|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- IRREGULAR SHIRT--CUP 16--"WHAZEY WAY" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Irregular Shirt  ||  -------> (Cup SRis016, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Janice turned her face into the wind and looked at the sun making it's way to the horizon. "Me and my friend were wondering about that. We even talked about getting in touch with, uh, you, and uh, trying to get it started again. Y'know, we wanted to do it." "Yeah? Well I'm all for the idea. I mean, look at this, what are the chances that we'd be talking about this? It must be some cosmic domain or ordinance or something forcing it back to life." "This is really weird. But I think we could bring Stuporconductor back, my friend and me. I mean, I don't think we'd fold up on it." "Well, publishing is a lot of hard work. And it requires organization. Organization is the key. And unfortunately, the sort of people into Stuporconductor sort of themes usually're pretty disorganized." "Yeah." "So uh, why is it exactly you're going to Whazey Way?" "Hmm? Oh. Um, it's like an occult mail-order place, but they said I could come over." Fratcher was quiet for a little while. "There's something wrong with Whazey Way." he finally said. "Like what?" "Well, I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's like, when you're there, you feel like everytime to turn a corner or move your head or blink your eyes you'll wind up in another universe or something." "Sounds cool." "Well, I guess it is cool, but there are... well, there are quite blatantly supernatural forces at work there. I don't know what kind, but I know it's pretty powerful. Something that can't be approached from a rational viewpoint. Something that would shatter the rational." "I'm not quite sure what you mean." "Well...what's the name of this place anyway? This mail order place." "Um, let's see..." Janice said as she looked at the paper again "it's called Lionire-Warheavion Enterprises." "Huh. Never heard of it. That's strange--I thought I knew about all those kind of places." "Well, maybe they're new. I just saw their ad the other day." "Huh." Fratcher uttered. "But they have some cool stuff from the look of their ad." "You mind if I go in with you?" "Not at all. It'll be cool to have the great publisher Fratcher Leedooms with me. Maybe we can interest them in selling some of your back issues." "Right. That'll be the day." "Come on! Stuporconductor is really good, don't be so self-critical. If you do something good, admit it!" "It's not really that, it's just... I mean, I know it's good and everything, but look where it went--nowhere." "Well, that's true, but it's only been a year or so. No way could its fate be decided in so short a time." "What's the place called again?" Fratcher asked. "Lionire-Warheavion." "Hmm. Sounds weird. And I have a weird feeling. I mean..." "Yeah?" "I had a dream something like this this morning." "Like this?" "Yeah. I was lost, walking around Abdebacle Bay and everything, and I was really worried, 'cause like I said I know this area real well." "Wow." "Yeah." Fratcher didn't want to tell this Janice the rest of the dream--how he went up to this weird little store, met a girl there, and started having sex with her. And as they screwed, as he pumped, the world around them changed. No, he didn't want to tell her. He did that once--told a girl he knew about a dream he had about making love to her. Then he never heard from her again. Looking at it from her perspective, he could see why she'd gotten so freaked out. Or at least... he assumed she got freaked out. She'd moved to a distant city, maybe something else happened to her... Anyway, he didn't want to risk it here. They walked along in silence for awhile. "So," Janice said, "what've you been doing. Y'know, since graduation and everything." "Well..." Fratcher said hesitantly. They kept walking, and Janice looked up at him. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----