Fated Generations (Book Three)

Chapter One

The mancation might have gotten underway thirty minutes past schedule, but my big brother, Tray and Uncle Jaysen would make sure that we didn’t miss out on anything.

I would have been fine waiting until the end of the wedding reception to leave. And, my fourteen-year-old brother, Quinn would have been jumping for joy because he had, yet another, fan club of squealing girls admiring him. They were all trying to coax him into asking them on a date…or for their hand in marriage – crazy! But, we couldn’t get my baby brothers, King Luke A. Mon and Mikey T.S. Biggs, to passively wait around on the mancation fun to start, for any longer.

Stalling our baby brothers had been a breeze, for approximately fifteen minutes. But, Luke’s little hippie girlfriend, Heather, was not at the big gypsy wedding for him to impress…or for Mikey to help his brother with his overall impression.

The only hippie, from our newest Baxter family additions, to come to Scarlett and Dylan’s wedding was Wally.

My Grandma Edie had just spiritually sealed Wally to her soul last week. That means he is a gypsy Dom now, as well as a hippie. He is also newly married to my Krista…

Krista is ‘technically’ my spiritually sealed, big sister. And, I call her Aunt Krista to avoid confusing Luke, Haven and Mikey. But, both Krista and I realize that our relationship is more than aunt/nephew or even siblings. I don’t have a definition for it…it is closer and more than those two ties, combined though…so much more.

This mancation should prove to be one of the best ones yet, even though we will be missing Uncle Reid, dad and Daddy-Jax. But, Wally and my Grandma Edie’s interesting brother, Uncle Kell, will be joining us. For Luke and Mikey, this is their first experience vacationing without any female influences.

The first stop on our mancation was Daddy-Jax’s personal, private Prowess Arena. Luke and Mikey are finally being allowed to square off in a challenge.

I’m not sure who is more psyched about this battle, my baby brothers’ or their daddies’. Miraculously, we had managed to prevent the kids from squealing to their mommies’ or Haven, about being allowed to engage in a true challenge on our mancation.

Luke and Mikey both had minor injuries at the end. But, the fight itself concluded in a deadlock and with the rest of us, spectators gawking like a pack of drooling imbeciles.

Although my baby brothers fight using two different strategies they are extremely skilled, very strong and exceedingly crafty.

They were so amazing to watch that Tray and Uncle Jaysen couldn’t seem to help themselves. Puffed up like the world’s proudest peacocks, they challenged their sons to (what they thought would be) a friendly little fathers vs. sons competition. It turned out to be a full-scale battle and it was everything Tray and Uncle Jaysen could do to subdue them through channels.

Mikey flatted his daddy first. Uncle Jaysen was reveling in the fact that Tray’s young son took him out so swiftly. He was giving Tray the business…and poking fun at him. Well, he was until…

Luke used his prideful gloating to his fighting advantage. He struck his daddy from behind and ended the challenge.

The rest of us stopped laughing, immediately – learning the lesson.

Score two points for the dynamic duo and zilch for the two pinned Mack Daddies lying immobile on the ground.

Once Uncle Jaysen caught his breath, he apologized to the Creator for putting him to the test.

Luke and Mikey’s daddies’ have their work cut out for them. They have to convince my baby brothers’ not to rat us out to our collective mommies’. Even our very human, g-mommy, is frighteningly scary when she believes her boys are doing something that could get us injured. If Luke and/or Mikey squeal about their victory, the rest of us will be taken down in a mommy-blaze…

I knew that Tray and Uncle Jaysen were itching for a rematch. But, they realize they have already pushed the proverbial envelope as far as they dare. So, Tray used a Tarrish encompass to transport us, as a group, to Utah.

The battle ring triumph was history – at least, for the time being – as daddies rode the victors across the salt flats on dirt bikes.

Luke and Mikey are not tall enough to drive yet. They can’t even reach the pegs on the smallest bike. But, as soon as their feet can touch the ground, their dads’ will teach them how to operate a motorcycle. Then, they will be allowed to operate their own small dirt bike. Their moms’ would have a conniption fit if they were to discover the fact that height, not age, is the only driving requirement during this week.

Mancation is all about secretly experiencing male thrills and chills while remaining safe from gypsy mommy annihilation. Most of us on this trip have four or more moms’ to contend with.

Uncle Kell only has one gypsy mom that he answers to, at least to my knowledge. But one protective Ay’sha mom is plenty. And the fact that my uncle is a grown-up does not prevent his gypsy mother from mommy’ing him. In fact, I’m starting to realize that our moms get more protective, the older we get.

Wally’s mom is spiritually sealed to my family now, just like her son. We call her M&M and she is a free-loving hippie. Although she isn’t spiritually gifted, she is a force to be dealt with. And I’m beginning to believe, after having a lengthy conversation with her a few days ago, that she is more overly protective than my other moms’ combined. That could eventually lead us guys into big time trouble. I’m trying to put that particular, threatening, sugar-coated storm cloud out of my thoughts for the time being.

After we finish making our way across the salt flats, Tray will encompass us to the top of the tallest roller coaster in the United States. My family rents three different theme parks, one for each leg of our mancation. We will have our kick-off ceremony and play haunted games through an equally spooky theme park. We typically mark the middle of our trip by camping out and playing nocturnal games at Ghost Town in the Sky in Maggie Valley, North Carolina near our earth realm homes. Our mancation always concludes on the top of another roller coaster at a completely different theme park.

We have never once ridden on any rollercoaster or rode on any of the other rides in the various places we stop at, either. So, it doesn’t matter if the parks have been abandoned and/or closed for the night/season. The swizzle slides we craft are much more thrilling than any rollercoaster ever could be.

The swizzle slides are created by generating a spiritual channeling stream. They can turn, unexpectedly and bend in any direction, including upward. But the riders are always travelling at top speed, even on the climbs. We slide from ride-to-ride on our creations.

This is the first year Quinn and I get to craft our own tunnel slides. We will be entering them in the Swizzle Survival Challenge. The architect of the most terrifying slide gets bragging rights until we reach the next theme park. There, the victor has to defend his title.

