Chapter 6

Three days came and went with no sign of Rhapsody. The warm presence Harmony associated with Rhapsody’s proximity vanished the morning after the eventful night of David’s visit. Another surprise had awaited her on that first morning as well. Her front door was once again attached to a frame that showed no sign of having been destroyed the previous night. Serenity and Aurora were convinced Rhapsody had brought a troop of elves over from her fairy ring to fix it. Lacking any other explanation, Harmony had just shrugged without commenting.

Her mother had awoken without any of her usual Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, even though she had left her medication at home. She had called Harmony a few hours previous and informed her that she was still not experiencing any of her usual MS symptoms on her third day of not taking any medication. She had already scheduled an appointment with her doctor to do some tests to see if her condition had changed. Harmony would normally have rolled her eyes at such an impossibility, but now she actually felt an unfamiliar sense of optimism at the possibility of her mother recovering. If fairies can fix doors magically, why not people? My god, did I really just think that?

When Harmony returned home from her volunteer work at the women’s shelter, a tan-skinned woman with Native American features was waiting on her porch. She had long black hair and looked to be in her mid-thirties. She seemed vaguely familiar. Oh yeah, she’s the local I ran into at the grocery store the other day. Eileen, I think her name was. Her husband was a firefighter, or something like that.

“Hello Harmony,” Eileen greeted her with a friendly smile. “I thought I would formally welcome you to the neighborhood finally.”

“Thanks, Eileen,” Harmony replied with a welcoming smile. “I’m a bit of a recluse, so I haven’t been very proactive in making the rounds to introduce myself to the other neighbors. Would you like to come in for some tea?”

“Sure,” Eileen answered warmly. “I’m afraid a good cup of tea is one of my weaknesses.”

“Anything exciting going on in town?” Harmony asked companionably as she walked into the kitchen to start the kettle boiling.

“Not since your little adventure the other night,” Eileen replied with a wry smile.

“You heard about that, huh?” Harmony asked sourly.

“Yeah, I heard about it,” Eileen responded, pursing her lips. “I’m afraid the local cops aren’t the most professional people in the world. They shared your surveillance video with the firefighters, and one of the firefighters ended up making a copy and uploading it to YouTube this morning. I wanted to give you a heads up, in case it causes you any trouble.”

Harmony stared at Eileen unseeingly as her mind cycled through several unpleasant scenarios involving David’s lawyer. So far, he was still in the hospital recovering because of complications caused by infection in his groin. Apparently, Rhapsody’s brutal kick had caused a significant amount of damage. The infection had resulted in a complete amputation of his manhood, much to Harmony’s satisfaction.

“So, tell me about this Rhapsody character,” Eileen said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “I thought I knew everyone in the area, but I’ve never met her.”

“Really?” Harmony asked with a puzzled frown. “She said she’s lived here her entire life. All eight-hundred and eighty-two thousand years of it.” Harmony finished on a dry note.

“Huh?” Eileen asked, nonplussed.

“That’s how old she said she is,” Harmony replied, shaking her head ruefully. “Of course, she said twenty-seven trillion seconds. I had to Google it to find out how many years it was. She’s a master at evading direct answers.”

“Where did you meet her?” Eileen asked interestedly.

“We first ran into her out by that giant wall,” Harmony answered, rolling her eyes. “Aurora decided to climb one of those giant redwoods and got stuck several hundred feet up. I was still fifty feet below her when Rhapsody appeared out of nowhere and then scampered up the rest of the tree like she was part squirrel. After doing an Olympic-worthy balancing act on the limb below my niece, she pulled Aurora down and then literally hopped down to the bottom of the tree without using any hands, despite my niece wrapped around her like a second skin. That girl needs to join the Olympics.”

“Wow,” Eileen said in a distracted tone. “That was next to the stone rings?”

“Yes, and now my nieces are convinced that Rhapsody is some kind of fairy who lives inside the rings,” Harmony replied with a resigned sigh. “I had hoped they would get over their fairy obsession after a couple of days, but if anything, it has only grown stronger.”

“What color are her eyes?” Eileen asked cryptically.

“Beats me,” Harmony replied with a shrug. “She never takes those damned rose-colored shades off, or that goofy hat. Why do you ask?”

Eileen was silent for a moment as her eyes stared into the distance. “Just some legends from our ancestors. They claimed a small woman lived inside of the stone rings. My great-grandfather claims she used to visit with some of the people in his tribe before the Europeans showed up. He said she has lavender-colored eyes that have some kind of swirling pattern surrounding the pupils.”

“Please don’t tell me you think she’s a fairy too,” Harmony begged in a pained voice. Something tried to push itself into her consciousness at mention of the eyes. She tried to remember, but the harder she focused the more ephemeral it became.

Eileen’s dark eyes came back into focus, and she smiled reassuringly. “Just idle speculation. However, her hat and glasses are rather interesting. About twenty years ago, one of the cops in the area claimed a girl matching Rhapsody’s appearance assaulted him with a kick to the groin that ruptured his acorns. He claimed he was just asking her for identification, but he had a reputation for harassing the teenage girls in the area, so most people didn’t buy that story. So, what other oddities have you noticed about your personal fairy? Does she speak all the human and animal languages like our legends claim?”

