Ric: Zero Day

Chapter 1

The pumpkin pie stared at Ric with its golden crust and decadent orange. The nutmeg flirted with his sense of smell as he gulped down some saliva. This was at least the twentieth pie that stared at him ever since Maria determined to win the October baking competition. She had baked a lot of pies, and Earth had been relatively quiet the whole time. The Fallen had remained dormant, and almost every person did not even know that some of their neighbors were from another planet.

Here we go now, Maria said to herself as much as she said to Ric as she placed a pie slice on his plate.

Her voice was shy with fear that the pie would be worse than the last one. Her worries were ill-conceived, however. Each pie had been better than the last, and the one sitting on the plate in front of him was particularly special because it was made from pumpkins grown in her own backyard. Months earlier, she had reached out to a botanist who helped her optimize the flavor quality of her pumpkins.

Ric grabbed the fork and sunk its prongs into the silky orange.

So? Maria asked eagerly just after the pie met his teeth.

He let her agonize over his critic review while he enjoyed every crumb. Her fingers tapped her shoulders while her heels did not know whether they should have touched the ground or swayed her body up and down like a child eager to know if she can play outside. Even though she was seasoned with time, she was still youthful in soul, which was probably the only reason Diego was ever happy and bearable enough.

It’s the best.

Yeah? she said, barely containing the excitement.

This one is going to win any baking competition.

Diego’s eyes lit up. He was in a particularly grumpy mood that day because the chair he made from scratch that morning had broken after he sat on it. Without Maria as is wife, his grumpiness would have been endless, but he loved her and her pies.

Hand me one of those slices, Diego said.

Honey, Maria said exasperatedly.

Please, Diego said with his eyes still fixed on the pie.

She placed a slice on a small plate. She nearly handed it to Diego, but the doorbell rang.

I wonder who that could be, Maria said. They were not expecting any visitors that evening because of the baking competition. It was scheduled for that evening, and Maria had been working frantically to get her pie just right so that she could submit it for the competition.

Maria opened the door to an unfamiliar face.

Hello, she said.

Yes, is Ric here?

Ric walked in front of Maria and saw the man standing at the door. He had dark hair and dark eyes. His eyes were mischievous while his mouth curled in a chilling smile.

Who are you? Ric asked.

My name is Zeedoleneuskarfolunigolios, but you can call me Zee.

His name was inhuman. He was not human. The Fallen, people’s interplanetary nemesis, had finally surfaced.

Chapter 2

Well, now that is a long name, Maria remarked. Must be twice as long as any other I’ve heard. Do you want to come in?

Yes, thank you for your kindness. Your hospitality is such a breath of fresh air.

Zee walked into the kitchen. Speaking of fresh air, what is that marvelous food I smell?

He wafted the aroma toward his nose with his fingers.

Can’t you tell? Maria asked him. It’s pumpkin pie.

Zee probably never smelled pumpkin pie in his life because his planet did not have pumpkins.

Well if it smells so good, then it must taste so good. May I please have some?

Zee traveled all the way from his home planet to Earth, and Ric could almost tell just by Zee’s exaggerated manners.

Well look at that, Diego. Our visitor says ‘please’ when he wants something, Maria said.

Diego shrugged his shoulders and stabbed at his third piece of pie.

Zee sat at the table across from Ric. His smile flattered Maria, but Ric was not buying it. Zee could have been a friend who just wanted some company for the evening, or he could have been there for ulterior reasons. Either way, Ric wanted to cut through the small talk and manners and find out why Zee was really there, but Maria was having too much fun, and she wanted another opinion on her pumpkin pie.

"Wow, this dessert is to die for, Zee said while looking at Ric. What do you call this dessert again?"

Maria laughed, thinking Zee gave her the ultimate compliment even though he was actually threatening Ric and genuinely forgetful about the name of the dessert.

Ric, why didn’t you ever tell me about your friend, Zee? You should have brought him over for the pies I made last week so he could have raved about those ones too.

Yeah, I guess you’re right. Sometimes more company is better, Ric said.

Mhm.

"But sometimes it’s better to be left alone."

Zee’s mouth curled in a closed smile.

Nonsense, anyone is welcome in this household, Maria countered. Ric, how did you meet Zee? Was it on your bike routes?

It’s actually a funny story, Ric played along. But Zee tells it so much better than I do.

