The Flea Bites

Alpha, Nancy & Songmark Characters Copyright Mr. Simon Barber

Used with Permission

Alpha Rote carefully wiped her pen of any remaining ink, laying it aside with the care of one who knew well the value of such things. Leaning down she kissed the paper before her, leaving behind the unique form of shrew lips on the paper in a pale shade of lipstick. Her roomate and friend Katrina Schmidt had introduced her to lipstick a few days ago, discovering it left behind a fairly indelible mark had given the shrew this idea. Raising her head she studied the letter, smiled and reached out to fold the expensive paper.

“Not yet child” Katrina’s voice warned her from her own bed. Pausing her action Alpha waited for the marsh rabbit to explain. “You must understand my dear” Katrina continued. “Lipstick often smears so it is best in such cases to protect it until your letter reaches our dear Nancy.”

Bringing her own letter box over, an odd contraption Alpha noted. One that the Southern raised woman called a writing slope Katrina opened it. Lifting an ornately embellished little lid Katrina removed a cut square of the thinnest paper Alpha had ever seen. “Here my dear. Place this over your kiss, it will protect it until your squirrel has time to taste it herself.”

Accepting the paper Alpha held it up to the light. It had no weight, was almost perfectly transparent yet seemed sturdy. “Is what?” she asked, as she placed it over her kiss. It easily slid away.

“Tengujou-shi” Katrina explained. “Fathers company imports it from Cipangu. You may know the country by its base name of Japan. It is I am afraid very expensive, quite delicate in large sheets still it has such interesting uses.” She closed her writing slope. “Such as this.” With a smile she pulled the letter to her, lifted the slip of paper and adding her own, fuller kiss in dark red next to and barely overlapping Alphas. “You must breath on this paper for it to stay child. Like so.” Breathing slowly, with her mouth close to the thin square Katrina then laid it over the two kisses. This time it stayed in place. “Now that you know you will be able to do this yourself. I will ask father send a writing slope for you next month, I do believe that you would find it quite useful.” Sliding the letter back to Alpha Katrina returned her slope to its place, settling down to continue reading her mothers latest letter from home. All with a strange smile on her lips, though the shrew was unaware Katrina had just officially declared her intentions to take Alpha away from Nancy.

Alpha closed her letter, slipping it into a previously addressed and stamped envelope then she sat the sealed envelope upon the desk. Songmark had no official postal box for letters to be dropped. Yet any properly addressed and stamped envelope or package left on a desk vanished during breakfast. As far as the Cranium island girl was aware every letter that she had left had ended up in Nancy’s paws the next morning. Unopened. Because of her own lack of social skills, Katrina’s odd action confused her but there was little time left and none to rewrite her letter. With a yawn she stood to ready herself for bed. Lights out would be in a few minutes, best to be ready than to lose more points.

“Ladies” Miss Devinski’s voice called from the doorway. Almost instantly all four girls dove for their ready packs even before standing to attention. “Very good. You are beginning to learn something of value. You may replace those packs if you so desire. I assure you that you will not need them this time.”

No one replaced their packs. Not after the boating disaster, in truth, no one moved.

“Even better. Still. As I said, you will not need them. Replace them before leaving this room, or lose them as you step out. Replacing them would take some time wouldn’t it. Tonight you will be guarding the schools hanger from saboteurs. For this you will be issued wooden knives, wooden cap guns and soft blackjacks. You will be attacked by who knows whom. Perhaps other first years, second years, third years or...” She leered at Megan. “Nikki herself hunting new toys to train.”

“Nikki” the Martin gasped. Nikki’s reputation had reached her by word of mouth. She had just this afternoon outside class admitted to Elizabeth that she would rather be captured by blood thirsty cannibals then parboiled alive and eaten rather than captured by anyone like that mare. Being eaten as dinner was preferable to her than being eaten... She had abruptly blushed so deeply that she’d changed colors for a few moments.

“Yes Megan dear. I understand that she has been eyeing another first year though we are unsure as to which one. We do lose one each year to her for a few days. Still that is the price students pay for sleeping on guard duty. Sometimes she returns them, sometimes not. It truly isn’t that hard a life my dear, why look at the two women who serve her now. They are quite happy with their lives and Malou certainly was as male loving as you my dear. At first. So unless you want to discover how she does this I most strongly suggest that you do not fall asleep on duty again. You have three minutes to dress ladies then come with me please.”

