Chapter 20 - Things Are About to Get Electric in Here

"Are we going to stand around here all day, or are we gonna get going?" I moaned.

Dalton raised a dark eyebrow and frowned. "Gee, cranky much?"

Vycandor put his arm around me and pulled me close. "Don't mind, Chaos. She's in a hurry to get Robert's help."

"What does she need his help for?" Dalton said, voice curious.

"She just does," Thomas interrupted.

"Does anyone even know where the Electric Forest is?" Vycandor asked.

Before I could answer, Dalton raised his hand and began jumping up and down to get our attention. As if he didn't have it already. "Ooh, ooh, oh...ooh, ooh!"

"Put your hand down, Horseshack," I mumbled. "This ain't an episode of Welcome Back Kotter. I know where the Electric Forest is."

Dalton lowered his hand, looking defeated. "Now I know why she needs Robert's help."

I spun around and stormed off. Only after we'd crossed the impossibly long bridge did I break the silence. "Dalton, if you're coming with us you're gonna have to hitch a ride with someone." I paused to hop in Vycandor's  two seater, hoping he got the message.

"He can ride with me," Thomas offered. Refusing to meet my eyes, he slowly removed his black leather jacket first before ripping off his white T-shirt just as slowly as if purposefully taking his sweet ass time just because he knew I was watching.

I was, but that didn't mean he had to put on such a show.

Dalton approached the Corvette and nudged me in the shoulder. "Well ain't he just a hunka, hunka burnin' love."

"He sure is," I whispered, not realizing I'd said it out loud.

"You two dating?" Dalton said, quirking his brow.

I caught Thomas' eyes as his sparkling white wings exploded with great force from beneath his heavily muscled shoulder blades. Even though I was sitting down, he still managed to glitter bomb me. "I don't know if I would call it dating, exactly."

Dalton's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're not hittin' that?"

"It's complicated," I groaned.

He put up his hands in mock surrender. "I get it. No jinxsies. You don't want to talk about it." Not even a second ticked by before he pointed at Thomas and added, "Guurl, please. How can you even think about cutting him loose? I mean, look at him! I can't believe you're rejecting...that."

I tossed him a frown. "He's not an organ donor. And, besides...he's the one who pulled away from me."

Dalton sucked in his breath. "Oh, honey. What did you do?"

"Why does it always have to be my fault?"

He put a large hand over his heart. "Because you're a girl."

"He's just mad at me because of Vycandor. Yeah, like I asked to become a freakin' sin eater. I guess that's my fault too."

He pointed an accusing finger at me. "Ooh, ooh, ooooh! That was you?"

Vycandor opened the driver's side car door and sat down gracefully in the red leather seat, tucking in the tails of his long waist coat. "What did Chaos do now?"

"Oh, put a sock in it! Can we go already?"

"Dalton, it might be easier if you..." Thomas paused as if searching for the right words. "Uh, I mean, it might be easier if you..."

"If I turned back into a moth?" Dalton offered.

Thomas snapped his fingers. "Yes, exactly. If you turned back into a moth."

"It's okay. You can say it." Dalton paused briefly before rubbing his hands together in glee. "Lord have sweet mercy! I never thought I'd get to hitch a ride with an angel."

"Lord have mercy on us all," I whispered to myself.

"I heard that," Dalton said, pointing at his head. "Tentacles...remember?" He tried hard to hide it, but he couldn't help smiling at his own joke.

There was another flash of bright light, followed by a poof. I watched as Dalton fluttered his tiny wings to land on Thomas' outstretched hand. Then, ever so gently, he curled his fingers around the fuzzy little pink and yellow moth before flapping his enormous wings and lifting off the ground into flight without so much as a goodbye. He didn't have a clue where he was going, but I knew he would be following us from up above.

It was pitch dark by the time we made it to the Electric Forest. A simple walk among the trees revealed all manner of undiscovered magic and adventure. Twilight gave way to the blackest night and the forest literally became alive with incredibly orchestrated light shows, stage sets with mechanical blooming flowers, and other surreal embellishments like colorful interactive art displays. I could already tell the excitement had reached a fever pitch as well over 45,000 attendees – traveling from all parts of the country, and even the world, gathered at the Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan for the combined music and camping adventure of a lifetime. Part art installation, part light show and part pure, unadulterated nature, this extravagantly illuminated enchanted forest offered something for everyone.

https://youtu.be/nytpW5lvv1A

"How are we ever going to find Robert in this crowd?" I exclaimed. "It's going to be next to impossible."

