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We cast pale shadows after death,

Not as before,

A black and changing silhouette

Etched on a solid surface

By the sun,

Or, diffused by friendly light

Within familiar rooms.

We become as sudden air across

A candle flame,

Ephemeral as a single breath,

Rare as rainbows on a

Cloudless day,

Disturbing none, but those who

Loved us for so brief a time. 

© James Rainsford 2009.


Here's a link with further information and other poems from the collection.
http://www.jamesrainsford.com/poetry.html

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The Black Death: The Plauge happened in 1665, so why do hundreds of people in 2010's England have signs of the desise? As the Doctor investigates he discovers he is to balme! 

The Demon Within:

Il Demonio Dentro

David Black

CHAPTER 1

The bells of the alarm clock rang shrilly through the youth’s small room and he slowly opened his eyes as he lay in his bed. He held his head in one hand and closed his eyes once more as the sunlight entered his room and blinded him. “Ugh.” He muttered to himself. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around. He was still in his bedroom, and still in New Venice. He looked at the clock and slapped the small button on the top of the clock. The bells silenced and the youth lay in his bed, blankets strewn about, barely covering his wiry body. “Damned nightmares.” He muttered to himself. A lilting voice could be heard singing on the lower floor of his family’s small apartment. The voice belonged to his mother. She stopped singing and called out, “Valentino? Valentino? Are you out of bed yet young man?”

“Yeah, almost.” He yelled back.

“Well hurry up, you have to get to school.” His mother replied.

Valentino groaned as he slowly got out of bed. He looked around his room, which was small and shaped almost like a barrel. He opened the porthole window of his small room, breathed in the fresh air, and looked at the view from his room as he got dressed and combed his reddish hair. He shook the cobwebs from his mind as he tried to remember the nightmare he’d just had. He walked down stairs and sat down at the kitchen table where breakfast was waiting.

“How was your sleep, dear?” His mother asked him as he slowly ate his food. He kept picking through the food in front of him, his mind a million miles away. All he could really remember about the nightmare was a strange figure shrouded in fog.  It was a large, lanky creature that looked almost skeletal, with giant dark red eyes and fangs jutting at all angles from a wide mouth. The creature seemed friendly, even familiar. He couldn’t place where he had seen the monster, however. Suddenly, he was brought back to reality by a loud snapping sound. His mother was snapping her fingers, worry on her face. “Hey! Wake up!” his mother smiled at him.

“Finish up and go to school. You’re going to be late. And get your head out of the clouds. You’ve been like this since your 16^th birthday.” She handed him a small satchel of food as he walked out the door of the kitchen and into a small alcove that branched from the living area. He opened a locked door and stepped out onto a dock. He looked around and saw a small Jet Ski bobbing on the water. He jumped onto the Jet Ski and gently pulled out of the dock and down the canal toward his school.

He arrived at the school a half hour later, parked and secured his Jet Ski and hopped onto the dock leading to the school. A tall youth with white hair and round glasses waved at him from the dock. “Hey, Valentino!”

“Uh, hi, Pietro. What’s up?” Valentino rubbed the back of his neck and fidgeted a little, digging his foot into the docks’ wooden planks.

“I think the question is what’s up with you? You look like you haven’t recovered from your birthday party, and that was like, three weeks ago.” Pietro whistled. “Wow, that was a fun party, wasn’t it? Wine and fine food all over the place, and I think that one girl at the party was looking at you. You know, the new girl from Vienna II.  She was cute; you should go ask her out.”

“Who, Placida?” Valentino shook his head slightly. “Yeah, she’s cute, I guess.”

“What’s wrong with you man? Come on, you can tell me. There’s no way a wine hangover lasts this long.” Pietro looked at Valentino, concerned.

“I’m still having those nightmares.” Valentino pulled Pietro close and whispered to him. “I’m getting kind of worried. They’re a lot more vivid now, and I almost think that I recognize the monster in that dream. He’s so familiar but I can’t place him. I think I might be losing my mind.”

Pietro whistled again. “Whew, man. I know what you need. You need to relax. This is just school work talking, don’t stress so much. Tell you what. I’ll take you out on my dad’s new Aqua Zero Jet Skis today. They’re like, twice as powerful and they’ll blow you away. We’ll have some fun, look at some cute girls, go drink some wine, and you’ll be perfectly fine. Trust me.”

“But… But… What about…” Valentino stammered.

“Sh. Sh. Sh. Just shut up and trust me. When have I ever been wrong? I mean EVER?” Pietro slapped Valentino on the shoulder and said cheerfully, “Come on, let’s go to class and see if Placida is there.”

