Kalida

Kalida

Chapter 1

A Lesson

The sun is making its way to the northeast for another memorable sunset that the citizens of Kalida will surely notice. Over the past fifty years the bustling metropolis has broken the 100,000 mark in population.

The cars and city buses weave in and out of line within themselves filling up the triple lanes of traffic which the monster city is famous for. In the ever expanding city all travel is done in triple lanes, both coming and going. Not until you reach the outer fringes do the roads narrow back down to two lanes, sometimes one. These are the toughest areas about the city, where you tread lightly, quickly and not very often. On the outside of the normalcy of the city life as it's called, is found the gray people, people of little or no means to live a decent life. There are also some green people, who have a somewhat better life than the misunderstood gray people. Also found on the outside, brown people, people who may hold down a fulltime job, but who are not above stealing from or murdering someone for the things they desire. In the city of Kalida, you also have people in the colors gold and silver, depending on their wealth.

Folks of various colors populate the bustling metropolis, and folks of any color can be found anywhere,anytime!

Lots of people are always in the three parks found in the huge city, as well as any of the ten shopping malls or the several amusement parks Kalida is known for. Parents go to the parks with their small children, lovers go to the parks to sit on blankets and have a picnic, or just to stroll around and enjoy life.

All of these events will be more crowded next week. It's spring break, and today is Friday.

In the center of town at Kalida Superior Middle School, Mrs. Greenfield's fourth grade class is riveted by what is about to take place in the classroom. Mrs Greenfield introduces her nephew, Peter Greenfield.

"Hello class" he says standing up front by his green-skinned aunt.

"Hello Mr. Peter" they all shout back, mainly because they see the two terrariums Peter has rolled into the classroom.

Peter informs the teacher that he's ready to begin, as long as the class is.

In unison almost all the multi-colored students yell back "we're ready".

Peter begins by pulling the smaller enclosure off the cart and places it on the teachers desk. He then reaches in and gently pulls out a little hand-size exotic creature. Holding it up for the students to see. "Does anyone know what i have here"? He asks walking across the front of the class for everyone to catch a glimpse.

Most students hands go up, some even shout " a chameleon"

Walking slowly up and down the row of students still letting them catch a glimpse. Returning to the front Peter asks " but do you know what a chameleon is famous for?

Peter walks to Tommy Browning, the forth kid in the fifth row. "Would you like to hold him"?

"Sure I would" Tommy answers while raising his hand to meet Peters. Peter gives the little creature a nudge and it goes onto Tommy's hand, changing from greenish to dark brown as it switches hands.

Tommy answers Peter's question as he brings the reptile over his desk for the closer students to see."They can change colors" he adds.

Some of the students act as if they want nothing to do with the creature, while a few crowd closer to Tommy's desk.

Peter takes the animal back as it once again takes on a green color. He walks back to the front gazing across the class to see who he will participate with next. "Who knows why they change colors" Peter asks the class, as he walks to the desk of little Donald Grayson."Do you know"?

Never really making eye contact with Peter, Donald answers " I don't know--maybe there ashamed of something", almost as much a question as it was an answer.

Peter rubs Donald on his head mussing up his hair a bit as he once again heads to the front."No, that's not it, but an interesting answer nontheless".

Peter walks with the chameleon to a silver-skinned girl with silver hair streaked with black. Stopping in front at her desk he asks again "how about you, can you tell the class why they change colors"?

April Silvers gives the class a smirky grin before answering." Because it helps them hide from something trying to eat it". Still smirking!

"Anything else? Peter asks.

Little Rodger Redding supplies Peter with the answer." It also helps hide when he's trying to catch something to eat!"

"Yes, absolutely correct" Peter replies.

Peter returns to the front of the class and puts the mediocre creature back in it's enclosure. He places it back on the cart. Retrieving an even larger terrarium , he places it on his aunts desk. Peter then pulls an even larger chameleon out for the kids to see.

"Now" he asks "who wants to help with a demonstration"? Pointing his hand out towards the class as if he's gonna pick someone. He strolls to Donald Grayson once again, encouraging him to be the volunteer. Donald slowly slides out of his desk and follows Peter to the front, his head not quite upright.

