), he was shortlisted in Strands International Flash Fiction Competition 2020 (India) and longlisted in Strands International Flash Fiction Competition 2021 (India). He also won an Honorable Mention in Purple Dragonfly Book Awards 2022 (USA). While he has been featured in The Star newspaper, he was also featured in Guang Ming Daily newspaper due to his accomplishments in the global awards contests. He has also been featured 3 times in Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) online news.

Book preview

Romance in Birthday Party

T he hottest day of summer so far was drawing to a close and an exhilarating silence lay over the medium-sized, square houses of Powell Street. The silence of the street was quickly shattered by the harsh rumble of a car engine and the crunch of gravel on the asphalt. The fingers of the orange sunlight were stretching over the land, throwing grotesque shadows and casting silhouettes against the bright background. The inhabitants of Powell Street had retreated into their houses owing to the scorching hot weather that was literally worrying them. In the house number 5, there was a boy, slightly tanned, wasp thin, with short dark hair that was meticulously parted and slicked down, and a Roman nose that he had inherited from his father. What’s more, he had a pair of blue eyes and dimples on his cheeks that he did not quite fancy.

The boy was me, Winfred Cowell. Though my real name was Berulian Parof, I still preferred to use my fake name. The other Smedaphite—the merely Smedaphite other than me—named Margaret Parof, had been living in the majestic castle in the Portable Accommodation since the untimely demise of the ever so powerful Fire Lord, Zeda. The world was well and truly tranquil after the demise of Zeda, and the world military forces had been mitigating their structures and organisations after the tragic war that had transpired six months ago in order to prevent the aliens from obliterating the globe in the time to come. The Liberty Island, which had been decimated and clobbered horrendously by the aliens, was massively rebuilt on the morrow of the war notably the Statue of Liberty which was half constructed as it was. For your information, the whole shebang of the island was blown away by the aliens half a year ago.

The poorly-manicured bush outside my house had grown unchecked and was crawling a quarter of the length of the moss green wall of the front yard which was peeling away in virtue of long term wetting by the rainwater. The swathes of the sunlight were streaming through the lunette of my house like a secret agent and the wind was fluttering the velvet curtains of the well-cleaned bay windows. The opening notes of the clock music indicated that it was already seven o’clock.

It was my birthday today, and I was immensely happy.

I sauntered into the pristine dining room in which the coloured balloons were hung all but precariously under the ceiling.

A cake with cherries toppings and chocolate coating came into my view.

Wow! The Black Forest Gateau! I murmured with pleasure under my breath. Black Forest Gateau was my favourite cake, indeed. I recalled I had had a mango-flavoured cake for my birthday last year, but not very well it tasted. Aaron was clad in his favourite slinky play clothes with the word ‘Spiderman’ clearly emblazoned on it. Spiderman was his favourite hero and he had even watched the movie twice. He said Spiderman was very cool and how nice it would be if he was able to emanate webs and catch malicious guys and evildoers everywhere in the city.

Too much violence, sometimes mom would say so and I thought it was right, on the surface at least. I used to wear Spiderman costumes too but now I thought it was too frivolous to do so. And most importantly, Ripley was here in my party, so I could not dress like a profound lunatic and showed her how deranged I was. I could not even imagine what Ripley would say if she saw me garbed in Spiderman costumes, jumping here and there like an avid nerd—Oh, are you an escapee from the mental asylum?, Oh gosh, I could not imagine my boyfriend dressing like a callow tosh in front of me. or just a disheartening and simple Ridiculous!

The pendent lamp was illuminating the bleak dining room incandescently. We were all wearing party hats around the table. Other than Ripley, Jeff the niggard, Richard the glutton, Alfred the big bully and the others had come to my birthday party as well, which meant the dining room was crammed with people now. Some of them were blowing the Dragon Pipe, while the others were chattering and exchanging remarks joyously.

