Post by dans on Jul 18, 2024 13:12:38 GMT
Kali: A Nice Day in February
It was a beautiful February day in 1959. Lily Lovelace was walking through the bustling streets of the Fawcett City neighborhood, enjoying the warm sunshine and the lively energy of the city. As she strolled, she noticed a young girl sitting on the sidewalk, crying. Lily's heart immediately went out to her. Without hesitation, Lily transformed into Kali - her secret identity. She didn't have to worry about hiding her transformation; her magical powers blurred the memories of anyone who witnessed it.
She spoke her magic word: “RAKASHA!” In an instant, a hot red flame blasted from the floor with a deafening roar, engulfing Lily, then vanished, leaving her wrapped in oily black smoke that cleared to reveal Kali, a scary, demonic figure, almost 7 feet tall with 4 arms, black skin the color of midnight, and fiery red hair, wearing a tunic of woven gold.
Lily knew that a lot of people were still scared by Kali’s appearance, even after all the good publicity she constant received for her super heroics, so she stood still for an instant. When the little girl didn’t react or even look up, she quietly approached the crying girl and knelt down beside her. "What's your name? And what's wrong?" she asked gently.
The girl sniffled and kept her head down as she spoke. "I'm Suemarie... I just moved here from the countryside," she said, voice trembling. "I was walking my dog Kris for the first time, and these mean kids pushed me down and I dropped his leash and he got scared and ran away and they chased him. I don't know where he is now."
Kali's heart ached at the thought of a lost dog. She knew how much a furry companion could mean to someone. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "I'll help you find him."
The girl's face lit up at Kali's words but then fell again. "But how? He could be anywhere. It's our first time out in the city and he doesn't even know how to find his way home!"
"What kind of dog is Kris?" Kali asked. "And which way did he go?"
"He's a Sheltie," the girl stated proudly. "And he's really smart! He ran that way!" She pointed towards an alley.
"OK, we'll find him!" Kali spoke reassuringly. "But I want to try something first. I'm kind of a magician, and if you think really hard about what Kris looks like, I might be able to get a picture of him in my head that will help me find him."
The little girl finally looked up at Kali and recoiled in horror! But she quickly recognized her from the newspapers and tried to project bravery. "Oh, you're that Kelly Girl superhero!" she exclaimed with bravado in her voice, plus a glimmer of hope .
Kali chuckled. "Yeah, something like that. I’m Kali. Now close your eyes and think about Kris!"
Kali focused on Suemarie. She couldn't actually read minds, but she could sense emotions and sometimes see images if someone was concentrating hard enough. And Suemarie was indeed concentrating hard enough. She could easily see a beautiful Shelty in her mind. Now to find him! She stood, closed her 'regular' eyes, and concentrated on listening. It didn't take long to locate the barking of a dog; Kris wasn't far away... but he was terrified!
"I know where he is - I'll be right back!" Kali promised Suemarie, and then she vanished, moving more quickly than the eye could follow. A quarter mile away, at the other end of the alley, she popped into existence in the middle of a circle of boys who were throwing rotten vegetables at poor Kris.
Kali stood tall in front of the startled boys, the flames from her eyes illuminating the dim alley. Kris the Sheltie cowered behind her, whimpering softly. With a gaze that could ignite asbestos, Kali's piercing eyes locked onto each of the boys in turn.
“You fellas sure are brave, aren’t you, five of you picking on a girl and then a small dog?” she said quietly. “Why not throw stuff at me?”
One of the boys, the apparent leader, stepped forward, a sneer on his face. "You can’t scare us! You’re Kali, one of those new superheroes! Well, we’re not doing anything wrong. This is none of your business, go away and leave us alone!" he retorted, trying to mask his unease with false confidence.
Kali stood her ground, shielding Kris protectively. "I am Kali, and when there's trouble in my city, it becomes my business," she declared, her voice firm and unwavering.
“There’s no trouble here. We’re just playing with the dog!” another whined.
“So, you ‘play’ by throwing garbage? That sounds like fun!” she sounded enthusiastic. “I want to play too!” There was an instant of wind whipping through the alley, and when it stopped, each of the 5 had rotten vegetables or fruit in their hair. Kali wiped her wet hands on the shirt of the leader. “That stuff sure is gross! I don’t think I’ll be playing with you fellas again.”
The boys were stunned and immediately started backing away from Kali, their eyes wide with fear. They had heard about her powers, but they never realized how terrifying it would be to confront her in person. The leader of the group, who had a rotten tomato squished in his hair and juice dripping down the sides of his head, tried his best to save face.
"Thanks for playing with us! We'll just be going now," he tried to sound strong and snappy, but his voice faltered as he looked at his friends for support.
Kali crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. They would have to pass very close to her to leave; none of the kids moved. "I don't think we're done here yet."
The boys looked at each other nervously, not wanting to anger Kali any further. "What do you mean?" one asked nervously.
“You figure it out!" she challenged them. "Think about just how much ‘fun’ we just had, playing together!“
The boys exchanged uncertain glances, realizing they were in a tight spot. Kali's power was too great for them to challenge, and they were starting to regret their poor choices. The leader, with the tomato still stuck in his hair, mustered up his courage and took a hesitant step forward.
"We're sorry! We won't bother the girl or her dog again, we promise!" he blurted out. The others nodded so profusely she almost laughed. There was another burst of wind, and each of the lads felt some gentle buffeting, and then they all realized the goop had been cleaned from their heads. Kali stepped out of their way; they fled.
She picked up Kris, who wagged his tail and tried to lick her face. “C’mon, pup - let’s go cheer up Suemarie!”