Several really boring hours later Elizabeth placed a paw on the ‘strategic aircraft’ they were guarding. “Wha is this thin anyway” she asked.

“French design” Alpha answered, watching the rafters high above them. A shadow had caught her attention earlier. Could they be attacked from above? It was the way many Cranium monsters hunted. “Flying Flea. Meant for popular market. Very unstable. Belongs to third year student.”

“Madelene X?” Elizabeth asked. “Be lik ah frog tah bring a pile o’ junk like this with ‘er.”

“Do not know” Alpha admitted. Yes, there had been movement in the rafters. Swinging her wooden gun up she checked that her primer cap was still within the firing device. It would not cause anything more than a sharp crack but if she did fire it she was certain that someone was watching to mark if she hit or missed. “Something in rafters” she continued in a much softer voice.

Quickly her friends looked up. Almost at the same moment, realizing that their position had been spotted, four figures fell from the sky. Alpha’s ‘rifle’ went off with a sharp crack, followed by her friends makeshift weapons. A second later a whistle screamed through the hanger along with the word halt. All eight figures ceased movement as though frozen.

Miss Devinski strode in, stopping between the two groups. She turned, pointing at two first year girls. “You are dead” she announced to one. “You have a horribly painful stomach wound” she told the other. Turning back to Alpha’s dorm she walked to Megan. “You cannot hurt anyone but yourself by shooting your own foot. You are now badly injured. Lay down, scream if you desire.” Walking away she blew her whistle again. “Continue.”

Before she could drop her rifle to grab her knife Alpha found herself in the air. A rather surprisingly fast meerkat had simply leapt between her legs, spinning her body so as to throw the shrew off balance. Her balance lost Alpha crashed into Elizabeth, both falling to the ground. Alpha though slammed into the little aircraft, smashing her skull against something sharp. Pain flared through her mind like a fireball causing her to lose contact with the universe for a few seconds.

Katrina though simply reversed her grip on her rifle and swung hard at the platinum tressed cougar that was attacking her. Much to the rabbits concern the cougar simply captured her rifle in one paw, then ripped it from the rabbits grasp while still moving forward, a wooden blade in her paw. As the two closed into a tight embrace the cougar said something and Katrina simply slumped, falling unmoving to the floor.

By then both Alpha and Elizabeth had risen. Alpha still pain crazed screamed something and the meerkat simply fell as though poleaxed. She turned to face the cougar but found that wooden blade at her neck. “To the spine” the other girl whispered before spinning away. Accepting that she had lost, and really not wishing to more than curl up in a ball with her pain Alpha sat down, not even watching as Elizabeth faced off with that madfur. Moments later she was laying curled into a fetal ball, both paws gripping her head.

Elizabeth though knew that she was outclassed. That cougar had fought before, from her eyes the nutra could tell she had killed before. ‘Thank God this is only an exercise’ she thought as her own wooden blade slammed against the cougars.

Both blades shattered to splinters. Elizabeth reached for her sand loaded sap in response. Unfortunately for her the cougar simply continued in. When she felt fangs around her throat Elizabeth surrendered. Theoretically her throat had just been ripped out. Dropping her sap she too sat down, watching while the cougar calmly placed wooden blocks with the word bomb on them about the aircraft, then went to check her friends. Again a whistle screamed.

Walking between the two groups Miss Devinski knelt to check the meerkat. “Release her Alpha” she ordered.

“Not know how” the shrew admitted from her curled position. The universe was trying to rip her skull apart and she simply could not begin to think. Her eyes wouldn’t focus, what she could see was a murky grey color while at the same time her stomach wanted to revolt.

“Lucy, you and your two dormmates go tell Miss Windlesham that I need a priestess. Now.” Quickly the three girls ran off, while Miss Devinski made her unconscious student as comfortable as she could. “Alpha Rote” she called in that ash dead voice she rarely used. “If ever again you do this to one of my students I will carve your heart out and eat it myself. Raw, while your Nancy watches, then feed your liver to her before I cut her throat as well is this perfectly clear?”

“Yes Miss Devinski. Please. Was frightened. Was accident” Alpha tried to explain, even though every word ripped her brain apart.

