Amber by Dan-Dwayne Spencer (e book reader .TXT) 📕

Now and then we could see a shopping center or some houses. After driving several miles on Church Street, to my surprise, Flower pulled over into a newly built Sonic Drive-in. Even Flower ordered a hamburger.

“What happened to the vegan diet?” I asked.

“I’ve eaten different kinds of food in my lifetime,” she answered. “Some would make your skin crawl. Like for example, down in Mexico, they put fried crickets on ice cream.” She smiled. “It actually wasn’t bad. Who knew crickets added just the right amount of salty to the sweet.”

Frowning, I turned my nose up and said, “I’ll stick to Sonic burgers, thank you.”

As I sat in the van lost in thought, things just didn’t add up right—something kept bugging me. I couldn’t see the complete picture. Maybe what bothered me was the dream I had about the traveler in the desert. In my dream, the guy stayed by the pond only because he thought he couldn’t make it to the next stop in his journey. He took the word of the raven without proof. Something about that was becoming more upsetting every time I pondered it. What if the traveler challenged the raven? Would he die? What if another traveler came by and offered him help? Another thing and possibly the most puzzling was why was Flower’s teenage photograph in the traveler’s pocket?

Anyway, I had no idea as to the true identity of the traveler? In my dream it was me, but without a doubt, it was misleading as everything else in my crazy mixed-up world. I had to put all of it out of my mind. I had no way to unravel that mystery. I would be happy if only I could discern which part of what Phoenix said was true and which was a lie.

One thing was for sure, Phoenix must have loved Flower an awful lot. After all, he gave up his freedom to be with her. Too bad he didn’t ask her if she wanted all his devotion. I couldn’t even imagine her being the housewife to one of Lucifer’s cronies. Suddenly, I got a visual of Flower wearing a swing dress, pearl necklace, and high heels while vacuuming Lucy and Desi’s apartment, and Phoenix coming through the door yelling, “Flower, I’m home.” I shuddered.

Finally, a bouncy, bow-headed teen with dental braces glided our way on roller skates. She balanced a tray full of sacks and drinks, slid to a graceful stop, and mounted the tray on the edge of the van’s driver’s side window. We were all more than ready for it; everyone reached and snatched theirs from where Stoney held the bag. I have to admit, there in Eudora, I had the best burger, ever. Maybe because I was so hungry, or there could have been other reasons.

When we finished, we sat in the van drinking our sodas. “Why do you think the Sheriff was at the carnival?” I asked.

Roger sat up straight and said, “I bet he’s the reason we almost got turned into Hoochie Coochie boy toys.” He shuddered.

Jimmy added, “I don’t know exactly how it happened to us. One minute we were fine, walking by the carousel on our way to find you two, and—bam—the next thing I remember is standing in front of their sideshow. I don’t remember Rose going back to the van. Nothing seemed important except to do what the girls wanted.”

Rose asked, “And, what did those hoochie chicks want?”

“They never actually talked to us,” Roger explained. “Like we said before, their dance was a language. They were talking to us without using words. The last thing I think they said was a hip shimmy that yelled, ‘You love us. You love us. You must obey us.’ The next thing I remember was being pushed into Jimmy and Rose.”

Flower tapped the steering wheel with her index finger. “Homer’s dancing girls, his Nymphs, used to serve Phoenix, but I’m thinking now they have been loaned out to Venus. At least I know Calypso is in league with her.” She thought, then added, “What the girls said to you boys in their dance moves is not important. Actually, I think it would be best if you guys kept it to yourselves. Some things do not need saying.”

She looked up to her rearview mirror and spotted me in the far back of the van. “As for the Sheriff, maybe he really was there for a payoff. It would be like his new persona to put the squeeze on a cursed bunch of carnies, but I think his payoff was getting to see the angel Phoenix. I’m guessing the Sheriff’s new master has something she wants Phoenix to do for her, or maybe he has some information she needs.”

She put the van in gear and pulled away from the Sonic. Finally, we were headed back to the commune. To me, it felt like I was finally going home.

Roger asked, “What? The freaky Sheriff has a master—and it’s a she…I mean a woman?”

“She is not exactly a woman,” I responded.

Confusion was written all over Roger’s face. “What do you mean? Trust me, I’ve seen those old paintings of Venus, and all her parts were in the right places.”

I explained, “She is an angel like Phoenix. Her name is Venus and before you ask. Yes, Phoenix said, she’s the same one from the ancient myths. The people in those times only thought she was a goddess.”

Roger scowled, “Those paintings didn’t have wings on her. We could sue for false advertising. As far as I’m concerned, she looked like a goddess.”

“Can we go back so I can meet her?” Roger begged. “Angel or not, imagine meeting the goddess of love herself. Now, that would be an adventure.”

“It would for sure since she has turned into an angel of death named Ishtar.” I gave him a sarcastic glare. “You