Lucas Warbuck, Darkotika, Book 2

LUCAS

WARBUCK

Darkotika

ARIEL ROMA

LUCAS WARBUCK

Darkotika

Characters, names, places, incidents and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to situations, or real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author or publisher.

Copyright © 2016 Ariel Roma

All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without written permission from the author.

First Edition - eBook

ISBN-13: 978-0-9879358-8-5

Published by Moody Mountain Publishing,

Port Moody, BC, Canada

Cover design by Elena Karoumpali

For Richard, who always believes.

CONTENTS

Hope

REWIND

DARKOTIKA

SPRING LOADED

DARK-WISHING

THE STING

FLIPPING OUT

WILD RIDE

CHEAP TRICKS

HIP-HOP DANCE

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

KICKING UP A FUSS

EVERYTHING GOES DARK

THEN IT GOT WEIRDER

HIGH-TOP SNEAKERS

TRUE LIES

THE HUSTLE

DEAR READER

ABOUT ARIEL ROMA

"It was a teensy-tiny flame, with the power of a raging bonfire. It was hope."

1

REWIND

THE KING HAD a habit of using the useless and pitiful ones. The Warbuck kid was certainly that. But then again, there were so many hopeless Middlings. Now, here they were wondering about him. This skiff of a boy with wobbling legs and an innocent smile. A weakling from all accounts, but you never could know. The question was ---who would answer the call of the King? Who had light in their eyes?

Every once in a while, smack dab in the middle of ordinary, fantasy and truth switch places. This is how it went.

The three of them, four if you count Slim, were lost in a daze. If a steam roller had motored in and flattened Lucas, Sloane, and Double X Maxx to their chairs, they couldn’t have been more stuck to them.

Slim was skittish ---Normal for a teensy iguana on his first adventure with Maxx. He was dazzled too. His gem studded leash splashed tiny stars into the shimmering light swirling the walls.

The glittering speckles of light dropped like confetti to the floor. They were all left googly-eyed, wondering, so where do we go from here? Whether it was a spectacle from the blazing afternoon sun sifting through the wall cracks, or a victory party over what Lucas had just said ---the show was over.

Gee Lucas--- Sloane jumped to her feet and gave Lucas’s shoulder a nudge. For the first time ever, you’re scaring me.

Maxx’s eyebrows arched. First, Sloane wasn’t scared of anything. Second, Lucas wasn’t scary ---ever.

Sloane’s eyes danced. Her flip-flops swished like sandpaper across the plank floor. She plunked into her swing-chair. It creaked and moaned. I’m not used to seeing you like this.

Okay, I get it, Maxx saw she was just playing.

Lucas recycled her words inside his head. I’m scaring her? Is that what Sloane just said? But, I’ve never scared anyone in my whole life. What’s she talking about? What’s the big deal? I only said I’m going for it--- The King of Morning Star Kingdom called me, and I said yes. That’s it.

You know Lucas, I can think of a kazillion things you’re afraid of, Sloane teased. He was a scaredy-cat kid, afraid of something, pretty much all the time. That’s what made this so weird.

Yeah. So?

You get spooked in the dark, and thunder storms make you shake like a leaf, she smiled.

Used to.

You’re scared to go the dentist--- and being called to Principal Lemon’s office ---even though Principal Lemon’s the nicest man in the world.

How do I know he’s gonna be nice all the time? You never know, Lucas squirmed. You don’t like going to the dentist either.

Maxx smiled.

Sloane saw that her playful teasing with Lucas amused him. She ramped it up. "And you’re petrified of dogs--- You’re claustrophobic. You’re afraid to get stuck in small spaces."

Yeah ---kinda’. My mom was the same way when she was my age. I’m supposed to grow out of it, he said.

You turned white as a ghost when Arnold left the lid off the tarantula’s cage. And when the snakes escaped from the science lab, you screamed as loud as the girls, Sloane giggled.

Everybody was creeped-out. Not just me. Everybody ---except you.

You’re jumpy around strangers, Sloane smirked.

Strangers are strangers. You’re not sposed’ to trust strangers.

You’re afraid of being teased about every-thing.

Aren’t you? Lucas said.

Maxx was shaking his head no, and smiling.

Naw. Guess not. Lucas admitted. Patches of red were climbing up his face.

Maxx jumped to his rescue. I know one thing for sure. Nobody could blame you Lucas if you’re freaked-out by Lenny De Villain and his witchy aunt. They’re sketchy neighbours."

Yeah. If the corn broom suddenly goes missing off your back porch, Sloane said with a laugh, I guess you’ll know where to look.

Yeah, I guess, Lucas laughed, but he wasn’t sure it was funny. Lenny was turning out to be the king of creep. And if his aunt got any weirder, his mom wouldn’t need to use her hair curlers anymore. Her hair would curl itself.

"Don’t you guys ever get ideas that play pinball in your brain? ---Rackin’ up so many points that it’s harder not to take a risk, than to just go-for-it?" he asked.

Ah--- no, Sloane laughed. But that’s what I’m talking about. You were born for more than this, she said. Step over that imaginary line Lucas. Spread your wings and soar.

Or not, Lucas said.

You can’t blame Middlings for being Middlings? Maxx said. It’s easy.

Yeah, but easy’s a trap, Sloane said. Smooth like butter and sweet like candy. It doesn’t take much to beat easy. She shrugged. But, everyone just bows. Her eyes met Lucas’s. Almost everyone.

