Chapter nine: Running Away and Separation
Mike was still sitting up in bed as he pants heavily from the bad dream. In Headquarters, the other emotions tiredly walk downstairs in annoyance.
Contempt: (rubs her eyes) What happened?
Disgust: (yawns) Yeah. What is going on?
Love: (yawns) I don't know darling.
Worry: (notices Fear, Boredom, and Peace lying on the floor) Oh my!
Clever: (runs towards his brother) Fear!
Anger: (annoyed) I'LL tell you what happened! Fear did it again!
The others come over and check the terrified emotions that huddle on the floor.
Fear: (whimpering) We were at school, and we were naked-
Boredom: (whimpers) And there were dragons but two of them had their halves chasing them-
Peace: And we saw Pennywise! (whimpers)
Frustration: (annoyed) YOU IDIOTS, IT WAS A DREAM! (walks to the shelves) This is getting ridiculous! We can't even get a good night sleep anymore! (grabs the "Runaway Idea" lightbulb and gives it to Anger) Anger, I say it's time to take action.
Anger: (takes the lightbulb) Agreed.
Trust: (eyes widen and looks at Anger) What?! No! (gets in front of Anger) Don't do this! Don't do this, Anger! I'm begging you, please!
Anger: Trust, get out of my way!
Pride: (gets in front of Anger with Love) We won't let you do a thing like that Anger. We've talked about this!
Anger: If you guys gonna keep getting me not to do what I wanted to do for Mike...,
Love: Now, darling, even if you wanted things fair for Mike, we won't let you put him into any more trouble.
Pride: Besides, I'm sure Joy and the others are on their way now.
Trust: We just have to wait a little longer.
Anger: (pauses for a moment before punching both Trust and Pride in the face) Well, I'm DONE waiting! (goes to the console) Stupid Mom and Dad. If they hadn't moved us none of this would've happened. (to everyone) Who's with me?
Fear: (whimpers) No.
Clever: Oh...uh...I~ don't know.
Love: Don't do it darling.
Worry: (as Anger shows her the bulb) Oh..n-n-no.
Trust: This a bad idea.
Pride: (shakes his head)
Anger shows the bulb to the others.
Disgust: Yeah, let's do it.
Contempt: (nods) Yes.
Envy: (rocks Bravery) Yeah, sugar.
Peace: Go for it dude.
Boredom: Yeah, man.
Anger then looks at Curiosity, who was sweating. Anger shows him the bulb and raises an eyebrow. Curiosity looks at the positive emotions, then Anger, before sighing.
Curiosity: (holds his arm) Yeah, go for it.
Anger raises the bulb over the console and inserts it into the plug. Mike's eyes widen, he gets the idea. He then frowns as he opens up his laptop. In Headquarters, the emotions watch as the bulb lowers into the console.
Anger: He took it. There's no turning back. (takes control of the console)
Disgust: So, how do we get to Minnesota from here?
Anger: (sarcastic) Well, why don't we go to the elephant lot and rent an elephant?
Fear: (smiles) Hey, that sounds nice.
Worry: (smiles) Yeah.
Anger: (snaps at them) WE'RE TAKING THE BUS AND A FERRY, NITWITS!
Clever: Don't call my brother a nitwit!
Frustration: (bonks Clever on the head) Quiet, you!
In his room, Mike pulls up the bus website and scowls as he looks it over.
Anger: (smiles evilly) There's a bus heading for the dock tomorrow. Perfect! (pushes a few buttons)
Trust: I can't believe I'm saying this but: a bus and ferry ticket costs money. How do we get money?
Pride: ((to Trust) in disbelief) Seriously?
Trust: I was just wondering!
Curiosity: I was wondering the same thing.
Disgust: Same. Where do we get the money?
Anger: (answering them) Mom's purse.
Some of the emotions jaws drop in shock and disbelief.
Disgust (gasps) You wouldn't.
Anger: (smiles slyly) Oh, but I would.
