Chereads / Fragmented Genes / Chapter 7 - Adrenaline Junky

Chapter 7 - Adrenaline Junky

~02 March 1017~

"Hey, wake up" says a soft voice.

My eyes open allowing light to come in like a blur.

"Hmh"

My Grandpa Chris is looking at me with a finger over his mouth. His gesture gives me the idea of being silent. His left hands waves at me wanting me to follow. The door nob turns slowly leading out into the dusty hallway.

"Where are we going," I whisper.

"It's a surprise"

"How did you know it was my Birthday?!"

"Your birthday? I just want to show you the Amusement Park!"

"The Banned material on the computer?"

"Banned? It's a place to have fun and excitement, but remember stay close to me."

"Okayy?" I say with a look of confusion.

*sniff sniff*

"What smells so good?" I say with a sense of hunger. My mouth drools as I long for what ever smells of cinnamon. The sound of grease pops in the distance. The food cooking comes in like music to my stomach which chimes in with its own melody.

"Lets get something to snack on before we have fun!" Grandpa reaches up to the vendor who passed him a cup with long stick like food? in it. The outside dusted in brown and white specks while the surface tannish-brown. "Be careful it might be hot."

I touch the back of my finger to it to check the temperature which is only warm. I slowly pull it to my mouth.

*Crunch*

The texture has a pleasing crunch while the inside is nice and soft. The flavor leaves the taste of cinnamon, apples, and peanuts.

"Yum, what is this"

"Fried Cinnamon Sticks. Try some of the sauce. It has Cacao and Chili."

With out a second thought I dip it in and the quick take another bite.

"Yum it has a small kick to it. It brings together the earthy flavors of the cinnamon, peanut, cacao without over powering it."

I keep following him while steadily eat away at the delicacy in front of me. My body starts to eat up with a sense of tingling all over.

That is way to much… oh it so yummy… sugar so stop. We're going to have a sugar rush!

I dart back and forth across the street trying to see what else I want to eat. I get to my fifth stall before Grandpa gets a chance to call out.

"Slow down your going to fast. "

I stop at the sixth stall eating everything in one go while bouncing in place.

*heavy breathing*

"I… can't… keep up. with you… when you run… like that. Where did all that sp…" Grandpa cuts short while staring at me. "Your eyes are silver."

"My whaaaat???" I grab a hold the cart looking into the metal to see what he is talking about.

"Whaaat!!! Does this mean anything? Am I normal like everyone else?! That's amazing! Oh goddess, I feel dizzy. Food!" I dash around eating everything i can get my hand on. "I'm so full. Whats next!"

"We're out here to catch some rides so now lets go have fun." Grandpa points in the distance at a large structure. Something rolls across it. *Clickity-clackety Clickity-clackety Clickity-clackety*

Then, it seemingly plummets to the ground.

"Aaaaaaaaahhh" can be heard from that direction. My eyes stare intensely on the death trap.

*squeeeaaaal*

Where is the amusement in this; they almost died? Who said we we're having fun today? Help!

"O" I say with a face of complete reluctance.

"Are you ready to have fun?!" Grandma Chris says with a voice of pure excitement.

I hesitate and speak with confidence, "yes." My meek voice is over shadowed by more screams. Grandpa holds my hand dragging me along on his adventure of doom.

Does anyone really think I'm going to have fun? You are out of your minds. I would rather be with Grandma right about now.

Before I know it, I find myself at the front of a line. The red dusty metal casket lowers on me like its my last day. The bar screeches down into place before being latched together.

"You ready kiddo? This is the craziest one so after this everything else wont be as shocking."

*click click click* can be heard as we ascend.

This flash back is a bittersweet moment for Lī. She invited her classmates to her party this year. They even told her they were coming, but only two showed. This was her 7th grade party.

A boy with red hair curly hair can be seen flipping his his tail around. He was slightly shorter then Lī so his brown eyes had to look up to see hers. The girl on the other hand was taller. Her had black furry ears that sat on top of her black and white hair. Her skin was mixed between white and black skin tones that sectioned of her eyes and limbs with a black pigment. These two were her friends Aria and Luck. This was the moment she began to trust these two, and the moment she became more determined on the life she wanted. Little did she know the life she wanted might drag her from these two people. Now, let us get back to the party.

