A Parallel Moververse:
By: Taralynn Wakelin
Outside the large warehouse; where four best friend's who loved playing music and worked together as the Imagination Movers solving people's problem's worked, the rain fell heavily. Inside the warehouse, the sounds of laughter were heard as three of the Movers sat in the Think Tank talking with their furry, little friend Warehouse Mouse while they waited for a customer. Mover Dave was once again in his workshop working on another of his crazy inventions, he wanted to finish it to show the other's that at least one of his invention's worked properly. As Mover Rich, Mover Scott, and Mover Smitty talked, a knock came to the front doors and seconds later they opened and their friend and neighbour Nina came in followed by her very boring Uncle KnitKnots she spoke.
"Hey guy's!" She greeted them smiling.
"Hello Movers!" KnitKnots added.
"Nina! KnitKnots!" The three Movers greeted them in unison.
"Are you guys busy?" Nina asked.
"Nope! We're between customers, what's up?" Smitty asked.
"Oh, good! Could I show you Movers my latest, boring product? It's very…wait, you're missing a Mover!" KnitKnots said.
"Hey, where's Dave?" Nina asked.
"He's in his workshop, working on another…" A loud crash from Dave's workshop cut Rich off, worried they all rushed to him…
Meanwhile:
Dave like usual got so into his inventing he lost track of time, he finished adjusting a dial and stood up to admire his work. He smiled proudly at his invention, he was sure that this time it would work; sure he said that about all his invention's before they somehow always malfunctioned…but this time was different! He wanted to show the guy's, but decided to do a test run first. So he put his tool's down and went back to the machine and he turned it on. At first nothing happened, until he gently hit it the side of it and suddenly it came to life, it seemed to be working great. After running for a few second's it suddenly began to speed up, he tried turning it off, but nothing happened it then began to smoke. He went to unplug it, but didn't have time to move before there was a small explosion, which not only broke the machine, but knocked Dave to the ground where he hit his head and passed out…
He wasn't sure how long he had been out, but his head throbbed even before he opened his eyes. He knew he was now laying on the couch in the Think Tank, so that meant the guy's had found him. He felt a cool cloth being put on his forehead and heard hushed voice's he slowly opened his eye's and saw the four worried face's of his friend's.
"You're awake, thank goodness!" Nina said. "You had us all worried; you have a nasty bump on your head!" She said as she touched the cloth to his head, he winced.
"I have a nasty headache too!" He said trying to sit up.
"Here let me help!" Scott offered.
"Thanks Scott, I…" He trailed off when he finally got a good look at the four of them…all four wore beige, all four looked boring!
"Dave…are you okay?" Rich asked.
"No…I mean yes…I mean I don't know!" Dave answered as he looked at all four of them, then he noticed the warehouse looked boring too. "What's going on?" He asked getting up quickly ignoring the dizziness as he began looking around the room not recognizing one, boring thing as the other's watched him Smitty spoke.
"Dave maybe you should sit down? You don't look well!" Smitty said.
"What happened to the warehouse? What happened to the four of you?" Dave asked.
"Dave what are you talking about?" Rich asked as they watched him.
"I'm talking about how boring everything is, including you four!"
"Isn't it nice?" Smitty asked all four smiling. "Nice, and boring!"
"Nice? No, it's not nice it's…boring! You four sound just like boring, old KnitKnots!"
"KnitKnots boring? Hardly Dave, he's much too exciting to be called boring!" Scott answered as Dave became even more confused then ever.
"Dave what's gotten into you? More importantly, what are you wearing?" Nina asked.
"My Mover suit and my…Gadget Hat! That's it!" Dave answered.
"Dave that's not your Mover suit, it's much too exciting!" Rich said.
"What's a Gadget Hat?" Scott asked as the other's shrugged.
"It's like Rich's Scribble Stick's, Scott's Wobble Goggle's, and Smitty's Journal!" Dave answered smiling as he looked at them, Rich spoke as he stood.
