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[rosenwrites]

Welcome To Toronto

Character(s): Phuong, Trieu, Johann

Suggested Music: Heartbeat Heartbreak

“Ugh, this is why I wasn’t looking forward to coming to Toronto: the traffic jams!” Trieu complained. Cars were bumper to bumper on the Gardiner Expressway. The sun beamed down on everyone on this hot summer day.

“Just bear with it a little longer. We’ll get to an exit soon enough.” Phuong replied while sitting behind the wheel.

“Okay, but do you remember how to get to the new apartment after that? The Harbourview Estates, was it?”

“Why are you giving me a hard time about this when you can’t even remember the name?”

Johann barked from the back seat. He was enjoying the spectacle in front of him. Phuong and Trieu turned back from their seats up front to look at the dog. Since they were in a traffic jam and no cars were moving at the moment, it was safe to do so. Johann tilted his head in confusion. Phuong and Trieu looked at each other and turned their attention back to the traffic.

“But seriously, this is one of the biggest reasons why I hate big cities.” Trieu continued. “If it weren’t for the fact that we’re on a hunt, I’d never step foot in a place like Toronto willingly.”

“You sure have it in for this city.” Phuong noted. “Even though you haven’t been here in the longest time.”

“Because I never had a reason to come back here. But wait...when was the last time I was here? I don’t think we ever took any field trips here, so that would mean the last time was fourteen...” Trieu’s voiced trailed off into silence when he realized what he was about to say. A heavy air hung in the car as the twins remained silent. Even Johann did not make a peep. Trieu let out a heavy sigh before he spoke again. “This just reaffirms what we already knew: We’re doing this mainly for ourselves, but not just ourselves.”

Phuong nodded in agreement. “It’s true that we’re getting revenge for mom and also actively preventing the same thing happening to us. But Aunt Linh’s investigations showed that he’s gone on to murder other people. One way or another, we have to put a stop to this.” Just as she had finished saying that, a terrible pain inflicted Phuong. She hunched over the steering wheel and clutched her head, groaning in pain.

Suggested Music: Who’s There (Reversed)

“Phuong, what’s wr--” before Trieu could finish, he also found himself in the clutches of unbearable of pain. He hit his head on the dashboard writhing in agony. Johann noticed something up ahead and started growling and barking nonstop. Phuong and Trieu struggled to overcome the pain to see what had Johann so riled up. They tried looking in the same direction their dog was, and what they saw shot them into the backs of their seats.

Something enormous was on top of the C.N. Tower. Something that should not be there. The tower was far away and it was impossible to make out any definitive features. All they see was that the gigantic figure was cloaked in black. It also looked like the top of the tower was beginning to corrode and melt. The twins rubbed their eyes and checked the C.N. Tower once more. It was back to normal. Nothing was standing on it.

“What the hell was that?!?” Phuong blurted out, trying to comprehend what she just saw.

“You saw it too? I thought I was hallucinating.” Trieu answered.

“And Johann saw it, too...” Phuong turned back to Johann, who had stopped growling and barking. Now he was confused and whimpering. “And the pain is gone, too. Either the three of us had the exact same hallucination, or we saw something we weren’t supposed to.”

Trieu looked around at the other cars. Nobody else was reacting to what they just saw. It was as if none of them saw. “I’m willing to bet it’s the latter, based on everyone else’s lack of reaction.”

Suggested Music: Heartbeat Heartbreak

“Well I hope it’s the former. We have enough on our plates already. I am not in the mood to deal with tower-climbing monsters.” Before Phuong could continue, the car behind them honked at them. Traffic began to move again. Phuong turned her focus back on the road while she tried to remember what she was trying to say. ��When she remembered, she snapped her fingers in realization. “I remember where we’re supposed to go! We’re supposed to turn off on Spadina, go northbound, then turn right at Mariner Terrace!”

“Cool. Isn’t that the exit coming up?” Trieu asked as he pointed to the exit off the expressway.

“Shit! I almost missed it!” Phuong signalled to change to the right lane and made it just in time to make the exit. “That was too close.”

“Now turn left at the lights at the bottom of this ramp.”

“Then turn right at Mariner.”

“Which is the second right turn, not the first.”

“Thanks, I got it now.”

Phuong managed to navigate through the congested traffic and turned onto Spadina Avenue. She ignored the turn onto Lake Shore Boulevard and the two of them kept an eye out for Mariner Terrace. To their confusion, there was no turn for Mariner Terrace.

“That’s weird. Did we miss it?” Phuong asked.

“Fuck, don’t tell me Mariner Terrace is one of those bullshit mini roads.” Trieu muttered. “Okay, just take the next right at Bremner and we’ll figure it out. If you remember it being here, then I believe you.” Phuong did as she was instructed and made the next right turn at Bremner Boulevard. Trieu had his head turned out his window and kept an eye out for their destination. “Turn here, on Navy Wharf Court! I think this is it!”

“I sure hope you’re right!” Phuong turned right. They found themselves underneath four identical-looking apartment buildings with an artistic centrepiece in the middle. On the stop sign they read ‘Mariner Terrace’.

“Damn it, it really was a bullshit mini road.” Trieu sighed in annoyance.

“Well, at least we know now.” Phuong pointed out. “Now to figure out which one of these buildings is ours.” Phuong made a left turn at the stop sign. She could see the Rogers Centre from behind the property’s trees as she made one more right turn and parked in a visitor parking spot. Once Phuong shut off the car, she and Trieu stepped out and took another look at the C.N. Tower standing behind the Rogers Centre. Nothing seemed out of place. There were no signs of destruction.

“It’s still bugging me.” Phuong pointed out.

“Maybe we’ll get a better look once we get to our room.” Trieu pointed out as he opened the passenger door and let Johann out. “Come on, let’s get everything sorted out and move in.” After fastening the leash on Johann, Trieu popped open the trunk and retrieved their luggage. He walked to the front doors with his dog and motioning his sister to follow. Phuong gave the tower one last glance before catching up with her family.

The family made it through the first set of doors, but the second set remained locked. Trieu turned to the buzzer intercom and pressed the button for the building manager.  After a moment of waiting, there was an answer on the other side.

“Hello! How may I help you?” The voice on the other end asked.

“Hello! We’re the new tenants for room 3404, Tom and Priscilla!” Trieu answered.

“Oh, yes! I’ve been expecting you! Wait just a moment, I’ll meet you in the front lobby.” With that, the building manager hung up and the second set of doors clicked. Phuong opened them up and the family entered the front lobby. Just as soon as they entered, they heard another door open up and the building manager walked out from around the corner: A sharp-dressed Indian man with a well-kept beard. “It’s nice to finally meet you two in person. As you can probably guess, I am Manish Bharti, the building manager. Let me personally welcome you to the Harbourview Estates. I am happy to inform you that your deposit has cleared and your unit is ready for you to live in.” Manish took Phuong and Trieu’s hand in turn to give them the keys to their new apartment.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Bharti.” Phuong said while giving a slight bow.

“You are very welcome. Now, if you would please follow me, I can show you to your apartment.” Manish extended his arm, pointing to the elevators and also signalling the twins to go first. The two of them smiled and complied, making their way to the elevators along with Johann. Phuong pushed the button and the doors opened, and they all entered one by one before the doors shut behind them. Manish pressed the button for the thirty-fourth floor and the elevator began to ascend.

“I gotta say, this is a great place from what I’ve seen so far.” Trieu noted.

“Believe me, staying here is fantastic.” Manish replied. “In addition to being a short distance away from the downtown area, there are also several accommodations in this very building. Among those include a hot tub, a pool, an exercise room, and much more. Feel free to explore the building at your leisure to experience it for yourself.”

“We look forward to doing that.” Phuong chimed in. “Is there anything else we need to know?”

Manish looked at Phuong, then down at Johann. “Although pets are allowed here, we do ask tenants to keep their pets under control. If there are sufficient complaints submitted for unruly behaviour or noise, disciplinary action will be taken.”

“No worries, Mr. Bharti, Johann’s been put through obedience school so he won’t cause any problems.” Trieu replied while Johann looked up at Manish.

“That’s reassuring to hear.” Manish answered. The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. “We’re here, please follow me.” Manish stepped out first with the twins and Johann following behind. A short walk down the corridor later and they arrived at their destination. “And here we are at your room. And with that, I wish you all a good day.” Manish shook Phuong and Trieu’s hand one last time before making his way back to the elevator. He then stopped on the spot and turned around. “I almost forgot! You probably need this, too!” Manish walked back and handed Trieu a small remote. “You’ll need that for entering the underground garage. Now once again, good day!” And with that, he left.

“Okay, here goes.” Phuong used her key to unlock the door and pushed it open. They walked in, taking off their shoes at the door and bringing their luggage in. The summer sunshine shone bright through the wide windows. From there, they had a grand view of the cityscape. The Rogers Centre was right below them, and they had a clear view of the C.N. Tower. The twins gave it another look. Nothing out of the ordinary. They sighed. “Nothing. But at least now we have a constant clear view of it.”

“Okay, let’s forget about it for now and figure out what to do next.” Trieu redirected the conversation. “You wanna unpack first? Go get some food? Go shopping for missing stuff?”

“Well, Chinatown’s right down the street, so let’s head there and find someplace good!” They left their luggage in the middle of the main common area. “We’ll pick our rooms later. For now, let’s get some food.” Phuong took the leash from Trieu’s hand and led the way to the door. Trieu followed behind and the two of them put their shoes back on before leaving their new apartment.

[rosenwrites]

Cat Scratch Fever

Character(s): Trieu

Suggested Music: A King of Apathy

“Tony! Get down from that tree this instant!”

The orange tabby cat ignored his master’s calls. Instead, he chose to continue lounging around on a thick tree branch. Tony yawned and made himself comfortable.

“What am I gonna do now?” Tony’s owner lamented, scratching his brunette-haired head to think of an idea. “That tree’s too tall for me to climb…”

“Sounds like you’re in quite the dilemma, kid.”

The kid leapt in surprise from the unknown voice.

“Come on, I’m not THAT scary…most of the time.” Trieu remarked, standing up from his squatting position. Johann remained seated beside him.

“Who are you?”

“The name’s Tom. And this is Johann. How about you, kid?”

“I’m Sam. My cat’s stuck in that tree and won’t come down.”

“Don’t sweat it, kid. I’ll get your cat down.” Trieu handed Johann’s leash over to Sam. “Hang onto this for me, will you? Don’t worry; he doesn’t bite. You can even pet him if you want.” Trieu did a few warm-up stretches before waltzing up to the tree. He stretched out his gloved hands to Tony. Tony ignored him, continuing to lounge about. Trieu threw down his hands and began walking around the tree. He found a lower branch on the other side. He squatted. A second later, Trieu leapt up and grabbed hold of the branch. He pulled himself up and gained a foothold on the branch. This startled Tony and he shot up into a pouncing position in an instant.

“So now I got your attention, eh?” Trieu remarked. “Now be a good little kitty and get over here.” Trieu shuffled over to the base of the tree and wrapped his right arm around it for support. With his left hand, he once again stretched out a hand to Tony. Tony was not pleased. He hissed and bared his fangs at Trieu.

“I don’t even know why you’re hissing at me. I’m not trying to hurt you; I’m just getting you down from this tree.” Trieu leaned in closer to Tony, stretching his hand out further and getting on his tiptoes. This only agitated Tony further. He scratched Trieu’s hand twice before leaping onto his head and hopping off to the branch Trieu stood on. This knocked Trieu off balance, causing him to slip and fall. He swung his arm up and managed to grab onto the branch in the nick of time. Trieu spared himself from a nasty fall. Tony scurried down the tree and darted off deeper into the park.

“Well, that was a bust.” Trieu said as he let go of the branch and landed on his feet. “Good thing I was wearing gloves or I’d have nasty scratches on my hands now.”

“I don’t get it; this isn’t like Tony at all. Usually he listens to what I say.” Sam lamented.

Suggested Music: A Desperate Run

“We can figure that part out later. Right now, we gotta chase after your cat before we lose sight of him. Johann, keep pace with Sam and follow me!” Trieu darted off after Tony. Johann followed behind with Sam in tow. The three of them were all in hot pursuit of Tony. The tabby cat weaved and darted between park goers with ease. Trieu darted and dodged between people, bumping into a few along the way.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“Sorry! Chasing a runaway cat!”

“Watch where you’re going!”

“I am! Sorry!”

“You scuffed my shoes! You owe me a new pair!”

“Bite me, asshole!”

Trieu zipped past the crowds and closed the distance between him and Tony. Tony dashed out of the park and onto the streets.  Even more crowds helped him hide from his pursuer. Trieu skidded to a halt at the park entrance. Johann and Sam caught up to him.

“I knew cats were fast, but this is ridiculous.” Trieu muttered before turning to Sam. “Hey, are you sure you got your cat trained properly?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” Sam exclaimed with his brow furrowed. “He’s always well-behaved back at home!”

Johann interrupted with his barking. He started pulling Sam towards Tony’s direction.

“You found him? Good job, Johann!” Trieu wasted no time continuing the chase. Tony slid through the crowds with ease. The distance between them widened. Trieu stopped. The crowds were thicker than in the park. He glanced around. Railings, newspaper boxes, and fire hydrants lined the outer edge of the sidewalk. Trieu nodded. He could make this work. He squatted, and then leapt with explosive energy onto the nearest newspaper box. Trieu had to keep the momentum going. He hopped from the box onto the nearest railing. He ran like his life depended on it, all while cars passing by honked at him for his absurd shenanigans.

“There you are, you furball!” Trieu shouted when he spotted Tony in the crowds. Tony sprinted away in a flash. Trieu kept up his pursuit. He narrowed the gap between him and the cat with incredible speed and balance as well as increasing ire from pedestrians. Sam and Johann lagged far behind. They struggled to keep up while still navigating the crowds with civility.

Tony did not care for his owner being so far away. He kept running away from his pursuer. He even resorted to scaling up walls and ledges, choosing to perch on a windowsill when he was high enough. Some people passing by stopped and gawked at the spectacle. Trieu had to stop his dangerous run. He leapt towards the closest traffic light pole and bounced off of it to land back on the sidewalk.

“Alright, everyone outta the way, please!” Trieu shouted as he waved his arms, parting the crowd while getting closer to Tony. The cat yawned and paid no attention to the people below. Sam and Johann reunited with Trieu, and now the three of them stared upward at Tony.

“What do we do now, Tom?” Sam asked. “Tony’s way too high for any of us to reach.”

“Just keep holding that leash while I work my magic, Sam.” Trieu answered with confidence. To Sam’s and many pedestrians’ shock, Trieu began his climb up the side of the building. Every hop and jump onto each window ledge looked dangerous to the crowd. Many feared Trieu would slip and fall to his death. Despite that, they kept watching his mesmerizing acrobatics. At least, Trieu reached the windowsill next to Tony’s. He struggled to maintain his balancing while reaching his hand out to the cat.

“That’s enough fun and games for today. Now get over here so we can all go home.” Trieu’s hand inched closer to Tony. Tony hissed. He raised a paw with claws extended. Once Trieu’s hand got too close, Tony showed no mercy in scratching it up. This time, Trieu did not flinch. He kept reaching his hand out. Tony scratched up his glove more and more. Trieu ignored it. He managed to grab hold of Tony. That angered the cat even more. Tony slipped out of Trieu’s grip and crawled up his arm. His claws at the ready once more.

“No, not the face!” Trieu shouted. “I’ve got enough scars as it is!” On instinct, he pulled both his hands back in to shield his face. Tony let loose a flurry of swipes.  He tore Trieu’s sleeves to shreds. And the finisher: He pounced off of Trieu’s head and landed behind him, knocking him off balance. The onlookers below gasped in horror as Trieu’s feet slipped off the windowsill. Trieu threw his arms up and managed to catch the windowsill he just fell from, slamming into the wall in the process. Tony disregarded his dangling pursuer and hopped down to safety. Once he was back on firm ground, he ran off without a care in the world.

Johann looked up to his master who was in trouble. Trieu took a deep breath and regained his composure. He tightened his grip on the windowsill and scanned his surroundings. His eyes met with Johann. He nodded his head in the direction Tony ran off in. Johann nodded and gave chase, dragging a reluctant Sam with him. Trieu took another deep breath as he wondered how he got himself in this ridiculous situation. He already surveyed his surroundings. He had only one shot. He let go and dropped down. As soon as he hit the next windowsill below, he hopped over to the next one beside it in an instant. Jump after death-defying jump, he made it to the end where he took one last leap of faith to the nearby traffic light pole. Trieu slammed into the pole and hung on for dear life as he spun around the pole on the way down, finishing with a jump onto the sidewalk and rolling for one metre.

The people watching just stood there in stunned silence. Trieu stood up and dusted himself off before noticing everyone gawking at him.

“Oh, come on. This is just another Tuesday in this crazy city!”

With that, he took off to catch up with Johann and Sam, leaving everyone bewildered with his outburst. Trieu heard Johann’s barking in the distance and honed in on it. He juked and weaved through the crowds and made a hard turn into an alley. At the end of the alley, Johann and Sam had Tony cornered. Trieu caught up with them let out a deep sigh.

“Good job boxing him in, you two.” Trieu said. “Now then, third time’s the cha—eh?”

Suggested Music: Quiet Talk

Tony stretched and yawned before waltzing up to Sam and leaping into his arms. He curled into a ball and dozed off in the care of his master. Trieu stared at the cat in disbelief before motioning for Sam to return Johann’s leash. He sighed and stared up to the sky.

“What was the point of all this?” Trieu muttered to himself. “I almost died, for crying out loud…”

“I’m really sorry for all the trouble Tony caused.” Sam said.

