Chapter 14
Kermit wiped the odd mix off food off of his frowning face. "Listen, I’m really sorry for all the trouble we’ve caused you," Kermit told the owner of the restaurant.
The owner rubbed his temples and tapped his foot. "Please, just get out of my restaurant."
Kermit nodded. "Right," the frog said.
"Um, Kermit," Fozzie tapped his best friend on the shoulder.
"What is it Fozzie? I’m busy." Fozzie bent down and whispered something in Kermit’s would-be ear. Kermit frowned. "You have got to be kidding," the frog said.
Fozzie shook his head and pointed behind him. All around him the Muppets were dancing around or bouncing up and down in an odd manner.
Kermit sighed and turned back to the owner. "Excuse me sir, but would it be too much trouble for us to use your bathroom?"
The owner glared down into Kermit’s saturn shaped eye balls.
"Please?" the frog asked.
"Just make it fast," the owner sighed.
The Muppets took the cue and all darted for the bathrooms, Camilla, Piggy, Janice and Hilda were the only ones in line for the women’s restroom, while the line for the men’s room stretched out twenty-four people.
"Okay Fozzie, ready to get on the bus?" Kermit asked the bear.
"Um, actually Kermit..." Fozzie said.
Kermit sighed. "Alright, go ahead."
"Oh thank you!" Fozzie shouted, running over to the line for the bathroom.
"Sheesh," Kermit shook his head, leaving the restaurant to stand outside the bus doorway to count the Muppets getting on.
<X>X<X>
Benny drove a beat-up rusty truck. It barely ran at all actually, he wasn’t even sure that it could run on today’s fuel. But still, it got him around.
And today, it got Scooter around as well.
Benny had retied Scooter along with his mouth. Scooter had given up struggling with the ropes, he’d already tried before he was thrown in the truck anyway.
Benny’s truck bounced down the main road of the town, passing many little stores and diners along the way. The friendly business owners offered waves, but Benny of course, did not return them.
When the Muppet Theater came into view, Benny was ready. He parallel parked the truck on the right side of the road and hopped out. He reached back inside the vehicle and pulled out the go-fer. He grabbed the yellow kid by the robes on his back and drug him to the door of the theater.
"Got a key hidden around here kid?" Benny asked Scooter while looking the door up and down.
Scooter shook his head. Even if there was a key hidden there was no way he’d tell a monster (Unless of course it was Sweetums or one of the other nice Muppet monsters).
Benny’s eyes burned red, "I was afraid of that."
The gray man placed his hand upon the glass double door. He drew it back in a flash and brought it back just as fast, cracking the entire frame.
Scooter’s eyes widened, he began to squirm in the ropes, but to no avail.
Benny gently flicked the cracked glass with two fingers and it collapsed in a perfectly perfect way.
Benny stepped through the glass and made his way to the main seating area of "his" theater.
He looked down each row, taking it all in. He was finally in his theater. He remembered the theater so well, the balcony, the seats, the stage, the band-pit, all of it ran like cheetahs through his psyche.
Scooter moaned, the ropes pressed hard into his chest as he dangled from the gray man’s fingertips. Benny looked down at his prisoner and dropped him on the floor. Scooter groaned in pain.
Benny knew he had to get the phantom’s attention again. He decided that he would have to refurbish the theater anyway, so he jumped onto the stage.
He stood in the middle of the curtains, grabbed both of the crimson cloths and pulled down.
>X<X>X<
Deadly, Skeeter and Clifford heard the crash up in Uncle Deadly’s room. Deadly looked all around the room. "You two, go! Investigate the crash, but at all costs be careful!"
"What?" Clifford asked. "Are you crazy dude?"
Skeeter smirked. "Look who’s calling the kettle black."
"Deadly’s purple."
"Go you two! Go!" Deadly shouted. "This may be a life or death situation here! And do you want that death to be Scooter or J.P. Grosse?!"
"Isn’t he already dead?" Skeeter asked.
"Show’s how much
you know..." Clifford muttered.