“Miss Devinski?” Elizabeth asked.

“I don’t know. Her eyes are rolled up, she’s barely breathing.”

”Miss Devinski” Elizabeth continued. “Alpha is bleeding awful bad. Head wound.”

Leaving her first student to Megan’s gentle care the hound approached Alpha. It took her only a moments examination to discover the truth. Ripping off her own blouse the hound folded it, then pressed it against the wound. Looking up at Elizabeth and Katrina she made her decision. Movement in such cases was not suggested, but remaining her on this cold concrete would be even worse. “Get her to Mrs. Oelabe quickly. Both of you. Megan and I will stay with Damilola until a Priestess arrives. Hurry, that is a very bad wound.”

First lead by her friends, Alpha staggered out of the hanger, wondering what was wrong and wishing for something to stop the pain. Anything. Sometime in the journey the shrew lost the battle with her stomach. A few minutes later she fell to the ground, dry retching and useless.

To wake in the cleanest environment she had ever been in. It was daylight now, she could smell chemicals used to sterilize things. So, they had experimented upon her after all. ‘I wonder how they changed me’ she thought. Laying still was the best option she knew. Whatever had been done to her it would take some time to fully integrate with her body so any movement could ruin the experiment.

Eventually a female otter entered her room. “Good aftrenoon Mrs Rote” she said in greeting. “I am Doctor Riverstone. Annette Riverstone. How do you feel?”

“Skull hurts” Alpha reported, shifting into the perfect assistant subject reporting to her master. “Sounds muted, like through three layers of gauze. Everything slightly out of focus.”

“I see.” Lifting the thin blanket off Alpha’s feet she studied them, pinching both for reaction. “Please move the toes of your right foot. Now your left. Very good.” Covering Alpha’s feet again she moved to Alpha’s head. Taking out a small flashlamp she shined it into both of Alpha’s eyes. “Slight concessive effects remain. At least another days observation, turn your head to the left very slowly please.”

Alpha complied, feeling a thick lump move as she did. Brain surgery of course. They would want to know how her brain was different than Nancy’s but why leave her alive? Why not simply dissect her brain, or keep it alive in a tank for further study like Doctor Pierpont did. It was after all the normal routine. A tugging informed her that the wadding had been removed. So, they had implanted something in her skull. That was it she thought. She wondered how much brain material they had to remove to implant their device and how long it would take her to relearn whatever was lost.

“Very good. No sign of infection. I think that you will end up with a perfectly dreadful scar. Look at me please.”

Alpha turned her head again, now aware of where that ache in her skull came from.

“Any questions” the otter asked.

“What experiment was done to me” Alpha asked, honestly interested in what had been done to her.

“Experiment? Oh, yes your from Cranium Island. I was warned, but honestly Mrs. Rote I am a medical doctor. I heal the living I don’t experiment upon them. True, a section of bone had been cracked, Doctor Kiwi and I cleaned the injured area then carefully sewed your scalp back into place. You have seventeen stitches in the back of your scalp which is why you happen to be well, partially bald at the moment. Don’t worry child Your hair will grow back. In fact, within limits you may return to class in two days.”

“I am not experimental animal” Alpha asked. It stunned her, why had she been so injured back home her own mother would probably have already have performed several experiments upon her. Head wounds cost intelligence. Lose enough intelligence and you were no longer useful for anything else even if it were your own mother making the decision.

“Mrs Rote if you want to be an experimental animal I am afraid that I cannot aid you. I heal, I do not do those other things. Now considering your current condition I will only allow you one visitor. I believe that you should be upon your best behavior, for she is very unhappy with you. Sleep is what you really need.” With that the otter left.

A moment later a middle aged feline walked it. It was no one Alpha had seen before and from the symbols combed in her fur, certainly not a Songmark student. She closed the door behind her, then turned to the bed ridden shrew. “I am Yessica, have you any idea what you did to your fellow student” she asked. Her voice the shrew noted was not polite.

“Make stop moving” Alpha admitted. “Head injured. Not able remember how to release. Mistake.”

“A simple mistake then, I thought not intentional” the feline admitted. She pulled the rooms stool over, settling down before talking further. “I did enter your dreams while you did sleep. Truly, you do not understand what you did. She will live but she has been shaken.”