It took me a few years, but I finally discovered the reason we have the contest at three different theme parks. It’s done that way so Tray, Uncle Reid and Uncle Jaysen can each have a turn to win and brag. It’s not much of a contest if they’re pulling the winner’s name from a hat. But their spirited competitions are still some of the best memories I have and I want my baby brothers to have those too.

We spend this week sleeping outdoors at odd hours, in strange/haunted places – doing things our moms’ would have a heart attack watching – eating junk food like it’s on the top of the food pyramid – and calling each other by nothing but our testosterone-fueled, male operative names’.

The kids must refer to all the adults as Mack Daddy. For some odd reason, no daddy has ever gotten confused on which Mack Daddy we are asking for. I thought that might change with two new faces in our male crew that have no children. But so far, none of our four Mack Daddies’ have failed to figure out who we kids, are addressing.

Quinn’s male operative name is Viper Strike Snake. V.S. Snake is known during this week as Snake because he is extremely cunning and magnetic when it comes to every female he has ever encountered. According to mancation lore, V.S. Snake was born to live the name. His Mack Daddy selected it when he first laid eyes on him. Quinn really, truly is the epitome of gypsy magnetism and appeal. He could sell electric blankets to African Bushmen stuck in the middle of a years’ long heatwave.

I am known, only during this week, as V.L. Shark – as in Veiled Lethal. According to my dad and big brother, Tray, I stay in the deepest, depths of the ocean until I smell blood (a.k.a. trouble) in the water. Once I’m on to the scent, I quietly surface and surprise my unsuspecting enemy by attacking from underneath. I can also slip back into obscurity before anyone knows I’ve bitten my adversary. I never directly kill my foe, either. Like a Vaydem runic protection, I leave the troublemaker to his choice. He can either exit my ocean or bleed out if he chooses to stay.

I used to consider my nickname ironic. Like my Vaydem dad, I believe in peaceful co-existence. I am quiet-natured as a rule, and think of myself as a pacifist. Attacking enemies…well, it’s something I just never thought I would do. No matter how much trouble a person might be stirring and how mad their actions might make me, I have always been able to resolve my problems with them, through peaceful Vaydem means.

But I am not just Vaydem. I’m also part hot-tempered, red-blooded gypsy. My sleeping Ay’sha nature got disrupted and happened upon me, unexpectedly. The gypsy part of who I am overwhelmed me at Greg La Cour’s home a few nights ago. Ever since it did, I have been questioning if I am truly the pacifist I consider myself to be or if I’m an "evolving, unknown breed of a new gypsy Dom". That thought keeps nagging at me…

Greg La Cour is Krista’s other soulmate. Although none of my family members can pinpoint exactly which type of bond they share, Krista and Greg are eternally connected through a spiritual engagement.

Greg is earthly/matrimonially married to Isabelle. They have two babies – Jake and Elisa. Because of this unknown spiritual bond that Krista and Greg share, Isabelle wound up being the surrogate mom to both of the children she gave birth to. They are Isabelle’s biological children, but they don’t actually belong to her. That revelation was a shocker, no doubt. And no one in my (mainly) spiritually gifted family had any clue that it would happen that way.

Krista is completely human, just like Greg and her new husband, Wally. So, when Jake was born, our family was surprised and taken aback by his relational tie to her. But, I’m not entirely certain that Greg was in the dark about it turning out that way. That is yet another thought that keeps me unsettled.

Greg hadn’t been in touch with Krista for several months. So no one in our family even knew that Isabelle was pregnant with Elisa. The baby is already a few weeks old.

Krista got stunned when she discovered she has a daughter. But she is really good at masking her emotions. It has to be difficult for her, knowing that she has babies she can’t ever hold or mother.

I wonder if Greg purposefully withheld the information about their daughter’s conception and birth. Did he intentionally hide it from Krista? Is he trying to use it to manipulate her, somehow and for some reason?

Those questions that continue pestering me will go unanswered. I can’t be sure because I can’t seem to get a read on him anymore.

Greg was responsible for awakening Jake to his spiritual mom when Krista and Wally went to his home for a visit. It ripped through Krista’s heart to hear her baby boy begging for her to hold him. She was helpless to comfort their son. If she touches either one of Greg’s babies, they will bond with her in a deep way. That leaves their biological mom, Isabelle, out in the mothering-cold. That would be an agonizing, unending spiritual blizzard for her to suffer through.

Krista had been talking to me in the background, through our tether I created, when Jake started wailing for her. Our tether is linked to one of her piercings that has my spiritual essence locked inside it. I had Ava’shay Command trans-verse me to her phone’s location. She had dropped it on the landing.

I arrived in time to see g-mom and Wally basically brawling with Greg at the top of the staircase.

Jake was bawling at the top of his lungs. He knew his real mom, Krista, was on the scene and he was insisting on her presence.

Greg was desperately fighting to escape from Wally’s and g-mom’s clutches – intent on reaching his soulmate. He couldn’t break free. So he was ordering Krista to pick up their son and accusing her of hurting her son.

G-mom was ordering Krista not to touch either Greg or the baby.

Wally had Greg contained and he wasn’t going to let him go. But he was panicked beyond reason and couldn’t think straight. He had no idea what was going wrong.

I plan to talk things over with Wally in reference to Greg during this mancation…attempt to explain the impossible, somehow, some way.

To say I was furious with Greg when I arrived, and realized what he had done, is a gross underestimation. I love him like a brother and we’re very close because of Krista. But, I landed in the middle of the chaos, believing he was using their son to manipulate someone I love. I didn’t know what reason Greg might have for doing such a thing or if he did it, deliberately. Still, I was consumed in stopping him with a painful gypsy channel…that was, until I saw Krista headed for danger. She was poised to take a flying leap out of the patio door to avoid touching Jake or Greg.

I barely grabbed her in the nick-of-time and used a swizzle slide to land us in the La Cour’s backyard pool. I needed to get her away from her wailing son. Although I would have preferred to take her home so we could’ve landed in a soft bed, I couldn’t route us away. That move would have terrified, an already horrified, g-mom and Wally. So, we landed in Greg’s pool, and I dropped us into an air chamber.