I sat on the chair in front which the Black Forest Gateau sat on the table. Mom lit the candles on the cake and the flame wavered flamboyantly, throwing vague shadows onto the blank wall. Then, they began to sing birthday songs to me. The atmosphere of feverish excitement was literally overwhelming as they were singing and clapping with utter joy. Aaron was standing behind my mom and he was not singing birthday songs. In fact, he was shouting the songs in a pestilential manner. He had never been able to sing in tune after all. His awful voice was ruining the whole melody of the songs and I would just as soon punch him on his chin and constrain him to keep his pert mouth shut. At any rate, I was having a big kick out of the party. Nevertheless, I would sometimes think about the aliens, which I could not help doing so, and which was always eating away at me, notably when I was free. I had been visiting the creatures in the Portable Accommodation since the death of Zeda more or less every day. The most significant matter that still remained deep in the heart of my mind was the death of the four warriors and I could still remember how they went the way for all flesh in my mind’s eye and I would have a dull and sinking sensation each and every time I thought about that. They were Borus, Sarina, Viktoris and Giorgio. As a matter of fact, I had survived a near-death experience half a year ago.

It was bad enough that I kept revisiting the war in my unsettling nightmares, without dwelling on it in my waking moments. I was always swimming in the sea of consternation after the tragic war.

What’s more, I also remembered how I muttered encouragement to myself in a rapid-fire patter when I was undergoing inhuman trainings in the Portable Accommodation and when I was fighting with the dark aliens. But all those were just a memory to me, as most of the Smedaphites were dead.

Standing right in front of Ed, Ripley was clapping her hands with a graceful, face-splitting grin that embellished her already-gorgeous face. I looked at her and my face blushed crimson involuntarily. Her hair was wavering gently under the tediously swirling fan.

Oh my God, her smile was truly charming! I swallowed hard as I ogled her. But the word ‘ogled’ was a relatively disapproving term, as ‘looked’ was a more suitable term to describe my action at the very moment.

I could discern her gorgeous face under the pendent lamp, and at the moment Ripley had seemed to be the solitary figure in front of me in spite of the incoherent hubbubs that reverberated through the dining room.

When the birthday songs drew to a close, I was inquired to make my own wish. So I held my palms together and closed my eyes, and I began to make my wish which was half the battle, as Ripley was looking at me, and I could feel her stare at the back of my eyes. Myriads of thoughts came flashing into my mind in a quick succession and I felt a little disconcerted. I tried as hard as I could to focus, but Aaron kept chuckling beside me, making me want to pinch his face hard so that he could guffaw as loudly as he desired.

I made my wish. I wished that I could have a happy family for good and ever, as what people would wish as a general rule, and could stay together with Ripley in my whole life. After making my wish, I opened my eyes and it was mom’s voice that broke the silence, You took so long to make your wish.

I pouted my fairly parched lips and she came up with, Well, you can blow the candles now.

I blew off the candles and the dining room reverberated deafeningly with their applause. I grinned and the lot of them started making noises. Then, I was gingerly cutting the cake into pieces when dad suddenly emerged from the living room, holding a pile of envelopes in his hands.

Hey Winfred, here you’re, dad said, walking steadily into the dining room. See these letters, they’re from your friends!

Okay dad, I’m cutting the cake. I replied with my eyes glittered with excitement.

Aaron tore an envelope open without my permission and read it aloud frantically, Dear Winfred, happy b’day to you! Wish you have a wonderful day and prosperous life! By Ben.

He tore another envelope without consent and continued, To my bud Winfred, happy birthday! I’m very happy to receive your invitation last week. I’d like to apologize because I’m not able to make it to your party. I’m goin’ to my cousin’s wedding ceremony at night. Anyway, enjoy yourself in your birthday and send my regards to your family too! By Sebastian.

To my sweetie, happy birthday to you my love. I wish you a happy day…

Ripley’s face suddenly went blushing like an burgundy apple.

. . . I hope that we can have romantic moments toge…

I was suffused with embarrassment. Quickly, I grabbed the letter away from his clutch. Ripley chuckled inwardly and my face shifted from brown to crimson like a barbequed beacon. I pinched Aaron’s stomach as hard as I could so that he let out a protracted moan of pain.

Hey, it’s enough! he bellowed crossly at me, frowning so hard that his eyebrows formed a deep, bushy line.

Your punishment for reading my letter without consent, I said self-satisfactorily and began to read the letter Ripley had written to me.

". . . together. I wish that I could make your birthday more meaningful than ever before. My heart for you will never break. My smile for you will never fade. My love for you will never dissipate. I love you sweetheart. A hundred kisses from me as your birthday present. By Ripley."

Luckily Aaron did not read the last sentence, otherwise I did not know whether or not to plunge my head right into the overflowing dustbin in the kitchen.

I felt myself engulfed in extreme euphoria. My stomach did a somersault and I could not resist the bubble of excitement that had swelled in my heart not all that long ago.

