When the Light Went Out for Elmo Sputterspark
"Really!? Is it true?" Elmo asked thrilled.
"Yes, Mr. Sputterspark", the principal, who was sitting right across the table in his office chair, confirmed. "Your scholarship application to St. Canard University has been recognized and they are considering granting it."
"WOOHOO!" the rat exclaimed happy and raised a brown fist in the air.
"Um... yeah, but, ahrm", the high school principal said and cleared his throat, a bit startled by the rodent's sudden gladness. "Before the school is ready to accept your application, Mr. Sputterspark, the headmaster there, Dean Tightbill, would first like you to show that you've really got what it takes to earn a scholarship by demonstrating a scientific prototype for some of the University's superiors."
"Oh, of course! Sure, no problem", the excited rat assured. "I can do that."
"Great! Here's all you need to know about your upcoming presentation", the principal informed and placed a document on the table in front of the happy senior student. "You've also been booked on a preliminary visit to get the chance to prepare yourself for the demonstration and to get to know the area a bit more. One of our former students, who received a scholarship a few years ago, and who's getting his PhD this spring, will guide you around and make sure you get everything you need."
"O-Okay!" Elmo said understanding and picked up the paper. His brain still hadn't really processed what just had happened.
"Great! Then I guess there's nothing more I can do than to wish you good luck Mr. Sputterspark", the headmaster said smiling.
"Thank you very much sir!" Elmo, who was smiling with his whole face, said grateful and then left the office.
"YAHOO!"
The overjoyed rat made a high jump and clapped with his heels in the air as soon as he came out in the school hallway. He still couldn't believe it. He's actually going to study at St. Canard's most influential university! It was like a dream coming true for the fascinating science nerd. He could barely contain himself. He was just so psyched up. He... He just had to tell someone.
He hastily twisted and turned his head to look around among his schoolmates. By one of the blue school lockers he saw a teenage duck with wide cheeks wearing a salmon-pink shirt and green striped pants. He was focusing tapping his finger on a hypnosis button he was holding.
"Hey! Drake!" Elmo called at the duck. The duck looked up from the thing and saw the rodent coming straight towards him.
"You'll never guess what, I'm going to study at St. Canard's University next fall!" the rat told him exalted.
"Well, that's great!" said Drake politely attentive. "Looks like you're going to have a great future awaiting after the exam. Myself, I've already booked the flight to Kung Pow City there I'm going to learn how to master the ancient art of Quack Fu by no one else but the great Master Goose Lee himself."
"Aha", Elmo uttered uninterested.
"That's right!" Drake continued proud. "And then, when I come back to St. Canard, the sinister scoundrels of the city are going to tremble in fear 'cause I'm going to be a crime fighter…"
A short distance away behind Drake, Elmo suddenly noticed Hamm String and his girlfriend Preena Lott coming their way. The rat swallowed when he fearfully watched the big pig pick up a poor little freshman with glasses in his collar, which evoked strong memories.
"… I have considered whether if I should become an agent for S.H.U.S.H., but I do not really like the idea of being bound to a corporation. I'd rather be more independent…"
"Um, Drake", Elmo carefully interrupted and worringly glanced over the duck's shoulder at the big football player. "Uh, I don't really have anything against you personally, or so, but… you see, my status is already pretty low when it comes to the social rang around here, and, yeah, I really don't want to risk being caught talking to a dweeb like you. As I said, it's nothing personal, but I better leave. No hard feeling, right? Well, see you around!"
With that said, the rat turned on his heel and rashly walked away, hoping that the bully hadn't noticed him yet.
"Oh yeah! As if you were more popular than me!" Drake shouted hurt after him.
The duck disappointedly turned back to his locker and placed the hypnosis button on one of the shelves.
"Jeez, what a pal!"
His eyes sparkled when the expectant rat watched the gigantic bone-coloured building arose before him. He walked into the large school yard in the middle of the mansion. Lots of university students were sitting outside in the grass and by the big fountain in the center enjoying the sunlight while studying for the upcoming exam at the end of the semester.
In a few weeks, this is going to be my life too, Elmo thought thrilled.
He went and sat down on a bench just outside the large arched main gate. This is where he's supposed meet up with his guide it was decided. He looked down and pulled up the sleeve of his pink shirt to throw an eye at his watch. He was still five minutes early.
While patiently waiting, he looked around and admired the big building. He saw his own reflection in a window leading into a, for the moment, dark room. He turned himself right towards it and took the opportunity to straighten a couple of protruding hair shafts in his shoulder-length, back-combed auburn hair. Then he adjusted his dark-blue pink-dotted tie around the collar.
