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Cruising

Alana and Tzipora were cruising. Alana was behind the wheel. That Depeche song had just finished, and for some reason, the women decided to play “Abbey Road.” They were driving. They had no set destination.

They were traveling toward the Delaware River, near Marc’s camp. Alana was up there enough times with her guy that she knew the route. She loved being by the river. For a winter day, the weather was perfect. The sun was shining, and the temperature was right around 50 degrees.

They pulled into an old campsite Marc used to take his camp group to on overnight hikes. Marc remembers when all the kids got poison ivy. He didn’t. He led them right to it. They were aimlessly hiking, and Marc said let’s use this as our supply leanto. The poison ivy plant was growing all around. Several kids fell in it. Later on, most were quite itchy; Marc was fine. He jumped into the Delaware to cool off and bathe. They had no showers at this site; for some, that was fine. For Marc, that was gross.

The women sat in that same leanto. All the plant life was dead for the winter. She met the Woodsman once. He came in with his herd of buffalo to talk to Marc. They were in a different section of the camp. She didn’t expect to see the Woodsman. She knew he likely would only come out for Marc. But she knew he knew she was in camp, and she’d be safe. They opened their sandwiches and stretched.

Tzipora walked to the river and put her feet in. The water was cold. But she didn’t care. Very quickly, she was taking a dip. Alana smiled and was coaxed in. The two frolicked around.

Suddenly, they heard strange moaning noises. At the entry point of the river, they saw Jay. He, of course, knew the camp. He was kicked out many moons ago. Tzipora vaguely knew about the damage he caused. She got scared. The two women were not dressed for a fight. They were sopping wet.

Alana and Tzipora exited the river quietly. Jay was so stoned he didn’t even notice them. They dried off and put their warm clothes on. Jay was still seated by a tree that Marc always loved to hang out by. He was chanting. He had his air pods in and was cranking Judas Priest.

Tzipora looked at Alana. She smiled. They approached Jay. His arms began to shake. As they shook, pieces of glass flew out. Alana thought he was detoxing. She laughed and lodged a few apples at his head. She then shot wine into his eyes. He fell out of his spot. He rolled down toward the river.

The two women jumped into Alana’s Infiniti, kept the Beatles playing, and drove into town.

Jerry and Ben have Another playdate

Jen picked up the two kids. They wanted snacks and to play. She brought them to Strawberry Fields and bought them apples along the way. Jerry laughed when he saw the apples. He wondered if they were the ones Alana shot out of her hands. But he knew they weren’t. Hers exploded or just nailed you in the head.

Anat and Jen didn’t want their kids overeating junk. Some cake, candy, cookies, and ice cream made it into their diets. But not much. The two sat on a bench and listened to the park’s musicians sing “Imagine” and “Let it Be.” It was sunny and cool. Ben took out a ball, and the two kids played an old game of boxball. The kids played hard and split their winnings. They demanded water from Jen. She went to the vendor and purchased it.

The two kids were happily sipping the overpriced water when a fight broke out between the musicians and some tourists. The kids just watched. Jerry had no interest in breaking it up. The musicians kept playing. The tourists asked them to stop. Parkgoers sided with the musicians. Words were said, and eventually, the tourists found their way to another part of the park.

Marc’s Origin Story

As you recall, our story started many years ago with Marc stopping a few Boston teens from harming an older man in a NYC subway station. But where did Marc get his powers from? Many have wondered. Well, it goes back to a strange day in camp in 1983.

It all started when Marc first met the Woodsman. He was about 12 and a newbie in camp. Marc was sitting in his leanto, and the Woodsman appeared and said, “I know your father.” Marc knew his dad was active in the programs this camp ran. He was excited. The Woodsman said he was leading a hike to an old, closed camp. It was the place where he spent his youth. He ran ceremonies, the waterfront, and other stuff.

At around 2 p.m., a merry band of youngsters began their hike. About a half hour later, they were at a picturesque window. Their guide told them where all the old latrines were; they went into a dilapidated dining hall and some other cabins.

The kids were learning so much. Some call it leeaaarnning. Regardless, all was well. Marc was sipping water from his canteen, he was chatting with some kids. Suddenly, a kid from some provisional group tried to push him. Marc didn’t get along with many except for one of the Provo groups. The group they did get along with was only because of its leader. They didn’t like the group. But the leader was always sedated, so all was well.

