Corn, Cows, and the Apocalypse

The Mecca of Mecca

By the time I met back up with August and Devin in the main entryway, they looked wrought with concern. I could sense they wanted to comfort me, and explain, and—blah, blah, blah. I was running on a high from good sex and the energetic cheering vibrating through the stadium like heavy bass. I didn't want to talk about my past. I was getting excited to see the tournament.

"Oh, don't be such sourpusses," I said coming up. "I'm fine."

Devin approached me prepared to take me in his arms, but at the last second he flinched, concerned he might break me. I wrapped my arm around his waist instead, and he kissed the top of my head. August looked at ease to see me calm, but worry was still etched on her face.

"Did my brother find you? He wanted to check on you, even though I insisted he leave you alone."

"Yeah, he found me. He sorted out my nose. We both yelled and screamed for a bit, but I think we're satisfied now." I almost smiled at my inside joke, so I changed the subject. "Where's Haden?"

"She's already inside," Devin said. "The preliminaries have already started. You still want to watch, don't you?"

I could have told him I wanted ice cream and he would have driven me straight to a walk-in freezer at a DQ, but I knew how much he wanted to see the games. Plus, it would be super rude to not support my new savior.

"Of course I want to see the tournament. It sounds like a concert in there." I nodded in the general direction of the hoopla.

"Oh, you're going to love this, Lenore." He took my hand and led me. August strolled behind us with a slight smile, amused by Devin's boyish excitement as well. "This place is packed with people, some of them from three states away. Apparently we aren't the only ones starved for some excitement."

Devin released my hand to open the door for me. A wave of noise and heat hit me. It was enough to make me pause, but the awe of it drew me in. I had been in stadiums before, I had been to concerts, and football games, but there was something different about the atmosphere of this occasion.

Perhaps it was simply the fact that I hadn't been in the presence of more than a dozen live humans in over a year. Or perhaps it was the electrical energy that people naturally produce when they are joined together in one common goal. I thought it was something else, though. This event was a reincarnation of an entertainment that humanity had not permitted publicly in centuries. The crowd wasn't shaking the stadium floor because they wanted a high score. They wanted blood.

I felt the energy sink in as I got a view of the first stage of the tournaments, which had already begun. The first ranking would rule out the least skilled marksmen. The arena was filled with sand, amplifying the Roman coliseum imagery. The competitors stood in line like old west gunfighters ready for a showdown. Grim lined the other side of the arena, caged like horses before a run, their clothes distinctive to their lane.

The horn sounded and the grim were released. Unlike horses, the grim jumped out with no agenda other than killing. Some ran straight at their shooters. Others ran sideways in an attempt to get to the handlers. The shooters fired at their specific grim regardless of how off track they got.

The guns fired. Most of the grim went down with one shot, some took two. The few stragglers that were missed twice by their shooters were given bullets in the head by sharp-shooters in the rafters. I looked up at the military personnel dangling in crow's cages 30...40... a bunch of feet up. The mayor had outdone himself to ensure the safety of the competitors, as well as the crowd.

Devin guided me along by the elbow, since I was no longer looking where I was going. I was vaguely aware of the goofy smile I had on my face. Once we arrived at our high balcony seats, Devin pulled on my arm and patted my butt to sit. I did so without any question or concern that he would lead me wrong.

He leaned over to my ear and spoke loudly. "Magnificent, isn't it?" My smile widened and I grabbed his hand to squeeze it. He squeezed back. I was aware that he was watching me more than the games, but I was too stricken to care.

Around the bend from us was a series of box seats that were normally reserved for VIPs. I could see our illustrious mayor and his entourage. They were golf-clapping for the festivities and drinking wine—anything to distinguish themselves as better than the surrounding honky-tonk beer drinkers.

One of his minions caught my eye. He was attractive—not the model that our own Devin was, but certainly a diamond in the rough of fat, old, graying politicians. He was a blond Ken doll, with perfect natural wave that made him look like he spent hours gelling it into position. His charcoal suit jacket and cream turtleneck sweater screamed rich, but informal.

Since no one and everyone was rich now, the status no longer mattered, but you could still tell who came from money and who didn't—usually by the number of double negatives they used. The most appealing thing about the intriguing stranger was his relaxed I'm-just-watching-the-game-with-my-friends-leg-up-on-the-rail pose.

His head turned to scan the crowd, and I could see the determination in his face. He was searching for something or someone. I smiled, wishing that that someone could be me. I was almost entirely sure by this point that I was totally high. I'm such a lightweight.

His searched ended... on me. Amused by the fortuitous connection, I giggled and covered my mouth. I looked behind me to see if I was misinterpreting his perspective. When I turned back he pointed at me, indicating, "yes, you." I yelped and sunk in my chair shyly.

"What are you doing?" Devin asked, leaning over to me.

"I think I'm flirting." I busted out with laughter. Yes, definitely high.

Devin scanned the crowd, but my blond Ken had looked away from me. Damn.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked. I could see August's disapproving look on my right, so I turned to speak just so Devin could hear.

"I think I'm high," I whispered.

His face clambered with concern, amusement, confusion, and even a little anger, but he settled on amused disapproval and wrapped his arm around me. I glanced back at my admirer. As if on cue, he turned to me and blew me a kiss. I beamed and buried my head in Devin's shoulder.

What the hell was I doing?