S.H.A.M.A.N.S.

Ch. 2: The Pretend Hobo Harmony Star

It’s still the year 2009; in the city (Mega-Con) of Orlando, Florida, in a small apartment complex, a small 5-year-old red-haired child is running around the place, making herself look like a fool, but all that time, she never minded it.

As she exhausted herself for the afternoon, she decided to take a nap.

As she woke up at 7 P.M. that night, she saw her father looking at her mischievously. She shook her rather long red hair out of her face and asked her old man, “What is it, Pops?” He said to her, “On my way home from work when I started to think about you, Harmony, I’ve gotten sick and tired of you never being outdoors, ever. Then when I looked at my lottery ticket, I’ve found out that I won $112 million this morning.”

Harmony shrugged, “Whatever; power-hungry and super-lazy Baka like you always search for ways to gain more cash without working.” Her father asked, “Baka? What the hell–– I mean, what the heck is a Baka?” Harmony explained, “Japanese for ‘idiot’ or ‘jerk’.”

Feeling angry at his own daughter, the red-haired father thought up a scheme and thought it up quick; “We never did this before; you have usually been on the jolly, stupid, ‘what-do-I-care’ side, and I have a bet for you: if you can survive out there on the streets without any help from me or the indoors for a week or more than it, I’ll give you a large allowance.”

Harmony knew what bets were, she was watching movies not intended for her age since childhood (A/N: Hey, so did I but I was too stupid to know that back then and she’s not), she looked at her old man and asked, “If I don’t stay outdoors as long as a week?” He sternly said to her, “If you never make it through outdoors within a week or even give up, you are grounded until you’re 19 years old.”

Harmony asked, “Big allowance? How big?” Her old man said to her, “50 bucks a week.” Harmony boldly said, “I’ll take that bet!”

And without another word, she walked out the door…

He proudly said, “She wouldn’t last five seconds out there, she’ll come crawling back here in less that time.”

DAY 1

Luckily for Harmony, Spring Break Week was going to start anyway and she knew during that time, she has all the time in the world. Through all the television she’s seen back home, she never imagined breathing the air would be sort of… nasty. She looked and found a rather old guy beside her, smoking a cigarette. She left town in a huff…

Later that night, she found herself somewhere very south from Orlando, where the fresh air made her feel more… alive. She found a nice tree to rest under.

DAY 2

As she woke up, she found herself under an orange tree and the scene she found herself around is the beach!

“I knew I shouldn’t have left Orlando hitching a ride on a bus…” she cheers up, “But this is better than any old geezer breathing cigarette smoke in your face.”

She picked an orange off a tree in an unpopulated area owned by no one, and bit into it, without peeling it, “Mmm! This is the best stuff!”

DAY 3

Harmony took this time to try to build up on a little cash today in Miami, which was extremely close to impossible! Then a young blonde girl (yep, it’s Sally Okada) gave her $50 dollars.

DAY 4

She traveled up north to find a place to get cleansed and live another night. She found one, a nice large and very clean river that very uninhabited out in the middle of nowhere.

DAY 5

Keeping her spirits strong, she stayed under a shady tree to keep out of the rain. As the rain continued on… she slept like a baby.

DAY 6

She woke up, a little feverish but still alive, she headed back to town and paid up for some hot soup, she stayed overnight on the streets and got better.

/ I dream of rain /

/ I dream of gardens in the desert sand /

/ I wake in vain /

/ I dream of love as time runs through my hand /

/ I dream of fire /

/ Those dreams that tie two hearts that will never die /

/ And near the flames /

/ The shadows play in the shape of the man's desire /

/ This desert rose /

/ Whose shadow bears the secret promise /

/ This desert flower /

/ No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this /

/ And now she turns /

/ This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams /

/ This fire burns /

/ I realize that nothing’s, as it seems /

/ I dream of rain /

/ I dream of gardens in the desert sand /

/ I wake in vain /

/ I dream of love as time runs through my hand /

/ I dream of rain /

/ I lift my gaze to empty skies above /

/ I close my eyes /

/ The rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love /

/ I dream of rain /

/ I dream of gardens in the desert sand /

/ I wake in vain /

/ I dream of love as time runs through my hand /

/ Sweet desert rose /

/ Whose shadow bears the secret promise /

/ This desert flower /

/ No sweet perfume that would torture you more than this /

/ Sweet desert rose /

/ This memory of hidden hearts and souls /

/ This desert flower /

/ This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of love /

DAY 7

As she woke up on the dawn of the seventh day, she knew her father was going to lose the bet with her… but she thought she could survive much longer. For the entire week, she noticed that her rather long hair has grown into a thick and long mane of red hair that runs past her shoulders (think of something like Ryoko from “Tenchi Muyo” or InuYasha)!

Seeing how the week of adventures away from home have improved her, she’s feeling more like she’s ready to take on the entire world.

DAY 8

After the week was gone, she followed her footsteps back home… only to find that half the town has been bombed, including the apartment flat she used to live in!