"It's okay. I'll call him," Dalton offered.

When he failed to pull out a cellular device, I got impatient. Well, more impatient than usual. "Aren't you gonna call him?"

"I did. Robert said to give him a minute and he'll call me back."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "You just talked to him?" It came out as more of a statement than a question.

Dalton nodded. "Yes."

I shook my head in disbelief. "I mean, like you literally just spoke to Robert?" Again, I made it a statement.

He nodded vigorously like a happy puppy. "Yup."

"How?"

"I already told you. I called him."

"But how?" I insisted. "Do you like have a barking chain, or something?"

This time he placed both hands over his impressive chest, staring at me like I was some sort of science experiment gone horribly wrong. "My dear, Chaos. Do I look like I bark?"

I pointed a finger at him accusingly. "Number one, don't call me dear. Number two, don't call me dear if you want to live."

Dalton tilted his head and smiled sweetly, batting his long eyelashes at me. "Robert says he's ready for you now."

My returning smile was anything but sweet. I was hungry. And cranky. I was hanky. Robert needed to fix me. Now. Arching a brow, I said, "Well, where is he?"

"Keep your panties on, girlfriend. He'll be here."

Dalton was seriously pushing his luck with me and he didn't even know it.

The music stopped abruptly and a deep voice came over the loud speakers. I swear, this guy made James Earl Jones' voice sound like a soprano. "Hey, everyone. Thanks for coming out tonight. I know it's black Friday and everything, but I appreciate you all being here on this very special occasion." The massive crowd of people erupted in cheers of excitement. When the noise eventually died down, the voice continued. "We're going to do something completely new and different. Tonight, we're going to have an old school rap battle. Who's up for that?" The crowd whistled and cheered. I was pretty sure I was going to go deaf from all the noise. "Tonight we have a special guest joining us for the first time. Please put your hands together for Chaos!"

I turned and started to run. Vycandor reached out a hand with blinding speed, grabbing me by the elbow. I was too weak to fight him off or I definitely would have. Instead, I just started to complain. A lot. It was my other, other secret weapon. Worked like a charm on my mom every time. "Oh, no you don't. I am not singing. And there's nothing you can do to make me." To prove my point, I pressed my lips together and pointed at my face.

"It's rapping, not singing," he insisted.

"I don't care if its yodeling. I'm not getting up on that stage in front of this crowd and rapping. Not happening. Period."

"But you sang for the Angels of War," he pointed out. "I was there, remember?"

I shook my head. "That was different."

"How was it different?"

"Because I was trying to save your life."

Vycandor's cherry red lips curved into a seductive smile. I really hated when he did that. "You were trying to save my life by singing?"

I stuck my foot out stubbornly, placing both hands on my hips. "Yeah. It worked, didn't it? You're alive."

The crowd started cheering my name and clapping. "Chaos. Chaos. Chaos."

"Look, if she doesn't want to go then don't make her," Thomas interrupted, coming to my rescue.

I met his stormy hazel eyes and mouthed, "Thank you." He glared back at me.

Dalton grabbed me by the other hand and began dragging me up to the stage. "I'll go with you. It'll be fun."

"Yeah, get your butt up there and sing," Vycandor chimed in.

I had to put the breaks on when we reached the narrow metal steps. "Look guys...a microphone, plus me, plus a live audience of epic proportions equals...Hell No!" As if on cue, the earth and moon acted in a concert of their own with repeated lightning strikes and rolls of thunder claps, bringing to life a huge acoustic sound wave mixed with sparks of static electricity. It was super satisfying. "Don't make me reach out and torch you."

Dalton sucked in his breath to the point of almost choking. "Can she do that?"

Standing my ground, I turned toward Vycandor. "You want me to open up the sky on this here shindig? Because I will." I craned my neck to look for him, but he was gone.

"What's with the hillbilly accent?" Dalton asked, sounding surprised.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "It comes and goes."

Just then, all the rainbow colored lights in the forest and those surrounding the stage turned an eerie shade of electric blue as a familiar, yet simple tune began to play over the many loudspeakers. My head snapped up to find Carmen's brother's band playing the song on their instruments, while at the same time welcoming a shadowy singer to the stage who's face I couldn't quite make out. As soon as the lyrics began I knew exactly who it was.

https://youtu.be/cGCg_zYV2Dw