BEFORE THE FIRST LESSON IN CLASS BEGAN that Thursday, Paul saw his twin approaching blind-Jane, to inform – her that she should join him for practice in the court, after school. But Jane declined to say that she was having cramps-from-her-monthly period.

Peter scoffed…

“We have 3 days to go for the ‘face-off’ of the PFC-rematch – and here you are… with your girlie-problems. Really hope-come Monday… that you would be top of the form like Alita, Battle-Angel… and how I wish I can programme, your Boyyo to that mode-too…”

Paul saw Peter sighing… as he returned to his backbencher-lots, once he saw his loathed History teacher… Mr Hull stepped into the classroom.

-O-

The last period was Art class and the students were GIVEN A THEME OF – noble-things ‘they’ had done, in the past.

Blind-Jane submitted an abstract from-her memory – of the rescue of Piper and Kitty… to give the dogs a 2nd-chance, from the vet-hospital – when she teamed-up on a mission… with Paul recently for-it...

Nobody understood her art – and, neither did they ‘asked’ her – unlike Alicia, who always-do.

Mrs Burnell, the vice-principle interrupted the creative-minds to inform… that Principle Harris would want to meet PETER, PAUL AND JANE at the canteen, after school.

The Cursed-trio were getting anxious about what the meet WOULD BE about, especially Paul – who feared because their principle was a ‘trigger’ of negativity of his twin.

<><>

BOYYO ALERTED JANE… THAT SHE HAS A VOICE-MESSAGE. The blind-girl on her headphones heard Ms King’s ‘message’ of informing her that the school was reopening the PHONE-BOMBING TRAGEDY INQUIRIES, that happened a fortnight ago – where 13 students were injured, in Stamford High.

The final school bell rang at that moment... Jane whispered Ms King’s ‘message’ to the wheelchaired Paul – who turned his head to find for Peter – but-the backbenchers had left. Paul and Jane headed then to the canteen.

-O-

Paul was the first to enter the door of the canteen-hall and saw the long-tables were cleaned-up since lunch. He saw Principle Harris with someone with him, on the round-table area for teachers. When he approached, he was learnt it was AGENT JOE DICKSON of the counter-terrorist unit, having coffee with Tom Harris.

Peter was ‘not’ there, and they waited for him. They served the tweens juice-boxes.

Paul was uncomfortable with the agent as he had been questioned him before, asking about HIS WHEREABOUTS, prior to the school’s bombings.

Both the adults were talking about John Blake, the Mayor of Perth – until the one-armed Peter came running to the waiting ones, at the round-table.

“Sorry I’m late – my dunny-break... my #2…”

Once everyone settled, Principle Harris spoke…

“… Agent Dickson here is wanting to ask, a few-more question on the bombing-attacks on our school. All of you to be ‘truthful’… and you can speak freely about it, but most of all, please be respectful.”

Peter instantly was spiking negative – as he recalled the ex-cricket captain Bruce Bronson and Coach Metcalf at the gym locker-room yesterday… with on-the-face accusations. Jane and Paul felt the ‘hot-vibe’… and were sweating themselves.

The agent took out a portable-tape recorder while he formally introduced himself and said he wanted to do a preliminary questioning today, regarding the incident – and he would conduct a personal interview with them ‘individually,’ for another day.

Paul sighed with the thoughts of the-bigger-picture of Asmodeus was to walk on earth on Monday, and hope neither him or Jane would be a suspect-of-anything and get ‘caught’ as their statements were recorded on tape – and-also, hope Peter would ‘not’ screw it up too, as he has a tendency to be braggart – who blabber-out without thinking and he gets caught…

… as he himself HAD CAUGHT HIS TWIN BEFORE – when he said… something ABOUT ‘TALKING BICYCLES.’

So, Paul step-up… and asked the first question, before they were interviewed…

“Agent Dickson, are we ‘suspects’ here?

The agent pressed the button on tape-recorder and responded…

“… until I get every single detail, nobody is a suspect – but in the lights of National Security, we are taking this act of terrorism in Stamford High as a serious matter.”

Before long, Peter butt-in…

“Yeah, you finally-should – did you ‘work’ on my lead about my room-invasion, with some ill-intentioned hackers who broke in – and stole my personal-accounts in my tablet, and wiped my home's CCTV footage?”