“Your legends say she speaks to animals?” Harmony asked slowly.

“Not just animals,” Eileen said with a grin, as if it were just a game to her. “She also speaks all the human languages. To her, they are just simple patterns, easily picked apart and reassembled.”

“Well, she does speak to squirrels, porcupines, and raccoons,” Harmony admitted reluctantly. “They certainly act like they understand her, but I’m pretty sure they are just pets that follow her around, rather than wild animals.” She didn’t mention the flawless Spanish she had heard Rhapsody speaking in the studio.

“Tyee, my husband’s great-grandfather, claimed that she had names for all of the animals she befriended,” Eileen said casually. “The common animals were always ridiculously long names. Most of the magical creatures had short names.”

“Did Rhapsody put you up to this?” Harmony asked suspiciously.

Eileen blinked in surprise. “Put me up to what?”

“Telling me these stories,” Harmony replied tartly. “That girl has an even more twisted sense of humor than I do.”

“I told you, I’ve never met her,” Eileen said calmly. “I take it that she has a similar naming scheme?”

“She has serious issues with brevity when it comes to names,” Harmony replied, still watching Eileen distrustfully as she pulled the kettle off the stovetop and poured hot water into a couple of mugs.

“I would be interested in meeting her sometime,” Eileen said thoughtfully as she accepted the offered tea with a grateful smile. “Does she come around much?”

“I saw her almost every day for a little while,” Harmony replied, feeling a pang of longing at Rhapsody’s absence. “She hasn’t been back since our adventure the other night though.”

“She’s probably waiting for the cops to stop watching your place,” Eileen noted with a nod toward the street. “They’ve been keeping an eye out for her; especially Officer Randal. He’s the one that got kicked in the acorns.”

“I thought they were patrolling the place a little more frequently than usual,” Harmony said with a grimace. “I just figured they were keeping an eye on us in case that bastard showed up again. I should have known better.”

After another fifteen minutes of small talk, Eileen left, with a promise to visit again soon. Most of the conversation had consisted of subtly probing questions regarding her interactions with Rhapsody. Harmony was growing more convinced that Rhapsody was some kind of drifter who had learned as much about the local legends as she could and then tried to assume the identity of one of their mythical characters. Occam’s razor made that a much more likely possibility than the alternative. After being brainwashed by religion for the first two decades of her life, Harmony had no intention of being scammed by another cultural superstition.

Draining the remainder of her cold tea, Harmony went up the stairs to her studio to tinker around with a few tracks she had been working on for the last couple of days. After waking her Mac up, she opened Logic Pro and selected the recent file list. She frowned when she saw a new entry titled: Bringing Harmony to the Melody of Life.

She opened the file curiously and pressed the play button. She spent the next five minutes listening to the most divinely sublime music she had ever heard. Rhapsody’s voice was layered across eight separate tracks, with a flute and a pair of simple congas accompanying her vocals. She replayed the song over and over, until her iPhone’s alarm informed her that it was time to meet her nieces at the bus stop. It was almost physically painful to make herself stop listening to that glorious voice.

Serenity and Aurora immediately noticed her state of distracted euphoria when she met them at the bus. Serenity peered at her suspiciously as they walked back to the house.

“Have you been drinking?” Serenity asked accusingly.

“Of course not,” Harmony retorted scathingly. “You couldn’t pay me enough to drink anything stronger than root beer.”

“Is Rhapsody back?” Aurora asked hopefully, making an intuitive leap to the cause of Harmony’s good mood.

“She recorded a song in the studio while I was in town,” Harmony said distantly. “It was the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard.” She absently began humming the beautiful melody she had been listening to repeatedly for the last three hours.

Harmony was shocked out of her dreamy bemusement by an angry bellow in the trees next to the road. She instinctively pushed Serenity and Aurora behind her as she peered into the thick trees. An extremely angry looking black bear was moving toward them purposefully. Harmony did the only thing her terrified mind remembered to do when faced with a black bear; she raised her hands above her head and tried to look as large as she could and slowly started backing away, pushing her nieces backward with her hips.

The bear started stomping its paws on the ground and huffing. As Harmony continued slowly backing away, it began advancing at a brisk gait.

“Go away, you grouchy furball,” Harmony said firmly, proud of herself that her voice remained steady.

“Aunt Harmony…” Aurora began in a quavering voice. “I think we should run.”

“Do not run,” Harmony said forcefully. “It’s faster than us, and it will only encourage it.”

“It already seems pretty encouraged,” Serenity pointed out anxiously as it began moving toward them more quickly.

Harmony began waving her arms and cursing at it loudly. Instead of discouraging the beast, it broke into an all-out run, bawling loudly as it charged.

“What is it with you three and attracting trouble?” Rhapsody’s voice asked from just behind them.

Harmony jerked her eyes away from the bear to stare in shock at Rhapsody as she calmly walked in front of them. She looked back at the bear and sagged in relief as it came to an abrupt stop.

“You got a problem, Oscar?” Rhapsody called out to the bear challengingly.

