The Cubby Hole (IQ Testing Book 1) Read online

  Rincon frowns with puzzlement. “There’s no rain storm. I just noted that dramatic absence. Is this truly the original orange color tone?”

  Duchie nods. “Yes, it’s truly the orange color tone.”

  Rincon frowns with confusion. “Why’s it not raining? Why’s there dry soil and no rain inside the orange color tone?”

  “I didn’t know,” I exhale feeling both confused and sadness. I see Buffo laughing and eating. Then he laughs then drinks. Then he laughs and slaps the leg of the boy next to him.

  Rincon frowns with confusion then studies Ketona and then views the orange dirt. “Is that…”

  I pull him close into my breasts, not wanting the other teens to know that Buffo has failed the questions for the red color tone. He nods in silence.

  Duchie touches the wall then her cat suit and then the wall. She slams her body into the wall then back steps. “This is an electromagnetic field.”

  “I said that,” Nephella rubs the wall.

  Duchie shakes her ponytail. “Naw, my cat suit is also an electromagnetic field, a tiny one. That’s why the material can morph into the matching color of the current park place or lots of dumb teens would get confused. So we can do it,” swings and smiles at Marsilla. She walks to her. “Marsilla, we can adjust your cat suit.”

  Nephella frowns with confusion. “No, you cannot,” swings and walks to Duchie and Marsilla.

  Duchie kneels in front of Marsilla, smiling and slapping her cat suit. “Yeah, we can. The me-chee is a machine and blind without the computer signals. The cat suit tracks each of the teens. That’s how the me-chee knows which teen has completed all the questions the swiftest. The invisible or in this case colorful charged ions are sent into the me-chee machine via the cat suit. So we can adjust, alter or modify your cat suit, not you…”

  Nephella frowns with annoyance. “No, you can’t. We all wear our cat suits because we’re naked underneath.”

  Duchie giggles. “Forget her! I like being naked underneath my cat suit but I guess some people don’t like to…like the tattoo girl. She’s got a much lower IQ then me and you too. My idea, you can drop your fearless cat suit off the cliff instead of your frightened body. The charged ions record that schooler teen Marsilla has leaped from the cliff rock then your me-chee chair will activate then you can leave the red color tone…”

  Marsilla smiles and sobs. “Really!? Can that really work, Rincon?”

  Rincon swings to Marsilla then nods. “Yes, I do believe Duchie has developed a brilliant plan. If not, you will find out when you slide your butthole into the me-chee chair then burn it good,” chuckles with the others.

  Duchie assists Marsilla to stand, nodding and smiling. “Let’s go back to the cliff and try out my theory. What have ya got to lose but your cat suit?” She laughs with Marsilla and Nephella. The three girls turn dashing towards the flat cliff.

  Nephella says. “I like the idea but the cat suit is also heated with our body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. If ya stripe off the cat suit then the body temperature will hover probably around 90 or 89 degrees Fahrenheit. The me-chee will get suspicious of the unhealthy gadgets from the cat suit then send another me-chee to investigate…”

  Duchie says. “Good problem, new solution. We leave the cat suit on top of the rock cliff and warm it back up to 98.6 Fahrenheit degrees.”

  Nephella nods. “Good plan, new problem. The cat suit records some type of heart rate too like a beating heart. I know the sun is hot and heated, not beated,” giggles.”

  Duchie giggles. “I know. We use the sea mice.”

  Marsilla frowns with confusion. “What sea mice?”

  Duchie kicks the tall sea weed near her foot when a little white mouse runs and then hides from her. She giggles. “Sea mice eat the seedlings of the sea grass on top of the cliff. They got a beating heart. We capture about six or so then wrap them into the cat suit then toss the suit from the cliff. The cat suit will record a heated body temperature and a heart rate for the machine,” tosses her hands. “Ta-da!”

  Marsilla gasps. “I can’t murder little innocent mice…”

  Duchie laughs. “Then you can stay and pray for another supernatural miracle all alone here in the red zone. I think all the smarter teens have gone and are working the questions from the me-chee host…”

  Marsilla frowns with disgust. “I don’t wanna touch the mice.”