The kid pushed him again. Marc hit the ground. The kid tried to step on his head. Marc got up and squeezed his arms. His eyes shut. The kid kicked Marc. As Marc clutched his stomach from the kick, he opened his eyes and shot honey at the kid. Then, pomegranates shot out of his fingers. The kid was nailed. He fell onto the floor. He almost fell off the cliffs. Others were watching. Of course, in this group, strange things were the norm. No one thought anything of this. They were the weirdest group of campers in the world.

Eventually, the Woodsman gathered the group together, and they hiked back to their site. By the way, even though the Woodsman showed them the old latrines, he ensured the kids knew he never used them.

Anat Relaxes

Anat was seated on the couch in her Upper East Side penthouse, thinking about giving birth. She knows she’s a little older than most pregnant moms. That didn’t scare her. She was thinking about her grandmother. Whether the baby was a boy or a girl, it would be named in her grandma’s memory. Once again, she thought about how her grandmother got her hooked on dried fruit. Especially raisins. She remembered when she returned to Stanford after the funeral, and a platter of it was waiting in her room from her grandma. Obviously, it was sent before she had that awful fall. Anat was dreaming about when she rubbed the fruit all over herself. But she also thought back to her younger years.

She remembered eating dates with her grandmother on Rosh Hashanah. Her grandmother came to the US from Israel a few years before her daughter and son-in-law, Anat’s parents did. Grandma quickly assimilated. Her kids did not. She wasn’t surprised. Anat remembered when her grandmother asked her to eat the dates and say a blessing. She did and ate some raisins, too. She loved raisins. On another note, Marc had a friend who was into raisins. But for different reasons. He also had a friend who was into reasons. That’s another story.

Back to Anat. She munched on raisins all the time as a little girl. One day, she almost choked on them. She coughed it out and was fine. She was a little scared. She had some water. She heard her parents fighting in their bedroom. They were loud as usual. She went to her front stoop and sat. She was feeling better. She saw a few little girls skipping. She wanted to be friends with them. But they shut her out. She started breathing heavily, and her throat felt weird. She fell down the steps off the stoop. No one saw her. She skinned her knees. She got up and, opened her hands, and reopened her eyes which closed when she fell. She felt her hands feeling thick and weird. They were red and bleeding. She went to the hose to wash her bloodied hands and knees. She cried when the water was turned off. She decided she would go into the kitchen to clean up. As she walked up the steps, she opened her hand on the doorknob and noticed her hand was discolored, probably from the fall. She shut her eyes and squeezed her hands. When she opened them, raisins and dates flew out. She was confused. She went into her kitchen and washed her hands.

Over the next few weeks, the dried fruit continued to appear. Anat learned how to shoot them as projectiles.

Marc is Busy at Work

Marc was sitting in his office. He was pleased that his website updates took. He began writing some corporate statements. He has yet to respond to the headhunter from the other day. The job market sucks. So, who knows what roles are real and lasting? It’s too bad he can’t be a superhero for hire. He goes about his business and takes of business. He often has to work solo. But loves it when he and Alana tag team. Toss in Anat and Jerry, and they are unstoppable. They are their version of the Fantastic Four.

Everything was so quiet. It was late Friday morning. Marc was wondering what he and Alana would do Friday night. She’d light candles. She probably got the usual takeout dinners. The two of them sometimes cooked. It was an experience.

Alana texted him that she just bought a challah and was gonna cook salmon. Marc texted back his approval. The market was tanking. What else is new? The Cure was cranking on YouTube. “Disintegration” came on. It brought him back to the 80s and his first date. He took Laura to see the Cure at the former Giants Stadium. The Pixies and Love and Rockets opened. It was a night of darkness. They loved it. The two were too young to buy beer. They shared M&Ms and held hands. She kept saying how angelic Robert Smith’s voice sounded. Still does. He remembered Depeche Mode dates with Dina and Erasure with another girl. And all the shows he saw with Alana. They will continue to see many more. Of course, he saw a few shows with Jen. Some of these women were camp girls. Not his. He went to an all-boys camp. The girls went to the typical jappy camps. Anat and Jen met and had their first fight at one of those camps. It was the only time Jen ever beat Anat. She didn’t yet have her powers. For the girls in those camps, it was who had better clothes. The guys in those camps weren’t much different. Marc was more rustic and met the best people ever.

