Saturday morning. Dawn! The LeGend Manor.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"
Gus LeGend leaps up in his bed removing his light blinder from his eyes. Babs merely groans beside him, "It's only Nina. Go back to sleep, Augustus."
Gus leers down at her, "Good lord, woman. I haven't heard that kind of banshee scream since Nina was a baby."
Another round of screams rears Babs up in a sitting position beside him when their bedroom door bursts open in a flurry of shrieks. Nina Sebastian leaps into their bed between them cuddling up to her Father as if in fear of her own life. Gus leaps away to stand up beside the mattress.
"NINA! What's the meaning of this?"
She could only squeal and pull his blankets over her head. Shortly, after she reaches an arm out from under the sheets and points toward her room.
"It's back."
Babs peels the covers from her daughters face to look her in the eye, "What is back, dear?"
Nina whines with tear stricken eyes, "The skunk. It's under my bed."
Gus rolls his eyes and puts on his robe storming in a huff out of the room.
"Dad? Be careful. Take your gun."
Babs pulled the covers back over Nina's head and frowned. "Stay here, Sweetheart. We'll get to the bottom of this."
Her Mother then moves from the bed and follows her husband toward Nina's bedroom. Connor steps up behind her rubbing his eyes, "What's going on Grandma?"
She grips him by his shoulders, "Nothing Dear. Go back to bed. Nina is just losing her mind. That's all."
Connor nods, "Oh, ok. I'll tell Leon it's safe to come out from under the bed."
Babs frowns with worry. Her family was seeing so many peculiar things.
As Gus peers inside Nina's door he spots his brother-in-law Joseph holding up a black hair covered slipper he had found beside her bed. It had been painted over with a white stripe with two buttons glued on it for eyes, and a feather duster reared up as a tail.
Gus shook his head as he came closer to take it from Joseph, realizing it was one of his toupee's, "That's my Humphrey Bogart." Eyes bulging he turned toward the door, "TRRRRRRRRRIIIINNNNIITTTTYYYYY!!!!!"
Ghastly cackling roared over the intercom system as Nina lowers the covers to listen. Babs returns to comfort her, along with her sister Gina.
"There, there, Dear. It was only a facsimile. Your Father will deal with Trinity. You stay here and rest. Gina and I will make breakfast."
Nina cringes, "Are you certain? It had such beady eyes. I think it was possessed."
Gina giggles hiding her laughter beneath her hand, "No, no, Nina. If it was Joseph would have performed an exorcism."
Babs hides her own smiles, wanting to laugh.
Nina feels her fear fade to be replaced by anger. She shakes with a rapid array of flailing arms and legs kicking off the covers to storm upward, standing on the bed.
"That's it. That woman goes, or I go."
She jogs in place repeatedly on the mattress in her temper tantrum. Finally, she leaps down off the bed falling to the floor under the strain of her sprained ankle. Both elder women lower their eyes. Nina was such a klutz.
"Ow!'
Garrison Dhorne had been jogging along the Lakeshore for the last ten minutes. Wearing cut-off camouflage sweatpants, a white sleeveless t-shirt, and a matching camo bandanna he had already worked up a sweat. It was nice out, the early morning humidity was beginning to rear its ugly head. He needed the peacefulness to reflect on the beauty of Alabama. His fears slowly subsiding after last night's rekindling with his son. It had been a few days since he had ran his morning ritual. He could already feel his body getting lazy.
The twinge of his back muscle wasn't helping as it too roared to life, forcing him to stop running. He stood catching his breathe holding his back long enough to grit his teeth until it eased up. He really did need to look up that masseuse. What was her name?
"Oh yeah, Jordan Bauer."
His thoughts suddenly faltered when he heard in the distance the sounds of a saxophone across the Lake. Distant but lovely all the same. It was soothing. Almost hypnotic. Glaring out over the lake he could only speculate the distance and whereabouts of the talented Musician.
Finally, he lost interest and continued with his run. Five minutes longer into his stride he began hearing voices that led to singing. First came baritone, followed by soprano. Lots of sopranos. Oz raised an eyebrow and followed the singing. Jogging at a slower pace he rounded a bend of trees until he crossed the property line of a Mansion that could easily rival his Father-in-laws. His own property of course, yet leased to its owner by heritage. Complicated at best.
