Chapter Nine ~ THE END
"I do."
"You may now kiss the bride."
We all screamed and cheered as Shrek and Fiona climbed into the onion carriage and were sent off down the dirt road.
On the back of the carriage hung a sign that said, "Ugly ever after."
It was the end of our latest fantasy. Or, maybe not.
"Ok, before you start, Shrek, we would like to add some of our favorites to the list of kareoke songs."
"Ok, fine, go ahead."
"Who wants to pick first?" I asked, sliding down at a keyboard.
"Oh, me! Me!" Mike ran up, "I even brought the CD."
"Really?" I asked, disappointed.
"Don't sweat it. It's Earth, Wind, and Fire."
"Oh, yes! Which one?"
"It's the perfect one! 'Fantasy'!"
"Ok, hit it!"
Mike went to put in the CD. Sara and Mell looked at me impatiently, mouthing, "Earth, Wind and Fire?"
"He's a big fan. You should see him do his Earth, Wind and Fire dance." I laughed.
"Here it goes:
"Every man has a place, in his heart there's a space,
and the world can't erase his fantasies
Take a ride in the sky, on our ship fantasii
all your dreams will come true, right away."
I bopped my head to the music. Sara and Mell danced, not really singing. Mike was singing and dancing, shaking his head around and swaying back and forth to the beat. He grabbed my hands and turned my around under his arm. I started laughing and couldn't stop.
"Ok, next song!" Sara interrupted as soon as the music faded.
"WEEZER!" Mell yelled.
"Which one?" Sara asked, hoping it wasn't 'Hashpipe.'
"Um, let's have 'Undone'," Mell thought aloud. She slipped in her CD from her discman into the kareoke machine and picked up the microphone.
"Don't swing it too hard and bump your head again!" Sara called from behind her.
"Ok, everybody sing, here comes the refrain:
'If you want to destroy my sweater, hold this thread as I walk away,
watch me unravel, I'll soon be naked, lying on the floor, lying on the floor
I've come undone'."
"Next song and it's my turn!" Sara put in another CD. Shrek and Fiona watched us with interest. The song came on. Mell groaned.
"Ready? 'It's this illegal kind of lovin' that keeps my motor runnin' from the start to the finish line'!"
"Stop, stop!" Mell pressed the 'stop' button.
"Ok, ok, here's my choice," Sara switched CD's.
"YES!"
"Please don't be 'Uptown Girl'," Mike pleaded.
"There's a lot of tension in this town
I know it's building up inside of me
I've got all the symptoms and the side effects
of city life anxiety
I could never understand why the urban attitude
is so superior
in a world of high rise ambition
most people's motives are ulterior
Sometimes I feel as thought I'm running on ice
paying the price too long
kind of get the feeling that I'm running on ice
where did my life go wrong
You got to run
You got to run
Running on ice!"
"Yeah, all right!" Sara whooped.
"Ann, your turn," Mike panted, from actually deciding to dance to 'Running on Ice.'
Putting on a "radio" voice, I took up the microphone and said:
"I think I'll tone things down a bit, with one of my all-time favorites and my theme song."
I pushed the play button and sat down at the keyboard.
"It's nine o'clock on a Saturday."
Sara and Mell joined in.
"Sing us a song, you're the piano ANN," they sang, grinning.
"Ok, now you can go, Shrek," I said as I rolled the last chord.
"I'll take this mood and this singer too," he leaned to press the button and sang to Fiona.
"Don't go changing
to try and please me,
You never let me down before. Hmmmmm.
Then the music changed and whole bunch of people showed up dancing. Mell banged on the drums. I recognized the "DJ" as Pinocchio.
"I made it through the wilderness
I made it through
Didn't know how lost I was
Until I found you."
Fiona finished. We all cheered and turned to Donkey.
"I like big butts and I cannot lie.
He bobbed his head, and flung on some sunglasses. The dragon was swaying in the background. Then, an executioner came up.
"Feelings."
Then the familiar drumbeat started and Robin Hood showed up with his merry men.
"It's fun to stay at the YMCA
YMCA!"
We all did the hand motions. Sara was doing cartwheels and I couldn't stop laughing. The gingerbread man got up to the mike and sang:
"Do you really want to hurt me, (OW!)
Do you really want to make cry."
The music changed again. The dragon took the microphone and held it to her stomach.
"Stayin' alive, stayin' alive! Ah, ah, ah, ah" (said the three little pigs)
Lord Farquod could be heard from the dragon's stomach. Then the big bad wolf made a debut.
"Who let the dogs out? (Who? Who? Who?) (sang the three little pigs)
Who let the dogs out?"
I ran to the organ and banged some chords. Sara was somewhere in the crowd. Mell was on the drums and Mike was doing the Macarena with the girls.
