Chapter 3: The Dead One, the Captain, and the Mermaid

Chapter 3: The Dead One, the Captain, and the Mermaid

Floyd went red when Janice asked such a question.

"Do you love me, Floyd?" Janice asked again.

The two of them stared at each other. Floyd just didn't know how to say what he wanted to say.

"I…oh man, Janice…but we're not so tight anymore…I think I might still love you," he replied. Janice nodded and hugged Floyd.

"Like, thank you for your honesty," she said as she hugged him. Janice was happy for his honesty. To her, he was basically saying that he deeply cared but he has to gather up his feelings before anything could be official. Luckily, that was exactly what Floyd meant.

Later that night, the two of them grew tired. It was about 9:45 PM. They both wanted to go to sleep. Fortunately, they remembered about some extra blankets sitting in one of the theatre's backstage closets. They took them out of the closets, placed them on the two couches that were in the band's room and by 10:20 PM, they were both drifting to sleep.

As they lied there asleep, they began to dream. Janice dreamt of someone very special to her.

--

"Janice? Janice! Please wake up," said a male voice. Janice woke up and found herself on the couch. Floyd was not there. He did not wake her up. Instead of Floyd being on the other couch, it was Mr. Hunt.

"Richard?" she asked drowsily. Richard came towards her and tried to help her up off the coach. Janice smiled.

"Thanks," she said sweetly. She suddenly realized that she was talking to the one who helped get noticed by Jim Henson in the first place. She gasped with joy and hugged Richard Hunt tightly.

"Richard, I miss you so much, for sure!" she said. She smiled at him and Richard smiled. Janice could not believe it! She was talking to a close, dear friend who had been dead for quite a few years now. It felt so great to see him for the first time in so long.

Janice smile suddenly began to fade. Richard noticed.

"What's wrong, Janice?" he asked. Janice looked at him, feeling unsure, but she had to tell someone.

"Richard…earlier tonight…Floyd and I got locked into the theatre, and now we're stuck. We tried to call Dr. Teeth but I don't think he got our call. Now we're stuck here till Monday! Talk about a bummer, man. And a few years back, Floyd and I drifted apart and no more were we, like, close…but I still, like, feelings for him, for sure. I just hope Floyd does. What do you think?" she said. Richard nodded as she spoke.

"Well, I guess the best advice I can give you is to be there and help him out like what you've been doing," replied Richard, helping the best way he can.

Janice smiled, but she was not sure if that was truly a reason why he is here.

"Richard, like, tell me, why are you here?" she asked.

"Maybe you just miss me. I missed you, Janice," replied Richard. Janice hugged him tightly.

"That must be it…I haven't been able to, like, live myself since you left," she said as she placed her head on his shoulder. They hugged each other tightly just as she did with Floyd. The two of them looked at each other.

"Man, Rich, I miss your hugs almost as much as I miss you altogether," she whispered to him. As Janice looked at, she realized something with Richard. He was beginning to look see through. Her hands went through him. He was fading.

"Richard, why are you fading? You're not leaving are you?" she asked sadly. Richard kissed her on the cheek as he disappeared in front of her. When Richard was completely out of sight, Janice's head fell backwards. As her head slammed into the couch cushions, Janice's dream faded to black…

--

Janice woke up. Sweat ran down her face as she looked at the dark room. She saw Floyd sleeping soundly on the other couch. She smiled and him. She quickly hopped out of the couch, knelt towards sleeping Floyd and kissed him on the cheek. She jumped back into the empty couch and fell back to sleep.

It was 11:15 PM.

Floyd was dreaming as well. He, however, was not dreaming of his muppeteer. He was dreaming of the girl who just kissed her on the cheek (though he did not know it).

--

Floyd woke and found himself on a big sailing boat. He found himself wearing ship captain's garb, with a captain's coat, hat, and all. He stood up and found himself watching the ocean waters move violently with the gray clouds gloomy looking clouds with lightening spewing out from them, and the thunder roared into Floyd's ears. Of course he noticed the boat moving violently as well. He tried to hold onto the boat, but he was not strong enough and fell overboard. He landed into the water and started sinking. He held his breath, but he tried to swim his way back up to the surface. As he tried, he swam through the hole made out of coral, thinking he was small enough to swim through it. He was wrong. He got stuck in it. As he watched his hat and the band that was holding his long red headed ponytail floated away, Floyd struggled to get through. He tried and tried, but it was not until he felt a heavenly presence around him. He turned his head and saw a figure coming towards him. As the figure came closer, Floyd was able to make out what it was. A blonde mermaid with a blue tail, a pink bikini top, and a jade colored flower in her hair came swimming towards him.

"Who's that…Janice?" he thought. It was Janice!

Floyd smiled and tried to gain her attention. Janice certainly did. She was swimming towards him. She grabbed his waist and began to pull him again and again. Floyd finally broke free and now held just Floyd's hands. Floyd held hers as well. They looked at each other sweetly. Being there with Janice, Floyd did not seem to care about his breath of air anymore. They were both literally floating in the ocean water as they both felt each other close. It was as if no other creature was there. Janice ran her fingers through Floyd's long orange hair that was just floating there freely. Floyd was just hoping he would get the chance to kiss her. Their heads began to get closer and closer to each other. They puckered their lips ready for the kiss.

Unfortunately, the kiss was never fulfilled.

Floyd woke up too soon.

--

Floyd's eyes opened widely. He was back lying on the couch in the band's room in the locked in Muppet Theatre. He found himself there with his band back in his hair, the dark room as dark as ever, and found himself completely still. He looked at the sleeping Janice and smiled at him.

"Have mercy," he thought.