Chapter Ten
Beatrice:
"Whoa!" I exclaimed as I tried to cross the crosswalk of the four-way street. "Excuse me!…I'm sorry!…Sorry!"
Oh, my goodness!
Toon Town is so crazy!
It's much crazier than my last two visits.
*BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!* *BEEEEEEP*!
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" An angry Toon shouted.
"I'm SORRY!" I exclaimed.
Ugh! Traffic is getting too crazy!
I almost got hit and ran over by four speeding cars.
Well, make that five speeding cars.
This street is too crazy to get a ride from Benny!
…Hmm, maybe I should find a street that's less crazy and I can get a ride from Benny.
That sounds like a good idea.
But where can I—?
Duh!
I'm going to walk down a sidewalk of this street that I'm on right now until I find a spot where it's not so busy and call for Benny.
Walking...down the sidewalk.
Now that I'm walking down the sidewalk, I'm beginning to notice that two toon buildings are watching me.
Yes, even buildings are alive in Toon Town.
…I just passed by the buildings that were watching me.
Let's just say that having two toon buildings watch me was just…really creepy.
…But at least I'm away from the traffic and I'm probably in a better place to call for Benny.
"Okay, let's see if the sticking-the-thumb-out idea still works." I said to myself.
I stick my thumb out like a person hitch-hiking for a ride.
*SCREEEEEEEEEEECH*!
Yes, Benny made it!
And wow, he was quick!
"Hey there!" Benny exclaimed.
"Hey, Benny!" I replied with a smile.
"How are you doing, kid?"
"Very well, thank you."
"Where can I drive you?"
"Can you take me to the Toon Town Library, Benny?"
"I can drive you there! Hop on in!"
Benny opened his right side door, allowing me to climb in.
Immediately after I sat down, Benny closed the door and took off.
The toon buildings and the street look like blurs right now, thanks to Benny driving down the street at a pretty fast speed.
"So what made you want to go to the Toon Town Library, Beatrice?" Benny asked.
"I was wondering about some things about the Toon Patrol and somebody left me a note on my bed." I replied. "The person who gave me the note suggested that I should go to the Toon Town Library so that I can get more information."
"Why do you need information about the Toon Patrol?"
"Because I need to learn more about them so that I can get to know them better and be aware of anything that can set them off."
"Wouldn't it be easier to ask the Toon Patrol?"
"I would've done that but I had a feeling that they might refuse to talk about their pasts."
"Yeah, that's true. I can see your point."
…..
*FIVE MINUTES LATER*
"How much money do I owe you, Benny?" I asked after Benny screeched to a stop in front of the Toon Town Library.
"Somebody already paid for you so you don't owe me anything." Benny replied.
"Somebody already paid you for me? Who was it?"
"I'm sorry, Beatrice, but I can't reveal that to you."
"Oh, okay. But at least let me give you a tip."
Benny widened his eyes in surprise.
"A tip? What for?" He asked.
"For helping me, Tommy, Eddie, and Roger escape from the Toon Patrol when they had to help Judge Doom." I replied.
I took my backpack off and quickly pulled out my roll of quarters.
I immediately tore a little bit of the plastic wrapping off of the quarters and shook two dollars and fifty cents (in quarters) into the palm of my hand.
A mechanical white-gloved hand with a silver soup can popped out from Benny's dashboard and it stretched its way towards me.
"That's a tip jar that I carry around when I'm on duty." Benny said. "You can put your tip in there."
I add the tip into the jar and it immediately disappeared back into the dashboard with the mechanical gloved hand.
"Thank you, Beatrice." Benny said.
"And thank you, Benny, for giving me a lift." I replied.
"Good luck on finding some useful information!"
Then, Benny took off.
"Tell Roger and Jessica that I said 'Hello' if you see them today!" I shouted.
I smiled as Benny drove off to who-knows-where.
I sighed.
"It sure was nice to see Benny." I said to myself.
It is also nice to see that Benny's in good condition…after he crashed into a lamp pole during the time when Roger was a fugitive during the murder of Marvin Acme.
I clear my throat.
"I have to focus right now." I said to myself. "I have some research to do."
Then, I turn to the Toon Town Library.
What does it look like?
The Toon Town Library looks like the White House except it looks a little bit smaller and it was light brown and white instead all white. Unlike the White House, the Toon Town Library didn't have a water fountain in front of it. Instead, most of the ground was covered with gray stones.
"Obviously, that's the Toon Town Library." I said to myself. "I need to go in there right now before I change my mind about everything."
…
As soon as I step in to the library, I felt a cold breeze blasting into me, immediately giving me goose bumps.
Good. I needed that.
(Not only it's crazy and kind of crowded in the city of Toon Town, it's also really, really, really hot!)
The inside of the library…oh, my gosh, it's a bookworm's paradise!
There are HUUUUGE bookcases and mountains of books that look like their touching the ceiling because of how big they are.
Unlike the city of Toon Town, the Toon Town Library is nice and QUIET.
Oh, man, I can stay in this library for hours or maybe even days if I had the chance.
But unfortunately, I can't.
I have to get the information that can help me know more about the Toon Patrol and go back home before the library closes.
"Can I help you with something, miss?" A voice asked.
"Huh?" I asked back.
"Look to your left, please." Another voice (this one had a Scottish accent) said.
"Okay."
I look to my left…and I saw…a toon rat with a light brown mustache and toon badger with an orange scarf.
Weren't they in The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad? I thought.
"What can we help you with, miss?" The toon rat asked.
"I-I-I'm looking for some information about the To-Toon Patrol." I replied.
Whoa, why did I stutter?
"Why do you need information about the Toon Patrol?" The toon badger asked.
"I would like to do some research on their pasts and know how the Toon Patrol was formed." I replied. "I even promised that I was going to help the Toon Patrol reform but I feel like I can't do that without knowing about their pasts."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute." The toon rat said. "Did you say that you were going to help the Toon Patrol reform?"
I nodded my head.
"Yes, sir." I said.
"What is your name?" The rat asked.
"My name is Beatrice."
The toon badger's eyes widened to the size of sugar plums.
"Beatrice? Beatrice…Birchwood?" He asked.
"Yes, sir." I replied.
"Oh, yeah, I remember you!" The rat exclaimed softly. "You were the one who helped everyone in Zelkova stand up against the principal."
"Yes, sir. I'm the student."
"You said that you wanted information the Toon Patrol." The badger said. "Is that right?"
"Yes, sir."
The badger reached down and took out…a lit lantern.
"Then, you will need…this lantern." He said.
"Why do I need a lantern?" I asked. "I can see everything in here just fine."
"No, you do need the lantern, Beatrice." The rat replied. "You need it because the history of the Toon Patrol is located in the darkest and the most surreal part of the Toon Town Library."
I nod in understanding.
"Okay, I can see your point." I said.
"As soon as you find the information of the Toon Patrol," The badger said as he was writing something on a small sheet of paper, "there is an elevator that can take you right back up here. Since the library close in a few minutes, I'm going to allow you to check out the information. Return the Toon Patrol information as soon as you're done with them."
Then, he gave me the sheet of paper.
"What's this sheet of paper for?" I asked.
"I have written some directions for you." The badger replied. "Ratty and I would like to help but since we have a lot of stuff to do, you will have to look for the information yourself. I'm very sorry."
"Don't worry, sir. I understand. I think that I can find the Toon Patrol information with the help of your directions."
"Okay. Be careful and good luck."
"Thank you very much."