With my hands trembling, I tore open another envelope and the letter said, Hey Winfred, happy birthday and I wish you not to have any detentions again in school, I smirked at it and continued, Anyway, I hope all your wishes and dreams come true. By Jack.

To my dear Winfred, happy birthday and may this year be your best ever. May today be filled with sunshine and smiles, laughter and love. By Edward.

Hey Winfred, happy birthday to you! May the best in your past be the worst in your future! How are you doing recently? I’d like to tell you that I’ve bought a Chihuahua on last Saturday. I bet my bottom dollar you’ll be fascinated by its smooth and fluffy hair! Trillions of thanks to my mom and dad. You know, I’ve dreamt about having a Chihuahua for umpteen years, and my dream has become a reality! I can’t even sleep the whole night thinking about my Chihuahua! I like it when it rubs its hair gently on my leg as if being pampered. Sometimes it’ll lick its tongue on my leg and its saliva is altogether gross!! Anyway, I like it very much. I like to sleep together with it, you know, the feeling of caressing its hair when it’s sleeping is very comforting. You can come to my house and play together with it if you wish to. Well, happy birthday and many happy returns of the day! By Leo.

I murmured under my breath, Wow cool! Chihuahua!

Straight up, I had argued with mom to buy me a pet dog for a long time but she never ceased to refuse. She said dogs would make her house filthy and filled with dog hairs. Mom was always a woman who cherished hygiene to a very great extent, who thought that scruffiness was something ought to be punishable by law, sometimes so exceeding and fastidious that we would rather refer her as a hygiene freak, to put it mildly, or even an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) patient. I could not for the life of me think of what she was actually thinking, as the mere hair of a puppy would not suffice to occasion the entire house to be as filthy as a dustbin!

I took another letter and read:

Hi Winfred, happy birthday! May God bless you and love you forever. Have you eaten your birthday cake? Please don’t forget that once you bite your cake, you’re one year older. Haha… I’ve been to Australia for a family trip last holiday. It’s cool! Tell you what, there’re lots of places of attraction and I’ve shot many photos of the scenic landscapes and features—the skyscrapers, silhouette of skylines in the twilight, long-stretched mountains, lithe rivers and so on. I’ve uploaded most of them into my facebook and you can definitely have a look at them. You know, I’ve bought you a special gift for your birthday. I bet my life you’ll be aghast to see my present. By Fred.

I sneered sardonically at it, underwhelmed. He was just having a whack at telling me that how well-heeled he was to be able travel out of the country. As far as I knew, he had already been to Korea, Japan, Beijing, France and Mexico with his family.

I unfolded another letter and read again, To my dearest Winfred, happy birthday to you! Wish you a happy and prosperous birthday and a sweet night of birthday dreams! You know, Lucius smashed the vase into pieces when he was playing a ball last night, and he’s berated by dad and they refused to talk to each other until now! Gosh, I don’t even know what to do to reconcile them. My head’s exploding like a volcano. You’ve got to help me here ok? From your dearest cousin Polly.

I sighed after reading the letter from Polly. What could I do to reconcile them? I was shaking my head imperceptibly when all of a sudden, the busting sound of a balloon pierced through the air like a thunderbolt, making us jump out of our wits as though it was a signal we had been waiting thirstily for. It was Ed who had just pierced his finger into the balloon. Balloons were bouncing on the floor. Some were on the table, and some were stranded under the ceiling. Aaron and Justin were busy bopping the balloons around.

Mom distributed the cake to all of us when I was scanning the letters sent by my friends. Then she began to speak, Hey every one of you, here you are!

She distributed the slices of the cake to us and everybody especially Aaron, who was greedy-personified, came rushing to the table to get their slices. I took a slice of cake and handed it to Ripley who was sitting on the sofa in a jaunty angle in the living room.

Oh sweetie, thank you very much, she said, a teethful grin splitting her face.

You look more beautiful today than the time I clapped eyes on you, I said when the lot of them suddenly collapsed in a fit of laughter. Justin had seized his slice of cake onto Aaron’s face which was now covered with milk white cream and chocolate coating.

Yuck! What in heaven’s name are you doing to me! You dim-witted freak! Aaron blurted the fiendish words out in a boorish manner, wiping the cream scathingly off his chubby face. He was always disposed to poking fun at other people and enjoyed nothing better than teasing people. The thing played out to him really served him so right. He turned on his heel and quickly sprinted into the washroom to get his face washed. You watch out later!!

