Hey guys. Sorry, but I think this may be a boring chapter for you, since it's mostly dialogue. But you WILL get some key info in this chapter.
Oh, some self-promotion over here. I'm part of a group called the Paperback Writers (check out on Celestearts profile) so far we've been working on three stories: Not a Second Time, A Day in the Life and Come and Get it. So, if you'd like, go check them out, as well as my fellow writers.
Chapter 10: Sprinkles, not Powder
LAUREN'S POV
" . . . Ey, get up, you."
Somebody shook me and I opened my eyes slowly. I felt terribly groggy, and I was slumped on a wall. I was in a Volkswagen Beetle, probably the one with the plate number 28IF, and Dan was in front of me.
"What is it?' I mumbled.
Dan sneered. "Will, you just follow me?!"
Having no other choice, I obeyed him. Where had he taken me anyway? I really hoped that John, Paul, George and Ringo were okay . . .
My watch had been taken from me, apparently, since all that was left on my wrist was the marking that indicated that it was once there.
I almost had a heart attack when I stepped out of the car, because I landed on . . . nothing. There was no ground, no sky, just . . . nothing but an endless white area.
I had already guessed where we were before Dan spoke.
"This is Nowhere Land, isn't it?"
Dan chuckled. "You're a smart one. Now tell me, kid, what do you see here, in this place?"
Was he joking? There was nothing in here! Well, Jeremy Boob once lived here, but he had moved to Pepperland, as it was in the movie.
I still replied to him. "Well, I see nothing except for us . . ."
"Ah, yes, you may see nothing, but there is much more than just nothing in this place," He grabbed my arm. "Follow me. You'll soon see just how much the Beatles were capable of . . ."
What did he mean "how much they were capable of"? I knew that they were one of the most influential bands of all time, but I could not understand what Dan said.
I dared to ask a question. "Err, Dan? What do you mean by that?"
He stopped walking, and looked at me with a distraught face.
"They had so much more to show the world, kid. They never got the chance to."
….
PAUL'S POV
We were all sitting on the sofa of the hotel room, staring at each other. Me on George on one side, and the future Beatles and Eppy on the other side.
We were given our watches back, in good condition, and George was having a conference with Rocky. A private one, since he had the mic with him.
"No Rocky . . . we don't know where Ringo and Lauren are," He sighed. "The little teeny was taken by Dan, as we saw it. And John? In the hospital. Somebody, probably that Bungalow man, shot him. I think Edison attacked me as well." Then he glared at me. "If only Paul didn't have to create some of them . . ."
"What?" I shot back at him. "Without me, there wouldn't be Rocky either! There wouldn't even be Sgt. Pepper's."
"I call you back when we get more news." George removed his mic and earplug and looked at the people at the other side of the room. "Crazy, isn't it?"
"Yes, absolutely mad . . ." Epstein replied. "Boys, do you actually believe these two impostors, that they're actually Paul and George?"
"I dunno with George and Ringo, but John and I do!" Thanks to George, McCartney and Lennon believe us, all because of that bloody hiking story.
"C'mon! We'll prove it to you, Eppy! It's us, we swear!" I tried, even calling him "Eppy" to ring a bell.
"Ask us anything," I added.
"Alright," Harrison started, as if interrogating us. "If you really are me, then you can answer this: Why am I called the Quiet Beatle?"
Without skipping a beat, George replied to a question about his own self. "That was mislabeling. I had a fever during that first US press conference, and Eppy recommended I keep quiet. He said nobody should know. Media then took me for how I behaved, and then-"George snapped his fingers. "The Quiet Beatle I was."
They all stared at George, eyes wide and mouths wide open. All except Lennon and McCartney, since they already knew.
"Told ya!" Lennon softly elbowed Harrison and stuck is tongue out at Starr while he rolled his eyes.
"I got all five of them to believe us, so you owe me big time." George told me.
"Now it's my turn to talk," I looked at them. "After your concerts, go and get out of here. Don't mention anything about us."
"Oh, and these," George had some tiny little pills in his palm. "It's best if you take these now. They're Memory Altering Pills from Doctor Robert. Well . . . you get the idea from the name."
"Where did you get those?" I asked him. He didn't have them a while ago.
"The watch chute," He replied. "Y'know, like the money."
"Oh."
George handed the five a pill each and they took it immediately.
"Hey, does this mean John won't know about the hiking story anymore?" I asked George hopefully.
"Who cares? Now, we better leave before all their memory's gone. Come with me to the roof."
"Why?"
"Will you just come with me?!"
"Alright, Mean Mister Mustard . . ." George rolled his eyes at me as I chuckled.
When we got to the roof, George now pulled out some powder.
"We came here to do drugs?"
"No, you idiot. Spray this over the city."
We both sprayed it over the edge until the pack was empty.
"Let me guess," I started. "Memory Altering Powder?"
"Sprinkles, actually. That's its name."
"Same banana." I replied as my watch started beeping.
Pressing the answer button, we rejoiced at the sound of Ringo's voice.
"Um, 'ello lads?'
"Ringo? Yeah, George and I are fine, but John-"
"Don't worry about John. Rocky'll pick him up from there. I made my way back to Pepperland. Jeremy Boob's and some others are conducting a search party for Lauren. Gosh, I hope she's fine . . ."
We took a moment of silence to think about Lauren. Why did it have to be her? She did nothing wrong. It was just everyone's luck, I guess . . .
"Sorry to break the silence, but out of curiosity, exactly how will Rocky pick John up without being seen?"
"He says normal humans can't see Beatlings."
"But – " Normal humans couldn't see Beatlings? Then . . . that meant . . .
"- What about the ambush in New York, at the music shop?"
"He said the people would just perceive that as an everyday incident."
"Well, what about Lauren? How would he explain that? She had been with us ever since we met her."
"There's something about her. Everyone in Pepperland is saying that. Just as I got back, I was hearing murmuring about her, even suspicion."
"Well, okay, Ringo. We'll get back there as soon as we end this call. So . . . see you there." George gave one final message and I turned off the line.
I let George use his watch to open a portal for us back to Pepperland. As we jumped in, I thought about Lauren's ability to see Beatlings. Perhaps Rocky was just joking? But I wouldn't think Rocky would joke on such a matter . . .
I had come to a conclusion:
It was no mistake that we met Lauren. It was meant to happen after all.
Then again, I may be wrong, but . . . why not?