Flippersteps in the Sand

[froggiegirl18]

aww...thanks you guys for the small lime green bear..hugs tightly..more story please.. Awesome job Lisa!!

 

[Xela]

I'm a few days late, so it was all really shocking for me right now. That may be the saddest part of any fan fic I have ever read!

But it is still a GREAT story.

 

[theprawncracker]

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Lisa...

Oh my Jim in Heaven Lisa...

First of all...The taxi scene...Wow...It was so happy with the "lions and tigers and bears and oh-my's" that was lovely...But then...You were right Lisa...You are a heart-wrencher extrordinaire...

Then you took us to the swamp...I wanted to cry Lisa...But I'm at school...I didn't...But...It was amazing...Simply, truly, heart-wrenchingly amazing...I've never meant that word in a more literal sense than just now...

I have to tell you Lisa. I MUST tell you. The description and scene of James the Frog. That was the single most amazing thing you have ever done. The clumps Lisa...The cane Lisa...The soul of that frog Lisa!!! AMAZING!!! FABULOUS!!! Something I could never dream of comparing to! I loved it so much. SO MUCH. It was the best thing. Ever. Period.

This is so good Lisa. SO GOOD. I can't say it enough. I won't even try...Because I know I can't. This is just amazing/awesome/perfect/any other complimenting word in the English (and German ) language. Truly truly awesome.

And yes I'm doing my best to bring my stupid computer out of disrepair. And I plan on being back next week. So be ready. And keep up this amazing splendifirous spectacle of writing.

Peace,
Ryan
theprawncracker

 

[The Count]

Yeah... Well, if it's so great a story... How come no updates? Enough to make one go on strike and not post more of his own story... And we're still waiting to see those tadpole eggs hatch... Hey Ryan, you got your teddy bear already? Just pick from the ones Bo left in the bin.

 

[TogetherAgain]

No updates because no time! I'm JUST now getting home from my family's Passover seder, and last night wasn't much earlier. And... yeah, I'm kind of too exhausted/out of it/still a little edgy from the hail storm we just drove through to really remember how many days it's been since I've updated or the exact reasons I haven't updated... But I do remember that they are very good, logical reasons that I'm sure you would understand if I could tell them to you, because you're cool like that. And-

PRAWNIE! Woah, yeah, did I mention I'm out of it? <<<<<<<<<<HUGS!>>>>>>>>>> And yeah you'd better be back next week or I'll... I'll... I don't know what I'll do. But, um.... Hi!

And Count, your signature changed, and... yeah... <points to bed> I'll be over there.........

<Thud>

...Scratch that.... I'll be on the floor.... Mm, nice comfy floor..... zzzzzz...

 

[The Count]

Come on Rowlf, Chef... Help me with her.
*All move Lisa quietly yet carefully from floor to her bed. That's better, she shouldn't have to sleep on the floor, not in her own room.
Changed the sig cause I hope, no promises, to get an update for my figure display.
Hope we get more of this story soon...

 

[Beauregard]

If that girl doesn't update soon, there will be definate trouble for her I sence. *is Yoda* Much none updateing I feel in her.

 

[Leyla]

I love this story sooo much! I've calmed down somewhat from the car accident. What wonderful, effective writing that was! Oh, and the clump talk which just brought all these memories back from Swamp Call which is definately one of my favorite stories ever, and I'm including published works when I say that.

I really love the look you've given us into Kermit's home life. I've never seen Kermit's Swamp Years, but it's so interesting to read about Kermit's relatives. Someday, I think I'll tackle a bit about Piggy's past, just 'cause you've inspired me so much.

I'm gonna go with Yoda up there and beg for an update. Pwease?
See, Fozzie wants you to too.

Leyla

 

[TogetherAgain]

Oh hush, Bo. I'll update either later today or tomorrow, depending on how long it takes to run errands with my mom and how long I can stand to do my homework for. Oh, and on whether or not I can figure out exactly when and how and where to pick up chapter... um... fifteen. Which may seem frustrating to you, since I'm preparing to post chapter eleven, but I like to write ahead of my posting, so be grateful I'm not trying to figure out chapter sixteen before posting eleven, which is what I meant to do.

In the meantime, um, Bo, if you could kindly not talk like Yoda, I would appreciate it- matzah doesn't always provide quite enough thinking power to understand it...

Edit: And before I forget again, Bo, just thought I'd point out that you're only seventy posts away from 12000 posts... Oy... And Leyla ziffled me, and I feel so honored, thank you Leyla glad you love it and THRILLED to inspire you!!!!

Edit again, three hours later: Errands done, homework's torture, and chapter fifteen... meh, can wait.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter Eleven

One Week Later
November 21, 1968

Maggie leaned against a tree, folded her arms, and sighed. “I’m sick of it,” she said. “I’m just sick of it!” She looked at Goggles and Croaker, who were standing next to her. “How long is he going to be like this?”