“Well, the important thing is that he’s back safe and sound.” Trieu assured him. “You said that he usually listens to you, right? Tell me what ‘usually’ means, then.”

“Umm, usually means we play together in my apartment.” Sam explained. “I’ve spent a lot of time inside lately because of my allergies. My mom let us out to the park outside the apartment to get some fresh air. She even promised to buy me ice cream…” Sam’s voice trailed off. “Uh-oh! We were so busy chasing Tony, I forgot we left my mom back at the park!”

Trieu groaned and shook his head. “Whatever, we’re probably both in trouble at this point, so we might as well take our time going back.” Trieu and Johann strolled out of the alley and back onto the main street. “Let’s get going, then. If we take too much time, she might call the cops and that’s the last thing I need now.”

Sam nodded his head and ran up to Trieu with Tony still in his arms. The boys and their pets began their journey back to the park.

“So from what you’ve told me so far, my initial thought is that Tony got overwhelmed with the great outdoors and lashed out as a result. But thinking about it again now, that doesn’t make sense.”

“What do you mean?”

“The path that Tony took to run from us wasn’t random. He knew what he was doing. He was confident in being one step ahead of us. And that’s probably why he scratched me up real good. It’s like ‘How dare you catch up to me?!?’ is what he was probably thinking every time I closed in on him.”

“So he was playing with us the whole time?”

“Exactly! Pets are smarter than most people give them credit for. My guess is that Tony was getting cranky from being cooped up inside all the time. He’s gotten it out of his system now, but the same thing could happen again. The solution? Get out more often. It’s summer vacation, after all.”

“Thanks, Mister Tom!”

“’Mister’??? Come on, I’m not even that old…”

“Sam? Oh my god, thank goodness!” A woman with hair the same shade of brown as Sam’s came running up to the boy and hugged him. “I was worried sick! I looked everywhere for you! I was about to call the police!”

“I’m sorry, mom. Tony ran away and I chased after him. But Mister Tom helped me catch Tony so everything’s okay now.”

Sam’s mother shot a glare of suspicion at Trieu. He threw up his arms in defense, exposing his shredded sleeves and scratched-up arms. She noticed this right away and her gaze softened.

“Well…if Sam said you helped him, then I’ll believe him. I’m sorry for being suspicious of you.” Sam’s mother said with both remorse and gratitude. She let go of Sam and stood back up.

“As long as there’s no misunderstanding, then we’re good.” Trieu replied. “Now remember what I told you, Sam, and you’ll avoid this happening in the future.”

“I got it! Thanks, Mister Tom!” Sam waved as he and his mother left the park.

“Stop calling me ‘Mister’!” Trieu blurted out. “Whatever, just stay out of trouble, Sam.” He stared back down at his torn sleeves before turning his attention to Johann. “So…do you think Phuong is gonna believe ‘I chased a cat around the city and almost died in the process and that’s why my sleeves are shredded.’?” Johann tilted his head in confusion before turning around and dragging Trieu along with him. He pulled him up to the ice cream stand Sam mentioned earlier.

“Do you honestly think bribing her with ice cream is gonna work?” Trieu asked his dog. Johann barked with confidence to confirm his suspicions. “Good enough for me! Excuse me! Two Oreo ice cream sandwiches, please!”

[rosenwrites]

Off To The Races

Character(s): Linh, Phuong, Trieu

Suggested Music: Funny

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Phuong screamed in terror when a monster jumped out from behind the corner and scared the daylights out of her. She clutched onto Linh’s leg in terror while still crying.

“Noooooooooo!” She sobbed. “I don’t wanna do this anymore!”

“Just hang in there, we’re almost at the exit.” Linh said while patting Phuong on the head. “How are you holding up, T--” Linh turned around to find Trieu on floor. He had fainted from shock. “Uh oh.” Linh and Phuong tiptoed over to Trieu. Linh scooped him up into her arms and turned back to their path. Phuong was still hanging onto Linh’s pants leg. “Alright, Phuong, stay behind me. We’ll get through this.”

Phuong nodded and the two of them made their way to the exit of the haunted house. Phuong could not see through the darkness, so she stayed close to her aunt. Linh took her time since she had to carry Trieu. A werewolf jumped out from their left with a chilling howl. Phuong screamed and clung to Linh harder. A little too hard. It was enough to push her to the right and stumble into another jumpscare. This time, it was a ghoulish vampire that dropped down from the ceiling and right into Linh’s face. This time it was Linh’s turn to scream as everything went dark for her. She spun around in circles in a panic and ended up making herself dizzy in the confusion. Phuong, who was still hanging onto Linh, also became dizzy. In their daze, they somehow managed to stumble right out the exit. The guard rail stopped them from dropping down onto the concrete.

“Ugh, what a nightmare.” Linh muttered. She regained her stability and focus before turning her attention to her kids. Trieu was still out like a light. Phuong was still spinning. Linh knelt down to Phuong’s eye level. “Hey Phuong, we made it out of the haunted house? Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah...” Phuong slurred out. She was still dizzy.

“Okay, take my hand.” Linh shifted Trieu all onto one arm and offered her free hand to Phuong. They walked down the ramp leading away from the haunted house and were once again subjected to all the lights and noises of the fairgrounds. Linh looked for a bench where they could rest. She found one where another family had just left. She marched over there as fast as she could and parked herself on the bench. Phuong hopped on beside Linh and the two let out a sigh of relief. Linh inspected Phuong’s white t-shirt and jeans to see if they were cut or dirtied somehow in the haunted house. No stains or cuts. Linh examined her own whitish-green blouse for any damages. None.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Trieu’s sudden screaming startled Linh and Phuong, almost knocking them off their seats. He clutched his blue t-shirt and looked around in confusion, unsure of how he arrived at his current location.

“Hey! Next time, don’t scream in my ear!” Linh scolded a confused Trieu. After his initial stupor had worn off, he realized what he had done.

“Sorry...” Trieu apologized.

“I forgive you.” Linh answered. She guided him down from her arms and onto the bench beside her. She looked at both Phuong and Trieu. “Is there anything else you want to do here or are you ready to go home?” The twins took a look around the fairgrounds. There were attractions that they were too short to ride. Food trailers lined the walking paths and offered delicious treats, but they were looking for something more permanent. The Phuong saw what she wanted. She jumped out of her seat and pointed straight at it.

“Aunt Linh, can you get that for us, please?” Phuong asked while still pointing. Linh’s eyes followed to where Phuong was pointing. Hanging from the rafters of a game booth was a large stuffed Yoshi.

“It’s Yoshi!” Trieu shouted in excitement. It looked like the two were in agreement on what they wanted.

“Oh, so you want me to win that for you two?” Linh stood up and walked over to the game booth with her kids in tow. There were several numbered seats lined in a row. In front of each seat was a long numbered lane with several holes at the end. On the back wall were plastic race horses, each corresponding to a numbered seat.

“The rules are simple.” The carny began to explain. “Two balls roll down underneath your lane and then you roll it towards the holes in the back. The holes have different point values, and the higher points make your horse run farther down the path. The balls drop down the holes and roll back down to you and you repeat the process. The first one to the end wins.”

“And I get my choice of prizes if I win?” Linh asked.

“Yes...from the starter prizes.” The carny answered. “You need to keep winning and trade up for the bigger prizes. But that might be difficult since it doesn’t seem to be anyone else willing to compete.”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting to see you here, Linh!” A familiar voice shouted from behind them. The family turned around to find Mai standing behind them. She sauntered up to the game booth and took seat number six. She took off her leather jacket and tossed it on the seat beside her. “Are you up for a little competition?”

Linh took seat number two and nodded. “You sure have a habit of running into me when I least expect it. But this time, I’m actually grateful. I was waiting for another person so that the game can start.”

“Is that so? Well, don’t expect me to just hand you the win.” Mai replied.

“If you two ladies are ready, can I have your tickets for entry?” The carny asked, reaching out his hand. Linh reached into her pocket to pull out her last string of tickets. She ripped one off and handed it to the carny. Mai dug into her jacket and pulled out her own tickets. Like Linh, Mai tore off one ticket and passed if off to compete in the race. The carny walked back to his station and pressed a few buttons on his control panel to start the game. Linh and Mai primed themselves for the game to start while Phuong and Trieu watched. “Get ready in 3...2...1...Go!”

Suggested Music: Cabaret Grand Prix

With the loud ringing of the bell, the race began and lanes two and six unlocked. A pair of rubber balls rolled down the underside of each of their lanes. Linh and Mai each grabbed a ball and whipped it down their lane. They smacked into the back of the lane and rolled back, somehow not falling into any of the holes. As their first rubber balls rolled back, they fired their second ones down their lanes. This time, they each put less force into their rolls. Linh’s ball sank into a two-point hole. Mai’s sank into a three-point hole. Horse number six pulled into the lead. Mai flashed a quick smirk in Linh’s direction before turning her attention back to the game. Linh furrowed her brow and focused on the game.

The rubber balls rolled down the lanes nonstop. The horses at the back closed in on the finish line. Linh and Mai were neck and neck, but Mai managed to pull ahead win the race. The bell rang once again and the strobelight on top of her lane started spinning, signalling her victory.

“Looks like our winner this round is number six!” The carny announced. “Now which of these starter prizes do you want?”

“I’ll take the little red guy with the mask, please.” Mai instructed.

“Here you go, ma’am.” The carny popped off one of the Shy Guy plushies and tossed it to Mai, who caught it with no problem. She waved it in front of Linh to gloat. Linh was having none of it.

“Rematch!” Linh shouted while holding up another ticket.

“You really want to lose again? Fine by me.” Mai grabbed another ticket and held it up. The carny took their tickets and unlocked their lanes once more.

“Get ready in 3...2...1...Go!”

Linh and Mai wasted no time rolling rubber balls down their lanes once more. This time, Linh’s aim improved by leaps and bounds. She sank 3-point shots non-stop and pulled ahead in the race. Mai stayed on Linh’s heels, but Linh maintained her lead and won. The bells and strobelights signalled her victory.

“And number two picks up the revenge win!” The carny proclaimed. “Have you decided on your prize?”

“If I can’t have the big Yoshi yet, I’ll start off with the small one, then.” Linh pointed to the green dinosaur plushie for her first prize.

“So that’s what you’re after, is it?” Mai remarked. “Then you should have no objections to another rematch. After all, you can’t get the big version of that cute green thing unless you keep winning.”

“That was my intention all along.” Linh replied with another ticket in hand. With that, the rivalry between neighbours fired up. A small crowd began to gather around the game booth. Linh and Mai went back and forth at breakneck speeds. One would pull ahead with a victory before the other would tie it up. Anyone who tried to jump in suffered a crushing defeat. It did not take long before both Linh and Mai were one win away from trading up to the grand prize of their choice. They were also both down to their last ticket.

“This one will decide the grand prize winner.” Mai pointed out.

“I have no intention of losing.” Linh remarked.

“You’ll still lose, whether you intend to or not.” Mai fired back.

“You can do it, Aunt Linh!” Phuong cheered while hugging a big Yoshi plushie.

“Miss Mai’s got nothing on you!” Trieu added, also holding onto a Yoshi plushie of his own.

“Here we go again! Number two versus number six in what looks to be the final showdown!” The carny played up the rivalry for the audience that had gathered. “Who will walk home with the grand prize? We’re about to find out in 3...2...1...Go!”

With the sound of the bell, Linh and Mai faced off one final time. The rubber balls rolled with machine-like efficiency. They sank into the 3-point holes every time without fail. Horses two and six remained neck and neck as they raced to the finish line. It looked to be a photo finish. Linh and Mai kept rolling until they heard the winning bell. They both rolled one more ball to reach the finish line. Down the lane they rolled. They both hit the 3-point hole. Mai’s rubber ball sank one second before Linh’s. The bell rang. Mai was the winner.

Suggested Music: Terran Victory

“And there we have it! Number six is our winner!” The carny shouted. The people watching applauded the spectacle. The carny reached up to one of the jumbo Shy Guys dangling from the game booth’s ceiling, unhooked it, and walked over to Mai while holding it in his arms. “I assume this is the one you want?”

“You’re such a dear, thank you.” Mai said as she passed up her two large Shy Guys in exchange for the jumbo one. She held up the jumbo Shy Guy and gave it a good shake. Mai turned to Linh, who was still in her seat. She was applauding her along with everyone else while maintaining her composure. Phuong and Trieu were hiding their faces behind their big Yoshi plushies. “And here I thought you’d be a lot more pouty.”

“There’s point in whining. You won fair and square...this time.” Linh answered.

“Hmm, is that so? Well if you ever want to throw down in another competition, you know where to find me. Until then, ciao baby!” Mai laughed as she walked away and disappeared among the fair lights. The rest of the crowd dispersed to other parts of the fairgrounds. Linh and her kids were left at the game booth. The carny started rearranging the prize display now that he was short one jumbo Shy Guy and two big Yoshis.

Suggested Music: Melancholic Substory

“Hey, sorry I couldn’t get that jumbo Yoshi like you wanted.” Linh said while patting Phuong and Trieu on their heads.

“I know, I forgive you.” Phuong whispered, peeking out from behind her plushie. “You tried your best, but Miss Mai turned out to be a tough opponent.”

“You think maybe she practiced ahead of time and was waiting for us?” Trieu pondered aloud as he lowered his Yoshi plushie from his face. “That’s pretty sneaky if she did.”

“Hey Trieu, it’s not good to accuse people of underhanded tactics without any proof!” Linh rebuked.

“Sorry...” Trieu apologized as he held up his Yoshi in front of his face again.

Linh sighed. “Well, we did the last thing you two wanted to do, so it’s time to go home.” Linh stood up from her seat and the kids followed suit. They all waved good-bye to the carny running the game booth before leaving. They took a few steps through the fairgrounds before Linh stopped in her tracks. Phuong and Trieu noticed, stopped themselves, and looked back at their aunt. Linh had a look of confusion on her face. “Wait, how do we get back to where we parked?”

Phuong and Trieu looked at each other and both let out a heavy sigh.

“Don’t give me that! It’s been a long night! And I’ve just been rolling rubber balls for who knows how long that my eyes are starting to glaze over!”

“Don’t worry, Aunt Linh. We remember the way back.” Phuong asserted.

“Yeah, we just need to keep going this way, turn the corner, make another right, then left into the building, keep going straight, exit the building and hang a right until we reach the front gates.” Trieu explained.

“How do you manage to remember that, but forget to brush your teeth sometimes?” Linh asked. Trieu shrugged in response. “Nevermind, just lead the way, you two. But stay within my sight. I don’t wanna lose you in this crowd.”

Phuong and Trieu nodded in unison. They strolled through the fairgrounds with their prizes in their arms, swinging them around and bopping them into each other. Linh smiled to herself from watching the two having fun as she followed behind.

[rosenwrites]

Lost Son

Character(s): Trieu

Suggested Music: A King of Apathy

“Kevin! I finally found you!”

Trieu turned around to find an elderly Asian man in a red polo and khakis facing him. Everyone else walking down the street passed the two by. Trieu looked around for the Kevin that this grey-haired man was looking for. Nobody. He then looked back at the old man.

“Who the hell is Kevin?” Trieu asked.

“Stop fooling around, Kevin! It’s me, your father!” Kevin’s dad fired back.

“Wait, what???”

“And what are you doing, dressed like that? Are you trying to become a fashion model or something?”

“You got the wrong gu--”

“Do you have any idea how much your mother and I have worried about you?”

Trieu paused to assess the situation. “Okay, clearly this old geezer thinks I’m his son.” Trieu thought to himself. “Is he trying to pull a fast one on me? Or is there another reason he’s doing this? Either way, I’m sure I can duck out if things get too hairy.” He sighed and scratched his head. “I’m sorry about that, dad. I was just taken aback by you showing up out of the blue.”

Kevin’s dad smiled and patted Trieu on the shoulder. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Kevin. Anyway, all this searching for you made me hungry. How about we stop over at Pho Hung? It’s your favourite, after all.” Trieu nodded and the two walked down the street together. As Kevin’s dad was an old man, Trieu made sure to match his slow walking pace. “Seriously, what have you been up to? You should’ve let your mother and I know that you were back in Toronto.”

“Uhh...sorry about that, dad.” Trieu muttered. “I had some urgent business to attend to as soon as I returned. I’m sorry I didn’t contact you two sooner.”

Kevin’s dad chuckled. “It’s all good now that you’ve apologized. But I’m curious what this business was. Let me guess: You were helping to organize a charity fundraiser.”

“Wow, good guess, dad! How did you know?”

Kevin’s dad burst out in laughter. Some passersby gave him weird stares but continued on their way. “Oh Kevin, you haven’t changed a bit. I always said the only thing bigger than your brain was your heart. Of course, your mother always worried that would get you in serious trouble. She said that putting others before yourself would lead you to an early grave. Oh hey, we’re here!”

Trieu looked up at the sign. Sure enough, they arrved at Pho Hung. “It’s just as I remembered it.” Kevin’s dad and Trieu walked into the restaurant where the waitress greeted them.

“Good afternoon! Table for t—K-Kevin?!?” The waitress stammered out. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

“Uh...yeah. It’s been awhile.” Trieu answered.

“Isn’t it great, Christine? Kevin’s back after so long!” Kevin’s dad has the biggest smile on his face.

“Uh, sure! Right this way, please!” Kevin’s dad and Trieu followed Christine to their table. They took their seats and Christine prepared to take their order. “The usual for you two, Uncle Liem?”

“You got it!” Liem replied.

“Two large beef pho coming right up!” Christine left their table with her ponytail swishing behind her and soon came back with a pot of tea. Liem nodded his head in thanks as Christine left to tend to other tables. Liem reached for the pot, but Trieu beat him to the punch.