“Yes, regarding your claim of hackers, Peter – we found no IP links from your device, to link with an outside 3rd party involvement… but we are working on that angle too.”

“Yes, my good-agent work on ‘that’ angle, so in the meantime, I have tennis to practice –before Monday’s playoffs for my selection into the school-district.”

The counter-terrorist agent stopped him, from leaving the table…

“Just a few questions more Peter Walker, since there is no evidence that we have on that virus video – which ‘all’ self-exploded – other-than, eye-witnesses accounts of the bombing on the canteen…

“… so, let me back-up the event here, by me asking – why did you both break-up?”

“Hey, that’s ‘personal,’ but anyways it is common-too, right – that even celebrities all around the globe to break-up, and all.”

It made him uncomfortable when his PFC brand was questioned, Peter wanted to just excuse himself out. Joe Dickson clarified his question…

“… what I’ve gathered is that – all you-3, was involved in the thick of every-events happening in school since you 3, WERE ‘ALSO’ INVOLVED IN THE ZOO CASE, and-right up then to this ‘recent’ canteen bombings. That was why, I would like to interview you all, PERSONALLY NEXT – and-I wished Alicia Wong was here too… because she ‘too’ was at the zoo, with your counsellor Ms Diane Walker.”

Paul was angry when Dickson mentioned his girlfriend in a coma – as she was a possible-suspect too. Before he spoke out, Principle Harris responded…

… by clarifying that he met ALICIA WHO WAS THERE at the Wilson when she heard that Jane’s brother was kidnapped. And, later she left with Ms King, and ended up at the zoo, with a hunch – that the kidnapped Samuel was over there.

After he heard that, Paul asked…

“Isn’t that zoo case, A SEPARATE CASE from the school-attacks…?”

“Yes-it is, sorry… if I had digressed a little…”

Peter butt-in into the agent’s response.

“Yes mate, stick to the ‘hackers’ angle… and please-work on that fast.”

Agent Dickson ignored him, and turned his attention on the quiet blind-girl…

“Miss Jane Walker, why did you, break-up with Peter?”

The one-armed Peter butt-in again, saying…

“Before you-Ms Little Sunshine her, let me set the record straight that we did ‘not’ break-up – but took a break from each other – everyone in Perth knows that PFC is ‘still’ together…”

The blind-girl, looked at the red-glow, seated on her left.

“Hey-Peter, please let me speak for myself – Agent Dickson-sir, I broke up with Peter because I have ‘no’ time for puppy-love – when it is already the final-school term… and my career-clock is ticking, and I want to totally ‘focus’ in my studies.”

Peter spoke out again, to back her reasons…

“See I told you right, we both took a break…to study…?”

Principle Harris spoke NEXT, TO SUPPORT his blind student's good initiative…

“Yes… Jane has been helping Peter, with his studies.”

But Agent Dickson grilled the blind girl further…

“You said your studies-clock is ticking but – but-you still agreed for a ‘timeout’ to play tennis… as his doubles partner?”

“Yes-Sir, I had promised him that, I would play as his mixed-doubles partner – to reward him for his progress in studies.”

The annoyed one-armed boy butt-in again…

“Agent-Joe, can you please ‘stop’ harassing her – and instead focusing on matters of ‘your’ investigation which is the phone-bombings, and ‘who’ are behind it, which are my ‘lead’ – those ‘hackers.’ They wiped out the proof-of-evidence in the CCTV footages when they broke into my house…”

The quiet-Paul was nervous, whenever the twin butt-in into the statement, on tape – Peter would be screwing-up further, with his blabbering-actions of interfering a lot.

He heard the agent chuckled… and he said…

“Funny right… only portions of the Walkers’ security video WERE ERASED ‘TWICE’ – with the trashing of your room…

“… and Paul’s entry into the house… WERE-BOTH ‘NOT’ THERE.”

PAUL DEFENDED HIMSELF when his name was mentioned...

“But-Agent, didn’t you ‘say’ to my mother, that the home-camera upstairs were faulty?”