Right, here we go, the cake game’s beginning! Samantha, one of my schoolmates, quickly seized a small part of the remaining cake and slapped it right onto Alvin’s face. Alvin swung his arms wildly in a gesture of hatred and staggered backwards.

Hey, my face! Hate… ouch! Stop that! You brat! Another lump of cake landed on his face. Samantha had thrown the cake right onto his face again. She cheered gleefully and made a rat face in front of him, taunting him big time.

Yes! Gotcha! Alvin shouted in triumph, as he had squeezed a lump of cake onto Samantha’s face. Samantha was suffused with wrath to be made a fool and tried to trick him back, but before she could do so, Alvin wheeled about without wasting a nanosecond and dashed into the living room. Meanwhile, the rest of them also began to poke fun at one another and the entire house immediately reverberated with gales of laughter.

It’s Winfred’s special day today, so everyone doesn’t need to worry about the mess! mom’s voice pierced into the hubbub in the house like an arrow.

Everybody in my party was having a big kick out of the party. They were having fun and making noises as if they were playing joyously in the amusement park. Justin’s big belly was bouncing nauseatingly in his candy-striped shirt when he jumped around in the living room. On the whole, it was not a good physique. Outside, the last fibre of the twilight gilded the roof of my house, casting silhouette of the tree against the moonlit firmament. Aaron trod out of the toilet, his face still heavily dripping with water. He went to the dining room table and munched his way through the packet of potato chips which had piqued his interest as soon as he saw it. The rest of them played their cake games in feverish ecstasy and at the same time, Ripley and I mumbled to each other softly. We were having our own sweet moments when Ed suddenly shrieked in disgust.

Oh gross! he moaned indignantly, making a wry face, and wiping the cake off his shirt. I despise that!

Then he did the same thing to his friends too. They were cheering and laughing and making horrible racket in the house.

Pop!

The resultant bustling sound made all of us jump out of our wits as though we had received an electric shock. Another balloon had burst in the dining room. I felt as though my head had split into two.

I purposely took a small piece of cake with my fingers and intended to squeeze it onto Ripley’s face. She noticed me and quickly nudged me away gently and made a gesture of defence, her grin shifted to a grimace of defiance.

Hey, you can’t fool me, she said defiantly, grinning at me. I looked back at her, and our hearts were hammering wildly due to a sharp increase in our adrenaline levels.

I shook my right leg as it had begun to fall asleep.

Hey everyone.

Everybody fell silent when Aaron began to speak. Ripley and I swivelled to look at him.

Let’s play the ‘Truth or Dare’, it’s very fun and I like that, what do you all reckon?

Everybody nodded their head almost in unison. They gathered around the coffee table in the living room. Aaron laid down an empty bottle onto the table.

Well, the rules of the game go like this. I’ll spin the empty bottle and let it on the table until it stops spinning. Right, Aaron gulped down his saliva and continued portentously, The person at whom it’s pointing will choose either ‘Truth’ or ‘Dare’, he emphasized the two very important words by stretching his mouth grotesquely and putting quotation marks around them. If you choose ‘Truth’, then the one who spins the bottle will ask you a question, which is humiliating, and you must answer. If you choose ‘Dare’, we’ll pose a task to you, also usually embarrassing, which you must perform and if you fail to answer a query or perform a task, a more challenging question or dare will be in store for you.

We nodded at his plain explanation.

And the one who’ve completed the task is goin’ to spin the bottle, am I right? asked Samantha who was flopping on the sofa between Ed and Christine, her hand shot up high like the Statue of Liberty to get his attention.

Exactly, answered Aaron succinctly, turning his head to look at her. Samantha was draping her arm around Christine, and both of them were lying relaxingly on the sofa.

Haiz! He’s trying to boast about how good he is in the game, said Alvin sarcastically under his breath to Diana. Diana just shrugged and gave him a perfunctory smile.

Aaron lurched forward to hold the bottle which was about to fell onto the floor and said, Alright guys and gals, let’s begin!

Everybody sat upright with bated breath. Samantha and Christine shifted their bodies on the sofa and positioned themselves into a more comfortable posture. Aaron dropped to his knees at the table and spun the bottle.

