Mystery Lake

[45] Put Together

That was a lot from Alyssa on top of everything else she was still working through in her mental backlog, but it was exactly what she was hoping to hear. Honestly, she would have been fine with just the first part, no need for the extended explanation, and even the bare-bones version would have been enough. It was progress; she didn't want to diminish it in the least. Of course, her expectation for the next few minutes was to explode into a Joel mound of muscle, practically ripping this dress to pieces. Why not reconcile everything possible as if the world were about to explode? No need to hold onto grudges.

Roxy replied, "It's cool. I get you. I want to put as much of that behind us because there's so much ahead of us that we need to talk about. Short version: Cerberus and his partner wanted to talk to me outside about some stuff, but I didn't want to do it alone, so we went inside. Eugene and the big lady have an event tomorrow. I spoke to Cerberus, and my main takeaway is that he knows some scary shit and even scarier possibilities. I don't know what his intentions are, but he didn't hurt me. He caught a literal leprechaun who said he was the guardian of the lake, and now the big people in fairyland are after us, the good guys and the bad guys. What happened up here?"

That was indeed the sharply truncated version of events, and Roxy knew she had to expound on all that, but all the Mayan crap the guy said, along with objects and memories, just weren't there in her brain to properly untangle. Probably not her quiet companion's fault, since this shit routinely happened minutes after the end of every college lecture.

Alyssa let a fragile shadow of her stern frown waft in Roxy's direction, but began the answer by explaining that this change, this setback, had occurred shortly after she had "spewed." Roxy considered smashing them together. But if this was Alyssa's ability, it didn't make sense to her that this reversion happened after using it just once. Surely she would be able to use it more than once.

Maybe it wasn't a fair comparison between slicing reality and melting a monster. One might require more energy than the other. Could Alyssa still summon the stuff? Not that she wanted a demonstration right now, but she was curious if the ability had gone away with the change.

She put forth this possibility to the morose chick. Unwrapping her tummy from the tight bonds of her limbs, Alyssa at least understood, without being told, that trying it at the table was not a good idea. She had to turn around and reposition herself several times before she settled on the sink for this experiment. Old man Maggie gave her as much space as possible and cleared away the spices, utensils, and used bowls from dinner. This still didn't seem like a good place to attempt this, considering they had just sat down to eat. Alyssa soon came to the same conclusion.

Maggie offered up a large and luxurious towel for this experiment, along with a sheet to block out any unsettling imagery. The courtesy curtain turned out to be quite necessary, as an eruption of something between black hair and splattered midnight spaghetti sprayed into the sink but didn't slow down like water, instead lingering more like a turbulent gas before dissipating away. It wasn't as gross as Roxy feared, but it also wasn't something she wanted to witness again either. Ever.

At least this seemed to clearly prove that what happened to Alyssa/Ross was a repeatable phenomenon. She didn't have this ability before what happened at the lake. Unfortunately, what amounted to Chiara/Barry's ability required that leprechaun to see what could be his real face. If that was even how it worked. Roxy had a thought, though. She pressed her finger to her lips and asked Eugene to pull up their first effort at a photo.

It still looked absolutely terrible and more like the worst, blurry, smudged Photoshop job from the bored recesses of the Internet than the real deal. As soon as Barry looked down at the image on the screen, his eyes widened. Without being told, he remarked on the color, structure, and minor details of the little man's outfit with perfect accuracy to what they saw. The photo wasn't the problem; he clearly had some kind of magic that obscured their perceptions. Although Roxy wondered if his annoyance with the physical photograph meant that his magic didn't quite work as well on that form of media.

Digging further, Eugene pulled out and dusted off what looked like a family photo album but actually contained the best examples of supposedly supernatural snapshots. Meanwhile, the old man made sure they were served dinner while it was still steaming hot. Roxy eagerly dug in, inhaling the meat as if it were the best, most dreamy opened-up sausage she had ever eaten, slathered in rich red ketchup.

