A little divvy written for the Quick Short Story Challenge. Round one, goup one. I am pretty pleased with the story, and like the characters (and the setting). I hope you enjoy reading it, too. Happy Reading!

Sally

(c) SP Parish 2013

Sally sunk into the bags beneath her hips, attempting to find a comfortable spot. The woven plastic edges poked and scratched her porcelain skin, but she ignored it easily. Her grandmother, God rest her soul, had told Sally over and over as a child that she got lost to the world easier than a raindrop in a cloud. Today was no exception.

Watching the comings and goings across the way, Sally was easily swept away in her distractions.

But this was no surprise, no, Sally’s grandmother had been right about her all knees and elbows granddaughter—she was driven to distraction by the people and the happenings around her, much like right now.

The surprise really was that they were not distracted by Sally.

“Always be yourself,” Grandmother had said. In her polka dotted dress, plaid socks and heels, Sally was nothing but.

Which leads us to something Sally always says:

“Unforgettable is forgettable.”

And it just so happened she was right.

She tilted her head as the men continued in their preparations—four banging out dough, three heating the oven, the rest, hauling the rest of the ingredients from the truck, into the store, where they would be used in constructing this enormous dish.

She continued to watch them tossing bags, dicing peppers and tomatoes, pounding inane piles of flour, water, and yeast, when out of the corner of her eye she noticed a large shape pounding down the exceptionally wide Indian street. The corner of Sally’s mouth tipped in delight as horns from the surrounding tut-tuts sounded in protest at an elephant crowding their street.

They could honk all they wanted. Gerald wasn’t going anywhere.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He was going to Sally.

Sally continued to sloppily perch on her dusty merchant sacks, watching the men across the street, when the elephant in question bent his front legs, kneeling directly in her view, and directly in the street to the demise of the tut-tut drivers.

Both corners of her mouth tipped, and in one motion, Sally slid off her perch, and glided seamlessly over to Gerald. One hop, and she was now nestled atop the wrinkly folds of his neck. She had traded the endless poking of the bag for the warm, coarsely haired skin of her friend. It was a toss up to which one was better.

“Ugh,” Gerald said, winding slowly, cautiously past the vendors, drivers, and shoppers in the street. Sally would have fussed if he would have smashed anyone. Plus, the paperwork for killing someone, even in a place as remote as this, was dreadful. If there was one thing Gerald hated more than being an elephant, it was India. “This place,” he wined through his triangular mouth, “I do not see how you like it so much.”

From her seat above the hoopla, Sally smiled. To passersby’s Gerald would have sounded like a protesting elephant—frustrated at the noise and bustle all around him. Little did they know, he sounded mush the same to Sally.

 Even though he could not see her, Sally shrugged, “It’s a beautiful place.”

Gerald scoffed, “It is a dreadful place. Dreadful and stinky.” Gerald flicked a big, floppy ear at a protesting taxi. “Dreadful, stinky, and noisy, and hot.”

“Colorful, exotic, smiling, and hot.” Sally countered.

Gerald sighed a big elephant sigh, scaring some pedestrians, causing one to grab his head dress. “And smelly,” he paused. ‘You know I am right.”

Sally just nodded. Her view was lost to the horizon. The sun was beginning to sink. In moments, the sky would be full of colors of all kinds bouncing from cloud to cloud, making this world a rainbow of people, things and sun beams from its floor to its ceiling.  It is beautiful, she thought, whether Gerald saw it or not. It was not the first time they had disagreed on something. It was a shame people did such horrible things to each other in such a beautiful place.

With that notion, Sally felt her heart sink. Gerald must have felt it, too. “Sally?” he asked, his voice softer than before.

Sally shook her head, bending even with Gerald’s head in order to miss the branches of a tree. “I am sorry, Gerald,” she said, “I was not focusing.”

Gerald let out something that could have been a laugh, if elephants laughed. “Sally, luv, focus has never been your thing.”

“Hmm.” She concentrated for a moment, imagining walls build up around her, brick by brick when she felt Gerald relax beneath her seat. But then she was gone again, glossy eyes lost to the horizon, mind lost to thought. The noises and smells of the city disappeared behind them, and were slowly being replaced by the noises and smells of the Indian country. Sally buried her nose in her scarf when the smoke from the tawa fires tickled it unexpectedly.

“We are almost home,” Gerald said. He had picked up his speed a bit, ready to change out of his elephant form. It was not his favorite, Sally knew.