The bear let out a pitiful whine and began backing away slowly.

“Yeah, you better keep walking, punk!” Rhapsody declared imperiously. “I’ll kick your flabby butt back into the last ice age if I catch you terrorizing my friends again.”

With a final snorted growl, the bear turned around and ambled back into the woods.

“Apparently four people are more trouble than Oscar wants to deal with,” Rhapsody noted with a smirk at the bears departing back.

“Oscar?” Harmony asked with a raised eyebrow as her heartbeat began slowing down from Mach five.

“Oscar the Grouch,” Rhapsody elaborated with a lopsided smile. “From Sesame Street, right?”

“A very fitting name,” Harmony agreed with a shuddering breath. “That was definitely a very grouchy bear.”

Before Rhapsody could say anything else, she was engulfed in a bear hug by an extremely relieved Aurora. Rhapsody’s expression softened as she gently ran her fingers through Aurora’s hair comfortingly.

“I didn’t think you were ever coming back,” Aurora informed her tearfully.

“Where else would I go?” Rhapsody asked her gently. “This is my home, after all.”

Harmony looked up as a cop car slowly drove past. The grey-haired officer driving was frowning as he stared at Rhapsody. When she looked up and saw him, he slammed on his brakes and jumped out of his car.

“Here we go again,” Rhapsody muttered under her breath. “This guy just never learns.”

The grey-haired cop was striding up to them quickly with a look of fury on his face. His partner was hurriedly trying to catch up as he stopped in front of Rhapsody.

“You!” he hissed venomously. “You cost me my marriage!”

Rhapsody gently disentangled herself from Aurora and took a few steps back. “I’m afraid you have mistaken me for someone else, Turbo.”

“Then show me some identification, now!” he growled threateningly, pulling his pistol from its holster.

“I’m afraid I left my papers somewhere in the 20th century,” Rhapsody replied contemptuously. “Unless the fourth amendment is no longer valid, I don’t have to show you anything.”

With an enraged bellow, he raised his gun and pointed it at her chest. “It is you! You ruined my life, you worthless whore!”

“Easy, Randall,” his partner said nervously. “This is just a kid. The girl that attacked you would be over thirty years old by now.”

Several cars had stopped to watch, since the police car was blocking both lanes. One of the spectators had pulled out a phone and started recording.

“Bullshit, this is her!” he spat hatefully. “She’s got the same stupid hat and glasses.”

“Why don’t you go inspect that car’s windows or something?” Rhapsody suggested maliciously. “I’m pretty sure the tint is beyond the legal limit. Doubtless, they are hiding several kilos of illegal narcotics.”

With a maniacal shriek, he squeezed off a round at the same time that Rhapsody dropped to the ground. Before he could take another shot, his partner cannoned into him, carrying both of them to the ground.

“What the hell is the matter with you, Randall?” his partner demanded angrily. “Are you trying to get kicked off the force?”

“Get off me, goddamnit!” Randall roared, trying to shake his partner off. “I’m going to kill that bitch!”

“I think we best be on our way,” Rhapsody suggested, standing back up and herding Harmony and her nieces away from the furiously struggling cop.

“Stay where you are!” Randall’s partner shouted, grunting with the effort of keeping Randall from getting back up.

“So, your lecherous partner can use me for live target practice?” Rhapsody asked sarcastically. “No thanks, I think I’ll just go play on a freeway instead.”

The four of them quickly made their way to Harmony’s house as the two cops continued wrestling on the ground.

“What was that all about?” Harmony asked suspiciously after they finally walked through her front door. Rhapsody sat in one of the armchairs while Serenity joined Harmony on the couch. Aurora climbed up on the large arm of Rhapsody’s chair, unwilling to let the small woman out of arms reach. Rhapsody smiled fondly at Aurora and pulled her down into the chair. They were small enough that they both easily fit.

“I suspect it has a lot to do with the low standards our local law enforcement office has when it comes to screening applicants for homicidal tendencies,” Rhapsody replied disdainfully.

“He seemed to have some history with you,” Harmony noted conversationally. “You ever run into him before?”

“I’m sure I would remember if I did,” Rhapsody replied with a shrug. “With an attitude like that, he would be hard to forget.”

Harmony continued staring at Rhapsody silently. For her part, Rhapsody ostensibly avoided looking at Harmony, looking around the house as if she had never seen it before.

“I had a visitor today that wanted to meet you,” Harmony informed Rhapsody carefully. “Her name is Eileen. Do you know her?”

“Of course,” Rhapsody replied with a nod. “She married Tyee’s great-grandson. She could definitely do worse.”

“She said she had never met you before,” Harmony continued probingly. “I told her you had lived here all of your life.”

“Just because she doesn’t know me doesn’t mean I don’t know her,” Rhapsody said with a half-smile. “Did she have anything interesting to say?”

“Just that one of the firefighters uploaded your adventure with David to YouTube,” Harmony answered with a resigned sigh. “Oh yeah…she also wanted to know what color your eyes were.”

“Did she now?” Rhapsody asked with a treasure cat smile. “Do I need to go finish David off before he causes more trouble?”