Seeing the wreckage was enough to seek vengeance! She ran towards one of the survivors and asked, “For god’s sake, what the hell happened here?” the survivor (who was a blue-haired boy her age) said, “Some horrible monster man with a bunch of tanks and jets came and blew up our neighborhood! And took my mommy and daddy away!”

Looking at the wreckage, Harmony noticed if she had stayed here, she would have been killed too, along with her old man (father) and old lady (mother)!

Harmony looked into the kid’s eyes and said, “Listen, we’ll get through this together! We have to stand strong to those monsters!”

She took the children who remained there in and took care of them, because unlike her old man, she actually knew the meaning of caring for others!

Suddenly, a blonde-haired girl, with a bunch of adults came along!

Sally (the girl who helped Harmony) saw Harmony and said, “Hey, it’s you! The lost hobo I gave 50 bucks to five days ago!” Harmony said, while taking care of a rather small puppy belonging to someone else, “I’m not a hobo, I’m Harmony Taylor, I’ve lived in Orlando since I was born, but more than a week ago my old man made a bet with me, if I could make it as a hobo for a week I’d get a bigger allowance. I survived the week alone.”

Sally’s sister, Zoë, said to Harmony, “Listen, Harmony, two weeks ago, we came here for my honeymoon, I didn’t want this to happen, no one did. A week before that, Sally here was kidnapped, we went to rescue her after that, but when a murderer was about to kill my fiancé, she came and saved him by killing that very murderer. Is money all you care about?”

Harmony sighs, “No, all I care about is kicking every jerk’s ass who gets in my hair.” Drake said, “Watch your language, young lady!” Harmony handed the little brown puppy to Sally and ran off like the wind, Sally asks, “Where’re you going, Harmony?” Harmony replied and went on, “To find that monster who did this to my home town and make him pay!”

They told him don't you ever come around here

Don't wanna see your face, you better disappear

The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear

So beat it, just beat it

You better run, you better do what you can

Don't wanna see no blood, don't be a macho man

You wanna be tough, better do what you can

So beat it, but you wanna be bad

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or right

Just beat it, beat it

Just beat it, beat it

Just beat it, beat it

Just beat it, beat it

They're out to get you, better leave while you can

Don't wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man

You wanna stay alive, better do what you can

So beat it, just beat it

You have to show them that you're really not scared

You're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare

They'll kick you, then they beat you,

Then they'll tell you it's fair

So beat it, but you wanna be bad

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or right

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or right

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or right

Just beat it, beat it

Beat it, beat it, beat it

Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or who's right

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or right

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or right

Just beat it, beat it

Beat it, beat it, beat it

Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or who's right

Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or who's right

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it

No one wants to be defeated

Showin' how funky and strong is your fight

It doesn't matter who's wrong or right

Just beat it, beat it

Beat it, beat it, beat it

Harmony arrived at the enemies’ base outside of her town! She noticed someone also entering the base, two people clad in black! She noticed that they’re baring the mark of America on those suits.

She noticed a long black metallic tube and read it out loud, “high explosive: don’t let projectile’s surface get ruptured,” from all the movies she’s seen, she could tell that means she could blow up the enemies’ base in a flash.

With all her measly strength in her little body, she focused her anger into the mechanical missile and pushed hard! As the thing was moving, she saw Sally beside her, helping her out!

Sally whispered to her, “My friends and I were afraid that you’d be doing something this crazy.” Harmony said, “My heart is burning with courage and determination, to knock these terrorists off the face of the Earth!” Zoë (who’s at the control panel close to the missile) bravely said, “Then let’s send Team Rocket blasting off!”

The two American spies, Harmony spotted earlier, spotted her and went over to her, the female one asked her, “What are you doing here, little girl?” Harmony said, “I’m taking these guys out! Which button do I push?” Drake pointed, “If movies are on our side today, just press the big red button.” The male spy asked, “What?”

Harmony smirked, “Ignition!” as she smashed the big red button!

BOOM! The missile flew off and blew up the enemy base!

The next morning, Harmony found herself in a hospital bed, “Hey, where am I?” Sally was nearby her, with a band-aid on her left temple, “In a hospital in Miami.”

A female voice nearby Harmony said to her, “That was a very foolish thing to do, but very brave of you as well.” Harmony recognized that voice, “MOM!” And nearby her mother was no one but her own old man, “POPS!”

As her old man got closer, “Well, that bet I was hoping that you wouldn’t do it, but three days after you left, the government called me and your mother over to stop those terrorists you blew up. You sure have a lot of fire in your heart. And surprisingly, I’ve lost the bet, you won.”

Heart sighs, “Who cares about money? I’ve got something else entirely; Sally Okada, of all the friends I’ve made during that week as a pretend hobo, I’ve received a friend that truly understands and you can totally count on.”

Ever since that day, Sally and Harmony were inseperable, they’ve become friends.

But the future tells them they’ve got to get more to add to their little team.

To be continued…