Sunday, June 12, 2005

Zip Racer - Episode 5
The sun had long set when the four came out of the café. Over several glasses of coke and a considerable amount of ice cream Dax told them just about everything about the new people and things he encountered in the city. The enormous Zip Stadium that seated thousands, the huge buildings that almost blocked out the sky, and the thickwit drivers who didn’t seem to realize that just because their cars could travel through space, it didn’t mean that they could charge around at two hundred miles an hour. Kiki, who had only ever seen one pro race, had dragged every little detail about the races out of him.
The group headed down the street, back towards the zip track. The huge iron gate had been hauled across the entrance, and was casting criss-cross shadows across the ground under the white stadium lights. They sat down in the dust, their backs against the stadium wall. They looked out on the desert, a muddle of various shades of blue in the starlight. “This is one of the things I missed.” Said Dax. “In the city, you can’t see the stars because of all the lights. You’d think that the sky was orange at night, there are so many street lamps. There’s just no peace there.” Kiki sat up. “If it’s peace you want, then what do you say to heading down to the oasis?”
What they called the oasis was a small pool under a waterfall at the base of Mount Liza, which was just a little way out into the desert. The mountain it was under was positioned in such a way that the pool was always in the shade, except for a short time directly after sunrise and just before sunset. It was a great place to spend time during the middle of the day, when the sun was viciously hot. Dax smiled. “Definitely.”
They all got up and began to run towards the mountain, transforming as they went. Dax was first to change, turning into the silver wolf that had been sitting on Kiki’s bed hours before. Kiki was right behind him, a small auburn fox with her sharp purple eyes. Nina and Jinx followed, a black cat with Jinx’s yellow eyes and a little King Charles puppy with Nina’s pink ones. They ran together towards the mountain, looking like the strangest mix of animals they had ever seen.
Their quick legs had them at the base of the mountain in minutes. They needed their animal forms to get to the oasis, as it involved squeezing through a hole in a pile of fallen rocks that no human, save a baby, could fit through. At the top it was too steep to climb over, so they had no choice. Kiki, Nina and Jinx slid through easily, their tiny forms the perfect fit for the hole. As always, Dax struggled slightly getting through, as he was a bit bigger than the girls. He shook the dust from his fur after he pushed through. “I don’t remember it being that much of a squeeze.” He laughed, human again. “You must have gained wait.” Sniggered Jinx. Dax put on a look of mock indignation. “Well either that or the hole’s getting smaller.” Laughed Nina.
Kiki was already in the water, jeans and jacket left on the bank. Nina and Jinx followed suit while Dax pulled off his shirt. As always, Kiki went slightly pink. He really was hot. The girls knew full well why she was smiling, and splashed her to snap her out of it. They laughed as jumped and fell backwards into the water. She resurfaced, gasping for breath. To make things worse, Dax chose that moment to dive in, splashing all three of them. Hysterical laughter began and continued for about five minutes before the girls finally calmed down again.
They spent about half an hour in the water, just messing around and talking, like they always did. Eventually they climbed out and waited a while for the heat of the warm night to dry them off. Jinx yawned and stretched very much in the way she would when she was a cat. Kiki lay with her head on Dax’s stomach, looking up at the stars. After while the heat dried them off, and they transformed to scramble back through the hole.
They turned back into themselves just outside the glow of the town’s lights. Their abilities were a secret, as they had never met anyone who could do what they could. They thought it best to keep it that way, for everybody’s sake. It had been Jinx who had taught them how. Kiki had been going out with Dax before he and Jinx became family, and the girls had hit it off instantly. Jinx had never told them how she had learned to transform. She said that she stumbled upon her ability while meditating, but none of them really believed that.
“Well, we better head home.” Said Jinx to her brother. “Mom and Dad will be looking forward to seeing you.” He smiled. He kissed Kiki goodnight and headed down the street with his sister. Suddenly, a pair of headlights came hurtling around the corner, attached to a car that was going far too fast. It came to a sharp halt in mid air right next to Dax and Jinx. Two dark figures leapt from the back and each grabbed Jinx by the arms, hauling her, screaming and thrashing, back up the ramp and into the car. Nina and Kiki ran forwards to see Dax sprawled on the ground, blood trickling down over his forehead. He was still conscious though, and he was soon back on his feet, but there was nobody left to fight. The door of the car was already closed and the engine revving. The three chased it down the street until they couldn’t see it anymore, Dax continuing to run until there was obviously no hope of following. The girls collapsed onto the ground, swearing and clutching the stitches in their sides. They were all thinking the same thing. Who were they, and what did they want with Jinx?

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