Not going to answer the question about the eyes, Harmony thought to herself wryly. No surprise there.

“He might cause some trouble, but probably only if the cops get their hands on you,” Harmony replied pensively. “I don’t think they’ll be able to use your actions to barter for less jail time. Wait a minute…what do you mean, finish David off?”

“You know, cook his bacon, fry his eggs, butter his bread, show him where the wild goose goes,” Rhapsody replied innocently. “That kind of thing.”

“You mean kill him?” Harmony asked pointedly.

“Of course not,” Rhapsody replied with a snort. “Only people with a complete lack of imagination resort to killing. Death is far too good for some people.”

“What did you have in mind?” Harmony asked suspiciously.

“Nothing that need concern you,” Rhapsody replied with a dimpled smile. “Plausible deniability and all…”

“Oh yeah, I heard the song you put together in the studio today,” Harmony told Rhapsody with reverential respect in her voice. “I couldn’t stop listening to it on repeat.”

“Thanks for letting me use your studio,” Rhapsody replied with a self-conscious blush. “It was even more fun than I had imagined.”

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“I’m dying to see you record your next song,” Harmony gushed enthusiastically. “I still can’t believe how amazing that song is. You have the most gorgeous singing voice I’ve ever heard. Did you take vocal training classes?”

Rhapsody’s face flushed bright red at the compliment, and she stuttered a few times before getting a reply out. “No, I just picked it up over the years.”

“I want to hear it,” Aurora announced eagerly.

“Hold that thought,” Harmony told her, jumping up from the couch. “I’ll go put it on my phone really quick.”

Harmony dashed down the hall to her studio and quickly copied the sound file over to her phone. As she waited for it to copy, she noticed that the studio camera had recorded Rhapsody when she had recorded the tracks. Before she had a chance to watch the video her phone finished copying the file.

That will be a treat for later. Harmony told herself, feeling a sense of anticipation at the thought.

She returned to the front room to find that Serenity had also taken up residence on the arm of Rhapsody’s chair. Aurora had always been the one big on snuggling, so it was a surprise to see Serenity there as well.

“Here it is,” Harmony told them as she pushed play on her phone.

Her niece’s listened raptly, their faces full of wonder as the beautiful song serenaded the front room with Rhapsody’s hauntingly melodic voice.

“That was amazing!” Serenity declared, wiping a single tear from her eye.

“Yeah, Rhapsody,” Aurora agreed fervently. “I thought Harmony was good, but you really put her to shame.”

“I’m going to second that,” Harmony agreed with a self-deprecating chuckle.

Rhapsody scowled at Harmony. “Don’t you dare try to belittle your musical talent, missy!”

“You’re an inspiration, Rhapsody,” Harmony told her sincerely. “You give me something to aspire to.”

Rhapsody’s face was like a sunset as she squirmed under the weight of so much praise.

“Where did you learn to play like that?” Harmony asked curiously. “And how long did it take you to get so good?”

“I just picked it up here and there over the years,” Rhapsody shrugged. “I’ve always been fascinated with the magic in music. Its ability to reach deep into the soul is a special kind of magic.

Rhapsody trailed off as her head turned to stare at the closed door. Harmony looked at the surveillance monitor next to the door, but didn’t see anything.

“Did you hear a spider crawling in Asia?” Harmony asked the distracted woman dryly.

“Your mom’s here,” Rhapsody replied, relaxing back into her armchair. “Her car has a very distinctive sound.”

“My, what good ears you have,” Harmony grinned.

“So nice of you to notice finally,” Rhapsody replied with a knowing look.

Harmony’s smile faltered as she stared back at the small woman uncertainly. Does she know I saw her pointy ears? God, she’s better than a politician at making nonspecific statements.

The temptation to snatch Rhapsody’s goofy hat off was almost irresistible. Before she could work up the nerve, her mother appeared on the surveillance monitor next to the front door. Rhapsody’s grin widened when Harmony continued staring at her suspiciously while Serenity answered the door, as if she knew exactly what Harmony was thinking.

“Hello, Serenity,” her mother greeted her granddaughter in an uncharacteristically bright tone.

“Grandma, we got chased by a bear today!” Serenity announced excitedly. “Rhapsody chased it off before it could attack us though.”

“I did no such thing,” Rhapsody objected mildly. “He was just a big chicken and knew he was outnumbered.”

“A bear attacked you?” her mother asked Harmony anxiously. “Did you contact the wildlife division yet?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Harmony replied with a nod at Rhapsody. “I think Rhapsody put the fear of the light into him. Besides, the bear turned out to be a lot less dangerous than our local law enforcement.”

“Do you have some kind of magnet for trouble?” her mother asked exasperatedly. “What did you do now?”

“Don’t look at me,” Harmony replied defensively. “Rhapsody is the one they were using for target practice.”

“They shot at you?” her mother asked Rhapsody in shock. “What happened?”

Harmony related her version of the events, unable to keep the disdain out of her voice as she described Officer Randall’s behavior. When she finished, her mother looked at Rhapsody curiously.

“So, this cop thought you were the same girl that took his manhood twenty years ago?” her mother asked Rhapsody interestedly.