Well put, Ric. It is a little funny. It was never my plan to be in Seattle. I originally wanted to be closer to the center of everything, and Seattle is so…West. But I could not help myself but come here because a close friend of mine – Dana is her name – she told me that Seattle was very effective in winning their war against the Fallen. She even told me about Ric and how important he was to organizing everyone for one last push toward victory.

I had no idea, Ric. You should be a movie star if you’re already so well known, Maria said.

So anyway, Zee continued. "I met Ric not very long ago just to tell him why I’m here and what plans I have for Seattle."

Yeah, Ric said. It felt like just a minute ago that I met him.

I’m sure whatever plans you have for Seattle, that you will like it here, Maria said to Zee.

"You know what…I think you’re absolutely right. I am going to enjoy it here, and that’s a fact. It’s too bad that everyone can’t come to Seattle and experience it. But, it’s just not practical for everyone on Earth to enjoy their experience as much as I will. It wouldn’t be practical to share this with everyone."

A long pause ensued as Maria stopped asking questions to take out the next pie from the oven. The previous pie was meant for taste testing, but this one was for the judges. Ric and Zee stared at each other, knowing what nobody else knew, that Zee was there to disrupt peace.

Oh lando, this one didn’t turn out like the last one. I have to make another one, Maria yelled from the kitchen. Zee, why don’t you stay here this evening? If you don’t help eat this failed pumpkin pie, then Diego will just eat the whole thing.

You know, I’m so grateful for your respect and kindness, but I must decline your generous offer. I have a get together planned with some friends, and I don’t want to be rude and make them wait up on me. Diego, thank you very much for allowing me to accompany you at this table.

Mhm, Diego grunted.

The screen door closed gently as Zee walked out of the house. Ric’s head was spinning with the new information. The Fallen were dormant for so long, he had started to assume they were content with cohabitating with people. Now he knew that they were just waiting for the right moment to surface. Based on Zee’s implicit threats, the Fallen had violent intentions toward people.

Ric rushed out to catch Zee. They were far enough from the house to have a real conversation.

Hey, Ric called out.

Oh. Yes, Ric?

You don’t have to do this.

Don’t have to do what? Oh…no you have me wrong. You know, I’ve watched your people for a while now. They sleep, they wake up, they bake pies, and they commune. Do you want to know what sticks out the most about your people?

Zee wagged his finger and placed it on his chin.

You make heroes out of regular people just to look up to someone. It astonishes me that you don’t have a world leader, someone that everyone can look up to and call a hero. But don’t worry, Ric. I will be the leader of this planet, and all people can have a common hero. They will have someone to respect.

Crickets chirped from nearby bushes. Ric wished he could have a conversation with anyone else, even if it was a monologue to the crickets.

Zee spoke silver words that had rotten implications for people. The people did not want to be led by any individual, especially not by Zee.

If you value peace, you will stay in the shadows as you were, Ric said. We can have peace together.

You value peace. I value respect. I like you Ric, but you are arrogant, and arrogance is the root of disrespect. You should correct that, otherwise you may find yourself with one foot in the grave…or maybe both.

Zee laughed with his throat and half smile.

If you intend to harm people, we will fight back, and we always win.

I don’t intend to harm people, Ric. But all people will die if they don’t adapt to what is coming next.

Chapter 3

Zee was gone, and all that was left of the evening was Maria and the baking competition. Ric nearly turned to walk inside to the nutmeg air in the house, but the cool night beckoned him to stay a while longer. The October air breezed against his face as if nudging him away. He wanted to submit to it, to follow it beyond the neighborhood and into the forest.

The forest had calmed his stress on many nights. It felt like another home where there were no worries, just an array of branches to climb and tree stumps to lie near and ponder. On that dark evening, he would enter the forest, but not under the command of the wind. The elements could not control his destiny anymore. Zee revealed that the Fallen would soon emerge, and Ric had to prepare.

He walked into the house, but only long enough to grab a flashlight, a shovel and his dark energy gun and sword before walking to the nearest forest.

Between the trees was pure darkness. Some would have called it black like space, but he preferred to recognize it as hidden space, a space where everything existed as it was even though he could not see it. It was unknown territory, sacred and…sometimes painful. He walked into a tree face-first.

