Stone Cold Revenge, Hugs.And.Kisses [bill gates books recommendations TXT] 📗

few drops fall onto Shock's stony smile.

The first thing Shock felt was warmth. Beautiful, enveloping, caressing warmth. In her cold absolute prison the warmth was pure heaven. Maybe that was it, the potion hadn't worked. It had really killed her. She was free. No, that wasn't it. Her body was still stiff and unmovable. She wasn't moving toward the warmth, it was coming toward her.

Somehow, impossibly, she opened her eyes.

First there was darkness, but it lightened, she was in a darkened room. The light slipping from under the door she was standing in front of. Shock still couldn't move. But light was on the other side, she wanted that light. There was only one thing she could think of, so with all her mind power she willed the door open with her thoughts. Slowly the door opened with a familiar and welcoming creak. Soft morning light filled her eyes.

When Shock's eyes adjusted, she found herself in a very small and very familiar kitchen. A low hum emitted from the refrigerator on the far wall next to the shelf full of spices stuffed in the corner. Above the shelf was mounted a tiny television, off right now but on when the Spanish novelas came on later. Just in front of that entire wall was a wooden table with only room for three chairs since one end of the table was squashed against the other wall and buried under a pile of kitchen stuff like napkins, condiments, and an odd looking glass and water thermometer. In front of Shock herself stood the water cooler and counter top with the ancient and seldom used microwave. On the wall hung one of the eighteen clocks in the house, her favorite one too, the one that played a little tune every hour. Next to her was the corner counter top with the small sink with freshly washed dishes drying on the left half. Above both the counter tops white cabinets, Shock knew, contained all the dishes, glasses and assortment of sippy-cups. The smell of bacon and beans wafted through the air from the small stove.

In front of that stove was her grandmother.

Who had died before Shock did.

Grandma was a short, unassuming woman with laugh lines creasing her face. Her hair was the reddish color that only comes from dye. She wore generic clothes with plain unnoticeable colors, a t-shirt with kapris that went well past her knees, and an old and lovingly worn down red checkered apron. As Shock stood there in awe her grandma had been paying attention to her stove top.

Slowly her grandmother turned to Shock, "Good morning mi amour. Ready for breakfast I see."

After a moment of dumbfoundment, Shock again realized she couldn't move. Her grandmother gave her a half smile, an angelic cousin of Shock's grin of mischief. Grandma shuffled over to her astonished granddaughter. It was then that Shock noticed something else, she was six-years-old again. In a flash her grandmother spirited her over to the table and helped her sit down. Before she knew it a bowl of beans and a plate piled high full of bacon sat in front of her; a sippy-cup full of chocolate milk stood to the side, no lid of course, she was too big for that.

One look at that plate of comfort food and all her mobility was restored. Shock dug into the most wonderful breakfast she had in eleven years. Her grandmother had made this same breakfast for her every day when she was little. Every morning Shock's father would wake her up super early and drop her off here before he went to work. She would be so tired that she would always sleep on the couch until breakfast was ready.

When the plate was done, a knock came from the door between the table and the stove. No one ever used the front door, mostly because it was inside a decorative security cage and Grandpa's favorite recliner stood in front of it. It was usually a friend of Grandma. She was always so kind; people around the neighbor hood would drop by and talk to her. Sometimes they would bring their kids and Shock would play with them in the backyard amongst the beautiful plants, the big tree in the middle of the yard, and the big bird cage with a dozen little parakeets flying around inside.

Grandma went and opened the door. A radiant woman stepped into the kitchen, in her arms was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was a soul, it had to be, it couldn't possibly be anything else. A brand new straight-out-of-heaven soul wrapped in golden light. The woman held it in her arms like a baby.

"Lucy," Grandma greeted her with a half hug and a smile, "So good of you to come."

"And miss the chance to meet the grand-daughter you keep going on about?" Lucy smiled in return, "Not a chance."

Lucy turned her gaze to Shock, "So nice to finally meet you, though I had prayed for better circumstances than this."

Shock could barely hear her, how could she? How could anyone talk so plainly when such a thing as a new soul existed in the universe?

Lucy followed Shocks stare and smiled, the guest reached down to the soul and shifted some of the radiating light around it to shield the soul from sight. Shock was immediately struck with the sense of loss, but it was brief, soon she found herself coming back to her senses. Grandma and her friend seated themselves on either side of Shock and waited for her to completely come around.