Sloane’s little outburst softened the steely arc of Lucas’s nose. His face faded from fearless to boyish again. Except for the spark in his ocean-blue eyes, he was still the same Lucas. Tugging at his low-slung jeans slipping down his narrow hips, he leaned back in his chair.

I could get used to you this way. Sloane tap danced her toes and then pushed off the floor for another swing. She couldn’t let it go. "Quit trying to be normal Lucas. Inspire us. I know you. You could be amazing if you quit trying to fit-in!"

Squawk! Squawk! …Squawk! The ravens outside screamed for attention.

I can’t stay a Middling.

I know--- Sloane said. I know you can’t Lucas.

Sloane turned to Maxx. You know what makes him so amazing Maxx? Lucas’s crazy ideas have always stretched way past the imagination of any Target kid. It’s not like other kids can’t imagine things like him ---they just don’t. Lucas thinks big and dreams even bigger. It’s simple. He believes the impossible. And he expects it to happen too.

It was right about here that Lucas Warbuck started swapping-out simple fantasies and dreams, for the truth. The real truth. The kind that doesn’t lie.

Nothing ever changed ---But everything had. Lucas could see it. Nothing was as it seemed. The Middling world wasn’t the sweet-spot that everyone thought it was.

He couldn’t explain it. Not yet anyway. Questions popped in his head. Pictures ballooned in his mind. Uncle Henry ---the note. The awesome skylight window in the fort, and the rooftop balcony to the universe--- the planets hanging like patio lanterns, and diamond stars strung in cosmic-chandeliers. The thrill was in seeing ---the power, was in believing.

And there was Nunzio. Their new eagle friend, dropping jewels of wisdom like breadcrumbs. When light beams rocketed from Morning Star Kingdom, his beak blinked like the yellow caution-light on the main street in Target. If it was a caution signal, Lucas figured he knew why---worlds were colliding.

Here’s something you can imagine. The first time I saw Lenny De Villain’s Aunt Clair, I knew she was a witch, Lucas said. His eyes sparked. I don’t know what kind of a witch she is, but I’m pretty sure she is one. I guess I don’t know much about witches ---not yet anyway.

Ha, ha! Maxx laughed. "What do you mean, not yet? Do you think you will someday?"

Lucas shrugged, I dunno.

I’ve tried to be an ordinary Middling kid like everyone wants. My mom’s always warning me. She says my imagination’s gonna’ get me into trouble--- and her too.

Impossible Lucas. You’ll never be ordinary, Sloane said. And, I don’t think anything can stop your funky imagination.

Nope. Ideas just keep tip-toeing across my brain anyway. Lucas shrugged. I don’t even want to keep them out. I love all the cool adventures. You should see the kingdoms and the princes, and the epic battles… the firefights. And the flame-shooting dragons. And the spies. Did you know the ravens are spies? …And talking eagles.

Nunzio? Did you see Nunzio Lucas? Maxx asked.

Sorta… I don’t know. Maybe. I’m not sure if it was him.

It’s not such a bad thing Lucas. I mean, having a vivid imagination and all, Maxx said. It could turn out to be the best thing."

Yeah Lucas, Sloane added. "While you’re flying around on all of these imaginary adventures of yours, what you’re really doing is whipping up possibilities. And possibilities flip a switch in your brain that turns on curiosity. Don’t you remember? You told me once that your middle initial C stands for curiosity. Lucas, C -for-curiosity, Warbuck."

Yeah, I know, Lucas smiled a fresh-faced grin. You guys are gonna’ be looking for a hero on a lightning bolt--- me too.

Crash! What was that? Maxx said. He jumped to his feet and leaned over the window ledge. Oh. It’s just those guys helping your dad clean up that mess in your driveway. What’s with all that? Your dad wasn’t in the mood to talk when I got here. I didn’t ask.

Squeak… moan, the swing chairs answered.

Yeah--- Lucas cringed.

Sloane cut in, Hahaha! It was a crazy domino stunt,

He was used to it. He didn’t mind. She’d been doing it forever. Sometimes it was a jump-to-the-rescue.

She giggled the whole story in razer-sharp color. When she got to the avalanche of slop and nails beating up the Warbucks car, Maxx was ready to crack up.

He looked out at the driveway again to hide his smile. Hey man. It looks like your car was spanked hard.

The red-faced workmen behind the epic driveway splat helped Mr. Warbuck sop up the cement muck puddling and peaking into sandcastles on top of the car.

The guy with the dish-water blond, plastic-bowl haircut struggled to unwind the unruly garden hose. C’ma’n. You--- he muttered a string of nasty words. Finally the rowdy hose rolled over and played dead. He tilted his head at the other guy. Sweat dripped into his wiry beard all frosted with dust. He worked, scooping up nails off the driveway like they weighed a ton. They tinkled into the pail.

Hurry it up, will ya?

And if I don’t?

You’ll just see if you don’t.

"Squawk! If it wasn’t for the cat…" Radger screeched. His feathers ruffled. The powerline bounced as he hopped further down for a better spying spot. The plan was wrecked. It was Darkotika’s worst fear. The despicable book had been detained. Lucas had it. With any luck, he wouldn’t be interested in reading it.

Felix was the star of the show when the wacky, chain-reaction caper went down. He was on the back porch again purring, enjoying his beach-day as if nothing happened. His orange fur flickered like a campfire in the hot afternoon sun. His wild race down the neighbour’s Eifel Tower scaffolding left the white star on the top of his head ruffled. He would groom it to perfection later. He slow-blinked at the fuss in