BAD WINE CRAPPY CHOCOLATE

CHAPTER TWO-1

Cori Fitzgerald could not comprehend what was happening to her. She was trapped in a place that offered no clue as to which direction was up or down, left or right. The completely disoriented traveler tumbled toward an unknown destination, fearing that the last moments of her life were to be spent inside the tunnel. Suddenly it began to collapse. Brandon took Cori's hand and led her through the flickering lights that danced just outside the shrinking passageway. They suddenly coalesced into a beautiful forest. Cori found herself lying on solid ground.
She stayed motionless for either a minute or possibly a day; Cori could not be sure. The sunlight streaming through the canopy overhead was pleasant to her eyes, especially after experiencing the dizzying, fragmented radiance of the tunnel. The air was the purest Cori had ever breathed.
Brandon, who was beside her, finally spoke. "How do you feel?"
"I feel like I've been in a traffic accident. Everything was in slow motion. Where are we?" Brandon sat up. He looked down at her with an understanding smile.
"I felt the same way after I used the Mis for the first time."
He looked at the device in his hand. What had once been shining silver was now charred and
misshapen. Cori looked at him in dismay.
"Don't worry," Brandon reassured her. "I have more of them with me. You'll still be able to get
home. These things can only be used once. The power source inside a Mis generates a lot of heat. It eventually destroys them."
Brandon stood up and looked around. He walked over to a stream running between the trees and drank from it. Cori did the same. The peacefulness of these woods appealed to her. Then she remembered the two men that had been pursuing them.
"Can they follow us here?" she asked.

"No, I saw to that," Brandon replied, as he filled a canteen with water and placed it in his knapsack
"Where are we? Is this where you live?"
"No, but there's someone here who can help us. His place is several days away, though, so we're going to be taking a trip."
"I'm game," Cori told him, though she had no idea what the journey might entail.
"You're a good friend, Fitzy," Brandon said, placing his hand on her shoulder.
They walked through the forest. The hem of Cori's long green skirt was soon reduced to tatters by
the thick undergrowth. Brandon fared much better, as he was dressed in the coveralls he always wore in the office.
"I'm sorry about your clothes," he said. "There's a place where we can get food and rest about six hours from here. You'll also be able to get something more appropriate to wear."
"I just hope there's still something left of my skirt by then, or this could become very embarrassing for me."
"I can make one for you from the vegetation. It won't be fashionable, but it'll be functional." "I'll just take your coveralls," Cori replied. "You can wear the grass skirt, mister."
Sometime later they came upon a dirt road. While Cori was relieved, Brandon suddenly became
very alert, carefully observing their surroundings as they walked on.
"I thought you said those guys couldn't follow us," she reminded him.
"They can't, but the open road is where the highwaymen operate."
"Highwaymen? Aren't those the people who fix the interstate?"
"Not here," Brandon replied with a smile. "I'm talking about thieves. They can be ruthless. Just
keep your eyes open."
At the end of the day they came upon a well-tended field of corn. Brandon led her off the road
and through the tall stalks. When they emerged on the other side of the field, a large hut stood before

them. The thatched roof was a sickly yellow color, and the walls of the structure were sod. A wooden plow was next to it.
"These people must be from the Middle Ages," Cori observed.
"Ben Chambers and his family do live a simple life. They're good people."
The door opened and a burly individual stood before them.
"Brandon Cane," he said with a smile. "How have you been?"
"Very well, Ben. This is my friend Cori Fitzgerald."
"Nice to make your acquaintance. It looks like the brambles got the better of your skirt," the
farmer observed.
"I was overdressed for the occasion," she replied with a smile.
"You haven't lost your knack for arriving at the right time, my friend," Ben said to Brandon.
"Dinner is on the table. Come inside."
The first thing Cori noticed about the Chambers' residence was the musty smell. Given the
materials used to construct it, this came as no surprise to her. There was a large round table with plates on it full of vegetables. A frail looking woman with a long face emerged from an adjoining room.
"This is my wife Anna," Ben said. "Her name is Cori. You know Brandon."
"That I do," she said, giving him a hug. "And it's nice to meet you, Cori."
Ben walked into the other room as the other three sat down. He came back with a pot that emitted
a delectable aroma.
"I know your friend won't be interested in this, but you might be," he said to Cori.
She looked at Brandon with an expression that asked should I eat this? He smiled at her and
nodded. Cori took a mouthful, returning his smile after doing so. The pot contained the most delicious beef stew she had ever tasted.
"Thanks," she said to their host after sampling the fare once more. "This is really tasty."
"It's my own special recipe," Ben said, grinning at Brandon. "Though some think it puts me in league with the devil."

"I don't believe that," Brandon replied. "I'm just used to eating differently. So how are the crops doing this year?"
"Better than I deserve," Ben said, filling his own plate. "Those seeds you gave us are a marvel, they grow so well. I've planted forty more acres this year. You must be really excited about your sister."
"I am."
"Are you going to see her?"
"Eventually. But at the moment we're traveling to Max Bardy's. I have something to discuss with
him."
Ben looked at Brandon carefully.
"You know Max Bardy?" he finally asked him.
"Yes, though it's been a long time since I've seen him."
"I'd never figure you for someone who would have dealings with the likes of him," their host
said. "Don't get me wrong—it's not my place to judge anyone. And he certainly never did me any harm. Maybe even some good once in a while, truth be told. But Bardy just doesn't seem like he's in your class."
"I need a favor from him," Brandon replied evenly.
"Now, Ben, don't be running off at the mouth. Brandon knows what's what."
"I'm not insulting the man, mother. I'm just surprised, that's all."
After the meal was finished, Cori was led to a small room with a cot in it. She sat on the bed, wondering for the first time if her decision to accompany Brandon here had been a terrible mistake. Cori's life in Chicago could often be described as mundane, but at least she was in her own element there. The young woman suddenly remembered her parents, and realized how upset they must have been when she failed to appear for dinner.