“That he did,” Rhapsody replied with a chuckle. “Apparently, wearing this style of hat and glasses was all that it took to implicate me.”

“You might want to get that hat looked at,” her mother noted critically, pointing at a small hole right over Rhapsody’s forehead that Harmony had failed to notice. “You seem to have a new climate control vent there.”

Rhapsody just shrugged unconcernedly. “Proper ventilation is important in a hat.”

Everyone was staring at the bullet hole in Rhapsody’s hat silently. If a bullet had really entered her hat at that point, it should have gone right into her brain. Harmony shivered as a cold chill went down her spine. My god, she really isn’t human!

Before anyone could say anything, Rhapsody’s head swiveled toward the door again. A second later, she was on her feet and moving toward the kitchen.

“I just remembered I have to get back home,” Rhapsody called over her shoulder. “I’ll see you soon.”

Harmony hurriedly arose and tried to catch up to the hastily retreating woman, but Rhapsody was already out the back door by the time Harmony reached the kitchen.

“Harmony, there’s a news van in your driveway,” her mother informed her tersely. “Is there anything else you would like to tell me?”

“What?” Harmony asked in surprise, walking back into the front room.

Two reporters appeared on her porch, one with a camera on his shoulder. Harmony debated answering the door for a moment after they rang the bell. With a sigh, she finally opened the door.

“Can I help you?” Harmony asked the two men dubiously.

“I’m John Darier with Chanel 5 News,” the man without the camera said, studying her curiously. “Are you Harmony Shay Conifer?”

“Why do you ask?” Harmony asked suspiciously.

“We had some questions regarding the incident that occurred here earlier this week with the girl named Rhapsody,” John replied with a false smile. He looked passed Harmony at her nieces and mother. “Is she here with you?”

“She just left,” Aurora announced from behind Harmony.

Harmony turned around and scowled at Aurora, shaking her head slightly with a meaningful look. Aurora blinked back at her uncertainly and then looked at the reporters with sudden understanding in her eyes.

“Do you know where she lives?” John asked Aurora in a voice normally reserved for toddlers.

“No, she doesn’t,” Harmony replied firmly. “I’m afraid we have some other duties we need to attend to, so if you’ll excuse us…”

Harmony began closing the door, but John hurriedly put his foot in the way. Harmony’s eyes narrowed as she began reaching for the tazer she had put next to the door.

“What can you tell us about the incident that happened here the other night,” John demanded rudely. “Does Rhapsody have a history of violent behavior?”

Harmony pulled the tazer off the small table next to the door and brandished it in front of his face. “Do you want to see violent history in the making? Get lost, before I light your obnoxious ass up like a Christmas tree.”

John immediately backed away, with a wary look on his face as she closed the door all the way. He had probably been tazed before, to have such an instant reaction. I shouldn’t have warned the bastard. I’m sure he probably deserves it with an attitude like that.

“That was a novel way of handling reporters,” her mother noted mildly.

“I hate reporters,” Harmony grumbled. “They’re just a bunch of attention seeking presstitutes. At least I have the decency to call what I write fiction. Those sensationalist pricks couldn’t report real news if their lives depended on it.”

“Tell me how you really feel about them,” her mother replied with an amused chuckle. “So, what do you think about Rhapsody now?”

“Now as opposed to when?” Harmony asked blankly.

“Oh, come on, Harmony,” her mother said exasperatedly. “You saw the bullet hole in her hat. That cop didn’t miss her when he shot at her.”

“She dropped to the ground at the same time that he shot at her,” Harmony shrugged, her mind finally coming up with a rational solution to the dilemma. “If the hole was caused by the bullet, it probably just went in at an angle. Just remember, Occam’s Razor. Which is more likely; that she is a non-human, or that she just managed to dodge the bullet by the skin of her chin?”

“For an author who writes fictional novels for a living, you are sure cynical,” her mother informed her reproachfully. “How in the world do you write about so many fantastical concepts while remaining so skeptical about the possibilities in your own world?”

“There’s actually a very simple explanation for that,” Harmony replied matter-of-factly. “I realize how easy it is for the imagination to fabricate unrealistic fantasies in story format, so how easy would it be for people to misinterpret perfectly logical events in real life with the same unreal conclusions?”

“I would say that the evidence is growing pretty high against Rhapsody being a normal human,” her mother declared firmly. “First, you met her just outside of that giant stone ring. Serenity never saw her climb the tree, but she appeared right below you. Then, she performs an act of coordination I doubt you could find another human capable of imitating when she rescued Aurora and skipped down the tree branches. She hides her ears and eyes all the time and appears to be quite fluent with non-human languages. She looks like a young adult but has more knowledge in her head than most college professors. She has superhuman strength and speed, as you very well saw when she beat the crap out of David and dragged him outside. She saved you from a bear and then gets shot at by a cop who is convinced he met her twenty years ago. Am I missing anything?”

“She plays every instrument too,” Serenity added helpfully. “And Aurora said she had pointy ears the night she rescued her from the tree. She also knows how to disappear before you can blink twice.”