“Yes-that too, and with all different brands of cameras in Perth going busted at the same time – the brand ‘Chubb’ in the Walkers, and also Stamford Highs’ ‘Amcrest’ and even went blank – the at Graylands asylum where the cameras of ‘Reolink-Argus’ brand were down too – and which resulted in Jim Hatcher, who had put Alicia in a coma – before-him jumping off the roof ledge… and his suicide too was ‘not’ recorded.”

… BOTH PAUL AND JANE froze in their seats, with the mention Graylands – as they were BOTH ‘THERE,’ AT THAT MOMENT, on that night. Paul hoped that the 3rd-floor Nurse Kim Campbell would ‘NOT’ GET INTO ANY TROUBLE… because she helped him, to access to Jimbo, a patient locked in the 2nd-floor.

He then heard Peter speaking again, like a comedian …

“So… what we have here, are cases of unreliable brands of CCTV cameras being marketed in Straya? Well, how about the different brands of phones too blowing-off like firecrackers? So, are we going to blame China for it, because all those brands were manufactured there, in the factory-of-the-world… because it was cheap child-labour, marketing strategy over there?”

Peter was alone, laughing silly… lap-slapping with his only arm… at his own joke.

Paul stared at his twin – every of Peter’s actions had ‘cursed’ consequence for him and Jane, ‘when’ each time he got into his schemes for his self-popularity.

He had felt guilty of himself that he ‘stopped’ fighting him and went submissive since Alicia went into her coma. He took in the ‘knee’ and bent to take his ‘fate’ as bad-luck…

… and been-passive, of enjoy-his-problem – till, so many coincidences were happening since – which were ‘now,’ suspicious-by-the-law.

His reveries broke, as he was in the line-of-fire again – when Dickson targeted him next…

“Paul, where were you at the time, of the canteen’s phone-bombs? “

“I was in the washroom…”

Peter butt-in…

“Yea, he was in the dunny.”

Paul snapped at his twin…

“Shut-up Peter, I’m giving my story here – I then heard… an explosion in the canteen and I went in and checked…”

Dickson cut-in…

“But I have some eye-witnesses saying that they saw you ‘both,’ outside the canteen before the ‘first’ bombing occurred – what were you both talking about because Peter was mad-at-that-time?”

Paul recalled, nodded and said…

“Yes, err…I remember I was there with him…. Peter just ‘broke-up’ with Jane – and he said, he was going back home.”

He had to lie…

… because Peter was still ‘hiding’ in the school-building, seeking his ‘revenge’ for the PFC’s break-up. It was when he surprised Dougie…

… when he was Sparta-kicked-him down the stairs of the 2nd floor…

... where he-himself from below, had to save the senior-boy from his certain death, that day.

“So, Peter you went straight home?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“So-Paul, you entered the canteen – before, or after the explosion?”

“Later – I got in, and saw blood everywhere with the cricket captain, Bruce Bronson injured and lying-hurt on the floor, with his team-mates sending him to the Infirmary – and, with someone from his team running over-behind… with the severed thumb.

“Then a 2nd explosion happened – and another senior boy was injured – and someone shouted ‘not’ to use their cellphones – because of the exploding batteries.”

Agent Dickson was quiet… as he looked at his black-note-book and found Paul Walker’s statement ‘tallied’ – but he was baffled WHEN THE CANTEEN’S CCTV had hauntingly ‘not’ recorded, the 2 phone-bombings.

Peter Walker was back, telling his ‘story’…

“Yea, when I got home, and I saw my room had been broken-in and my iPad account too – but Agent Dickson, are we going into a round-loop here – now, you-here dismissed the possibility of hackers-theory…?”

The counter-terrorist agent did ‘not’ reply him – WHEN HE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE Peter and Janes’ BREAK-UP-VIDEO – where even the bomb-squad were also baffled when they failed to open a single file of the PFC-break-up video – which ‘exploded’ on-at them, when they-did.

Every law enforcement agency, that was involved in the terrorist-attack of Stamford High… were mystified of the occurrence of this one-video ‘virus’…

… which was too sophisticated, and a ‘one’ of a kind...

… Jane’s phone rang, it was her mom who was picking her up, from school. Agent Joe Dickson ended his investigation inquires and told he would call on the trio, for individual face-time… if necessary.

