The Hubby Hold (IQ Testing Book 2) Read online

  I exhale, wiping the red dust, gasping. “I see volcanoes, not teens. What happened to the white limestone cliff tabletop, the pretty white sands, the yellow sunshine, and the blue ocean? This cannot be the red barrier wall. I see big and ugly nasty volcanoes. They’re erupting and spewing orange sizzling lava down the mountain, onto the land. One, two, three…six of those ugly monsters. There’re six volcanoes, spewing hot lava. I see four smoking volcanoes with white steam, probably cooling. The sky’s gray with ash. There’re no trees, or grass, or plants, or animals, or teens. The landscape’s boiling with orange lava, or black colored with cooling lava. How can any teen survive down there? Where are the teens, who have failed the academic questions? They’d be hurt, or killed, or steamed, or fried, or…”

  He whispers. “I don’t know, either. But, this is the red barrier wall, and I’ll prove it.” He two-steps over then wipes the yellow dust, making it dance from the barrier wall. “This is the yellow barrier wall.”

  I two-step then wipe the yellow dust, cupping my hands over my eyelashes, gasping. I say. “I see a desert of yellow sand. Where’s the white snow and high mountains? When I last saw the yellow color tone, it was white snowy park place of skiing and fun. How is that all possible inside the yellow color tone, within the park place, changing from snow to hell?”

  He cups his hands over his eyelids, studying inside the yellow barrier wall. “I see herded camels, tents for shelter, lots of palm trees, even an oasis of water. Wow! This is really cool!”

  I say. “I see the teens. Some are eating. Some are patting the camels. Some are sitting under the palm trees.”

  He says, chuckling. “I see her. She’s tall, blond hair, pink skin, wearing her high heels, too.”

  I gasp. “Java, this is really the yellow color tone, within the yellow barrier wall. Where’re the snow flakes and snowy mountains?”

  He says. “I do not know. But, I see him, too. Hatch’s tall, muscular, cropped blonde hair, cat whiskers, peachy skin, athletic body build.” He nods, back stepping from the barrier wall. “I am convinced, this is definitely the desert locked within the yellow barrier wall,” he wipes a larger area along the wall with both his hands. “See, the glowing yellow color of the electromagnetic wall.” He hits it with both hands, nodding. “It’s solid and doesn’t sting, or bite, or break. I don’t understand why the landscape has changed…”

  I back step from yellow barrier wall, shaking my curls with confusion. I two-step, wiping clean the red dust, cupping my hands into the corner barrier wall. “Okay. This is the red barrier wall for the red color tone, where we just exited. Rincon, look here! There’s, now, water inside the red park place, an ocean of blue water from the sheer volume and smooth waves. This ain’t the red barrier wall, or the red park place, or the red color tone. We just both eye witnessed a valley of volcanoes, inside the red barrier wall, a few second ago…”

  He advances to the barrier wall, brushing aside the red dust, then cups his hands to the wall, saying. “There’s a whale, blowing water from its hole. There’s a pod of leaping pink nosed dolphins, running alongside the pod of whales. This is definitely the ocean water. But, this is also the red barrier wall.”

  I study the ocean, smiling with excitement. “I see boats, small sailing boats, and I see, some of the teens on top deck of the boats. Their cat suits look like colored glitter in the bright sunlight. Some are fishing. Some are jumping off and swimming in the ocean. Some are eating and drinking. Some are lying on the deck, watching the sun…”

  He back steps from the red barrier wall, smiling and nodding. “Sailing boats for fun,” he views behind his collar bone at the smelly flowers then views inside the barrier wall. “They always seem to get the fun park places,” he gasps then back steps from barrier wall and the rows of ragweed, studying the two walls with two different colors, glittering below the sun. Rincon cups his chin, whispering. “How can we see both the red and yellow barrier walls, in the same geographical point, within the planet, at the same time?”

  I spy on the sail boats for fun. “I don’t know…”

  He snaps his fingers, studying the sky, the ground, and two barrier walls. He uses his hands to draw a series of invisible lines in the air. “This is a trapezoid, the cousin of the parallelogram.”