Worry: (squeaks in alarm)
Frustration: (grins wickedly) Nice one Anger.
Anger: Thanks. Now, where was it we saw it last? (presses a few buttons and calls up a memory)
Friday Memory: (off-screen) Friday! Friday! Getting-
Frustration: (groans and facepalms)
Anger: NO! (slams his fist on the console, ejecting the memory, scaring Fear and Worry in the process) It's downstairs somewhere. Mom and Dad got us into this mess, they can pay to get us out.
Mike's face becomes more angry. In the Mind World, the train continues on its way to Headquarters. The group looks out the boxcar to take in the scenery.
Beaker: (points at everything) How about this, huh? Isn't this nice? You can see everything from up here! Look, there's Inductive Reasoning. There's Deja Vu. There's Language Processing! There's Deja Vu. There's Critical Thinking! There's Deja Vu. (notices something in the car) Hey look at this, guys! Memories!
Smartness: (writes everything down in his notepad) Extraordinary!
Joy: (looks over to Sadness) Hey, that was a great idea. About scaring Mike awake. You're not so bad.
Sadness: (smiles) Really?
Joy: (nods) Nice work. (goes back inside the car and sits on a crate)
Sadness: ((smiles, proud of herself) follows Joy and sits next to him)
Shame: ((smiles, happy for Sadness) sits next to Sadness)
Joy: (sighs) I can't wait to get the old Mike back. As soon as we get there, I'm going to fix this whole mess.
Beaker: (pulls out one of Joy's memories from a crate as it slowly turns from yellow to light pink) Whoa, is this Mike?
The memory shows Mike hoisted in the air by his soccer teammates.
Beaker: He's so big now. He won't fit in my rocket.
Smartness: (rubs his head) Right, you haven't played with him since he was four. But, that's how kids are. They're born, they grow up, they'll move on to do whatever they want to do with their lives.
Shame: I'm sorry you had to hear that, yo.
Beaker: It's alright. But how do we get to Mars?
Joy: (smiles) Oh, it's that time at the soccer field, remember? (takes the memory) The soccer team showed up, and Mom and Dad were there, cheering. Look at him, having fun and laughing.
Surprise: (smiles) Yeah, having fun.
Laughter: (giggles) And laughing.
Goofy: (smiles)
Excitement and Surprise: (chuckle)
Anticipation: You really do like that one, don't you Joy?
Joy: (sighs happily) Yeah. I love this one.
Sadness: (smiles) I love that one too.
Joy: (smiles big) Atta girl! (gives Sadness a playful punch on the arm) Now you're getting it!
Sadness: (smiles) Yeah. It was the day when the Thunderbolts lost the big playoff game. (frowns) Mike missed the winning shot. He felt awful. He wanted to quit.
Joy's smile fades.
Sadness: Sorry. I went sad again didn't I?
Joy: (smiles) I'll tell you what. We can keep working on that when we get back, okay?
Sadness: (smiles again) Okay.
Joy then puts the memory in the satchel.
Shy: (whispers to Shame) I think they're starting to grow on each other.
Shame: (whispers) Yeah.
Meanwhile, Mike quietly sneaks downstairs, spying on his mother. Lucy has her back facing Mike.
Lucy: (on her phone) But I don't understand, why did our moving van go to California? (walks away from the table revealing her purse)
Mike quietly enters the dining room and looks at his mom then at the the purse.
Lucy: (cont'd) Multiple customers?
Mike slowly opens the purse and pulls out his mom's wallet.
Lucy: (off-screen) Well we were promised delivery on the fifth. Uh-huh.
Mike then pulls out his mom's credit card and pauses. Is he really doing this? Lucy then turns around. Mike panics. Lucy looks up, the room is empty.
Lucy: (still on her phone) Excuse me, isn't there any way that you can rush it?
Mike quietly goes back upstairs as he slips away with the credit card.
In the Mind World, the Train of Thought continues on its journey when-
SFX: CRASH!