“Here you go, dad.” Trieu said as he poured him a cup of tea.

“Ah, you’ve really grown into a fine man, Kevin.” Liem said with pride before taking a sip of his tea. “I’m glad I was able to find you and spend time with you after so long.”

“I’m sorry to worry you like that.” Trieu expressed as he poured his own cup of tea.

“No, I’m the one who should be apologizing. It’s part of the reason why I invited you here, after all.”

“Well, whatever it is, I’m sure it can wait until we’ve eaten our food. It’s been awhile since we’ve had a meal together. Let’s enjoy it.”

“Thanks for waiting! Here are your two large bowls of beef pho!” Christine returned with their order sitting on her tray. She placed them on the table and disappeared in a flash.

“Ah, I’ve been waiting for this.” Liem said as he prepared his chopsticks.

“Me too. Let’s not waste any time and dig in.” Trieu picked up his chopsticks, picked up some noodles from his bowl, and started eating. Liem did the same, and the two ate together in comfortable silence. The pho noodles were nice and thick while the beef brisket was chewy and delicious. The hearty aroma enhances by the green onions kept them slurping up more and more. Once they were done with the pho, Liem and Trieu drank down the all the soup. Both their bowls hit the table with a clang as they leaned back in their seats, satisfied with their meal.

“Ahh, that hit the spot.” Liem sighed before taking another sip of tea.

“I never get tired of eating pho.” Trieu remarked. “Thanks for inviting me, dad.”

Suggested Music: Quiet Talk

“I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. This makes apologizing a little easier.”

“I don’t know what you need to apologize for, but you didn’t need to go as far as inviting me out for pho.”

“No, I needed to do this. I wasn’t going to have a heartfelt talk with you on an empty stomach. I’m not that mistake again.” Liem sighed. “I’ve had some time to think ever since you disappeared. It goes without saying, but your mother and I always wanted the best for you. We wanted you live a better life than we ever could. But somewhere along the way, we lost sight of the fact that you’re your own person. We tried to force you down a career path that you didn’t want. That’s probably why you disappeared, isn’t it?”

“Shit, he’s coming at me with some real heavy stuff!” Trieu thought to himself. “I guess I have to keep playing the part of the dutiful son to answer this right.” He cleared his throat before answering. “I’d be lying if that wasn’t part of the reason. It’s just as you said: I left because I needed to be my own person. But my time away gave me insight. It made me realize that you two did the best you could to give me a fighting chance in life, despite all the hardship that came with starting a new life in a new country. Whatever arguments and disagreements we’ve had, at the end of it all, I’m glad you’re a part of my life.”

A smile formed on Liem’s face. It was a smile Trieu had never seen from anyone in Liem’s position. He thought it better to stay silent and not ruin the moment. Plus this was a foreign experience to him. He would not know how to respond even if he wanted to.

“I’ve waited for so long to have this talk and I’m thankful it finally happened. Thank you, Kevin. I feel like now the two of us can take the next step in our lives. Now, for the bill...” Liem reached into his pocket for his wallet.

“Don’t worry, I got this.” Trieu also reached for his wallet.

“No, I insist.”

“I said I can handle this.”

“I’m your father, it’s my responsibility.”

“I’m an adult now. I can afford to pay for this.”

“Listen, I invited you out here so it’s only natural that I pay for the meal.”

“Alright, you win.” Trieu sat down and put his wallet away. Liem stood up from his seat and made his way to the cash register to pay. Trieu poured himself one last cup of tea and drank it down while he still could.

“Okay, everything’s paid and we’re ready to leave.” Liem said upon returning. Trieu nodded and stood up from his seat and the two left the restaurant. Liem hailed a taxi and it pulled up in short order. “Well it’s time for me to head home. Take care of yourself, Kevin. And good luck with whatever it is you do.”

“Thanks, dad. You take care of yourself now.”

Liem waved good-bye as he hopped into the back seat of the taxi. Trieu waved back. The taxi merged back into traffic, turned the corner, and disappeared. Trieu stopped waving and sighed. Just as he was about to walk away, someone grabbed him by the collar from behind and dragged him into an alley beside the restaurant. He turned around and found out it was Christine, now in her street clothes.

Suggested Music: Unreleased OST 19

“Uhh...Christine?” Trieu blurted out.

“You can drop the act already.” Christine answered. “You...you’re not actually Kevin, are you?”

Trieu sighed as he fixed his collar. “Was it that obvious?”

“Only now, yes. When you showed up with Uncle Liem, I almost had a heart attack. But after I calmed down, I pretty much had an idea of what was going on.”

“Well, can you explain it to me, then? I was minding my own business when he showed up claiming I was his son. I tried telling him otherwise, but he was having none of it. I figured there was a reason for it, so I played along.”

“Well, as you can probably tell, Kevin is Uncle Liem’s son. Kevin and I grew up together as childhood friends, so that’s we know each other. Man, even looking at you now, it’s still so mind-blowing how much you look like him.”

“Liem mentioned that I disappeared for awhile. What was that about?”

Christine’s face turned sullen. “About that...Kevin volunteered for disaster relief in a war-torn country overseas. He always was the humanitarian type. That’s the reason why he pursued a medical degree. It just so happened to be what his parents wanted, too, but for different reasons. From what I’ve heard, they got into a big argument over whether or not he should go through with the volunteer work. Kevin stormed off, got onto the plane, and disappeared.”

“But I bet there’s more to this story.”

Christine nodded. “Kevin would still keep touch. He sent photos and videos of his work overseas. Maybe he was trying to prove that he made the right decision. But then he went missing, the correspondence stopped, and none of us heard from him again. Realistically, you can guess what that means. Uncle Liem probably could, too. But he probably wanted to believe that Kevin was still alive. They parted on such bad terms, the guilt ate away at him for so long.”

“So that’s why he latched onto me...”

“I can’t even imagine what it was like to be in his shoes the moment he saw you. There you were, just out of the blue, looking just like Kevin. Just for a little bit, you gave Uncle Liem his son back. You gave him a chance to make amends. You allowed him to erase his regrets. And most importantly, you renewed his hope. Thanks, Not-Kevin, for reuniting us with Kevin, if only for a short time.” Christine left the alley and headed home. Trieu stood alone in the alley to reflect on what happened.

“I should be thanking you, Christine.” He thought to himself. “I thought it was just a case of mistaken identity, but you provided some much needed context.” Trieu looked up to the sky. “Kevin, I know it’s a long shot, but I hope you’re still alive, and I hope you make it back home to the ones you care about.”

[rosenwrites]

Delivery Run

Character(s): Phuong

Suggested Music: Fang Marked Viper

“Ow! Hey!” Before Phuong could reprimand the man who bumped into her any further, he shoved a small present into her hands.

“Here, take this!” He instructed.

“What? Why?” Phuong asked.

“Just do it. Take it to the university’s computer science building. A man in a Raptors jersey and cap will take it from you there. Now get going!” With that, the man ran off down the street before Phuong could stop him. She looked down at the present in her hands with a confused look, wondering what was inside. But before she could pry into it, she noticed a group of men running towards her. They were coming from the same direction as the man from earlier.

“She’s got the box! Get her!”

Phuong turned around without a second thought and hightailed it out of there. She dodged and weaved through the crowds to put more distance between her and her pursuers. They pushed through the crowds to get to her, adamant in retrieving the present in her possession. Phuong kept sprinting until the traffic lights ahead of her turned red. Unable to cross the street, she took a hard right turn and continued down the next street.

“Excuse me! Coming through! Passing by!” Phuong shouted in a desperate attempt to convince people to step out of her way. It had limited success and she managed to widen the gap between her and the men chasing her. She kept sidestepping passersby, still clutching the present under her arm. Another intersection ahead. This time, the light was counting down to when it would turn yellow then red. Three seconds left. She kicked it into high gear and dashed across the street as the timer reached zero. Thanks to that stunt, Phuong managed to buy herself valuable time and distance. She kept running down the crowded street to get further away. Phuong saw an alleyway and turned into it without a second thought.

Suggested Music: Mood of Disquiet

The alleyway smelled foul from all the garbage lying around. Phuong saw a fire escape stairway on the side of the building along with a ladder. It was up and out of reach from anyone on the ground. With the present still tucked under her arm, Phuong ran towards the garbage bin near the fire escape, jumped onto it, and used it as a springboard to reach the ladder. With her free hand, she managed to grab the bottom rung, but the ladder did not budge. Annoyed, Phuong pulled herself up a tiny bit before letting herself drop back down to her starting position. She repeated these motions in quick succession in an attempt to pry the ladder free. After the tenth rep, the ladder loosened and came crashing down. Phuong lost her balance when the ladder struck the ground and she fell backwards onto her butt.

“Owowowowow...” Phuong whined as she rubbed her sore butt, but the present managed to remain unharmed. She picked herself off the ground and walked over to the ladder ready to climb. With the present still in her hand, Phuong began her slow climb up the ladder. She juggled the present between each hand with every rung she climbed up, but managed to get to the top without incident. Phuong took a deep breath before strolling up the fire escape stairs and reaching the rooftop. Once she arrived at the rooftop, she let out a sigh of relief as she took a look at the city scenery. That’s when a thought hit her.

“Wait, what was I even running for?” Phuong thought to herself. “Shit! I got swept up in the moment again! Now I’m stuck with this present and I don’t even know why.” She groaned. “Whatever, I guess I gotta deliver this present now. Now if I remember right, that guy told me to go to the university computer science building.” She looked around at her surroundings. “Okay, so I left the textile store and turned right, then the guy bumped into me, then I kept running straight, turned right, then...” Phuong furrowed her brow. “Damn it! I was so focused on running away, I lost track of which way I was going!”

Phuong looked around in all directions for any landmarks she could use as a reference point. She found the C.N. Tower behind her and to the right. “Okay, if the C.N. Tower is there, then the university should be...” She began turning to the left of where the landmark stood. “...Somewhere around there. I know it’s near Chinatown for sure. Okay, now to just get there...” Phuong headed back down the fire escape and down the ladder. She left the alleyway and continued walking in the direction she was running before. Phuong blended into the crowd while still hanging on to the present she had. She tried looking for street signs to get a better bearing of where she was and where she needed to go. There were none around. She kept walking.

After passing a church and a park, she managed to reach another intersection. Phuong checked the street signs. Bathurst Street. Dundas Street. She knew Dundas Street would take her to Chinatown so Phuong took a right. The street curved away from the hospital before straightening out again. As Phuong kept walking, the aroma of Chinatown’s food market and restaurants grew stronger. She quickened her pace, drawn in by the irresistible smell. Just as Phuong crossed Denison Avenue, the men chasing her before were coming up the intersection from Denison Avenue.

Suggested Music: Fang Marked Viper

“It’s her! We found her!” One of them shouted while pointing at Phuong. She turned her head to see what all the noise was about. When she saw a group of men once again barrelling down the street towards her, she broke into a sprint and raced down Dundas Street. Phuong alternated between looking behind her, to the street, and ahead of her. Her pursuers in the back, cars to the side, and crowds up ahead. She saw her chance in the moment where the road was light with traffic. Without hesitation, Phuong darted across the road and made it to the other side. Traffic picked up again which prevented the people chasing her to perform the same stunt.

The chasers split up. One group stayed and waited for traffic to lighten again. The other ran down the street to cross at the intersection. Phuong ducked down Kensington Avenue amidst the commotion. She walked down the pedestrian road at a brisk pace through the crowds. Just as she reached St. Andrew Street, Phuong heard a commotion behind her. She turned her head around and saw the group of men from before. They had managed to cross the street and had now resumed their chase. Phuong made a hard right turn onto St. Andrew Street and made a mad dash towards Spadina Avenue.

But it was at Spadina Avenue where the second group appeared.

Phuong veered to the left away from the second group. They closed in from the right. Just as Phuong turned the corner, a cyclist was on a collision course with her, leaving no time for him to react. Phuong, on the other hand, had only a fraction of a second to avert the incoming disaster. She put a little extra spring into her next step and leapt over the cyclist to avoid the crash. The group chasing behind her were not so nimble and made a head-on collision with the cyclist. The result was an entangled mess of bodies on the concrete. Phuong did not escape unharmed, either. In her haste, she miscalculated how far she would jump and ended up slamming into a tree.

“Fuuuuuck...” Phuong groaned out in pain as she stumbled backwards. By some miracle, her arms missed the tree and the present was unharmed. She took a moment to shake off the pain and regain her composure. Phuong looked back, shocked at the disastrous crash she managed to avoid. People were starting to gather around the scene, so Phuong made herself scarce and ran up Spadina Avenue away from the scene.

Phuong kept running until she reached the College Street intersection. She stopped at the red light and took a moment to catch her breath. All this running exhausted her, but she was almost at her goal. Phuong hurried across the street while still hanging onto the present. The university buildings were on the other side of College Street, so she need to cross once more. Phuong crossed the street once the light was green and took a slower pace once she arrived on the other side. She scanned any and all signs that were in front of the buildings. No matches yet. Phuong passed Huron Street and kept looking. She saw a sign for the university bookstore. Not quite bingo, but a lead, nonetheless.

Suggested Music: Mood of Disquiet

Phuong wandered onto the university grounds towards the bookstore. Since it was summer, it was deserted. She kept looking around everywhere for her intended destination. No luck so far. A narrow path sat between the bookstore and a building named the Fields Institute, so she decided to follow it. Once Phuong reached the other side, she took another look around. To her right was the computer science building. And just like her predecessor told her, at the doors stood a man wearing a Raptors cap and jersey. The two locked eyes and stared at one another in awkward silence.

“Is...this yours?” Phuong asked while raising the present up.

“It...might be?” The man answered. “How’d you end up with it?”

“Your buddy, or at least I’m assuming he’s your friend, passed it off to me and told me to come here. He ran off before I could ask him anything. Oh, and the guys that were chasing him were now chasing me instead. I only now just lost them. There better not be anything illegal in this box.”

“You’re better off not knowing the answer to that.” He replied as he approached Phuong. He took the box from her hand and left a fifty dollar bill in its place. “Here, for your troubles.” He then turned around and headed back into the computer science building. Before he entered, he turned his head back to Phuong. “And if anyone asks, it was a birthday present, got it?” With that, he disappeared into the building. Phuong was too exhausted to chase after him. She tucked away the fifty dollar bill into her pocket and escorted herself off the campus grounds. Whatever it was she got involved in, she wanted no part of it anymore.

[rosenwrites]

New Home, Familiar Love

Character(s): Linh, Phuong, Trieu

Suggested Music: Unreleased OST 19

“We’re here. Your new home.”

Linh shifted the car into park and shut it off. She stepped out and opened the passenger doors for her niece and nephew. Phuong and Trieu stepped out of the car, looking anxious. They walked over to the front door of the townhouse that was now their home. They stopped right in front of it, unsure of how to feel about all this. Linh came up from behind, crouched down, and patted them both on their heads.

“Don’t worry, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” Linh reassured them. “I’ll do what I need to make this a safe and happy place for us to live.” She stood back up and walked up to the front door. Linh swung the screen door open while she reached into her pocket. She pulled out her keys and unlocked the door, then waved the two children inside. Phuong and Trieu did as they were instructed and entered through the front door.

They took their shoes off when they entered and placed them aside outside the closet to their right. They walked past the small bathroom also on their right and saw the spacious living room to their left. A dark green three-piece sofa set lined the two walls, all angled towards the television sitting beside the window looking out to the parked car.

“My old roommates left these behind when they moved out. They said it was too much of a hassle to bring it all with them.” Linh explained. “Don’t worry; I gave them all a good cleaning when they left. There’s no mouldy leftover pizza under the cushions. At least not anymore.” Linh shuddered when she recalled that unpleasant memory. “Anyway, I have a Super Nintendo if you two ever want to play video games. Come to think of it, have you two ever played video games before?”

Phuong shook her head. “Mom was okay with it, but dad never got it for us.”

“He said something like ‘It’s a waste of money’.” Trieu added.

For a fleeting moment, the thought of their father irritated Linh, but she refused to show it on her face. Instead, she smiled. “Your mom had the right idea. It’s okay to play once in a while, especially with other people. I’ve lost count of all the fun times I had with my roommates playing video games. But let’s keep moving on.” Linh continued walking forward with Phuong and Trieu following her. She took off her suit jacket and tossed it onto the railing separating the corridor and part of the living room. In no time at all, they had reached the dining room, with the kitchen to the left.

“Well, here’s the kitchen.” Linh said. “Fridge and microwave on the left, stove and oven right at the back, and sink on the right. Don’t go digging around in the lower cupboards, and don’t go trying to reach stuff in the high cupboards. If you two need anything from here, just ask. Maybe when you two get older, I’ll even teach you how to cook.” Linh looked straight ahead. “And this door leads out to the backyard, if you can even call it that.” There was not much to see outside. There was only grass, a small hill, and a tall wooden fence separating the townhouse properties from the houses on the other side facing the road. “And the dinner table’s right here, next to the backyard door. And the stairs are to our right. Let’s go take a look at your rooms.”

Phuong and Trieu made their way up the stairs with Linh following behind them. When they made their way to the top, a door stood in front of them. A short walkway was to their right and went the opposite direction of the way they walked up, with a wooden guard rail running parallel to the stairs.

“Here’s the upstairs bathroom.” Linh pointed out. “There’s a second door inside that connects to my bedroom. But…that door’s broken. It’s just stuck there. Don’t worry about it, though.” Linh directed the kids down the walkway. At the end of it was one bedroom, and a turn to the left that led to two doors. “The door on the left leads to my room. The door on the right and this room here belong to you two. You can go ahead and pick which room you each want.”