By the time I dove out of the water and made it back to Greg and Jake, I wasn’t angry anymore or looking to retaliate. I had to deal with him and the baby before I dealt with my frantic g-mom and the equally shaken-up, Wally.

I had to use three powerful channels on Greg to gain his compliance and eighteen on Jake to get him to calm down to a low roar. He isn’t even two yet, but he is suffering an ancient hurt that won’t go away, anymore. It will stay more-or-less quiet until Krista goes near him again. Then, it will erupt.

So here are the things I know…

Isabelle is Jake and Elisa’s surrogate mom, but she doesn’t know that.

Greg might or might not have intentionally awakened Jake to Krista, his real, spiritual mom, in order to manipulate her into something.

Jake will somehow tell his baby sister that he finally saw their real mommy – that’s how all deep, soul ties operate. It doesn’t matter that they are babies, or that Elisa can’t speak yet. Jake will share his pain and it will awaken Elisa to her own hurt. Then, two little ones will spend their lives always feeling like something is missing…a never-ending longing for their spiritual mommy.

Krista got emotionally slaughtered when she heard her son pleading and wailing for her. She doesn’t know yet that she can never go near either one of her children, ever again, now that they know about her. She is going to be mortally devastated by that news.

My dad offered to break the news to her. He is her R-daddy (one of Krista’s two, spiritually sealed dads) and she’s extremely close to him. But, I felt, and still feel, compelled to be the one to share it with her. I would wait until we get back from mancation. And, I will also ask Wally to be there and lend his support when I reveal the harsh truth.

There is no way to change this situation. It wasn’t ideal for anyone involved to begin with. Now though, it’s a building tragedy.

I hoisted those heavy thoughts back into my mental journal because our motocross ride just ended.

Tray would act as Master of Ceremonies this year. We were standing, perched on top of the rollercoaster’s steepest hill and eagerly waiting for the big reveal…Luke and Mikey’s mancation names.

Welcome first, to our two new Mack Daddies, and our old Mack Daddy One and old Mack Daddy me, Viper Strike Snake, Veiled Lethal Shark and our two initiate men to this year’s mancation extreme hunting adventures. What happens during mancation stays locked in our spirits. Our souls remain on mancation until we come back to pick them up next year! Tray exclaimed and Mikey raised his hand.

Daddy… he started to say.

You mean, Mack Daddy, remember? Tray corrected him.

Sorry…Mack Daddy, if we leave our man spirits behind for a whole, yearlong how will Luke prove he’s a mans to his pretty, hippie Heather girl-womans? And how does Mack Mommy know that you’re still a mans? Do you have to tell her? Or, how will Sissy Ember know she’ll be gotten her mans husband back instead of a boy, Uncle Jaysen, Mack Daddy? Mikey pondered and that’s where Luke jumped in.

"Mack Daddy Uncle Kell can still be a boy when he gets back ‘cuz grandma’s went and turned back into a girl on us and so did g-mommy. They’ll have a boy brother to play with when he’s home to play with his girl sisters’.

But, Mack Daddy Uncle Heavenly Wally’s still gotta be a mans’ for his pig-skin hot air game or his pajama mans’ that he bosses around won’t know him when they see him. I guess we could go with him to his deathly-grass-chamber, take our M&M too and we could all explain how he’s still a boss mans’ just hidin’ inside a boy… Luke worked it out, verbally.

My baby brothers’ have their own hilarious brand of logic. We almost fell off of the rollercoaster stifling hysterical laughter. Tray pulled it together before the rest of us and explained.

"I’m sorry, Buddy. This Mack Daddy should’ve explained himself better. Heather isn’t a woman, at all right now. She won’t be looking for a man at her age. She’ll want a boy to play games with. So when Luke goes home, he’ll leave his man spirit here for next year and go back home as a boy. That’ll help me survive his Mack Mommy too…which is a good, good thing.

"And, this Mack Daddy still has to prove he’s a mans to your Mack Mommy, all the time because she thinks I act like a kid, most days.

And, yes I have to tell her I’m a grown-up, over and over. The other Old Mack Daddy here has to tell his Mack Wifey Ember the same thing… Tray explained to his youngest son.

Uncle Kell spoke up at that point.

This Mack Daddy’s never gonna grow up, no matter how old I get. And my little Mini-Mack sister and Mini-Mazy, my baby sissy, we all call g-mommy, knows it too. So, I don’t have to explain to anyone because they already get it…got it? Uncle Kell inquired.

Yep…that’s what we thought, my baby brothers’ declared, together.

As for our other new Mack Daddy, I think we’ll have to work something out for him that does not involve his Mack Mommy at all. That pig skin game might be played in a deathly-grass-chamber, but it starts and ends in an even, more deathly locker room… Tray told them before Uncle Jaysen added in his two-cents.

And the deathly locker room is like a zoo. It’s full of funny smells and big, wild beasts that no one has ever been able to tame. The signs in the zoo always read: Don’t feed the animals. That’s a double no-no for feeding them candy. M&M’s and locker rooms filled with deathly-grass-chamber beasts do not play nicely together, Uncle Jaysen revealed, humorously.

You’re right, Mack Daddy. That’s what little girl Mack Mini Grandma Edie says too. We can’t feed any of our candy to animals ‘cuz they’ll get hipper from sugar gushes… Luke informed his dad.

I think…you mean…hyper from sugar…rushes… Quinn declared, still stifling his laughter.

Nah, he’s right. The animals in my locker room do get hipper from sugar gushes. I should know…I’ve been there, watchin’… Wally stammered, between the hysterics.

You’re the boss animal in your pajama’s camp… Mikey offered.

That makes you, the High Command Hipper Beast! Luke exclaimed.

We had to swizzle directly to the ground, without warning and locate bushes to take a break. My baby brothers had us all in accidental-comedy-stitches.

We thought the moment of hysterics had ended by the time we returned to our perch. Somehow, we forgot that Mikey and Luke would use the break to think of some more logical things to tell us.

Listen up, all you Mack Daddies and Shark and Snake – we figured it all out while we were waterin’ that bush down there… Mikey revealed.

