Message-Id: <9401122053.AA08494@hardrock.isi.com>
Sender: mav%hardrock@hopper.isi.com
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 1994 12:51:20 -0800
To: alt-ql-creative@cisco.com
From: mav@isi.com
Subject: Two Dweebs...- Story Part 3

Getting out of the door was easy compared to walking.  Like some 
kind of decrepit cowboy, Sam moseyed over behind Len, his legs 
askew to accommodate the parcel in his pants.

"Whewee, Joe," Len sniffed. "You sure shot that bunny good."

Joe took a whiff and laughed. "Not me - it's the kid. Hold him 
here 'til I let Big Ben know what's happening." 

"That means I'll have to change him!" 

Opening the door, Joe spoke over his shoulder, "You smelt it - 
you dealt it."   Len's counter was lost in the closing door.  

"Look," Sam started, "just find me a potty, OK?"

Sam's language skills didn't phase him anymore. To Len, 'the kid' 
was just some midget out for kicks. "This way." Stuffing his hands 
in his pockets, he played mama duck and led the toddler to  the  
Mobil gas station next door.   At the cashiers, Len asked for a key 
and they headed to the Men's Room.  Finished with the details, but 
now having to carry on with a soaking wet bottom, Sam trailed behind 
as Len gave back the key and then took a moment to scan for food. 
While Len paid for a "Three Musketeers", it was all the time Sam 
needed. He picked up the black, rotary  phone and dialed "O."  Low 
and quick, he feed the woman on the other end the information, 
"Emergency - have police come to 5670 Highland Avenue. Kidnapping 
in progress. Young boy..." Well, almost all the time he needed.

"What are you doing?" Len slammed the receiver down.  "I aughta...."

"Hey, Mister. I don't care if he is your kid. No spankings in my station."
The cashier, a large man with oil and food stains running rampant on 
his white shirt, bent down to Sam.  "Now you, little scamp, don't give
 your Daddy a hard time."   His meaning would have been lost on any 
normal kid however, when he gave Sam a Tootsie pop.  "Make sure you 
count the licks."

"Hey, don't give him that. He'll choke," Len said snatching it away. 
 Finding himself in yet another 'prime' opportunity - he seized it.
 
"WHAAA! WHAAA!"

A look between the bellowing boy and the stern-faced proprietor 
hastened Len inevitable decision. He gave the lollypop back.  
"Let's go, rodent." He shoved Sam outside, with one hand munching 
on the candy bar an the other securely around Sam's neck, guiding 
him back forcibly.  

Sam's luck for the Leap was turning.  Walking back, he spotted a 
patroling black & white, and dashed in front of it. With a screech 
and puff of smoke, the car managed to stop just inches away.  
Initially distracted, Len only could watch with a sinking feeling 
as the youngster waved at Lt. Katerich. His face fell even further
 when he saw Johnny's parents in the back.

Sam turned to Len with a smile and sing-song, "Busted!"  Without 
hesitating, Len sprinted around the corner just as Mary and Bruce 
scrambled out. Bruce and the Lt.  barrelled after Len while Mary 
bee-lined to Sam.  Her emotions all came out, tears bursting down, 
and her mouth quivering. 

"Oh, Johnny. Mommy's so sorry. So sorry."    And then she began 
kissing every part of him; mother's kisses which she imparted to 
reassure both her and her son.  Sam could only smile as Al made his
appearance, right on time.  

"Oh, Sam. You little dog. You did it without me or Ziggy."

Sarcastically, under his breath, Sam replied, "Must be a first."  

"Actually..." Al started.

"Al, that was rhetorical."

"Right. Well, Everything's great. Mary and Bruce stay together. 
The two stooges are busted - they're out of course by now, except, 
get this, Joe's back in the can for armed robbery. Len goes back to
 school through a rehabilitation program and he's a defense lawyer." 
Al started chuckling as Mary began combing the unruly hair then 
patted his bottom.  

"What?!" Sam cracked while Mary went back to the car for the baby 
bag.

"Johnny ends up...you'll never guess."

"WHAT!" Sam finally had it.

"He's on the project.  You know John Levitz, the engineer  in..." 
The two of them stood slightly straighter and then stared at each other.
 
Sam was the first to speak. "How come I just remembered him?"

"No, you have the swiss-cheese. How come I just remembered him?" They 
both then turned to see Bruce and the cop escort the two hand-cuffed 
thieves back to the car. While Katerich called for back up, Sam couldn't 
resist pulling along side the window. 

"See you in eight to ten!" he ribbed.

Straightening up, he faced the flabbergasted expression of  two parents, 
one thief and one officer. Len's voice was the last Sam heard as he 
leaped out.

"Told you so."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
As the leap effect concluded, Sam first thought was, "I'm blind."  
But other factors quickly discarded this notion.  He began to experience 
a claustrophobic feeling, and then blinking twice and tilting his head 
forward, found his vision. Not that it was something he wanted to see. 

Claustrophobia soon turned to acrophobia as he peered down to what 
looked like the far reaching landscape of a city.  He was either very 
large or high in the clouds.  He prefered the latter, but looking down 
once more, he caught site of what should have been his feet. They were
 reptilian, green and scaly.  Each toe now featuring a pointed, curved 
and very large claw. *Claw?* Sam breath came fast and he realized that 
oxygen was also lacking.  This notion also faded when sensation came 
to his face and he became aware that his face was enclosed in rubber.  
He bent his arm to his eyesight and with horror repelled it. The arm 
was also covered with scaly green skin. 

"What's happening?" he said quietly out loud. His voice carried the 
phrase like a song "What's happening?" It picked up volume, "What's 
happening?!"  Suddenly, a small jet appeared heading straight for his 
face.  "Get me atta here!" was all he could get out and from behind 
him, he heard the sigh of another human.

"Cut!"  Sam spun around but slower than he imagined with an odd 
sensation of burdensome weight on his bottom.  He found himself, 
gratefully,  eye to eye with a young man in a baseball cap.  "Listen, 
Godzilla. We have to wrap this up by 4 pm. Now scream all you want. 
Make any noise you want, but watch your movements and don't wreck 
the city.  Let's take it from mark two everybody." A quick gaze around 
and he knew this wasn't his idea of fantasy becoming reality. It was a 
full blown horror.  "Oh, boy!" he murmured. "An actor again."

----------------------------------------------------------------------


____| | |      Christina Mavroudis    | | |____
 ___|_| |    Integrated Systems, Inc. | |_|___
  __|_|_|        Santa Clara, CA      |_|_|__
    \_|_|______      Ext. 241    _____|_|_/
      \_|_____________________________|_/