“We get our own rooms?” Phuong asked, surprised.

“Of course! Go take a look at each one to see which one you each like best.”

Phuong and Trieu’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. They split up and examined each room while Linh waited outside. Trieu entered the room in front of them. It was an empty and clean room with a window at the back, gazing out to the trees in the backyard of the house behind them. He looked around and found the closet to the right of him just as he entered, parallel to the door. He opened it up and was amazed to find that it was a small walk-in closet. Inside were shelves above and below and racks on either side to hang clothes.

Phuong was examining the next room over at the same time. It was a near-match of the room Trieu was looking at. The only difference was that the closet was to the left of the door instead of the right. Phuong opened it up. This one was not a walk-in closet, but a regular one. She closed it back up, still amazed at how big her potential room was. She exited the room and made her way to the next one. Trieu stepped out at the same time and the two of them swapped rooms. Linh continued waiting in the hallway, ready to hear their answer. After a few minutes of examination, the two children returned to Linh.

“So have you two made your choice yet?” She asked. Phuong and Trieu nodded their heads in unison. “Alright, tell me: Which room do you each want?” Phuong pointed to the room right behind them with the walk-in closet. Trieu pointed to the room across from Linh’s. “Wow, that went better than I thought it would.”

Trieu looked confused. “Did…did we do something wrong?”

Linh shook her head. “No, just surprised at how fast you two decided.”

“Does that mean we did a good job?” Phuong asked.

“Yeah, I guess it does.” She patted both of them on their heads. “Now that you two decided on your rooms, we can tell the movers tomorrow what goes where. But for tonight, you can sleep with me in my room. Is that alright with you two?”

“You won’t be mad if we do?” Trieu asked, looking worried.

“Of course I won’t.” Linh answered. “Listen, you don’t have to be so afraid of me. I’m not your mom, and I’m definitely not your dad. I’m your aunt. I always was and I always will be. The only thing that’s changed is that I’ll be taking care of you two from now on.” She crouched down to face Phuong and Trieu eye-to-eye. “I won’t abandon you like the rest of the family did. I’ll be by your side no matter what.”Phuong and Trieu nodded in unison. For the time being, Linh managed to put their fears and worries to rest. She reached out to pat them both on the head, and just as she did, a growling sound echoed through the hallway.

The two children had a look of embarrassment on their faces. Linh realized they had not eaten for some time now. With everything that happened today, it slipped her mind. “Okay, what would you two like to eat? Today’s a special occasion, so don’t be afraid to ask for whatever you want.” Phuong and Trieu looked at one another, thinking of how to answer.

“Pizza?” Trieu blurted out.

“I want pizza, please.” Phuong followed suit.

“Pizza, huh?” Linh stood back up and her gaze turned upward before she had a flash of realization. “Oh yeah! There’s a Pizza Hut nearby we can go to. Let’s get going, then!” Phuong and Trieu’s faces lit up when Linh told them that. The three of them ran down the stairs with Linh leading the way. She grabbed her suit jacket off the railing and put it back on before they all put their shoes back on. Once they were all ready, they stepped out of the house and hopped back into the car. Linh fastened Phuong and Trieu’s seat belts before getting into the driver’s seat and turning the car on. She pulled out of the driveway and drove off, unaware that she was being watched. The blinds were down on the bedroom window of the townhouse across from Linh’s, but someone in a suit was behind the blinds, observing Linh from the moment she first arrived.

“She left with the kids again.” She said, talking into the phone she was holding. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s following her.” She paused for a moment as the person on the other end of the line spoke. “I still don’t understand all the secrecy and surveillance. Wouldn’t it simpler to just come out and tell her the truth?” The person on the other end was not having any of it and shut her down. She let out a long sigh before responding. “Fine, I’ll play along for now, so long as you hold up your end of the bargain. Goodbye for now.” She hung up the phone before sitting down on the edge of her bed and falling back onto it. She ran her hand through her short black hair as she stared at the ceiling. A smile crept onto her face.

“Congratulations on your promotion to parent...little sister.”

[rosenwrites]

Consequences

Character(s): Phuong, Trieu, Johann

Suggested Music: Wandering Flame

               “Not exactly my first choice, but I need sleep, now.” Trieu yawned as he turned at the blue sign with a big red 6 on it. He pulled up to the front doors of the motel and shifted the car into park. Phuong and Johann awoke from their slumber to see where they were. “Wait here, I’ll get us a room.” Trieu unbuckled his seat belt and hopped out of the car before entering the motel. Phuong turned her head towards the back seats.

               “You okay, Johann?” Phuong asked in a groggy voice. Johann poked his head in between the driver and passenger seats and licked Phuong’s hand. She pulled her hand and petted Johann, managing a smile. “Just a little longer, Johann, and we can all go to bed and put this awful night behind us.” Phuong scratched Johann behind the ears to help him relax. Just as he started to go back to sleep again, his ears perked up. Phuong noticed this and turned over to the motel doors. Trieu walked out holding a pair of key cards in his hand and waving them at her as he made his way back to the car. Once he was back in the driver’s seat, he held up the cards.

               “Here, don’t lose it.” Trieu said. Phuong took one. Trieu tossed the other onto the dashboard. “I took a glance at where our room is while I was in there. Room 404, I’ll drive up closer to it.” He circled the car around the side of the building. Despite the darkness and the numerous cars, he found a spot to park. Once he was ready, Trieu hopped out of his seat, crawled under the steering wheel, and pulled the power wires apart. The car shut off. Trieu crawled out from under the wheel. He grabbed the key card on the dashboard and stepped out. “We’re here. Let’s get some sleep. Maybe a shower too, if you have the energy for it.”

               Phuong nodded as she also stepped out of the car. She opened the rear door next to her to let Johann jump out. Trieu popped the trunk to grab the first-aid kit. He decided on leaving their weapons in the trunk. The last thing they needed was running into some night owl in the motel corridors and trying to explain their way out of it. After Trieu slammed the trunk shut, the three of them shuffled over to the glass door side entrance. With a swipe of Trieu’s key card, the door clicked. He pulled open the door and held it open for Phuong and Johann to enter, followed behind as he shut the door.

They marched up the stairs until they reached the fourth floor. Phuong checked the map on the wall to find their room. It was to their left and near the end of the hallway. She led the way through the hall. The lights were dim and not a sound could be heard. Nothing unusual given how late in the night it was. They walked along the cheap carpet and reached their room. On the plain door were the numbers 404. There was a card reader above the door handle with a solid red light under it. Phuong stuck her card in. Click. The light turned green. She turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Their room was what they expected: cheap wallpaper, fridge and T.V., two small beds and a cramped bathroom. Trieu tossed the first-aid kit onto the closest bed and turned to the door. “I’ll go get some ice. You get cleaned up with a shower and we’ll treat your—”

Phuong grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him back to face her. “No, YOU take a shower first and I’LL go get some ice. You’re in worse shape than I am, so we need to get you treated first.”

“Listen, I’m fine, stop being—”

“You were slammed into a brick wall hard enough for you to go right through!” Phuong pulled Trieu close enough to keep herself from yelling. “You’re the toughest person I know, but not even you could walk away from that unscathed! So hurry up and get cleaned up.” Phuong turned to Johann. “Johann, make sure he doesn’t take a step out of this room.” Johann parked himself on the carpet and kept watch on Trieu. Phuong then shoved Trieu into the bathroom. “Now hurry up and shower, because I need one, too.” She slammed the bathroom door in his face before he had a chance to argue and left with the ice bucket.

Trieu sighed as he began taking off his shirt. “There you go again, worrying about others before yourself. As always, it’s hard to say whether that’s a good or bad habit of yours.”

Phuong shut the room door behind her and sighed. She headed to the elevators and found a sign listing which each floor had. “Third floor gym, second floor pool…there we go, first floor ice and vending machines.” Phuong pressed the button for the elevator and waited for it to come up. With a prompt ding, the doors opened up and she stepped inside. After Phuong pressed the button for the ground floor, the door slid shut and brought her to her destination.

When the elevator reached the main floor and opened up, Phuong stepped out and she looked around. Nobody was around. Nobody except the front desk reception. There was also a television turned to the news channel. Phuong could hear it even from the elevator. It was relaying the breaking news development of Toronto. She tried to ignore it as she made her way to the ice and vending machines. But she could still hear even at that distance. Even with the buzzing and crunching of the ice dispenser, Phuong could still hear the broadcast.

“Hundreds are dead and many more are missing after the devastating destruction to the city of Toronto. Even the Gardener Expressway collapsed near the CN Tower, causing unfathomable damage to the area. The question on everyone’s minds is ‘where is the White Dragon?’ He is currently missing and nowhere to be found. Many have speculated that he was killed during this tragedy but no evidence has emerged to confirm this. Many are left wondering: Was the White Dragon trying to prevent this large-scale attack, or was he responsible for it? At this time, nobody knows the answer.”

Phuong’s hands trembled and shook the bucket she was clutching, causing even more noise in the process. The bucket soon overflowed with ice and spilled over in the dispensing area. The cold touch of the spilling ice cubes finally managed to snap Phuong out of her trance. She pulled back the bucket in a hurry, spilling more ice cubes onto the floor as she hurried back to the elevator. She pushed the button and waited with her eyes to the floor. The doors slid open and she hopped in without haste.

Once the doors closed and she was alone, she let out a long sigh. As the elevator brought her up to her floor, Phuong took the time to recompose herself. She brought her erratic breathing under control. She forced her hands to stop shaking. She could not allow Trieu and Johann to see her like this. They had enough to worry about without fretting over her. All she needed was a good night’s sleep.

That’s what Phuong kept telling herself, anyway.

The elevator dinged. The doors opened to the fourth floor and she stepped out. She double-timed back to their room, swiped her card, and opened the door. Just as Phuong closed the door behind her, she heard the shower turn off. She continued over to the night stand and placed the bucket of ice on top of it. Johann hopped onto the bed next to Phuong with his tail wagging. Phuong turned to him and smiled, giving him a quick pet. The bathroom door unlocked and Trieu strolled out while drying his hair off with a towel. He was only wearing his pants and necklace, leaving his bruised torso exposed.

“I knew it.” Phuong said. “We need to treat that right now. Sit your ass down on the bed.” Trieu slung the towel over his shoulder and took a seat at the end of the bed. Phuong walked over to where Trieu sat and examined the extent of his injuries. The bruises covered most of his chest and abdomen, and there were a few small cuts on his face. “I’m surprised that’s all there is. Any other injuries I don’t know about?”

“No, what you see is what you get.” Trieu answered. “What about you? Are you doing okay?”

“I…haven’t had time to check.” Phuong said as she walked over to the first-aid kit to grab what she needed. “But I will once I take a shower and—”

“There you go again, worrying about others before yourself.” Trieu interrupted. “It suits you most times, but…not now. It’s just us, so you need to take better care of yours—owowowowow!” Phuong cut him off by jabbing him with a cotton swab wet with rubbing alcohol right onto one of his cuts. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from yelping and waking up the guests next door. Phuong’s hands moved fast in sterilizing the cuts and slapping band-aids over them. When Phuong was done, Trieu’s face looked like the aftermath of a shaving accident.

With a fresh swab, Phuong began sterilizing all the bruises on Trieu’s body. Trieu endured the stinging pain until Phuong was finished. She then retrieved a roll of elastic bandage and wrapped it around the swelling bruises. Trieu pulled up his necklace to prevent it from getting wrapped up.

“I’m kind of surprised this thing didn’t get so much as a dent.” Trieu noted. “Add ‘full body slam through a brick wall’ to the list of things this necklace can survive.”

Phuong paused and pulled out her necklace from her collar with her free hand. “It really is a fitting memento from mom.” She dropped it back down her shirt and finished up with the bandages. Phuong then yanked the towel from his shoulder, turned over to the ice bucket, dumped some ice onto the towel, and wrapped it up into a nice ball. “Here, to numb the pain.” Phuong tossed it over to Trieu, who then pushed it up against the most swollen bruises. Phuong then made her way to the bathroom to take a shower. She shut the door behind her, only to open it again in an instant. Phuong popped her head out from the doorway and tossed Trieu’s shirt into his face.

“Hey, can you…get us something to eat?” Phuong asked.

“You DO know what time it is, right?” Trieu asked as he put his shirt back on. “I’m not in the mood to drive to Timmy’s at this hour.”

“There’re vending machines downstairs. You don’t need to get much. Some chocolate and a Gatorade will do.”

“Got it. Fruit punch flavour, right?”

Phuong nodded. “I’m gonna be in here for a while, so take your time.” With that, she shut the bathroom door once again. Trieu scratched his head before putting down his makeshift icepack down on the bed and standing up.

“Alright, Johann, you’re back on guard duty.” Trieu instructed as he opened the room door. Johann took up his post once again before Trieu left. Even though Phuong treated his injuries, they still hurt, so Trieu took his time getting to the elevator. He rode it down the first floor, followed the signs, and made it to the vending machines. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and grabbed the credit card from it.

“It’s a good thing these things accept credit cards.” Trieu thought to himself. “Okay, fruit punch for her and cool blue for me.” Trieu punched in the codes for the drinks he wanted, swiped his card, and ducked down to grab them when he machine dispensed them. As Trieu stood back up and turned to the snacks machine, he could hear a familiar voice from the current news broadcast playing out in the lobby.

“I have always voiced my disapproval of the White Dragon’s actions.” Walter announced everyone tuning in. “A vigilante who acts outside the law is always worse than the very criminals they hunt down. The White Dragon was always a danger and a menace to the people of Toronto. What happened tonight is the result of allowing him to run amok all this time. I do hope the authorities apprehend this criminal and bring him to justice.”

Trieu’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart was seething. “So that’s your game, is it, Walter?” He thought to himself. “You couldn’t erase us, so you’re pinning this incident all on us.” He punched in the codes for a Hershey’s and an Oh Henry. “I get it. It’s been fourteen years. People can change a lot in that amount of time. But you’ve changed way too much.” The chocolate bars tumbled down to the bottom of the machine where Trieu reached down to retrieve them. “Or maybe the problem is that you didn’t change at all.”

Trieu returned to the elevator with provisions in hand. After reaching the fourth floor, he made his way back to their room. He juggled with the items in his hand to retrieve the key card in his pocket and managed to unlock the door. At the same time Trieu entered, the bathroom door also opened and Phuong stepped out. Similar to her brother before, all she had on were a pair of pants, her necklace, and her black bra. Phuong was drying her hair off with a towel and keeping her eyes obscured, but Trieu could see that her eyes were red.

“Here.” Trieu shoved the Hershey’s bar into her face. Phuong took it as Trieu walked to the night stand to put the rest of the snacks. “Now take a seat. You can go ahead and eat while I take a look at you and see if everything’s okay.” Phuong nodded as she pulled the towel from her hair and dropped it to the floor. She took a seat at the end of the bed and Trieu hopped on behind her. “Well, it doesn’t look like there’re any serious injuries. How are you feeling, though?”

Phuong tore open the wrapping on her chocolate and paused for a second. “I’m just…sore all over. It’s weird, it didn’t hit me until midway through my shower. I guess the adrenaline finally wore off. It’s my shoulders and wrists especially that are sore. I mean, it hurt a bit just to open this wrapper.”

“Lemme take a look.” Trieu placed his hands on Phuong’s shoulders. Phuong winced a bit. “Yeah, we’re gonna have to ice your shoulders.” He then reached over to grab her wrists. Again, the same reaction. “I’ll bandage up your wrists first before putting some ice on them, too.” He hopped off the bed and made his way to the bathroom. “So you wanna finish that chocolate before or after I wrap up your wrists?”

“I’ll wait after you fix me up.” Phuong answered as Trieu passed her by and disappeared into the bathroom. “Thanks, by the way, for getting me something to eat.”

“It ain’t much, but it’ll do for now.” Trieu returned with Phuong’s shirt. “Alright, raise your arms for me.” Phuong did as she was told, enduring the soreness of her shoulders. Trieu slipped her arms through her shirt and pulled it down. Phuong brought her arms down and Trieu pulled her hair out from under her shirt. He then made his way back to the first-aid kit and grabbed the roll of bandages. He returned to Phuong and knelt down, holding out his hand. “Alright, give me your hand.”

Phuong complied and gave her hand to Trieu. He gave her wrist another quick look before he began. He worked in silence as he wrapped up her wrist. The bandages were firm but breathable when he finished. Trieu moved on to the next wrist without a word. Just like before, he wrapped up the swelling wrist with expert precision. Trieu stood up when he was done and grabbed the ice packs in the first-aid kit. He tossed them onto the pillow behind Phuong before clearing the kit off the bed and onto the floor. Once everything was done, He plopped down onto his own bed and crashed his head onto his pillow. He grabbed his towel-ice pack from before and pressed it up against his chest as Johann hopped onto the bed with him. Phuong fell backwards onto the pillow behind her. Her shoulders connected with the ice packs on the pillow and she felt instant relief.

               Trieu reached over to the night stand with his free hand. He grabbed the Oh Henry bar, tore it open, and took a big bite out of it. Johann looked on with want, but Trieu shooed him away. “You know you’re not allowed to eat chocolate. Look, I know you’re hungry, but I promise I’ll get you something proper to eat in the morning, okay?” Johann whined and settled down onto the bed. Trieu looked over to Phuong, who was taking her time in eating her own chocolate. “You okay over there? Did I tie the bandages too tight?”

               “No, it’s not that.” Phuong answered. “I guess, just like the pain and soreness, the reality of what happened tonight finally caught up to me.” She took another bite of her chocolate. “It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this. How did things spiral out of control?”