“Uh, yeah,” As Valentino and Pietro walked into the school, Valentino asked, “Did you get the homework done from last night? I spaced because I didn’t get any sleep.”

“Nope,” Pietro laughed. “I got really absorbed with those Aqua Zeros and didn’t even think about homework. Afterwards, Dad and I went out for dinner. So, whoops, I guess. Oh well.” Pietro shrugged as they walked into the school.

                                                                ***

During class, Valentino couldn’t concentrate. His teacher’s voice sounded distant and muffled as Valentino’s thoughts drifted to other things. He looked over at Placida, his eyes staring right through her. ‘What the hell is that?’ Valentino thought to himself as he saw a weird shadow beginning to form on the wall beyond Placida’s desk. It almost seemed to form into a face; similar to the one in the nightmares, then it vanished. Valentino grabbed a pencil and started to frantically sketch the image he had just seen onto his notebook. Just as he finished, a loud crack could be heard as the teacher’s yardstick crashed onto his desk, causing him to jump and the entire class to look at him. He went pale and started to shake slightly as he looked up at his teacher.

“Mr. Endrico, am I boring you?” The teacher looked at him sternly.

“N-no, Mr. Aldo… I just…” Valentino’s voice trailed off as he looked down at the sketch on his notebook of the demon’s face. The teacher looked down and picked up the notebook from Valentino’s desk and looked at the demon drawing.

“As much as I appreciate fine art, Mr. Endrico, I won’t have you drawing in my class. Understood?”

Valentino’s face went pale and he began to sweat. “Y-yes sir, I understand.”  He began to sway in his seat, his sight going blurry.

“Are you feeling alright, Mr. Endrico?” Mr. Aldo looked down at Valentino. Valentino coughed and then the world went black as he fainted and fell to the floor.

Valentino woke up with a start and looked around. He was in a white room on a small bed. His teacher was sat next to him while a nurse was taking his vital signs.

“What happened to me?” Valentino asked weakly.

“We’re not sure,” the nurse said sweetly, “But you’ll be fine.” She smiled at Valentino and walked away.

“I’m going to have you sent home.” Mr. Aldo said to Valentino as he helped him out of the bed and steadied him as they walked.

“But, exams…” Valentino stammered.

“Don’t worry about it. We can’t have you taking them while you’re ill.” Mr. Aldo escorted him to the outside of the office and onto a small boat with comfortable seats lining its’ cabin. Mr. Aldo looked at the driver and handed him some money. “Take this boy home. Here’s his address.” He handed him a piece of paper with Valentino’s address written on it. “Oh. I almost forgot. Mr. Endrico? Pietro is one of your friends, isn’t he?”

“Y-yeah.” Valentino said weakly.

“Good. I’ll have him bring your Jet Ski home to you after school. Go home and rest.” Mr. Aldo turned vanished back into the school.

Valentino sighed and lay on the seats while the driver slowly pulled from the school docks and headed toward Valentino’s home.  

                                                                ***

He was dreaming again. He was stood in a strange, mist filled darkness. He looked around, and at first, couldn’t see anything. Then something rose from the fog. It was tall and lanky, with limbs that dragged on the floor. It had what looked like lizard skin covering its body. Giant claws protruded from its hands and arms. Its body moved slightly as it breathed. Parts of its ribcage were visible as parts of the bone actually protruded from its flesh. Its’ face was its’ most unusual feature. It was very wide and flat, with giant reddish black eyes. Its mouth was as wide as its face and large fangs filled its mouth, jutting out at strange angles.

“Who are you!? Why won’t you leave me alone?!” Valentino yelled through the fog.

“Well, you created me. Why would I leave you alone?” The monster replied simply.

“What the hell are you talking about? I don’t even know you!” Valentino yelled back,

“Think hard. Think about when you were younger. It’ll come back to you.” The monster replied.

“God damn it! Get out of my head!” Valentino yelled, but his voice grew muffled as he was slowly dragged back into the waking world.

“Hey kid. Hey! Wake up; we’re at your home.” Valentino woke up to see the driver and his mother stood over him, looking concerned. He was seeing that look a lot lately.

“Uh, hi.” Valentino rubbed his eyes and stood up awkwardly, nearly falling over the side of the boat. His mother held him up by his shoulders and looked at the driver.

“Thank you for bringing him home.” She handed him some money, which he pushed away.

“No, Ma’am. I was already paid for this trip.” He tipped his hat and smiled. “Just make sure this boy gets his rest. He doesn’t look too good.”

