Electra K


“One of you is from Georgia, I think I recall?” I said.

“Me! That’s me!” Pet said. “I was born in Brunswick! So, yeah, I guess I’m a Georgia Peach!”

“And I taught Lurch a lot about life,” Annie mused. She let Delli wrap a sharkskin belt around her and then Cher took her in hand.

“Has anyone ever compared you to one of the Bangles?” he asked.

“When they’re not saying I look like a golem from a Simpson’s episode,” Annie growled, “yeah.”

“I think 80’s hair would be perfect for you. Into the chair.”

Back over at the changing room, Delli was bringing out an incredibly bright yellow sun dress. “I figure that the best look for you, sweetie, would be to match your smile. We need to make your clothes and hair reflect as much light as possible, okay?”

“Okay,” Pet said trustingly. And smiled. Delli winced as if looking into a spotlight. Pet laughed, showing even more teeth, if that was possible. When she was dressed, she watched Cher tease Annie’s hair for a bit.

Delli and I slipped over to the living room. Nolan had placed the frame on the porch. We each grabbed an end and carried it to place in front of the fireplace, throwing a blanket over it.

Then we went back to see how they were coming.

“Ooooh,” Delli said. “Girl, you are hot!”

“Thanks,” Annie said. She spun one last time, watching her wild, curly hair act like something alive.

Pet wore her hair much shorter, Cher just cleaned up her bob and added some earrings.

“Are we ready?” I asked. My staff nodded. “Okay. Then go out the door and come in.”

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I met them at the door and took them back to the kitchen. We had snacks laid out on the table.

I did notice that they stared at the big wrapped square in the living room but they didn’t ask.

“Sit, sit, sit,” I said, feeling more like a hostess than I had all day. “Welcome back!”

“Thanks,” they said together.

I told the camera, “This is Pet and Annie Foster. I just met them right before the Premiere and they were absolutely wonderful helping get ready for the show.”

“We just…helped,” Pet said.

“It was Ray and Denise organizing everything,” Annie said. “We just went where they needed us.”

“And you went instantly,” I said. “I mean, he was still explaining the whole thing to me when you guys were up to your knees in applications.”

“It just… made a lot of sense, really,” Pet said.

“Plus, Ray’s smarter ideas just broadcast straight into my mind,” Annie said.

“So, you guys feel that telepathic thing?” I asked. “Like being your owner’s familiar?”

“Of course,” Annie said. “And my smarter ideas go into his head.”

“It’s true,” Pet agreed. She grabbed Annie’s hand. “Annie’s the one who got him to propose to my owner and we’ve been happily ever after ever after that.”

“You DO work well as a team,” I said. “So, who’s in charge?”

“Annie,” Pet said immediately, and loudly, as if she expected argument from her partner.

“I’m a little bit older,” Annie admitted. “And I’ve been through a bit more.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Oh, like being outside on The Day where there were cats and ants and teenaged boy bullies and jerks. And no one had ever imagined that, so we were all stuck wondering what the futz was going on.”

“I can’t imagine… I mean, I was one of the last to sylph in Springwater. Conrad saw me, knew what was happening, took charge. How did you and Ray meet?”

“He was hiding from the bullies,” Annie said. “The jerks found my clothes, where I’d shrunk, stole my underwear and were looking to beat up Ray. For a completely unrelated matter, of course.”

“Of course,” I nodded.

“And he, uh… He stepped on a stick that pinned me to the ground. Then he took me home. And a month later introduced me to his parents, once the law said he could keep me.”

“That must have been a rough month.”

“Not as rough as being kidnapped,” Annie said easily.

“Oh NO!”

“Yeah, young sylph, an inattentive master, an offer of asylum… The other end of the Underground Railroad is never going to be Freedonia, or Candyland.”

“Where did you end up?”

“In a peep show on I-95.”



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Index

129. Electra J

131. Electra L