He shouted, ‘AIEEEEE!’ Then the jostling crowds joined him. The shouts and whoops were joyous, wild and deafening. ‘This,’ the voices inform...ed Alma, ‘is a celebration of the summer solstice. They are praying to the sun god to ensure that he comes back tomorrow for the start of their new year.’ Alma was puzzled and responded, ‘I still don’t see the significance of what I’m watching.’ ‘You will Lady. Look to the east.’ Alma looked eastwards and could see a strange pattern in the air, like the. She was no longer the starry-eyed teen who had dreamed of piloting a space fighter in glorious combat, however. The glamour had worn off that dream even before she finished sim training.Now, she had lost too many friends and comrades to think of her job as glorious or romantic. Still she took pride in what she had helped to accomplish. There had been, too, that other secret desire - that one thing that only she and the MIs knew about.As she gazed with appreciation on her firm, flat stomach,. Please, let’s go to your house and start over” pleaded Krissy.I got in, but reluctantly. No one needs this shit.We walked in and sat around the kitchen table. I asked one of my girls to start a pot of coffee.“What brought on all the acid remarks” I said, once we had our coffee in front of us. I figured to just launch into this. This lady, Krissy, turned me off earlier and I felt I had -0- to lose.“I’m just really feeling bitter because of that asshole-soon-to-be-ex-hubby. We were married five. I’ll paddle and steer from the back." It looked pretty stable, so I climbed on my knees, sitting back on my heels. Spike also knelt a bit behind the bag and pushed us off, leaning down and paddling with both hands at once. The nose of the board cut through the first wave we came to and bucked in the air, nearly throwing me off. “Don’t forget to hold on,” Spike said. “It’s a lot less stable up there.” He got us through the break and then turned south, catching up to Rupali. I tried paddling like.