What did our energetic pair figure out? Uncle Kell bravely asked.

We know why we were broughten on mancation this year. And we’ll just have to stuck it up… Mikey stated, before Luke interrupted and corrected him.

You mean, …suck it up, brother…suck it up… Luke revealed, drawing quote marks in the air.

Yeah…that’s what I meant to say – King Luke A. Mon and me know why we were broughten on mancation this time, and we’ll just have to suck it up and just do it. We’ll be the mens while we’re manning around on mancation… Mikey declared, sounding exasperated from the prospect.

Yeah, ‘cuz someone’s of us has gotta do it. And sliding around to potty’s and no hand washing after, means you bigger guys is better at bein’ the boys. Mikey T.S. Biggs and me will be the ‘sponsible ones…I means twos, Luke told us.

That way when we’re hangin’ our spirits out and leavin’ what happens with them…no Mack Mommy’ll find out that daddies are really boys in their souls and boys are really mens in their spirits… Mikey added.

Tray was coughing and had to hunker down to curtail the hysterics. He finally had to invent a ritual ceremony called Initiate Men’s Only Reverent Silence, so the rest of us could get our laughter back under control. The two ‘sponsible mens on our mancation were finally quiet and waiting on their names.

"Luke, from this day, until forever, during every mancation you will be called…Prowler Stalking Leopard or P.S. Leopard. Fast and dangerous, leopards never back down even when they are hurt or under attack. They get more and more dangerous. Leopards know when to hide and wait for their enemy to get distracted before they pounce…just like they know when to fight head-on, out in the open.

Mikey, from this day, until forever, during every mancation you will be called…Secret Deadly Lion or S.D. Lion. Strong and daring, lions rule the jungle. Enemies have always got their sights’ set on the largest cat, roaming around. They never pay much attention to the baby of the Pride. But that’s what makes the youngest lion the most deadly. Baby lions are just as strong…sometimes stronger than the biggest cat…but they always have the element of surprise on their side. This makes them unstoppable, Tray announced.

All hail P.S. Leopard and S.D. Lion! we exclaimed.

All hail our Leopard and our Lion, the two mens on mancation! Luke and Mikey added.

Then, the swizzle tournament began in earnest.

It will take a few hours to teach Uncle Kell how to channel a slide tunnel and keep it stable. So, until the mid-point stop, he will have to be a participant.

Snake drew the chip for the first round. Quinn’s swizzle was monster long, had insanely fast, uphill-slides and what seemed like hundreds of corkscrew turns when we least expected them. We were expelled on the top of the merry-go-round, disoriented and dizzy.

Mack Daddy Jaysen drew the second round and I felt my stomach drop to my knees, repeatedly. His tunnel slide was like a launcher going uphill, but the down force was what really got me. We fell from so many great heights that he didn’t have to add any channeled speed. The bottom of each hill would take a sharp bend, throw us for a loop or twelve, then, launch us skyward, again.

Mack Daddy Tray was the next in line. His tunnel slide had twists, turns, drops and launches. But, what made his unique were the holes he put in it. Some large, some small…those flashing glimpses of light kept us confused about the direction we were headed. And, it made us severely worried about whether we would slip through a too-big hole, as well.

I lucked up and drew the last chip. The contestants are permitted to use all the tactics they’ve already encountered, as long as they incorporate their own special design into the plan.

So I selected the simplest and most efficient route to secure my win. I incorporated all their slides and added my own spills. I darkened portions of my slide until those were completely black. Those black sections have small holes, similar to Tray’s, to let some intermittent light shine through. But, unbeknownst to the riders, when they jet over the top of each hill, large chunks of the tunnel appear to be missing. In reality, the tunnel sides are void of color – making those sections clear. Some of the clear sections spill all the way to the ground and some appear to spill into a black hole.

The riders went sailing through and their screams were echoing through the tubes. They didn’t even take a formal vote. They announced me, the winner when I landed.

"I think we should construct a combined swizzle that covers the whole park and everyone should get a say-so in constructing it…" Quinn declared.

Yeah, we should! One old Mack Daddy should be in charge of gathering our ideas and the other old Mack Daddy should be in charge of building it. That way…me…as the Supreme and Undisputed First Round Winner Extraordinaire won’t have a clue about what I’m getting into and it’ll scare the pants off of me… I agreed, wholeheartedly.

"So technically, you’re asking for your prize to be another slide through a combined swizzle?" Tray asked, smiling slyly.

And, you’re asking to be de-pants during the ride? I just want you to make that clear because you might not lose your pants, but together, we can construct something that will make you NEED to put on a new pair of pants… Uncle Jaysen commented, sheepishly.

Do I hear a challenge and perhaps, a wager?? Uncle Kell inquired.

I’m all in for that good-vibe! Wally exclaimed.

Alright, let’s do it! But if I’m still dry and clothed at the end, I get to claim another prize of some kind. And I get to go last during our mid-week challenge… I told them.

What happens if you’re not and/or not? Tray questioned.

"Then, I’ll surrender my title and allow all you losers another pathetic attempt to trump my win for a highly unlikely defeat. Right here, in this park, and we get to each work one-on-one with another mans…we’ll draw names from a hat," I declared.

Deal… they stated, together.

So, that is how the Super Colossal Mega-Horrifying Thriller – Scare Shark’s Pants Off, swizzle slide of the century came to be. We each whispered our ideas to Tray and Uncle Jaysen constructed the pieces.

"This massive swizzle is large enough for all of us to slide together. Notice, Fellow Men, that the opening is shrouded in red mist. No one knows where their piece is, except for Mack Daddy Construction Worker…" Tray said and looked at Uncle Jaysen.

And, this Mack Daddy ain’t a talkin’… Uncle Jaysen added, sounding like a rapper.

So Gents, we step through the red veil and meet our fate as the Creator intended…side-by-side and together… Tray announced.

A cloud covered the moon…plunging us deeper into shadows.

On the count of three, we bravely face our challenge! Uncle Jaysen declared.

The night grew foggier as the anticipation mounted.

Don’t forget…we always stick together. One…two… Tray stated.

