Ghostdancing #2

By Jamie Delano

Cody's chick is followed, she not liking being outside, everything too light, feeling like it was deteriorating her, but she having to do her job, if she wanted medicine, Cody getting it for her, interrupting her thoughts as she shines his car, which used to be Snake's, he taunting her about dreaming of her long dead man, and giving her the snort-lines as he readies to fork her from behind, vowing to get her to speak, then an earthquake interrupting them. A buffalo grown tired and trudging through snow gives herself up to the hunter, Brother Christopher currently feeling ill, and feeling like a lab rat, he hearing voices getting louder. 2 scientists are noting the similarities of his EEG and the most recent earthquake, he stating the need to stop the energy surge, which seemed to be affecting him. The other scientist describe's how Americans were controlling those who weren't from this land, and conditioning them to believe the fantasy of free will, but Americans becoming sloppy by not regarding the natural dangers they faced from the land due to the poison of society.

They plan to use Brother Christopher so they could relate to the opponent and use their weaknesses. The scientist also confirms the boy they were using also still had a surviving mother, they planning to rope her in, on the chance her son'd gotten his power from her. Meanwhile, Coyote was still wandering about looking for White-buffalo woman, and asks an ignorant lizard, thinking this was why humans didn't learn, animals not leading by example, he then q'ing the cactus, when someone shoots it from a distance, 2 men betting they could hit the sticking out bits. After the 2nd shooter takes his turn, they see the old man running toward them, q'ing why they were angry at cactus, and when they ask who he was, he specifies the name humans used for him, Father Craft, the fat boy getting guarded on whether he was hwhite or native, Coyote choosing neither, and the fat boy getting mouthy due to his gun protecting him, his buddy calming him, and stating Coyote was coo-coo, and offered him a beer, Coyote returning the favor with his home brew, telling them it'd remind them on how to dance.

Before leaving, he asks if they'd seen White-buffalo woman, they not knowing, as they began feeling the medicine's affects. The 2 decide to stay until their minds cleared, 1 thinking the cacti were approaching them. In a bar, Cody is complaining to Val of they not making nearly enough, Val confiding it was caused by the popularity of ghostdancing, Val having tasted it, and nothing spectacular sticking, and his girl rightly ditching his slap-happy ass to run off to the mtns with other converted seers of the dance, she leaving everything she owned behind, Cody concerned with the IDs of the pushers, upon learning they didn't even take money, Val saying there was a rumor of Snake re-building the 5th world, even though he'd been dead for years, getting shot by feds in South Dakota, Val mentioning how people turn to the past when shit got real in the present, Cody not caring for his opinion, only wanting info on ghostdancing, and Val mentioning his plan to go East for a bit, with the weird vibes and quakes. Cody is shaken by his dreams, knowing something was gonna hit, so he grew some balls to call Fort Edgar about Snake and the drug, but someone calls first, he confirming he'd bring the lady specified by tomorrow evening.

Brother Christopher is viewing a noon storm coming in and remembers how guarded it'd make him feel, now he wishing he could be among the clouds to view the globe, he pissed by the elders being untruthful about his mother living, wondering if anything they said could be believed, having been in Fort Edgar most of his life, being "saved" when whild men'd murdered his parents, supposedly. He also had an edge over the other ward of state, due to his powers, he at first proud to contribute so uniquely, but these people knowing about his mother this whole time, and not letting him see her. He feels the beat of the coming storms matching the pulse in his head, and as he stares out, he sees visitors being allowed into the compound, he fixated on the car, and taking it when the people go in.

He readies to locate his mother, but hopes for both parents. Cody is currently annoyed about his car, the scientist confirming its connection to Snake, the lady sitting quietly being Brown Mary, the lady he'd been disrespecting at the start, the scientist regarding how Cody'd helped their cause way back when Snake was becoming too powerful with his magic, he not sure if Snake'd actually lived, it only important people think he hadn't made it, and ghostdancing the religion'd been squashed before, they needing to do so again, in order to stay in power. Cody is then given agents to aid his cause, which was getting Brother Christopher back alive, and to kill Snake, he given access to weapons and vehicle, Cody ready to make shit happen.

Still a decent story, enjoying the rabbit hole.