The bottle spun. All of us fixed our eyes on it with trepidation and the feeling of anxiety hung heavily upon us. When the bottle slowed to a near halt—

Whoa! It seems like it’s gonna point at yourself! Justin uttered in excitement, his eyes looking at Aaron and all of us collapsed in a fit of laughter.

No way! Aaron protested in a literally galling voice and kept chanting. No, it can’t be me!

He tried to waggle his hands to blow the bottle away but Ed seized his arm to restrain him. As he was trying to squirm free from his grasp, he uttered a low sigh of relief when the bottle spun past him and finally pointed at Fred who was sitting beside Aaron.

HA—HA! shouted Aaron almost sinisterly. Fred’s gonna choose either ‘Truth’ or ‘Dare’! Ooooo…

Err… said Fred, scratching his head awkwardly, feeling ambivalent about choosing ‘Truth’. Err… I think I’m gonna choose ‘Dare’.

Oooooooooooooooo… . Aaron made an absolutely childish and ugly face in front of him and kept making ghostly sound so as to provoke his ire. Fred felt like slapping him on the face. What should I ask you to do huh?

Ask him to howl like a monkey! suggested Samantha, her hand shot up high again as though to ward off a blow to get attention. It was very common to see Samantha raised her hand high like an elephant raising its trunk. It was her peculiar behaviour since ages ago.

No, said Aaron succinctly, disagreeing to the hilt. It’s too easy for him!

Ask him to treat me ice-cream! Samantha shot up her hand again. I felt a strong temptation to surge towards her and sever off her arm with a hatchet.

Hey, come on, don’t be so silly! Aaron looked at Samantha who was wiggling her toes. Samantha pouted her lips at him.

Yea I know, ask him to hit mom on her butt! said Aaron and a salvo rippled through the living room.

Ah… no… Fred uttered a protracted whimper of disgust. He refused to go but we urged him forward. Aaron was chuckling in hysterics, his hands cupping his mouth. Reluctantly, Fred plodded silently towards the kitchen in which mom was squeezing oranges at the sink.

He tiptoed into the kitchen and his heart was palpitating horribly. He dared not figure out what will befall him after he had hit her butt. He mustered up his courage and snuck up on her. It seemed that she had not noticed his existence in the kitchen as she was standing with her back at him.

Forgive me, auntie, forgive me… not my fault, he kept chanting as he raised his hand readying to hit her butt.

We were all chuckling on the sofa when all of a sudden, mom’s voice permeated the blustering air of the house and we burst into laughter again. Fred’s palm had landed on mom’s butt with a sickening thud.

THUD!

There were two possible conclusions to be reached here: First, mom would flare up and shout at him like a series of gunfire. Second, mom would remain silent to display her great forbearance. But the latter seemed very improbable.

HEY! WHAT—ARE—YOU—DOING—TO—ME! FRED! HOW—DARE—YOU! her voice echoed through the house like thunderbolt. Fred quickly scampered back into the living room, his face unmistakably red like a raw mutton.

Mom! We’re playing ‘Truth or Dare’! It’s part of the game! I shouted from the sofa with a witty riposte.

HUMPH! mom uttered a low moan of dislike in a paroxysm of fury, her hand still squeezing the oranges.

Alright! Well done Fred, now it’s your turn to spin the bottle! said Aaron. Fred dropped to his knees and spun the bottle wildly. The bottle gyrated for a short while and came to a cessation, pointing at Christine. Christine cupped her face in mortal dislike.

Truth, mused Christine in the cup of her hand.

Yea, said Fred sinisterly. Um… what should I ask you? Oh yeah, please tell us why you always ogle Louis unnoticed?

Christine’s face quickly blushed scarlet. She did not expect that Fred happened to notice her glancing at Louis occasionally. There were random strands of hair hanging in her face.

Err… how you know… she said disconcertedly and evasively, her hands slid down from her slightly horsy face. Actually, I think that he’s very good-looking…

WHOA! we cheered loudly before she could apply a full stop in her sentence. Her eyes flitted to Louis once again but quickly swivelled away when Louis glanced back at her.

Good-looking, then? Justin asked her. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her.

Um… he’s sweet voice, and… and… and… I like him, she quickly cupped her face all but sheepishly, and she knew that she should not say it out in front of so many people. Louis blushed and cast his eyes down at the floor.

Christine sprang to her feet and quickly spun the bottle, still feeling very shameful. The bottle spun post-haste and its cover chinked several times against the plain glass sealing the coffee table. The rustle of the spinning bottle gradually faded after a short while.