After a while, the big gate opened and out stepped a male duck with a melon-shaped head who seemed to be around 25-30 years old. He was wearing a gray lab coat, buff shirt, black tie, navy-blue trousers and black shoes.
Elmo stood up and walked over to the mallard.
"Hello! You must be Elmo Sputterspark", the duck assumed with an unusual oval voice that sounded a little like if someone had plugged a potato into a megaphone.
"Yes, that's me", Elmo affirmed and nodded.
"Oh, great! I am Reginald Bushroot, I'm the one who's going to show you around", the duck informed and held out a hand in greeting towards the rat.
"Nice to meet Dr. Bushroot", Elmo said polite and shook the hand.
"Well, technically I'm not really a doctor yet until a few weeks, but I guess I better start getting used to that title already", Bushroot said a bit modest. "The pleasure is all mine by the way. There haven't been any other scholarship holders from my old high school since I went there."
"Yeah, I heard that."
"Come in by the way!" Bushroot said and did a hasty waving gesture towards the entrance.
Elmo went in through the gate, which was still open. The two students walked through a long corridor with high ceilings. The bright sunlight was pouring in through the large glass windows so no light ceiling was necessary.
"You were interested in the physical department, right?" Bushroot checked.
"Yes, that is correct", Elmo answered. "I'm very interested in electricity and hope that I one day will be able to develop new methods to produce and utilize energy."
"Oh, I see. Well, myself I'm more into the biochemical areas", Bushroot told. "I'm specialized in botanic."
"Oh, plants that is?" Elmo said comprehending.
"Precisely! I've always been fascinated by plants and their way of producing their own nutrition via the photosynthesis", he told. "One day I hope I'll manage to figure out a way on how also animals can use this amazing ability. In that way we'd all get our nutrition and energy only with help of water, carbon dioxide and sunlight!"
"Wow, producing your own energy. Yeah, that sure would be awesome", Elmo said a bit dreamingly, and couldn't help but imagine himself being an almighty traveling energy source. "Though, of course, actually it's converting of energy that's happening, since energy can't be created or destroyed…"
"… only change from one form to another. Yeah, you've certainly got familiar with those words by now", Bushroot finished.
The elder student held up the door for the rat to a stairwell to get to the upper floor.
"So, how's the life at campus otherwise?" Elmo asked while he, a bit panting, struggled his way up the gray stairs. The sounds of their steps echoed between the walls.
"Oh, it's okay", Bushroot said short and shrugged. "We've got a lot of activities and interesting seminaries in the evenings."
"Yeah, I guess it's must be much different compared to high school", the rodent adopted while they wandered through yet another corridor. "The people are probably more intelligent and mature around here, and they understand you better."
"Yeah, that's for sure."
"No one who's being bullied anymore just because you're different."
The smile on the duck's bill sank a little.
"Well, I wouldn't have too much hope on that point", he said a bit low. "Oh, in here it is!"
Bushroot opened a door to the left of them and stepped in.
"This is where your presentation is going to be hold", he explained.
Elmo walked in and inspected the big room there most of the floor was covered by a forest of chairs. Then he began looking for where electrical outlets and other things were placed.
"If you need anything specific we can take care of that", Bushroot told.
"Yeah, actually there are a few things", the rat told the duck, who took out a pad and a pen from his lab coat pocket.
Bushroot wrote down the things that Elmo counted up.
"… and maybe some extension cords too", the rodent finished.
"Okaaay… There!" Bushroot said and scribbled down the last words before he put back the stuffs in his pocket again. "So, what's your presentation going to be about if I may ask?"
"Oh, you see, I'm going to demonstrate a way on how to make use of static electricity", Elmo told. "As you might know, electrons can get transferred from one object to another by rubbing. When the two objects get separated from each other they get charged and high voltage is created between them. How high the voltage is depends on the dryness in the air, how big the contact area is and what kind of material you're using, rugs for example are very good."
"Oh! So that's what you wanted the carpet for!" Bushroot said suddenly understanding. "Hehe, I kind of wondered a little there. So, have you tested your prototype yet?"
"Um, well, there are still a few more things that I need to work on", Elmo admitted a bit sheepishly, "but I am sure that I'll be able to fix those before the presentation."
"Well, it's not really my area, but I guess it would require a very large amount of voltage to make that work."
"Yes, I know. I've heard a lot of that from the science club at my school", Elmo told a bit low. "They're all very sceptic to the idea."
"Yeah, I know that feeling. I've also gotten a lot of critique to my ideas", Bushroot revealed. "But hey, a lot of scientists throughout the history have been met by doubts and if it hadn't been for them a lot of amazing invention wouldn't even have existed today."
"Yeah, you're right", Elmo realized, feeling much more determinded now.
