Trismegistus Shandy: fix formatting

2013-06-12T17:40:48Z

fix formatting

Trismegistus Shandy: add author tag and link to part two

2013-06-12T17:30:16Z

add author tag and link to part two

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:30, 12 June 2013
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			{{byline\|author=Trismegistus Shandy
			\|user=Trismegistus Shandy}}

	For most of the drive, Uncle Mike didn't say anything, and I didn't either. The wrecks had all been cleared from the roads, but the closer we got to Atlanta, it seemed like there'd been so many of them that they hadn't had time to haul them all away -- we saw lots of wrecked cars in the ditches on both sides of the highway and in the median, and once we got into the more densely-populated areas there were big piles of wreckage, where you could hardly tell where one squished car left off and another began. I wondered how many of the people who'd been in those cars at the moment of the change had survived, and of them, how many would ever recover from their injuries.		For most of the drive, Uncle Mike didn't say anything, and I didn't either. The wrecks had all been cleared from the roads, but the closer we got to Atlanta, it seemed like there'd been so many of them that they hadn't had time to haul them all away -- we saw lots of wrecked cars in the ditches on both sides of the highway and in the median, and once we got into the more densely-populated areas there were big piles of wreckage, where you could hardly tell where one squished car left off and another began. I wondered how many of the people who'd been in those cars at the moment of the change had survived, and of them, how many would ever recover from their injuries.

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	"Have fun," I said. I felt weird about that, and wondered if things like that were going to happen often, and if so, if this was the beginning of the end of our friendship. It felt like it shouldn't be; even if we were different species now, we still liked the same kinds of games and movies. But I wasn't sure.		"Have fun," I said. I felt weird about that, and wondered if things like that were going to happen often, and if so, if this was the beginning of the end of our friendship. It felt like it shouldn't be; even if we were different species now, we still liked the same kinds of games and movies. But I wasn't sure.

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			*[[A House Divided/Part2\|Part Two]]

Trismegistus Shandy: adding part one of novel

2013-06-12T17:26:39Z

adding part one of novel

Show changes

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:40, 12 June 2013
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	"All right," Dad said. "So we went out to lunch last Saturday -- we were going to have our romantic Valentine's Day dinner in the evening, we had reservations, but then the hospital called and wanted Darlene to fill in for someone on the evening shift. I said go ahead, we could have dinner at lunchtime; the restaurant wouldn't be as crowded and we might not need a reservation. And we didn't. We'd been seated and had our appetizers served when it happened."		"All right," Dad said. "So we went out to lunch last Saturday -- we were going to have our romantic Valentine's Day dinner in the evening, we had reservations, but then the hospital called and wanted Darlene to fill in for someone on the evening shift. I said go ahead, we could have dinner at lunchtime; the restaurant wouldn't be as crowded and we might not need a reservation. And we didn't. We'd been seated and had our appetizers served when it happened."

	When it happened. Uncle Mike and I had been using that phrase, and so had some of the other people we'd talked to in Athens. It was easier than saying exactly what had happened, and of course everyone knew anyway.		''When it happened.'' Uncle Mike and I had been using that phrase, and so had some of the other people we'd talked to in Athens. It was easier than saying exactly what had happened, and of course everyone knew anyway.

	"I felt queasy for a moment," Mom said, "and then numb -- I couldn't feel my body at all, and I fell out of my chair, but I couldn't feel myself hit the floor. I was numb for several seconds, and I heard people screaming -- then just as I was starting to worry enough to scream myself, I could feel my body again, and it felt strange. I tried to sit up, but it was awkward -- my arms were skinny and weak, and my legs weren't much stronger, and there were too many of them. But I didn't realize that at first, I just knew I felt strange."		"I felt queasy for a moment," Mom said, "and then numb -- I couldn't feel my body at all, and I fell out of my chair, but I couldn't feel myself hit the floor. I was numb for several seconds, and I heard people screaming -- then just as I was starting to worry enough to scream myself, I could feel my body again, and it felt strange. I tried to sit up, but it was awkward -- my arms were skinny and weak, and my legs weren't much stronger, and there were too many of them. But I didn't realize that at first, I just knew I felt strange."
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	"Okay." He was silent for a few minutes, and then said: "Want to play a game?"		"Okay." He was silent for a few minutes, and then said: "Want to play a game?"

	So we played Champions of Marduk on his Playstation for a while. He wasn't playing his best, because every time there was a slight lull in the action he'd take a hand off the controller and eat a piece of lettuce or cucumber, and several times he got caught off guard that way. And maybe lying on his side, seeing the screen sideways, was affecting him too. After an hour or so we took a break.		So we played ''Champions of Marduk'' on his Playstation for a while. He wasn't playing his best, because every time there was a slight lull in the action he'd take a hand off the controller and eat a piece of lettuce or cucumber, and several times he got caught off guard that way. And maybe lying on his side, seeing the screen sideways, was affecting him too. After an hour or so we took a break.

	"So, school's starting back Monday," I said.		"So, school's starting back Monday," I said.
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	I sat near Will during Mr. Meredith's American History class, but didn't get a chance to talk to him before class -- he hobbled in at the last second, and some of the other centaurs came in late. That was happening a lot, actually; at the beginning of second period the assistant principal went on the intercom and announced that students with "mobility issues" -- meaning mostly the centaurs, although I saw a few bipeds in wheelchairs or on crutches, too -- could be up to five minutes late to class with no penalty. Will steadied himself on my shoulder as we walked to lunch; I decided to go through the herbivore/vegetarian line with him and sit with him. Arnie joined us when he saw where we were.		I sat near Will during Mr. Meredith's American History class, but didn't get a chance to talk to him before class -- he hobbled in at the last second, and some of the other centaurs came in late. That was happening a lot, actually; at the beginning of second period the assistant principal went on the intercom and announced that students with "mobility issues" -- meaning mostly the centaurs, although I saw a few bipeds in wheelchairs or on crutches, too -- could be up to five minutes late to class with no penalty. Will steadied himself on my shoulder as we walked to lunch; I decided to go through the herbivore/vegetarian line with him and sit with him. Arnie joined us when he saw where we were.

