|| -------- -- -----  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 35--"ITERATOR OF RAIL AVENUE" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Goodbye Popcorn  ||  -------> (Cup SRgp035, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Iterator of Rail Avenue looked over at Granticaine with a sort of longing look. "Uh Daptin, it's a small point, but as you might remember, Iterator of Rail Avenue likes to be referred to by her full name, the full 'Iterator of Rail Avenue'." said Granticaine, shifting in his seat to try and hide Pantry Lurkin, who was looking out the window and acting hyper, from a group of college students across the train who seemed fascinated by the little fellow. "Sorry." Daptin said to Iterator of Rail Avenue. "I remember you saying that, but I kinda thought you were joking. I didn't see much of you on my Quality Scouting." "Well it's okay, but it makes no sense unless you say the whole thing. Just saying 'Iterator' is meaningless. It sounds totally wrong." said Iterator of Rail Avenue. "Okay. 'Iterator of Rail Avenue' it is, Iterator of Rail Avenue." Daptin said. "Thanks." "Yeah, and where did that name come from anyway?" Daptin asked. "I could tell you but we don't have time." Iterator of Rail Avenue said. "Hers is an odd tale, indeed." Granticaine added. "Oh, hee hee!" Pantry Lurkin said with an evil grin, turning to face the group. "A silly silly odd tale, a wonder! Weird mystery, the super duper duper doo!" "Now this feller," Granticaine said, "this feller you can call just Pantry, as he misses his, the one he lurked in for such a time." Pantry Lurkin sat back in his seat, and closed his eyes with an exaggerated smile on his face. He remained so for several moments. "Stop it Pantry, you scare me when you act like that." Iterator of Rail Avenue said. Pantry Lurkin's eyes shot open, and he began to giggle under his breath hysterically. "I think some of those alien faeries got into his system." Granticaine said. Pantry Lurkin instantly stood up on his seat and pointed his finger toward Granticaine, with his arm fully outstretched. "Oh no--not them!" the strange little fellow said, with a mockingly serious look on his face. "You're weird." Iterator of Rail Avenue said. With this, Pantry Lurkin pointed his finger at Iterator of Rail Avenue for a few seconds. And then in a flash sat down again and held his knees tightly to his chest, and stared weirdly at Iterator of Rail Avenue. "I'm glad to see you have such stable people on your team." Daptin said to Granticaine. "He's just like my little brother." Wreckage Mallie said. Pantry Lurkin shifted his stare to Mallie. "A total hyper spaz. He can't sit still." Mallie continued. With this, Pantry Lurkin pointed his tiny index finger skyward, and noisy multicolored sparks started to gather above it. A few of the college students got up to see what was making the noise. Granticaine looked calmly over at the students and then gently put his hand on Pantry Lurkin's back. "We're on the train, Pantry. It's a public place." Granticaine said in an even, relaxed tone. The sparks stopped, but Pantry Lurkin kept his finger in the same position. The train lurched to a halt, and the students sat back down. "Uh, we have a stop signal." a voice said over the intercom. "We'll be moving shortly." The five individuals sat silently for several moments. Finally, Mallie spoke. "So can you tell us more about the mission now, Grant?" "I think we may be far enough away from Cagapin." Granticaine said, but then things changed. For a few moments, it was as if there were two or three superimposed images of the five in the same space, and it got totally silent. "What's happening now?" Iterator of Rail Avenue said, bracing herself against her seat. Pantry Lurkin jumped up to again stand on his seat, looking back and forth with a wide smile. "It's the Coffee." Daptin said. "The Coffee. The Coffee. It's that we're falling off this Earth now." "How should we do it?" Mallie asked, getting disoriented. "Do nothing!" Daptin yelled, feeling himself getting heavier and heavier. "Just sit still. Do nothing!" Suddenly, all that could be seen was a close-up view of a wooden statue of a cannon, in an ornately adorned room. A musty odor came, along with the sound of a distant jet airliner. "What kind of is this!" Wreckage Mallie could be heard to say, ever so faintly. "Wait for the." Daptin said through clenched teeth, then lost consciousness. "Does it please your myselfness?" Iterator of Rail Avenue blurted out. All was dark. Soon Daptin awoke, dazed, to find himself and his four companions strewn about the edge of a water tank in a water treatment plant. The others were stirring. Pantry Lurkin propped his head on his hand, lying sideways. "I like this mission." the imp said. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----