The two ravenous Toons devoured their meals. Scoffing down eggs, toast, and anything else put in front of them, Mike crossed his arms as he waited for the pair to finish. The Banana had brought them three full plates before they were content. "You boys look like ya just got out of a twenty year stay in the pokey. No need to eat so fast. We're in no hurry."
Quentin looked up with a blood lust in his eyes as he shoved his fourth cup of fruit into his mouth. "Easy for you to say. You haven't seen what we've seen."
"Alright, come on Quentin. He's here to help us. He bought us breakfast. The least you can do is be a bit thankful." Chip patted his mouth expertly with his napkin before erupting an enormous belch. "Thank you very much Mike."
"Ya, ain't nothin'. You two done?" The purple rabbit seemed eager to get rolling. The pair nodded and grabbed their stomachs. Maybe they had overdone it a smidge. "Alright then. Hey sweetheart, mind bringin' me the check for these starvin' Toons?"
The Banana walked over and placed her hands on her hips. "Mike, ain't I tell ya. Family don't owe me anythin'. These boys look like they've been through Hell, I think they could use a good meal." The yellow deer winked at the pair. "So what's up next fer you three?"
Before Quentin or Chip could respond, Mike chided in. "Ah well turns out these lucky fellas are goin' my way. Figured they could hitch a ride with me."
"Yeah, we're just heading along with him." Chip added.
"Well, you boys be careful now. Mike here is real bad with his puns. Gonna have you moanin' and groanin' up a storm!" The Banana expertly stacked all of the plates and smiled at the three. "You gonna be back soon, Mike? I don't want The Apple to get back and not have you here. She said she'd be back tomorrow and heck if I'm lettin' you skip her birthday!"
The senior Toon reached out and grabbed The Banana's hand. Smiling softly, he nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for the world dear." Scooching out of his seat, he stood up and waved to the pair of Toontowners. "Alright fellas. Figure we best get a let out. We got a long trip ahead of us. Give ol' Danny back there my regards." Mike pointed to the kitchen.
"You know it Mike! Nice meeting you two!" the young waitress waved as the three exited the restaurant and onto the sidewalk outside.
Turning to face the pair, Mike sized them up. "Covered in blood. Figure should be gettin' you guys some new clothes. I got some stuff that might fit at my place. Let's go fer a walk."
Chip stopped. "Wait, I thought you were going to tell us what was going on with those pumpkins."
"What, can Toons where yer from not walk and talk at the same time?" Mike joked.
"Told you!" chuckling, Quentin was proud of himself.
The brown monkey started walking to catch up with the other two. "Well I guess. But do you think we're safe out here? Did you not listen to anything that we told you? We should be armed!"
"Do you guys wanna know or not? Ain't gotta worry about those pumpkin heads here. At least not for a few more days." Mike checked his watch and grunted. "carryin' around a dang fire stick? You're gonna draw all sorts of attention to yerselves. Lucky ain't nobody awake this early to see you. Would have the cops all over you. Now just stick with me and we're gonna get you a nice set of clothes, and I'll tell you what's goin' on."
"Hey, Mike. You have a visitor. Do you want me to tell him you're busy?" The senior mayor of Funny Farms kicked his feet up on his desk and pushed the button on his phone.
"Go ahead and send them in Ginger. I ain't doing much." Adjusting his cowboy hat, the purple rabbit chuckled to himself as a well dressed, lime green duck walked into the room. Bore in an orange suit jacket, dark green button up shirt, and a royal purple cravat. The Toon certainly wasn't from Funny Farms. "Afternoon, mister. What can I do fer ya?'
The green duck took a seat and placed his hands cleanly on his lap. "Good afternoon sir. My name is Jack O'Lantern, but my friends just call me Jack. I am a wandering traveler and I was just stopping in because I was coming through and noticed what a quaint town you all have here. I figured it wouldn't be very toony if I didn't come and give my impressions."
"Thank ya. This is the friendliest town a Toon could find. Always pleased to have a guest, we don't get a whole lot out here. Now, I ain't no old fool. Go ahead and just spit it out, what ya sellin'?" Mike had seen his fair share of contoons, and they always had the same shtick.
"Selling? Oh my dear, that is a very reductive way to look at what I am here for. In fact, I am not here to sell, I am here to OFFER." The duck stood up and adjusted his neck scarf as he made a wicked smile to the purple rabbit.
Mike rolled his eyes. "Just get it out, boy. I ain't got all day, here."