“Hey, if I knew, I’d tell ya,” Croaker said.

“What if it’s indefinite?” Goggles said. “Do you think we’ll get used to it?”

Maggie stomped her foot. “I refuse to,” she said firmly. “Do you realize, he hasn’t laughed at anything since he’s been here? He hasn’t even smiled. Not even once in two and a half weeks!” She unfolded her arms, straightened up, and put her hands on her hips. She glared at Lonely Log, where her brother was sulking as usual.

“Maybe there hasn’t been anything for him to laugh at,” Goggles suggested.

“Nothing to LAUGH at!” Maggie snapped. “I’ve played every trick I know on him! And even some tricks I don’t know! I’ve even played tricks on myself! I’ve walked right into every joke I can find, just to try to make him laugh. And he’s seen it! He said to Jimmy that I looked like a bumbling fool the other day with that dumb old fake-lily-pad joke.”

Croaker chuckled. “You did look pretty funny, you know,” he said.

“That was the POINT!” Maggie said, throwing her arms into the air. “But Mit didn’t even crack a smile at it! What’s with him? He lost his wife and son, not the ability to smile!” By now she was pacing. “Why is he even in the swamp still? Why doesn’t he just move on? I can’t stand it! I’ve had it with this.” She marched off towards Lonely Log.

“Wait, Maggie, what are you doing?” Croaker said, walking after her.

“I’m going to teach him a lesson,” she said. “You stay here and don’t get in the way.”

Croaker froze, watching her go. “Yes ma’am,” he said.

Maggie stopped at the edge of the pond and silently hopped to the nearest lily pad, then to the next lily pad, and the next, until she was about five feet behind Lonely Log. Kermit was hunched over on the log, loosely holding his banjo in his lap, facing away from her. She sighed, took a small step and a mighty hop, landed on the log, and sat next to her brother.

“Kermit the Frog, what is wrong with you?” she demanded.

He looked at her. “Pardon?” he said quietly.

“Why are you so depressed?” she said.

Kermit looked at her dumbly. “Maggie,” he whispered, “They’re gone.”

Maggie spread her hands out. “So?”

Kermit stared at her. Then he shook his head and looked down. “You don’t understand,” he said bitterly. “You’re not married, you don’t have a son. You don’t know what I lost.”

“I understand being sad about that,” Maggie said desperately. “What I don’t understand is why you’re just- throwing your life away! Why don’t you go back out there?” She gestured towards the edge of the swamp.

Kermit shook his head. “It hurts too much, Mags,” he said. “Everything out there reminds me of them.”

Maggie looked out towards the edge of the swamp. “But that-“ She turned back to her brother. “That’s your dream out there, Kermit!” she said. “That’s your whole life. So you hit a stumbling block. You come back here and recover. That’s fine. But get back up, and keep going! Get on with your life!”

“I can’t, Maggie!” Kermit said, glaring at her. “They were my life!”

“They were part of your life, Mit!” Maggie snapped. “The rest of it’s still out there waiting for you! Go and get it!”

“It’s not that simple, Mags!” Kermit said angrily. “I can’t go out there.”

“But why not?” she demanded.

“Because I can’t!” he snapped. “I’ve made my decision, and I’m not going out there. It hurts.”

“Oh, great, that’s just great, Mit,” she said. “So you’re just gonna sit back and let your life disappear, just because it hurts?”

“That’s exactly what I’m gonna do,” Kermit said. “I’m going to just let it be.”

She stared at him. “So- so that’s it. You’re just- you’re giving up.”

“I’m letting things be,” he said. “I’m just letting everything be.”

She stood up on the log, disgusted. “Everything,” she repeated.

“I’m letting it be,” he said. He looked down.

She stared at him in silence for a long moment. Then she suddenly snatched the banjo out of his hands and threw it into the pond with all of her might.

“MARGARET!” Kermit leaped from the log to a lily pad and grabbed his banjo out of the water. “What are you DOING? You could RUIN it!” He inspected it carefully. “Sheesh, I hope I can fix it…”

Maggie folded her arms across her chest, quietly staring at him. “I thought you were letting everything be,” she whispered coldly.

Kermit froze and slowly looked up at her.

“Letting everything be would mean leaving the banjo in the pond,” she whispered. Her eyes dug into him like frozen shovels. “Get your life together, Brother.” She turned to hop off the log.

He stared at her. “It’s not that easy, Miss Margaret the Frog,” he said.

She whirled around to face him. “It’s part of who you are, Kermit,” she said forcefully. “Don’t tell me it’s not easy like it’s some kind of excuse. That’s like saying it’s not easy being green!” And with that, she dove into the water and swam away.

Kermit slowly sat down on the lily pad and looked at his banjo. “But… it’s not easy,” he whispered. “It’s… It’s not easy… bein’ green.”