“Thank you.” Valentino’s mother smiled and helped Valentino from the boat and onto the dock.

“Ma’am.” The driver tipped his hat again, pulled his boat away from the house and sped back down the canal.

Valentino’s mother helped him to his room and he flopped on the bed. 

“What’s wrong, honey? You don’t look good at all.” She asked as she sat next to him on his bed.

“I don’t know.” Valentino rolled over to face his mother. “I haven’t slept right for a while and I’ve been having nightmares.”

“About what?” His mother asked.

He lay there, silent, and closed his eyes.

“Sleep now. We’ll talk more about this later and I’ll bring you some soup. Okay?”  His mother ran her hair through her sons’ ruffled hair. Valentino sighed as he saw his mother leave his room.

‘I wish I knew what was so familiar about this thing.’ Valentino thought to himself. He lay on his bed in silence and looked out the window. The city was looking especially beautiful today. Past the row of apartments which lined his canal, he could see the Industrial District in the distance, where huge steam stacks belched clean steam into the air from the city’s underwater circulation systems which helped to keep the canals warm and clean. He could hear the sound of the machinery running in the distance. Several voices could be heard flowing throughout the city, giving the city a hidden life. His canal was silent, as no one was around, but the rest of the city was buzzing. He could hear gulls crying in the distance. The city was so much different now than what the history texts had told him it used to be like. The city was much taller now, as apartment buildings had been built that reached high into the sky, while other areas, including monuments and older buildings, had been placed, brick by brick, on floating platforms. His District was one of the few left that actually sat on the canals. He looked down to see a gondola moving slowly through the water, its pilot whistling to himself. People even lived underwater now in the newly built Deep Station which ran under the entire city. In fact, some of his fellow students lived underwater in the large pods that composed Deep Station. There were even markets in Deep Station where you could get the newest technologies. He looked to the east where the abandoned Dry District was located.

He sat by his window and sighed. What was happening to him? Suddenly, an idea came to him. He rummaged through his closet and found a stack of papers. He sorted through the papers until he found a certain drawing. It was one he did when he was eight. It was a messy drawing, done in wax crayons, and made even more unrecognizable by age, but it looked familiar. It looked like the monster in his nightmares.

“I think…” Valentino muttered to himself. Just then, he was startled by a knock on his door.

“Hey! You alive?” the voice on the other side of the door belonged to Pietro. “I brought back your Jet Ski!”

Valentino walked up and opened the door. “Hey man.” He smiled weakly. “Thanks.”

Pietro looked into Valentino’s room. “Wow. Your room looks like a bomb hit it, man. What ARE you doing in here?”

“I… Nothing.” Valentino smiled. “Thanks for bringing my Jet Ski back, man.”

“You feeling up to going out? My dad just pulled out the Aqua Zeros, and I really want you to try one out.” Pietro smiled. “There’ll be the wine and girls I promised you too.”

“Mom?” Valentino asked.

“She said as long as you were feeling up to it we could go out.” Pietro out his arm around Valentino’s shoulder and guided him out of his room. “Come on.”

The pair walked downstairs and looked over at Valentino’s mother. “I’m gonna kidnap your son for a while. Is that alright Mrs. Endrico?”

“Why, such a dignified and refined kidnapper.” She laughed.

“Of course, Madam.” Pietro smiled and bowed.

Valentino’s mother looked at her son “If you’re not feeling well, you come right home.”

“I’ll make sure he’s alright.” Pietro smiled and pulled Valentino out to the dock where both of their Jet Skis were docked. They both got on to their Jet Skis and slowly pulled away from Valentino’s house while his mother waved at them from the kitchen window.

                                                         ***

“Hey, Dad!” Pietro yelled from his Jet Ski as the two sped toward Pietro’s home.  His father looked up from his work and waved with his wrench. The two pulled up and walked onto the dock.

“Hey boys.” Pietros’ father smiled as he stood up from the work he was doing.

“Hi, Mr. Alphonse,” Valentino looked at Pietros’ father. He was a large man, with a muscular frame.

“Call me Ricardo. You know that.” He slapped Valentino on the shoulder and looked at the two Aqua Zero Jet Skis. They were sleeker and more aerodynamic than a normal Jet Ski, with two large engines at the back of each machine. Both were painted bright colors, one red and one blue.

“You like the new Aqua Zeros?” Ricardo smiled. “Got ‘em only a few days ago. They run like nothing else I’ve ever driven.”

“Can’t wait.” Valentino smiled.

“Gotta pack some food before we go.” Pietro ran into the house and started putting fruit, meat, cheese and bread into a basket “Hey, Valentino. Come get some wine from the cupboard and pack it up.”

