Voodootown

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Blink

He was back in less than a minute and Root was still there, waiting.  "She's coming," he said.  "And she's really...zoned out.  Even more than I get."  He wasn't sure how to describe Ribbon.  She had been sitting in the middle of the crowded club, head back.  It had almost looked like she was asleep.

"You should see her line to Shaunice," Root said.  "It's the opposite of yours to Ash.  The poor thing is starving."

Blink couldn't imagine.  He and Ash shared so much energy and so many thoughts that neither of them knew where they were half the time.  He didn't think he could stand being cut off from his human like that.

"Come on," Root said as she walked toward the hex court.  "I put your name in.  It looks like everyone is anxious to see what will happen to Squat tonight.  You're up."

"What?"  He had thought he'd have some time to watch some other challenges, to get some ideas from them and make a plan on how to beat Squat.  This meant he'd have no time at all.

A doll stepped up to him as he moved toward the court.  She had on a black leather jacket and a plaid skirt.  It was Twister.  "It was Squat causing the trouble?  Not James?" she asked.

Blink nodded, not sure what to say.  A crowd seemed to be following her and they seemed to be anxious for another fight.  He stopped.  Twister did too, and the trailing dolls angled off, tried to look like they had something to do.  "Would you corner for me?"

Twister pointed to one end of the hex court.  Sticks, Root and Ribbon, in her worn out clothes, stood in the nearest of the two safe zones.  "Looks like you have your coaches already."

He hadn't expected that Root and Ribbon were going to corner for him; he had just wanted to make sure they were there.

"If you let him do something, anything, he'll get overconfident and leave you an opening.  But don't let him hit you.  He nearly opened up a seam on my head last night," Twister said.

"Ok.  Thanks," he said as she pushed him into the safe zone.  Once in, he stopped.   Sticks walked up to him.  "What do I do?"

"You haven't done this before?" Sticks asked.

He shook his head.  "Most people just leave Ash alone."

"Wow, that is weird."  Sticks pointed across the court.  At the far end, Squat stepped into the other safe zone, but stood alone.  "It's a lot like the ring.  If you get thrown out, you lose.  Otherwise, you have to yield.  You come into the safe zone to get hexes to use against him, and charms to protect yourself.  The hexes aren't active in the safe zone.  You have to go out onto the court to make them work."

"Twister said I should let him grab me or throw me or something...to make him overconfident," Blink said.

That brought a stare from Sticks.  "Yeah...she's nuts.  Do you know how strong he is?"  Blink didn't answer.  "Me either," she said.  "Don't find out."

A bell rang somewhere nearby.  Blink looked around for its source until he felt Sticks pushing him forward.  A long table appeared in his safe zone, covered with an array of charms and hexes, each one differently shaped.  He stared at them all.  There were too many to count, let alone figure out which to use. 

"We're here to help you pick what to use against him, and you can come back into the safe zone for more, but you won't be able to stay during the fight," Sticks said.  "You can't hide here."

"No?"  Blink tried to keep his disappointment hidden.

"Whenever the bell rings three times, get out there fast.  Or else," she said.