"I believe you'll be able to find a way on how to make your prototype work", Bushroot said supporting.
"Thank you Bushroot", Elmo thanked grateful, "and I am sure that you're also going to succeed with your researches."
"Thanks!"
Bushroot showed Elmo the way to the faculty's storage room where they helped each other out on collecting some of the stuffs that the rat had requested. The two students placed the things in one specific place so that they would be more easy to find for the presentation.
Then they both followed out to the main gate.
"Well, I suppose we'll meet again someday", Elmo said by the doorway.
"Yes, I am coming to listen to your presentation", Bushroot told.
"Oh, really! Great!" Elmo exclaimed, glad to know that there at least will be one in the audience that he already knew.
"I'm looking forward to work with you in the future", Bushroot said.
"So am I."
"Good bye and good luck with your project!"
"You too with your researches!" Elmo greeted and waved goodbye behind him as he walked down the courtyard. "Bye!"
During the following days, Elmo diligently worked hard to get his prototype to work. He stayed late at school into the evenings in the lab to be sure that it would be ready in time. He almost completely forgot about the school prom that was being held a few days before graduation. Not that he really cared about that very much...
It was with great joy and relief that he finally saw the light bulb, which was attached to the treadmill he was running on, starting to emit a blindingly flash of light.
"At last! I have harnessed the awesome power of carpet static!" he cried out happy while he, a bit panting, kept running at the treadmill. He waved off some insistent papers, that got attracted by his static charged body. "And those fools in the science club said it couldn't be done."
A whole bunch of paper flew straight towards him and almost completely covered his face. Irritated, he continued to shoo them away.
Suddenly the door to the lab opened and in stepped just the two people who Elmo least of all would've liked to meet with his face full of papers. Hamm and Preena.
"Well, well, well, what do we got here?" Hamm asked cocky and pulled away all the papers covering the brown rodent with his strong arm in one sweep, revealing the rat's worried face.
Hamm grabbed Elmo with both hands by the collar of the rat's unzipped purple lab coat . Elmo, who now had no chance to step off the treadmill, had no other choice but to keep running, while also having to look the big pig right into his eyes.
"What's this? Some kind of workout machine?" the pig asked, referring to the prototype.
Elmo breathed heavily, partly because he was afraid of what Hamm was going to do with him, partly because he was starting to get exhausted from all the running.
"No, it's quite simple. I'm using static electricity to power this incandescent bulb", he pantingly began explaining and pointed down on the burgundy carpet that covered the entire walkway, and then on the illuminating lamp. "… pant pant… Notice… how my static charge… attracts these small pieces of paper to… UFF!"
Hamm suddenly cut him off by pressing the rat's black nose hard.
"I still don't get it", Hamm said and took out a roll of tape, "but as an athlete I can see you ain't runnin' hard enough."
Hamm pulled out a piece of the roll and placed the strip above the wrists of Elmo's hands that was grabbed around the treadmill's handle. Then he quickly tied the rodent to the machine with the tape and then tored off the roll.
"Sometimes ya just need someone to push ya a little", the pig said mean before pulling the machine's lever that was placed to the right of the handle.
The treadmill began rolling faster and the taped up rat had no other choice but to run faster.
"WAH-AH-AH-AH-AHAHAHAH…!"
"Remember Elmo, no pain, no gain", Hamm snapped into his ear and walked back towards the door where Preena already waited.
"See ya around, poindexter!" Hamm called and then both he and Preena laughed evilly. The pig closed the door behind them, and left the poor rat to helplessly keep running towards his doom.
The rat got sealed inside a cocoon of paper that uncontrollably continued to charge up to dangerous levels of voltage. Two hours later, the cocoon exploded...
"Ugh! Where is that boy?" Dean Tightbill wondered as he frustrated wandered around in the room.
He threw another glance at the clock that hung on the wall. The time had already passed by with over a quarter.
"I don't understand", Bushroot said puzzled. "He seemed so excited when I talked to him last time."
"Bushroot probably scared him away with his crazy ideas", a large doctoral duck, Dr. Gary, whispered to his equally large companion, Dr. Larson, next to him.
They both chuckled.
"I did NOT!" Bushroot exclaimed indignant at them. "I think."
Tightbill let out a sigh.
"No! I've had it!" he said and determinedly began walking towards the exit.
"But... wait, ca-can't we just give him a few more minutes?" Bushroot begged. "M-Maybe he's just… stuck in traffic or something."
"No, this is my final choice!" the Dean said harsh. "I can't waste my time on high school students that don't bother getting in time."
The brusque duck pulled the handle and opened the door.
"If he chooses to not show up, it's no one but his own loss."
With that said, the headmaster left the room.
The End/The Beginning