Valentino walked into the kitchen and selected three bottles of wine from the cupboard and put it into a cloth sack which he then filled with ice. After the pair was done, they ran out and secured their food on the back of the Aqua Zeros.

“Let’s go!” Pietro hopped onto his Aqua Zero and started it up, revving the engine while Valentino gingerly got onto the other machine and looked it over.

“Come on! It starts just like any other Jet Ski; just don’t go to fast at first, because the power is much more than you’re used to.” Pietro smiled as Valentino started up the engine and slowly began to test out how the new machine worked. It was indeed more powerful. He smiled as he got the hang of moving around on the water.

“Good! Now that you’ve got the hang of it, see if you can catch me!” Pietro disappeared with a burst of speed and a spray of water down the canal.

“Damn it.” Valentino smiled as he started to chase Pietro down the canal.

“Be careful boys! And don’t drink too much!” Ricardo yelled as the two disappeared down the canal.

                                                           ***

The pair rocketed down the canal, blasting plumes of water behind them. “Come on! Surely you can go faster than that!” Pietro yelled behind him over the roar of the engines.

Valentino smiled as he accelerated and raced past Pietro, blasting him with water.

“Hey!” Pietro laughed as he caught up to Valentino. “Whoa! Stop!” Pietro pulled up to a dock where several girls from school were talking and giggling, including Placida. “Hey girls!” Pietro hopped from his Aqua Zero and walked over to the girls. Valentino caught up and stopped at the dock. He stared into the group for a moment, looking at Placida. This was the first time he’d really noticed her since she’d moved to New Venice. She was quite beautiful, her slim body framed by long brown hair that reached down to her waist, deep green eyes, and full lips. Valentino got off of his machine and slowly walked up to the group. He looked down shyly and scuffed the ground with his shoe. Placida saw him and walked over.

“Hi, Valentino! What’s going on?” Placida asked, a smile on her face.

“Not much. Pietro and I are just cruising around.” Valentino smiled slightly and looked down. “I think we’re going somewhere, but I’m not sure where.”

“I think we should invite these lovely ladies to come with us, don’t you?” Pietro asked Valentino as he wrapped his arm around his friends’ neck.

The girls all looked around and then everyone looked at Pietro, confused.

“How are we going to do that? We can’t all fit on your Jet Skis.” One of the girls piped up from the crowd.

Pietro thought for a moment and then snapped his fingers. “Hey, Valentino, come help me out for a second.” Valentino and Pietro walked over to one end of the dock, which seemed to jut out from the main dock. Pietro pulled a multi tool from his pocket and began to undo the screws holding the dock in place. After those were undone, Pietro stashed the screws in his pocket.

“Here, hold this secure while I find us some rope.” Valentino bent down and held the dock in place while Pietro grabbed a coil of heavy rope from another nearby dock. He then tied the rope around one of the docks’ support rings and tied the other end to his Aqua Zero. “You girls don’t mind some speed, do you?” Pietro asked as he motioned toward the makeshift raft. The girls all giggled and hopped onto the raft as Pietro got back onto his machine. Placida looked at the raft where the girls were all seated.

“There’s no room left on there for me.” Placida said shyly.

“Well that’s not a problem, is it, Val?” Pietro smiled as he started up his Aqua Zero and began to slowly pull away from the main dock.

Valentino looked at Placida and smiled. “Come on. You can ride with me.” He got onto the Jet Ski and slid up on the seat. Placida sat behind him and put her hands on his shoulders. “Hold on tight.” Valentino looked back at Placida, who was smiling innocently. The Aqua Zero rumbled to life as Valentino started it up and slowly pulled away from the dock, following the raft. “You ready?” Valentino yelled over the engine.

“Yeah!” Placida yelled back. Suddenly, there was a burst of speed, and the two took off down the canal.     e He         

           e                                                 ***

The group arrived at their destination, The Dry District. The group disembarked from their crafts and walked into The Dry District and Pietro grabbed everything from the Aqua Zeros and laid a thick, large blanket on the cobbled street, put out all the food and wine and flopped down. The girls and Valentino all sat on the blanket, Placida sitting next to Valentino. The group ate, drank, and laughed as the day went on. One of the girls looked up and said, “So this is The Dry District? I wonder what’s so special about this place.”

“I don’t know,” Valentino said as he looked around. The worn, cobbled street was lined with old, abandoned shops, and on one wall there was a portcullis leading into a long tunnel. In certain areas, there were puddles of water that had dripped from the roof of the promenade, some of which had gone stagnant long ago.