“Just a bit further, Gerald,” Sally coaxed, running her hand over the prickly hairs on his shoulder. “There is one more home before headquarters.”

“Forgive me Sally, but does it really matter if one human…”

Familiar with the argument, Sally cut him off, “Of course it does.”

“But…”

“One more house, Gerald. Then you may fly if you wish.”

Gerald’s ears perked up, “Flying would be nice,” he said. “But I would rather run.” He ended his words with a relish. Gerald did so love to run. Four fast sleek legs were much more acceptable for him than the tree trunks he was pulling along now.

“You will be starving,” Sally noted. Switching straight from similar forms without returning to human first always depleted them. Gerald was cranky when depleted.

“I will be starving anyways,” he protested.

The two passed the last house and Sally wordlessly tapped Gerald on the shoulder. She felt a shock of surprise jolt through him before he regained his composure, officially cutting her off. As he knelt to let her off, Sally daintily stood atop him. “Race you,” she said, and Gerald groaned as she hopped off him, grabbing the nearest tree branch above her head, changing from girl to lemur in one seamless stride. 

“Not fair!” Gerald bellowed after her. It came out in the form of a loud, deep elephant yell. But Sally only smiled. She swung from tree to tree, running across branches until the ground blurred beneath her. In the lemur, the thin-limbed, pale-faced girl felt most at home.

That was why Gerald would lose.

Sally slowed as she heard the noises of human activity ahead of her. Effortlessly, she swung down the wispy, swaying limbs, stopping before the porch of the house to see what was going on.

Through the bright window, Sally could see Raul and Niecé around the table. The lemur tilted her head in a very human like gesture, If they were there, then were was…

“You, dear Sally, are the most breathtaking lemur I have ever laid eyes on.”

Sally startled in the tree, as her eyes finally landed on Butch. He was sitting,in the darkest corner of the veranda, book in hand. How he could see to read was anyone’s guess. But Sally knew better, and her suspicions were confirmed when the burly man stepped closer, letting go of his hawk like eyes, letting them slip back into a delicious green Sally had always admired.

As he stepped closer, Sally jumped onto his outstretched arm, changing once she landed. Butch held her close, as if he had just swept his love off her feet—which he really had in a way—and placed a very chaste kiss on her dark, delicate lips. Sally raised her eyebrows at the look on his face, “Green?” he asked, referring to the stripped dress she now donned. “You never wear green.”

Sally lifted a shoulder in response, putting her feet to the ground and grabbing his hand, “I was feeling inspired.” The two headed for the entryway just as a sleek, monstrosity of a black cat barreled into their path.

Butch threw sally behind him as Sally shook her head. Son tiptoes, looking over his shoulder, she said to the intruder, “Beat you.”

The cat narrowed his eyes in her direction and hissed, “That’s my girl,” Butch chimed in, pecking Sally atop her cheek. Sally giggled as they headed into the house.

Raul looked up, “Good, just in time,” he said as Niecé continued to run her finger over the papers on the table. She appeared to be searching for something. Not even Gerald waltzing through the door stole her attention.

The man in question adjusted his tie, “This was the time you instructed us to be back, oh fearless leader.” He popped open a bottle of Merlot, pouring a large glass.

Niecé snapped her fingers in his direction, “Nope, nope!” and pointed, “There is roast in the oven.”

Gerald’s eyes widened, “You know me so well, lovie.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

Niecé continued with her work, “Too well,” she said. Gerald donned oven mitts, pulling the meal in question out of the oven.

Butch’s brows came together in question, “Where did you get a cow from out here?”

Finally looking up, Niecé shot her brother a sinister smile. They favored only in their build—tall and lithe, as if they had been stretched out by God’s own hand—but were opposites besides. Where Butch donned light features and colorful eyes, Niecé appeared to be his monotone counterpart with her black hair and eyes. They were no less spectacular, only different. She winked one across the table, “Who said it was cow?”

Gerald looked over from where he was placing a large piece of the beast in question on a plate. He shrugged, “I’m starving.”

Raul shook his head and raised his eyes to Sally. “Did you see them?” he asked. Sally shook her head and Raul cursed quietly.

“We did not see them,” Sally amended, nodding thanks to Gerald when he slid a plate of the food in front of her. She picked up her fork, “but we did see something very interesting.”

Raul waited for Sally to answer, but when she did not, he looked quickly between her and Gerald. “And what was so fascinating that it piqued your interest more than your mission.”

