Earth Meets Hell

Taro didn’t know how much further down the rabbit hole he would go. The twins were only the gateway. Despite, Matt finding her, Robin wouldn’t leave Taro alone.

“Hiya, little buddy!” she said. Taro rolled his eyes.

“What do you want now?” he asked. She broke into a huge grin.

“I missed you.”

Taro narrowed her eyes. “Why?” She tried to pull him close to her chest. The boy hit her on the arms as fast as he could.

“What are you doing?!” he shouted. Robin’s laughter filled the evening sky.

“I’m only playing with you!” she said. Taro folded his arms across his chest.

“It’s not funny.”

Robin pouted. “You’re not fun!”

“Why are you here again?”

“I want to introduce you to my friends!”

Taro raised his eyebrow. “Why?” Robin grabbed him by the house.

“Come on! Come on!” She dragged him along with her before he had the chance to say a word.

-------

Robin dragged Taro to another park. Already, the boy didn’t like where this was headed. Robin waved her arm in the air.

“Tomo!” she shouted. “It’s me! I have someone I want you to meet!” Taro looked up with a puzzled look.

“Tomo?” he asked. Taro turned when he heard a laughter that only Santa Claus could pull off. A homeless man in a gray hoodie waved them over from a park bench. Robin clapped her hands, laughing.

“Tomo!” she shouted. The hyper-crazy woman ran over to the dirty-looking man. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“How have you been?” the man on the bench asked.

“Good, and you?”

“I just go where I please.”

“Oh. That reminds me.” Robin took hold of Taro’s hand and pulled him closer to the man. The boy desperately pushed back when the smell of cigarettes grew stronger.

“Oh and who is this?” Tomo asked.

“This is my special friend, Taro!” Robin cheered.

“Hi…” Taro mumbled, waving with his hand close to his body. Tomo pulled off his hood.

“Is this the sake boy you were telling me about?” he asked. Taro turned his head to face a grinning Robin. Sake boy?

“That’s the one!” the crazy woman said. Tomo saluted with two fingers.

“Sup?” he asked.

“Isn’t he cool, Taro?” Robin asked. The boy found himself stuck between wanting to say, “huh” and walking away. What is she up to now?

“Robin?” the three of them heard. They looked and saw Matt running towards them. Robin clapped her hands.

“Perfect!” she said. “Everyone’s here!” Tomo gave Matt his two-finger salute as he ran closer.

“Yo, dawg!” he said. Matt gave the vagabond on the bench a strange look.

“Who the hell is this?” he asked.

“My friend, Tomo!” Robin said. Matt looked at Taro, hoping for a coherent answer. The boy shook his head, shrugging. The woman in the center of this weird turn grinned harder than a Cheshire cat. Ironically, this would be normal compared to the storm creeping up on earth, hell, and heaven.