… Principle Harris thanked them, and excused the tweens, from the round-table.

<>

THE CURSED-TRIO WALKED OUT AT the closed door of the canteen, with one-armed Peter badmouthing…. Paul sighed, and wheelchaired away from his toxic-twin. So, Peter turned to Jane…

“You saw how that Dickson was trying to ‘trap’ us in there, Janey – he’s a bloody-dick!”

They then noticed it was pouring rain outside with flashes of lightning and loud thunders. Blind-Jane was worried about getting her AI Boyyo device wet, and with her mother waiting… at the SHS’ parking bay outside.

They saw 4 students who were drenched, in their sports-gear, rushing in through the side-entrance door – it was Douglas Zimmerman, Zoe Williams and the 2 reserve-players -- Bella Beaulieu and Jamil Hassan.

… Zoe and the others were headed out to the changing room… while Dougie came forward when he saw Peter and Jane.

Peter acknowledged him.

“Hey-Doug, it’s raining cats and dogs – I wonder we would have a-play-off this Monday.”

“Yeah, I think so too, but anyway, Coach Jonah would still ‘play’ us all, come rain or shine because he needs to submit the qualifier-names by next Tuesday.” Replied Douglas while wiping his blond hair with a small hand-towel… and was noticing Jane.

“Hi, Jane.”

“Hi-Doug, do you happen to have a brolly? My mother is waiting for me outside?”

“Yeah, I have one in my locker… hey, I heard you went swimming at the club-pool last Sunday. Will you be coming to tennis, this Saturday?”

“Depends on the weather, I guess.” Said Jane.

Peter overheard, and he responded…

“Whoa…! Are you practising tennis together? How-is that when the club had burnt down in that Perth Great Fire…?”

“That’s the old club… but Dr Wilson joined the Mayor’s new club – the John Blake Country-club… and last Saturday, Jane here had her first lesson. My parents have a membership in that club too… where Coach Connery is now working there…

“Hey, Peter… you should join us too.”

The one-armed tween thought a bit and declined his offer.

“Nah, I don’t think so… I’m ‘not’ a country-club material.”

“Dougie… my mother is waiting.” The blind-girl hurried him.

Douglas said bye to Peter – BUT ‘NOT’ JANEY… who was-more in mind, with borrowing Doug’s umbrella. Peter saw her walking away, with his-tennis ‘rival’…

… Jane had ‘not’ been honest…

… and didn’t tell him that she was training behind his back, at the bloody-Mayor-John-Blake Country-club…

… she’s ‘not’ loyal too…

… and does ‘not’ share with him, ANYTHING SINCE THE PFC BREAK-UP – which he was trying his best ‘alone,’ to cloak the backstabbing-news of ‘their’ brand – from the fans of Perth.

He scoffed…

‘What are you doing, blind-school…?’

-O-

Dr Shelley Wilson was waiting for her daughter in her Mazda SUV, and she got a voice-text from her B-girl, that she was on-the-way. The mother took her brolly… and exited the car, and walked to the entrance of the school, in the stormy weather.

Shelley saw some students were hanging around the foyer, waiting-out-the-rain. Jane was ‘not’ there, and the doctor-mother waited for her daughter while fiddling her Huawei… for her Facebook updates and notifications.

She looked up and saw 2 blond-haired students afar, coming on the hallway. The mother had a sudden bitter-sweet thought…

If Douglas Zimmerman and her B-girl – wherein a different ‘world’ where, if her blind-daughter could ‘see’ – they would make a ‘perfect’ couple – and be-more-popular … than the current-PFC.

“Hey-Jane, your mother is here, waiting at the foyer.”

“Is it?”

Jane was in her blind-girl-mode, using her walking stick – as she had ‘packed’ her Boyyo-safe in her backpack, fearing the-devise would ‘malfunction,’ wet in the rain… like how SIMY did before, in the field trip.

Both Douglas and Shelley exchanged pleasantries, Jane then spoke.

“Guess, I won’t be needing your brolly, Dougie – sorry and thanks, by-the-way.”

“The pleasure was all-mine, walking you over – HOPE TO SEE YOU, at the club this Saturday.”

Jane didn’t respond and she simply grinned back. Shelley saw Douglas excusing himself – and walked back on the hallway.