               “On one hand, we set out for cold-blooded revenge. We knew we’d face some sort of retribution for our actions.” Trieu took another bite of his snack. “On the other hand, they tried to take an entire city hostage in order to get to us, and that’s going too far. But that’s the kind of monsters we’re up against.” He sat up and finished off his Oh Henry bar. “Do you regret it? Going down this path, I mean.”

               Phuong sat up and faced Trieu. “No. Now that I’ve talked it out with you, I realized that there’s nothing to regret. We chose this path because every other path leads to death.”

                Trieu nodded. “They murdered mom thirteen years ago, and then they tried to kill Aunt Linh four years ago for trying to figure out the truth. The option to move on from the past is long gone.”

               “Just as we have to face the consequences of our actions, we’ll make sure they must do the same. The only way this will end is if one side is destroyed.” Phuong wrapped up what was left of her chocolate. She tossed it into the night stand’s drawer and took her drink. She twisted off the cap and took a big gulp before speaking again. “If we quit now, then everything that happened tonight was for nothing.”

               Trieu finished off his snack and tossed the wrapper onto the night stand. He grabbed his drink, downed half the bottle, and let out a long exhale before speaking again. “You’re right. We owe it to everyone who died tonight to keep going forward. We won’t stop…but we will pause when we need to rest and regroup. Otherwise, we’re just rushing to our deaths.” He put his drink back and fell back into bed, placing his ice pack back onto his wounds. “We’ve been through a lot tonight, so get some rest already.”

               Phuong nodded and laid back down. Johann jumped down from Trieu’s bed and joined Phuong to comfort her. She stroked his head as she started drifting off to sleep.

[rosenwrites]

A Sister’s Concern

Character(s): Phuong, Jaime, Linh

Suggested Music: Days of Sisters

               “My brother still isn’t waking up.”

               Jaime stood at the doorway, scrambling for an answer to give to Phuong. She sat beside her brother’s bed, clutching the guard rails while watching over him.

               “He’s been through a lot. He’s resting up to regain his strength. After something like that…he needs to.”

               “How much more does he need to sleep?”

               “That depends on him. The nurses have done everything they can. All we can do now is wait and have faith.”

               Phuong let go of the guard rails on Trieu’s bed and slumped back into her chair. She looked over to Jaime. “Can I go see my aunt?”

               “No can do, kid. Both your dad and your aunt need to do some important things before they can see you again.”

               Phuong shrank into her chair. “I don’t want to see my dad…”

               “I don’t blame you for that. But we have to go now. We’ve used up all our time for visiting today.”

               Phuong did not budge from her chair. Jaime sighed. He strolled up to her and knelt down to meet her at eye level. “I believe in your brother to pull through. You need to believe in him, too. Now come on, we need to leave.” Jaime offered up his hand to Phuong. She hesitated for a second before placing her hand in his. Jaime guided her out of her chair. The two headed to the door to leave. Phuong stopped at door and turned back to her brother. Jaime waited as the little said a silent good-bye to the boy in the bed.

               The two of them left Trieu’s room and strolled down the hallways. Muffled beeps and intercom calls could be heard from the rooms they passed. The hallway opened up as they approached the reception desk for their section of the hospital floor. At it were various nurses going about their duties. Jaime waved to one of the nurses sitting at the front of the desk.

               “Hello, I’m here to sign out and then we’re out of here.” Jaime said.

               The nurse passed Jaime a clipboard and pen and pointed to where he had to sign his name. Jaime did as he was instructed and passed them back to the nurse.

               “Sorry to make you do this, officer, but after what happened at Victoria Hospital, we can’t take any chances.” The nurse said.

               “No, it’s perfectly understandable. Anyway, it’s time for us to leave. We’ll be back tomorrow if we get permission again.” Jaime turned to make their way to the elevators, but Phuong did not budge an inch.

               “Missus Nurse, is my brother going to wake up soon?” Phuong asked.

               “We’re working hard every day to make sure he does.” The nurse answered. “It’s time for you to leave. We’ll see you again tomorrow.”

               Phuong nodded her head before turning back to Jaime. He also gave a reassuring nod before the two of them marched off to the elevators. Phuong pushed the button for the elevator, and the doors opened a few seconds later. The pair stepped in, pressed the button for the ground floor, and descended.

Suggested Music: Break It Down

               “Hey Phuong, are you hungry?” Jaime asked.

               Phuong shook her head. Just as she did that, her stomach growled. She turned her head away in embarrassment. Jaime held back his laughter to spare the girl’s feelings.

               “I figured as much. Being stuck at the station with CPS doesn’t give many chances to eat. Tell you what, how about we head to McDonald’s before we go back to the station? I’ll ask officer Faraci if he wants some, too.”

               “Is it really okay?” Phuong asked.

               “I don’t see why not. Making sure you have enough to eat is part of our job of taking care of you.”

               “Okay then. Umm, thank you.”

               Jaime smiled. “Don’t worry about it. You’re a good kid.”

               The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Jaime and Phuong stepped out as several other people filed in. The two strolled out the front entrance where there was a police cruiser parked nearby. Jaime waltzed up to the passenger door and knocked on the window. The grizzled-looking officer inside glanced over for a second before unlocking the doors. Jaime swung open the rear passenger for Phuong as she hopped in and buckled up. Jaime shut the door before opening his and hopping into the passenger seat.

               “Gotta say, Mendez, you’re getting better at being on time. I was about ready to come up and get you two myself.” Faraci said in a deep baritone that matched his appearance.

               “Yup, feel free to praise me more, Officer Faraci.” Jaime joked. “But instead of that, how about we all make a stop at McDonald’s?”

               “Never mind, I take it back, Mendez. You’re still a goofball.”

               “Aww, come on, I know you’re hungry, too. Besides, can you really say no to that face?” Jaime nodded his head over to the back seats. Officer Faraci looked back. He made eye contact with Phuong, who looked down right away. Faraci sighed.

               “Alright, I guess we have enough time to make a stop at McDonald’s.”

               Phuong looked back up with her eyes wide and a smile beaming on her face.

               “Isn’t that great, Phuong? We’re going to McDonald’s!” Jaime flashed a thumbs-up to Phuong, who did the same back to him. Faraci pulled the cruiser out of their designated parking spot and left the hospital area. They found their way back to normal traffic and headed straight to the nearest McDonald’s. In due time, they reached the McDonald’s on Fanshawe Park and North Centre and parked the cruiser. The three of them hopped out and walked in unison into the restaurant. They took their place in the line and glanced over the menu.

               “So what would you like, Phuong?” Jaime asked. “Don’t hold back; it’s my treat for today.”

               Phuong glanced up at the menu. “Then…can I have the cheeseburger happy meal, please?”

               Jaime nodded with a smile. “You got it, and good job on remembering to say ‘please’. You know, I think I’ll get one, too.”

               “Idiot. What kind of grown man orders a happy meal for himself?” Faraci commented.

               “I do.” Jaime answered. “Especially when they’re giving out Batman toys in the happy meals. I’m just missing the Joker Mobile and my collection will be complete.”

               Faraci sighed. “You’re still on the job, so remember to act like it.” Just as he said that, it was his turn to order. “One big mac meal with fries and a coke for here, please.” The cashier rang him up and he paid for his order before stepping aside.

               “Go on, don’t be shy. Let the nice cashier lady know what you’d like.” Jaime urged Phuong. She stepped up to the counter and looked up to the cashier.

               “Umm…two cheeseburger happy meals with fries and a sprite for both of them…please!” Phuong managed to place her order without any slip-ups. Jaime nodded in approval as he pulled out his wallet. Phuong’s face beamed with pride from ordering all by herself. Jaime paid the money owed before the two of them joined Faraci in waiting for their food. Faraci received his order first.

               “I’ll go find a table for the three of us. Mendez, keep your eyes on the girl.” Faraci instructed as he carried his tray. Jaime nodded and continued waiting with Phuong with their food. They did not have to wait long before getting their food, as well. Phuong led the way in search of Faraci as Jaime followed with their food. Heeding Faraci’s words, Phuong stayed close to Jaime until they found him sitting at a booth table. Phuong slid in to the inside seat with Jaime taking his spot on the outside seat.

               “And now, for the moment of truth!” Jaime rummaged through his happy meal box to feel for his toy. The moment his hands found the plastic wrapping, he yanked it out in an instant and raised his hand high in the air. “It’s…! It’s…! It’s the Robin Cycle.” He lowered his arm and stared at his toy in a moment of silence. “Well…I like Robin so it’s okay.” Jaime shrugged as he put the toy down and grabbed his cheeseburger. Phuong and Faraci had already begun eating during Jaime’s shenanigans. The older officer ignored it while the little girl stifled her laughter.

               “So it looks like today managed to end without any incident. Same time tomorrow, Mendez. Don’t forget that.”

               “Understood, sir. And the day after that, and so on.”

               Faraci nodded. “This is an unusual case, so who knows how long we need to keep an eye on these two siblings. I just hope CPS can sort this out fast and they can return to being normal kids…what’s with that smirk, Mendez?”

               Jaime had a big grin on his face. “I knew all along under that rough exterior was a heart of go—ACK!” A well-aimed French fry to the forehead interrupted Jaime before he could finish.

               “Shut up and eat your food, Mendez.”

               Phuong could no longer hold back and burst out laughing. Jaime turned around and smiled at her.

               “Aren’t you glad we came to McDonald’s now?” He asked. Phuong nodded in agreement before reaching into her happy meal box for her fries and toy. To her and Jaime’s surprise, the toy she received was none other than the Joker Mobile that he was looking for. Jaime gasped before his face froze. Phuong switched between staring at Jaime and the toy in her hand.

               “Do you…want to trade?” Phuong asked.

               Jaime’s face unfroze. “Do you really mean it? Oh Phuong, you’re such an angel!” Jaime reached for the Joker Mobile but Phuong pulled her hand back before he could grab it. Joy turned into confusion.

               “Next time we go see my brother, can we stay for longer, please? If you promise that, then we can trade.”

               Now it was Faraci’s turn to stifle his laughter as Jaime’s face froze in shock. “’Angel’, you say? From where I’m sitting, she looks more like a cunning little devil.”

               Jaime’s face contorted in anguish before hanging his head in resignation. “Alright Phuong, you win. You’ll get extra visiting time the next time we go to the hospital.” With those words, Phuong stretched out her hands and placed the Joker Mobile in Jaime’s hand, taking the Robin Cycle in exchange.

               “This will make for a nice story to share back at the station.” Faraci whispered to himself as he finished off his food. Once Jaime and Phuong quieted down, they also finished their meals. The three of them cleaned off their table and disposed of their trash before returning to the police cruiser. They pulled out from the parking lot and sped through the streets, making their way to the heart of downtown and finally to the police station.

Suggested Music: Dick Gumshoe ~ It’s Detective Gumshoe

               “We’re back. CPS will take over from here for the rest of the day. Mendez, bring her in.” Faraci stepped out of the cruiser with Jaime following behind with Phuong in tow. She held the Robin Cycle in her other hand, still in its plastic wrap.

               “You’re not going to open that?” Jaime asked. “If I’d known you’d hate it so much, I never would’ve even asked for that trade.”

               Phuong shook her head. “It’s not that. I’m keeping it for later, to give to my brother.”

               Jaime chuckled. “Faraci was right: I can’t tell if you’re an angel or a devil.” Phuong looked up to Jaime with a puzzled look on her face. “Nevermind, don’t worry about it.” Jaime continued escorting Phuong through the station to meet with CPS. They reached the meeting place as the door opened up. Linh and the CPS agent stepped out.

               “From what I’ve gathered from our discussion, things are looking favourable for you to gain custody of the children. We’ll need to inspect your residence to make sure it’s suitable for them to live in.”

               “I understand.” Linh responded. “Just let me know when you’re ready to visit.”

               The CPS agent nodded and turned towards Phuong. “It’s good to see you back safe and sound. How’s your brother?” Phuong shook her head in response. “I see. Don’t give up hope. Believe in the nurses and doctors looking after him. But more importantly, believe in your brother.”

               Phuong nodded her head. She turned to Linh and the two nodded to each other in silence. The CPS agent reached her hand out to Phuong and the two walked back into the room Linh just left. The door closed shut, leaving Linh and Jaime alone in the hallway.

               “Don’t worry, Ms. Tran, I’ve been keeping your niece safe.” Jaime asserted.

               Linh marched off past Jaime, but not before whispering a quick “Thank you.” to him. Jaime turned around to watch her leave, and he was the only one left in the hallway. He pulled out the toy from his pocket and stared at it for a moment.

               “Well, I wanted to give Phuong more visiting time anyway.” Jaime thought to himself. “At least this way, I get the desired outcome without angering the higher-ups. If I look like a fool, so be it.”

[rosenwrites]

Incorrect Severed Strings Quotes #5

Santa: And what would you like for Christmas, young man?

Trieu: Revenge.

Santa: ...Okay, what PRACTICAL thing would you like for Christmas?

Trieu: A butterfly knife.

Santa: ...What HARMLESS thing would you like for Christmas?

Trieu: ...A precision cooker.

[rosenwrites]

Last Meal

Character(s): Trieu

Suggested Music: Regret

               “Dude, what the fuck?” The prisoners in the other cells looked on in horror as Trieu chowed down on his bizarre mash-up of a last meal: Fatty tuna sushi, a banana, yogurt, and a cup of green tea. Some of them felt sick just from looking.

               “How does any of that taste good together?” Jayson asked.

               “The fuck is wrong with you, man?” Jessie wondered out loud.

               “Just because you’re gonna be executed soon doesn’t mean you gotta eat the most bizarre crap imaginable.” TJ was about to lose it.

               Trieu picked off a piece of sushi from his plate, dipped it in soy sauce, and plopped it in his mouth as he remained sprawled out on his cell bed. “I don’t know what you guys are making such a fuss about it. It’s my last meal so let me eat whatever the hell I want. Frankly, I’m surprised they even managed to get the sushi. Although it’s the worst sushi I’ve ever had.” Trieu picked off the remaining pieces of sushi in rapid succession before moving onto the banana. He unpeeled the whole thing with clean precision and then tossed the peel onto the food tray before taking a big chomp out of half the banana.

               “You sure are calm for someone who’s about to die.” The prison guard who brought Trieu’s last meal remarked. “Almost too calm, in fact. What are you planning?”

               Trieu glanced over to the prison guard who stood on the other side of the bars of his cell. “Nothing, really. Is it really that unusual for someone to make peace with the fact that they’re going to die? Or did you think that because I’m only eighteen, I’d be shitting my pants and crying for my mom about how I’m too young to die? That ain’t happening. Now let me eat in peace.” Trieu finished off the banana in his hand before moving on to the yogurt.

               “The execution’s at midnight. You’re to be there five minutes prior where you can give your last words. You have until then to finish your last meal.”

               “Yeah yeah yeah, no need to rush me.” Trieu took his time eating his yogurt, sitting up straight this time. He swirled his spoon around his cup of yogurt, scooping up a bit each time to eat it. He made sure to get every last bit before putting the cup and spoon back on the tray and taking the cup of green tea. Just as Trieu was about to take a sip, he noticed that a single tea stalk floated vertically in his cup. He smirked before taking a sip. Just the right temperature. He was right in letting it sit to cool off. He took another drink, leaning his head back more and more and savouring the taste before drinking it all down.  Trieu slammed down the cup on the tray before taking a deep breath and exhaling. He glanced over to the prison guard. “Okay, I’m ready now.”

               The prison guard motioned to Trieu to stand up as he unlocked the cell. Trieu walked up to him and held his hands out and the guard handcuffed them in an instant. Before leaving the tiny cell block, Trieu turned around to the other three cells.

               “Jayson, Jessie, TJ, it’s been fun shooting the breeze with you three for the past hour. I have a date with the electric chair now.”

               “Make sure to have her home by three.” Jayson joked.

               “And don’t forget to steal a kiss before the date is over.” Jessie remarked.

               “Hell, might as well go all the way now.” TJ snickered.

               Trieu nodded before turning around and making his way to the exit with the prison guard escorting him with his head held high. They walked through the dim and dreary halls in silence. Several twists and turns impeded their progress. It was Trieu who decided to break the silence.

               “Earlier you remarked that I was awfully calm for someone who was about to die.” Trieu stated. “So let me flip that statement on you: You seem to holding it together well for someone escorting an eighteen year old to his execution. Now why is that, I wonder?”

               The prison guard said nothing. He kept escorting Trieu to his destination. He did not even make eye contact with him.

               “Good. Silence was the right answer here.” Trieu nodded as he said that. “There’s no answer that would’ve satisfied me.”

               “You won’t have to worry about that for much longer. We’re here.” The prison guard stopped in front of a rusted steel door. He fiddled with his keys and unlocked it as Trieu watched. The door opened with a scraping screech and the prison guard pushed him in.

The moment Trieu was shoved through, several camera flashes bombarded him. The media had come out in droves to witness his execution. They were all on the other side of a glass wall while the executioner and the electric chair waited for him on his side of the glass. They set up several cameras to broadcast the spectacle and a singular microphone stand for Trieu’s last words. Trieu scanned the gallery, and just as he suspected, Walter was present. He was up in the highest section, looking down on Trieu as he always did. On the wall behind Walter was a clock and it read 11:55. Trieu turned away and waltzed up to the masked executioner, who removed his handcuffs and strapped him into the chair. Beside the chair was a small table with a black shroud, a bucket of water, and a sponge. The prison warden, standing on the other side of the glass, approached the talk thru in the glass.

“Trieu Tran, at the stroke of midnight, your execution will be carried out. You will die, your delusional revenge will come to an end, and you’ll be remembered as a murderous monster.”