The yard was covered in yellow, silver, and electric blue decorations. If you knew Lī, you would know she loves pink. It reminded her of the flag carried by the military though she never knew why it was pink.

"Hey, this looks fun," says Aria with a rough yet girlish voice.

Luck on the other hand spoke in a more timid tone, "Im glad you invited us."

Three of them played warrior together. Smacking sticks trying to force the other back. They always smiled when play fighting.

"Cake dear," her mom says in a harmonic tone. Lī glances over to her mom to see a large pink cake with cherries on top. Her mom picks up a knife resting in ice and begin to cut into it. The inside was a vibrant red from the mixture of cherries and carrots. She places large slices on everyones silver plates.

"Mmm yum. It taste so good Mama. The tart cherry and sweet cherry flavor mix together." Her mom worked years on perfecting this one cake. It was the one Lī always requested, and it continued to improve in both texture and taste. "Mom."

"Mom!" I scream out from the terror. I slowly breath out slowing my oxygen flow down while the carbon dioxide builds up. My head darts around taking everything in. The cart comes to a crawl. The ground below is lifeless with just dirt underneath. I can see a small butterfly hanging in the air as if it was suspended. I watch as particles reverberate from the sound of the the cart. My hypodermis feels like fire raging within which causes my eyes to close. The pain subsides, and my body jerks as if I hit something hard.

*click*

"Kiddo you coming, the ride is over."

"Uh what?" I say as my eyes open in complete confusion.

"Are you okay dear? You don't look so good." Grandpa Chris hand touches my forehead. His skin feels like Ice.

"Aghh, are you okay? I just burned myself touching you."

"I feel sick; its been a long time sense I felt like this. Grandpa. Sugar." I say with a sense of exhaustion. His hands grab me.

*hissss*

"Hmmm, lets go dear."

I get placed down on a cold piece of stone. My body begins to tremble. My knees are lifted up allowing the soles to touch it.

"Im going to get some necessities. I'll be right back."

Voices begin to draw close to me. I can't make out any words. "Grandpa," I call out, but I cant get a response.

"Look at what we got here. Its a dying breed. I didn't know old school still existed. I wonder how much she would go for."

"Lets take her now and worry about the details later."

The next thing I know hands are place on my skin

"Aaaahhhhhh, that burns. How can you be this hot?" He says as his leg rises to stomp me. My body is solder in place unable to defend myself.

*boom*

A thump can be heard but I cant feel anything.

"You okay dear. That was reckless of me to leave you around, but I am back. Im going to pump you full of sugar and salt okay. There might be a slight pain." A small pinch is felt on my arm while the sensation of ice enters my body. It slowly moves throughout my blood vessels. Sensation of pain begins to kick in. My nerves scream at me from the frigid air.

The sound of a low grown comes out of me as I breath out as the pain continues. "Hmmmmm"

My body perspirates as my muscles twitch in response. My eyes begin to tingle, and then the feeling of anything disappears.

"Your eyes are engulfed in silver dear. Are you alright?"

"I don't feel anything to be honest." I slowly get up. I see my hand push against the stone. I can't feel the texture or temperature it once had.

"I'm I can't physically feel anything."

"You must be suppressing your sense of pain causing symptoms of someone with Congenital insensitivity. Your body can still be damaged, but you wont feel it. We should find Lys and leave. You're in vulnerable state.

Grandpa Chris pulls me onto his back as he holds me close not letting me go. He darts off towards the hotel. The sound of a crowd begins to form.

"What's going on?"

"Most of the people here are in the organization called Play House. The move around dangerous substances. Their hands can be found in many pockets, and they are know to start conflict between different communities. Those men must have been members looking to sell you. Hopefully, we can find Lys so we can leave."

"What were you two thinking!" I hear from behind me.

"Darling you're here!"

"Darling nothing! You never learn. Everything is fun until it is not. You have to think things through. You knew where we were at, and you still went out to have fun."

"We were experiencing life around us."

I'm going to have to interject so that we can escape; aren't I.

"Guys can we focus on what's important."

They both turn their heads to acknowledge each other. Grandma Lys' eyes give a since of reassurance and determination. Then, they both nod and say in unison, "Right!"

They dash back to the way we came. The air smells more stagnant then when we came in. People can be seen passed out in the alleys with Erythroxylaceae, Ephedra, and Papaver somniferum plants can be seen lying around them.

