Second Fix
-What a little outlaw! cried the neighborhood's former troublemaker, who instantly lost his crown.
Compared to him, Lil C. looked like a harmless lamb. The new kid—shaved head, freckles all over his face—was sprinting down the street, trying to kick any bird that crossed his path. The terrified birds scrambled in every direction, sometimes forgetting they even had wings.
-You're not like him, Yuki reassured her brother. -You just mess around and goof off. But this one—he actually hurts living creatures.
-I don't agree at all. I party awesome! But yeah… picking on that little yellow bird? Not cool. He deserves payback!
-No, not like that, Yuki corrected him. -We can't punish anyone. We can only help.
-Yeah, yeah… charging the device, let's gooo! shouted Lil C., thrusting his fists in the air. Nothing happened. No matter how hard he tried, no magic kicked in. -Wrong spell?
-Remember what you said the very first time we set out on an adventure? Look at this boy closely. Like I'm doing now.
-Something about… depth? Ohhh yeah! That's it. Dive deep!
And instantly a giant wad of gum slapped across their eyes. This time it smelled of melon and wasn't stuck quite as tight. A moment later it peeled away, and they found themselves once again in the green-curtained preparation chamber. Almost without hesitation, they shouted, -We're ready! and the curtain fell.
What appeared instead left them disappointed: just an ordinary backyard lawn, freshly mowed to perfection. Only now it was nighttime, with strings of fairy lights and lanterns hanging from the walls of the house.
-Whoa, look at that! Lil C. tugged at his sister's sleeve. She glanced up—and froze.
Two massive faces hovered in the sky, gazing straight down at the grass.
The boy's colossal face wore a permanent smirk, whistling silently to itself. The girl, with golden hair and a sparkling tiara, had a look as cold and distant as the moon. She seemed to be staring at tiny bugs crawling around below—though, in truth, that was exactly what Yuki and her brother were, from her perspective.
-Wow! Real-life titans! Well… titan faces, anyway. Guess the rest of their bodies must be so tiny we can't see them. Lil C. offered his theory.
-Who cares about that? Yuki cut him off. -We're not here for sightseeing. We came here to…
They never got to hear the rest of what she meant—because a fierce contest had just come into view. Mami and Pom-Pom were competing: Pom-Pom flung his arm up and sent a shower of crumbs flying, which, higher up, turned into little snowflakes that hurtled downward.
Those flakes came tumbling down with nasty little giggles, always trying to dodge the muffin's bare hands when he tried to catch them, or to avoid Mami, who rode her hoverboard and scooped them gently onto its surface.
-I caught one!
-I didn't see it, so it doesn't count, sir.
-I didn't catch anything.
-Well, I saw that one for sure.
The instant the kids were spotted, Pom-Pom squealed with joy and invited them to join the game. Mami immediately put on a stern teacher's expression and pretended to stand aloof from all the fun.
-I was merely attempting to understand how to interact with unfamiliar… individuals in an unfamiliar environment. In other words, I acted purely as an educator! she tried to explain—only to be cut off by Pom-Pom's triumphant clap. At that clap every snowflake melted into a sprinkle of water.
-I won! Hooray!!! Just barely, but I beat you.
Mami drifted back nervously from the mini-shower and grumbled, -You almost shorted out all my boards. One more splash and I wouldn't be able to move.
-Does your hoverboard run on electricity? Lil C. asked, curious.
-Well, technically I control it with thought… but poor manners and disobedience still shouldn't be rewarded! the Glasses replied, twisting out of the awkwardness.
Yuki hugged them one by one, burying her face in the irresistibly fragrant bulk of the giant muffin and squeezing the crispy frame of the Glasses.
-So what's on today's agenda? the girl asked.
-What else? Pom-Pom was surprised. -A showdown with the crickets. Their gang has taken over the other side of the lawn and is holding the garden hose hostage!
Mami explained more sensibly, adopting a grand, orator's tone:
-O, ye heroes awaiting new feats! A mission of great import is assigned to you. A youth stalks the grounds wielding a fearsome cold weapon known as a bat, swinging it about heedlessly. His eyes are blindfolded, which complicates his hawk-like gaze.
-So that's the boy, the twins exchanged looks. -Why is he doing that? Let's go take a look.
They were the first to press into the vast lawn; their companions followed. Everywhere, lilac petals flew out from thick, juicy stalks that spewed them and recharged. The petals cascaded over the children, and at times it became hard to breathe.
But how beautiful it all was! It felt like walking through a veil of stardust, as if the very stars were handing out glitter to anyone who passed by. The house lanterns would turn into beetle-eyes one moment, and into amber crystals the next.