Because of Mike's actions, Honesty Island collapses. The group hears the noise and look out the door.
Joy: (gasps and runs to the door) Honesty Island?!
Joy looks down and sees the island crash right into the train track supports over the Memory Dump. The group screams in fear and alarm as the train begins to fall. Mind Workers that heard the noise, come out and see the train fall.
Mind Worker #1: Look out!
As the train continues to fall, no one sees a paper bag go flying out the door. The train CRASHES onto the cliffside.
Engineer: (to his partner as they bail out) Come on!
The train begins to tilt towards the edge of the cliff. Everyone on board tries to climb towards the door, but the floor starts to pitch.
Beaker: (to everyone) Hold on!
The Mind Workers quickly run over and pull everyone out of the boxcar just as the train completely slides off the side of the cliff and fall into the Memory Dump.
Goofy: (watches the train fall) Talk about a train wreck.
Laughter: (nods) You got that right.
Shy: Is everyone alright?
Interest: I'm okay!
Laughter: Yes. I'm okay too!
Surprise: Me too!
Goofy: Me three!
Sadness: I'm alright too.
Beaker: I'm okay.
Excitement: Just Peachy.
Anticipation: Same here.
Smartness: (gets up) Man, that was an unfortunate experience.
Shame: (off-screen) AHHHHHH! MY BAG! WHERE'S MY BAG?!
Everyone turns around and sees Shame, with his back facing them, as he feels his head. The whole gang is stunned, they finally see Shame without his paper bag mask. Sadness gingerly approaches him.
Sadness: (concerned) Shame?
Shame: (covers his face) STAY AWAY! DON'T LOOK AT ME! I'M UGLY! I'M REALLY, REALLY UGLY!
Goofy: Come on, pal, it can't be that bad.
Excitement: Yeah.
Shame says nothing before he slowly turns around. He faces the other emotions and pulls away his hands from his face to reveal-THREE eyes. Sadness then covers her mouth as she gasps in surprise. Joy's jaw promptly drops open.
Surprise: Holy mother of pearl!
Laughter, though shocked, holds back a snicker.
Smartness: That is scientifically impossible.
Excitement: OH! (faints and falls into Antcipation's arms)
Shame looks at the other's responses and his eyes fall on Sadness, he suddenly bursts into tears and hides his face.
Shame: (in tears, trying to keep his face hidden) Please, just get away from me! I'm ugly! I look horrible!
Sadness: You're not ugly, and you don't look horrible. I think your third eye is cute.
Shame: No it's not! It's unnatural! It's inhumane!
Sadness: Shame, listen, I didn't know that you had three eyes. You could've at least told us about it. I would listen to you. And I would believe you.
Shame uncovers his face before looking at Sadness.
Shame: (sniffles) Sadness..., I'm so sorry. I really am! (begins to tear up again) I..I didn't mean to do such a thing to you, like, hiding my face from you all these years, I just...I just thought that you wouldn't accept the real me! That's why I always hide it! Please...please forgive me..., please?
Sadness: (hugs him in empathy) It's okay, Shame. I forgive you.
Shame: (returns the hug)
Shy and Laughter: Awww.
Joy: I hate to break up the sweet moment but…(looks at Headquarters) that was our way home! We lost another island. What is happening?!
Mind Worker #2: (answering Joy) Haven't you heard? Mike's running away.
Joy: (looks at Headquarters in shock) What?!
Goofy: Oh my god!
Excitement and Shy: What?!
Sadness and Shame: (gasp)
Surprise: Jimmoney….
Interest: (stunned) I - I can't believe this!
Smartness: Who would be dumb enough to suggest that?!
Laughter: Not good.
Anticipation: (sits on the ground)
Mike, in his school uniform, was already packing some clothes into his backpack when his angry expression changes to worry.
Worry: (off-screen) Wait, wait, hang on guys. (shown) Are we really doing this?
Fear: (takes control) Yeah, I mean, this is serious.