“Shaken?” Alpha asked. “Please. I not understand what you talk about.”

“The young meerkat student you bound. It took great effort to unbind her. You have great potential Alpha Rote but you much missused what little that you know. You bruised her spirit, that is always a bad thing to do. She will recover yes, but she has been touched by the dark ones now. It will take some effort to fully release her from their touch. Weeks of work. Truly had I found that you were aware of what you did you would never have woken. Alpha Rote. You were used.”

“I not understand what you mean” Alpha complained. “Please specify data.”

“Very well Mrs. Rote. In my world there are many paths. One, the one which you seem to desire to walk, leads to darkness. Things that should never be woken. I have been informed by the Great Mother that you have attempted to call upon them many times. You have caused some problems, though not enough to endanger anyone. Two days ago you called for a person to be stilled. Thank your soul that whatever answered you took stilled to mean physically stopped not killed. Mrs. Rote you claim to be a Scientist. If that is the truth may I ask where your knowledge of these ways comes from.”

“Mothers book” Alpha answered. “She gave me copy, it is her path, her Gods. She wishes me to follow same path. I preferred science but things inside are interesting. So I study. Two days?”

“Yes, you have been asleep for two days. Friday morning through Saturday, now this is Sunday. Your wife has been here twice though she is restricted she has managed this successfully in both cases. I am aware that she was not officially caught either time. She must love you a great deal to chance your instructors wrath.”

“Nancy is beautiful” Alpha admitted. “What now, I will be fed to animals or plants.”

“Mrs. Rote you much misunderstand us. Your mistakes are those of a self taught beginner. Now that we are aware that there is no desired darkness within your soul all that occurs is a warning. Beware little Scientist. What you play with will eat you or one you love if you are not careful. Should you desire guidance there are many who will grant it, but that book must not be opened again without great care. What is within it is deadly dangerous to all near it. The day after tomorrow you will return to classes. I am told that your injury will not allow you stressful situations for a week. I suggest that you accept this week as a learning experience. It could just as easily have ended with a death, or nine.”

“Understand. Gold protocols” Alpha agreed. “My thanks for honesty.”

Standing the Priestess abruptly walked out without a further word. It wasn’t until later that Alpha realized that she had just missed a chance to ask for training. Upset with herself she only managed to make her headache worse. Finally she closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep. Nancy waited for her in her sleep.

“As you can see you made quite a mess” Miss Devinski told Alpha late the second day. “You are assigned lightest duty until Doctor Riverstone releases you. This Little Mrs Rote, barely allows you to remain a member of our school. I trust that you will have no further accidents?”

“No Mam” Alpha agreed.

“And that you will use no more of your powers against fellow students unless you are fully certain that you are able to reverse what you do?”

“Yes Miss Devinski.”

Miss Devinski studied the little shrew before her. Had she not been given a full bill of health from the local priestess Alpha would never have been allowed back on Songmark soil. Her injury though had almost been her ticket out, it had been a bad one. Apparently though on Cranium Island reinforced concrete skulls were part and parcel of surviving to majorityship. Not for the last time Miss Devinski wondered if accepting this crazy female had been the right idea. Still an awful lot of wine had been absorbed that night and the coin had fallen in Alpha’s favor. There were always reasons for such things she had learned. Lightly she tapped a waiting bucket of soapy water with one foot.

“As you can see you left a great deal of blood both on Lady Allwothy’s aircraft and upon this hangers concrete floor. You have until sunup to clean this completely. You will be graded, assume that if it is not cleaned fully some creature from your homeland will find this trail at sunup, what that would mean to your loves future.” Walking to the door Miss Devinski paused only a moment before leaving. “Both of them.”

Alpha knelt down carefully as the world still tended to spin what she moved too fast. There was an awful lot of blood on the concrete she had to admit. Selecting a brush she dipped it in the cold soapy water, turning her attention to the Flea’s rudder where her head had impacted it originally. There was even some dried tissue on a projecting bit of metal. Her instructor was right there were creatures that would, once tasting this hunt her for life just to fill their stomachs with her body, and any other bodies with her. Or whatever they used for stomachs. She was scrubbing the concrete when Miss Devinski’s last words hit her.

“Both of them?” the shrew gasped, looking towards that closed doorway. “Oh Great Tesla no, she knows about Katrina too.”