It felt like a basketball was thrown into his face. He pulled out his flashlight and made sure his face stayed clear of the rest of the trees.

If Emm had been there, she would have laughed at him, and he would have laughed at himself. They could have shared secrets in the night just like they had done on the fortress roof at the blueberry planet, but that was too long ago. He had not seen her since Jerome ruined everything by killing her father.

Worry plagued his soul with the thought of Jerome. He had not talked to Jerome either. It was the first long stretch of time that he was separated from his brother, and he still was not accustomed to being apart.

But the past would live in the past, and, on that evening, Ric had only one goal for dealing with both the past and future.

He found a patch of ground with minimal rocks, and he dug his shovel into it until there was enough room to bury his gun.

He pulled the cross of his old necklace from his pocket along with a handkerchief. Maggie, his sister, was buried in the ground long ago. Although the memory of her stayed painful through the years, she was one of his favorite memories. Parts of her were still with him, and some of those parts belonged in his favorite hideaway. He wrapped the handkerchief around the gold cross before setting it gently in its bed of dirt. He grabbed his gun and placed it in the hole as well.

Whenever the Fallen attacked, he would be ready to fight them with his dark energy sword. Now that his sword could cut through any Fallen with ease, his gun was no longer necessary for survival. Every time he fired the gun, he could not help but feel pain at the thought of losing Maggie, and she did not deserve that. Her memory belonged in the sacred forest rather than in a lethal tool of war.

He grabbed his shovel and poured the dirt back into the gun grave. The wind kissed his one ear while the other heard a scuffle in the bushes. He ignored it at first, leaving the squirrels and other animals to their peace. He patted the dirt to remove signs that something was buried there.

The bushes scuffled one more time, but this time a knot curled in Ric’s stomach. Somebody approached him slowly. He turned around to see who it was, but the night did not afford him enough light to discern a face. He knelt to grab the flashlight, but he was so nervous that he kicked it instead, and the light went out. It became so dark that he could hardly see his own hands.

Panic entered his voice.

Who’s there? he said, afraid that Zee already intended to kill him.

He pulled out his dark energy sword and let its light grant him a visual of his company in the forest.

Chapter 4

Purple, that’s my favorite color, Filly said.

Ric let his guard down and replaced his purple sword with the flashlight that worked again.

No, purple is my favorite color, Nilly said. I like it more than you do.

Nilly did like purple more since she wore it almost every day. That night was no exception. Her headband looked violet. It held up her curly brown hair.

Filly and Nilly were old friends from community care, back when Ric and Jerome were growing up without parents or other family to take care of them. Filly and Nilly had a close bond, except, unlike Ric and Jerome, they were not siblings. Each of them had a sad story that ultimately forged their unlikely friendship.

Nilly was fire and smoke. She would burn someone with honest words and then choke them out with her intimidating personality. She was loud and unafraid while Filly was timid. Filly would back away from any fight, either verbal or physical. Kids at community care tried to bully her, but Nilly always told them to step off. If that did not work, then Jerome pushed the bullies back.

What are you doing out here? Ric asked.

What are you doing out here? Nilly fought back.

We saw you come out of your house with a shovel and a flashlight, and we followed you here, Filly admitted.

Well, I’m just digging up a bunch of diamonds that I buried here six years ago.

Really? Filly said.

No, he’s not serious, stupid. Nilly nudged Filly with her elbow. Wait, are you serious?

I wish. Why don’t you two come with me to the fair tonight? Ric asked, mostly to change the subject, but also because Maria would have appreciated as much crowd support as possible for her pie in the baking competition.

Ric put away his shovel and weapons back at Maria and Diego’s house while Filly and Nilly experienced pumpkin nirvana in the leftover pie.

Maria was frantically pacing around the house, dusting things that did not need to be dusted. She got that way when she was nervous.

You have to leave soon or you’ll be late, Maria, Ric reminded her.

I know, but this window sill really needs to be dusted. It’s disgusting, and Diego sneezed earlier. You know that I don’t like it when Diego sneezes because it means that there’s dust in the house. I can’t have dust here while I –

Maria, stop. Ric hugged her just to stop her from moving around constantly. Just stop. You are going to do fine tonight.

What if my pie doesn’t win, Ric? I worked so hard on it, she said vulnerably.