“I wonder if this thing will open.” Pietro walked over and tapped the bars of the gate. “Hmm.” He gripped the bars of the gate and tried to pull it up, but it wouldn’t budge. “Hey, Val? Go see if you can find something to pry this gate up with.”  Valentino and Pietro searched through the abandoned shops until they found what they needed to lift the gate. Pietro and a few of the girls dragged a large beam from one of the shops that looked as if it had fallen from the ceiling, while Valentino had found a large anvil on a cart and with Placida’s help, dragged the cart from another shop. They placed the beam on top of the anvil, and everyone pushed down on the log. At first, the gate wouldn’t budge, but after a few tries of everyone pushing on the beam, the gate groaned and lifted, the gears of the gate loosening as the rust from years of decay slowly broke away, creating small clouds of rust powder in the air, which quickly dissipated. Finally, the portcullis had risen about halfway up the height of the doorway, and the group walked in. The tunnel area was cold, damp and filled with darkness. A small point of light could be seen in the distance at the other end of the tunnel. Placida reached down and held Valentino’s hand as the group walked down the tunnel.

“Brr. It’s cold in here.” Placida whispered to Valentino. He looked down, unsure at first, and then wrapped his arm around Placida’s shoulders. She leaned in closer as the group continued to walk toward the end of the tunnel. A few moments later, they reached the end of their journey, and the sunlight burst into view as they left the dark confines of the tunnel. Valentino shaded his eyes as they readjusted to the sunlight.

The group looked around in amazement. They had entered what looked to be a giant empty stone basin, a giant groove in the floor looked like it once held a giant turbine of some sort. Moss, vines, and small plants grew from the walls and floor, crawling up the walls, or reaching up to the sky from their stone rooted prisons. There was a staircase on one side of the basin leading up to the upper catwalks along the diameter of the basin. The group slowly proceeded up the stairs to the top of the basin. The sun was just beginning to set over the city, the sunlight glittering like diamonds upon the canals of New Venice. The girls gasped and whispered to one another.

“It’s so beautiful.” One girl with long blonde hair said to Pietro, leaning in close to him. “How did you know about this place?”

“I didn’t.” he whispered back, “But that’s all part of the adventure, isn’t it?” He looked across the basins’ catwalk to see Placida and Valentino holding hands and looking out at the sunset.

After a half hour, the sun had almost set completely. One girl looked at her watch and gasped. “It’s so late! I’m gonna get in trouble for not being home on time!”

Pietro smiled and gently released the girl he had in his arm. “No worries, ladies. We shall return you all safely to your homes, and all before curfew. Are you up for the challenge, Val?”

Valentino looked over at Pietro and smiled. “Yeah, I think we can do this.”

                                                            ***

The group had hurried back through the tunnel and back out to their transportation. Placida had hopped back on Valentino’s Aqua Zero and the pair was keeping up to the dock raft. “If your parents say anything, tell them I’ll take full responsibility for you missing your curfews, and that I sincerely apologize in advance.” Pietro yelled over the roar of his Aqua Zeros’ engines.

The group stopped to let off a few girls living on one canal, and then began to race to the next area. After a few moments, another group was released at the next dock.  There were only two girls left to bring home, Placida, as well as the girl that had been with Pietro. The girl who was with Pietro was now sitting on his Aqua Zero, holding his waist. The group sped toward the final stop and the girls disembarked from the machines. They looked at the pair of riders from their perch on the docks, and Pietro’s companion leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. Placida looked at Valentino sitting on his Jet Ski and gently kissed him. She then gasped and backed away, looking down shyly. Valentino smiled and blushed.

“Thanks for a great time guys. We should really do something like this again, I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun.” Pietro’s companion smiled at the pair. They then turned and ran down the docks, toward their homes.

“Let’s go get this dock back together. I’m sure someone has noticed it’s gone already.” Pietro and Valentino quietly rode into the port where the dock had been taken from and Pietro pulled out his mechanics’ tool and the bolts that had been holding the dock in place. Pietro was busy reattaching the deck when a lantern could be seen moving down the docks toward the pair.

“Uh… Uh… Pi- Pietro… Someone’s coming!” Valentino whispered panic in his voice.

“Well stall ‘em.” Pietro whispered back.

“You two!” The lantern belonged to a member of the night patrol. “What is going on here?”

“W-we were repairing the dock s-sir.” Valentino stammered slightly.

“Why? What happened here?” The guard asked, his voice growling.