Sally scoffed, “I did not say it was not part of the mission, I only said it was not them.”

Raul looked confused, so Gerald dabbed his mouth with a napkin, “Raul, we did not see Minx or any of her,” he thought for a moment, flipping out his hand in their direction, and took a sip of wine. “Her cronies,” he finished. “We did, however see a group of excited little men gathering the ingredients for the world’s largest pizza.” He stuffed his mouth fill of more roast, sopped up the juice with some bread, and cut off another slice, plunking it down on his plate.

Raul seemed confused. “I am confused,” he said. “The world’s largest pizza?” Gerald and Sally affirmed him with nods. “What does that have to do with your mission?”

“Everything,” Sally said as if it were obvious. Gerald nodded, and when Raul’s dark face turned the appropriate shade of red, Sally chose then to explain. “Where better to hide the serum, and hand it out to thousands unexpectedly, than to feed them a beloved dish?”

Realization dawned on Raul’s face as his color went back to normal. “You don’t think..? She wouldn’t.”

It was Butch’s turn to laugh, but there was no trace of humor in it to be found, “I wouldn’t put anything past her. So, now that we know, what is the plan?”

“We can’t keep them from making it, the whole town is expecting it tomorrow.” Sally said.

Butch considered it, “What if we…”

“Ah ha!” Niecé shouted, thoroughly frightening everyone. She had a single sheet of paper in hand, flinging it to and fro. “I’ve got it!”

Gerald pushed his food to his cheek, “You’ve got what, lovie?”

Niecé smiled sinisterly around the table, “I have our plan.”

***

 “I still don’t see why we have to go in this way,” Gerald grumbled beneath Sally. It was a sunny morning, and the sun was rising quickly. But they had to be gone if they were going to make it in time. 

Sally leaned back against their cargo, jugs sloshing in rhythym with his steps, and peered into the sky. There were three shadows of large birds circling above them—Raul, Niecé, and of course, Butch, who was as much as home in the sky as Sally was in the trees. If anyone looked too closely, they might beg to question what an owl was doing with two eagles, if they got past the uncommon occurrence of two eagles in the sky, together, right now, at all. Knowing the humans, they would stunt the thoughts before they had time to blossom, Sally thought. It was a shame though, the impossible things were the most beautiful, and to say their species had a difficult time accepting that was an understatement.

Sally was brought back to reality by the rumbling of Gerald’s elephant belly in her ears. “Gerald, are you alright?” she asked, peering down into the beady eyes of her friend.

The elephant in question let out a huff, shaking his head vehemently, as if he were being swarmed by a legion of flies. “I don’t think so,” he started. “It might have been that roast last night.”

Sally nodded in understanding. Of the mystery meat, Gerald, in his hunger, had consumed a significantly larger portion than she, to the point there was little left for the rest of the team.

Gerald bent his legs, sliding Sally off with a startle. “Could you unstrap me, perhaps, lovie?” He asked, groaning as his insides rumbled again. “Maybe that will help.”

Sally set about to undo the elephant’s cargo when a large pfft of gas escaped her friend. He groaned.

“Gerald, are you alright?” Sally asked.

Gerald answered with a moan, “Must… find… bathroom.”

Sally shook her head, “Gerald, you cannot change,” she whispered frantically. “We are too close to the city, if they saw you…”

But Gerald waved his large foot at her in a very human like gesture for an elephant, and began to look around. “If you think I will lower myself to… defecating on the side of the street like a common animal, you have lost… ohhhh.” Gerald finished in a moan as his stomach churned. Finally, Gerald rose, and headed for an outdoor squatty.

“Gerald,” Sally whispered frantically, “Gerald!”

But it fell of deaf ears. Suddenly Niecé stepped out of the bush, dark eyes widened at the sight of her husband, on sitting on a slightly raised squatty, in elephant form. “Well, God save the queen.”

And Sally could only nod. “God save the queen, indeed.”

Gerald gave a little shake, walking back over to the ladies with a sigh of relief. Niecé placed her hands on her hips, “Are we done here?”

Gerald settled on the ground so the ladies could reattach his carry, “You have no idea how done, lovie.” Niecé gave him a look that stopped the elephant in his track before disappearing back into the bush.

Sally climbed back into her seat. “You will probably get it for that one, friend.”

“I’ve been getting it for the past seventy years, Sally.” Gerald said. “This will not be any different.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Sally replied. “That stunt could have jeopardized the mission if we’d been found out.”