  Nephella says. “I’ll get the mice then help Duchie with the overall sick plan, a true cat and mouse ploy,” giggles with Duchie.

  Marsilla frowns with sadness.

  I giggle when Rincon grabs my arm.

  He cuddles Ketona whispering. “I’m so sorry. I saw Buffo behind the orange barrier wall. I didn’t remember seeing him jump off the cliff either. I landed second right after Marsilla then started instructing the teens how to jump off the cliff…”

  Marsilla, Duchie, and Nephella dash away from us towards the cliff.

  I slowly walk with Rincon, exhaling. “I wished you had landed first then her fear would have never materialized. But I believe that Duchie’s plan will work to return Marsilla into the Cubby Hole.”

  “Duchie’s smart coming from Dookie Town.”

  “You shouldn’t use that term. It’s mean.”

  Rincon exhales. “You’re mean, Ketona. You found the wayward wall barrier looking for Buffolo. He failed the questions. He failed you. Can’t you see that?”

  “No, I can’t.”

  “How’s he going to leap out of the orange zone?”

  I nod and say. “Nephella told us that everyone gets the chance to test for all the chart colors. Citizenship Day runs through midnight as the me-chee waits on the teens. Buffo can recover beautifully then answer the rest of the academic questions and pass into each color tone. We will share the gold color tone together then we pick our dream job and live here in Colfax. All this has been planned by me and Buffo.”

  Rincon smiles. “We have lived beside each other since birth. My mama and your mama are best friends. Hey, we drank from the same cup with our shared saliva until five years old…”

  I giggle. “Ugh, don’t remind me.”

  “We bathed together until three years old. I remember you naked.”

  I giggle. “Ugh, don’t remind me, twice…”

  “Me and you belong together, Ketona.”

  “I’m marrying Buffo next week.”

  “Okay! Will you live in Burrville too? Buffolo cannot resident in Colfax being a farm boy and all. Will you commute home from work then back to work then back to home too? Does the tram run that far out into the outer limits of Colfax?”

  I say. “No, Buffo and I have plans and a plan. He’s just a little behind by one color tone. He can catch up with me…and you for the golden job too.”

  He exhales. “He answered two questions correct and one question wrong then didn’t answer the last question completely. The fishies question stumped me too. It was clever trick question. Duchie’s correct. The questions are swifter and harder. There are two more color tones before the gold color tone. You answer three questions correctly to advance or answer one correctly to stay or answer two questions wrong to drop down into your destiny. We both saw the consequences of dropping out of sight. Our neighbor friends Hatch and Jara, they didn’t make it into the orange color tone with us. I didn’t see them there with Buffo either. Therefore they will be destined to live and work in Dookie Town too simply because they were lazy with their academic studies. I find the Cubby Hole a fair tool of justice. If you study hard you are rewarded quicker. If you don’t study then you are not…”

  “Buffo can pass the next academic questions.”

  Rincon nods. “Upon our return into the Cubby Hole vying for the green color tone then we all will be asked the same set of four academic questions including Hatch, Jara and Buffo, of course not in the same space or time. You finally realized why we didn’t see the yellow-colored me-chee chairs of Jara and Hatch.”

  I slap his arm, sa
ying. “You could’ve reminded me. I was upset, not thinking clearly. Then Duchie reminded me that Jara and Hatch were inside the yellow color tone, inside a pair of yellow me-chee chairs. Like colors stick together like buddies. This is so simply. We all are reaching for the same color chart of gold. So me and you will go on to the green color tone. Buffo will advance into the red color tone. Me and you will go onto the blue color tone. Buffo will advance into the green color tone. Me and you will reach the gold color tone. Buffo will advance into the blue color tone. Then I wait for Buffo, he and I will answer the single most difficult question and we both advance into the gold color tone like we have planned. Easy!”

  Rincon grins. “Easy for you and me! Buffolo might not find it so easy. Buffolo must like riding the horses around the corral like living on a farm. Buffolo looked happy eating food around the camp like a farm setting with the other teens who would be working on the farm too…”

  I gasp, stopping. “Ah, naw! We have plans. We’re getting married next week. We’re stepping into the golden color together…”

  Rincon cuddles her whispering. “Ketona sweetheart, after all the discussion and the new information exchange. What have you learned?”