Barry's magical eye managed to debunk several phonies, along with confirming questionable content as containing elements that no one else could see. These included surreal glows, features beyond suspicious shimmers, and details that sounded made-up, like ornate castles in the air. The strangest aspect was when Barry peered closely and caught peculiarities in otherwise normal images or those specifically marked for UFOs. The leprechaun's flying saucer non-sequitur stuck with Roxy.

Eugene wasn't quite sure what to make of all this, but he added notes to follow up on the things that caught Barry's eye. As a final confirmation, Layla summoned her concentration and fluidly demonstrated her girl and boy forms in measured succession so that she wouldn't Charlie up her stomach just after starting dinner.

What exactly all this proved wasn't entirely clear to Roxy, but she felt like she could make the assumption that, despite some of them reverting back to their previous forms, the stranger effects they gained from the lake still remained. The old man settled into his chair and offered up the fact that he seemed to have retained his abilities as well. Specifically, the intuition, even though Roxy was still skeptical about its accuracy. Eugene took a careful breath. The poor guy wasn't even close to being able to handle this. He said a private, quiet version of grace before digging into the meatloaf.

Only after several minutes of quiet eating did the old man offer up what he had to say.

"My memory was affected by whatever they did to me after the lake. I had inklings and rough spots that gave me a headache when I thought about them. But I can remember more now. My name used to be Quincy. I was quite young when it happened. Nothing special about it, just a walk in the woods that led me to the wrong place. Or they let me in. I don't know for sure. My parents didn't know any different, and they loved and lambasted me just the same. All of this doesn't feel like me anymore, after decades of being my proper way. And it raises plenty of questions. How does this make any sense? I am a mother; I've always been a mother. I know who I am and who I am not. It's a strange feeling, not of melancholy but of ridiculousness. Too late to change my wardrobe back".

Everyone listened, but everyone also focused intently on their food as the old man's words circulated in the air above them. Eugene squeezed his eyes shut so tightly that he must have seen stars. Layla bobbed with a level sense of calming optimism and quiet reserve. Barry looked like he was consuming those words as actively as his meal. Miranda wore what Roxy knew was her sternest expression as she cradled her massive softness with a protective arm that acted as a bulkhead. Jake alternated between holding Roxy's left hand, eating, and adjusting his glasses, as if they were the real culprits of these melancholy events. With true clarity, all would be better again.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Alyssa paused between bites to check that she was still consuming real food and that she wasn't being deceived once again. And Roxy found herself 'comforted' by the inconstant companion, who wrapped her arms around her from behind, as if to pin her in place. They were so separate now, and Roxy didn't know how to bring them back together or if they should be.

The apology was helpful but full of meek hopes. Speaking to Layla was more of a mutual resignation than a strengthening of their resolve. Jake was there for her, and she was there for Jake, though she feared that they were each drifting apart on vast waters and neither could actually swim. No pulling one or the other to shore, just being cast into oblivion. Barry had returned to the saddest quo he expected. And Miranda was still practically trapped in the vault downstairs, as they all were, with no idea when the next monster would come or what it would bring.

"Oh! Well, look at that..."

Maggie's voice. The old man sounded a lot like the woman she had been for most of her life, but this was not that voice; this was the voice they had been introduced to and were already so familiar with. Looking up confirmed this fact. Maggie was back, suddenly adjusting her clothes for comfort. Was it like Layla? Did she have the ability to go back and forth and bring herself back? If that was true, the old lady honestly had no idea. She was just thankful to be herself again.

She remarked, "However, absence is a reminder I will try not to forget. Speaking of memory, mine feels sharper than ever; that blockage is now clearly removed. So I would like to think that this was a blessing rather than a curse. You have to see all aspects of yourself. The brightest light and the darkest shadow. Jung and all that, though it's been a long time since I've read any of his work, I'm afraid. I wish I knew what exactly brought me back to myself so I could share it with all of you who are feeling so troubled, but I have no earthly idea."

Roxy was also faced with the conundrum of what she was doing right to keep herself in this body when everyone else was bouncing all over the place. She accepted it and didn't mind it, but if that was the controlling factor one way or the other, then it should have fled from her hours ago. Alyssa looked tortured, but then there didn't seem to be many moments when she wasn't. She worried about where the poor girl might go or what she might do next.