“I think that Zimmerman-boy is ‘into’ you.”

The B-girl hissed…

“Seriously-come-on Mummy – he’s just a friend… I don’t have the time, nor the energy for anything else… other than to-focus on my finals.”

-O-

Both the mother and daughter stepped into the rain, as they walked to their car. Inside the cabin, blind-Jane suggested…

“Mummy, can we visit Alicia – the hospital is just, on the way?”

“Are you kidding… in this weather? What about your menses-cramps…? WE’LL GO TOMORROW!”

“Please Mummy, I would ‘not’ have the time other than today… because my weekend would be jam-packed studying – and, on Monday, I would have the play-offs… please, Mummy, we go visit today.”

Silently Shelley shook her head… and stated the motor-car ignition.

<>

THE CUBE OF APOLLO WAS TRAVELLING fast…

… into the vein, of the subconscious of the Universe.

Inside the portal were 2 demons and a goddess-deity – where the trio had just escaped Mayhem of Kampuchea – where hordes of Asmodeus’ demon-army had attacked the SeeIn temple…

… and annihilating the resident-monks, who defended their lives to protect the sacred sanctum.

For hours…

…. Mercury had been meditating, in-total stillness on the floor, since he entered the mystical-doorway, after the court-yard-battleground. Venus-too…

… was in silent and was praying to her god-Apollo…

… leaving her mate the Man-lion bored.

-O-

But-Leo was still mad and angry that he was taken out of his comfort zone, in the Underworld since the moment – the ‘trouble-maker’ Mercury who-showed up AT HIS DOORSTEP – with an in-betweener, Paul Walker…

… since then… he and his mate were HUNTED TOO BY ASMODEUS… for conspiring in the treason.

Leeu was told by his mate, that Mercury was in his state of enlightenment when he was at the temple – but the lion thought he was ‘faking’ himself with some eastern philosophy – and so, he put him to ‘test’ by shouting profanities into the demon’s ears, so to stir a ‘reaction’... where they WOULD END-UP finishing their unresolved battle, from the court-yard earlier.

But the man-lion failed with Mercury, who was Buddha-still in his focus.

Being unsecured and suspicious that-his Venus, was in a love-triangle in the trio – the lion put the Red-demon to further ‘test,’ to spark a fit of anger so that they both can face-off. His attempts of seducing Venus, and even to the extent of copulating the beauty in front of him – but all his efforts failed and… did ‘not’ stir Mercury, from his deep-deep meditation…

… into his dream-in-a-dream state…

-O-

… Mercury’s aura ran in the desert sand of Egypt with his flaming sword, in his only-hand. He had been RUNNING FOR HOURS, under the scorching sun. The heat did ‘not’ bother him, as he had been in hotter place in the Underworld, called Purgatory…

At the top of the dune, the horned Red-demon saw ‘what’ he WAS looking for below. Smacked in the middle of nowhere was the tall, dark tower – where Asmodeus had stashed the blood-vial of Peter Walker for his rejuvenation…

… when he would walk the earth, in Perth in-next 3 days…

… when the blood-moon was the highest, in the Sphinx.

The ancient pylon was only a mile away, but it went further and further away, as the Red-demon ran towards it. Mercury was panting in exhaustion… and stopped and cursed the tower, when he realised, he was racing in a loop...

It was ‘not’ easy to reach the last-mile when Asmodeus had put a dark-magic spell on it for protection – from thieves like him…

… who he himself was once a cattle-thief… when he was a Roman-god in Olympus.

The one-armed Mercury gave-up and turned back ‘home.’ He was walking back tired and hungry, crossing dunes after dunes in the sunset. He chanced upon a sleeping big grey-dog, in the middle desert. It was lying-still in the sand… with it into its own-dream world-state.

His hunting instinct and skills kicked in, and he wanted to trap the dog – and kill it and eat it.

As he approached the furry animal with caution – Piper’s eyes were wide-open and stood in its feet instantly, barking and growled-deep at the predator-inhuman, who loomed closer. Piper barked for the immortal-demon to stay away – but Mercury went ahead to deliver a fatal slash, with his burning sword. The dog cleverly avoided his welding blade, before it leapt forward and bit-onto Mercury’s only arm.