"Oh, you mean my boring Scribble Pencil's…they're mechanical!" Rich said smiling.
"Your what Rich?" Dave asked as Rich took them out and showed him. "Scott?"
"You must mean my boring Wobble Glasses…they're prescription!"
"Not you too!" Dave said as Scott showed him. "Smitty?"
"You mean my boring Day planner…its full of boring thing's for us to do everyday!" Smitty said showing him; Dave sat down on the couch in disbelief and spoke to himself.
"Boring…its all boring!"
"Well Movers, let's get started on our very boring day! I have a full day of…" The sound of loud music cut Smitty off, Rich stood and spoke.
"Not again! How are we supposed to enjoy our boring day with all that exciting music playing?" Rich asked as the Movers and Nina agreed.
"Would you like me to go next door and ask him to turn it down guys?" Nina asked.
"That would be wonderful Nina, thank you!" Scott said smiling.
"Wait…talk to who?" Dave asked confused.
"My much too exciting Uncle KnitKnots!" Nina answered as she stood sighing.
"KnitKnots? Exciting? I'll come with you, this I have to see!" Dave said as he got up and followed Nina out the front doors to KnitKnots office. When they arrived, Nina opened the door and they went inside, Dave looked around the office he was shocked it was painted in bright, exciting colors. It also had lots of fun thing's laying around, and a stereo that was playing exciting music, the most shocking thing in the room though was…KnitKnots! He turned to face them smiling, he wore a pair of blue pant's, a sweater with different, bright color's on it, and red running shoe's seeing them he spoke.
"Nina! Dave!" He greeted them.
"Uncle KnitKnots the Movers sent me over here to ask you to turn your music down please!" Nina said smiling.
"Oh, okay, sorry Dave!" KnitKnots said as he turned off the music. "I was just listening to the radio, I always like doing that when I first get here it help's me to come up with my exciting products!" KnitKnots said smiling.
"KnitKnots what happened to your office? Where's your boring, beige suit and matching bowtie?" Dave asked looking around.
"Me? Boring? Is he feeling okay Nina?" KnitKnots asked.
"He fell and hit his head this morning Uncle, he hasn't been himself since! He asked the Movers and I why the warehouse and the four of us were so boring and not exciting!"
"You five exciting? He must have hit his head pretty hard!"
"He must have, he has a nasty bump on his head from it!" Nina said.
"This is so weird! Everything's backwards!" Dave said as he looked around.
"Backwards? What is he wearing Nina? I thought the Movers only wore boring beige suits?" KnitKnots asked.
"He was wearing it when we found him! It only goes to prove we're right and nothing good come's from exciting things!" Nina answered.
"I…I think I need to lay down!" Dave said.
"Good thinking! Come along Dave; let's go back to the nice, boring warehouse! Goodbye Uncle!" Nina said smiling taking Dave's arm.
Later:
After returning to the warehouse Dave went to lay down in one of the many boring room's, he lay on the bed so confused. He touched his forehead and winced he closed his eye's trying to force himself to fall asleep, maybe this was all just a dream! So for the next hour he would close his eyes and wait a couple of minutes before opening them hoping when he did things would be different. After the 10th time and nothing had changed, he gave up and went back into the Think Tank, seeing him Rich spoke smiling.
"Dave you're awake, do you feel any better?" Rich asked.
"A little, thanks!" Dave answered sitting on the couch beside Smitty.
"Good! Oh, we found your spare Mover suit in your locker!" Scott said smiling as he held it up. "Now you can change out of that much too exciting Mover suit…you aren't going to make us…wear them now are you?" Scott asked worried the other's worried too.
"No Scott I'm not!" Dave said seeing the worry he sighed as he spoke. "I'll…umm go change now I guess!" He said taking the suit from Scott before he left the room.