But she just stayed there, sampling from her plate and searching within herself to tap into the same thing the old lady did. Whatever that was, if Roxy could be a positive example, then she offered herself up too, but she felt like she was somehow achieving success without doing anything. What could she do?...Her friend had to remind her.

Joel… didn't let his complete transformation into a chick get him down. Joel, the courteous and cheerful cook, didn't leave anyone out. Joel, the joker, who knew when a prank should begin and end appropriately. Joel, the maker of mistakes, who knew how to do his best and when to apologize. Joel the reader of deliriously silly romantic fiction that she could find captivating and ridiculous. Joel the protector who wouldn't let anyone down. Joel the emotional shed tears whenever he or she needed to, because being a man wasn't a matter of stone and fierceness; it was a man's heart that cared about his feelings as much as he cared about himself and those around him.

Her first move was to lean over and tease Jake about his rigid muscles and his tummy, which could've used a little plushing up. She didn't quite lay out the matters of personal showers, but she sure hinted at her loved one's skills. Jake wiggled a bit, but they soon got into animated discussions, with Roxy serving back the kind of complicated words that Jess so knowledgeably kept. Reminders of a recent test and the cheerful roasting of a tired professor finally brought a smile to the boy's face.

From there, she was off, and Layla got the most vigorous treatment to bring her smile back to acceptable heights. Puppets, lizards—what did she think of that cat tail downstairs? She was supposed to swish it around and swing it like a prop, like the happiest appendage that could also swing forward. It didn't take much, but the returns were so gleefully delightful.

Even though she didn't have a repertoire of experiences and points of interest to pull from, Eugene wasn't left out of her efforts. She picked up the scrapbook and brought a kind of questionable humor to supernatural matters. It was also an easy target for her to weave in suggestions about how much bigger his lady girth would be than her pathetic pokies. He was slow to lift his spirits, but smiles soon peeked through his frowns.

Barry responded to the old, familiar quips, especially the gross and goofy ones. Emphasizing that she was certain that careful cross-dressing could take her boy to the same beautiful precipice that this silly magic had ever reached was a difficult thread to weave in the face of the magically disappointed at the table, but she pushed forward without trying to overthink or even actually think about the points she was making. Barry was always a tough nut to crack, but reminding him of recent joys lifted his spirits.

The old lady didn't really need any help from her, but she was going to give it anyway, referring to the multitude of anecdotes that had been the antidotes for them.

Miranda… cinematic. She unfurled tropes like weapons against sadness. That leprechaun bastard tried to double up her. He thought he could sneak around in her skin. Obviously, this bugger found her to be a choice pick. And Miranda made an epic, romantic, and deep dive drop into the water. That doesn't just stop. That wouldn't make any sense. She had something big in store. She may be quiet, but watch out for the quiet ones, as she said without dropping the details of what Miranda did on the pier. And the playful calisthenics in the dorm; the time they burned a lot of turkey; the snake mistake steak. The things that she could always wield to lift her dormmate's... her friend's spirit.

And so, she was left with the greatest challenge of all. The girl she had so much trouble with and who had troubled her so much. Go for the big guns. She thanked her for so many assists, for saving them when no one else could, for persevering, and for playing along with the craziest things she came up with. For so many things. And then she turned it up, looking for those lovely vampire sparkles, imagining a gruff growl and high-pitched squeal competition between her and Rydia, pumping iron lessons she would have to give no matter what body she brought to the gym, and princess dances. Roxy was a princess, so she would have to teach the big boy and the little queen princess dances.

"...Stop...please..."

Roxy leaned back. She messed it up. Darn. Take it easy; don't push so...

Then, she realized that Alyssa was actually stifling a giggle as she softly added, "I'll pee myself if you don't...hehehee..."

With unbridled necessity, she giggled over and over, and Roxy joined in. Soon, however, strings of tears replaced the laughter, but they didn't feel sad; they felt like relief. And as things started to cool, Roxy saw expressed by Alyssa the one thing she had never expected the girl would sincerely share with her—a true, warm smile.