“Psyche and her psychonauts, the super pop band that stormed the world 25 years ago at the turn of the century. The same band that is dominating billboards to this day with billions of fans spread across the entire world, is playing at the Ranch Motel. And the best part is there is no cost to get in! As with previous years NO one under 18 is allowed!” the beat up radio in the corner of the gas station announces.
“Well, I guess it’s time to take a break,” Josh says, putting his hands on his hips and then reaching under the counter to pull a lever, changing the gas prices to free. He walks over to the newly repaired windows and pulls down a blind, reading it from the back. “Closed due to subterranean monster incursion,” it says.
“No, not that one,” Josh says, letting the curtain roll back up. He grabs the next string and pulls it down. This one says, “Stepped out. Gas is free.”
“Yeah, yeah. Hey Door, I’ll be back!” Josh shouts up the steps to his roommate. Josh grabs the folding chair from the mechanics bay and tosses it in the back of his dad’s VW Bug.
meanwhile
The cleaner checks the watches on two of his arms and chitters to himself excitedly as he compares the time on both watches and takes an average for accuracy. “Psyche psyche psyche psyche!!!!” he shouts at the urinal he is cleaning with two scrub brushes. “It’s almost time!” The chitinous being grabs a rag in a third hand and wipes the walls down as he scrubs.
meanwhile
The lifeguards nod their heads excitedly. “TO BATTLE STATIONS!” the new leader of the gaggle shouts, and they come together to drag a lifeguard tower to the back of the ranch motel.
“Bro, you stepped on my foot,” one says to the other that is struggling to lift the heavy object.
“Help lift, bro,” the struggling one demands.
“No, bro, you stepped on my foot. I know you lift, bro,” the aggrieved stepped-on one complains.
“Bros! If you don’t hurry, we will miss it all,” the leader shouts down from his perch at the top of the lifeguard tower.
The second group of lifeguards drags a second tower to the newly placed first tower. He jumps down to the in-motion tower, making the other guards struggle as they lift it up the structure.
He stands majestic, hair blowing in the wind, from the top of the guard tower as they place it on the second-floor balcony. “We did it, bros!” he shouts and leaps across the gap onto the roof unsteadily. once he gets his footing He scitters to the top and looks down the other side; the field across from the ranch is filled with people. Everyone who lives in the surrounding 50 miles is there; there are less than 3000 of them.
Meanwhile
Dr. Blob bounces across the grass. “I am beautiful! I am strong! Am I a good singer?” he wonders as he gets run over by a car, not looking for a green blob rolling on a patch of green grass. He slides up the drive shaft and up the steering knuckle through the firewall to plop on the driver’s lap. “Excuse me, sir, but you need to pay attention to where you are going.”
The man panics and swerves sharply, his small car rolling onto its side, where it comes to rest.
meanwhile
Grup, walking slightly funny with his sore anus, pushes on the roof of the car, knocking it back onto two wheels. “You ok in there? You’re blocking my view,” he grunts. Looking down into the window to see a very scared human. Grup gives him a thumbs up and moves on.
The blob slides out and clings to Grup’s leg. “Mr. Grup, can I ride on your shoulder?”
“What? No one rides Grup…” Grup stops and looks at the slime as he rethinks his words. “No, you can’t ride on my shoulder.”
He bends down and picks the blob up and holds it in his hand. He moves towards the front of the crowd, the blob holds tight to his chest like a cat.
Meanwhile
Izzy steps out of her shower. “Hey, Jacob, are you almost ready for the concert?” She grabs her stack of clothing and begins getting dressed in her black push-up bra and matching panties. A short denim skirt paired with a too-large t-shirt to a concert her dad saw when he was a kid for a band called “Pink Floyd.” She has never listened to their music, but her dad said it was transformative to him. She throws on socks and sneakers before doing her makeup—nothing crazy, just lipstick and eyeliner.
“Yeah, almost,” Jacob says, pulling on his underwear. He eyes the diaper bag spilled in the chair in their motel room. ‘I could just wear one,’ he whispers in his mind.
“No,” he whispers back out loud. Jacob finishes putting on a pair of basketball shorts and a well-fitting t-shirt for Theory of Idiocy, the industrial rock band his friend had started in his youth. He gives the diapers one more glance before shrugging and jumping toward the bed, landing, and looking up at the ceiling. “Almost time,” he whispers.
Meanwhile
Eros stands on top of the hill overlooking the concert ground, his brothers standing near him. “Why is she here?” he whispers.
Himeros grins, his velvety red fire-colored wings stretch out to their full width, and he flutters them. “Coincidence, brother. It won’t be long before I will go down there and dance with the humans and… other things…. And I will have fun; I can’t wait. Nothing will stand in my way!”
“Yeah, but why here? Why now… Did Venus set me up?” Eros whispers, his own wings tucked in tightly to him, keeping him warm.
Meanwhile
Jack Harrington is sitting in his office. “What do you mean you checked everywhere?” He slams his fist on the table. “If you checked everywhere, we would have found the child by now. They told you last night ‘2 days’. My friend might be able to stretch it out to 3, but that’s pushing it.”
The bodyguards look at Jack Harrington. Their boss, their lover, their friend, their husband, their everything. Marlon looks up into Jack’s eyes. “We looked everywhere on the top two floors, and we checked the medical floor, even asking Audrey.”
Trever nudges Marlon. “We didn’t check everywhere; we didn’t check the labyrinth.”
Marlong nudges Trever hard in the ribs. “There isn’t a way to check all of the labyrinth; we would need to mount an expedition, and we would have to fight the minotaur…”
“So it could be in the labyrinth…. Fine, I will make a call,” Jack says and leans back in his chair. He makes a snapping motion as he picks up the phone; he points at his cock.
Marlon pushes Trevor down, the full-grown man lying on the ground indignant.
Trevor grabs Marlon’s leg as he steps away and watches them fall to the ground.
As the phone line connects, Jack smiles and thinks to himself, ‘It’s good to be king,’ as he watches his two hot bodyguards fight over who will suck his dick.
Meanwhile
A wizened old woman wearing a wide-brimmed and pointy hat sets the last piece of basalt in place on one of the 7 towers that surround the area around the ranch motel.
She nods her head in approval and talks over her earpiece: “Pylon 7 is repaired; we are go for charging.”
She climbs back on her dirt bike, kick-starts it, and drives away.
Meanwhile
“Your order, ma’am. Hope you come back soon; we always have fresh shrimp tacos here, ma’am,” he says as he leans out of the window of his truck with a 4-pack of fresh tacos. He looks at the crowd. “Going to be a long night,” he whispers.
Meanwhile
Psyche gets dressed; she peeks out of the window of her tour bus at the crowd of people gathering. “Going to be a long night. Are you guys ready?” she shouts to the backup dancers, singers, bodyguard, and religious servants wrapped up in one. They are all dressed identically with their rabbit ears and sequin body suits.
“Yes, ma’am,” the least disciplined disciple says with ex-military precision.
“The show must go on,” Psyche sighs and finishes her makeup. She stands up, stretching, and steps out of her trailer.
Meanwhile
Izzy and Jacob have made their way to the middle of the concert. Izzy’s telepathic abilities hum unpleasantly with all of the unguarded psychologies around her. She squeezes Jacob’s hand.
Meanwhile……