“Enough!” Harmony growled in frustration. “No matter how odd any of those things may seem, there are more than enough rational explanations for each instance that don’t involve mythical nonsense.”

“So, what would it take to convince you that she is something more than human?” her mother asked curiously.

“When I see her fly like Tinkerbelle and pour some fairy dust on my head, I might entertain the notion that she is a fairy,” Harmony replied acerbically. “Until then, she’s just a very unusual woman who knows her Native American mythology.”

“The doctors were unable to find any trace of the lesions in my system,” her mother informed her quietly. “Do you know how many people have recovered from MS to date?”

“Mom, you know it goes into remission sometimes,” Harmony replied carefully. “I’m ecstatic to hear that the lesions are gone, but I don’t want you to get your hopes crushed if it returns.”

“I had an MRI two weeks ago, and there were over six lesions,” her mother said softly. “My doctors thought my lab results had been mixed up with a different patient yesterday, because there was zero trace of any lesions. They said it looked like I had never even had any. They wanted to know what I had taken between the two visits that could have cured it. I haven’t changed a single thing in my daily routine.”

“So, you’re healed?” Serenity asked hopefully.

“I believe I am,” her mother replied with a warm smile. “And I also believe it is your friend who is responsible for my recovery.”

XXXXX

Before Harmony could respond, the doorbell rang. She glanced at the surveillance monitor next to the door and grimaced when she saw more reporters on her porch.

“It must be one hell of a slow news week for all of these idiots to be investigating a case of domestic violence,” Harmony muttered irritably as she walked over to the door. She absently picked up her tazer again, just in case.

“May I help you?” Harmony asked the tall dark-haired man on the other side of her door in a barely civil tone. A blonde middle-aged woman stood next to him, with a camera on her shoulder.

“Hi, I’m Lars Smith with Chanel 9 News,” the man announced with a toothy grin. “Are you Harmony Fay Conifer?”

“No, I think you have the wrong house,” Harmony replied shortly, already closing the door.

“You certainly look like the woman in the video we just watched,” Lars said quickly. “Do you know why Officer Randall was shooting at your friend?”

Harmony paused before closing the door all the way. Wow, that video can’t have been online for more than an hour. News sure travels fast these days.

“I have no idea why he was shooting at her,” Harmony lied. “He was probably high on something he confiscated from someone.”

“Do you know anything about the giant wall behind your house?” Lars asked, with a vague gesture into the forest.

“It’s big,” Harmony replied in a flat voice.

“Yeah, we noticed,” Lars replied with an easygoing laugh. “There is a team of geologists studying it right now, trying to figure out what it is made of.”

“How did they find out about it?” Harmony asked with a frown. “And they are trespassing.”

“Your feisty friend that has the blogosphere so fascinated has lured several investigators into the area,” Lars replied, his eyes watching her closely. “They discovered it while trying to find where she lives. Do you happen to know where she lives?”

“She lives inside the rings,” Aurora supplied helpfully.

“We don’t know where she lives,” Harmony snapped, slamming the door in his face.

“What is a blogosphere?” Serenity asked curiously.

“It’s where people pontificate about themselves to feel important,” Harmony replied sourly. “Aurora, please don’t add any more commentary when I’m talking with strangers; especially reporters.”

“I see you’re still making frequent use of artistic license,” her mother noted disapprovingly. “You can avoid giving them information without lying to them. It sets a bad example.”

“Don’t lecture me on lying,” Harmony retorted in annoyance. “How many years did you tell me a fat guy flew around the world delivering presents and rabbits pooped chocolate eggs?”

“Don’t be petulant,” her mother chided calmly. “There’s a world of difference between telling fictional stories and outright lying.”

Harmony snorted derisively. “There’s not much difference when you fail to mention the stories are fictional.”

“You’ll have to forgive your aunt’s bitterness,” her mom told her nieces with a sigh. “She took the truth about Santa Clause pretty hard.”

“Is that why she doesn’t believe in fairies?” Aurora asked curiously.

“Part of the reason,” her mother replied sadly.

Harmony shook her head resignedly and began walking up the stairs.

“Where are you going?” her mother inquired.

“To get my laptop,” Harmony replied with a grunt. “I want to see what the hell is going on in the news that is turning this place into a freak show.”

After returning to the front room with her laptop, Harmony pulled up Google News. She didn’t even have to do a search for their town. Right at the top of the headlines was an article titled: Mysterious Wall in Northern California Baffles Experts.

A giant double ring of walls over four hundred feet tall and separated by a moat has geologists baffled as they try to decipher its material composition. The substance is so hard that not even diamond tipped tools can penetrate the surface. Adding another layer of mystery, anything electronic malfunctions when it comes within a dozen feet of the wall. An aerial survey crew nearly crashed when their airplane’s engines malfunctioned when attempting to fly over the massive structure. Satellite images are showing a large black blob where the rings are located. Conspiracy theorists and UFO hunters are flocking to the area, convinced that it is either a black government facility, or an alien base.

The giant rings came into the public spotlight after several YouTube videos depicting a small woman beating an ex-convict senseless after he attacked one of the local residents. Reporters were unable to locate the girl responsible for the brutal beating but stumbled upon the unusual structures while searching for the girl.