-Everything is possible here. And even more, Yuki thought, enchanted. She scooped up a handful of the sparkle and rubbed it between her palms. The motes arranged themselves into the words: -You are beautiful. The girl flushed and immediately hid her hand behind her back so her brother couldn't see and start teasing her.
Under their feet, the lawn stopped being ordinary grass. It glowed from within—long stems shimmered in shades of green and blue, becoming translucent while staying soft as ever.
From time to time they heard a faint chime, as if the stems were plucking strings; it blended into a gentle music.
On the horizon, right in the dark, a large spherical piñata shimmered, hanging on an invisible thread. It appeared and vanished, emitting a faint light. When they stepped closer they noticed a belt wrapped around it with a lantern clamped to it; the light jittered madly. Then the piñata began to cry out in a frantic voice:
-Help, good people! The tormentor wants to punish me for no reason! I'm innocent! I have a family, children, and a loan for a hundred laptops for all my great-grandparents! Take him away from me!
They only saw him now in that wobbly light from the lantern and the soft glow of the grass—the boy who had been chasing birds. He really was, as Mami had said, stumbling blindly across the yard with a blindfold over his eyes, brandishing a huge bat that somehow stayed glued to his small hands. It was covered in spikes and ribbons that read, -Happy Birthday!
The boy snorted sullenly and, whenever he swung—WHAM—he never hit anything but empty air. It didn't hurt anything, but he kept edging closer and closer to the piñata crying for help, and the piñata definitely didn't want to be in the swing zone.
-Take it from him! Lil C. shouted and sprinted for the boy. The kid, apparently guided only by sound, barely registered Lil C.'s footsteps before he started whipping his bat around like a seasoned fencer.
A defensive wall of impossible combinations formed around him—no way to slip through. No matter how Lil C. tried to get close, he kept bouncing back, learning reluctantly that this fighter was untouchable for now.
-Come back, brother. Don't charge head-on. We need something clever, Yuki cried, and he reluctantly backed away, glancing around with that sad little acceptance that this round had beaten him.
-Let's hold a council. How do we free the lovely queen—er, the piñata—and disarm the kid? Yuki asked her advisers. Mami immediately spun in a circle on her hoverboard and suggested:
-Engage him in combat—armed, naturally, with a pillow! For only the bravest warriors know there is no weapon more powerful or terrifying than a pillow stuffed with down or polyester! I can also recommend hypoallergenic variants.
-Right, the girl grimaced. -And what do you say, Pom-Pom?
-A matter of import. Pom-Pom first retrieved a comb, smoothed his little beard, pulled his cap low, and declared in a professorial tone:
-She is Mami, Mami. (a nod to the Glasses) -And I am Yummi, Yummi—. He tapped his chest. -And you are Yuki, Yuki… and your bro is not some vibe-veteran but Rookie, Rookie. Together—we are the Quartet, Four. Not fantastic. Plain folk. Callused hands. Therefore…
-Okay, I didn't understand a word of that, and you should probably bring it up with your therapist, Yuki snapped, exhaling. -So what do we do? Think, Yuki, think… she muttered to herself.
But who gives time for thought in such a twitchy, ever-shifting world? The giant heads that had been indifferent suddenly shifted from idle to active.
The boy stopped chewing cardboard and the girl ceased her blank stare. They opened their mouths and started egging him on loudly, cutting each other off:
-C'mon, little brother, hurry up! She's waiting for you to smash her! Bash all the candy out of her! Why are you such a wimp, Archie? Always excuses, always closing your eyes and turning away instead of fighting back! Crybaby! Coward!
Those words shred eardrums, and even Mami—who had no ears—listened, stunned, as the big siblings stirred Archie to lash out at the helpless piñata.
-What do we do? Yuki whispered, seeing that Archie was getting angrier and, without seeing, closing in on his target.
Pom-Pom and Lil C. decided on their own course:
-We'll get the grasshoppers! the boy cried. -Buddy, you said they've got a whole crew—can they help us stop this kid?
-Maybe. Or maybe not. First—we'll parley, then we'll see, the Muffin answered, and bolted into the bushes, followed by the brother.
-They won't get there in time! Yuki fretted. -Negotiations aren't quick, so we need to fix this right now with those who made the mess. She cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted at the top of her lungs:
-Hey you! Listen up here!
The giant heads turned their gaze on her in surprise, and those saucer-sized eyes blotted out the sky above.
-Yikes, that's creepy… okay, no panicking now. Time to act.
Shaking her shoulders once, Yuki steadied herself and spoke again:
-Let your brother go if you truly love him. He's not you, and he doesn't want to become just as bitter. So for once in your lives, stop bossing him around and accept him the way he is—for his own sake.
