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Oog‑Oog turned hard to the left to close the gap, and as he did, he passed B’zorp. Their eyes met for a split second; Oog‑Oog gave him a sly wink. B’zorp froze, mouth agape. Oog‑Oog smirked at his stunned reaction before snapping his eyes back to the road, leaving him in the dust as he focused on the finish line now within reach.
The announcer yelled over the speakers about Oog‑Oog’s victory closing in for the Crab Cove race and his comeback into first place. Whatever came after was lost to Oog‑Oog; only the roar of cheering echoed in his ears. He closed his eyes, not needing to open them as he’d driven this racetrack countless times. He knew every turn by heart.
Just as he was about to sink into the cheers and mentally thank the tiki gods, his sister, and his mother, the announcer howled:
“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! THE NEWCOMER STEALS FIRST PLACE IN MERE SECONDS!”
WHAT! Oog‑Oog blurted in his head as his eyes shot open. In front of him was a neon‑green beach buggy and the back of the driver’s head; silver, luscious hair streaming behind them.
Oog‑Oog was shocked, mouth hanging open. He thought he had the win in the bag, the image of the neon buggy and that silver hair burned so sharply into his mind that he didn’t notice he was drifting straight toward a massive rock.
His hearse slammed into it; not too hard but enough to jolt him back to reality.
He turns his head to the right and spots them at the tunnel exit, climbing out of their vehicle. It still amazes him how clearly, he can see from that distance, especially at night. Thank you, Benny, for suggesting I implement carrots into my diet, Oog‑Oog thinks, a little smug about it.
He hops out of his own vehicle without bothering to turn off the ignition and heads straight toward the newbie. His curiosity sparks bright; he’s eager to meet them. They should’ve crossed paths at the racing event’s launch, yet he doesn’t recall any racers with silvery hair. Maybe they arrived late. Maybe they slept through the launch to get a full rest before the event began. Either way, the mystery keeps tugging at him.
He cuts off the thought when he suddenly encounters the medicine men hurrying over to check for injuries he might’ve gotten from the mild crash. The moment he sees them, he darts aside and slips past their reach. Once free, he breaks into a run; weaving between racers’ vehicles as they zoom by, leaping over crabs popping out of the sand beneath him. By the time he reaches the newcomer, his lungs are burning and his legs feel like jelly.
He stops to catch his breath from all the running, dodging, evading, and jumping. Then he straightens up and strolls toward them, who is bent over the front of their vehicle with the hood up. A mechanic shaman? Oog‑Oog wonders, eyes glistening. Usually, mechanic shamans tune racers’ vehicles using tiki magic specialized in vehicle enchantments. Racers help, sure, but they don’t do the tuning themselves.
So, whoever this newbie is, they must be a tiki sorcerer like Oog‑Oog. The realization sends a lively thrill through him.
Oog‑Oog was the first tiki sorcerer racer. Still the only one, and the oldest one left in the race. Others had come after him, but they drifted in and out or stayed in the racing world only to move behind the wheel as mechanic shamans. But now, there was a mechanic shaman in front of the wheel.
Oog‑Oog’s excitement pumped through him as he got closer and closer. He passed the boot of the vehicle, neared the driver’s door, and approached the hood. Then a pair of hands popped up, grabbing the edge of the hood. It appears that they must be done fine‑tuning their engine. Great! Now I can talk to them, Oog‑Oog thought.
He took in the newcomer’s hands. On the left, they wore a black, thick, padded fingerless glove with neon‑green highlights glowing under the dark tunnel. On the right, a black bracelet with matching neon‑green accents. Oog‑Oog had never seen accessories like these on a tiki sorcerer before. He knew tiki sorcerers adorned their hands, arms, and wrists to signify their role and tier within their branch of tiki sorcery. His own long‑sleeved fingerless gloves wrapped from his knuckles up past his elbows, marking him as an old but experienced sorcerer. He couldn’t pinpoint the newbie’s status or role and eventually chalked it up to some new style young sorcerers were wearing. But he did notice how their hands were wrinkled; aged hands, like his.
That realization made Oog‑Oog even more excited. Not only were they, a tiki sorcerer and a racer; they were also the same age range as he was. Finally, Oog‑Oog could relate to another racer, someone he could share camaraderie with. Of course, he had camaraderie with all the racers; he wasn’t like the shallow tiki sorcerers (some not all) who only interacted with their own kind and acted above common folks. Oog‑Oog was always happy to meet and become well acquainted with other racers.
But most of them were young. The only racer who shared any real similarity with him was Benny; close enough in age. Benny was twenty‑five years younger than Oog‑Oog, yet still considered one of the oldest racers, second only to Oog‑Oog himself. And Oog‑Oog was proud of that friendship, proud that the racing tournaments had given him a best friend. Now, though, he might have another. Someone who could share his life experiences.
The hood of the car slammed shut, startling him. His eyes widened as he finally saw the newcomer fully: an older woman, nowhere near a tiki sorcerer. Not even close. Her clothing and accessories made her look like one of those space princesses from the sci‑fi films his nieces and nephews loved. She looked otherworldly, and the moonlight only amplified it, glowing across her silver hair and her dark cocoa skin—wrinkled yet firm—until she seemed almost luminous. To say Oog‑Oog was mesmerized was an understatement. He was entranced, so captivated that he didn’t even feel disappointed she wasn’t a tiki sorcerer.
Then their eyes met when she finally noticed him, and her eyes went wide in wonder and… delight? Oog‑Oog snapped out of his moonstruck stupor for a moment, confused by the sudden brightness in her expression. But her eyes pulled him right back in, and the two simply stood there, gazing at each other.
Oog-Oog was so lost in her eyes that the woman’s features contorted into a neutral face with a tight-lipped smile. She was saying something to him; it took a moment for him to come out of his trance.
“Huh?” he said as he blinked out of it.
The woman was looking at him expectantly, stern.
“I said, can I help you?” she asked. Her voice sent shivers down Oog-Oog’s spine; it reminded him of the flavor of pineapples; punchy and stingy in the mouth, yet with a sweet aftertaste.
“Oh, I’m so sorry for my rude staring. I just came by to congratulate you on taking first place,” said Oog-Oog as he smiled at her. “So, congrats on taking first place, uhhhh…” He tried to gauge her name, looking at her keenly.
“Leeta,” she said, putting emphasis on the ta. “And thanks.”
Leeta? Wow, Oog-Oog thought dreamily as his face went warm. He quickly shook off his dazed expression.
“Leeta,” he said as he extended his hand to her. She looked at his hand, then back into his eyes. Leeta thought that Oog-Oog looked even better in person; the way his wrinkled features lit up with his smile made her heart skip a beat. Externally, though, she kept a composed look as she took his hand and shook it.
“Congratulations. I must say, you took me by surprise there, even the tiki gods were sur—OOFURH!” Oog-Oog yelped as he was tackled into the sand by the medicine men he had evaded earlier.
Leeta gasped, her features painted with shock as she shuffled a few meters away. She heard Oog-Oog let out a groan of pain. Then she saw another medicine man diving into the pile with an elbow drop. Oog-Oog gasped again when the man landed on top of him.
“OOoOooh,” Leeta cringed, bringing a hand to her lips.
“I’m okay,” Oog-Oog gasped weakly, then abruptly dropped his head into the sand.