“We were just passing through and we noticed that something was wrong with this dock. We followed the canal and found that this part of the dock had detached somehow and had floated down the canal. We brought it back. We’re just finishing reinstalling it with better screws now.” Valentino smiled as his confidence grew.

The guard looked down at Pietro, who was grunting as he tightened the last screw.

“That’s a fine job you’ve done boys. I think I’ll overlook your being out after curfew, since you ARE helping the city.” The guard saluted the two boys. “Carry on. But get home safely. Good job, gentlemen, and good night.”

The lantern’s light faded into the distance as the guard continued down the moonlit dock.

Valentino sighed and slumped to the ground, shaking. Pietro rose from under the dock and smiled.

“Damn, boy, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I almost lost it.” Valentino smiled weakly.

“Yes, but the point is you didn’t lose it. Now come on. I’m thinking the night is still young, aren’t you?” Pietro rummaged through the sack on the back of his Jet Ski. “Well, will you look at that? We’ve still got two bottles of wine left. The night’s still young. What do you say we go finish these two bottles off?”

Valentino smiled weakly.  “Yeah, I need something to calm my nerves after that.”

Pietro hopped onto his machine. “Well, let’s go. I know exactly where to go.” Valentino hopped onto his Aqua Zero and the pair blasted down the canal.

                                                              ***

They arrived at their destination an hour later. It was The Monument District, where all of the old buildings and monuments had been secured on floating platforms to preserve them from the rising water of the canals. They slowly moved along the canals between the monuments until they reached an ancient church.

They secured their vehicles to the small dock next to the monument and walked around the church until they found an old ladder on the side leading to a flat part of the roof. They climbed the ladder, Pietro holding the bag of wine bottles.  Pietro grunted as he reached the roof and lifted himself onto it. Valentino soon followed, lifting himself onto the roof and lying flat on its cool surface for a moment. He then stood and followed Pietro to the edge of the roof, and sat down next to him, the pair looking out over the city. There were bright lights still on in some places, while other areas were blanketed with darkness. In the distance, small lights could be seen moving along the docks, as the night watch continued on their patrol. The clear night sky was filled with bright stars and the shining sliver that was the crescent moon could be seen hanging over the city.

“Wow, it’s beautiful out here.” Valentino said as he reached into the sack and pulled out a bottle of wine.

“Yeah, I come out here when I need to relax.” Pietro opened his bottle and took a drink.

The pair sat on the roof in silence, the warm breeze blowing through the city.

“So, hey,” Pietro looked over and smiled at his friend. “I saw you and Placida getting pretty close.”

Valentino smiled. “Yeah, she really is a sweet girl. Who was that girl you were with?”

“She’s a new student too. Her name is Renee. She’s an exchange student from France.” Pietro replied.

“So how are you feeling now?” Pietro looked over at Valentino.

“Pretty good, I feel so relaxed.” Valentino drank from his bottle and lay down on the roof, looking up at the stars.

“See? I told you, it was all stress. This is why you should always listen to me.” Pietro stretched, “Because I’m always right.”

Valentino laughed. It had seemed so long since he’d laughed. So long since he had felt relaxed.

“The thing I’m most impressed with was how you managed to bluff us out of trouble with that night patrolman. That story was genius.” Pietro smiled. “I KNEW if I hung out with you long enough, my personality would rub off on you.”

“Heh.” Valentino sat up and punched Pietro lightly in the shoulder. Valentino looked over at Pietro, slight worry on his face, “Hey, did we have any homework today?”

“Nah. Mr. Aldo was feeling generous and gave us the weekend off.”

“Cool.” Valentino smiled. “So what are you going to do for the rest of the weekend?”

“I’m not sure. I might be apologizing to a lot of parents this weekend.” Pietro laughed.

“Well, I think it might be time to head back.” Pietro smiled as he grabbed the empty wine bottles and put them into the sack. Valentino and Pietro headed down the ladder and boarded their Aqua Zeros.

The pair coasted into the docking area of Pietro’s home. “Your Jet Ski is over there. Maybe when we get over our hangovers, we can head down to Deep Station. I want to head down there and see what kind of things they have in the Plaza.”

Valentino got onto his Jet Ski and slowly pulled out from the dock and started home.

Valentino climbed the drainpipe next to his house and slid onto the awning in front of his room and climbed in through his window. He then crawled into bed and drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER 2:

The next morning, Valentino woke up after a sound night sleep. e yawned He

He yawned and opened his eyes slowly. Light flooded his blurred vision and he groaned and closed his eyes once more. “Oh man, that hurts.” Valentino muttered to himself.