After changing he returned to the Think Tank and saw Nina and the guy's at a table stapling, stamping, and stacking boring paperwork, he sighed as he joined them.
"There that's better! Nice and boring!" Scott said smiling at him.
"Yeah…boring!" Dave said as he sat beside Rich and Scott.
"You're just in time Dave, we're about to do something fun!" Smitty said smiling.
"Really Smitty?" Dave asked smiling.
"Yes, we're going to do our favourite hobby!" Smitty continued.
"What is it?" Dave asked.
"Watching paint dry!" Nina and the guy's said together.
"Oh." Dave said disappointed.
"Come on let's…" The front door's opening cut Smitty off.
"Movers, Nina have any of you seen my furry, little buddy Office Mouse over here? I can't find him anywhere!" KnitKnots asked.
"Office Mouse…wait! You mean Warehouse Mouse don't you?" Dave asked.
"Warehouse Mouse? Oh, no that woodland creature is much too exciting he lives in KnitKnots office!" Rich answered.
"He lives here! I can prove it, he has a mouse hole right…" Dave went to where Mouse's hole in the wall was supposed to be, but when he didn't see the hole, he trailed off. "Its supposed to be right here!"
"That bump on his head has really made him confused!" KnitKnots said just as Mouse appeared on the table scaring the Movers and Nina who jumped out of their chairs and onto the sofa, Dave watched in shock. "There you are little buddy!" KnitKnots said smiling as he picked him up, Mouse laughed before he spoke to him Dave spoke.
"Smitty can't you understand what Mouse is saying?"
"Me? Why would I be able to understand that woodland creature?" Smitty said.
"You're his best friend!" Dave answered.
"His best friend? Oh, no I'd never be friends with that woodland creature, he's much too exciting Dave!" Smitty said.
"Come on little buddy, let's go back to the office and work on our exciting product's! Bye Nina, bye Movers!" KnitKnots said as they left.
"Now we can get back to work, come on Movers we have a lot of boring thing's to do today!" Rich said smiling.
"I…I think I'll go to my workshop!" Dave said feeling a little sad.
"Okay Dave, see you later!" Nina said as he left.
Dave wandered the halls of the warehouse, he looked in other room's he passed only to find them just as boring as the rest of the warehouse. He finally made it to his workshop and hoped when he went inside he'd find it the way he always kept it, but when he opened the door it was boring too! He sighed he didn't like being boring, he wanted thing's back the way they were supposed to be!
Later:
Dave spent the morning alone in his workshop, he had tried to work on an invention, but there was nothing in his workshop to use. He gave up and began to think of way's he could remind the other's how to have fun, but he couldn't it was like the more time he spent doing boring thing's, the more he forgot how to have fun. He knew if he didn't do something soon they'd be stuck this way forever! He went to the Think Tank to find the other's he wanted to have fun, but didn't know what to do yet. He found the other's standing together as they starred at a beige wall he joined them and spoke.
"Hey guy's, what are you doing?" Dave asked.
"We're watching paint dry!" Nina answered.
"Oh." Dave said disappointed.
"What's the matter Dave? Aren't you having fun?" Smitty asked as they looked at him.
"Fun? Watching paint dry isn't fun its…boring!" Dave said.
"Very boring, that's what make's it fun!" Scott added.
"No Scott, it doesn't! This is fun!" Dave said as he began making funny faces. "And this!" He said as he got on the couch and jumped on it. "Making music is fun!" Dave said as he began to sing, the other's looked at him like he had lost his mind Nina spoke.
"Dave what's gotten into you? You're acting exciting!" Nina asked.
"I'm having fun!" Dave answered. "Just sing a song with me please?"
"A song? Oh no, we couldn't that's much too exciting!" Rich said.
"Please? Just one?" Dave pleaded.
"Oh alright, just one!" Smitty said agreeing.
"Great! Thank you! You'll see how much fun it is I promise!" Dave said so happy.