	Lunch was a disaster. Seating the centaurs at the far end of the cafeteria from the carnivores and omnivores and whatever dubious meat the cafeteria was serving them that day was not enough; there wasn't enough room to put empty spaces between them, and a lot of them got sick to their stomachs from seeing carnivores go by with lunch trays or seeing them eat meat at the next table. Several actually threw up, including Will. Fortunately, he didn't get any vomit on my clothes, though I had to clean my backpack after Arnie and I helped him get to the bathroom and clean up. They were both in bad shape, famished from not being able to snack during morning classes, but too sick to eat any lunch. There was another intercom announcement a few minutes later, saying those who couldn't stand the smell of meat could go to study hall for now and come back to eat later.		Lunch was a disaster. Seating the centaurs at the far end of the cafeteria from the carnivores and omnivores and whatever dubious meat the cafeteria was serving them that day was ''not'' enough; there wasn't enough room to put empty spaces between them, and a lot of them got sick to their stomachs from seeing carnivores go by with lunch trays or seeing them eat meat at the next table. Several actually threw up, including Will. Fortunately, he didn't get any vomit on my clothes, though I had to clean my backpack after Arnie and I helped him get to the bathroom and clean up. They were both in bad shape, famished from not being able to snack during morning classes, but too sick to eat any lunch. There was another intercom announcement a few minutes later, saying those who couldn't stand the smell of meat could go to study hall for now and come back to eat later.

	Arnie and Will went to study hall from the bathroom, and I went back to the cafeteria to finish eating. I was worried about Arnie and Will, but also looking forward to the next period. Ms. Killian was my favorite teacher, even though biology (which she taught) wasn't my best subject -- it wouldn't have been in my top three favorite subjects, if she hadn't been teaching it. I was hoping she'd have something interesting to say about all the changes, and she didn't disappoint me.		Arnie and Will went to study hall from the bathroom, and I went back to the cafeteria to finish eating. I was worried about Arnie and Will, but also looking forward to the next period. Ms. Killian was my favorite teacher, even though biology (which she taught) wasn't my best subject -- it wouldn't have been in my top three favorite subjects, if she hadn't been teaching it. I was hoping she'd have something interesting to say about all the changes, and she didn't disappoint me.
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	Saturday, I walked over to Will's house just after breakfast. Will and I played Champions of Marduk for a while, until Arnie's brother dropped him off. Will and Arnie had both gotten stronger in the last week -- their legs were still skinnier than mine, but not as rail-thin as they'd been when I first saw them after I came home, and their arms were filling out too. We hung out for a few hours playing video games, and then went for a walk down to the creek that runs behind the houses at the end of Will's street. They sat on a fallen log and I sat on a big rock, and we talked about everything and nothing for an hour or so, and I drew several sketches of them and the trees and the creek. I liked the view a lot, and several times in the next month I walked down there, by myself more often than with Will, and did a bunch of sketches, then my first real landscape painting.		Saturday, I walked over to Will's house just after breakfast. Will and I played ''Champions of Marduk'' for a while, until Arnie's brother dropped him off. Will and Arnie had both gotten stronger in the last week -- their legs were still skinnier than mine, but not as rail-thin as they'd been when I first saw them after I came home, and their arms were filling out too. We hung out for a few hours playing video games, and then went for a walk down to the creek that runs behind the houses at the end of Will's street. They sat on a fallen log and I sat on a big rock, and we talked about everything and nothing for an hour or so, and I drew several sketches of them and the trees and the creek. I liked the view a lot, and several times in the next month I walked down there, by myself more often than with Will, and did a bunch of sketches, then my first real landscape painting.

	Things settled into a pattern for a while. I ate lunch with Latisha and Tyrone more often than not; Latisha's wolf friends joined us fairly often, as did Lindsey Babcock -- she and Tyrone were becoming pretty tight, being the only Valdosta frogs in our grade and maybe the only ones in our school. I learned to tell Keisha and Wanda apart, and I learned to not get sick watching Tyrone and Lindsey slurp up maggots and beetles with their long tongues. I met Latisha's brother Lyndon once, when he passed by our table and Latisha said hi to him and introduced him; he didn't want to sit with us freshmen, though, and he didn't say much.		Things settled into a pattern for a while. I ate lunch with Latisha and Tyrone more often than not; Latisha's wolf friends joined us fairly often, as did Lindsey Babcock -- she and Tyrone were becoming pretty tight, being the only Valdosta frogs in our grade and maybe the only ones in our school. I learned to tell Keisha and Wanda apart, and I learned to not get sick watching Tyrone and Lindsey slurp up maggots and beetles with their long tongues. I met Latisha's brother Lyndon once, when he passed by our table and Latisha said hi to him and introduced him; he didn't want to sit with us freshmen, though, and he didn't say much.

A House Divided/Part1 - Revision history

Trismegistus Shandy: fix formatting

Trismegistus Shandy: add author tag and link to part two

Trismegistus Shandy: adding part one of novel