"Now it's time to dance to the music!" Donkey yelled. Everybody changed gears and danced to a different beat.
"DANCE TO THE MUSIC!"
All we need is a drummer! sang Pinocchio.
For people who only need a beat! Yeah!
I need to play my organ! (that was my line!)
I said RIDE, SONNY RIDE!
I can't see me lovin nobody but you
for all my life
DANCE TO THE MUSIC!
DANCE TO THE MUSIC!
I slammed on the keys and everybody joined into lines and dancing the same. Then we changed key. I whooped and sang louder.
"You ain't dancin' Shrek," Donkey yelled.
DANCE TO THE MUSIC!
We banged the last the chord and Mell crashed a cymbal.
"One more song!" a girl shouted from the crowd. Mell and I knew who it was.
"I thought love was only true in fairy tales,
(UH UH UH OY!) (sang Sara and the dwarves)
Meant for someone else but not for me.
Oh, love was out to get me (duh duh duh dun de dun)
That's the way it seemed.
Disappointment haunted on my dreams.
Then I saw her face (duh duh duh duh)
Now I'm a believer! (HEY!)
Without a trace (duh duh duh duh)
No doubt in my mind
I'm in love (OOOOOOOOH)
I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried!
Donkey took the lead and Mell and I sang next to him.
"Now, sing it with me!"
I believe!
I believe!
We chanted.
"People in the back!" Donkey screamed.
I believe!
I believe!
All of a sudden, the music and the field full of dancers faded away.
"Without a trace, no doubt in my mind!"
"Ann, Ann, we're back! Open your eyes!" someone whispered.
"I'm in love! I'm a believer!" I murmured, hearing the echoes of drums in my head.
"ANN!" Sara yelled.
I jumped and shook my head.
"I don't know how we got back, but we're back," Mell said, flopping on a library chair. I looked around with disappointment. There were no drums, only books. There were no dancing cartoon figures, but people studying and typing on the library computers. I sighed.
"We were at the best part too," I whined. Mike sat in a chair, gasping.
"I don't think I've ever dancing that much in my life," he said, "I don't know if I'll be able to ever dance like that again."
"Oh, please. As long as it's not your Earth, Wind and Fire dancing, then you're fine," Sara assured him.
"No time has passed since we left," I noticed, looking at the clock.
"Well, it was a great start to my morning!" Mell said, slipping her headphones on.
THE END (and where next?)
"I do."
"You may now kiss the bride."
We all screamed and cheered as Shrek and Fiona climbed into the onion carriage and were sent off down the dirt road.
On the back of the carriage hung a sign that said, "Ugly ever after."
It was the end of our latest fantasy. Or, maybe not.
"Ok, before you start, Shrek, we would like to add some of our favorites to the list of kareoke songs."
"Ok, fine, go ahead."
"Who wants to pick first?" I asked, sliding down at a keyboard.
"Oh, me! Me!" Mike ran up, "I even brought the CD."
"Really?" I asked, disappointed.
"Don't sweat it. It's Earth, Wind, and Fire."
"Oh, yes! Which one?"
"It's the perfect one! 'Fantasy'!"
"Ok, hit it!"
Mike went to put in the CD. Sara and Mell looked at me impatiently, mouthing, "Earth, Wind and Fire?"
"He's a big fan. You should see him do his Earth, Wind and Fire dance." I laughed.
"Here it goes:
"Every man has a place, in his heart there's a space,
and the world can't erase his fantasies
Take a ride in the sky, on our ship fantasii
all your dreams will come true, right away."
I bopped my head to the music. Sara and Mell danced, not really singing. Mike was singing and dancing, shaking his head around and swaying back and forth to the beat. He grabbed my hands and turned my around under his arm. I started laughing and couldn't stop.
"Ok, next song!" Sara interrupted as soon as the music faded.
"WEEZER!" Mell yelled.
"Which one?" Sara asked, hoping it wasn't 'Hashpipe.'
"Um, let's have 'Undone'," Mell thought aloud. She slipped in her CD from her discman into the kareoke machine and picked up the microphone.
"Don't swing it too hard and bump your head again!" Sara called from behind her.
"Ok, everybody sing, here comes the refrain:
'If you want to destroy my sweater, hold this thread as I walk away,
watch me unravel, I'll soon be naked, lying on the floor, lying on the floor
I've come undone'."
"Next song and it's my turn!" Sara put in another CD. Shrek and Fiona watched us with interest. The song came on. Mell groaned.
"Ready? 'It's this illegal kind of lovin' that keeps my motor runnin' from the start to the finish line'!"
"Stop, stop!" Mell pressed the 'stop' button.
"Ok, ok, here's my choice," Sara switched CD's.
"YES!"
"Please don't be 'Uptown Girl'," Mike pleaded.
