Status: Hiatus.
Pepperland
Chapter Four
A small, frail-looking girl stumbled into the tavern, soaked to the bone from the rain that was coming down in sheets. She pushed a blonde lock of hair behind her ear and wrapped her skinny arms around her nearly nonexistent waist. Trembling, she cautiously took a seat at a small wooden table.
"What can I get you to eat, dearie?" an elderly woman with graying red hair asked the girl. She stared into the burning fireplace before answering.
"Do you have any extra rooms I could stay in?" The woman put a hand on her hip and looked toward the thatched roof in thought.
"I think we may have one spare. It's reserved for some guests, but the Captain says that they're not to be expected for some time. I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to stay awhile, until they come." The girl smiled.
"Come, let me show you your room."
"Thank you."
***
A large, fuzzy blue creature with long floppy ears and a nose to match sat on a giant lounging couch.
"MAX!" It screeched, breaking the eerie silence. Another creature, quite like a smaller version of the first with a 'M' on its chest, appeared as the terrible being called it.
"Yes, Your Blueness?"
"I WANT A STATUS REPORT ON... the band." His voice went from being like nails on a chalkboard to honey and sugar as he finished his sentence.
"Yes, Your Blueness!" Max scurried away for a short moment, then quickly returned with a large mirror.
"Set it down right there,Max, that's good.... I SAID, THAT'S GOOD!!!" The Blue Meanie shouted so loud that it sent little Max flying through the air. Then he started to speak to it.
"Mirror, mirror, on the ground, how is the band doing...." He paused, searching his blue brain. "MAX! What rhymes with ground?!"
The little meanie appeared, a list in his hand.
"Browned, round,flound, hound, found, sound-"
"THAT'S IT!" The leader swatted Max away with a six-clawed hand and stared back into the mirror. "Mirror, mirror, on the ground, how is the band doing that makes that magnifiscent sound?"
The glass surface of the mirror began to ripple with a rainbow light, temporarily blinding all in a 100 foot radius.
Somewhere, a mole peeked his head out of the ground for the first time.
"Why, it's no so bad up he-- ARGHHH!!!!" he shrieked out in pain and clawed his way back into the ground.*
"Let's see what we have here," the Blue Meanie said to himself, greedily rubbing his hands together.
Four men paced in circular room.
"This is taking too long," one muttered as he picked at his short mustache.
"Be patient," another said, taking off his hat. "They'll get here when they get here."
"But it won't be soon enough!" He pounded his fist on one of the tables. "It's never soon enough! Last time, they got here just in time! But it doesn't matter now," he said with a sigh, sinking into a chair. His blue uniform seemed to dim along with his spirit. "It's all too much."
"What can I get you to eat, dearie?" an elderly woman with graying red hair asked the girl. She stared into the burning fireplace before answering.
"Do you have any extra rooms I could stay in?" The woman put a hand on her hip and looked toward the thatched roof in thought.
"I think we may have one spare. It's reserved for some guests, but the Captain says that they're not to be expected for some time. I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to stay awhile, until they come." The girl smiled.
"Come, let me show you your room."
"Thank you."
***
A large, fuzzy blue creature with long floppy ears and a nose to match sat on a giant lounging couch.
"MAX!" It screeched, breaking the eerie silence. Another creature, quite like a smaller version of the first with a 'M' on its chest, appeared as the terrible being called it.
"Yes, Your Blueness?"
"I WANT A STATUS REPORT ON... the band." His voice went from being like nails on a chalkboard to honey and sugar as he finished his sentence.
"Yes, Your Blueness!" Max scurried away for a short moment, then quickly returned with a large mirror.
"Set it down right there,Max, that's good.... I SAID, THAT'S GOOD!!!" The Blue Meanie shouted so loud that it sent little Max flying through the air. Then he started to speak to it.
"Mirror, mirror, on the ground, how is the band doing...." He paused, searching his blue brain. "MAX! What rhymes with ground?!"
The little meanie appeared, a list in his hand.
"Browned, round,flound, hound, found, sound-"
"THAT'S IT!" The leader swatted Max away with a six-clawed hand and stared back into the mirror. "Mirror, mirror, on the ground, how is the band doing that makes that magnifiscent sound?"
The glass surface of the mirror began to ripple with a rainbow light, temporarily blinding all in a 100 foot radius.
Somewhere, a mole peeked his head out of the ground for the first time.
"Why, it's no so bad up he-- ARGHHH!!!!" he shrieked out in pain and clawed his way back into the ground.*
"Let's see what we have here," the Blue Meanie said to himself, greedily rubbing his hands together.
Four men paced in circular room.
"This is taking too long," one muttered as he picked at his short mustache.
"Be patient," another said, taking off his hat. "They'll get here when they get here."
"But it won't be soon enough!" He pounded his fist on one of the tables. "It's never soon enough! Last time, they got here just in time! But it doesn't matter now," he said with a sigh, sinking into a chair. His blue uniform seemed to dim along with his spirit. "It's all too much."
♠ ♠ ♠
* The mole will be a secondary plot in the story, so be on your toes for The Mole!