  I gasp, whispering for my eardrums only. “Buffo!? I see Buffo, tall, muscular, brown cropped hair, brown cat whiskers, pale skin, goofy smile. He’s on the one, two…third sailing boat. I recognize his tallness, anywhere.” I gasp, again. “He wears his cat suit, too.” I exhale with angry, whispering for my eardrums only. “He’s having fun, there. I’m stuck, here…”

  Rincon says and studies the sky and the sun. “Inside a trapezoid, only two opposing sides are parallel to each other. Yes. This would explain the mysterious park place.”

  “I guess,” I say and spy on Buffo inside the sail boat. He’s laughing and back slapping with some other teens that I do not recognize, since the teens are from the farmlands. I live in the posh city of Colfax.

  Rincon nods and smiles, walking from the barrier wall and whipping his hands side to side in the air. “A trapezoid is a four side shape. The red barrier wall is sloping from the southeast corner towards the north. That would conform to the new trapezoid formation. Yes, that makes a perfect mathematical geometric shape…”

  “I guess.” I say and spy. All the sailing boats are anchored in the water. All the teens are swimming in the water, or lounging around the decks.

  Rincon swings around in a circle, smiling and nodding. He studies the barrier walls, whipping his hands into the air. He says. “The yellow barrier wall is parallel to the green color tone. That’s why we can see the yellow barrier wall, but they can’t see us, for some logic reason. So, the slope from the southwestern corner towards the north is…is..,” he snaps his finger then gasps.

  I smile and spy on Buffo. I exhale, frowning with disappointment, not being there. I whisper.

  “My particular green park place is pretty with flowers, not fun with waves. The water looks, so inviting with the bright sun and calm waves. All the teens are laughing and splashing around in the water. The orange color tone looked fun, also, when I saw the galloping horses, and flaming campsites, and food cooking, instead of violent rainstorms.” I gasp, smiling and nodding. “Buffo has advanced into the red color tone. Yay hay! He’s catching up with me. I’m so happy and I’m so relieved,” I bounce side to side then stop. I gasp. “No. Yes. No. Yes. No way. Yes way,” shaking my curls then narrow my eyelashes. Then, I wipe the red dust from the wall with both hands and arms, studying the female. The female stands, too close to Buffo, on the sailing boat, then he wraps his arm around her. I growl. “No. Yes. No. Yes. Duchie is there with Buffo. That is impossible.” I swing around and scan the pretty and ugly flowers, within my park place, of the green color tone. I see the back muscles of Rincon.

  He is tossing his arms, spinning in a circle, scanning the sky, the ground, the sun, the flowers, and the trees. He’s talking to himself about the angles of the geometric puzzle of the sun and the multiple barrier walls.

  “Whatever!” I exhale, scanning the room of mirrors, the trees, the sky, and the flowers. “I don’t remember, seeing her exit the room of mirrors, here. So, how is possible that Duchie is with Buffo, inside the red color tone?” I snap my fingers, nodding. “Use your brain! Remember the order of the color chart. Pink, yellow, orange, red, and then the green color, so Duchie met the one-fourth rule, answering, correctly, only one question out four academic questions. Then, she stayed within the red color tone, while Buffo has passed with 75 percent of his academic questions, into the red color tone. It was completely accidently, in there, they had met. Good! I puzzled that logic out. Buffo is getting closer to me. So, I should fail with 50 percent then drop back down into the red color tone and be with Buffo, except I don’t know what ‘the thing’ is here. Okay. Do the easier one! After I return into the Cubby Hole, I should answer the first silly question from the me-chee then
stay inside the green color tone. Then, Buffo can advance into the green color tone and find me, giving me his warm hug and wet kiss. Yay hay! That’s the perfect solution. I wait, here, for Buffo. Yay hay!” I bounce side to side, clapping and grinning then halt. I frown with puzzlement. “Why would Duchie stay within the red color? The academic questions were really easy, especially, for her and me. That doesn’t make any sense to me, or from her. She was determined to continue with the color tones, until the finally golden color tone for the most difficult question.”