Gazing up the hill he noted a behemoth of a Man in a toga belting out some Italian operetta that he didn't recognize. That was more Nora's league. It did offer him a smile at the way the man was flaying his arms so melodramatically out over the lake as if his audience. The man had a girthy black beard and well groomed hair peppered at the temples with a white strip of gray going down the center of his beard.
"Either ZZ TOP's in town or that there fella's Pavarotti."
The singing stops as the Man notes Dhorne on his length of beach.
"You there! This is private property. Abandon it before I must inform the law."
Oz immediately recognized the voice and grins, "You can try. But, I just might evict ya."
The Man snaps a look of aggravation toward Oz when a young woman steps into view, first glancing down at Oz then whispering into her MASTER's ear. The Man lowered his jaw in admiration, "Ahhhhhh, Mister Dhorne. Do come up and shake my hand."
Oz winces, "How's about you come on down here and shake it."
The Man growls under his breathe fanning his arms to his side, "As you can see, "When in Rome?"
Oz holds his stance when Meredith Naberly shyly smiles down at him. She too was wearing Grecian garb. It made Junior perk up. Oz lowers his gaze to his crotch, "Quit yer sniffin'. Ain't no Caesar Now gonna happen."
"Meet Me halfway, My Good Sir?" bellowed the Man, obviously, "Brion Naberly".
Dhorne nods and strides up the hill as the Man carefully raises his toga over sandled feet and stepped downward. Reaching each other Naberly extends a hand, huffing at his exertion.
Oz puckers then meets hands with his own, a bone crushing grip that turns Naberly's cheeks white.
"Quite a handshake, my friend. You are the notorious savior of my lovely wife. She spoke very highly of your Grandeur. I'm afraid I had to punish her lightly for glowing of your presence. I dare say I cannot see what she saw in you. Aside the muscular nature of your being."
Oz flexes his biceps, "Hercaleez! Hercaleez!" He bantered to Brion's unamused gaze. Dhorne in turn stares down at the Man's belly, "God's are eatin' good up there in Olympdickus. Tell Zeus wrong Pantheon."
As the two stared deeply into each others eyes for Alpha, a plethora of women dressed in togas aligned the upper patio in a display of beauty. Ten of them. With Meredith Naberly in the middle. Still Dhorne ignored them. He knew that they were lining up to distract him from Brion, in hopes to prove their MASTER the true Alpha.
Oz grinned at the corner of his mouth, "Sirens? Got yerself a regular "Midcummer Nights Dream" don'tcha, Naberly."
Brion in turn grins at the opposite side of his mouth in the same manner, "Indeed. Perhaps you now understand whom is Worshipped here."
Oz puckers his lower lip, "Mighty Naberly. Reckon you gotta right to be MASTER yer own way. Still, Respect goes two ways Bri. I'll respect YOU when you respect ME."
Brion Naberly suddenly breaks into a bellowing laughter then throws his arms around Dhorne to his surprise, patting his back like thunder, "Of course, My friend. Do join me for breakfast. The dinner I offered remains open."
Oz rubs his chin after being released looking up at the Goddesses above. Brion notes his gaze with an evil smile then claps his hands toward the women. Each of them immediately drops their togas to reveal their stunning flesh. Oz shook his head, "Clap on, clap off. Ain't you breakin' copyright laws with that one?"
Naberly chuckles again placing a hand on Dhorne's back while waving his opposite arm up to the women, "Choose from any ONE of them. Breakfast fit for a King."
Oz narrows his eyes, "That mean I can choose yer Wife?"
Naberly's eyes bulge as they return to meet Dhorne's wink. Studying one another Brion again chuckles, "How humorous you are, Mister Dhorne. Any of them save for Meredith."
Oz shakes his head, "Nope. I wanna bend yer ole lady over. Reign check on breakfast. I'll join ya when I'm more presentable." Dhorne turns away then looks back up at the ladies. He notes a number of them lowering their eyes while others, three specifically offer him a glance of fear. He points to each of the three, an Asian beauty, a Native American with an array of white tattoos over her entire body, and a bald white lovely with red eyebrows. Leering back at Brion he grunts, "Save those three there for MY Lunch, Dinner, and Midnight Snack. I'll be knockin' here soon, Bri. Give Meredith my best. IF YOU CAN."