Trieu looked at the warden and smirked. “Amazing. Every part of what you just said…was wrong. I am not dying tonight. My revenge is only beginning. And I will be remembered as the people’s symbol of justice.”

Everyone in the gallery erupted in laughter. The warden waited for everyone to quiet down before speaking again. “Are those your last words?”

“No. But before that, I wanted to apologize to everyone who believed in me for deceiving them. It was necessary to make sure it was me sitting in this chair right now and not my sister or my aunt. I won’t apologize, however, to everyone gathered here to sensationalize my execution. No wonder they call it the media circus, because you’re all clowns. Rest assured, in a few minutes you’ll all get what you deserve.”

Trieu looked up to where Walter stood and mustered up a wave from his restrained hand. “And how could I forget our guest of honour, Walter Blackrock? You actually managed to find time between city-wide genocide and human trafficking to come out tonight? If I didn’t despise you so much, I’d be flattered.”

“You’ve dragged this on for long enough.” The warden interrupted. Just as he said that, the power went out. Many members of the gallery began to panic, but the warden took charge to calm everyone down. Walter remained undisturbed and kept in his seat. Trieu, unable to leave, sat back and enjoyed the spectacle. A minute of chaos passed. Then two. The emergency power kicked in and the cameras and lights regained their power. The gallery calmed down and returned to their seats and the warden turned his attention back to Trieu.

“If that was your last act of defiance, it was pathetic.” The warden sneered.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Trieu replied.

“Regardless, are you ready now to give your last words?”

“Yes. Justice never dies, and I’ll prove it right now.”

The executioner, who was standing beside Trieu the entire time, turned off the microphone, picked up the sponge on the table, and soaked it in the bucket. He wiped it across Trieu’s forehead and it became soaked with salted water. He tossed it back into the bucket and picked up the black shroud and wrapped it around Trieu’s head. It covered his face, his final expression before death will belong to him alone. The executioner fastened the headpiece to Trieu’s head before marching over to a console. A button labelled “Electric Chair Control” sat on the console, and the executioner prepared to press it to end Trieu’s life. Before he did, he looked back up at his victim one last time.

“Trieu Tran, the darkest pit of Hell will soon open up and the Devil himself will be there to welcome you. Do you accept him and his invitation?”

Phuong and Johann came bursting through the gallery doors. The prison warden and everyone on the lower level of the gallery stood up in shock. The clock on the wall kept ticking. Ten seconds until midnight. Phuong sidestepped the cameras and charged towards the glass that separated her from her brother with desperation in her eyes. A sinister grin flashed across Trieu’s face, unseen by everyone else.

“Yes.”

[rosenwrites]

Anonymous Caller

Character(s): Trieu, Johann

Suggested Music: Be Careful of Scams

BRRIINNG! BRRIINNG!

A pay phone a ways off from the main streets rang loud. It remained ignored by the sparse passers-by. One young man and his dog strolling by took notice of this bizarre scene. Trieu looked around to see if anyone else would answer the phone. Johann perked up his ears and did the same. The phone kept ringing and people kept walking by. Trieu sighed as he marched up to the phone booth with Johann following behind him. He entered it as his dog remained outside and stood guard. The phone continued ringing until Trieu picked it up.

“Hello?” Trieu asked.

“Ah, you finally answered.” A deep and distorted voice answered through the phone. “I thought I was going to wait forever.”

“Uh, you DO know this is a pay phone, right?”

“Yes, I am perfectly aware of that. I’ve been waiting for you to answer. Well, maybe not you specifically. It could’ve been anyone. But as fate would have it, it was you who answered.”

“Listen buddy, there’re special phone numbers you can call to sweet talk strangers. I’m hanging up.”

“Page 314 of the phone book. There’s a present for you there.”

Curious, Trieu refrained from hanging up and instead flipped through the phone book under the receiver as instructed. He turned to page 314, where he found a small brown envelope. He opened it, surprised to find three 100 dollar bills.

“That’s a small gift from me to you.”  The caller boasted. “All I ask is that you play a little game with me.”

“So you’re in the habit of leaving big bills in phone booths where literally anyone could just take it, all in the hopes that someone will answer your phone booth calls and play your little games? You’re a real nut case. I like it!”

“I knew you’d be the perfect playmate! I could tell from the way you decisively marched up to the phone booth with your little buddy there.”

“Hmph, so you’re watching me, too? You sure got a lot of time on your hands. So what’s this game you want me to play?”

“There’s a store near where you are, with a black sign and gold lettering. Go in there and purchase a Typhoon Swell. After you do that, go up Spadina Avenue and take a right at College Street. There’ll be a parking lot with another phone booth. Leave the Typhoon Swell there and I’ll call you again through the phone booth. Until then, have fun!”

The anonymous caller hung up. Trieu pocketed the money and tossed the envelope in a garbage bin beside the phone booth as he exited it. He knelt down in front of Johann and gave him a good petting.

“Well this wasn’t exactly how I was planning to spend our day.” Trieu told Johann. “Aunt Linh is probably busy and Phuong’s resting up now. It’s up to the two of us to solve this mystery.” Johann gave an assuring bark before Trieu stood back up. “Alright, so our mystery caller told us to find a store with a black sign with gold lettering.” Trieu and Johann made their way back to the main street and parked themselves beside some newspaper boxes before scanning their surroundings. Pedestrians walked past them and cars whizzed by as the pair did a slow turnaround to find the elusive sign.

Trieu found what they were looking for: A black store sign that read “AnimeXtreme” in gold letters. He looked down at Johann for confirmation, unsure of his findings. The dog tilted his head in confusion, not knowing how to respond to his master’s silent query. Trieu sighed.

“Alright, let’s get this over with.” Trieu knelt down and tied Johann’s leash to the newspaper box they stood beside. Johann whimpered and lowered his head. “I’ll be back real soon, boy. So behave yourself and stay.” Johann obeyed Trieu’s order and sat in place. His tail stopped wagging and his ears perked up, he remained on guard even while sitting. Trieu stood back up and walked down the stairs that led into the store, posters and wall scrolls featuring popular anime characters surrounding him on either side.

Suggested Music: A King of Apathy

Once Trieu reached the bottom of the stairs and passed through the alarm sensors, the store staff at the counter greeted him with great enthusiasm. He was taken aback by the sudden greeting before giving a polite wave to the staff.  He took a few steps away from the entrance and scanned the store. Hundreds of books lining the shelves, all in alphabetical order and arranged by volume number. Clothes racks full of costumes, hoodies, and t-shirts. Models of mechs on display and posed to recreate memorable scenes. Statues of women in provocative poses. From what he could tell, the store kept itself well-stocked and up-to-date. Now he had to figure out what a Typhoon Swell was.

Judging from the name, Trieu narrowed it down to either a mech or a weapon. He started walking up and down the aisles in search of a clue. He came across the model kit aisle and scanned the boxes in rapid succession. None of them had the name of Typhoon Swell. He moved on to the weapon replica section. They were all behind a glass display under lock and key with labels and prices.

Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Master Sword: $120.

Final Fantasy VII Masamune: $200.

Samurai Champloo Typhoon Swell: $100.

Trieu turned around on the spot and headed back to find the first volume of Samurai Champloo. He scanned through the titles that started with S and found what he was looking for. He skimmed through the pages to get an idea of what the plot was and what the main characters’ names were. Once he was finished, Trieu put the book back in its place and marched up to the front counter.

“Hello, can I help you?” The sales associate asked.

“Yes, I’d like to buy the Typhoon Swell in the display over there.” Trieu answered.

“Can I see some I.D. first? You need to be at least eighteen to buy weapons.”

Trieu pulled out his wallet and handed over his fake driver’s licence. The sales associate examined it and checked the date of birth. She confirmed that Trieu was of age and handed it back to him.

“Alright, follow me. Ben, watch things up here while I help this person.”

Ben nodded. “Make sure you got the right keys, Joanna.”

Joanna jingled her ring of keys to put Ben’s worries to rest. She led Trieu back to the weapons display, unlocked it with her keys, and retrieved the Typhoon Swell.

“So I’m guessing you liked Samurai Champloo?” Joanna asked.

“Not me, my cousin. This is for him.” Trieu answered. “His birthday is coming up. Don’t worry; he’s of age, too. Mugen is his favourite character so I figured this would make for a great birthday present.”

“Your cousin sure is lucky.” Joanna locked the display and took the sword up to the front. “We’ll just put this in the box it came in and bag it up so you don’t scare anyone with it.” She passed it off to Ben to pack it up as she rang it up. “That’ll be $115 after taxes. How will you be paying?”

“Cash.” Trieu answered as he pulled out  two of the 100 dollar bills. He handed it over to Joanna to pay for the Typhoon Swell. She rang it up and handed over the change she owed him. Ben finished packing up the sword as their transaction finished and handed it over to Trieu. They both thanked Trieu for his patronage and waved him goodbye as he left the store.

“Hey boy, I’m back!” Trieu called to Johann as he left the store. Johann perked up and wagged his tail in excitement. Trieu showered him in pets as he untied the leash from the newspaper box. “I guess we gotta walk up this street and find the next phone booth.” The two weaved through the waves of people walking up and down the sidewalks. They crossed a few streets until they finally reached College Street. Trieu and Johann turned the corner in search of the parking lot the caller mentioned. Trieu looked but could find something that resembled a parking lot. Just as Trieu was about to cross the next street, Johann stopped and prevented him from moving further.

“What’s wrong, Johann?” Trieu turned around to check on Johann. Johann turned the opposite way and headed back the way they came. Confused, Trieu followed his dog a few steps back. Johann led him to a few parked cars near a parking meter. The lot was so small that it did not register in Trieu’s mind as an actual parking lot. Just as he made that realization, the phone booth began to ring. Trieu wasted no time in entering the phone booth and picking up the receiver.

Suggested Music: Be Careful of Scams

“A job well done! I knew I could count on you. As thanks, I shall introduce myself. I am known as The Director.”

“The name’s Tom. So I just gotta leave this here for you, right? You better not be planning anything nefarious with this.”

“Rest assured Tom, I have no malicious intentions with the Typhoon Swell. Now all you need to do is leave it in the phone booth and I’ll have it picked up. Oh, and don’t try to stake out that spot. I have eyes on that area, as well. As thanks, I’ll let you keep the remainder of the money I gave you earlier.”

“Thanks for the generosity, Director. Can I go now?”

“Yes, but I do hope you return to this part of the city again. Good help is hard to find nowadays and you’ve proven you’re worth the money.”

“Don’t hold your breath. There’s no guarantee I’ll be back.” Trieu hung up the receiver and left the phone boothe. Johann followed him and the two crossed over to the next street.

Suggested Music: Substories Track

“What is it about the big cities that attract all the crazies?” Trieu thought to himself. “In any case, someone watching our movements through the city is a big problem. I’m gonna need Aunt Linh’s help with this. This feels like her area of expertise.” He rummaged through his pocket as he continued strolling, confirming he still had the money. “Hmm, maybe I’ll pay Jeremy a visit and see if he’s got any new tech.”

[rosenwrites]

Hidden Beauty

Character(s): Linh, Phuong, Trieu, Johann

Suggested Music: As You Like

               “I can’t wait to see you in the dress I made for you, Aunt Linh!” Phuong’s face beamed as she walked with her aunt and brother to the family bathroom.

               “I still can’t believe you managed it to finish it in time, Phuong!” Linh replied as her niece and nephew followed behind her. She stood in front of the bathroom door in the upstairs hallway. It was attached to her room via another door, but she always made sure to keep it locked. She did not want her niece and nephew to ever enter, but as a result she always had to leave her room through the second door. She had not seen the dress yet and was nervous.

               “Anything for you, Aunt Linh! And Trieu made something special of his own that’s waiting downstairs.”

               Linh could not help but smile and her niece and nephew’s enthusiasm. “I can’t wait to see them both. So the dress is on a hanger on the shower rail, right?” Phuong nodded and Linh opened the bathroom door a smidge. She peeked around the corner of the door. In an instant, her face turned white, she turned around in a flash, and shut the door behind her. She came face-to-face with Phuong and Trieu, who both looked puzzled.

               “What’s wrong, Aunt Linh?” Phuong asked.

               “Phuong, you said you finished that dress, right?” Linh asked.

               “Yeah, I’m sure I did.” Phuong answered.

               “But that dress, it’s a little…umm…” Linh’s voice trailed off as she waved her hands in front of her in a V shape.

               “Yeah, I made it that way! There’s nothing wrong with it. It’ll fit you perfectly, don’t worry!”

               Linh just could find it in her heart to turn her niece down, especially after she worked so hard on it and with her now flashing those hopeful eyes at her. She sighed and resigned herself to her fate. She turned back to the bathroom door, opened it, walked in, and shut the door behind her. She sighed again and looked over to the bathtub and the shower rail above it. The dress in question hung on a singular hanger.

Linh thought she was overreacting from the initial glance, but a closer look at it validated her gut feeling. There was no back to the dress. The front had a plunging neckline that was the cause of the colour in her face draining. It joined back together near the navel, but that was where she began feeling anxious again. On either side there were openings for the legs, which made it easier to move. The problem was that the high part of those leg openings reached up to her hips. The more she looked at the dress, the more it made Linh’s head spin. She took it down from the hanger before turning back to the mirror.

Linh held up the dress in front of her to get an idea of how it would look on her. She regretted that in an instant. Her face turned beet red before burying it in the dress and squealing. The last time she wore a dress was for her high school graduation, and it was fare more modest than this. Linh was more accustomed to wearing men’s clothes because of her boyish looks growing up. She always wore a suit when going to work. Even now, the dress she held in front of her was a stark contrast to the baggy sweater and faded sweatpants she was wearing.

“Does Phuong really expect me to go from zero to a hundred just like that?” Linh thought to herself. “And while I’m at it, where the hell did she get the idea for this dress? And at this early an age, too! Damn it, the more those two grow up, the more they’re becoming like their mom…” Linh’s thoughts trailed off once she started thinking about her sister. “Lieu, I wish you could see this now. Your daughter’s developed an eye for fashion and skill with a needle. Your son found a love for cooking and baking. I promised to keep them safe in your stead, even if it means I have to do some shady stuff to do it.”

Linh took a deep breath before hanging the dress on the door knob. She turned back to the mirror and just noticed all of the accessories on the counter: bracelets, hoop earrings, necklaces, and even a choker! On the floor was a pair of black high heels. No doubt Phuong prepared all of this. She went all out for her aunt. Linh sighed. “Sometimes I wonder who’s taking care of whom.” She thought to herself as she grabbed the bottom of her sweater and pulled it over her head.

***

Phuong and Trieu continued waiting in the upstairs hallway. By this time, Johann found his way upstairs and kept the twins company while they waited for their aunt to get dressed. After what seemed like forever to the children, the bathroom door began to open. Linh stepped out from the bathroom, now wearing the dress that Phuong made for her. She had a pair of bracelets around her right wrist and another around her left. The black choker wrapped around her neck with a single golden buckle shining. The two necklaces she wore drew the eyes to the plunging neckline of her dress, a dress that hugged and flattered her figure. The high cut dress exposed her legs, with a gold chain wrapped around her right thigh, and the dress came down to her black high heels. Phuong was ecstatic. Trieu was left speechless. Johann just sat on the floor wagging his tail. Linh wanted to backpedal straight into the bathroom.

“I knew it! I knew this dress was perfect for you!” Phuong grabbed Trieu’s hand and gave him a high five while he was still dumbstruck.

“This is too much, I’m changing back!” Linh buried her face in her hand in embarrassment as she turned back to the bathroom.

“Wait!” Phuong grabbed her aunt’s other hand and stopped her in her tracks. “Aunt Linh, I’m sorry if I went overboard with this. I didn’t mean anything bad by this. I just…I just wanted to make clear something I’ve always known and believed in: That you’re beautiful.”

Linh lowered her hand from her face. The tension in her body faded. “Phuong…”

“I know we don’t have a lot of chances to go out and be all fancy. You’re always busy with work and taking care of us. Now you have a chance to have fun doing grown-up things. And I want you to look fantastic doing it, even if it’s just for your own sake. Come on, Trieu, say something!”

Trieu snapped out of his stupor and scrambled to find the right words. “Aunt Linh…you’re beautiful. And not just your looks. You’re beautiful because you care so much for us. So don’t let anyone tell you you’re not. If they do, I’ll go beat them up!”

Linh turned around and knelt down in front of Phuong and Trieu. She placed her hands on their heads and ruffled their hair. “Thanks, you two. And I’m sorry I overreacted like that. It’s just that I’m not used to wearing outfits like this, especially not something this…bold.”

“So you’re not mad?” Phuong whimpered.

“Not mad, more like overwhelmed and a bit shocked. Just next time, pull it back. Make something with more coverage. I want you to keep making more outfits and dresses. And I promise I’ll wear this to the party. Maybe I’ll wear it again for another occasion once I get used to it.”

Phuong nodded and her smile returned. Johann barked and began circling around Linh and sniffing her. She waved him away and commanded him to sit, which he obeyed.

“Oh yeah, you said you had something waiting for me downstairs, Trieu?”

Trieu nodded. “I thought you might need to bring something to the party. So I made a little something for you to try. If you like it, I can make more of it on the night of the party.”

Linh stood up, still wearing the dress, and began marching downstairs with Phuong, Trieu, and Johann following behind her. To Linh’s surprise, a plate of brownies sat in the middle of the dining table, topped with what looked like white frosting and crumbled Oreo cookies.

“Where did you find the time to make these?” Linh asked her nephew.

“I finished baking them and put them in the fridge before we left to go shopping for the birthday presents. Then while you were getting dressed, I put on the finishing touches.” Trieu explained.

