The Ghaleran began speaking. "Soldiers, Warriors, officers... our first major battle is about to begin. The Liodammian forces are closing in quickly. ...ithin hours they will be at your city of Chicago, which is only thirty or so kilometers from this base. If they succeed in subduing that city, they will have won a major checkpoint on this continent. We cannot let that happen. We have no time to formulate grandiose strategies, so this battle will be a pretty simple, although deadly, event. We are. " She slammed down the phone."Fine, but they won't be."Dave pulled his wallet from his back pocket as he returned to the living room."Who's up for some shopping?" he asked, waving around two fifty-dollar bills.Both girls were on their feet. Each grabbed a fifty from his fingertips."I gotta get my shoes!" Hayley screamed after grabbing the fifty and headed for the bedroom where she had left them."Mom's coming over, isn't she?" Emily asked once Hayley was out of the room."Yep. Go to the mall or. “Oh” Jeff said as he pushed the button. “UUGGHHH” I said as the egg began to do its dance inside me. I stood and began and began to prance around again crossing one leg over the other. “Off, pleeeease” I begged. The egg stopped and I bent at the waste panting some. “Holy shit, girl, are you ok?” Jeff said. I looked at him and he smiled at me almost chuckling. “This is going to be a blast, let’s go” he said. Mel explained that she had things to do here and would not be joining us. “Yeah, I kind. She found a café in the middle of a short block. The male patrons in the front sections fed on bread and an assortment of spicy meats. Curtains were drawn over the family section stocked with women and children. She indulged in a chicken kabob before meeting Khozem who had been saying prayers in the Kaa’bah.At home they read books, most of which were interpretations and commentaries on the Holy Scriptures. They lived in an apartment without a telephone, without windows. An unmade mattress.