Then, as if right on cue, the wind howled…ushering in our joint fall to darkness.

Three… I shouted, finishing the count.

We leaped through the veil, together…completely unaware…that the wicked twists we were headed toward would unavoidably spiral each of us down…into a dark and seemingly deadly fate.

Chapter Two

All of us will remain in earth’s realm for the week. My sister, Ember, will be keeping watch over the residents in the Ava’shay Houses’. Although my sister, Willow, rules their lesser House of Evn’ Tides, R-daddy asked her to stay at Sunridge. He feels better knowing another spiritually gifted family member is staying with Momma-C on the Vaydem Preserve while he’s gone.

The Vaydem people are pacifists and the Preserve is surrounded by spiritual runic protections. Still, R-daddy knows how challenging it can be to walk a mile in his shoes. He is the High Shaman of his people – the only ruler. When he’s gone, Momma-C takes care of any business matters that arise for the Vaydem.

With Willow being gone, my Momma-G will step into her role as the Ava’shay Queen. She will stay at the House of Evn’ Tides to assist Ember, should something come up.

My three sisters and my two mommas’ are in the first stages of pregnancy. Fallon is the only expectant mommy not spending this week at home with the girls’. She and my brother, Reid, are finally getting to take a real honeymoon after almost a year of marriage.

Before her daughters’ pregnancies, Grandma Edie had planned to stay at her home, the Rising Light House in Terria Tarrish, and step into the active leadership role. Although she is the reigning queen, she normally limits her duties so she can frequently go exploring with g-mom. With Fallon and Reid being away though, she is the only leader available to conduct business.

But with this unexpected news, my grandma abruptly altered her plans. She is concerned about her vulnerable pregnant daughters’ not having enough channeling protection in earth’s realm.

My brothers’ and two daddies’ took off on a weeklong, fun-filled mancation/vacation unaware of our five, impending itty-bitties. Because no expectant daddy has been clued in yet, grandma made arrangements to have Kyrann stay at Rising Light. He will handle business matters in her place.

Kyrann is a close, trusted family friend. Even though he is not an Ava’shay, my grandma feels confident that he can handle everything in her place.

I need to find out more about Kyrann…where he hails from and his heritage. Filling in for grandma is quite an undertaking. The Tarrish realm is massive and the Ava’shay House that is stationed there is triple the size of the House of Michael.

The equally large, Ava’shay home realm is being managed by the High General Zann. He is Daddy-Jax’s second in command. My royal daddy already had scheduled to take this week off. So, General Zann was well-prepared to take over the watch.

Even though my mommas’ and sisters’ are technically on the clock as the visible leaders, they will only handle emergencies. This week is mostly spent having fun and relaxing – at least, for them it is.

Although it is uncharacteristic for her, my g-mom will stay stationary. She plans to hang out at home with the rest of us. I assume she will sleep wherever Grandma Edie does.

Usually, I trans-verse between my sorority and home throughout this week – enjoying some quality time with my female family members while keeping my school related commitments. I have classes, sorority obligations and cheerleading practice. But this year everything is completely different in my life.

I never would have guessed that I would be married when this week rolled around. In my world though, things change rapidly. Within the last few short days, I got spiritually and matrimonially married to LVU’s All-Star college football quarterback, Wally Baxter. It took some arm-twisting, but I finally got my hippie-jock to tag along with the guys on their mancation.

We will plan a full honeymoon at a later date. He also made me promise that I would stay at home and not go anywhere near, either one of our colleges’. Between the drama at my State and the turmoil at his LVU, I was more than happy to take a legitimate break and drop out of sight for a few days.

I made him that vow and we set off innocently enough on our separate adventures.

The last few weeks have been complete chaos for every member of my family. We have been yanked in different directions and have all taken on too many responsibilities. We managed to pull together three major gypsy wedding events for Momma-C’s younger sister, Scarlett. With so much stress and almost no downtime, we were all thrilled to be taking a family-wide vacation.

Daddy-Jax and R-daddy are off adventuring with my niece, Haven. Her grandfathers’ planned to take her to an Ava’shay theme park. The three of them could barely contain their excitement.

My big brothers, Tray and Jaysen, grandma’s brother, Kell and my husband, Wally, took my four nephews, Zander, Quinn, Luke and Mikey on a testosterone-fueled mancation.

These annual mancations are the source of legends for us females – who are not allowed to participate. The guys are trekking around, somewhere in earth’s realm and doing Creator-only-knows-what. None of them even take a cell phone on their secretive male travels. That way no female can track their position and bust them doing something, off the charts, fun and I suspect, highly dangerous.

Ember and I are closer than blood-related sisters. But we haven’t gotten to see much of each other as of late. So, when we left Scarlett and Dylan’s wedding reception, she and I had big plans to crawl into her bed, stay awake all-night long and gossip.

We were in the thick of a two-hour discussion about Greg La Cour – my other soulmate and his new baby, Elisa when we heard a knock at the door.

G-mom, we weren’t expecting you! Is everything okay? Ember questioned, with an edge of panic.

Let’s chill together, little mommy – that ceiling’s still in your way. Everything’s as right as summer rain in late July. Your grandma and I have a creative slumber night planned for the girls. So both of you grab a comfortable change, or four, of clothes, a bathing suit and some toiletries. Oh, shoes are forbidden…even flip-flops…so leave ‘em here. We’re meeting in Momma-G’s living quarters to get this show on the road… g-mom told us.

Grandma Edie and g-mom plan creative slumber nights for the kids often. But this is a first for any adult. Momma-C and Willow were packed and ready before Ember and I got there. It takes my soul sister extra time to get her stuff together because she is the world’s cleanest, clean freak. Ember always brings double items, in case something gets used or her clothes get dirty.

Sis, you packed us that rare item from Doc, right? Grandma Edie asked g-mom.

"It’s tucked away…encased inside a container called a fill the greed. He said you’d have to spring it with a channel called ink frog grin…" g-mom responded.

"The container is called an end froth rind and the channel to spring the potion is named Freeliss-greeves…" grandma offered, good-naturedly.

