The Adventures of Lando Erif :: The Day My History Book Took a Flight (Pt. Two)

Yes last week's part was weird. I deny nothing. Nonetheless I think that this one might possibly help make it slightly less random because there's a reason for the rabbit-bird-whatever I was calling it and what it's doing... *looks mysterious*

HOPEFULLY. Because if it's just plain weird it would be a little pointless.

But I'm fairly sure this has more...stuff other than running around in circles. (And it mightn't sound quite as cat-in-the-hat-ish)

The rabbit-bird wouldn’t stop destroying things.

It completely slammed our street sign and had started tearing at a neighbour’s hedge before I caught up and it launched away again. Sprinting faster, I grabbed at it, missing by far.

This was getting ridiculous.

It bounded over a fence and landed on the ground on the other side, innocently nibbling grass. Slowly, I lifted one foot onto the top of the fence. Nothing. I pushed my weight on that leg, bouncing lightly off the other and ending up in a precarious crouch. Still it remained where it was.

Here goes.

I threw myself off the fence down onto it, grabbing it between my hands and falling forward, just managing to catch myself on my elbows before I face-planted completely. Its flared its wings, smacking me hard in the face. I yelped, somehow managing to get a mouthful of feathers and fur. Spluttering and struggling, I flopped half on top of the creature, getting my hands around its wings to jam them in place.

It made a squeaking sound and stopped struggling and I pulled it out, keeping my hands firm around it. It’s huge eyes stared up at me with complete innocence, seeming surprised at it’s capture.

Yeah, well you’d better get used to it little flying rabbit. Because Lando Erif isn’t going to let go any time soon. I wrinkled my nose at it.

It wrinkled its nose back.

I blinked and then stood, looking up and realising I wasn’t alone. A small boy stood on the edge of the house veranda, staring at me like I was mad.

“Oh…just…never mind me.” I scrambled over the fence again, almost losing my grip on the creature as it started struggling once more, claws scraping down the backs of my hands.

“Ow!” I bit down a yell, starting to run back down the street.

I needed to get this thing somewhere it couldn’t destroy anything else before it destroyed me too. Sprinting down the street, I pretended not to notice the stares from the neighbours as I passed. They’d get used to it eventually.

Or maybe they wouldn’t.

Either way it wasn’t my problem.

I shoved through the front door of my house, pushing it shut again with my toe before ducking down the hall into my bedroom. The rabbit-bird dig its claws harder into my hand and I yelped, jerking my hand back automatically. A wing hit me in the face, but I didn’t let go, scrabbling to grab something off the floor that I could lock it in.

A light chain around the rabbit-bird’s neck bumped against my hand and barely I had enough time to tug the it free, a scrap of paper half falling from a small pendant compartment, before the creature went crazy, squeaking long and loud. Throwing the paper on my bed, I squinted against the flailing wings, feeling across the floor. My hand knocked over a shoe box, spilling out the collection of ink-less pens I’d built up over the years. Struggling for a moment, I managed to shove the creature into the box, scooping up the lid and slamming it on, dragging my hand out and holding the lid closed.

Pulling a rubber band from my jeans pocket, I slipped it around the lid so it couldn’t open. Letting go, I sat back nervously, watching the box for any sign of movement. A slight wiggle of the lid and I strapped on another elastic band.

Pulling in a relieved breath, I glanced at the locket of paper I’d tossed on my bed. Okay, forget about the relief. I picked it up, unfolding it and glancing over the words quickly.

Despite common belief I cannot read gibberish. Not reliably anyway.

I scowled at the nonsense on the paper and crunched it in my fist. The scratches down the backs of my hands were turning red with crusting blood, but I ignored them. Completely useless messages. It was probably nothing. But…Something made me hesitate and then slowly start unscrewing the scrap, digging my laptop out from under the bed and flipping it open.

Maybe there was something, I just couldn’t read it yet.

Bringing up a search for decoders, I opened half a dozen tabs, rereading the bizarre jumble of letters over again as I waited for them to load. Still didn’t make any sense. Hopefully this wasn’t going to be a waste of time.

I typed it out into the code box, careful to make an exact copy of the written words. “Alrightyo,” I muttered, clicking ‘decode.’

The only result was another load of gibberish that was even worse than the first.

Snorting through my nose, I moved on to the next. And the next. By the time I reached the seventh, I’d almost stopped paying attention to the jumble of words it resulted with. Slapping enter, I started moving on to the next tab without even looking before I froze, one word catching my eye.

Zana.

I flicked my gaze down, scanning the words on the screen.

Fate
It is my pleasure to send you the news that our plan is going directly ahead. Begin spreading the word as soon as you might wish.
Zana Bradford

It barely made more sense than before, but I knew one thing.

If it was Zana’s plan, I probably wouldn’t like it.

At all.

Time to call up the twins.

- - - 

Okay so this somehow turned out to follow on to another part or two...or three?? UM I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED. XD It's never happened before but I'm just going to go with it for now. This might well be the beginning of a longer story.


Do you guys want to see this turning into a long story?
(for however long it turns out being?)