"History of Adelaide Platt... History of Gilles Platt... History of Roger Platt... why is this all about the rulers of the Aquian empire?" Sasha asked.
"Because you're in the Emperors and Empresses section." Mallory rolled her eyes. Marsha picked up a book called Musicals by Karan Platt. She read the first page and shut the book immediately. Those were terrible musicals. Nevin was on the computer, listening to Karan Platt's Sick Beats. He remained unimpressed and filled the file with memes. Charles found a locked book. He unlocked it and opened to a random page.
THE TYRANT GENE:
At the age of fourteen, and heir or heiress will have the Tyrant Gene kick in. It is the embodiment of all former rulers, and is seen as the future ruler's passage to adulthood.
Charles slammed the book closed and rolled his eyes. Sounded like a pile of garbage to him.
"Found something!" Nevin announced.
"Really?" Gemma went over to the conputer. It was open to MeBay, and he was looking at a jar of six souls being sold for ten dollars.
"Cool, right? I could finally use my powers!" He grinned.
"You're doing online shopping?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Indeed I am!" He nodded.
"Wait, he has a good idea. Screw the library." Marsha said.
"Sold at your nearest MagicMart!" Nevin winked. Mallory stuffed a few books in her bag as they were leaving. They snuck out of the Sea Palace and got in the van, driving to MagicMart. Nevin put a USB into the car and a regal trumpet blared.
"What is this?" Charles asked.
"Karan Platt's Private Songs." Mallory read from the USB. "Private?" The Empress's voice rang through the car.
"Taking a regal dump." Nevin slapped his knee and started laughing uncontrollably.
"YES! YES!" Tears streamed down his face as he laughed.
"Taking a regal piss!" Sasha snorted.
"THIS IS MY JAM!" She joked.
"Taking a regal diarrhea,
I hope the toilet I don't miss."
"THIS IS THE BEST!" Gemma chuckled.
"Taking a regal dump.
Taking a regal piss!
Taking a regal diarrhea,
When I poop then I clench my fists." Mallory was struggling to keep a straight face as an orchestra of farts sounded.
"There is something seriously wrong with you guys." Charles slouched in his seat. The song ended with the sound of a toilet flushing. Nevin, Sasha, Gemma, and Mallory cheered. The next song started up.
"Kanii ka ti sho'shla
Lau fi kort fie moef
Kanii ka ti sho'shla
Fei krol marge kohff
Fei krol margh malla
Maf marg kos ie fie eshke
Fei krol margh neimaa
Ket fei hoje ecch marcke
Fei krol margh evbe
Margh meikhata feen
Fei krol margh moef
Ket fei parni ecch patseen
Kanii ka ti sho'shla
Magg yi mogi kane fie moef?"
"Wow. Gibberish." Pepper rolled her eyes.
"That's Calypsian, the Aquian language." Gregory told her.
"Oh." She then noticed how dumb she must have seemed. "Do you know it?"
"Kar, fei yo." He smiled. "Yes, I do."
They arrived at MagicMart and got out of the van. It looked like a Walmart, but it was MagicMart instead. They went in and looked around. Mallory found some more books. She shoved them up her shirt with no intention of paying for them. Sasha was looking at some gay manga. Gregory found a stuffed animal of a bright red cat, and told Charles it reminded him of the golem. Charles then held up a box of fish nuggets and told Gregory they reminded him of the other. Nothing was said between the two for the rest of the shopping trip. Michael was wasting his money on a rigged claw machine. Gemma found a bag of cookies. Pepper discovered a small cube with what looked like a phone charger on the end and discovered it was plug-in wifi. She cried tears of joy. Dante trying to calm her down. Marsha found a calculator. She scoffed. Calculators were for the weak. Then she went to the checkout with it because she was the weakest. Nevin got a jar of souls. Ethically sourced, it said. What a relief. They bought their items, and Gregory got a ukulele instead of the stuffed cat.
"Where do they bury important people?" Asked Marsha.
"In a museum. We're gonna have to break in." Sasha announced. Then she started laughing. "Probably the catacombs."
"To the catacombs!" Marsha announced. They arrived and entered the catacombs, going down the stairs.
"There's a hallway for each year. They bury important people here. What year did your people die?" Michael asked.
"1918." Marsha answered. They found the hall and looked at the well-preserved corpses in glass coffins.
"Those are magi-made coffins. They preserve the bodies perfectly." Gregory explained. Marsha popped open one of them. The one she recognized.
Genevieve Smith.
Nevin grabbed a soul out of the jar. Mist was coming off of it, like dry ice. But it was sort of like a ball of gelatin itself. He held it over the corpse and waited.
"Um... abracadabra?" He raised an eyebrow. He waited for a few more seconds, until he became so frustrated he crushed the soul in his fist. White beads rained into the body and it opened its eyes.
"Hi." Marsha said. Genevieve's lips parted, and her voice sounded hoarse. Well, it hadn't been used in a hundred years, anyways.
"Sup." She croaked. She moved her arm and a loud cracking occurred. She did the same with all of her limbs and sat up, her spine emitting a crackle. The process was repeated on the others. One of them, named Jaden, was trying to eat a fake grape decoration because 'he was hungry'. Another, Eric, said nothing. Mina was looking around, wondering whether she was asleep or not. And Aaron was shaking hands with Nevin. Apparently he was the one sending items from the void.
"So, what are we here for?" Eric spoke at last. As expected by many, he had a quiet voice.
"To save the world." Marsha said.
But I will not end this chapter without letting you know that Eric laughed and called her over dramatic.
YOU ARE READING
Flipside
FantasyWhy give a title to a book that shouldn't exist? That was a rhetorical question. Who would read a titleless book? But who would read a paradox? You, it appears. 12-year-old Marsha Smith comes home one day and notices her parents are missing. Despite...