  I swallow the thick salvia then nod. “I learned that 50 percent failure gets you stuck inside the current color tone. I learned that you must do something physical to get out of the current color tone. And I learned that every teen can advance into the gold color tone if they answer with 75 percent score.”

  He nods and says. “Excellent. I have learned those things too. Why is Buffo lingering inside the orange color tone? I assumed you saw him performing a physical activity besides eating more food around the campfire, currently,” when I gasp. Rincon nods. “Tell me! If he is the man of your dreams and you are the woman of his dreams, why hasn’t he landed back into the Cubby Hole and answered the newest set of academic questions and advanced into the red color tone. We are some of the last teens hanging around here waiting for you to jump off that cliff. It’s really fun…”

  I nod and smirk. “Buffo might already have done that…” I spin then run back to the wall smashing into the non-burning barrier. I sob and see Buffo dancing with another girl. He smiles and stomps then laughs and claps around the campfire having a good time, without me. I hiccup holding back the flood of tears from my aching heart and worried mind.

  Rincon stops besides Ketona saying. “Buffolo is having a good time. He’s a good dancer too. Buffolo did his physical feat probably riding a horse or a mule around the small corral then loaded onto his me-chee and then landed back into the Cubby Hole. He repeated the 50 percent failure rate on the four posed academic questions, twice. The four questions are too difficult like Duchie has warned about thousand times to us now. Buffolo can’t advance any further through the color chart underneath the me-chee’s metal skull. Buffolo is stuck in the orange color tone. I admit being a farmer is better than being a radiation worker or a dookie worker or a lawn worker or a slaughter killer of meats. Buffolo has chosen wisely for his permanent career of farmer. His grandfather was a farmer. Now we know how that happened in past history. Buffolo has been defeated and failed you, Ketona. You’re smarter than he. You’re smarter than me. You deserve to your dream job and your dream man, not Buffolo.”

  I stare at Buffo smiling and laughing with the girl teen. I don’t know her. I don’t recognize her face, since she’s probably not from Colfax either. I slap my face catching the tears.

  Rincon cuddles Ketona whispering. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Buffolo has his perfect peace and his park place. Be happy for him! This is probably the last time your paths will cross ever. You will not see him inside the Cubby Hole either. And you will find your peace soon. I promise. Let us go and finish the cliff diving! Then we ride the me-chee chairs back into the Cubby Hole. We both with success into the gold color tone achieving our dream of the perfect job and the perfect life as one.”

  He and I walk as one towards the cliff hugging each other as I sob with tears and heartache.

  Cliff.

  Marsilla, Nephella and Duchie sit on the rock patting the cat suit. Nephella has wet hair from taking jumping off the cliff, so she can activate her me-chee chair and continue the journey reaching the gold color chart. Duchie has a wet ponytail from her jump off the cliff too. Marsilla wears a set of the huge green palm tree leaves over her pink panties and naked breasts.

  I stop and drop my mouth. Rincon growls standing beside me. I slap his chest then giggle.

  Duchie smiles and stands holding the cat suit. “It’s really heated from the sun which should be simulating your body temperature and fooling the me-chee machine, right this moment. We’re ready. Just in time, ya’ll! We’re taking flight,” when Nephella assists Marsilla to stand carefully and cautiously in her homemade palm tree leaf dress.

  I giggle and lean into Rincon. He chuckles in low volume not to upset Marsilla.

  Duchie walks towards the edge of the cliff. She folds the cat suit into a ball.

  Nephella frowns. “Not so tight like a baseball ball, Duchie. The heated materials will double her fake body temperature. Fold it three times then toss it into the air and let it elegantly flutter down and then land in the water…”

  Duchie folds it thrice then rears back her arm. She tosses it high from the rock cliff. The cat suit beautifully flies forward then outstretches by the breeze wind into the full shape a human. The suit slowly falls down in the air as the red color twinkles in the bright sun. Duchie fingers the object and giggles, jumping up and down with happiness. “I am so smart,” nods and grins.