You know what, your pie is going to knock the judges’ pallets out of this world. I can promise you that.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Well, could you hold the pie, Ric? I’m afraid I’ll get nervous and drop it.

Ric did not want to hold the pie. He was afraid of dropping it too because of how much it meant to Maria.

Sure, Maria. Anything for you.

He grabbed the competition pie and held it tightly all the way to the fair. Thousands of people were there, which meant that there were thousands of people who could bump into him and ruin Maria’s perfect pie.

The evening became chilly with the wind picking up speed, but the warmth of the pie dish kept his hands toasty.

I need to go, Filly said sheepishly as they maneuvered through the people traffic.

Go where? Ric asked.

She means she needs to take a leak or a dump, or both a leak and a dump. Nilly filled in the blanks while Filly’s entire face reddened with embarrassment.

Ric waited for them, still with the pie in his hands, protecting it like a baby. Lately, he had felt lonely, and the loneliness crept in more than ever that night. The fair was a place where couples held hands and shared secrets. He wanted Emm to be there so they could go on a ride and she could laugh at him while he screamed at the scary roller coaster drops.

A man walked out of the bathroom, which must have run out of paper towels because he shook his wet hands wildly. Some bathroom water droplets nearly flung onto the pie, but Ric shielded it with his body.

Filly and Nilly came out of the bathroom before the next round of water flickering came his way.

Why do you two always go to the bathroom together? Ric asked. You’ve done it ever since we were kids.

I don’t know about any other time, Nilly said. But this time I had a big dump that was already peaking.

I wish I didn’t ask.

They made it to the judges’ station where there was already an assortment of desserts laid out on the table. Maria was biting her nails next to an array of fellow contestants who looked equally nervous despite the fact that the judges had not even arrived yet. Only one other dessert was a pie. There was also a vegan éclair made by a guy with a giant hat, some authentic cannoli with cinnamon filling, and about ten other desserts that made his mouth water.

Ric just had to weave through a few more people, climb up the stairs on the stage, and then put the pie on the table. As he approached the stairs, a neon green foam football spiraled through the dark sky. He saw it in his peripheral vision just in time to move the pie out of the way and let the football meet its ballistic destiny on the grass.

That was really close, Nilly said out loud.

Maria was more nervous than ever.

Ric took another step toward the stairs, but a kid ran toward the football to pick it up without paying attention. The kid knocked into Ric’s arms, and the pie was airborne. Ric caught it with the tips of his fingers, but he was not able to establish control of it. The pie nearly fell on the ground, but a friendly face appeared out of nowhere and caught the pie before it fell.

Kara?

Chapter 5

Hi, Ric, Kara said with her beautiful smile.

Hey. Whoa. Ric forgot he was holding an important pie as Kara surprised him with her presence.

What are you doing here? Ric asked. Actually, don’t tell me yet. Hold on.

He carried the pie over to Maria’s table. She was pale after watching her pie nearly crash into the ground.

Ready to win?

The color in her face returned.

I’m going to crush my competition, Maria said with her fist crashing into the table.

The other contestants looked at her and then looked at their own dessert creations with less confidence. Ric had never seen her so fired up before.

He hopped off the stage and onto the grass where Kara met him with a hug.

I’m so happy to see you, she said.

He rested his hands gently on her back out of courtesy, but he did not feel like hugging her. Even though he was happy to see her, he had thought about Emm for so long that he did not have much room for Kara.

She pushed out of the hug, realizing that his embrace was only half-hearted. He expected her to be disappointed, but she was not. She just seemed giddy with excitement.

Why are you here? he started to ask but could not finish because the lights on the stage dimmed slightly as the judges prepared to make their entrance.

Food lovers and food lovers, welcome to the Death by Dessert showdown where you can die happy after eating the contestant desserts. Well, you can’t eat them, but you can watch as the judges do.

The man speaking looked like he was about to drool as he walked around the stage. His eyes got a little bigger each time he looked at one of the desserts.

Each year we ask you to create something special in the kitchen, and each year our judges are surprised with what you come up with. This year looks to be no different as we have cakes, pies…

Maria clapped her hands excitedly.

…and, honestly, I don’t know what some of these are, but they look fantastic.

Ric leaned over to Kara, I’ll bet you this guy will sample the desserts after the judges try them.

"You’re on. What will I win when he behaves like a