One of the biggest questions on people’s minds is how such a massive structure could have remained hidden for so long. It sits in the middle of the giant redwood forest but is several dozen feet higher than even the tallest redwood. There are reports filtering in from surrounding towns that the military has taken an interest in the structure. Local residents in the surrounding area have reported dozens of camouflaged heavy equipment vehicles moving through their towns over the last twenty-four hours. Some people are speculating that the military plans to deforest the entire region around it to set up a base camp.

The second biggest question on everyone’s mind: who is Rhapsody? After watching a surreal fight that looked more suited to the Matrix than reality, followed by a chilling threat that sounded worse than death, many people are convinced Rhapsody is some kind of CIA child assassin in hiding. However, the truth may be even stranger. As I was writing this article, another video was uploaded with Rhapsody being attacked by a local cop. The video shows that there was not a bullet hole in her trap hat before the unhinged cop shot at her, but there is clearly a bullet hole after the shot. Unless her hat is bullet proof, the bullet should have gone right through her forehead. To add to the weirdness, the enraged cop claims that the same girl had kicked him in the family jewels over twenty years ago. He claims that not only does she look exactly the same, but she also taunted him with the same theme about the 4th amendment twenty years ago when he asked for her identification.

“So, is there anything interesting in the news?” her mother asked impatiently.

“Just a bunch of people without a life looking for a new source of entertainment,” Harmony replied distractedly.

“Let me see,” her mother said, reaching for Harmony’s laptop.

Harmony wordlessly handed it to her. No wonder the cop was so agitated. Rhapsody was pushing his buttons.

When her mother finished reading the article, she looked at Harmony and arched an eyebrow. “Looks like this place is about to turn into a circus.”

Harmony just grunted wordlessly. She stood up and walked out onto the front porch with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. There was a steady stream of traffic on the usually quiet county road. Even as she stood watching, a convoy of military flatbed trucks bearing bulldozers, logging equipment, and cargo containers drove past her house.

Her mother and nieces joined her a moment later and stared at the spectacle for several moments. Aurora was the first one to break the silence.

“What’s going on, Aunt Harmony?” she asked uncertainly.

“The humans followed me to my sanctuary,” Harmony replied with a dejected sigh. “God, I wish Rhapsody really was a fairy and could do something about all of this nonsense.”

There were several news helicopters flying around the skies as well, though they appeared to be staying well clear of the electromagnetic disturbance near the stone rings. Harmony usually avoided watching any television, especially the news, but she found herself going back into the front room and turning on the television.

They spent the next several hours watching an aerial view of the military unload and deploy all of their heavy equipment on the side of the road a few thousand feet from Harmony’s house. A spokesperson from the Whitehouse claimed they were just doing routine training in the area. It always surprised Harmony that the government even bothered with explanations anymore. It wasn’t like the masses had any power to do anything anymore.

The military had set up roadblocks to prevent anyone but local residents onto the small street, which was somewhat of a relief. Harmony had stopped answering the door after the tenth undercover journalist tried to convince her that he was with a government agency.

Aurora and Serenity were helping her prepare a fruit platter in the kitchen as the sun sank behind the horizon. The few soldiers willing to talk to the local residents had informed her that they were going to begin clearing out the trees in the area around the ring at first light. Harmony had been proud of herself for reaming calm as the young soldier shared the information. They’re destroying my backyard!

She knew enough about human nature and politics to realize how futile freaking out would be. Instead, she politely thanked the young man and tried to avoid thinking about the situation.

“Harmony, I think you should come see this,” her mother called from the front room.

Harmony brought the fruit platter out with her and set it on the coffee table. Her mother was standing on the porch, looking around the yard nervously.

“Do you normally get fog like this?” her mother asked with a shiver.

“I haven’t so far, but we are near the coast,” Harmony replied unconcernedly. “And it is getting colder now- “

Harmony broke off as terrified screams erupted from the forest next to her house. Aurora and Serenity were out on the porch a split second later, their eyes as wide as teacups as the fog began thickening and then rising off the ground. The screams of terror intensified as a sudden wall of fog rolled out of the forest and covered everything. The fog was so thick that she couldn’t even see the tip of her nose.

“What the hell is going on out there?” her mother asked anxiously.

“Rhapsody probably doesn’t want them destroying her forest,” Serenity answered matter-of-factly.

Harmony herded her nieces and mother back into the house. “Mom, stay here and don’t let Serenity or Aurora follow me. I’m going to see if any of those soldiers require medical attention.”

“Are you crazy?” her mother demanded, aghast. “You heard those screams!”

“They weren’t screams of pain,” Harmony replied calmly. “They were just terrified. Whatever is out there isn’t hurting them, it’s just scaring the crap out of them.”

“Harmony, please just listen to me for once and stay here!” her mother pleaded.

“I listened,” Harmony replied with a sardonic grin. “But I’m still going.”

Harmony hurriedly left before her mother could voice any more objections.