"I heard that! You want one lump, or two?!" Skeeter rolled up for sleeves.
"Save it for whatever’s down there!" Deadly pushed the unhappy couple out the door of his room.
He slammed the door behind him and sighed. This couldn’t be happening. Not yet. Not before he had a chance to talk to Death. Why now? Why?
A sudden flash of light appeared behind Uncle Deadly. He darted around and saw spouts of black flames shooting up from the floor.
Death appeared in his terribly indiscreet manner, through a spout of black flames. The cloaked figure emerged slowly and instantly collapsed on Uncle Deadly's couch.
Uncle Deadly darted to the side of his boss. He kneeled at his side, checking his vitals. "Death, what happened? What is going on?"
"THEY KNOW..." Death breathed out through his lack-of-lungs. "DEADLY THEY KNOW ABOUT...ABOUT VANDERGAST."
"What?!" Deadly gasped. "How could this happen Death?! What
is going to happen?!"
Death grasped Deadly’s scarred arm with his skeletal hand. "I DON’T KNOW DEADLY. ALL I CAN DO IS ASSUME. AND I HATE THE ASSUMPTION I’VE BEEN FORCED TO MAKE."
Deadly ran off and brought Death a chipped cup filled with steaming tea. He quickly realized that it was a pointless venture as Death could not eat or drink. "Tell me what I can do."
"I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT I CAN DO," Death finally sat up. His all bone form looked less intimidating than usual. "BUT I’M AFRAID THERE’S NOT MUCH TIME."
"Death I must know what is going on! You must let me help you!" Deadly begged.
Death stood up. His thinner than twigs form glided from the couch to directly in front of the fireplace. "FIRE," Death said softly. "IT IS THE FIRE. I WILL DISAPPEAR INTO THE FIRE."
Deadly did not follow the archangel, he stayed by the couch, and watched quietly.
"THE IMMORTAL SHOULDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DYING. BUT NOW...DEADLY I’VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME!" Death collapsed into emotional distress. "YET I STILL KNOW NOTHING OF WHAT LIES BEYOND THIS REALM."
Uncle Deadly tried to speak, but had nothing to say. The words were lost from him. He wanted to hug his master but had no idea how, or if that was even possible.
The silence between the two un-dead creatures lingered like a thick fog. Neither wanted to say a word, neither knew what word to say. Both were painfully aware that no words that could be spoken could do anything to save Death.
>X<X>X<
Clifford and Skeeter walked ungracefully down the stairs leading to the Muppet Theater stage. "So whadaya think’s down there?" Clifford asked his hopefully-still girlfriend.
Skeeter snubbed him off. "Don’t try and rebuild any bridges with me mister, we’re over. Got it? Finished."
Clifford sighed. "You sure? Cause I found this nice little restaurant-"
"We’re
over boy-o! Get over it!" Skeeter shouted at the purple man.
Clifford shot back in remorse. "Oh...Okay," Clifford sighed.
Skeeter looked down at her used-to-be boyfriend, she frowned a bit, but turned her head away. She was going to stand tall in this relationship, not him.
Was there any relationship anymore? She wondered silently. But why was she wondering this after flipping out like that with Clifford?
She had flipped out on him, not the other way around. She shouldn’t be feeling any remorse, right?
Then why was she? It hurt her just watching Clifford sulk down the stairs, not caring what made the noise or why, just lost in his own little, sad world.
The two of them came to the bottom of the stairs and stared at the door.
"Ready?" Clifford asked, just above a whisper.
Skeeter nodded. Clifford reached for the doorknob.
He was stopped. Skeeter’s hand fell down on his shoulder. He turned around and looked the girl straight in the eyes.
"Cliff?" Skeeter asked.
"Yeah, what?" Clifford asked solemnly.
"I’m sorry," Skeeter looked down at her feet.
Clifford gave her a hug then grabbed her hand. "Whatever’s out there, we’ll handle it together. Right?"
"Left."
Clifford frowned. "If I ever find the guy who writes this stuff..." He muttered, pulling open the door.
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