“And here I thought it was Johann running up and down the stairs.” Linh picked up one of the brownies and took a bite. She placed her hand over her mouth in surprise. “Mmm! Is this cream cheese you put on? And the Oreos, too! This is delicious!” Linh took another bite. And another. Her smile grew as she ate more. Trieu in turn began to smile. He and Phuong each took a brownie for themselves and indulged. Johann looked up at them, wagging his tail in anticipation.

“Sorry boy, you can’t have any. You can’t have chocolate.” Trieu said in a sad tone. Johann whimpered and lowered his head. Trieu petted him in consolation. “Aunt Linh, if you like it, I’ll make more on the day of your party.”

“I love these, Trieu. Thank you so much. And thank you Phuong for picking out all these accessories along with making this dress. I can tell the both of you put a lot of love and effort into all of this. Come on, sit down and let’s enjoy these brownies.”

“Okay, but shouldn’t you get changed first?” Trieu asked. “You might get that dress dirty with brownie stains.”

“Oh, come on, Aunt Linh’s not careless like that.” Phuong responded.  “She’ll be extra careful, right?”

“Of course I will. Besides, I still need to get more comfortable wearing this. What better way than to spend time with you two. Now take a seat already.”

Phuong and Trieu nodded and took a seat on either side of Linh. The family took their time eating the delicious brownies. Johann hopped onto Trieu’s lap and made himself at home there all while the trio continued laughing and smiling.

[rosenwrites]

Weekend Plans

Character(s): Linh, Phuong, Trieu, Johann

Suggested Music: Signs of Love

               “Aunt Linh, are there any plans for…not this weekend, not weekend, but the weekend after that?” Trieu asked as he and Phuong cleaned and cut up mushrooms while standing on chairs to reach the sink and tabletop.

               “Did you have something in mind?” Linh asked back, chopping up onions.

               “Trieu and I got invited to each of our friend’s birthday parties and sleepovers. Can we go?” Phuong asked.

               Linh recalled that Jaime had invited her to Niagara Falls that very same weekend. She was fretting about finding someone to watch the kids and Johann but a solution just presented itself. “Sure, I don’t see why not. Did your friends give you their addresses?”

               “Yup, we have our invitations in our rooms.” Trieu answered.

               “Alright, well it just so happens that I was also invited to a party that very same weekend. This works out perfectly.”

               “Really? What kind of party?” Phuong asked.

               “Oh, it’s a kind of formal affair, an adults-only sort of thing.” Linh answered.

               “That means you need to dress up for it, right? Do you have a dress picked out yet?” Phuong’s eyes lit up. “I can make a dress for you!”

               Linh stopped chopping onions when Phuong said that. “Listen, as much as I appreciate the offer, I’m worried about how you’re going to fit that in your schedule. I mean, you two need to keep up with your school work, plus I can’t have you skipping out on your Taekwondo lessons. Plus we still need to go out and pick presents for your friends. Are you sure you want to use up all your free time for the next two and a half weeks working on this?”

               “I’m sure! Super duper sure!” Phuong looked up to Linh with hope in her eyes.

Linh turned her head to Trieu, who was still cutting mushrooms, hoping he would chime in. He must have sensed her gaze because he began to turn his head towards her. Their eyes locked for a second before he swerved his head back.

“Well, I like cooking, and you encourage me to do it more often, Aunt Linh. You even believe I’ll get better at it. It’s only fair you do the same for Phuong and her love of sewing, right?”

Linh threw up her hands in resignation and sighed. “Alright, fine, if you’re that adamant about it, you can make me a dress.”

Phuong nodded her head in glee. “Just you wait, Aunt Linh! I’ll make you a dress that’ll make everyone’s heads turn!”

Linh could not help but let out a nervous laugh in response to that last line. “Just try not to go overboard with it. I don’t want you losing sleep or getting stressed out over it.”

“I won’t!” Phuong turned around and raised her hand to Trieu, motioning for a high five. Trieu put his knife down and high fived his sister before picking the knife back up and returned to cutting mushrooms.

Linh turned back to the onions she finished cutting. She grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and slid the chopped onions from the cutting board into the bowl. “Are you two done with the mushrooms?”

“We’re almost done.” Trieu answered as he finished cutting up the last of the mushrooms. “And now we’re done.”

“Alright, slide it over next to the ground beef, meatballs, and tomato sauce. Both of you wash your hands and bring your chairs over to the stove.”

Phuong and Trieu nodded and did as they were told. They washed their hands in the sink and shuffled over to the stove. Two big pots sat on top of the stove.

“Take this, Trieu.” Linh handed the bowl of chopped onions to Trieu. “Dump that into the pot in front of you along with the mushrooms and ground beef. After that grab the wooden spoon and a pair of chopsticks in the drawer next to you.” Linh then picked up the electric kettle beside the stove and poured boiling water into Phuong’s pot. “Phuong, take the spaghetti and dump it into the pot. As much as you think the three of us can finish off. Not all of it is going to fit in the pot and that’s fine. The boiling water will soften them up and it’ll fit in the pot after that. Use those chopsticks to stir it up.”

Trieu handed the chopsticks to Phuong before he began mixing up the ground beef and vegetables together in the pot. Little by little, he broke down the big block of meat into smaller and more manageable pieces. The ground beef, now ground down even more, began to turn from its raw pink to a more delectable brown. The pot began to sizzle as the enticing aroma of cooked meat and vegetables filled the kitchen air. Trieu kept mixing up the contents of the pot to make sure none of the meat remained pink.

Meanwhile, the spaghetti in Phuong’s pot had begun to soften up. The water reached a boil and the spaghetti began to sink down into the pot, making it easier to stir and cook. She kept stirring the spaghetti, pulling up parts of it from time to time to check the actual softness. Once she was satisfied with the results of her cooking, Phuong stepped down from her chair and lifted the pot by the handle.

Phuong carried it over to the sink as Linh retrieved a colander from one of the cupboards. She tossed it into the sink for Phuong to dump her pot of spaghetti into. The spaghetti splashed into the colander and the boiling water drained out as steam rose up from the pasta.

“Alright, we’ll let it sit there for a bit.” Linh said. “Trieu, how’s the beef coming along?”

“I’ve ground it down as much as I could, and it’s all brown.” Trieu answered.

“Good, now we have to drain the grease.” Linh opened up the drawers under the sink and grabbed a half-empty jar of grease. She twisted off the lid and set it on the counter beside Trieu, signalling him to tip the pot over and pour out the grease. He looked nervous and a bit scared, but she gave him a reassuring nod, as if telling him not to worry about spilling any grease on her hands. Trieu tipped the pot over the jar while pushing back its contents with the wooden spoon. The grease began sliding down to the pot’s rim and poured into the jar. Bits of beef and vegetable tumbled down to the pot’s edge but Trieu scooped it back and continued pouring out the grease. Once he had finished pouring out the grease, he placed the pot back on top of the stove.

“Good job, Trieu. See? No problem when you’re careful.” Linh twisted the lid back on and returned the jar to where it belonged. “Now to add the sauce and meatballs.” Linh picked up the jar of tomato sauce and handed it to Phuong. “Let’s see if you can open this jar.”

Phuong smirked and accepted her aunt’s challenge. She twisted the lid but it would not budge. She furrowed her brow and held the jar under the tap as she turned on the hot water. She let the jar sit under the hot flowing water. The temperature kept rising until it was just hot enough for her to tolerate. She shut off the tap and made another attempt at opening the jar. This time, it popped right off. Phuong handed back the jar while basking in her personal victory. Linh gave her a thumbs-up before handing off the jar to Trieu, who dumped the contents into the pot. He scooped out the remaining sauce before grabbing the meatballs and tossing them in. He stirred everything up, the beef and vegetables blending together with the tomato sauce and meatballs. It all came together to give off an enticing scent that just made the family hungrier.

“Now the last step is to fine-tune the taste with a bit of salt. Phuong, go ahead and add some salt to the sauce. But only a little bit. We can always add more but we can’t take it out.” Linh rummaged through the cupboard and grabbed a bag of salt. She handed it to Phuong, who took a pinch from the bag and sprinkled it into the sauce. Trieu mixed it up in the sauce and continued stirring. He tried opening a cupboard above him but could not reach. Linh helped him out by opening the cupboard and taking a small bowl from it. She also opened the drawer beside him and retrieved a spoon and then handed both to Phuong.

Trieu scooped up some of the delicious-smelling sauce with his spoon and poured into Phuong’s bowl. She took a spoonful of the enticing sauce to her mouth for a taste test. After a few seconds of silence, she shook her head and threw another pinch of salt into the pot. Trieu stirred it up and gave his sister another sample to taste. This time, Phuong gave a satisfying nod and smile. Linh grabbed bigger bowls and a pair of chopsticks and turned to the sink where the spaghetti sat. She scooped up generous helpings of spaghetti and plopped them into the bowls, passing them off to Trieu one at a time. He grabbed a ladle from the drawer and used it to scoop up and lather the sauce over the spaghetti. He passed them off to Phuong who took them over to the dining table. Linh picked up some forks from the drawer before turning off the stove and ushering Trieu along to the dining table.

Johann came trotting into the kitchen and dining room as the family took their seats. The smell of the food lured him in from the living room with his tail wagging. Trieu picked up one of his meatballs with his fingers and held it in front of Johann’s nose. Johann licked it up in an instant and chewed it up with his tail wagging. The family laughed at the sight before helping themselves to their meal.  Phuong and Trieu twirled their spaghetti around their forks and slurped it up, splashing bits of sauce everywhere. They popped meatballs into their mouths and savoured the taste of them.  Linh smiled and took in the warm family scene as she took her time eating her helping of spaghetti. It was moments like these that kept her grounded through the whirlwinds of her work life and assisting Jaime with solving his police cases.

[rosenwrites]

Casino by the Falls

Character(s): Linh, Jaime

Suggested Music: Rose Hip

               Jaime’s dark blue car pulled into the casino parking lot. As it was a busy Saturday night in Niagara Falls, it only was only natural that the parking lot was near-full. It took him awhile to find a parking spot, but he lucked out when someone pulled out of their spot to leave. He swiped the spot and shut off the car.

               “We’re here. It’s time to put your knowledge and luck to the test.” Jaime said as he stepped out of the car. Linh stepped out from the passenger side, shutting the door and checking the window to inspect herself.

               “How do I look?” Linh asked.

               “I’ve told you four times already: Like a million bucks. Come on, relax a bit, or security’s gonna catch you at the door.”

               “You’re right; I’m just not used to dressing like this.” Linh took a deep breath and exhaled loud. “I’m ready, let’s go.” Jaime offered his arm and Linh took it before they both strolled up to the entrance together.

               “You remember all the rules?” Jaime asked.

               “Yeah, two dice, thirty-six combinations, I got it.” Linh answered.

               “That’s good, but don’t be afraid to play up your inexperience with the game. Apparently, the superstitious players love a female craps virgin. It’s where the term ‘Lady Luck’ comes from.”

               “Ugh, I can already tell this is gonna be a long night.”

               “Don’t worry, I’ll stand in between you and the other gamblers and act as your personal bodyguard for the night.”

               The two reached the entrance as their conversation wrapped up. A modest line of people stood in front of them with two security guards at the front checking people’s I.D.s. The line moved along at a comfortable pace and the pair found themselves at the front of the line.

               “Good evening, sir and ma’am. May I see some I.D., please?” One of the security guards asked. Linh reached for her purse and Jaime reached for his wallet in his pocket and pulled out the forged I.D.s that Linh worked on for the past few weeks. The guard inspected them while the pair did their best to conceal any signs of nervousness. The inspection took five seconds, but to the pair it felt like five minutes. “Okay, here you go. Enjoy your night!” The guard handed back their I.D.s and waved as the pair entered the casino.

As soon as they hit the floor, flashing signs and loud ringing and dinging bombarded them. Loud music blared through the overhead speakers. Rows of slot machines as far as the eyes could see. As Jaime and Linh pressed forward, they found themselves in the table games section of the casino. Many of the tables had all their seats filled and some even had crowds gathered around them.

“Dealer has 10, 13, 16, 23, too many!” One dealer called out from a blackjack table. All the players at her table cheered.

“14, red, even!” Another dealer called out from the roulette table. All but one of the players groaned as he scooped away their chips. The one remaining player was hollering with joy as he had stacked a tower of chips on 14.

“Alright, let’s find the craps table.” Jaime instructed. “It’s an ovular table, with three dealers manning it instead of just one, and a supervisor sitting at the middle overseeing everything. There’s usually a crowd—”

“Found it!” Linh interrupted Jaime and pointed to a well-lit section of the casino floor. What she pointed at fit Jaime’s description of a craps table. She also found a nearby information stand containing pamphlets on how to play the various tables games. She grabbed one called “How to play craps” and reunited with Jaime.

“I thought you said you knew how to play.” Jaime said, looking confused.

“I do. But you said to play up my inexperience.” Linh replied while glancing through the pamphlet.

“Good idea, let’s head on over.” With their arms still linked, the pair made their way to the craps table. They caught the glances at some of the dealers at the blackjack tables, and Linh especially was attracting the attention of other customers passing by. To everyone on the casino floor, the pair looked like a high society couple. Linh, not accustomed to this amount of attention, leaned in closer to Jaime for protection.

“Six, winner six, front line winner! Don’ts and field away, line to pay! Down behind, in behind, comes go to six! Six came easy!” The dealer working the stick, wearing a name tag that read “Dominic” called out the result as the players cheered and high-fived each other. The other two dealers took the losing bets and paid the winning bets, the grabbed the “ON” pucks on the “six” and flipped them to “OFF”.

“Just wait and watch until the shooter changes.” Jaime whispered. Linh nodded and the pair approached the craps table. Just like everywhere else, Linh had heads turning at the table. The pamphlet still in her hand gave her away immediately as a “craps virgin” and the players took a liking to her right away. Jaime stepped in between her and other gamblers, which earned him a lot of dirty looks.

“Dice out, hands high!” Dominic called out as he shipped the dicer to the shooter, who just happened to be standing next to Jaime. He picked up the dice in one hand and tossed them down to the end of the table. They hit the back wall of the table and showed a four and six.

“Ten, easy ten, field roll ten, mark the ten, down behind the ten!” Dominic retrieved the dice as the other two dealers marked the “10” with their pucks flipped to “ON”. It was then that the craps players started tossing chips and shouting orders.

“162 across!”

“All the hardways!”

“Twenty dollar horn!”

Dominic and the dealers, their name tags reading “Jennifer” and “Amber”, shuffled and slid all the oncoming chips to their correct betting positions, with the supervisor even helping here and there. Once the commotion died down, Dominic shipped the dice to the shooter. “Dice out, hands high!” The shooter once again grabbed the dice and tossed them down the table. This time, they showed a one and six.

“Seven out seven. DC, line, and field away. Don’ts to pay. Last come, get some, pay behind.” The players at the table grumbled as Dominic made his call. The dealers collected all the losing betters and switched the pucks “OFF”.

“Alright, we can buy in now.” Jaime pulled out his wallet and Linh reached for her purse. Both of them pulled out five one hundred dollar bills each and set them down in the “COME” area. “Four hundred in greens and the rest in reds, please.”

“Me too, please.” Linh chimed in.

Jennifer smiled and nodded. “Money coming in!” She shouted before laying out Jaime’s money first in a diagonal line, making it easy for her supervisor and the cameras to see it. With both hands, she brought out a stack of green chips and a full stack of red chips and broke them down into smaller stacks. “Money change five hundred for the gentleman in the pinstripe suit.” The supervisor verified the amount and nodded her head. Jennifer shipped the chips and repeated the process with Linh’s money. “Money coming in!” Another stack of green and red broken down. “Money change five hundred for the lady in the green evening gown.” Another approval by the supervisor before sending the chips to Linh. The other players already had their bets set. Jaime and Linh each placed 2 red chips on “Don’t Pass” with Linh still reading through the pamphlet. This single action made the other players mutter under their breath.

“Great, a couple of dark side players.”

“That’s the last thing we need.”

“I’m taking down my bets.”

Jaime ignored the comments and waited for Dominic to ship five dice to him. Once he did, Jaime picked two up and tossed them down the table as Dominic pulled back and locked up the other three. The two dice landed showing one and two.

“Three craps three! Line away, don’ts and field to pay!” The dirty glares intensified from the other players as Jennifer and Amber took their losing wagers and paid Jaime and Linh their winning wagers. The pair picked up their winnings and waited for the others to place their bets. Once preparations finished, Dominic shipped the dice to Jaime again. Jaime threw them again. Both dice landed and showed five and five. Linh kept reading and ignoring the action.

“Ten, hard ten, field roll ten! Mark the ten, down behind the ten!” Dominic retrieved the dice and brought them to the center while Jennifer and Amber marked the “10”. Again, the other craps players began setting up their place bets and hardway bets. Jaime and Linh just placed odds beside their “Don’t Pass” bets and each placed another 2 red chips in the “Don’t Come” box.

“Dice out, hands high!” Dominic shipped the dice to Jaime once again. The dice flew. Two and Two.

“Four, hard four, field roll four! Down behind, in behind, comes go to four!” Some of the players cheered as their hardway four bet just won. They parlayed their bets without a second thought while Jaime and Linh each put down four green chips quietly.

“Odds on our ‘Don’t Come’ bets, please.” Linh whispered. Jennifer nodded and swiped their chips to lay them behind their DC bet behind the “4”. It was time to throw the dice again. Dominic shipped them to Jaime. Through the air they flew. Three and four.

“Seven out seven. DC, line, and field away. Don’ts to pay. Last come, get some, pay behind.” A collective groan came from the craps players as, once again, they lost all their parlayed bets. Only Jaime and Linh came out the winners on this roll.