The bottle stopped spinning. It was silence again. I cast a look at it and it was pointing at me.

IT WAS POINTING AT ME.

My heart raced below my awkward face and I swallowed hard.

Oh Winfred! Congrats! said Christine in a sarcastic manner, jumping gleefully and slumped back onto the sofa, causing the spring of the sofa to creak.

Dare, I said perfunctorily, rolling my eyes in dislike. I’m having birthday today, so don’t spoil my mood okay?

By all means! said Christine happily. Aaron was convulsed with laughter and he kept squirming on the sofa. He was cackling so terribly that he could not resist punching Ed on his arm on his immediate right.

Aw… stop that you junkyard gibberish! said Ed angrily, nudging him away with his elbow. Aaron fell from the sofa and his palm hit the floor with sickening thud.

Kiss her, said Christine who was smiling sinisterly. Easy for you, isn’t it?

Kiss who? I asked her, pretending to be as matter-of-fact as possible albeit I knew it was Ripley.

Your girlfriend, she said, looking at Ripley sitting in front of me. Ripley raised her head to look at her and shot a glance at me, her face turned crimson at once.

Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her… the rest of them kept chanting and clapping. Aaron giggled even more terribly at the moment.

I mustered up my courage and forced myself to rise to my feet. The living room was now reverberating with their perpetuating cheers and shrieks. Ripley was looking at my eyes when I trod towards her slowly. My blood flew wildly in my vessels, and my heart palpitated as if I was being chased by a bloodthirsty vampire.

I swallowed hard. I could feel a chill of nervousness coursed down my spine. My hands were trembling and I felt cold and warm at the same time. Ripley also felt the same sensation when she was watching me walking in her direction.

I stood in front of her and stretched out my left hand to reach her. She laid her hand gently on mine and I could felt the warmth of hers seeped into my body. She grinned at me and she rose to her feet. I smiled back at her and ruffled her hair affectionately. Everybody was staring at us longingly as I cupped her cheek and kissed her full on the sculptured mouth. It was ignominious…

I was quite sure that this would be a running joke among my friends. There were only two possibilities after they cracked the joke: first, I would be elated and felt excited; second, it would irritate the hell out of me, depending on what I felt at that point.

The house was filled with thunderous applause. Aaron and Ed slapped each other a high five and a low five. For one thing, they felt very excited as though they were the ones that were kissing.

POP!!!

All of us jumped nearly two feet in the air. Another balloon had burst. Ripley sat back onto her sofa, feeling embarrassed. I tried with every fibre of my being to act nonchalantly by stifling all the mixed emotions that was pouring into my subconscious but it did not quite match my facial expressions and my nervous state of mind, and then I became aware that I was already sitting on the couch, realising that I was not much of a fan of forbearance.

It’s your turn to spin the bottle, bro, said Aaron, still feeling excited…

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Two hours extinguished themselves with us playing cards and games. The second hand of the projection clock swept around until it finally hit ten o’clock. The rest of my friends had gone home except Ripley. To cap it all, it was a wonderful night to me. I counted the birthday party a successful one. I had really whooped it up in the party which would be engraved in my heart for all eternity.

I was sitting beside Ripley on the swing that had just been bought two months ago in the front yard. Her face made me knew that she had primped in front of the mirror for at least half an hour.

Ripley, you’re charming in every sense of the word, I love you, I said in a hushed voice. You’re a pleasure to behold.

She chuckled inwardly. She was emanating fragrance of perfume. She smelled incredible.

The breeze blew under the sultry and velvety sky. The streetlamps were casting a misty glow that silhouetted the both of us on the swing.

I love you too, she said in a mellow tone, and I felt an upturn in my adrenaline level.

I held her face and it was the gesture that made both of us supercharged. I pulled her face and kissed her full on her raspberry-like lips. She uttered moans of pleasure and the swing kept wiggling as we were rained kissing like demented creatures. Our excitement peaked during the process… our thoughts were in turmoil…

You are fragrant, sweetheart, I love you, I said, and kissed her neck feverishly. She was a balm for me. This is what I like about your lips.

After a moment or two, we ceased kissing and we stared at each other’s eyes. I could decipher her expression in her stare that she adored me very much.

Meow—

A cat happened to amble past and it flew away when it saw us glowering at it.