-Ha! Ha-ha-ha! Archie's older sister laughed. -We're teaching him to be independent and brave. Your words mean nothing, stranger. Don't meddle in family business.
-Then… Yuki looked at Mami. -Could you talk to them like a grown-up? Scold them so they'll listen. They need an authority figure to respect.
Mami froze on her board, voice cool and analytical:
-Emotional attachment, in their eyes, justifies their behavior. So it's not certain they'll listen. Their bullying of their brother is only an outlet for their own complexes. Still—I'll try.
-I know your mom from school. I could tell her how you're acting.
That single shouted phrase made the Heads' expressions shift. They trembled in the sky as if deflating, and soon the enormous balloons vanished into nothing.
The boy stood rooted, lowering his spiked bat into the lilac grass. Yuki darted over and helped him pull off the blindfold. It was soaked with tears, and Archie whispered to her:
-Thank you. I'll never forget you, girl from my dream.
Then he threw away both bat and blindfold and rushed to hug the piñata, who had gone quiet and now eyed him with wary suspicion. He squeezed her tightly and begged forgiveness.
-All right, all right… the toy muttered, pulling back. -Let's say we hooked pinkies and became besties. Usually I don't reward rebellious kids who ignore their older relatives—but this is the one exception. Better we live in peace than I call the cops on you. I've got way too much candy and can afford a better lawyer anyway!
With a soft chime she split in half, spilling out candies, pastries, and all kinds of puffy, delicious treats in bright wrappers. At the sound, Lil C. and Pom-Pom burst out of the bushes, crickets and grasshoppers perched on their shoulders, decked out in bandanas and tiny chains. The muffin twisted his cap backward with a roguish grin.
Sniffing, he asked, -Smells tasty. Real tasty. And ignoring the mountain of sweets, he stepped up to the bat and gnawed at it like a steak.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for his verdict. Stroking his beard like a judge, he declared:
-A little bitter. Not enough salt. Needs sauce.
-What sauce?! Lil C. protested. -Look at all this candy! Hurry or I'll eat it all before you do!
He dove headfirst into the pile—and surfaced kneeling on the pavement back in his own neighborhood. Yuki stood nearby with her arms crossed, Archie a little distance away.
The boy's leg was frozen mid-step. For a few tense seconds he didn't move. An unsuspecting bird hadn't noticed him and didn't know it might be in danger. Then Archie lowered his foot, untied and kicked off his sneakers, and ran off happily in just his socks—probably headed home.
-Oh no… Yuki worried. -Now he'll catch cold or step on something sharp.
-What do you mean? Socks are like bulletproof vests for your heels, Lil C. argued, sounding more reasonable than before.
-My stomach's growling. All those imaginary candies made me starving, her brother rubbed his belly. -Too bad I didn't at least grab that lemon-drop caramel…
-You're always about food! Yuki waved him off. -We've only been wandering around the subconscious for a while, but out here it's barely been any time since breakfast.
-Feels like forever. And it's two against one: me and my belly. He smirked.
Yuki narrowed her eyes mischievously. -Fine. I'll cook your favorite dishes today and tomorrow—if we go find someone else to help. This time we'll act properly, so it really makes a difference.
-For beets? Anything! Lil C. agreed. And off they went again, strolling the streets of their little town.
Only a second had passed since they'd returned from Archie's mind. Nothing in the real world had changed. The sun hadn't even reached noon yet, and a hot, prickly wind brushed against their faces. They ducked into a corner shop for bottled water, then stepped outside again and spotted the fence across the street.
Next to it bustled a tiny, fiery grandma. Her broom swept as if it had a life of its own, moving so fast she still had time to pat the little dog rubbing against her leg.
As the kids drew closer, they heard her humming a beautiful tune. Her voice was high and soulful, and every time she sang she transformed into an opera diva.
But it lasted only a few lines. Then she'd hunch down, glance around nervously, and lower her eyes to the ground with guilt. It was clear that singing lifted her up, yet something quickly clipped her wings and weighed her down.
-We have to help her. That kind of talent can't go to waste! Yuki decided. -You can't be afraid of your real self. She's singing from the heart, you can tell.
-Well said. Lil C. nodded. -Kinda corny, like a movie line—I can't remember which one—but yeah, I agree.
-So, are we doing this? Yuki asked directly.
-Oh yeah.
Through the prism of their glasses, they looked at the old lady—and Yuki gave the order:
-Dive deep!
Even as the familiar gum stuck to their eyelids, Lil C. was already shouting: -No breaks! Straight ahead!