All sounds like gobble-dee-gook to me. As long as you can get at that ‘playtime stuck in a small vial’, you can call it whatever your precious heart desires… she told her and kissed both of her cheeks.

We ready, my beautiful daughters’? grandma asked us.

We trans-versed to a place that looked like a recently abandoned desert oasis.

Where are we? we inquired in unison.

Lost paradise, of course…and, on nights, other than this one, this is a five-star health resort, tucked away in the Arizona desert called Discovering Utopia… g-mom revealed.

"Right now, this is our personal nirvana. This resort is ours. I purchased it and gave the staff a week-long, paid vacation after they made sure it was well-stocked for us.

"The ground, as I’m sure my spiritually gifted daughters’ can feel, has been purified and sealed through a divine process, called unblemished solitude…making it holy ground while our bare feet touch it.

"The sea that surrounds us was channel generated, by me personally and only for our mommies’ viewing pleasure. I want you all to bear in mind that, real or channel-generated, the ocean is too vast to be sealed. Well, I’m sure the Creator could do it, if the notion so struck him. But, I’m a puny kiddie compared to him with no more than a pinky’s worth of power.

"The desert-sea is not holy ground! We’re still in earth’s realm, temporarily ocean-front Arizona, USA. So my pregnant daughters can look at the waves but no touching, swimming or even toe-dipping anywhere near that water. However, the building, rooms, playgrounds, pools and waterslides, inside and outside, are safely sealed. The wave pool has a sandy beach, if you’re just dying to build a castle.

"We’re also secured by a dozen Vaydem runic protections and a Vortex Sweep, a Tarrish Kartsban Perimeter, an Ava’shay Tactical War Screen and a good-old fashioned gypsy Stomping Ground’s Measure.

"The Ay’sha measure can only be activated by a Dom. So I asked Kell to scoot it over here and channel the protection before he took off on his testosterone-filled vacation. I wanted someone in our family to know our physical location and make sure I didn’t forget to barricade a nook or corner. Kell said this cushy resort feels more like a prison and it was giving him a pounding headache. So that means, we’re tucked in safe and sound.

"But while we’re here Ava’shay Command can’t get a GPS lock on any of us because this place currently has too many barrier protections. Of course, they have the option of calling my cell phone if they need us. You don’t have to look. Your phones are all working with an excellent signal, just like mine. But let’s try to refrain from calling out, worrying or thinking about doing any of those things.

"And hold up…I see those concerns, underlying the possibility of hopeful anticipation. I’ve taken the liberty of getting open-ended coverage for all our positions.

One of Kyrann’s bosses has agreed to preside and keep faithful vigilance over the earth-realm, Ava’shay Houses and he’ll monitor the Vaydem Preserve. General Zann has been briefed and knows who is where and who is doing what. So all of our bases have been effectively covered… Grandma Edie told us.

I still don’t know who Kyrann’s big boss is or how many of them he answers to. But the guy must be extraordinarily powerful if he can watch over hundreds of thousands of residents and guard the Vaydem Preserve too. Although I was intrigued and planning on getting the secondary-boss details, my sisters’ and mommas’ started giggling, squealing and dancing. I quickly got in on the action because it’s rare for Momma-G to be this giddy and carefree.

So my little Chickadees, our men and babies are off on grand adventures. Our weighted responsibilities have been hoisted by some type of big gun, concrete shoulders of one of Kyrann’s bosses. It seems that the hands of time have been spun backwards. Let’s fun, frolic, play, slide, swing, and bounce. But no expectant mommy is allowed to do anything on that trapeze in the circus fitness room – regardless of harnesses, channel assists, and/or calling the wind to help you out. My human mommy heart can’t take it… g-mom announced.

They all agreed to leave the trapezing to her, grandma and/or me.

Off with you, now…explore, play and be free. We’ll head back to reality Saturday night. And like we tell the kids…creative slumbering details are only discussed among the adventurers… grandma told us.

This resort is a big kid’s playground! All the equipment is adult-sized.

Ember and I explored the resort from top-to-bottom, side-to-side. Then, she called to the wind and lifted us so we could investigate the turns of each waterslide. One of the slides spills out ten feet above the surface of a deep pool. The pool is shaped in a large oval, just like Greg’s. It reminded me of what Ember and I were discussing in her bedroom.

Although I still want and need to get her input in regards to Greg and our babies, I decided it could wait until later. There are so many fun activities that Ember and I couldn’t figure out where to start. So naturally, we went in search of Willow. Evidently, Momma-C and Momma-G were experiencing the identical challenge.

We all found Willow at the same time. At first, my poor sister was the object of our four person tug-o-war. Everyone wants her…

Willow has a flair for making the most fun things in life, even more enjoyable. And she never has a problem making up her mind which order to do things in either. So whoever gets Willow to play with them is guaranteed to have the most entertaining and outlandish fun available and experience it in the proper order.

Grandma Edie and g-mom are holed up in a room or on a pool deck somewhere, enjoying Doc’s potion and relaxing. But if they were playing with us, the tug-o-war over who gets Willow game would be over. G-mom has never lost a challenge…never had to wait a turn to experience the most fun available…never had to hold off while someone else gets started.

After three useless minutes, simultaneously and good-naturedly bickering over which of us gets Willow first, she interrupted us with a whistle.

Wow, I’m flattered! How ‘bout we just explore everything together? Willow asked and developed a plan.

Our teaming up was inevitable anyway. The only reason we were spending time in pairs at different locales had everything to do with their royal responsibilities. They have been liberated for the week.

For the next six, glorious days we had every intention of running amok, spending all our wakeful seconds having fun and playing games, sleeping wherever our heads landed, whenever we wanted, eating plenty and not thinking about anything other than doing all those things – and, repeating them.

The first twelve and a half hours were pure bliss – bringing us everything we planned.

Then, the cruel side of destiny would assume the helm. A waking nightmare was destined to come to pass. And the pending horror of what would soon be, would ensnare us in a choke hold and quickly turn into a full-fledged death-grip!

Chapter Three

The killer headache I woke up with wasn’t my only problem. It feels like I have been drained of all my energy. I am also lying in a painfully awkward position with no way to move. My eyes are sticky and feel like they have been glued shut. I can part my lips, but no sounds are being issued. Fortunately, my nose is working and I’m breathing just like I should be.

