|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- GOODBYE POPCORN--CUP 18--"THEY HAVE GUNS" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp018, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = They walked briskly toward Haxelbong's department store, Daptin looking around nervously the whole way. They passed a little ferris wheel, then spotted the second Bithopa Rocken. "Come on!" Fake exclaimed, breaking into a run. "Shit!" Daptin exclaimed. They entered the store, spotted the balcony, strode up the stairs, and stopped to get their bearings. "Okay," Daptin said, "behind a record rack, right?" "Yeah." Fake said. "Look! Down there!" Jerald said loudly. Down in the store, they saw two security guards talking with a cashier, who then pointed toward the three mortals. "They have guns." the cashier, an obese woman, said. The guards looked up and saw the three. "I don't get it." one of the guards said. "Come on--they're confused. We should be able to cross the bridge before they come up." Fake said, looking behind a record rack. "Here it is!" Jerald yelled, as he slid in between a rack and the back wall. "Okay that must be it." Daptin said, as he and Fake followed Jerald. The security guards were just getting up the stairs. "Okay what's the problem?" one of the guards said lethargically. "Hey you jerks!" Jerald yelled at the guards. "Ha ha! Forget it!" With this, Jerald pointed his submachine upward and began firing, spraying bullets back and forth into the ceiling. "Don't mess with us--it's not worth it!" Jerald yelled. "You fucking little dork!" Daptin yelled, shoving Jerald hard. Jerald and Daptin fell down, followed by Fake. Jerald stopped firing, but bits of the ceiling could still be heard falling all around. "You're dead, man. That's it." Daptin said as he spied an opening in the floor underneath the record rack. "Come on--into the hole. They shouldn't be able to follow us if this is a bridge." Fake said. "I'm in charge now!" Jerald said. "We have to seal the bridge behind us so they don't follow." Daptin slapped Jerald hard on the back of his head. "Shut up!" Daptin said in a loud whisper. "They won't be able to bring themselves to look back here unless they're mortals--which I highly doubt." "But I just shot--" Jerald said. Daptin put his hand over Jerald's mouth, squeezing hard. "Shut the fuck up! Don't you understand anything? They can't look behind here if it's a bridge--they just fucking can't." Daptin whispered harshly at Jerald. Fake, who had scooted past the sparring two, lowered herself into the square hole in the floor. Her cinder block floated carefully beside her and then down into the space below. "Hand me the Cup of Coffee, Daptin, and then get the hell down here!" Fake said. Daptin handed her the Cup of Coffee and let go of Jerald. "I'll deal with you once we're in Boltpike." Daptin said, as he began to lower himself down into the hole. "Come on." Fake said from below. Daptin arrived at what seemed to be a space above the ceiling of the store below. He had to crouch down as he looked around into the darkness. The frost flame from Daptin's vest faintly lit the area. "Is he coming?" Fake asked from nearby. "No--he's getting up--" Daptin said. "Just grab him and pull him down." Fake said, losing patience. Daptin's hand shot up and grabbed Jerald's ankle. "Hey!" Jerald yelled. Daptin pulled Jerald down into the crawlspace with a loud thud. After he landed, Daptin grabbed Jerald's collar and pulled him up so the two were face to face. "Listen you turd." Daptin said, slapping Jerald across the face. "I'll freeze your ass if you don't shape up!" With this, Daptin willed his frost flame to flare up, sending a chilly blast of cold air through the crawlspace. "Understand?" Daptin demanded. Jerald closed his eyes and coughed hoarsely. "Understand?" Daptin asked again, shaking his fellow mortal. "Yes," Jerald said, coughing. "I understand. Now quit it." Daptin let Jerald go and diminished the intensity of his frost flame. From above, they heard someone say "Well they got away. No use looking for them around here." "See Hatch?" Daptin said. "In their minds, we just got away--even though it makes no sense. Their minds refuse to think about or grasp the back of this rack in any way. That's the way it works. See, idiot?" "I found the direction." Fake said. "Off this way." "Get up." Daptin said to Jerald, who complied. The two then followed Fake through an air vent into a corridor that was larger than the crawlspace. Daptin's frost flame provided a flickery illumination as the three continued down the hallway that was lined with wooden planks. "I don't think we're in Plutomiana anymore." Fake said distantly. "Are you guys finally in Boltpike?" Tavmatey asked, her voice definitely louder than it had been in the mall. "I guess we're almost there." Daptin said. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----