  We clap and laugh with fun of the murderous act of sacrificing the tiny sea mice but it is better than Marsilla getting hurt or killed or left behind inside the red zone as a slaughter princess for life.

  Marsilla frowns watching the cat suit float down from the blue sky then disappear behind the tall face of the limestone cliff rock. She stands far away from the edge of the cliff, shouting. “How are you getting my cat suit out of the water, Duchie?”

  Duchie swings to Marsilla, frowning with confusion. “Out of the water?”

  Marsilla nods and fingers the cliff rock. “My cat suit’s falling down into the water probably there now…”

  Nephella leans over the air molecules of the cliff, grinning and giggling. “No yet…”

  Marsilla frowns. “Duchie, how are getting my suit from the water?”

  Nephella leans over the air molecules of the cliff, grinning and giggling. “Almost there…”

  Marsilla frowns. “I have to wear my cat suit back into the Cubby Hole…”

  Duchie frowns. “O yeah!”

  Nephella leans over the air molecules of the cliff, grinning and giggling. “About there…”

  Marsilla frowns. “I need my cat suit before I can slide into the me-chee chair and then return into the Cubby Hole for the next color tone and academic questions.”

  Duchie nods. “O right!”

  Nephella leans over the air molecules of the cliff, grinning and giggling. “There, it’s wet and drowning in the waves…”

  Duchie smiles and jumps up and down with happiness. “It worked.”

  Marsilla bounces up and down in fury. “Ugh! You didn’t factor into your brilliant plan a method of retrieving my cat suit after it plunged from the cliff all alone. I am almost naked standing here in the heat. I can’t return to the Cubby Hole wearing a set of green palm tree leaves. The me-chee will see and taste and smell me and then know that I have seriously cheated within the red color tone.”

  I laugh covering my mouth with the rude sound along with Rincon.

  Duchie frowns with annoyance and fingers the water. “Climb down and retrieve it from the water…”

  Marsilla exhales swinging her giant palm leaves side to side. “I’m afraid of heights, dumbo. That’s why you came up with the brilliant plan of flying my cat suit without me right off the cliff.”

  Duchie fingers her temple. “O wow! Well, I’m the front man with
brains thinking up the concept….”

  Nephella smiles. “I’m the middle man with the brains thinking up the body temp and heart rate.

  Duchie fingers Marsilla and nods. “Yeah, you’re the rear man with the brains for thinking up how to get the cat suit from the water…”

  “Get my cat suit now before I beat your butthole,” screams Marsilla, tossing her arms when the palm leaves shift. She hugs her breasts, fuming with fury.

  Duchie nods and frowns with defeat. “Okay, done! Come on, mayor’s daughter. Help me get the suit from the water before the broad does the stinky thing to my butthole,” giggles and walks down the naturally formed cliff stone steps towards the shoreline. “Are ya afraid of heights, mayor’s daughter?”

  Marsilla fingers the sky. “And remove the poor dead little mice…”

  Duchie stomps down then shouts. “Okay, done! Do ya think we severed the electromagnetic field in the suit without her with the water?”

  “Maybe not,” says Nephella with a smile.

  “Do ya think we murdered the poor little sea mice?”

  “Maybe so,” smiles Nephella.

  They walk down the nature steps together.

  Duchie says. “Do you think it will float before it drowns in the sea water?”

  “Maybe so.”

  Duchie says. “Do you think the dead mice guts will interfere with the electromagnetic field of the cat suit?”

  “Maybe not,” says Nephella with a smile.

  Duchie says. “I like your face piercing. Did they hurt hitting the water?”

  “Maybe so,” Nephella smiles.

  Duchie says. “Did you think if I got face piercing it would hurt too?”

  “Maybe nod, “Nephella smiles.

  Marsilla frowns and fingers the girls not jumping with her palm leaf dress. She shouts. “I heard that, Duchie. Get my suit. I’m waiting next to my me-chee chair to go back into the Cubby Hole. And remove the dead mice guts from my suit,” swings and walks from the cliff.