Carlos wasn't quite there in the lab that day. His physical presence was there, of course, but his mind was wandering off. So, in the process of running tests on some sand in the Night Vale area, he ended up causing an explosion.
He wasn't hurt, but part of his hair had been singed off. Carlos shook his head as if to clear out his thoughts, made a mental note to visit a local barber, and resumed science. Night Vale sand was so fascinating. The color was odd, and changed in the light. It would go from a normal tan to a dark, blood red. The state of matter it was in was still not quite solid, and it was completely smooth. Carlos had found absolutely no rocks, and all grains of sand appeared to be the same size when observed under a microscope. Also, judging from the explosive fire that had ensued from mixing it with water, it had quite a lot of potassium in it.
Looking back on the event, he can't remember what he was thinking of before the explosion.
Telly's Barber Shop was just a block away from Carlos's lab, on the corner of Southwest 5th Street and Old Musk Road. He was greeted by a spinning, red and white pole with a sign that read "Telly's". It was fairly normal and out of place for this town, a cityscape of oddly colored buildings.
He was also greeted by a fairly normal man too, the typical barber. Telly was shorter than Carlos, not even 6 foot, and had a pot belly and a small mustache. The barber also really needed a shave, a shadow on his chin. In the regular world, Telly would be described as shady-looking.
"Good day sir!" exclaimed Telly, with a very thick accent that Carlos couldn't identify. He extended his hand towards Carlos.
"Um... Hello," said Carlos, tentatively shaking Telly's hand. "I need a hair cut. And can you make it short? I have to get back to the lab quickly."
"Of course." Telly lead Carlos into the shop and seated him in a chair towards the back. The barber whipped out cloak and wrapped it around Carlos's neck
"So, why you gettin' a hair cut?" Each word Telly spoke had a bit of a sneer to it.
"Well, you see, I was mixing substances at the lab and-" He gestured to the part of his hair that had been singed off. "-this happened."
"I see. I'll fix you right up!" Telly grabbed a scissors and got to work.
Carlos sat and watched as Telly cut his hair, but then noticed something. "Hey! That's a bit too short!"
"You said 'make it short'."
"I meant quick!" Carlos swore mentally. He had liked his long hair. Had. And Cecil liked it too.
"I am sorry," said Telly. "But now I must even it out."
Oh well. Let's just hope it looks nice.
Telly snipped a bit more off and took out a hand mirror. He showed Carlos from all angles. "What do you think?"
Carlos thought it looked nice, and his head, oddly, felt a bit lighter. Cecil won't like it though. thought Carlos. Being polite as he was, he smiled at Telly. "Thanks. It looks really neat."
Then the scientist payed the barber and headed back to his lab.
Once he got back to the lab he resumed his study of the sand. He plopped himself into a chair and turned on the radio.
"I am going to see if I can make a break for the door. If you don't hear from me again, it has truly been a pleasure. Good night, Night Vale. And goodbye!"
What's going on?
A couple of minutes later, Cecil burst into the lab. He was gasping for air.
"Cecil. What's wrong?" The other man was out of breath, his hair and clothing in disarray and his tattoos not glowing as vibrantly as usual. Carlos pulled up a chair and had Cecil sit down.
"Station management got loose, so naturally I ran for my life. Didn't you listen to my broadcast today?"
"No. I had to get a hair cut."
Cecil's eyes widened. "But your hair was so perfect."
Carlos couldn't help but laugh a bit. The show host had just escaped some terrible creature, yet all he cared about was Carlos's hair. "There was an accident."
"How terrible!" said Cecil. "Thank heavens you're okay." He brought Carlos in for a bit of an awkward hug.
Carlos froze, but then put his arms around Cecil and patted his back. "It's okay Cecil. It's okay."