The Advent Of Smouse - Chapter 17 - Retribution

And here we are back for chapter 17 of the Advent of Smouse,

Retribution.

By late Saturday afternoon,

There is a remarkable change in the atmosphere in the black household.

After tiptoeing around,

Feeling like they're walking on eggshells,

Desperately saying or doing nothing to upset their father,

Perry and Ex can finally relax and breathe.

Even Smouse and Mentor kept out of his way.

They all feel like they've just been rescued from a stint in jail.

After a stressful Thursday,

Friday's launch went without a hitch,

Across Australia and internationally with outstanding reviews and excellent sales.

Today's sales continue to rise.

As planned,

The Shiro's and blacks are gathered in the blacks' large open-planned family kitchen area.

It opens onto a large balcony overlooking Port Phillip Bay.

The teenagers grazing on chips,

Cheese and nibbles are lounging on couches and cushions,

Listening to Smouse,

Who is comfortably settled on a circular coffee table in the centre of the room.

Mentor and Raz lie close together in front of the windows.

Scat is nestled in Perry's lap,

A very rare situation.

Bubbles sits close to the coffee table,

Her attention fixed on Smouse.

The late afternoon sun streaming in through the huge panoramic windows bathes him in a golden light.

Between delighting in the rich taste of peanut butter and the warm,

Soothing liquid flow of whisky,

Smouse passionately explains why Sam's music works so well as a madrobe block.

Sam loves music.

Sam loves nature.

Sam loves playing his clarinet.

Sam loves experimenting and creating.

He listens.

He observes.

He is at one with the world.

Love is the thread that binds it all.

He pauses as Sam,

Embarrassed by the attention,

Hides his clarinet under a cushion.

It's true.

Samari endorses Smouse's appraisal.

She leans over and gives her brother a friendly shove and pulls the cushion off him.

He sheepishly places the clarinet in his lap.

Perry gives him the thumbs up sign.

Very nice too,

Sam.

I'm looking forward to hearing you play it for us.

She gives him a genuine smile before turning back to Smouse.

So how does Sam's playing block madrobe?

He smiles blithely.

Sam's music is filled with love.

Love is a powerful force.

It's the one thing that madrobe can't destroy.

What?

All that mushy stuff in books and movies?

Perry sniggers before adding.

What do you mean brotherly love?

Trust me,

There's no such thing.

She laughs and ducks as her brother tosses a cushion at her and then becomes serious as she asks Smouse.

How?

Love's just a feeling.

Smouse shakes his head.

It's more than that.

It's a very powerful energy source.

He suddenly produces the guide from within the folds of his scarf and asks Sam to play it while he reads.

Sam shyly tests a few notes before starting to softly play.

While Vera Black prepares the meal,

The adults grouped around the kitchen bench enjoying drinks and antipasto nibbles are discussing ways in the light of the current situation to change and improve Black Enterprises.

With the sudden appearance of the guide and the warm,

Mellow sound of the clarinet,

They all stop and give their attention to Smouse as he opens the book and starts to read.

On love.

Love is the fabric that holds the universe together,

The threads that weave us as one.

It is a powerful,

Invisible and infinite energy that occupies space.

The space within us and all around us.

It is the force that invites us to care,

To be compassionate,

To lend a hand,

To be gentle,

To be kind,

To look after one another.

It is a love for everyone and everything.

It accepts everyone and everything.

It makes your heart sing.

It has power and passion.

It creates harmony.

It is unconditional.

It is freely given without any expectations.

It does not bind or control.

It does not harm.

It does not make demands.

It is non-judgmental.

It is not possessive.

But Smouse stops and there is only Sam's beautiful music.

Everyone is still.

Smouse focuses on them one by one before he adds.

It is the antithesis of the energy used by Madrog and in its purest form much more powerful.

The music ends and as Smouse closes the book,

Mentor and Raz suddenly jump up.

They are both on full alert,

Anxiously scanning the horizon.

In the distance is the deep rumble of thunder.

The voice of Mentor fills their heads and we may need to use it sooner than we think.

The sound of thunder intensifies and the golden light of the late afternoon sun instantly disappears.

Thick,

Dark,

Threatening clouds fill the horizon.

The sea turns black.

X automatically checks his iPhone.

The Weather Bureau is still forecasting clear skies and sunshine.

The radar shows no storms.

He relays the information to the others.

For a moment there is confusion.

In the centre of the coffee table,

Smouse stands transfixed.

Mentor moves towards him.

The families,

Except for Bubbles who is curled up asleep on a cushion,

Move out to the balcony to watch the spectacle.

They have no sense of calamity.

On Imperium a huge crowd is gathered around Ag,

Pax and Angelica,

United on the vast lawns of the Garden of Eden.

Bips and quadrips together.

Angelica is anxious about Smouse.

She has heard stories about Madrog and his retributions.

To settle her nerves,

She strokes the long gold blackened striped fur of her grandmother's quadrip,

A large feline named Tigg.

She tries to tune into Smouse.

There is a soft murmur from the crowd.

Using song,

They will send the combined love and positive energies of Imperium to Earth.

Smouse and Mentor have prepared the space orb to receive and redirect the energies and love from Imperium.

As the thunder on Earth rumbles,

The space orb,

Secure in its deep pool,

Starts to glow and hum gently.

