|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- OFFICE COMPLEX--CUP 14--"OUR LOVE FOR OUR FRIENDS" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Office Complex  ||  -------> (Cup SRoc014, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Suddenly, Hasnafter and Am began muttering under their breath, as they leaned back against the wall of the Noyage Parlour. The muttering soon turned to wailing. "We're just not interesting enough!" Hasnafter moaned. It was becoming apparent that the two were slowly sinking into the wall. "I always wanted to contribute!" Am yelled. They were getting swallowed up by the wall faster and faster. "He just wants to get rid of us!" Hasnafter wailed. "We can't fight it." Am said. Emily turned to Dolthethmen. "What should we do?" "I don't know." Dolthethmen said, thinking of rushing forward to help his friends, but hesitating. "Hasnafter! What's wrong? Who is it that's trying to get rid of you?" "It's no use, Dole." Hasnafter said, a horrible expression of despair on his face. "We have no place in this strange, exciting new world." "I don't know about you," Ledrant Hate said to the group, "but I think we should just let them go. Just look around--everyone else has disappeared--these two may have just had a little extra time. And everyone's existence may hinge upon us finding Injure and finding a way to set things right." Emily stared at Hate, incredulous. "We can't just let them disappear!" "Wait a minute." Dolthethmen said, holding up his hand. "Am--Ambivale--listen to me! Who is it? Who is trying to get rid of you?" Am looked up at Dolthethmen with the look of a child pouting after a temper tantrum, and with a distant and apathetic voice, said "Someone." Am and Hasnafter were silent and dazed now, more than half sunk into the brick wall. Emily looked around at the others. "Why doesn't someone try and pull them out?" she yelled. Hate looked at the girl, and in an accusing tone, said "Why don't you?" Emily paused, jumped once in frustration and said, "Because, I don't want to get sucked in too!" "Exactly." Ferrajalt said, with a slight snicker and smile. "Just look everybody." Dolthethmen said. "They say that someone is trying to get rid of them. We have to find out who that is!" "Maybe it's Daptin Gone." Ferrajalt said, looking over at Hate. "I have no idea." Hate said. "But look around, people. Please. We're in a real bad situation here. Any moment could be our last. I know they're your friends and not ours--but we need to get going if we have any chance of solving this crisis." "Who is this 'Daptengon'?" Dolthethmen asked. "An old associate of ours who may be involved in this." Hate said. "But we can talk about this on the way back up to Derolbam." Dolthethmen sighed. "Fine. Let's get going." Emily looked at Dolthethmen, then back at the two, now more in the wall than not. "No!" Emily yelled. "We can't just leave them. There has to be something we can do! It has to be something like a test! Maybe whoever's doing it is testing our love for our friends!" There was a pregnant pause as the three not-in-the wall fellows looked at Emily. After a few more moments, Emily looked at the three and said, in a terse and inquiring manner, "What?" while flipping her hands up. "Do you really love your friends there?" Ferrajalt asked. "Huh?" Emily said, looking over at Am and Hasnafter, sinking quicker and quicker. "Well, yeah. I do. I mean, I guess I..." "That's it." Dolthethmen said. "It is a test and we fail. I don't have any love for either of those two. Hasnafter is annoying and Am is a dog. I don't give a crap about them. Let them fucking go!" Emily stood there, looking back and forth, tears beginning to form in her eyes. And almost immediately, Ambivale and Hasnafter were gone. Ledrant Hate waited until he felt it was right to speak. "I know it's a shock to lose your friends, but like I said--look around you. Reality is shot. And just think of all the other people you've probably lost." "You said you guys had a car." Ferrajalt said. "If they're still here, we really have to get going to Derolbam." "Okay, let's go." Dolthethmen said, turning and starting down the street. "They're at the parking lot down here." Emily, openly crying now, followed along as the group began down the cold, scarily-lit street. Soon they came to the parking lot, and found that most of the cars were upside-down. "Uh." Ferrajalt said. "Upside-down cars." "Very observant." Emily said, sniffling and seeking to see if her car was upright. It wasn't. "Where's you car?" Ferrajalt asked Dolthethmen. "Fuck!" Emily said. "They got my car!" "Relax." Dolthethmen said from across the lot. "Mine is rightside-up, and it has a full tank of gas, unlike yours, Emily--remember?" "Hmm!" Emily grunted in mock, flirty frustration. "Okay everyone--get in." Dolthethmen said. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----