The silence was first broken by the guest, "I'm sorry Shock, I forgot how mesmerizing a new soul could be to others."

Shock nodded dumbly and motioned her to continue, not trusting herself to attempt to speak.

"There's been some debate over this little one, what she'll look like, how will she behave, who will be her soul mate. We've been buzzing about it for the longest time; at long last she's almost ready to go."

By now Shock had completely regained her sanity to ask, "We… where…? Am…I… am I…?"

"Oh! No, no, dear your not dead… at least not any more than before," her Grandma consoled, "You're just in a transition, when you awaken everything will be right again."

Shock sighed in relief, but a more pressing question had been bugging her, "Why am I here?"

Her grandmother and Lucy exchanged knowing looks. Gently, Shock's grandma reached over and took her hand, "We've come to deliver a message."

"A message?"

"First, take care of your sister, no matter what it takes. Secondly, I'm afraid there are troubled times ahead of you my dear. You and your family will be tested in ways they never have been before. Many things will stand in your way and the way you respond to them will determine whether…"

"Whether what?"

"…Whether all of your family will all be there at the end of it."

"…What?"

"I don't mean to scare you dear, but you have to be prepared for whatever comes next. Whether it's a fight with a friend, a war with an enemy… or adopting a few children."

"Y-you know?"

"Yes," Lucy responded, "Your parents are very proud of your decision; they know that couldn't have been a very easy choice to make."

Choking back a sudden urge to cry, Shock asked her grandma, "My parents, are they here?"

"No, mi amour. They couldn't come, too new you see, don't know all the tips and tricks it takes to be one of us just yet. Please understand that they wanted to come so badly, but they simply couldn't handle the trip down. No need to look so sad, you will see them again in time. Speaking of which…"

The clock struck the hour, a merry little tune begun to play.

And reality began to fall away.

No, not reality, the illusion, she was being thrown back to reality. The walls of the room began to ripple like waves. The small safe kitchen that she had known and loved was starting to disappear.

"NO!" Shock yelled as she jumped from her vanishing seat, she hugged her grandma tightly, "I don't want to leave!"

"You have to mi amour, it's time," Shock's grandmother cooed.

"No, it isn't fair! You weren't supposed to die. Your heart problems weren't that serious, nothing justified your heart just giving out like that. One day I'm here with you and the next my parents tell me I won't see you again. It's not fair..."

"I know my dear, it doesn't seem fair. But look at it this way; I don't have to be in that pain anymore. And I'll tell you something; this place will always be waiting for your return. When your time comes, we will both be here."

The little tune was almost at the end, the kitchen a complete blur. The only clarity was in her grandma, Lucy, and the little life in her arms.

Shock dried her tears and glanced over at Lucy. There was one last thing she needed to know.

"What's her name?"

The angel whispered it into her ear.


Back From The Brink

Chapter 12 Back From the Brink

It was cold again.

Not the dead freezing cold that the dark void provided, just cold. Familiar, living, breathable, cold.

It was bright too.

Not radiant light that heaven was made of, just bright. The dull, colored light that she had come to know and love.

Love.

Shocks eyes opened, she found herself in a familiar position. Very close to Lock's chest and looking up at his face.

"Hi," Shock was able to squeak out.

"Hi," Lock gasped, relief so powerful that he could have collapsed if he hadn't been holding her up.

"We really need to stop meeting like this."

"Huh, I was just getting use to it."

A flash of green light pulled the two's attention away from each other. Medusa withdrew her hand from what used to be the throat of Vincent the mad scientist. Now, it was the throat of Vincent the statue.

With a quick look back at the two 'not lovebirds', she muttered, "Nobody uses Medusa."

Medusa collected the vial of the reanimating potion and administered it to the rest of the family. As the stone melted away from their still bodies, Lock helped Shock to her feet.

"Are you ok?" Lock whispered to her, mindful of their soon to be listening comrades.

"Yeah, thank you for saving me," Shock whispered back, "It… It's great to see you again."

"Don't mention it," Lock felt a little giddy. Did Shock just say-?

Shock cut off his train of thought. She flashed a wicked grin, "Don't worry I won't."

She