His group was extraordinary. Anat fights with dried fruit. This delicacy played a significant role in Marc’s camp. As did dairy products, voodoo, and resting. Sometimes things went wrong. But everyone was always very apologetic for their wrongdoings.

Just as “People are People” came on, Marc hit send on the document to senior leadership. He anxiously awaited their response. He sipped his water and again checked MarketWatch. The Dow was lower than earlier. Don’t even think about the NASDAQ.

About an hour or so later, his inbox lit up with comments. Minor edits were made, and the document was approved and scheduled to go live Monday morning. Marc grabbed his coat and headed to the subway.

He approached the station and saw some madman spitting at people. He usually stayed away from these crazies. He knew he could stop them. But too many people filmed these individuals.

A young child was spit on. The guy was throwing things out of his pockets. The kid’s mom was in tears. She looked like a sweet young woman. She was dressed like the girls from the camps Marc’s girlfriends went to. Alana didn’t bother with camp. She only went one summer. Alana was the mixed-up cutey in all black. She kept to herself and listened to Joy Division. She’s still mourning Ian Curtis’ death.

Marc couldn’t let this kid get hurt. His mom was shaking. He walked up to the perp. He told him to stop and leave the poor little boy alone. The guy tossed a bottle at Marc. He then launched a decrepit old sweater. Marc ducked. The guy got closer to him. Marc shot pomegranates out of his eyes. He loved the feeling. He always wondered what Palpatine felt like when he was shooting Force lightning. The assailant fell back. He rose back up. Marc nailed him with honey. It hit him in the eyes. He fell back. Marc fired a few pomegranates and wished Alana was here to fire her apples, wine, and figs. Marc saw that guy was not getting up anytime soon. People were circling the nut and taking pictures. Marc used that as his chance to run down the stairs and catch his train.

Kari Continues to Think

Kari was sitting in her bedroom at home. She lived with her mom. She was thinking about life. She didn’t work much. Neither did Jay, for that matter. He worked odd jobs and never stayed at any too long. He lived in a hovel of a basement apartment at his dad’s place. Dad was ancient and likely had dementia. But he muddled along.

Kari was by herself and cranking Love & Rockets. “No New Tale to Tell” was playing. She never had a new tale to tell. She watched her boyfriend get beat up a few times. The guy could not carry on an intelligent conversation. Neither could she. They were a perfect match. Their souls were meant for each other. However, Kari wondered if she could do better. She texted Jay. He sent a few emojis. Kari was not a fan of those. She wanted to chat with her boyfriend in actual text. Not cutesy symbols. She wanted him to put in effort and show he loved her. Kari wanted him to tell her things.

While texting Kari, Jay sat on a Battery Park City bench. He was thinking about shooting glass at someone. He didn’t care that the foursome of Alana, Anat, Jerry, and Marc would probably find him and shut his antics down. He knows Anat is pregnant. He imagined in a few months there would be a fifth.

Marc Gets Home. Kari Thinks. Or Does She?

Marc got home to his apartment. He was right. Alana ordered pizza. She thought he’d be home earlier. It was ice cold by the time he strolled in. She warmed it up in the oven. She said she made him pizza. He laughed. He preferred it cold. It reminded him of eating it in camp or in the dorms. They smiled. Marc enjoyed his warm pizza with a glass of Ramat Naftaly Petit Verdot. He loved the boutique Israeli wineries. They chatted a little about her hangout with Tzipora. She was doing well. As a neuro-ophthalmologist, she was the busiest of their gang. One day, they would go to one of the vampire bars Tzipora used to hang out in. Sometimes, she still goes for a drink. She loved their bloody cocktails.

Meanwhile, Kari was hanging at the South Street Seaport. She was outside on Pier 17, sitting by the boats. She walked over to the boat sidebar and bought a beer. She was wondering if she was in the right place with Jay. She watched him get beat up by a female. She liked how strong women are. But was not happy watching one making mincemeat out of her guy. She knows his kid beat him up. Then she got beat up by the same woman who beat him.