The elephant below her huffed, “And what would that have hurt?” He asked. Sally jerked back, shocked, and hurriedly looked above to see if there was any sign the others heard his words. Gerald must have felt her surprise, “What? If the human found out, the war would be over. We could come out of hiding.” He gave no pause for his friend to reply, “Or, Minx would win, and we would all be shifters.”

“Is that really how you feel, Gerald?” Sally whispered. They had been fighting this battle for half a century—a great civil war between the unethical turning of humans to shifters. It had been a long, bloody battle in which few soldiers remained. Their small team of four had always provided a united front. But now?

He scoffed, “No, Sally. But it would be easier. We could stop this war. Go live in peace somewhere sunny. With a beach where we could swim all day. Wouldn’t it be nice?”

“It would be nice,” Sally agreed, thinking of her seal form, and the cool waters grazing against her smooth skin. “But it would be wrong, too.”

It took him a moment, but finally Gerald said, “I know. Maybe I’m just tired.”

Sally patted her friend’s elephant head, “Me too, Gerald. We all are.” Gerald sighed, and the two sauntered down the road a bit before she spoke again. “At least this mission is simple.”

“Yeah, just pass out the Kool-Aid.” Gerald added, mockingly. “I think it’s a bit silly. Earth’s greatest soldiers, passing out a children’s drink.”

“I think it’s brilliant,” Sally said.

Gerald’s leathery lips picked up in the corners. “Yeah, she is a little brilliant, isn’t she.”

Sally smiled, “She is. What’s better than a cool drink with pizza?”

“A cool drink of anti-viral to combat the shifter virus you just consumed, you mean?”

“Even better,” Sally said. “No one accidentally turning into a shifter today.” She tapped him on the shoulder, “Here’s our spot.”

As Gerard bent to let her off, Butch joined them and began undoing the straps. “Yum,” he said, pulling down a giant jug of red liquid, “Smells great.”

It did smell great—like baked dough and tomatoes. There was a slight spice to the air, though. One distinctly Indian. “Did they add curry to the pizza?” Niecé asked, pushing a cart to load the other drinks into. She and Raul would head up the other side of the road to ensure no one left with pizza but without a drink.

Raul took a long draw of the air around him, “Are you surprised?”

Niecé shook her head, “Not at all.”

***

“That was actually kind of fun,” Niecé said as they packed things away in the house. 

“It was,” Raul agreed, folding up maps and putting them in his brief case. “I just hope we got everyone.”

Butch handed a stack of sacks to Sally, “We did,” he said, tapping beside his eyes. “We had the best view on deck. No one left without a drink. Plus,” he said, slapping Gerald’s shoulder as he walked by, “Even in India, an elephant will bring the crowds.”

“Thanks,” Gerald said, his words dripping with sarcasm. “At least you didn’t have to give rides to the kiddies.”

Niecé tiptoed to reach his cheek, placing a kiss on top of it. “Thank you, love,” she said. “You know you loved the attention.” She gave him a little slap as she walked away. The whole team laughed.

The good cheer was cut off by a knock at the door. The house went quiet. Niecé looked to Butch, “Who could it be?”

“Hello?” Someone called from the other side of the screen. Then, hiccup!

“Stations,” Raul ordered. “I will get the door.”

Sally raised her hand, “Wait,” she said. “If it was Minx, she wouldn’t have given us time to change. Let me get it.” There was another hiccup from the other side; Sally did not wait.

She put one hand on the door, opening it slowly and peering around the edge. “Namaste,” she said, then continued. “How may I help you?”

On the veranda was a teenage girl—sixteen at the most. Dark hair hung in strings around her face, her clothing reduced to unmodest rags about her skinny body.

“I speak English,” she replied in a heavy accent, holding her shirt around her torso. Something had ripped it through the front. What would.. “My name is Anala, and I am… hiccup!”

Sally startled back as the girl standing before her eyes one moment, turned into a small tiger the next. “Raul! Butch! Niecé! Come quick!” The team rushed to the door—

“What it is?”

“Everything okay?”

“Oh look,” Niecé said, bending to the tiger. “She must be lost.”

“Not lost, Niecé," Sally started when the tiger, strangely, hiccupped, transforming back into Anala, the wide-eyed, terrified teenager.

“I was told…” Anala started, trying to speak around her panic. “I was told… you might help? Yes?”

“Shit,” Gerald said.

Butch stepped forward, handing a towel to Anala, “Team, it looks like we missed one.”