"There's a lot of tension in this town
I know it's building up inside of me
I've got all the symptoms and the side effects
of city life anxiety
I could never understand why the urban attitude
is so superior
in a world of high rise ambition
most people's motives are ulterior
Sometimes I feel as thought I'm running on ice
paying the price too long
kind of get the feeling that I'm running on ice
where did my life go wrong
You got to run
You got to run
Running on ice!"
"Yeah, all right!" Sara whooped.
"Ann, your turn," Mike panted, from actually deciding to dance to 'Running on Ice.'
Putting on a "radio" voice, I took up the microphone and said:
"I think I'll tone things down a bit, with one of my all-time favorites and my theme song."
I pushed the play button and sat down at the keyboard.
"It's nine o'clock on a Saturday."
Sara and Mell joined in.
"Sing us a song, you're the piano ANN," they sang, grinning.
"Ok, now you can go, Shrek," I said as I rolled the last chord.
"I'll take this mood and this singer too," he leaned to press the button and sang to Fiona.
"Don't go changing
to try and please me,
You never let me down before. Hmmmmm.
Then the music changed and whole bunch of people showed up dancing. Mell banged on the drums. I recognized the "DJ" as Pinocchio.
"I made it through the wilderness
I made it through
Didn't know how lost I was
Until I found you."
Fiona finished. We all cheered and turned to Donkey.
"I like big butts and I cannot lie.
He bobbed his head, and flung on some sunglasses. The dragon was swaying in the background. Then, an executioner came up.
"Feelings."
Then the familiar drumbeat started and Robin Hood showed up with his merry men.
"It's fun to stay at the YMCA
YMCA!"
We all did the hand motions. Sara was doing cartwheels and I couldn't stop laughing. The gingerbread man got up to the mike and sang:
"Do you really want to hurt me, (OW!)
Do you really want to make cry."
The music changed again. The dragon took the microphone and held it to her stomach.
"Stayin' alive, stayin' alive! Ah, ah, ah, ah" (said the three little pigs)
Lord Farquod could be heard from the dragon's stomach. Then the big bad wolf made a debut.
"Who let the dogs out? (Who? Who? Who?) (sang the three little pigs)
Who let the dogs out?"
I ran to the organ and banged some chords. Sara was somewhere in the crowd. Mell was on the drums and Mike was doing the Macarena with the girls.
"Now it's time to dance to the music!" Donkey yelled. Everybody changed gears and danced to a different beat.
"DANCE TO THE MUSIC!"
All we need is a drummer! sang Pinocchio.
For people who only need a beat! Yeah!
I need to play my organ! (that was my line!)
I said RIDE, SONNY RIDE!
I can't see me lovin nobody but you
for all my life
DANCE TO THE MUSIC!
DANCE TO THE MUSIC!
I slammed on the keys and everybody joined into lines and dancing the same. Then we changed key. I whooped and sang louder.
"You ain't dancin' Shrek," Donkey yelled.
DANCE TO THE MUSIC!
We banged the last the chord and Mell crashed a cymbal.
"One more song!" a girl shouted from the crowd. Mell and I knew who it was.
"I thought love was only true in fairy tales,
(UH UH UH OY!) (sang Sara and the dwarves)
Meant for someone else but not for me.
Oh, love was out to get me (duh duh duh dun de dun)
That's the way it seemed.
Disappointment haunted on my dreams.
Then I saw her face (duh duh duh duh)
Now I'm a believer! (HEY!)
Without a trace (duh duh duh duh)
No doubt in my mind
I'm in love (OOOOOOOOH)
I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried!
Donkey took the lead and Mell and I sang next to him.
"Now, sing it with me!"
I believe!
I believe!
We chanted.
"People in the back!" Donkey screamed.
I believe!
I believe!
All of a sudden, the music and the field full of dancers faded away.
"Without a trace, no doubt in my mind!"
"Ann, Ann, we're back! Open your eyes!" someone whispered.
"I'm in love! I'm a believer!" I murmured, hearing the echoes of drums in my head.
"ANN!" Sara yelled.
I jumped and shook my head.
"I don't know how we got back, but we're back," Mell said, flopping on a library chair. I looked around with disappointment. There were no drums, only books. There were no dancing cartoon figures, but people studying and typing on the library computers. I sighed.
"We were at the best part too," I whined. Mike sat in a chair, gasping.
"I don't think I've ever dancing that much in my life," he said, "I don't know if I'll be able to ever dance like that again."
"Oh, please. As long as it's not your Earth, Wind and Fire dancing, then you're fine," Sara assured him.
"No time has passed since we left," I noticed, looking at the clock.
"Well, it was a great start to my morning!" Mell said, slipping her headphones on.
THE END (and where next?)