“Hello, son.” Valentino’s mother appeared over him, smiling. “Where were you last night, exactly?”

“Ugh… We went around town and hung out with some friends from school.”

“As long as you were safe, I suppose. You should have let me know you were going to be out that late.” Valentino’s mother chided him gently. “Now, if you can, get out of bed. It’s time for breakfast.”

She left the room and Valentino slowly struggled to get up. He groaned as he lost his balance and fell back onto his bed.

“I HAVE to stop drinking so much.” Valentino groaned to himself as he slowly raised himself from the bed once more. He proceeded to get dressed and he walked over to the sink in his room and splashed his face with cool water. Coughing and spluttering, he walked to his window and opened it, then dried his face off with a towel that was lying next to the sink.

Valentino sat down to breakfast and ate slowly. His mother looked at him, smiling.

“Are you feeling alright this morning?” She asked.

“Aside from the hangover, yes.” Valentino muttered between bites of his food.

“So I take it you got some sleep then?”

“Yeah, actually. I slept all night without a problem.” Valentino replied.

“That’s excellent.” Valentino’s mother kissed his head and walked away from the table. “Any plans for today?”

“I think Pietro wants to go to Deep Station for something.” Valentino finished his breakfast and stood up just as Pietro pulled up on his Aqua Zero.

“Well, speak of the devil!” Mrs. Endrico exclaimed.

“Hey, Val. You ready?” Pietro walked into the house and turned into the kitchen. He then grabbed a chunk of bread from the kitchen counter and kissed Valentino’s mother on the cheek. “Hello Mrs. Endrico. It’s always a pleasure.”

She turned and smiled at Pietro. “Good morning Pietro. I hear you’re taking my son down to Deep Station.”

“Indeed I am.” He smacked Valentino on the back and said “Let’s go. I don’t think you’ve ever been to Deep Station, have you?”

“No. I haven’t.” Valentino walked over to the fridge, pulled out a jug and poured himself some ice water. He took a sip and sighed as he felt the cool water go down his throat.

After he finished his water, he put his glass down and walked outside. He stretched, and looked down the sun dappled waters of the canal. It was a nice day, with only a few clouds in the sky.

“We’re not taking our Jet Skis today, young sir.” Pietro walked out onto the dock.

“No?” Valentino looked confused.

“Nope, we’re going in style.” Pietro replied as a gondola stopped in front of Valentino’s dock.

The pair got on the boat and the gondola slowly drifted down the canal.

“Why are we going by gondola?” Valentino asked.

“Deep Station is only accessible by the Old Canals, where only gondolas are allowed to go.”

“Oh. I see.” The gondola slowly drifted down into a narrow passageway, until they reached a dock that lead into a dead end. The platform of the dock had a hole in the center leading down into deep water. There was a strange tram-like device that sat in the water. The pair got into the tram and the door slammed behind them and there was a loud hissing sound as the tram sealed itself from the water. The tram then sank into the water slowly, and for a few moments, everything was dark, until lights around the edge of the roof flickered on, bathing the cabin in fluorescent light.

Valentino sighed as he lay down on the bench of the tram. “Damn. I’ve gotta stop drinking so much. I had such a hangover this morning. I still kinda feel sick.”

“Funny. I drank as much as you and I feel fine.” Pietro smiled.

“So how did everything go with the girls’ parents this morning?” Valentino looked over at Pietro sitting on the bench, his hands resting on one knee he had bent into himself, while the other leg dangled from the bench.

“Not bad. I went by their homes earlier this morning with small baskets of cheese and flowers with notes apologizing for last night. Some of the parents were less than thrilled to see me, but they forgave us. The girls were even asking where you were.” Pietro smiled, “You sly dog, you.”

Valentino smiled slightly. “I don’t suppose…” he hesitated.

“Placida says she can’t wait to see you again,” Pietro laughed, “Don’t worry. She likes you. I can tell.”

Valentino sighed and smiled to himself. He’d never felt so happy before.

The tram landed on the bottom of the canal with the dull clang of steel underwater. The sound of gears grinding and clanging as the tram was guided into the steel docking bay of Deep Station. Water flowed from all over the tram and the sound of hissing could be heard as the tram decompressed and the door opened. The pair stepped out and into Deep Station. It was a very technologically advanced place. From the fourth floor where the two entered, there was a balcony. The view from the balcony was impressive, with a lush, verdant garden on the very bottom floor, complete with grass and an array of small bushes and flower beds. Boulders dotted the garden, some with moss growing upon their surfaces. There was a small waterfall fountain in the center of the garden.