With one voice,

The Imperiums start transmitting.

As the minutes pass,

The glow in the space orb intensifies and rays of white light are transmitted through the air.

Fascinated by the unusual weather event,

The blacks and sheroes watch from the balcony as the darkness gathering on the horizon deepens and a strange red light streaks the sky.

The rumble of thunder becomes menacing.

An incredibly bright flash of lightning and a deafening clap of thunder send them hurrying inside to where Smouse is still standing motionless in the center of the coffee table.

At the edge of the table,

Mentor is studying him carefully.

Smouse is focused far away.

Soft lights play up and down the fibers of his optic scarf.

With eyes on the storm,

The adults and teenagers sit on the couches and chairs in a circle around him.

Oblivious to the happenings,

Bubbles sleeps on.

Raz and Skat share a safe space under the couch.

The storm increases in intensity as the wind picks up and rain starts to fall.

Martin Black and X make sure the doors and windows are firmly shut.

Huge hailstones ricochet off the balcony.

Across the road,

People desperately rush for shelter from the onslaught as it wreaks havoc across Black Rock and its surrounding suburbs.

Trees,

Roof tiles and other debris fly through the air.

Electricity and telephone wires are ripped from their posts.

Flash flooding is prevalent.

Inside the house,

It becomes so dark Perry turns on the lights.

A slight uneasiness creeps into the room as they huddle nervously in their seats,

Dinner is served.

Perry spots it first.

The storm has slightly eased.

She stands up and moves towards the window.

She squints,

Trying to focus on the strange funnel-shaped column that is rotating between the clouds and the horizon.

Mentor,

Ever alert,

Moves closer to Smouse.

X and Tamari join Perry.

OMG,

Is it what I think she gasps?

Speechless,

X and Tamari can only nod as she whispers the words.

It's a tornado and it's heading straight for us.

Their parents hastily join them and then urge them to retreat back to their seats.

Mentor urgently tries to communicate with Smouse,

Who is still cataleptic.

The tornado steadily moves closer.

A strange red light flickers at its core.

On Imperium,

The mass gathering continues to sing.

N'Javaka sees the tornado through Smouse's eyes.

A stab of fear shoots through her as she recognizes the red shape.

She turns to Ag,

Who nods and she understands immediately what is required.

With all her strength,

She sends a message to Smouse.

It's up to you,

Smouse.

It's up to you.

Be careful.

Bubbles suddenly wakes up.

She blinks and gathers her wits.

Then,

Burbling in some strange language,

She leans forward and touches Smouse on the head.

He is instantly galvanized into action.

He takes her hand and kisses it before reaching out for Mentor.

Mentor stands close to him,

A nose touching his.

Across the bay,

The tornado tracks towards a red bluff,

Where for some reason it momentarily stops.

Smouse,

Grappling with his fears and doubts,

Takes a deep breath and stands tall.

Mentor steps back.

A silver light encompasses her and Smouse as he faces the group.

He speaks to Sam first.

Please play now,

Sam,

Like you've never played before,

With all your love.

He turns and watches a vortex created by the tornado increase in strength,

And the redness at its core manifests as it resumes its path across the bluff towards the house.

Anxiously,

He implores the rest of the group to support Sam and to gather together to send love,

Not to him,

But to Madrobe.

What?

No way.

Perry is appalled at the suggestion.

The tornado is slowly crossing the road,

As in slow motion.

Smouse's voice is barely a whisper as he disappears.

Love is not judgmental.

As he reappears precariously balanced on the safety glass fence at the front of the balcony,

Bubbles leap up from her cushion to chase after him.

Her father quickly gathers her in his arms and holds her tight.

The light surrounding Mentor is dazzling.

The light around Smouse is pale.

The menacing spiral edges forward over the front wall.

Mentor moves to where Sam is seated.

She rests her head on his knees and he starts to play his clarinet.

The music,

Tentative at first,

Grows.

It weaves its way around the group as the tornado that is Madrobe approaches the balcony and Smouse.

Shocked into action,

The group huddles close to each other and links hands.

They nervously follow the action outside as Mentor's voice flows with the music.

Think positive thoughts.

Picture a positive outcome.

Focus on positive and loving thoughts and direct them outwards.

Do this as long as it is necessary.

Send love.

They desperately focus.

Smouse becomes a small bright light against the dense spiraling mass.

The glow of light emanating from him increases and splits the darkness of the storm beyond the tornado,

Dispersing then fragmenting and dissolving the clouds.

A beautiful and soothing harmony glides through the air,

Absorbing the violence of the wind and hail until with one final shriek it stops and peace gradually descends.

But the tornado still remains poised,

The other side of the safety glass ready to strike.

Man plays his clarinet.

And Mentor's voice urges them to keep going.

Think positive thoughts.

Picture a positive outcome.

Focus on positive and loving thoughts and direct them outwards.

Do this as long as it is necessary.

Send love.

They frantically continue to focus.

There is a sudden jagged flash of red light and a huge clap of thunder.

They watch in horror as the safety glass fence on which Smouse is standing shatters and he is tossed into the air.

He drops like a limp rag doll onto the balcony floor.

The light around him fades to a faint glow.

On Imperium,

Angelica collapses into the arms of her grandmother.

And we leave it here.

Until next time for Chapter 18.