Dave stood beside Nina and Smitty and began singing the other's stood quietly unsure what to do, but began to sing along second's later. Of course being boring none of them knew how to sing or any song's so eventually they just gave up on singing. Not one for giving up easily Dave suggested they make funny face's they agreed, but again none of them, but Dave knew how to. Still refusing to give up Dave then suggested they play a game of hide and seek and they agreed again. Dave was it first and once he was done counting he turned to look for them and not being any good at game's he found them all one right after the other. Dave sat down on the couch he didn't know what to do being boring was well…boring! He then wondered if someone could go legally insane from boredom? The other's seeing how disappointed Dave was after they failed at having fun sat with him and Rich spoke about what happened all of them felt badly.
"We're sorry Dave!" Rich said. "Now do you see why boring is better?"
"We don't want to be exciting like KnitKnots! We're very happy being boring! Do you understand now?" Smitty added.
"I think I'll go visit KnitKnots for awhile!" Dave said standing. "I'll see you guy's later."
Dave left the warehouse and went to KnitKnots office, he knocked on the door and second's later KnitKnots answered smiling seeing Dave he greeted him warmly.
"Dave! I'm sorry was I being too loud?"
"No, actually can I come in?" Dave asked.
"Of course!" KnitKnots said letting him inside. "You're just in time I was going to play a game with Mouse, do you want to play?"
"Really?"
"Unless its too exciting for you?"
"Oh no, I came here to do something exciting!" Dave answered.
"Are you sure you're okay? You Movers and Nina don't like anything exciting!"
"I'm fine, really! What game were you guy's going to play?" Dave said smiling.
"We were going to play hide and seek! I'll be it and you hide with Mouse okay?"
"Let's play!"
Dave, KnitKnots, and Mouse had a lot of fun together, they played game's, sang, danced, and just did whatever exciting thing they could think of! Despite the fun Dave was having, it still was incredibly weird for him to see KnitKnots dressed and acting like he was. Dave enjoyed himself, but wished he was having fun with Nina and the guy's they were his friend's and he missed them. Finally it was time for Dave to leave it was the end of the day so he said goodbye to KnitKnots and Mouse thanking them for the fun and left. He got back to the warehouse and found the guy's and Nina tidying up before they went home for the night. He walked down the step's and was about to walk to the couch when Nina spoke trying to stop him before he did.
"Dave! Be careful Scott just…" She never got to finish as Dave not knowing Scott had just mopped the floor slipped and landed on his back hitting his head and passed out.
His head throbbed again, he found himself on the couch after falling and hitting his head. His day just kept getting worse, he lay on the couch with his eyes closed wondering if he was alone now, when he felt a cool cloth put on his forehead he knew he wasn't. He wasn't up for dealing with his boring friend's right now, but hearing the worry in their hushed voice's he knew he had to let them know he was okay. He slowly opened his eye's and groaned at the pain, hearing him the other's sat with him he went to sit up.
"Easy buddy, go slow! You have a nasty bump on your head, let me help you!" Scott said smiling, once sitting Dave put his face in his hand's as he spoke.
"I have another nasty headache too!" He said rubbing his head.
"Like I always say boring is best! You don't get hurt when thing's are nice and boring! I keep telling you this!" KnitKnots said lecturing them again.
"Wait!" Dave said looking at him. "What did you just say?"
"I said nothing good come's from being exciting!" KnitKnots answered.
"You're wearing beige again!" Dave said smiling. "Nina, guy's you're wearing your usual, exciting clothes!" Dave said happily.
"Dave what are you talking about? Maybe you hit your head harder than we thought? Wait…I never noticed, but what are you wearing?" Smitty asked looking at his boring, beige Mover suit. "Is that a beige Mover suit?"
"KnitKnots don't you want to do something exciting?" Dave asked.
"What? Me? Exciting? How hard did you hit your head?" KnitKnots asked as they looked at each other before looking back at Dave, he spoke again.