She sipped her Sierra Nevada and thought more. For some reason, she figured she’d stay with him. They had exciting dates. He didn’t have the cash to take her to excellent restaurants, galleries, or fantastic shows. But there was something about this loser she liked. She was worried he’d get beaten again. She knows he has an arrest record.

Jay strolled up to her and kissed her lips as she was sitting there. She responded. They embraced. Tzipora and Eran were nearby. The two had the day off and went to the Seaport to chill. And chill, they did. It wasn’t a warm day. But they enjoyed each other’s company and were always warm when they were together.

For once, Jay was mellow. All of a sudden, he got up and bumped into Eran. They stared at each other. Jay walked away. Eran sat down. Jay came back and started screaming. Eran and Tzipora decided to walk away. Jay tried to punch Eran. Jay’s punch was blocked. Eran kicked him in the chest. Eran, like Marc, had a few black belts. One is in Krav Maga, one is in Shotokan, and a few are from Banana Republic, the Gap, and J. Crew. Both of them thought the ones from the retailers were more important. Jay started firing glass. Eran got closer and kicked his hands. Jay fired harder and almost hit Tzipora. Eran got pissed. He landed a few punches. Tzipora texted Alana. She knows how strong her hubby is. But she was worried Jay might have the upper hand.

Alana heard her phone play “Rio,” and she knew it was Tzipora. She read the text, raced out of her office, and ran to the Seaport. Kari was loving watching her guy hold his own in the fight. She was excited. She was proud.

Her proudness did not last long. Kari’s smiles and cheers were broken when she saw figs fly into Jay’s head. Next, the two of them were drenched in Rosé. Kari started to cry. Eran kicked Jay a few more times. He went down. Alana smiled. Eran thanked her. Tzipora hugged Alana. They held each other tightly. Their lips locked. Eran knows about his wife’s activities. She swore she was done. She and Alana smiled at each other. Tzipora jumped into Eran’s arms and kissed him. Alana walked off.

Marc heads home

Marc woke up to a cool breeze. He’s not much of a sleeper. He thinks he slept well. He took a walk over to the lake and jumped in. He toweled off, had some cereal and juice, and jumped into his car for the trip back home. He texted Alana, told her how much he missed her, and told her she would be here next time. She wrote back about how much fun she had with Tzipora. She said all was clean. Marc knows about their liaisons. He could care less.

Marc hit the expressway and cruised most of the way to the Smiths and Echo & The Bunnymen. Meanwhile, Jay was sitting home in his dump of an apartment. It looked like a welfare motel. He barely had the money to pay his rent. Kari came over. She did not look happy. She told him what happened on the beach with Alana. Jay punched a wall. His hand started to bleed. He lit a joint and cracked open a beer. He guzzled it down like a frat boy. Of course, he never went to college. He barely finished high school. The two argued for a little while.

Marc was making great time. Alana texted and said she was cooking dinner. Marc wondered what she was making. She is not known for cooking. Neither is he. Marc figured she was ordering takeout, and she’d warm it up. She thought she was cooking since she turned on the oven to warm up the schnitzel.

Anat was getting tired. She was in her third trimester. She hoped the last few weeks would be peaceful. Dan was busy buying baby items. They refused to do a gender reveal party. They wanted a surprise. They would be thankful and happy with whatever Hashem blessed them with. She would name the child after her grandmother no matter what. Jerry was busy practicing his olive throwing. The kid is getting stronger. Jen even called Anat to see how she was feeling. Anat laughed and smiled.

Marc Goes to Camp

Marc had the day off. When he woke up, he told Alana he was going to camp. This time, he told her, not like the last time when he just snuck away. He asked her to play hooky. She had work to do. Marc understood. Alana also had plans to hook up with Tzipora after work. The hook-up would just be for dinner. Tzipora was very happily married. She was in surgery today. She had to work on a star athlete. Everything was kept under wraps. Afterward, the team and hospital would announce the success of the procedure.