There were a total of four floors to Deep Station, with two floors of living quarters and two floors of shops, including shops for fine food, clothes, and even parts for Jet Skis and boats. As they walked around the fourth floor, Valentino had the distinct feeling of déjà vu.

“Hey, this place seems really familiar.” Valentino said as he looked around.

“It should.” Pietro stopped and looked at a map on the wall. “This place was built to be the exact duplicate of the city above, just underwater, and more modern.” He snapped his fingers and exclaimed, “Aha! Come on. I know where we’re going now.” The pair ran down the hallway, passing windows that revealed the water they were surrounded by. Each window glowed with the blue tint of crystal clear blue water. They reached an elevator and got in. the elevator doors closed and the elevator slowly dropped until they reached the second floor.

“What are we doing down here?” Valentino asked as he looked down the hallway where several booths and shops were humming with activity.

“Well, first, we have to grab some more cheese and wine, since I ran out of cheese making those apology baskets, and one can never have enough wine.” Pietro smiled.

“Ugh. Don’t mention wine right now.” Valentino groaned.

“Also, we need to head down to the Mechanics District. I saw a type of muffler for my Aqua Zeros that I just have to have. It’s gonna make them a lot more powerful. Also, I have something else I have to get as well.”

“From where?” Valentino asked.

“The Perfume District.” Pietro said simply.

“For Renee, I take it.” Valentino smiled slyly.

“Yeah, I’m thinking of courting her. We really like each other.” Pietro blushed, and Valentino looked at him with shock.

“What?” Pietro asked.

“It’s just I’d have never thought you’d be one for getting into a steady relationship.” Valentino laughed and punched Pietro in the shoulder.

“Yeah, it’s weird for me, but I really like her.” The pair walked into a small store that sold fine cheeses. Valentino grabbed a shopping cart and the pair looked through all of the cheeses available, picking and choosing as they walked. They walked through the checkout line and Pietro swiped a strange card in a machine near the entrance of the shop. They then walked down the hallway to another store called “FINE LIQUORS” and selected some bottles of wine. Just as Valentino reached for a bottle, a slender hand reached for it and touched his hand.

“Oops, excuse me, I….” Valentino stammered as he looked down at the floor.

“No, don’t be sorry.” A lilting voice said, giggling slightly. Valentino looked up and into Placida’s eyes.

“Uh… Hi, Placida. I…” Valentino stumbled over his words as he looked down to see Placida’s hand on his.

Placida blushed and quickly put her hand behind her back.

“What’s happening with you two?” Placida asked.          

“Uh, we-we’re…” Valentino became more and more nervous as he tried to speak.

“We’re just shopping for some things. Very vital things.” Pietro replied.

Placida looked through the cart and smiled. “Wine, cheese,” she looked at Pietro’s list and continued, “Two new mufflers for Aqua Zeros, and perfume. Yes, very essential things by the sound of it. Who’s buying the perfume?” she asked.

Pietro smiled and raised his hand. Placida winked.

“Renee likes French Lilac.”

Pietro stood at attention and saluted. “Yes Ma’am.”

“Well, shall we?” Placida lead the group down the hallway until they reached the Perfume District and walked into the shop. Valentino started to cough and splutter as the smell of perfume overwhelmed his senses. Placida slapped Valentino’s back while he continued to cough. He drew in a shuddering breath and sighed. She looked down at him and smiled. “Are you okay?” She asked sweetly.

“Yeah.” Valentino stood back up and took in a deep breath. The group continued on as Pietro looked around for the perfect perfume. After an hour of searching, Pietro raised a bottle in triumph.

“Yes! This is it!” he crowed. He sprayed a small amount into the air and Placida sniffed the aroma.

“Very nice. Renee will definitely like this.”

“Well, we’ve only got one more stop,” Pietro leaned in close to Valentino, “Take her to the garden.” He whispered.

“W-What?” Valentino stammered.

“Go on, you knucklehead. Don’t waste this perfect opportunity by helping me shop for mufflers which are for machines that aren’t even yours, when you could be talking to a cute girl.” Pietro smacked Valentino lightly on the back of the head, “Now, go!”

Pietro began to walk toward the elevator. Placida took Valentino’s hand in his and she ran to catch up to Pietro, dragging Valentino behind her.

They entered the elevator and Pietro slapped two of the buttons on the elevator control panel. The buttons for Floor 1 and Floor 0 glowed as the elevator door slammed shut and the elevator took its passengers to their destinations. The door opened on Floor 1 and Pietro strode off the elevator. The door slammed shut behind him and the elevator began its descent to floor 0.