Following a Lead
“It all began,” began Pam, “at the beginning, right where beginnings usually begin, being the beginning, as it were.”
Giggle.
“As early back as I can remember, I've been a cheerleader. Honestly, I don't remember anything before that. Its probably a serious medical condition, to be perfectly honest, but I have usually put it down to not having a back-story written. I know we all at times feel like maybe we aren't that special, but I feel like I was just a passing reference in somebody elses novel.”
Trixie and Taylor both could relate to this, and nodded sagely, although Trixie had usually seen herself in more of a supporting role.
“But then,” Pam smiled, “I was selected as a contestant for the Spin-Off Games, and that just changed everything for me. If I had been chosen to be here, then I must have had a purpose. I mean, chosen! Me! I know I was not given the greatest chance of making it through the competition, but I just knew, even at the beginning, that the Authors must have had their reasons in selecting me.”
“I always thought it was just out of a need to make up numbers,” Trixie muttered to herself, making sure that Pam could not overhear her.
“That first round with the rabbits was more proof, if proof had been needed, that the Authors were smiling on me. Bunnies! I love bunnies! And fluffiness! And photos! Its like the round was made with me in mind. And then for the second round, the obstacle course! Just like gym class! Another round playing to my strengths!”
Trixie was impressed. She had never taken Pam for much of a thinker, and had certainly never thought her that significant, but upon reflection, Pam was right, those early rounds at least had been very much in her favour.
“The next round, with that bird, was a lot more difficult, I have to admit. But even there, the Authors had their plan for me, because if I hadn't been captured by that Roc, I never would have met the love of my life, Taylor.”
She smiled at the young teen, who blushed and smiled back in that cheesy teenage boy fashion.
“Then we had a running race to escape the lava, and, yay! Sports! Plus the three of us, all working together for the first time! And the water round? Fun water sports! Like a day at the beach! Plus, getting out on a boat with my love-muffin.”
Giggle.
“Then we had that cooking challenge, and this might surprise you, but I don't really know how to cook! But those judges seemed to love me anyway, so I guess the Authors just made them like me despite that! And then, decorating! Oooh! I love decorating! You should have seen how pretty and pink I made that living room! I couldn't have been happier!”
She sighed happily.
“And then, just when we get that shooting round, and I think I might have a little trouble, what happens? We get to go on an adventure and meet one of the Authors in person!! How could I doubt my purpose and value now? They shaped this whole competition for me to succeed! And then I got to share my purpose with those cute little animals in the cavern. Aaaw! Everything just points out how blessed I am to be who I have been.”
Trixie was speechless. Throughout the whole game, she had been focussed on staying alive, or defeating nobody in particular, or uncovering the Evanses conspiracy, but never once had she allowed herself to think that maybe, just maybe, the story was not about her! But everything that Pam said made sense! If the Authors truly were writing this story, then surely it was a story about Pam the Cheerleader. Pam had the friendly optimism and flaky personality of a manic-pixie-dream-girl, and they were all the rage as leads in stories these days, plus she had the unlikely love story with her friend's little brother to boot. Trixie was just the supporting action-girl side-kick, there to help the two leads make it through their trials.
Wow!
Trixie was a supporting character.
Pam was the star, and had been all along.
How could she have not seen it?
But then, it was an easy thing to miss if you weren't looking for it.
Some believe that even the Authors themselves hadn't noticed it to begin with.
“So, what happened then?” Trixie found herself asking. “What happened in the cavern with Ernie?”
Pam smiled again, her leading smile, not a supporting one.
“Well, when Ernie mentioned the prizes, I thought that we had finally won! So I ran up to give him a big hug and get my prize. But then he started acting not very nice, and shoving me in front of him, and hurting my sore arm like that, and I realised that this was part of my purpose....
...So I hit him with a rock.”
“Wait. What? You hit him with a rock? Thats it?”
“Well, yeah. Thats all I needed to do. Rocks are pretty effective usually.”
“So you didn't have any big dramatic rescue plan?”
“No, just a rock. There were lots of them in the cavern, so I just picked one up, and hit him.”
“But how did I dodge the bullet Ernie fired?”
“When I hit him with the rock, it made him move the gun, and he missed.”
“Just missed? No heroic diving in front of the...”
“No, just missed. Well, he hit a squirrel, but the squirrel was a dispensationalist, so no one cared.”
“And he missed because of the rock?”
Giggle. “Yes. Because I hit him with a rock.”
Trixie slumped back in her chair.
“How about that.”
She thought for a moment.
“Kind of disappointing really. A bit of an anticlimax.”
Pam frowned.
“No Trixie, it wasn't a disappointment. We won the game! Don't you remember?”
“Not really.”
“Thats because of your wish,” Taylor explained. “We each got one for winning the game. You were so exhausted from all the stress that when someone asked 'What is your wish?' you just said 'I wish it was all over and I was waking up back in my apartment.'”