  I exhale. “Or the other situation, Duchie failed 50 percent of her academic questions then dropped down from the red color tone, back into the orange color tone.” I gasp. “That would mean, Buffo is still trapped inside the orange color tone. Duchie has purposefully failed and fallen into the orange color tone, too. Since, she was already located within the red color tone. Duchie had the three options, during the previous Cubby Hole session. One, stay inside the red color tone, without me. Two, advance into the green color tone with me. Three, drop into the orange color tone, without me, but, with Buffo.” I growl then swing towards the barrier wall, cupping my hands. “There is blue water, a yellow sun, white sailing boats, and red cat suits. I think the cat suits are red. The sun is so bright that the cat suits look all red tinted. How do I figure out, if this is truly the red color tone, within the red park place, inside the red barrier wall?” I gasp then exhale, stomping my feet. “Buffo and Duchie are on the same sailing boat. She’s touching his cat suit.” I growl with jealousy.

  He nods and smiles. “The blue color tone, I can see the landscape of the blue tone. This is awesome. I can see the next color tone and prepare for my homecoming,” he grins and turns, dashing down the rows of ragweed plants in the opposite direction of the brown flowers, the red barrier wall, and Ketona.

  His hair, face, and cat suit glitter in glowing red dust particles.

  I swing around, calling. “Rincon!? Rincon!?” I swing and face the rows of ragweed. I yell. “Rincon, where are you? Have ya seen Duchie inside our park place?” I gasp, viewing Rincon.

  He dashes towards the opposite side of the park place, leaving me, alone.

  I sneer then race behind Rincon. I stop then spy inside the yellow barrier wall. “Yes, this is the yellow color tone, within the yellow park place, behind the yellow barrier wall, which is disguised by the yellow pollen dust. I see the yellow sands of the desert. And I see both Java and Hatch riding on a camel, along with other teens, a freaking camel race, having a freaking fun time inside the yellow color tone.” I growl, back stepping from the wall.

  Chapter 5

  Barrier wall

  I turn, running towards the opposite side, paralleling the rows of ragweed and yellow pollen.

  Diagonal from the ragweed rows are pretty rows of colorful flowers growing over the ground, inside the bushes, and over short rows of wooden fence posts, consisting of orange marigolds, yellow pansies, violet red tulips, pink roses, purple irises.

  I follow the ragweed rows, until the dust changes color. I stop and stare at the new barrier wall, comprising the trapezoid geometric shape, like Rincon has accurately deduced. It shimmies in the color of bright red from the mixture of yellow ragweed pollen and the floating leaves of the greenery plants, forming a wall of red. I whisper. “The red barrier wall…”

  I scan the landscape for Rincon.

  He stands on the opposite side of me, almost out of my eyesight range. He touches and probes another new barrier wall.

  I narrow my eyelashes at Rincon and the wall. It shimmies in the color of bluish-indigo from the mixture of yellow ragweed pollen and the floating flakes of purple irises, forming a wall of blue, like the next color tone on the chart of blue. I whisper. “He’s correct. This is some type of disguise, or disgust, faking out the dumb teens, not the smart teens.”

  I exhale then stomp towards the red dancing dust, drifting from the flowers and ragweed. I wipe the red dust from the wall, feeling the solid object, cupping my hands. The interior of the barrier is dull, gray skies and dark brown soil. It is an open flat field, without crops, surrounded by a forest of thick trees. I gasp. “The teens are throwing tomahawks at the tall barked trees, having fun, again.” I growl with jealousy. “I’m having misery, double portions. The teens are laughing, dancing, and eating food, too. I don’t recognize any of the teen faces, either. Yes. This is the red color tone. The teens would have advanced from the orange color tone, or failed and fallen back down from the green color tone, or stayed within the red color tone. I do not know these teens.” I nod, back stepping, studying the landscape. “The ragweed rows parallel the barrier wall, producing the yellow pollen dust. The diagonal rows, forming a triangle of pretty flowers, are producing some type of green powder from the green fluttering leaves and hairy stems. Therefore, the yellow pollen and green powder mix, producing the red dust. So, the red dust drifts and covers up the red barrier wall, again, faking out the dumb teens, no me.” I gasp. “Yellow and green color make red. So, brown and yellow make…orange. Rincon is wrong.”

  I spin and run back down the ragweed rows, passing the yellow barrier wall.

  I stop at the wall intersection, showing the yellow dancing dust and the red dancing dust. I squat, collecting the brown dried flowers, first, then shake the yellow pollen over the flowers. I crush the two objects, together, inside my palms, keeping them closed.

