|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- THE DARK OF COLLEGE--CUP 2--"THE CASINO AT HACTA HOME" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  The Dark of College  ||  -------> (Cup SRdc002, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Films sat still, looking out the window at rolling hills and farms. "Well there ya go," Swift said. "Those two vovos just jumped into the tussle room--you know long that'll take." Films didn't answer. Swift leaned over Films, squinting her eyes to peer out the window, one hand on his thigh, squeezing--ostensibly for support, but a more aggressive element there too--especially considering her recent proposal to him. "Where are we?" she asked. "The world of Snake Alan College." She turned to him. "Huh?" "Nothing." She nodded, and continued to scan the landscape. "I think I know where we are." she said. "Near Oholine. In fact... I think we're only a few miles from..." She turned to him again. "Come on!" she said. She was up, grabbing Films by the wrist. "Hey, what gives?" "We're getting off this junk heap and goin' to The Casino at Hacta Home!" "What do you mean?" "I mean, the railroad's not gonna get its act together for hours, maybe days." she said, letting go of him. "So?" "So? So--I'll tell you 'so'. We're only a few miles overland from one of the most amazing attractions in the world." Films frowned at her. "And YOU need to make a phone call. The Casino's the closest civilization." He continued frowning. "The little mindscan I did?" she said. "It didn't get me much. But I know you're going to see someone, and that you're very anxious." "Mindscan?" "Yeah, yeah, don't worry about it. We just gotta get moving." "Do I have a choice?" She smiled a wicked smile. "Do any of us? Just look at the situation--we can sit in this decrepit old train for a day, or walk for an hour and get to the coolest place on Earth. So considering the situation, you DO have a choice, but you'd be stupid to--" "--okay, okay. But--who the hell are you--why are you so interested in me?" She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I'm an agent of a government bureau that investigates the paranormal. And maybe we know all about this 'Dark of College' of yours. And maybe I just hooked a good one in you. And maybe--just maybe--I'm not a very loyal or obedient employee. And here's another maybe--you go along with me, maybe help me a little, and I'll help you." Films swallowed and stared Swift in her eyes. "Come on." she said. "Let's go to Casino." The doors of the train were still closed, so Swift kicked in a glass emergency case and took an axe out, which she used to shatter a window. "You know..." Films began, backing away. "What?" Swift said, glancing back at him for a moment as she cleared the edges of the window of glass shards with the axe. "You'd rather wait for the overpaid, incompetent, apathetic, retarded conductors to come along and open the doors for us? You think they want to take responsibility for passengers wandering off into the woods and getting destroyed by bears and Schall's daunks?" Films frowned. "Now come on, you!" Swift said, climbing out the window. "And mind the glass." "Whatever," Films said under his breath and followed her out the window, managing to cut his hand pretty good in the process. "Sonnovabitch!" he yelled, holding his hand and staring at it in horror, the kind of look you put on subconsciously to get sympathy. "Don't be such a baby," Swift snapped. "We'll have them look at it at Casino." "But--come on--this is... this is serious. I'm sure they have a first aid kit on the train..." he said as he turned back to face the train, looking for an entrance, since the window they climbed out of was too high. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----