Agh, might as well post this. Others have posted their Valentine's = Challenge=20 fics. Oh, and Suze, please replace the one you have at the archives with = this=20 one, I made a few mistakes on my first copy I sent.-Celestia
Meaningless Babble from the Author before the Fic
Ah, the sequel to Dear Rage. This is also my answer to = the=20 Valentine's Day Challenge. This second story of Dear Rage, and I wrote = it=20 because I am sadistic and have been reading all of these morbid short = stories in=20 English that have influenced my writing style, forcing me to put = something sad=20 or ironic in here. (The Monkey's Paw and The Most Dangerous Game are two = of=20 them, READ 'EM; they're kinda creepy, but cool.)
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, except for Miss West.
Category: Um, Humor, I guess.
Rating: Ok!
Archivers: Go for it, connect Four! (Why do I feel like I've heard = that=20 before…)
A Valentine for Rage
A simple letter. One single letter was all it took to ruin the = Honored Rage's=20 carefully laid plans. Brother Ivan had not known that the newspaper = staff needed=20 a column where the readers could send in advice to a troubled person, = and=20 certainly didn't know that "Dear Abby's" usually supplied the = letter=20 from one sent to their address. So when the tough looking newspaper man = burst in=20 to the dingy looking building at twelve o'clock at night, when everyone = had gone=20 home except for the faithful Brother Ivan, the man panicked, and grabbed = the=20 letter that his leader had discarded in the trash can earlier. He had = not known=20 the harm a simple letter could do, much less a simple letter with one = very=20 unfortunate typo…
Rockport, Maine
Quest Mansion
7:45 p.m.
Benton Quest sat at a beautifully polished wooden table, breathing in = the=20 soothing aroma of his morning coffee. He treasured Saturday mornings, = when all=20 was still quiet in the house. 'Ah, sweet silence,' he thought. This was = rare,=20 with three very rambunctious teenagers who seemed to attract danger like = a=20 magnet. But there were no trips to anywhere today, no Quest World = upgrades to=20 make, and no science functions to have to deal with. Benton felt = wonderfully=20 free of responsibilities. He opened up the morning paper and skimmed = through the=20 world news, business, and science sections. He smiled as he came to his = favorite=20 section of all: Dear Abby. If any one of his colleagues knew this was = his reason=20 for reading the paper at all, he would probably be a laughing stock in = the=20 scientific community, so he closely guarded his secret. As he read the = reply to=20 the first letter, he was struck by the difference in Dear Abby's = attitude.=20 Usually she was kind and caring, but this time she sounded desperate and = morbid.=20 Encouraging cults was not something she usually did. But he had a = nagging=20 feeling that something was wrong, that he had heard words like this=20 before…He shook the idea out of his head and had just begun to = read the=20 next letter when he heard someone coming down the stairs. He quickly = stood up=20 and started to push in his chair, all the while reading furiously so he = could=20 finish the letter before the person found him and discovered his secret. =
Race Bannon entered the kitchen on that Valentine's Day morning just = in time=20 to see Benton Quest drop his favorite coffee cup on to the floor, then = turn=20 white as a sheet, and fall over in a dead faint.
New York City, New York
8:00 am
Ezekial Rage breathed in the scent of a glorious morning from his = open=20 apartment window. He was feeling wonderful, and for a good reason. He = had=20 finally finished his Dear Abby plot! Now to see how it turned out. He = snatched=20 up the paper from the floor, then quickly turned to the page the column = was to=20 appear on. He read through his column, his smile growing bigger and = bigger until=20 he saw something that he had not planned for a small section containing = a=20 letter. Above it, in bold type was printed: GIVE ADVICE TO A FELLOW = READER! Rage=20 turned pale. He scanned the letter, and he staggered when he saw whom = the column=20 said the letter was from. It read:
I am still in my teens and I am totally in love. I can't help my = feelings=20 anymore. Every time I see him, I feel like my heart will burst. He's so=20 wonderful, and he's saved my life so many times, and he is also my best = friend=20 in the world. His mother approves of me as a friend, so I think she will = approve=20 of me as something more. She also has hinted to me about something more = between=20 us. I want to tell him how I feel, but I'm afraid of rejection because = of my=20 hair. Do you know any hair dye I can use to make my bleach-blond hair = color go=20 away?
Quest in Distress
Then his eyes narrowed with anger, and he clenched the newspaper = tightly in=20 his fist. With dark intensity, he uttered: "No one shall make a = mockery of=20 the righteous words of RAGE!"
Rockport, Maine
Quest Mansion
10:00 a.m.
Race Bannon guided Dr. Quest up the stairs. "It's okay, Benton, = it's=20 okay. We'll get it worked out. It's not as bad as it seems…" = The=20 red-shirted man couldn't believe this was happening to his friend. When = he saw=20 Benton faint, he knew something was wrong. He immeadiately had rushed = Benton's=20 side, and revived him with a splash of water, then asked what was wrong. = His=20 friend's tentative finger pointed at a letter in the Dear Abby section. = He took=20 the newspaper and saw what Benton had been reading. Race's face had = paled too,=20 and for an instant, he felt sick also. The boys had always seemed so = nice, as=20 close as brothers, but they never showed a hint of something like = this…He=20 had heard of places where things like this had happened, he had seen the = talk=20 shows, but he never believed it could have happened here. So when the = children=20 had came downstairs for breakfast, the two adults strived to act normal, = but in=20 actuality, were observing Jonny and Hadji with utmost care, looking for = any=20 proof that what they had read wasn't true. They had both been much = calmer after=20 breakfast was over, and the teens had left to go off gallivanting around = the=20 property. After a talk, Benton and Race steeled their resolve, and = firmly=20 marched upstairs to when they heard the noise of the kids coming back = in. When=20 they reached of the top of the stairs, they saw a light streaming out = from under=20 the crack of the door, and heard strains of "My Heart Will Go = On"=20 floating from the room. Benton put a hand on the wall to steady himself, = and=20 closed his eyes. Then the two adults heard murmuring coming from the = room, the=20 sound of a very passionate murmuring voice. They exchanged looks of = horror, and=20 Race whispered, "This time you really blew it, pal. You're just not = cut out=20 for parenting. What will the scientific community think when they hear = that your=20 two sons are gay?" Benton moaned, then an expression of = determination came=20 to his face. "No, I'm going to march into there and stop this = before it=20 goes any farther. It's probably just a phase."