"Ummm"

"Ignore it. We are leaving. Do not come back here unless you have no choice." Grandma Lys' words sound emotionless and stern.

"Hold on tight Princess we're going to jump the turnstiles." Grandma jumps clean over with a moment of hesitation. Grandpa jumps both of us turning side ways. His left arms push off the gate allowing us to clear with ease.

"Hon, the gates closed!"

"Take the stairs. I've done it before. You'll see a rope near the top."

We reach the white stairs with black steps between most of them. Grandma steps on to the first one

*𝄢F*

With every step the sound gets higher

*𝄢G ABCDE FG AB*

Crowds of people rush towards the stairs.

*𝄢|𝄞C*

The melody is good but I'm definitely not in the mood for it.

*𝄞DEFG ABCDEFG*

We finally reach the top where a gold rope hangs down. Low notes are smashed together as the crowd moves up.

"Lys go first. I throw Lī to you in our decent."

She moves without hesitation swinging across the mote and landing on the other side.

Grandpa holds me in his right arms ready to throw me at any moment. The sound finally reaches the highest note. Grandpa jumps swinging across as an arm reaches out for him. He jumps with me in his arms, and then tosses me from him. We both clear the river. The excitement ends when Grandma catches me while grandpa rolls in a thorn bush.

"Ouch!" I say out of empathy.

Characters:

Name Lighting - Age 16 - Date of birth 2/3/1000 A.N. - Sign Hippocampus - Mutation ???- hair brown curly - eyes brown or silver - skin light brown - Fear Thunder (Astraphobia) - Fatal Flaw Diabetic - Character flaw Lazy and Lies - weapon bubble - currently incapacitated

Name Chris - age 72 - mutation four arms - hair white - eyes brown - skin midnight black - character trait extrovert - weapon twin spears - married to Lys - currently ecstatic

Name Lys - age 72 - mutation tiger - hair/fur orange & black - eyes yellow - skin white with black stripes - character trait kind, strong, observant - weapon bow and arrow - married to Chris - currently mad

Creatures:

Type Iguana - danger level 1 - size 3 ft - ability camouflage & climbing - attack claws

School:

Fried Cinnamon Sticks are really Churros and the sauce that goes with it. The recipe used apple sauce to for eggs and peanuts butter to replace butter. There are other vegetarian styles but I liked this one because it used common substitutes.

Pink was at once associated the color of shedding blood. Some native tribes were found to use pink during times of war. If white cloth is soaked in blood it turns a reddish pink color.

Lī is slows down her breathing during the roller coaster ride. When Oxygen intake is slowed, it allows the mind to calm down through a type of high.

The interesting thing about sound waves is they physically interact with the environment around them. Sonic booms in tv and movies are based on that principle. The sound pushes against objects. Generally speaking humans can't see them without seeing something move because of it. SIDE NOTE. Rarely though, some people can physically see them similar to whales or bats.

When Lī gets sick on the roller coaster, it is do to the neurons firing to quickly in her body. Similar concept to a wire getting hot and overloading. Electricity is built up to quickly and stops following the paths established. The energy is then released as thermal energy which can lead to a fire.

When Lī uses up to much energy, her body becomes depleted of sugars and salts. 'IV' drip was used to quickly replenish her electrolytes. This feels physically cold but to her who is much hotter then most would feel like ice was inside of her body.

Congenital insensitivity is the inability to feel pain or physical sensations. Its a rare condition in humans and can put ones body in serious harm if the person is not careful.

Erythroxylaceae, Ephedra, and Papaver are plants used to make certain kinds of pharmaceuticals. The manufacturing of the kinds of drugs are commonly illegal in countries because they are not only addictive but can lead to death. 'IV' drips are used to help alleviate some of the dangerous aspects of these drugs.

Turnstiles is a kind of gate that twists around to allow or deny entry based on fare or a fee.

Of course I had to add a music number. 𝄢FG ABCDEFG AB are the first have of the piano notes. 𝄢 this is the base clef symbol. There are two other sections. The Middle C represented as 𝄢|𝄞C and Treble Clef 𝄞. The notes D-G A-G are repeated again. This is the full range of notes for a piano. Portamento is a mix of holding the note while transitioning through the next one.

References:

The idea of running on a piano takes me back to Tom and Jerry.

The gang name being club house is again not a Disney reference.