The flaming sword fell on the sand.

Mercury was struggling with the vertical-canine, which bit-on steadfast into his only arm. He tried to shake it off, by a swing back and forth like a rocking pendulum – but the stubborn-mutt wouldn’t let go… with its teeth sunk-in deeper. The Red-demon then kicked the dog, in its ribcage… and finally in the groins…

… the dog fell into the sands, yelping about in pain…

Mercury saw its eyes were gradually glowing in red – and, behold the creature WAS transforming into another ‘being’ right before his eyes. It was transforming man-like…

… and grew bigger, until into a state of A GREY-FURRED WEREWOLF.

Mercury had seen some other werewolves before in the Underworld, which were dark-furred – and those hybreed creatures of men-with-wolves were a prized ‘catch’ by demons over there – where they were pitted in blood-sports, where bets were placed…

… in caged-battles to the death… with gladiator-demons.

There was even a running-joke, over at the Underworld about-the hybreed, and to spite the Creator, that…

… spelling d-o-g in-reverse… was the name of the Creator himself.

Mercury had ‘not’ seen a grey-furred werewolf before – but his admiration was short-lived… when the hybreed-creature pounced at him. They both fell on the sand, rolling off the dune. Mercury clutched with the creature’s fanged jaw with his only hand… while the Man-wolf was also choking, the throat of the Red-demon.

The demon necked-up to bite on the right ear of the hybreed… while also kneed-hard, into the Wolf-man’s ribcage until it pained it. They were both separated… but in close-range for a 2nd-attacking.

The werewolf growled out words…

“I know you demon – you are Mercury, the soul-carrier god, a bridge of 2 worlds – the upper and lower realms…

“… But I’M WARNING YOU, Mercury, you keep your boundaries away from Maggie Wong – if you or your-Fu-dogs come anywhere close to her, I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!!”

After the stern warning, the Wolf-man ran on four, as it raced away in the sands… towards the horizon of the sunset. The baffled Red-demon shouted at it…

“Oii-who is this Maggie Wong!!??? IS SHE A GOD!!???”

He got no response, from the diminishing-hybreed… running-away into the horizon….

… the confused, Mercury turned back and walked ‘home’ alone.

<>

THE MAZDA SUV ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL, in the rain. Shelley held the umbrella over her blind-daughter when they both entered the main-entrance. It was a busy time where everyone-there was like working-ants, in their own world, active in their given task.

They both walked into an internal 10-meter tunnel, heading towards the other side of the building, where the elevators were. Jane felt weak and sick in the tunnel…

… as the blind-girl in her walking-cane was hearing indistinct CRIES OF HELP… OF SOMEONE-IN-DANGER – and it was the ‘voice’ of her BFF in deep-coma, Alicia Wong.

“Ali! Where are you…? I’m coming!”

… Shelley heard her B-girl shouting out… as she bolted away, before she dropped down, and fainted at the mouth of the tunnel. The mother along with some nurses-staff recuperated Jane, who was still drowsy.

After a brief check-up by a doctor… and resting on the hospital bed, for an hour – Shelley drove her ill-daughter back home.

-O-

Paul Walker was beside Alicia’s bedside – when Jane fainted at the ground-level of the hospital. He felt a slight disturbance of an aura, but dismissed it… because-Jane had ‘issues’ with her mother ‘before’…

… and it would frequently ‘send’ negative mixed-signals.

…just now… he had rushed to the hospital in the rain after the session inquires of the phone-bombs in the canteen conducted by Agent Joe Dickson. When he was picked by Uber driver-Gary earlier at Stamford High, HE SAW DR WILSON’s blue Mazda arriving, while he was leaving.

He didn’t think Jane would come to the hospital, because of the bad weather… where-he too was in a mad-rush when coming over, that he had forgotten… to buy his girlfriend any flowers.

His thoughts were muddled when he was ‘not’ here, with his comatose-partner – nor was there…

… when mind-juggling between being a ‘suspect’ in the school’s bombing-investigation and…

… with of the demon All-Father Asmodeus who would be arriving in 3 days-time… by living and breathing, in the ‘vessel’…

… of his possessed-twin’s body.

‘Mercury, WHERE ARE you…?