Benton flung open the door to Jonny's room, and was instantly hit by = a wave=20 of strong-smelling after-shave. He looked for it's source, and then = gaped at=20 what he saw. Jonny's room was filled with bouquets of flowers, stuffed = animals=20 holding hearts, fake jewelry, and other romantic items. He heard Jonny = saying:=20 "I love you! I loved you from the first time I ever saw you!" = Celine=20 Dion carried on with her singing over the boy's stereo, oblivious to = Benton's=20 extreme horror. He couldn't see his sons; they must be in the area = between the=20 bed and the wall. He took a deep breath, then yelled, "JONATHAN = BENTON=20 QUEST, STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" He looked over behind the bed and saw = a very=20 startled Jonny, by himself, Benton noted with relief, sitting in front = of a=20 small, low table with teacups and a box of chocolates on it. On the end = of the=20 table opposite Jonny was a medium sized rock. Benton looked at his son = with=20 confusion, then asked, "Jonny, what in the heck are you = doing?"
Jonny lowered his head in embarrassment, and Benton could see his = face turn=20 beet red. "I was "Romancing the Stone," Pop," Jonny = finally=20 answered after a long silence. "It worked on the title of the = movie, 'cause=20 my friends told me the guy got the girl in it, so I figured it might = help Suzie=20 like me." Benton started laughing, and Race, who had been listening = outside=20 the door, joined in. Jonny looked at them with his eyes filled with = confusion,=20 and then anger. "It's not funny!" he roared.
This made the two men only laugh harder, and Benton finally managed = to gasp=20 out, "It's not that, it's something else." Suddenly the phone = rang,=20 and Dr. Quest exited the room, shaking his head and laughing. He = composed=20 himself, then answered the beige hall phone. "Hello, Quest=20 residence."
"Dr. Quest? This is Ivan Marlon from your New England = Times…There=20 was a slight mistake in the Dear Abby column. The letter was from a = person named=20 'A West in Distress' not 'A Quest in Distress.' We're sorry for any=20 inconvenience it may have caused you." The man on the other line = was=20 obviously nervous.
"Thank you for clearing that up, Mr. Marlon. Now I would = appreciate if=20 you would clear that matter up publicly." Out of the = corner of his=20 eye, he saw Race listening to his half of the conversation. = "Neither of my=20 sons are homosexual. In fact, the only thing one of them is interested=20 romantically right now is a rock from our garden." Race doubled = over in=20 laughter at the serious tone in which Dr. Quest said these words.
Dr. Quest heard a little gasp from the other end, and a voice saying = quickly,=20 "Thankyouforyourtimegoodbye." He hung up the phone, and then = started=20 laughing again, with Jessie and Hadji, who had just come in from the = lighthouse=20 staring at the scene of Jonny, his tea set, and the two adults, who were = now=20 almost rolling on the floor. "I don't even want to know," = Jessie=20 commented, and stepped past the two, with Hadji in tow.
Across town, in another mansion…
A girl about fourteen years of age sat in a dark room, lit only by = candles in=20 the shapes of skulls, reading the morning paper. The room looked = horridly=20 morbid, with a black bedspread, black canopy, black wallpaper, and even = black=20 carpets and furniture. She read the column Dear Abby, looking anxiously = for her=20 letter that she had sent in. Carla West knew in her heart that her = father was=20 out there, and he would find her by this fake romance letter. 'Daddy, = Daddy,=20 it's me, Carla,' the bright-blonde haired girl thought fervently. 'See = the=20 article and remember, Daddy.' She had prepared long and hard for this = day,=20 forming the cult, gathering the members. On this day, February = 14th,=20 she would be reunited with her father! He would come to her! Dark = thoughts=20 entered her mind. 'I know the evil ones will try to keep us apart! I = know they=20 will try to triumph, trying to make me believe he died in that car = crash! But I=20 know he's out there! Those rich snobs, the Wests' try to make me believe = that I=20 am their daughter, even though they just adopted me. They won't replace = you,=20 Daddy! My cult of The Rage will re-unite us, and we can destroy the evil = ones!'=20 She looked at the paper again, and saw the signature, Quest in Distress, = and=20 howled in disbelief. 'No, this can't be! He will never find me now! = Noooo!' were=20 the thoughts racing through her mind. Her weeping drowned out the sound = of the=20 doorbell. On the porch of the Wests was a man sent to explain about the = article=20 mix up. The man impatiently rang the doorbell again. From the open = window of the=20 dark room above, a carefully crafted valentine floated out of the window = on the=20 cool February breeze as the man, dressed in a black cape and a skeleton = mask,=20 slowly walked away.
Tell me what you think as always.
Celestia,
"The luxury, to most of us, is to lay by our judgement, to be = submerged=20 by the tale as by a billow, and only to awake and begin to distinguish = and find=20 fault when the piece is over and the volume laid aside.-Robert Louis = Stevenson,=20 Author of Treasure Island