Matt & Mariko - A Serialized Novel - 7.18

Chapters 1-16: http://bit.ly/bP2JR8

CHAPTER 17

     All the lights were on inside the glass building, so it glowed in the canyon darkness as Matt and Mariko drove up to the guard gate.

     The two guards inside the bungalow at the entrance to Ozawatech were immediately concerned by the late-night arrival, but they relaxed when they saw Mariko behind the wheel.

     "Konbawa, Ojosan. Nagai koto oai shimasendeshita," one of the guards said.  (Good evening, little one. It’s been such a long time.)

     "Mata aete ureshii way, Canto-san,"  she replied. (I’m happy to see you again, too, Mr. Nortbert.) With the formalities dispensed, they switched to English and the other guard handed her a badge.

      "As usual," he told her. "May I say we miss your presence?"

      The second guard then handed Matt a badge – with his photograph on it. Surprised, he looked up to see a camera mounted on the guard gate. It had taken his picture when they drove up. He noticed he didn't really look like himself on the badge – he had a baffled expression on his face and his reddened eyes were surrounded by dark circles, like a raccoon's. But that wasn't the camera's fault, he thought to himself. He was a mess.

High News Haiku 14

I AM THE GOO

Ha! Another cap!
Didn't work before so what
Makes you glrrg bbbbll gglumphhh

High News Haiku 13

I AM THE LOS ANGELES RIVER

Ha! Did you hear that!
They call me 'NAVIGABLE!!!!'
What an absurd joke




EPA Calls L.A. River 'Traditional Navigable Waters'

Matt & Mariko - A Serialized Novel - 7.5

CHAPTER 16

Chapters 1-15: http://bit.ly/bP2JR8

     The night air of Malibu Canyon rushed through the vents and into Matt and Mariko’s faces they zoomed down the winding road. They only saw a couple of dozen cars coming toward them in the opposite direction. Each one shut its high beams on approach. No one was behind them.

     Instead of heading down Sunset to PCH, Mariko had driven over the freeways to Malibu so she could try to see if anyone was following them before they hit the canyon road. Now it seemed they were in the clear. The walls of the canyon, with fossils from pre-historic times embedded into the layers of dirt that formed them, rose steeply on their right. A ravine plummeted down to a creek on their left. A coyote darted across the winding road ahead of them, visible for only a moment in their headlights before disappearing into the brush.

     Matt was going to ask why she was taking the long way. But he knew, so there was no point. He'd hoped that spending time alone with Mariko would clear his head so he could figure out how to deal with Ashton. But since those hopes were now gone, he thought he'd strike up some idle conversation.

     "So," he asked Mariko as she leaned slightly while steering around a curve. "How's class going?" They sometimes talked about her French lit courses.

     "Fine," she said.

     "What are you on?"

     "The Quarrel Between the Ancients and the Moderns," she told him. "Ever read about that?"