I inhaled deeply, trying to calm down and maybe figure out what might be happening to me. The dank, musty smell filled my nostrils and I needed to sneeze. That wouldn’t happen either.

Those smells are all wrong for this environment. Well, I think they are at least…

Where am I supposed to be at anyway?

I know the answer is stored in my brain, but it refuses to be remembered. I am somewhere…with…my sisters…mommas’…grandma…g-mom – somewhere fun and clean.

I wonder if Ember is here with me. There is no way she will stay anywhere that smells this dirty.

Did we get hurt? Did I get hurt?? What’s happening???

Helpless to move, speak or open my eyes, the panic attack of the century overwhelmed me. It was threatening to rip me apart from the inside. But before I could succumb to the crushing lunacy, an unfamiliar voice spoke and distracted me.

Quieted lucidity, I shall relief, posthaste. I will unbound through avowed distance, this we established? the unknown male stated and inquired.

What does that nonsense even mean??

Then, as if by magic, my voice returned. I could speak freely again. But I was still very weak.

Huh? I replied because that was the best I could conjure up.

Your avowed do we establish distance and unbounding desirable upon which we intercourse? he offered the perplexing words, slowly and succinctly.

The word intercourse terrified me. But the guy proposing intercourse sounds like he is still across the room. And he keeps mentioning distance. So I decided to delay my all-out, insane shrieking for when, and/or if, he gets close enough to touch me.

I know your words are English. But they don’t make any sense…when jammed… together like that… I stammered softly, still winded.

He repeated the words, enunciating each one clearly.

Hate to say it…but speaking them slowly…like you’re talking to…an imbecile…doesn’t help matters. I’m usually good…at interpretation…but sorry, I just don’t get it, I stated, trying my best not to sound sarcastic.

The man’s footsteps echoed, alerting me that he is pacing. Judging from the sound of his steps, he is still well away from my body.

He was muttering to himself, in a foreign language. A few minutes later nothing had changed. He was no closer to his goal – whatever it might be. And I am still plastered in place, unable to see anything.

Mind lettin’ me up from here…wherever? I finally asked him in frustration.

Unbounded achieved upon avowed distance! he responded with equal irritation.

Release me, now and we’ll both agree to stay away from each other… I offered, taking a stab at figuring out his cryptic message.

I must have guessed correctly. The world came into focus and I could move freely.

Now, that’s better! So, wh… was all I got out before my reality slammed into my awareness.

My g-mom, grandma, Momma-C, Momma-G, Willow and Ember are knocked out cold, floating in a neat little stack, a few inches off the floor in a filthy, rundown room.

This has to be somewhere in earth’s realm.

It is not holy ground, for sure.

My four itty-bitties can’t safely be here!

I took a flying leap for the unknown guy with every intention of ripping him to shreds for kidnapping us.

He re-established my restraints. So I was frozen in a twisted body position – again. At least, this time I can see him.

Wake them up now! They can’t be here… I yelled at him.

He looked at me with a curious expression, seemingly mystified.

Distance avowed…adherence of unbounded…or void intercourse…of this ‘tis verily of your choosing, he stated.

Ugh! Do what I say or else, Gibber-Man…

He repeated his Old English words in various orders.

I kept bellowing demands.

And, we were both getting nowhere, fast.

This is so stupid! How can you know English but not know how to speak it right?? I command you to speak my language and understand me. I don’t care how it gets accomplished – just, make it so, Mr. Freeze Me… I shouted like a psychotic.

Something I said must have temporarily distracted him. I was able to move again. So I snapped my fingers and managed to say, Do it… before I fell silent.

He waved and motioned for me to give him a minute as if he finally understands me. So Mister Gibber-Man X doesn’t comprehend plain English, but seems to have no problem deciphering my crazy ramblings??? That’s nuts!

He made a sweeping motion with his hand and Sebastian Race appeared at our location.

Ice… was all I managed to get out before the unknown guy zapped me with another silence whammy.

Still able to move, I clapped my hands and stamped my feet to get their attention. But no corresponding sounds followed the actions. So I rushed at them, aggravated and determined to no longer be ignored. The unknown man noticed I was on the move and suddenly my feet were locked to the floor.

Mute and stuck in place, I was flaming angry at being forcibly restricted. The instant he releases me, I plan to yell at the top of my lungs and pound on the nearest noisy item.

Ice didn’t even glance at me or my other family members. He and Mister X are holding a whispered conversation in, what I assume is, the Prace language.

This is ridiculous! I have never been so highly annoyed in my entire life. As the seconds ticked by, I went from raging furious to nuclear wrath. I fought against my restraints to no avail.

I mentally pulled at my legs. I willed my tongue to shout. When it didn’t comply, I psychotically threatened to bite it in half the first chance it gave me. Mentally struggling to break free was useless. It yielded…nothing. Like a true mental patient, I kept it up until I was teetering near the edge of insanity.

Mister X is about 6’5. His blue eyes are so deep and rich that it’s almost painful to look at them. He has shoulder-length, dark blonde hair that’s tousled like he’s been top-side, sailing on the Seven Seas. His chiseled facial features are weathered, adding to his overall seafaring look. From what I can tell, he has a dark, rich tan and steely muscles. The outfit he’s wearing looks like a costume from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean".

Great, we’ve been kidnapped by a dead-sober, hyper-logical, Old English, gibberish speaking, Captain Jack Sparrow!

I would have laughed at my absurd thought, but unfortunately I was still stuck to the floor and just as mute. So internal giggling was the only thing I could do to help release the nervous tension.

The positional stance you find yourself in is uncomfortable. Practice restraint and listen, only. You will not be released until you promise to maintain your distance… Ice stated in English and once again, I could speak.

Tell Captain J.S. Gibbering Freeze Man to let me go now! I yelled, angrily.

Noisy outbursts and childish name calling will not effectuate your liberation. Your choices are further restraint or give your word. There is no other selection available… Ice told me.

I promise! Now, tell him to… I tried to state before he interrupted me.