She blinked in surprise as she stepped onto the porch. Most of the fog had vanished. The military trucks that had lined the side of the road were nowhere to be seen. Harmony broke into a brisk jog down her long driveway until she reached the road. There were only a few wisps of fog remaining, but there was no sign of any military equipment anywhere along the county road. The full moon gave off more than enough light for her to safely sprint down the road.

She came to an abrupt halt when a squad of butt-naked men walked out of the woods next to the road. The whites of their terrified eyes were easily visible in the bright moonlight.

“What happened?” Harmony asked them cautiously.

“This place is freaking cursed!” a broad-shouldered man with dark hair declared in a quavering voice. “An ocean of fog came rushing out of the trees and disintegrated everything in its path!”

“Not everything,” Harmony noted pointedly. “You seem to still be here.”

“It melted all of our equipment, clothes, vehicles, pretty much everything but us,” another soldier replied with a shudder. “I watched an eight metric ton bulldozer melt into a puddle of goo in less than ten seconds!”

“Is anybody hurt?” Harmony asked, keeping her eyes on their faces.

“I don’t think so,” he replied uncertainly. “There was a team of scientists near the wall that we haven’t heard back from though. All their equipment went haywire a few minutes before the fog arrived.”

The squad of soldiers was calming down as they related their experience. Harmony pulled out her phone and smiled to herself when it turned on without any trouble.

“I’m guessing all of your phones are gone as well,” Harmony said, looking at their naked forms pointedly. “Would you like me to call someone to have some new clothes brought out to you?”

“That would be really awesome,” the dark-haired soldier replied sheepishly. “It’s getting kind of cold.”

Harmony wordlessly handed him the phone. A steady stream of naked men and a few women began exiting the forest as he began talking on her cell phone. It looked like a nudist colony out on a wildlife retreat as they staggered out to the road.

“You’re welcome to wait at my place until help arrives,” Harmony said reluctantly. As much as she detested the idea of a bunch of naked people occupying her house, her sense of compassion was too strong to leave them outside in the chill evening air. “I have some impressionable nieces I’ll need to lock in their rooms first though.”

The soldiers gratefully accepted her invitation. Two of their number began rounding up the other dazed soldiers and following Harmony back to the house.

“What happened?” her mother demanded worriedly as soon as she entered.

“First things first,” Harmony replied firmly. “Serenity and Aurora, go to your rooms and don’t come out until I come and get you.”

“Why, what’s wrong?” Serenity asked anxiously.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Harmony replied with a roll of her eyes. “I’m just worried about your virgin minds being scarred for life. Now go! No buts!”

“Would you care to clarify?” her mother asked when her nieces reluctantly went up the stairs to their rooms.

“The fog dissolved any inorganic substances that it came in contact with,” Harmony explained, unable to keep a mischievous grin from her face. “There is a whole company of nude soldiers freezing their nuts off outside. I invited them to come inside where it is warm until their superiors send them some new clothes.”

“Are you being serious?” her mother asked doubtfully.

Instead of answering, Harmony turned and opened the door. “You can come in now!”

A moment later, a line of about thirty bashful looking soldiers shuffled through the door, avoiding eye contact with anyone. Harmony led the five female soldiers up to the second floor and into her room and let them use her clothes. Despite some of them being significantly shorter than Harmony, they seemed more than happy to put modesty before style.

When Harmony walked back outside of her room, she found Aurora and Serenity standing at the top of the stairs with their mouths hanging open in shock.

“I told you two to stay in your rooms,” Harmony told them with a sigh. “Now stop gawking at the boys’ toys and get back to your rooms.”

“Aunt Harmony, why are their naked men all over the house?” Serenity whispered in horror.

“Because I wanted to start a nude art class, now get back to your rooms,” Harmony replied dryly.

Two of the female soldiers that had followed Harmony out of her bedroom chuckled at her comment.

“What’s a nude art class?” Aurora asked hesitantly. “Do I even want to know?”

“Ask your grandma,” Harmony replied with a smirk.

“Ask me what?” her mother asked as she came up the stairs with a very obvious blush to her cheeks.

“Aunt Harmony said the naked men were here for a nude art class,” Aurora tattled on her. “She said to ask you what a nude art class is.”

Harmony was impervious to her mother’s death glare. She merely raised an amused eyebrow at her mother and waited.

“Harmony, I swear your I must have dropped you on your head several times,” her mother growled angrily. “Would you please stop filling your nieces’ heads full of nonsense?”

“They’ll learn what these kinds of words mean eventually,” Harmony replied with a shrug. “Would you rather some hormone-bombed boy taught them these words, or one of us?”

“Go to your rooms, girls,” her mother commanded Serenity and Aurora crisply.

“Do all boys look that funny without clothes?” Aurora asked with a giggle.

“Now!” Harmony and her mother said at the same time.

“Fine!” Serenity sighed dramatically. “But you better tell us what happened in the morning.”

Harmony spent the next three hours depleting her kitchen of food for their “guests” while her mother guarded the stairs to keep her nieces from sneaking out of their rooms again. Harmony let out a relieved sigh when a military transport truck arrived with clothes for the nude soldiers. When everyone was finally gone, Harmony locked the doors and went immediately to bed.