War of the Roses (3) (MANUSCRIPT)

Stem 10: The Boy, Part 2

     "Wow, already jumping to as clever of a conclusion as that one, huh?" Max crossed his arms. 

     Amy stuck her tongue out. "Oh, I oughtta- Ugh! Yeah, actually, because who do ya think you're talkin' to?" 

     "My strong, smart girlfriend. Have ya met her?" 

     Her pale cheeks turning rosy, Amy huffed. "Y- Hmph! You're lucky you're good with your words, Kaline!" 

     Running into the arms of her boyfriend, Amy twirled around, stealing Max's wrists and placing his hands around her waist. 

      Milford looked on, grinning. It's weird. I've heard that humans are supposed to feel awkward or jealous when they see this kind of thing, but I just feel what they're feeling right now. Happiness. 

      "Alright, let's step on through that portal... and hope we don't end up in the manager's office of some Opal Friday's." Max cleared his throat. 

     "Uh, say what now?" Amy giggled. 

     "I've... seen things." 

     "Yeah, you have, apparently. The office of an Opa-"

     Loud clanking by her feet, Amy jumped. Iron boots materialized over the grass. As she looked around, some of the heads of the sunflowers now sat detached from their tall stems. Windy, the sun above them fell blotted out by a patch of gray clouds. 

     "Oh, goody. We've got company." Max put a hand over his belt. I wasn't hoping to use my sword right now. 

      Brown locks of hair, a dark gold like fermented honey, swayed under an afternoon sky as a lanky figure stepped closer and closer. 

     "M- Max!" Amy stuck her hand out. "Who exactly do you think you are, stranger?" 

     Backing away, the figure stretched its arm out. 

     "T- Tentacles? Ugh, of all the things to come out of a dude's arm!" Max jumped, unsheathing his weapon. 

     "Easy, fellows, I just had a few questions for you, and an ultimatum for the boy." The stranger coughed into his hand, bags under his eyes, and lips paper-thin. 

     Milford turned. "Wh- What's this about now?" 

     Shaking his head, Max kept his stare on the stranger. "Milfy, buddy, I think you should go and find Milan's killer, if you really want to. Amy and I'll take care of this guy." 

     "Oh, jeez- Ouch, like- Please don't- Please don't call me 'Milfy'." Milford's face fell. "That felt dirty, dude."  

     "Hm. Honestly, ya had me wonderin' there. Wasn't expecting to come up on a group of people who call each other 'milfy', unironically." The stranger put his shorter arm in his pocket. "Anyway, the name's Cain. I'm a Flower Child. The species responsible for -- recently -- killing all of the Davidians." 

     Milford's breath stopped. What did this man just say?

     "Ah, well, you don't seem very friendly if that's your first opener." Max rolled his eyes. "Like, I don't know, what about- 'Hi, I'm Cain, and I like making pancakes with my brother Abel', or something of the sort? Eh?" 

     Cain looked down to the grass. "'cause, for starters- Ain't got no brother named Abel. Had a roommate. Killed him. Didn't mean to. Didn't know I was born into this... curse. Anyway, your hair strikes you as peculiar." 

     "R- Really? Th- Thanks! I always wondered if my conditioner was working." Max looked over to Amy. 

     Amy winked, then gulped. 

     "Okay then, so your sense of humor tells me you know little of what's going on, or what's about to happen." Cain held his arms out. "Maximus D. Kaline, I'm here to warn you. There's a woman out on the loose. One of us. Another Flower Child, only... she came into accepting her powers a little later in her life- When she, like most people, was down on her luck. Tell me, you know of a girl named... Natalie Carwell?"