You must repeat the…

Yeah, yeah…I’ve heard it before…I know, the literal way of the Prace. Look Ice, I’m not the one with the distance issue in this equation! He’s the one that keeps threatening me with intercourse… I informed them and immediately, blushed from embarrassment.

I recognize no threat in him engaging you in intercourse, Ice Man revealed.

"Well, of course you wouldn’t perceive that as a threat! He doesn’t want to have intercourse with you. It’s me that he wants to intercourse around with – duh!" I declared and my red face glowed, two times brighter.

We just held an informational session in your presence. It was not understood by you, but intercourse has already transpired between us without threat or violent repercussions. I have no understanding of your contradictory reservation. You intercourse regularly with many… Ice stated before the epiphany arrived and I interrupted his explanation.

You can stop…I finally get it! Intercourse means talk in Gibber-Man, gibberish… I replied and snickered.

No one is speaking the Gibberish language. Repeat the…

I know that pirate you’re intercoursing with is not a Prace Gradist. But we’ll still stick with what you want in hopes that you’ll stick around. I barely get you most of the time. So this should be a bag full of jollies, trying to re-interpret the perplexing interpreter… I quipped, temporarily forgetting that comical sarcasm is lost on my friend, Ice.

I do not stick around or anywhere. You have not had any of me, at any time. My tolerance level…

…is drawing near – I know, I know. I promise to stay away from him when he releases me. And I swear to keep my distance, way over here, while we take a stab at communicating, I vowed and once again, I was liberated.

Although I still wanted to kick Pirate X in the shins, I had given him my word. So I rushed over to check on my family members. I couldn’t get to them. And no amount of banging on the invisible cages and begging them to wake up did the trick.

Look, you, Pirate whoever…they can’t safely be here! They need sealed ground, as in holy, sanctified ground. Please, I’m begging you to send them home. I’ll stay here…you can keep me as your hostage… I pleaded with the unknown man.

Their chambers are sealed through righteous atonement. They and their unseen lives are safely here. I avow…atonement cleanses through the holy of Holies. No ground compares… the unknown guy informed me.

Wake them up and let them tell me that you’re telling the truth and that they’re okay…

No wisdom through decision as such, Krista, until intense and revealing intercourse has taken place… the unknown guy said.

Can you please stop using that word?? Use the expression, ‘…until we talk’ or ‘…until we have a conversation’…

Until we have an intense conversation, no unwise action as such can take place…

Thank you. So, you obviously know who I am, but do you have a name?

I do…

Mind sharing it?

I am called Levi…

Okay, Levi…mind explaining why you snatched us?

Vicious?? Levi turned to Ice Man and inquired through a confused facial expression.

I have no understanding of ‘snatched’ terminology… Ice remarked.

It’s another expression! Why did you kidnap us?? Do you know the term ‘kidnap’??

Kidnap your us, I did not! Shielding was required, no means forthright save retrieval and escape, to this of where we find…

Stop there! Shield me or us from who or what?

From those who would entrap, as the others of many… Levi responded with a serious expression.

We spent a few aggravating minutes in, yet another, ineffective English language loop. Ice seemed to further frustrate our attempted conversation. I did my best to sort through what Levi was working to convey, but I dead-ended in the same place I started – which was nowhere.

Can you, at least, wake up g-mom? She’s more fluent in perplexing gibberish… I asked, reaching the end of my rope.

Elizabeth will serve as exacerbation upon waking. Irrationality will lead to state as similar or more so, upsetting you without a relieving recourse… Levi told me.

So, we’re just stuck in the middle of nowhere, verbally? I inquired.

We can, through possibility, reach a consensual median of communication by mutual reputing. Beware of, it is a hazard. My recourse choices are constrained by the requirement for haste. Will you, under personal volition, make agreement to minimal repute with me, giving me full allowance of the exchange? Levi asked.

I know he is making a request of some kind, but I am thoroughly puzzled.

Can you interpret what he just said?? I asked Ice, struggling to mask my irritation.

Repute is English. It means exchange. Interpreted, Levi wishes to exchange power with you. To my awareness, you have nothing of value to reciprocate as a weak, ungifted human… he glibly replied and I smacked him on reflex.

Levi, who was standing a few feet away from Ice, still leaped away from me like I’m poisonous and within his strike zone.

You swore to maintain distance! Ice exclaimed in an angry tone and puffed up like he was getting ready to strike.

You weren’t included in our bargain and I didn’t get anywhere near him, Ice! I responded, hotly.

I require no bargain. You do not have permission to touch me… he stated calmly enough, but still looked poised to attack.

So stop offending me if you don’t wanna be smacked…

I have no model of offending.

Forget it! Just keep going…

Reputing is the swiftest course to take.

Why is reputing a hazard?

Your feeble physical being is ill-equipped to receive from Levi. There is no danger for him in the exchange, only to you.

Is reputing with him like when I touched you at BlitZed?

Whatever I said Levi understood and it clearly rattled him. They began another discussion in their foreign language. Several temperamental exchanges later, Ice answered my question.

Reputing is similar, although with Levi it will be more impressive. You might not survive. You have to agree to the exchange willingly and with the acknowledgment that your brain will bleed or liquefy from lack of capacity…

If we exchange, and I survive, what’ll happen?

We have not achieved understanding…

That’s an understatement if ever I did hear one, Literal Einstein. Understand me, this little something, before we continue! Why are we exchanging? You spelled out the risk, so what’s the reward?

It will improve his verbal English ability. He needs to communicate with you. He is locked into some type of deadline of a serious nature.

And, he plans on cluing me in after he reputes me and can speak my language – right?

That is the general principle…

"Well, I survived our exchange and didn’t hemorrhage or implode. So I say let’s go for it. Understanding achieved…allow me to repeat, although neither of us happens to be Prace.

Levi, here’s the deal. I promise to let you do all the work. I’ll just stand still and pray a lot. Catch you on the verbal flipside…hopefully, I offered.

Praying is logically prudent… Levi stated.

I attempted to brace myself, but that wound up being wasted effort. Levi ever so slowly began his reputing process. It felt like he just incinerated every ounce of lifeforce I had