Peter retrieves a stick from the enclosure where the chameleon was. He lets the animal ease onto it.

" now I'm going to hold him and you're gonna hold a cricket, when he sees it he will snatch it out of your hand in the blink of an eye" says Peter. He gets a cricket out and instructs Donald how to hold it between just two fingers. Donald takes the bug and does as he's asked.

Peter raises up the creature towards Donalds hand, the animal notices the food which Donald is holding, repositions itself, leaning forward it opens it's mouth. In a quick instance the animal shoots it's very long tongue and snatches it's snack from Donalds fingers, only after does Donald react by jumping back a step and quickly placing both hands behind his back. Peter gives a small laugh noticing most of the students have leaned back when the bug was snatched from Donalds hand.

The class responds by letting out a nervous laugh , then they break into an applause as Donald makes the trek back to his desk.

Raising her hand, Carmella Goldberg asks "How do they change colors so well"?

Peter has placed the animal back into it home, he turns back to the class, he gives the anwer like a teacher would. He steps to the front and center so all the students can see him.

Peter explains " when a chameleon sees a change in it's surrounding, say he may be green while amongst leaves" his hands making movements as if they're a walking animal. "But he ventures into some red leaves, he has lots of colored "balloons" if you will". "He simply makes the red ones larger than the others, taking on a reddish color, watch this".

Peter reaches into the animals home and removes the green background, revealing a multi-colored red, yellow and blue background. In just a quick minute the animal has replicated all the colors perfectly, causing oooh's and aaah's from the students.

"How about that" he asks " is that neat or what"?

The kids breakout in applause again!

"Okay, one more before i go."

Peter pulls the multi-colored background out leaving a checkerboard pattern inside the tank, but it's black and white squares. Once again the animal turns the color of the pattern behind it.

The children break into another applause, some lean forward to get a better look at the ghoulish display.

Peter points to the animals home and asks "what if you was at a car race, and this colored flag was displayed. What would that mean"?

" I know" says little Rodney Greenbau " It means done, that the race is through"!

Peter begins replacing all the backgrounds he had removed from the tank. "Thats correct" he answers "and were through here as well, thanks for letting me play today. Once again he recieves a round of applause.

Then Peter adds "I understand you will all be somewhere next week, wheres everyone going"?

"Spring break" they yell in unison!





Bianca Goldmore strolls out of one of the several living areas into the hallway leading to the grand main living room. Her larger than life eight bedroom, ten bathrooms, several living rooms mansion is by far the most elegant in Kalida. She will eventually go out to her fancy car...where her driver awaits.



Troy Goldmore stares out of the large box window of his twenty-fifth story office window. He owns several major businesses in Kalida and is without question the richest man in the world. A savvy business man who inherited a massive fortune after his parents perished in a plane crash. He wants for nothing. Just like his wife Bianca, he knows his status in the large town. But Bianca uses her standing a lot more often than her gold-skinned husband of fifteen years. They had met at an opera one evening, and things flew in the right direction from the start. Troy is in deep thought as he peers down watching the traffic move like a line of multi-colored ants. A problem is at hand, one that he knows he must deal with himself. Glancing at his watch he decides today is the day. It's almost 5:00pm...time to set things in motion! He walks to the computer and presses the key to turn the unit off, then grabs the stack of papers laid out on the desk in one hand and his briefcase in the other. Time to go!

Across town at the Ambrose apartment building two blue-skinned officers from the Kalida PD knock on the door of a one Marvin Grayson. A well known local ex-con, not as a suspect in a crime but a more of do you know this dead man, and who may want him dead kind of thing. Hearing the knock and probably knowing who's doing the knocking, he doesnt open the locked door right away. "Who is it?" he asks.

"Officers Greenboe and Greenbriar...Kalida PD....we just want to talk to ya"



The two officers glare briefly at each other, suspicion already building on the part of the two officers.



"C'mon Marvin, we just want to talk. officer Greenboe adds.



"Yea yea give me a sec..im in my drawers...just a minute" Marvin answers back.