Trixie's face fell.
“So I wished myself home? After all that? What a waste of a wish.”
She lapsed into a depressed silence.
Pam could sense Trixie was upset at herself, so she decided some encouragement was in order.
“Don't worry, Trixie. When I got my wish, I decided to include you and Taylor in it.”
Trixie looked up.
“What did you wish for?”
Pam smiled.
“Well, this whole journey has shown me that the Authors have a real plan for me, and that was just confirmed by getting to meet one of them. But really, how can I say I have seen the Authors when we only saw one of them? So, I wished that we could visit David Bosma.”
Trixie sat upright.
“The Twisted and Brilliant Man? The Crooner of Tunes and the Photo Poser himself??”
“Yes,” Pam confirmed, “And Taylor and I have come here now to collect you. A portal has opened just outside your apartment, and it is going to take us directly to Kaiapoi, where we will personally meet David and spend time with our other Author.”
Trixie's eyes shone at the thought of meeting the more Stylish of the Authors, and began pondering all the questions she would ask.
How did he keep his hair so fashionable?
When was his CD coming out?
How did he earn his 'Grand Ninja of Kaiapoi' title?
But her enthusiasm was shortlived.
“No, Pam, you don't want to take me. This story turned out to be your story, yours and Taylors, not mine. You don't want me coming on your adventures and muscling in on your screen time.”
Pam laughed.
“Don't be silly Trixie. We could never have done all that we did without you. If my destiny is to be a prophet to the Authors, then yours is surely to help me live that out, to be my guardian and my support. You and Taylor both.”
Trixie looked up at the Prophetess Pamela, and smiled again.
“You mean it?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Wow,” she sniffed, “Who'd ever have thought that a story about people being forced to battle against each other in a brutally competitive environment could have such an emotional element to it.”
“Suzanne Collins?” Taylor suggested.
Pam extended her hand cheerfully, and Trixie took it, and allowed herself to be helped to her feet.
The Prophetess grinned eagerly.
“So, are you ready?”
Trixie smiled.
“I think so.”
“Then, lets go!”
Taking Taylor by the other hand, Pam led the way out of Trixie's apartment to the balcony, where a familiar looking glowing blue mist awaited them.
She turned and smiled at each of her companions in turn, and then took a running leap into the mist, with Trixie and Taylor following close behind.
POP!
POP!
POP!
THE END
Chapter Twenty-Six *** ???
Giggle.
“As early back as I can remember, I've been a cheerleader. Honestly, I don't remember anything before that. Its probably a serious medical condition, to be perfectly honest, but I have usually put it down to not having a back-story written. I know we all at times feel like maybe we aren't that special, but I feel like I was just a passing reference in somebody elses novel.”
Trixie and Taylor both could relate to this, and nodded sagely, although Trixie had usually seen herself in more of a supporting role.
“But then,” Pam smiled, “I was selected as a contestant for the Spin-Off Games, and that just changed everything for me. If I had been chosen to be here, then I must have had a purpose. I mean, chosen! Me! I know I was not given the greatest chance of making it through the competition, but I just knew, even at the beginning, that the Authors must have had their reasons in selecting me.”
“I always thought it was just out of a need to make up numbers,” Trixie muttered to herself, making sure that Pam could not overhear her.
“That first round with the rabbits was more proof, if proof had been needed, that the Authors were smiling on me. Bunnies! I love bunnies! And fluffiness! And photos! Its like the round was made with me in mind. And then for the second round, the obstacle course! Just like gym class! Another round playing to my strengths!”
Trixie was impressed. She had never taken Pam for much of a thinker, and had certainly never thought her that significant, but upon reflection, Pam was right, those early rounds at least had been very much in her favour.
“The next round, with that bird, was a lot more difficult, I have to admit. But even there, the Authors had their plan for me, because if I hadn't been captured by that Roc, I never would have met the love of my life, Taylor.”
She smiled at the young teen, who blushed and smiled back in that cheesy teenage boy fashion.
“Then we had a running race to escape the lava, and, yay! Sports! Plus the three of us, all working together for the first time! And the water round? Fun water sports! Like a day at the beach! Plus, getting out on a boat with my love-muffin.”
Giggle.
“Then we had that cooking challenge, and this might surprise you, but I don't really know how to cook! But those judges seemed to love me anyway, so I guess the Authors just made them like me despite that! And then, decorating! Oooh! I love decorating! You should have seen how pretty and pink I made that living room! I couldn't have been happier!”
She sighed happily.
“And then, just when we get that shooting round, and I think I might have a little trouble, what happens? We get to go on an adventure and meet one of the Authors in person!! How could I doubt my purpose and value now? They shaped this whole competition for me to succeed! And then I got to share my purpose with those cute little animals in the cavern. Aaaw! Everything just points out how blessed I am to be who I have been.”