  I exhale, closing my eyelashes, fearing the color image. Then, I blink open my eyelashes, slowly opening my palms. I gasp. “The color combination is a dull, dull red tint, but the color is clearly orange, not red.” I swing to the barrier wall, narrowing my eyelashes. “The color looks almost like red, but slightly more lighter and duller than a true red tone. This is the orange barrier wall.” I drop my chin into my chest, sobbing with defeat. “Buffo is still trapped inside the orange color tone, within the orange park place, inside the orange barrier wall. He has failed, again. And, now, Duchie has purposefully failed the red color tone to be with my guy.” I stomp the ugly flowers, not caring, if they are toxin to my body.

  I feel betrayed by Duchie. I feel disappointment in Buffo. I feel sadness for me.

  I grin, feeling revengeful.

  I swing and huff in the direction of the loose huddle of Marsilla, Lamis, and Nephella. I scan the rows of pretty flowers then squeeze between Marsilla and Lamis, growling. “Where is Duchie? Has anyone seen Duchie? Did Duchie leave the park place, before me? Is she running through the tulips bare footed, like the teen idiots, over there?”

  Lamis frowns with annoyance. “I have not seen Duchie, either. She could be with some of the other teens. She’s very sociable and likable, getting along with everyone. I love Duchie, too. I haven’t seen her, here, either. She’s smart, so she must be somewhere, picking out her flower bouquet. I gathered my flower bouquet, too, since that’s the only thing to do, here, inside the green park place. However, I’m ready to leave. So, the more important question, how do we get outta here? What’s ‘the thing’ to do, here, inside the green color tone? We all need to go back into the Cubby Hole.”

  Rincon back steps, smiling from the barrier wall. “I can’t see anything. I was so certain that I would be able to see the next park place, within the blue color tone, alleviating the surprise. I admit the park places are full of unexpected events, some scary, some fun, some boring…”

  “Rincon, did ya run into Duchie while running away from me?” I snarl into his nose profile.

  Marsilla smiles. “No, I have not seen Duchie, either. But, I do possess my pretty flower bouquet. Can we keep the flowers collected from here? I wanna take them home to my mama.”

  Rincon frowns with confusion. “No, I’ve been busy entertaining you, Ketona. Why is she important, now?”

  Nephella frowns with worry, scanning the rows of flowers and teens. “Naw, I haven’t seen Duchie, either,” she views Ketona. “Did she pass with 75 percent the academic questions, into the green color tone?”

  I scan the rows of f
lowers, the blue sky, the red barrier wall behind my fanny, and then Nephella, without answering.

  Lamis nods. “Yes, she’s smart. She’s here. What do we do about leaving the park place? I’m not sliding into my me-chee chair, first. It bit me, last time. It stung my fanny…”

  Rincon studies the flower bouquets of the other female teens then Ketona. “Good for you Ketona, not ripping Mother Nature from her roots then destroying all those pretty flowers. Now, all those flowers are going to die from your greed and arrogance and vanity Marsilla…”

  Marsilla sneers. “We’re participating in Citizenship Day, Rincon. I didn’t see ya feeding the hungry giant ants your lunch basket food items, like a good camp-scout. As a matter of fact, you were the first chicken stew teen inside his me-chee chair, before the rest of us. I love flowers. I love the fragrance smell and soft texture. Nothing in the world is more lovelier than holding an arm bouquet of pretty fresh flowers, or arranging them into a flower vase for showing off. My mama provides fresh cut flowers, every day, around my house, inside the dining room, the living room, and my private bedroom…”

  Nephella tosses her hands, frowning with confusion. “Wait, you like flowers.”

  Marsilla grins and nods. “I love flowers.”

  Nephella drops her mouth. “Who landed, first, inside the green room of mirrors?”

  Marsilla nods and smiles. “I landed, first, before Rincon, once again. I did it, again. I figured out the microcoulombs answer, before…”

  Lamis nods and smiles. “I got that one, too. I puzzled that out, really quickly, too. It was easy, because 16 minus 8 equal 8, which is simply mathematics for a second grader. Then, the charge of the two conductors was equally shared, so the answer was negative four. I got my 75 percent, too, passing into the green color tone. What was the answer for question four? I didn’t answer, since I didn’t know the answer. And, I didn’t want an incorrect response against me. That’s where the other teens fail, within the Cubby Hole, giving the wrong answer, which counts against ya…”