"Nina, guy's don't you want to do something boring?"
"Us? No, why would we Dave?" Rich asked all of them so confused.
"We like thing's exciting!" Scott added smiling.
"So, KnitKnots is boring and we are exciting?" Dave asked.
"Yep!" Nina answered smiling.
"Wait…what about Office Mouse?" Dave asked.
"Who?" Smitty questioned.
"Mitty, Mitty, Mitty!" Mouse said appearing on the couch scaring KnitKnots.
"Mouse! You're exciting too!" Dave said smiling.
"Dave are you sure you're okay? You…" Dave cut Nina off.
"I'm better that okay! I'M BACK!" Dave yelled standing. "Whoa, bad idea! Really dizzy now!" He said as Scott helped him sit back down.
"I've had enough excitement for one day! I'm going back to my nice, boring office! Goodbye Movers, Nina I'll see you back at the office!" KnitKnots said leaving.
"What happened anyway?" Rich asked.
"I…I don't remember!" Dave answered rubbing his head.
"Your invention must have malfunctioned, we found you on the floor in your workshop after we heard a huge crash!" Nina said.
"We brought you to the couch, and when you didn't wake up we got worried!" Scott said looking at Dave. "You were out for a really long time!"
"Thanks guy's, I'm sorry I worried you!" Dave said
"Don't be, we're just glad you're okay!" Rich added.
"So Dave, are you going to tell us about your boring Mover suit? Don't tell us you're going to start making us wear them too?" Scott asked worried.
"No, Scotty I'm not!" Dave said smiling looking down at his Mover suit.
"Good!" All three Movers said together.
"I…I don't know where it came from actually! While I was out I had the strangest dream though!" Dave said leaning back.
"Really? About what?" Smitty asked.
"Well, in my dream everything, and everyone was backwards!" Dave said.
"You mean we all walked and talked backwards?" Nina asked.
"No, I mean the warehouse, Nina, and the four of us were…boring! KnitKnots was…exciting, and Mouse lived in his office and he was called Office Mouse!"
"Really? I couldn't imagine KnitKnots being exciting!" Smitty said as everyone agreed.
"Could you imagine us boring?" Scott added.
"No!" Everyone said together.
"Nina, I thought you were coming back to the office? We have lots of boring work waiting for us to do!" KnitKnots said coming back into the warehouse.
"Right! Sorry Uncle KnitKnots, coming! I'm glad you're okay Dave, bye guys!" Nina said smiling as she got up and went to where KnitKnots waited.
"Bye Nina!" All four guy's said together. "Bye KnitKnots!"
"Thanks again Nina!" Dave added as they left.
"How's your head Dave?" Rich asked.
"It still hurt's, but nothing two aspirin can't fix!" Dave said as he got up and went into the kitchen and took some aspirin Rich spoke.
"How about we watch Scott's new burro movie?" Rich suggested.
"Sound's good!" Smitty agreed.
"Of course I'm in!" Scott said smiling.
"Dave?" Smitty asked smiling.
"Nah, that sound's much too exciting!" Dave answered with a straight face as he starred at them, no expression anywhere on his face Scott spoke.
"What?" Scott asked as they starred at Dave confused, they look at each other before back at Dave who still hadn't moved. "Are…are you sure you're okay Dave?"
"Gotcha! I'm only kidding!" Dave said smiling before he laughed. "You three should have seen your faces!" Dave said laughing harder.
"Yep, he's okay! Come on guy's let's go its movie time!" Scott said smiling.
"I'll be right there, I just want to change first!" Dave said as they left.
Once alone Dave smiled and shook his head slightly before he got up and went to his locker and grabbed his spare Mover suit he changed and then joined the guy's in the Movie room. As the movie started, Dave looked at the guy's, who met his eyes and smiled at him before they all looked at the screen. Dave knew he was where he wanted to be, where he belonged…he was home!
THE END!