Happenings in Volcrox

Z eda was dead as it was. His descendant, Foxpin, inherited his throne half a year ago. He was mortally resentful at the demise of his father. He vented his spleen and let his action speak for his words by snuffing out all the creatures that revolted against his will. For he was characterized as being savage and brutal in Volcrox, he was utterly detested by his own Smedaphitory family members who were left simmering with rage. Their loyalty towards their Lord was unwavering as he was referred to as ‘firm, stern and touchy’. No one dared to gainsay him.

He was now sitting on the Victorian chair with strong heraldic embellishment in front of the fanciful refectory table in the meeting room of the Volcrox castle. Other than Foxpin, sitting around the sturdy table were the high ranked royal members of the Volcrox Government, about twenty of them. They were all sitting bolt upright, listening to the keynote speech of their Lord.

Foxpin had a sculpted chalk-white face like his father with a charming array of freckles, an aquiline nose, a pert mouth, a pair of fuzzy ears which was like chalk and cheese with his father’s, and navy blue eyes with lamplike yellowish pupils. His awe-inspiring demeanor reflected his regal authority. At one corner, there was an ergonomic lacy-covered Pembroke table on which the photos of the Lords were placed. The subjects were all moving their heads deliberately and blinking occasionally in the photographs. On a blank stretch of wall, a portrait hung the length of it. There was a word clearly written in steel brown at the very bottom of the portrait: Forex Zodeman, who was the first Lord of the Volcrox Kingdom. Under the popcorn ceiling, several pendant lamps were illuminating the room incandescently and several axial fans were gyrating tediously. The intensity of the light was enough to cast pitch dark shadows on the floor. Into the bargain, a fire was burning merrily in the alcove, and there was no wood or stick or anything that could be on fire, which was normally put on a grate, in the flame, apparently it was the fire conjured by Foxpin practically to warm the meeting room.

I suppose the two Smedaphites are still on Earth, said Foxpin with his frigidly cold voice. Pathetic traitor awaiting death.

The Smedaphites around the long-stretched table were trembling a mite due to their mounting fear. They dared not utter a word. One of them was wringing his hands edgily under the table.

Foxpin took the ring out of his ring finger and rubbed it slowly, his unwavering stare shifted languidly from left to right, waiting for their response with uncharacteristic forbearance.

The clock seemed to be ticking down much more slowly than usual.

Yes, said one of the Smedaphites named Kovova at long last. They deserve to be decapitated, my Lord. We must find them and take them here.

Foxpin smiled at Kovova, who had boyishly bushy eyebrows and an upturn nose. Foxpin shifted his stare again, but this time from right to left.

Right, said Foxpin, leaning forward banefully. We must find Margaret and what is the name of the boy?

Berulian, Berulian Parof, said the other Smedaphite named Golin smarmily, then added a sentence as though it was an afterthought. My Lord.

How do you know that? asked Foxpin.

I discovered an extra name had appeared in the family tree on the parchment from the Smedaphites Family Bonsai, two days ago, said Golin in a measured manner.

Well done, Golin. Ah… Borus, Sarina, Viktoris, Margaret, Giorgio and Berulian… all traitors of the country and I must mete death penalty out to them… no way am I going to condone their behaviour, said Foxpin remorselessly, his voice devoid of mercy.

But four of them are dead, my Lord, said Sontan.

Yes, I know. And Grudo.

Yes, my Lord. Anything? said Grudo, shifting himself on the chair.

I am talking about your cousins. They are the traitors. Will you be one of them as well? said Foxpin, looking very grave, and narrowed his eyes balefully.

Of course not, my Lord. My reverence for you will never waver, he said with tremulous voice.

Foxpin smiled at him.

Prick up your ears everyone. If I find that you betray the country, I will take you out without the second thought, understood? said Foxpin.

Yes, my Lord. Our Lord is unparalleled, said all of them concurrently as though rattling them off.

It was self-evident that Zeda had inherited his savagery to his descendant. Not only Foxpin had snuffed out the creatures that went against him, but also he had wreaked immense fear in his Smedaphitory family.

Good, said Foxpin, his eyes gleamed like stars that shone the brighter as the night deepened. And our next mission is to attack the Earth once more. If I ever find you act like the traitors, I will not let you go. The Earth… full of natural resources… we must take it over!

Suddenly, the heavy-duty door was thrown open and stormed in a pair of creatures, locked by ankle fetters, into the room.