Trixie was speechless. Throughout the whole game, she had been focussed on staying alive, or defeating nobody in particular, or uncovering the Evanses conspiracy, but never once had she allowed herself to think that maybe, just maybe, the story was not about her! But everything that Pam said made sense! If the Authors truly were writing this story, then surely it was a story about Pam the Cheerleader. Pam had the friendly optimism and flaky personality of a manic-pixie-dream-girl, and they were all the rage as leads in stories these days, plus she had the unlikely love story with her friend's little brother to boot. Trixie was just the supporting action-girl side-kick, there to help the two leads make it through their trials.
Wow!
Trixie was a supporting character.
Pam was the star, and had been all along.
How could she have not seen it?
But then, it was an easy thing to miss if you weren't looking for it.
Some believe that even the Authors themselves hadn't noticed it to begin with.
“So, what happened then?” Trixie found herself asking. “What happened in the cavern with Ernie?”
Pam smiled again, her leading smile, not a supporting one.
“Well, when Ernie mentioned the prizes, I thought that we had finally won! So I ran up to give him a big hug and get my prize. But then he started acting not very nice, and shoving me in front of him, and hurting my sore arm like that, and I realised that this was part of my purpose....
...So I hit him with a rock.”
“Wait. What? You hit him with a rock? Thats it?”
“Well, yeah. Thats all I needed to do. Rocks are pretty effective usually.”
“So you didn't have any big dramatic rescue plan?”
“No, just a rock. There were lots of them in the cavern, so I just picked one up, and hit him.”
“But how did I dodge the bullet Ernie fired?”
“When I hit him with the rock, it made him move the gun, and he missed.”
“Just missed? No heroic diving in front of the...”
“No, just missed. Well, he hit a squirrel, but the squirrel was a dispensationalist, so no one cared.”
“And he missed because of the rock?”
Giggle. “Yes. Because I hit him with a rock.”
Trixie slumped back in her chair.
“How about that.”
She thought for a moment.
“Kind of disappointing really. A bit of an anticlimax.”
Pam frowned.
“No Trixie, it wasn't a disappointment. We won the game! Don't you remember?”
“Not really.”
“Thats because of your wish,” Taylor explained. “We each got one for winning the game. You were so exhausted from all the stress that when someone asked 'What is your wish?' you just said 'I wish it was all over and I was waking up back in my apartment.'”
Trixie's face fell.
“So I wished myself home? After all that? What a waste of a wish.”
She lapsed into a depressed silence.
Pam could sense Trixie was upset at herself, so she decided some encouragement was in order.
“Don't worry, Trixie. When I got my wish, I decided to include you and Taylor in it.”
Trixie looked up.
“What did you wish for?”
Pam smiled.
“Well, this whole journey has shown me that the Authors have a real plan for me, and that was just confirmed by getting to meet one of them. But really, how can I say I have seen the Authors when we only saw one of them? So, I wished that we could visit David Bosma.”
Trixie sat upright.
“The Twisted and Brilliant Man? The Crooner of Tunes and the Photo Poser himself??”
“Yes,” Pam confirmed, “And Taylor and I have come here now to collect you. A portal has opened just outside your apartment, and it is going to take us directly to Kaiapoi, where we will personally meet David and spend time with our other Author.”
Trixie's eyes shone at the thought of meeting the more Stylish of the Authors, and began pondering all the questions she would ask.
How did he keep his hair so fashionable?
When was his CD coming out?
How did he earn his 'Grand Ninja of Kaiapoi' title?
But her enthusiasm was shortlived.
“No, Pam, you don't want to take me. This story turned out to be your story, yours and Taylors, not mine. You don't want me coming on your adventures and muscling in on your screen time.”
Pam laughed.
“Don't be silly Trixie. We could never have done all that we did without you. If my destiny is to be a prophet to the Authors, then yours is surely to help me live that out, to be my guardian and my support. You and Taylor both.”
Trixie looked up at the Prophetess Pamela, and smiled again.
“You mean it?”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Wow,” she sniffed, “Who'd ever have thought that a story about people being forced to battle against each other in a brutally competitive environment could have such an emotional element to it.”
“Suzanne Collins?” Taylor suggested.
Pam extended her hand cheerfully, and Trixie took it, and allowed herself to be helped to her feet.
The Prophetess grinned eagerly.
“So, are you ready?”
Trixie smiled.
“I think so.”
“Then, lets go!”
Taking Taylor by the other hand, Pam led the way out of Trixie's apartment to the balcony, where a familiar looking glowing blue mist awaited them.
She turned and smiled at each of her companions in turn, and then took a running leap into the mist, with Trixie and Taylor following close behind.
POP!
POP!
POP!
THE END
Chapter Twenty-Six *** ???
posted by Lark Victory | 9:25 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home