Anger: (pushes Fear and Worry aside) Look you two, we have no core memories. (regains control of the console)
Mike's expression returns to angry as he puts on his backpack.
Anger: ((off-screen) con't) You want Mike to be happy? Let's get back to Minnesota and make more.
Outside of Headquarters….
Sadness: Joy, if we hurry we can still stop him. (points to the right)
Joy: (looks at Family Island) Family Island, let's go! (runs to the island)
The others quickly follow, Shame puts up his hood and tightens it to hide his third eye as he runs, hoping to get on the island.
Mike begins to walk down the stairs, getting ready to run away.
SFX: RUMBLE!
Sadness and Shame look and see Family Island shake violently. They gasp in fear.
Sadness: Joy! Joy! (stop him from walking onto the island) It's too dangerous!
Shame: We won't make it in time!
SFX: RUMBLE!
The emotions look at the island as it shakes again and as it begins to crack.
Joy: But that's our only way back!
A rumble from the island cause the group to fall onto the ground and watch as the rumbling cause an END CAP of shelving from Long Term Memory to break and reveal an opened tube. A memory goes up the tube and heads to Headquarters.
Excitement: A recall tube!
The tube suddenly pops open from debris.
Smartness: (getting the idea) We can get recalled!
Joy: Come on!
The group runs for the open tube. Meanwhile, Mike gets ready to walk out the door. His parents are in the kitchen, putting away supplies into the cabinets.
Lucy: Have a great day, kiddo!
Richard: See you after school, piggy! (makes pig noises)
Lucy: We love you!
Mike doesn't say anything, he opens the door and walks out. In the Mind World, the rumbling from Family Island got worse as the emotions quickly run to the tube. A large chunk of cliff and shelving falling causes them to run faster.
Surprise: Faster!
Joy: (frantic) Go! Run! Run!
Joy quickly jumps into the disconnect tube, Sadness tries to get in as well but Joy notices, since the satchel is open, that because of Sadness trying to get in the memories begin to turn blue.
Joy: Whoa! Whoa! Sadness! (pushes her away from the tube) Sadness, stop! (pulls out the core memory as the blue fades away) You're hurting Mike!
Sadness: Oh no, I did it again!
Shame: Aw, come on Joy!
Shy: You gotta let us go in! We all could fall into the Memory Dump if we all don't go in time!
Joy: I can't! If she gets in here, these core memories will get sad!
Smartness: Who cares if they get sad!?
Excitement: We could always make new core memories! Even if they are different from these ones!
Shame: And Sadness was never as bad as you think! What's more important to you? The memories, or our lives?
Laughter: Please, Uncle Joy? Please?
Shy: (looks at her brother, hoping to let them inside)
SFX: RUMBLE!
Joy quickly looks at Family Island and see pieces of it fall into the dump. He then makes a pained decision.
Joy: (to everyone) I'm sorry guys! (puts away the core memory) Mike needs to be happy! (gets ready to close the tube)
Sadness: (stunned) Joy?
The others gasp as Joy closes the tube and rockets to Headquarters. Joy looks at his friends, guilt ridden, but looks at Headquarters. The ground shakes again and destroys the tube that Joy was in, he starts to fall.
Joy: (falling) AHHHHHHHHHHH!
Joy falls out of the tube and begins to fall towards the ground.
Beaker: (tries to rescue Joy) Joy!
The ground suddenly breaks underneath his feet causing him, Anticipation, and Surprise to fall.
Laughter: GUYS! (quickly grabs Surprise and Anticipation in time)
The emotions gasp in fear as Joy then falls into the Memory Dump along with Beaker.
Sadness: (heads towards the edge but Shame holds her back) Joy!
At that very moment, Mike continues to walk down the street and into the fog.
Author's Note:
Me: (imitating Jack Torrance):"Here's BrickFan!"
Yes, I'm still here and I've finally found the motivation to post again. Sorry about the long wait and I plan posting the rest tonight.
And-even though its early-Happy Halloween!