Marc jumped into Alana’s Infiniti and headed upstate. The camp was cold and quiet in the winter. As usual, his iPhone played a heavy camp mix. Some tunes included “Pulling Mussels from the Shell,” “Baba O’Riley”, and mostly the Ramones. Marc was not looking to be sedated. Alana is his Sheena, and whether they had teenage lobotomies is up for debate. One of Marc’s camp friends likely did. He pulled into the shuttered camp and wept. All the happiest places were gone. This camp is a shell of what it was. The original Yankee Stadium is now a park. Greed changed the Stadium, and dumb leadership and a nasty health inspector wreaked havoc in Marc’s playground.

Marc drove to his hill. He walked around and saw the remnant of what once was all. He sat in his old leanto. It was the only thing still left. It was no longer sitting where it was. But Marc was happy it was still there. Lots of fun happened there. Kids leearrnned. Ice-cold Gennys were sipped, and people rested. Marc hoped Jay wasn’t in camp. He remembered the battle he had with him a year or so ago. Jay did not fit well into the program when it ran in the 80s. Jay did not fit in anywhere. Even his ex Diane knew that. Kari is a different story. She is dumber than Diane. At one point, Diane had a friend or two. Kari had none. Well, she has Jay. Let’s see if it lasts. If she starts with Alana again, she might not last.

Marc built a fire. He was hoping for something. But knew it may not happen. As usual Marc was drinking Cherikee Red and eating Freihofer’s. He had some Genny. He was gonna make some burgers. He started playing “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and “Elvis is Everywhere.” For an old camp friend whom he sees once a year, he played some Judas Priest. Marc hates metal. He quickly went to “Behind the Wheel” and kept Depeche playing.

Marc lit the fire and was dreaming about Alana. The two of them were the right match. They had their own screwed-up beliefs but helped so many. Not just by beating people evil people down with their superpowers.

Marc had just bit into a burger when he heard the noise he was dreaming of. Buffalo was coming into his area. Why in Narrowsburg were there buffalo? They are not native to the site. But that did not matter. The old sage of the camp, Marc’s hero, the Woodsman, always traveled with his herd.

Marc was getting excited. The Woodsman jumped off the last buffalo and sat next to Marc. First, they talked about the old latrine, which was now just a hunk of metal a yards away from them. He then told Marc his powers were getting stronger. He told him so was Alana. They will need them, and like he always tells Marc, the two need to stick together. The Woodsman told Marc to go up to the picturesque special window. He said there he would see a vision. The Woodsman gave Marc a special handshake and rode off to the lake.

Jerry and Benjamin

Alana was at work. Things were calm. She needed calm. Marc was in his office. The same headhunter who called and blew him off when he returned her call reached out to him. Marc laughed. She is so pathetic. She wants to get battered with more pomegranates. He deleted her voicemail and went back to his document. Marc was not a fan of headhunters, other HR people, real estate, or legal folks. Never was. Marc likely never will be.

Meanwhile, Anat was monitoring the funds she managed. The market was tanking. That’s the trend these days. The school was about to let out. Jerry and Benjamin were gonna play. It is incredible how good friends they are. Anat still has in the back of her mind how Jen attacked her when she was a little kid in summer camp. It was a harrowing moment. She still can’t believe she let it all pass, and now her kid is best friends with Jen’s child. It doesn’t matter. Benjamin stood no chance against Jerry if he tried to follow in his mom’s footsteps and attack Jerry. Jerry has superpowers. Benjamin is just a sweet kid.

The two kids were hanging out in Central Park. No, they were not by themselves. Benjamin’s dad, Jake, was there, and his eyes were wide open to ensure the kids were OK. The only mess they got into was the ice cream cones he bought them. Their pants enjoyed it more than they did.
The kids were throwing a Frisbee. The Frisbee was less light than a 165G. They will get to that when they are tweens. Some teenager knocked down their flying disc. The kids thought nothing of it. Jake thought it was an accident. The teen jumped on it and wouldn’t let them have it back. Benjamin ran to his dad. Jake got up from his bench and started to walk over. He was a little concerned. Jen filled him in about Jerry. He wanted things to stay calm.

Jake saw the teenager flat on the ground. Olives were all over him. Jerry was laughing and telling the big kid how, at this point, he was the big kid. Jake asked Jerry to walk away. Being a good kid, Jerry did. Of course, as he did, he fired olives all over the silly teen.