“Fifty odds and ten flat, two in a row.” Jennifer announced as she paid the pair’s “Don’t Pass” bets. She then moved on to their “Don’t Come” bets behind the “4”. She set them up fast and turned to the supervisor. “DC check!”

The supervisor glanced over for a second and nodded. “Send it.” Jennifer shipped the winning “Don’t Come” bets to Jaime and Linh who thanked her kindly before snatching up their winnings. Jaime’s roll was over and now it was Linh’s turn to roll. She was about to put another bet on “Don’t Pass” when the other players interrupted her.

“Come on, miss, you don’t want to play against the rest of the table, do you?”

“We can tell it’s your first time playing craps. Put down the pamphlet and we’ll show you how to play the right way.”

“You don’t need to copy what the guy beside you; He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Linh had to fight the urge to punch these fools right there. Instead, she put on her best smile and said “I’m not going to team up with guys who get one hard and blow their load after a single out.” Had the dealers and supervisor not covered their mouths in that instant, they would have erupted in laughter. The craps players went red with both embarrassment and anger. Linh set her “Don’t Pass” bet and Dominic shipped five dice to her while still snickering. She picked two and waited for Dominic to pull back the remaining three before tossing the dice. One and four.

“Five fever five, no field five! Mark the five, down behind the five!” The dealers repeated the motions of retrieving the dice to the center and marking the “5” with the “ON” pucks. The players tossed their chips and set their bets. Jaime and Linh were about to do the same when a waitress walked by the craps table.

“Anything to drink?” She asked.

“A glass of champagne for me and the lady shooter here.” Jaime answered.

“You got it, sir!” As the waitress left, the players told the dealers to turn their bets off. It was just one of the many superstitions they held that a seven out was coming. Jaime and Linh laid their odds and set up their “Don’t Come” bets as before. Dominic shipped the dice to Linh once more. She picked them up and tossed them. Three and three.

“Six, hard six, no field six! Down behind, in behind, comes go to six!” The craps players cursed out loud since they turned off their hardway six bets and therefore won nothing. Jaime and Linh gave each other a high five under the table. Just as players were about to turn their bets back on, another dealer walked up behind Dominic and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey Brad, the shooter is the lady in the green dress over there.” Dominic said before leaving his position and heading toward Jennifer’s spot.

“Ah, so Lady Luck has finally shown up on this table.” Brad replied as he flashed a welcoming smile.

“Brad, no flirting with the patrons.” The supervisor admonished Brad. Brad gave a quick bow as an apology. Dominic tapped off Jennifer and Jennifer tapped off Amber for her to go on break. Since the dealers just changed, the players changed their minds about turning their bets back on. Jaime and Linh passed off their chips to Dominic to lay odds on their “Don’t Come” bets as usual. Brad shipped the dice when he saw everyone was ready. Linh picked them up and let them fly. Two and two.

“Four, hard four, field roll four! Down behind, in behind, comes go to four!” Another hardway, another missed opportunity for the rest of the players. Once again, they were about to turn their bets back on when the waitress arrived again, this time with the champagne glasses that Jaime ordered. Jaime paid the waitress with a green chip as she passed their drinks to him and Linh.

Linh leaned back and chugged the champagne in one go, then stood back straight before placing her glass back on the tray and smiling at the waitress. “Another one, please.” The waitress nodded and left. The other players kept their bets off. The pair again laid their odds and Linh was ready to shoot again. Brad shipped the dice and Linh threw them just as fast. Four and four.

“Eight, hard eight, no field eight! Down behind, in behind, comes go to eight!” Linh had just managed to roll three hardways in a row and nobody on the table won money off of it because of their superstitions. They got fed up and turned all their bets back on. Jaime and Linh shook their heads as they laid odds on their third “Don’t Come” bets. Were they expecting that Linh would roll the fourth and final hardway? Total nonsense.  Brad shipped the dice to Linh and she whipped them across the table, knocking over some of the other players’ bets before the dice landed five and two.

“Seven out seven. DC, line, and field away. Don’ts to pay. Last come, get some, pay behind.” The craps players lost their minds as all their bets were scooped up. Jaime took a drink of his champagne as Linh gave him a loud high-five for everyone to see. Their “Don’t Pass” and “Don’t Come” bets paid out in spades. Linh’s roll was over but she and Jaime came out on top. Brad and the other dealers could not help but smirk at the free entertainment they were witnessing now. They were used to being blamed for any and all bad outcomes so it was nice for someone else to take the heat for a change. The fact that Jaime and Linh were doing it on purpose made it even better.

“We got the whole table on tilt. Ready to up our bets?” Jaime whispered to Linh.

Without even hesitating, Linh doubled her “Don’t Pass” bet. “Let’s keep tilting them.”

[rosenwrites]

Sunday Breakfast

Character(s): Linh, Jaime

Suggested Music: Relaxing Breakfast Jazz

               “How much longer are you gonna take?” Jaime asked as he waited outside in the hall.

               “I’m almost done!” Linh shouted from the other side of the door. As soon as she said that, the door opens, and out she steps dressed in a suit and dragging her luggage behind her.

               “Aww, I was hoping you’d be wearing that saucy dress from last night.” Jaime joked.

               “I’ll take a pass on that. Wearing that made me feel so exposed and I don’t need that when I’m going out to eat breakfast.”

               “True, plus you still look good in the suit.”

               Linh shoved her hand in Jaime’s face to hide her embarrassment as they both made their way to the elevator. They hopped on, made their way to the ground floor, checked out, and strolled to Jaime’s car. Linh popped the trunk open and tossed her luggage in and slammed it shut. Jaime slid into the driver’s seat and Linh took her place in the passenger’s seat. He started up the car and pulled out of the parking lot and made his way to Victoria Street. After a bit of driving, he pulled in to a Denny’s parking lot.

               “I still can’t believe these are starting to pop up in Canada now.” Jaime remarked as he stepped out of the car.

               “I think there’s one back home. It’s near the highway. I never really bothered to try it when the kids and I can just cook our own food.” Linh said as she stepped out and stared at the big Denny’s sign that used a maple leaf as an apostrophe.

               “Well now you can try it and see if you like it.” Jaime and Linh strolled up to the doors and swung them open in unison before entering the restaurant. A red-haired waitress standing at the front desk greeted them.

               “Welcome to Denny’s! Table for two?” She asked. Jaime and Linh nodded in agreement. The waitress grabbed two menus and stepped away from the front desk. “Follow me, please.” She led the pair to a table beside the windows and placed the menus on the table as they took their seats. “Anything to drink?”

               “Green tea and I’ll have it black.” Linh answered.

               “And I’ll have black coffee.” Jaime answered.

               “Sure thing, take your time.” The waitress walked off to get their drinks. Linh perused the menu to what there was to eat. Jaime pulled out the forged driver’s license that Linh made.  He held it out in front of him and let the morning sunlight shine on it. He tilted it to an angle to let the sunlight reflect off it and into Linh’s face. Her eyes squinted as the rays of light shot into her vision. Jaime had a good laugh before Linh swatted his hands away and knocked the forgery onto the table.

               “You never cease to impress me. With that, and last night, and all the cases you’ve helped me crack so far.”

               “And you never cease to baffle me. How have the officers at the station not become suspicious of the bumbling goofball officer cracking case after case?”

               “At first they chalked it up to dumb luck. But after a while, they’ve come to begrudgingly respect me. If they saw me now, they’d probably do a double take.”

               “Here are your drinks!” The waitress walked up to the two and placed their drinks in front of them. “Ready to order?”

               “I’ll have…” Linh dragged her finger down the menu and stopped near the bottom. “The Belgian waffle slam. And I’d like my eggs scrambled, please.”

               “The All-American slam with sunny side up eggs, please.” Jaime answered.

               “Coming right up!” The waitress collected the menus and made her way to the kitchen. Linh and Jaime started talking about the events of the previous night. The nerve-wracking I.D. check at the front doors. The way everyone turned their heads as they walked across the casino floor because the pair looked like they were ready to shoot a movie. How quickly Linh became the starlet of the craps table and transformed into the villain just as fast. Before they knew it, their food arrived at the table and they began to eat their food in comfortable silence, staring out the window on occasion. The lazy morning scene was such a stark contrast to the glitzy night life of Niagara Falls.

               The bill for the meal came soon after they had finished eating. Linh and Jaime paid their own bills, said their goodbyes to the waitress, and left the restaurant. The two had a long drive home ahead of them. They hopped in the car and Jaime pulled out of the lot, heading to the highway. They stopped at a red light and Jaime took the time to take a good look at the forged I.D.

               “You sure like looking at that thing, don’t you?” Linh asked.

               “Why wouldn’t I? I’m still blown away by how good this looks.” Jaime answered as he put it back into his pocket. The light turned green and they continued onward.

               “It took a lot of time and effort to get it right. I was afraid of screwing it up so many times.”

               “But you didn’t. You did well. And you’ll only get better with practice. And you’ll move up to grander forgeries. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if you became skilled enough to forge entire people.”

               “There’s something worrying about a cop of all people saying that.”

               “True, but we’ve already established that I’m an oddball cop.”

               Linh chuckled at Jaime’s rebuttal as he was certainly right in that regard. His ability to switch between bumbling goofball cop and smooth-talking rogue on a dime was, quite simply, odd. But Jaime had proven his abilities over and over. It was thanks to him being on the force that they discovered important information that kept the trail from going cold. But now clues were becoming scarcer and they needed help.

               “Are you sure we can trust these guys?” Linh asked.

               “Yes. I started my search back in ’94. I had to find people who were experts in their field but wouldn’t breach a contract once made. And I found them.”

               “Good. We’ll do what’s needed to get to the bottom of this.”

               Jaime nodded in agreement. Last night was the first hurdle they needed to clear to nurture this new partnership. There was only so much the two of them could do on their own before they hit a wall. They needed help, and they would get it once the week begins. But for now, the two just wanted to go home. Linh needed to pick up Phuong and Trieu from their respective friend’s birthday and sleepover parties. And she needed to sit in a car for two hours before she could do that. While Jaime cruised through the traffic, Linh tuned the radio until she found some easy listening jazz. She leaned back in her seat and stared out the window as Niagara Falls disappeared behind them.

[rosenwrites]

Welcome to Los Angeles

Character(s): Phuong, Trieu, Johann

Suggested Music: Airport Lounge Jazz Music

               “Welcome to Los Angeles, Miss Xuan.” The customs officer handed Phuong her passport back. She slid it into her suit pocket, put her sunglasses back on, and flashed a smile to the officer before strolling to the customs exit and towards the baggage claim area. Trieu waited by one of the baggage carousels for their luggage, also donning a suit. He saw Phuong approach him and nodded before turning his attention back to the carousel. A large black pet carrier emerged onto the carousel. Johann was inside, and it surprised the twins how calm he remained.

“There he is!” Trieu marched up to the carousel while Phuong grabbed a free travel cart and pushed it up beside him. He hoisted the carrier and set it down on the floor beside him. The twins crouched down and waved at their dog, who in turn pushed his nose through the holes in the carrier in joy.

“Now to find the rest of our stuff.” Phuong watched the carousel and kept an eye out for their belongings. Other people claimed their luggage and the number of items dwindled. More baggage popped out. She spotted them. Two black luggage bags, one with a white ribbon tied around the handle and another with a blue ribbon. The twins yanked them from the carousel and tossed them onto the cart. But they were still missing some items. Then they heard it. A loud clunk came from the carousel. Another loud clunk followed soon after. Two long wooden boxes encased in bubble wrap plopped onto the carousel. It drew a lot of eyes from the crowd, many wondering aloud what it could be.

“Let’s hurry.” Phuong and Trieu hoofed it and pulled the boxes off the carousel, placing them on either side of Johann’s pet carrier. They stuck out far in the front, so the twins had to be extra careful not to hit anyone in front of them. They headed to the exit with people still staring at them. They entered a lineup to the exit with another officer at the end, checking everyone’s documents. The line was quick, to their surprised, and they soon found themselves at the front. They presented their documents to the officer.

“Let’s see here, Pamela and Tristan Xuan, of the Fowler Museum, bringing…” The officer’s voice trailed off as he saw the long boxes on their cart. He reached for his walkie-talkie and spoke into it. “They’re here. I’ll send them over.” The officer returned the documents and reached his arm out to a nearby door. “This way, please. We just need to do one more inspection.”

The twins nodded and headed to the separate inspection room. They maintained their calm composure on the outside, but they were freaking out on the inside. Did they find out? Were the forgeries not good enough? Were the boxes too suspicious? They supressed those fears and continued playing it cool. More officers awaited them in the inspection room. The door closed behind them, the noise of the crowds became muffled.

“Documents, please. And remove your sunglasses, too.” A female officer instructed the two while holding out her hand. Phuong and Trieu complied and handed them over before whisking off their sunglasses. Thanks to Phuong’s makeup work, Trieu’s scars were barely visible. The officer compared their faces to their passport photos while two more officers removed the bubble wrap from the boxes and inspected the cargo. Johann sat in his cage in silence.

“Mr. and Miss Xuan, the Fowler Museum is expecting you. What is it that you’re bringing in today?” The officer asked.

“A Chinese family heirloom passed down and preserved for generations.” Phuong began explaining the half-truth to the inspection officer. “The elderly couple in Thunder Bay we received it from told us a captivating story of it belonging to an ancestor in the imperial army of a dynasty long past. With no other living relatives remaining, they chose to have it preserved in our museum so others may witness its splendour and history. Of course, we made sure to compensate them for it.”

“I see. And the other one is…?”

“Something more recent.” Trieu answered. “A German silversmith who immigrated to Canada after the war settled in Vaughan and earned a living by crafting jewellery and accessories. But he also had a fascination with weapons. He started small with knives for opening letters. Then he kept working his way up until he made this beauty we have here.” The inspection officers pulled out the Edelweiss as Trieu finished his sentence. “This is one of many unique pieces he’s decided to donate to museums across the continent, hoping to inspire and find a worthy successor to his craft. And since the Fowler Museum has such an extensive silver collection, it was a perfect fit.”

“Anything inside these weapons? No hidden gimmicks or removable parts?” The inspection officer looked over to her coworkers as she asked this. They tugged and pulled at the Moon Dragon and Edelweiss to see if anything popped off. Nothing. They shook their heads and placed them back in their boxes, confirming that there was nothing amiss. “Good. We’ve already contacted the Fowler Museum before you landed for confirmation. Everything lines up. Follow us and we’ll escort you to your vehicle.”

The inspection officers placed everything back on the cart. Phuong opened the pet carrier and freed Johann before retrieving the leash inside and attaching it to his collar.

“And the dog?” The officer asked.

“Oh, he’s ours. He’s got a knack for sniffing out fakes.” Phuong answered.

The officer just stared at Johann for a second before nodding her head and moving on. She opened the door and everyone left, the head officer in front, the two officers in the middle pushing the cart, and the twins and Johann following in the back. They waded through the airport crowds, full of people just going about their day. They saw departure and arrival listings as they made their way to their ride. Toronto was missing from both lists. Not surprising.  They avoided drawing any attention to it.

They sifted through more crowds until they reached the sliding doors leading to the pickup area. A nondescript truck with a black car in front and behind waited for them outside. All three had their hazard lights on and the truck’s driver opened up the back. The officers parked the cart behind it and lifted up the wooden boxes into the truck, signed the form the driver handed them, shook hands with everyone, and returned inside. Phuong and Trieu waved goodbye before popping open the trunk of the car behind the truck. They tossed in their luggage as the driver opened the door to the passenger seats. They slammed down the drunk and hopped into the back before the driver closed the door and sat in the driver’s seat. The cars and truck signalled to leave the terminal and they were on their merry way.

Phuong, Trieu, and Johann sat in silence in the back. The trio of vehicles weaved through the busy airport lanes and made their exit onto the crowded highway. Once they were on the highway, Phuong and Trieu broke the silence with a long and exasperated sigh in unison as they both sank in their seats. Johann began panting and wagging his tail as he cuddled up between the twins.

“How on earth did we pull that off?” Phuong asked. “I thought were gonna get found out for sure!”

“I don’t know. And frankly, I don’t wanna know.” Trieu replied. “I’m just glad we made it through with no trouble.”

“I was worried that we’d look too young to be museum curators. I guess we pulled the look off pretty well.”

“Of course, it had a lot to do with the strings agent Mendez pulled and the favours your aunt called in.” The driver chimed in. “I’ve seen a lot of professional forgers in my life, but Linh is in a league of her own.”

“So now we’re heading to the Fowler Museum and pass off the forgeries?” Phuong asked.

“Yup, but we all gotta keep up the charade until then. Once we’re done with that, we’ll take you to Pasadena and you can lay low there for a bit.” The driver paused for a moment. “Tell it to me straight: Were you responsible for what happened in Toronto?”

Phuong sat back up straight in her seat. “We did everything in our power to prevent it from happening. We were put in an unwinnable situation and given two awful choices. We either had to become sacrificial lambs, or fight back and have the blame heaped on us. That’s the kind of power our enemy has.”

“This is a dangerous game you’re playing. One misstep and they’ll make an example of you.”

“We won’t deny that.” Trieu replied. “But if not playing this game also results in us losing, then we’re left with no other choice. I refuse to just roll over and die and let these assholes have their way.”

The driver shook his head. “Who would want a couple of kids like you dead, anyway?”

“The same people who wanted our mom dead.” Phuong answered. “Thanks, by the way, for arranging all this.”

“Agent Mendez’s orders. He’s risking a lot by doing this, so don’t go dying anytime soon.”

The twins nodded in confirmation. They had no intention of dying. Not before they avenged their mother.