"Very well. I am here to offer you all eternal salvation. That is right, immortality! After witnessing the generosity of your Toons here, I was so overtaken that it would be a crime for me to not let you in on everything. Imagine, never having to fear death. Truly a miracle. Now, I understand you are the mayor of this brilliant town, so I come to you knowing you want what is best for the citizens here. Would you say that is true?" Jack spoke elegantly, using fluid hand motions and fluttering back and forth across the room.
Standing up, Mike laughed. "Immortality, eh? Now that's a new one. Let me guess, it will just cost us a small sum of jellybeans, right? Yer just like every other snake oil salesman that rolls into town. Now, I will respectfully ask you to be takin' yer leave. Yer free to stay as long as you want, but I don't want to see you trying to sell anyone on that mumbo jumbo. Toons here are simple folk, and we don't need someone ruinin' that. You understand me, boy?"
"Ah, but it isn't mumbo jumbo my good sir. It is His word that all who follow him will be brought to the promised land. The great patch in the sky. All those who reject him will be met with an eternity of damnation. Please consider what you would be doing to all those who rely on you. You could be saving souls. I ask for nothing in return but for you all to join me in salvation. No jellybeans required!" Pulling out a flier, Jack walked over and placed it down on Mike's desk. "I hope you make the right decision, Mr. Mayor. It would truly be a shame for you all to miss out on eternal life." Without another word, Jack bowed and took his leave, gently closing the door behind him.
"The next couple of weeks that damn duck would show up randomly. In the Town Square is usually where he liked to camp out. Pullin' out all these magic tricks to try and turn Toons to him. At first it wasn't really workin'. A few joined him and tried to convert the rest, but nobody twas really goin' for it. Like I said, Toons around here are simple folk and don't care for some big city slicker tellin' them about eternal salvation." Mike sat down on a bench to gather his breath. "Well one day he decided to show up in Town Square with about six of his followers. That's when things really started goin' downhill.
"Everybody! It is not too late to give your soul to Him! To find inner peace and eternal life! Release your ego and come unto me! I will show you the true power He possess!" Jack stood on top of a crate, flanked by six Toons in orange robes and staffs with small pumpkin ornaments on them. A small crowd had begun to gather but quickly dissipated as the duck's routine had wore thin on the small town. "You there!" The lime green duck pointed to a middle-aged horse holding a baby Toon. "Have you recently lost somebody close to you?"
"Uh, why yes. Yes, my dear husband Morty passed away after an accident a few months ago!" A pair of Toons comforted the horse who became emotional as she spoke of her late spouse.
Jack grinned and stepped off of his platform, walking and patting the single mother. "Hush, hush my dear. Now, wouldn't you like to see him again? I'm sure this little one would love to see their father as well, yes?"
Wiping away a tear, the horse nodded. "Yes sir. I'd give anything to see him again!"
Before the duck could continue, Mike pushed through the crowd and pushed Jack away from the horse. "Mr. O'Lantern. I've been real patient with you as you have come into my town and harassed these Toons. Really now, givin' false hope to Mrs. Johannes. It's sickening. Why don't you go find another town to pull apart." Whispers broke out from among the crowd as the purple rabbit stared down his adversary.
"Mike, Mike, Mike. I'm doing no such thing. I am merely providing hope! An opportunity for this beautiful young thing to be with her true love. You aren't against true love, are you?" Winking, Jack heard the energy in the crowd start to shift towards him. "Now, I'm not asking for anything. Well, that is, except for some details. Mrs. Johannes, please tell me more about your husband. I'd love to see the Toon that could catch your eye."
"Well, he was the sweetest thing anyone could ever ask for. Never would expect it. He was a mass of a Toon. Biggest horse I'd ever seen, with a heart to match." the young horse spoke quietly, rebelling against the well-regarded mayor.
Jack knelt and looked up into the Toon's eyes. "Could you tell me a bit more about him. What color was he? Anything else that might stand out?"
"He did have a heart shaped birthmark right above his eye. Ain't that just the cutest thing." The horse chuckled as he reminisced.
"My dear, how would you like to see him tomorrow." The green duck walked over and grabbed a staff from one of his assistants, before returning and holding it out to the desperate housewife.
Outraged, Mike reached out and grabbed Jack's arm. "Don't you have the slightest bit of shame. Going after a widow now Jack? I should have you arrested! If you're not out of town by this time tomorrow, I promise you'll be locked up before you know what happened."
"Very well, Mr. Mayor. This is your town after all." Giving possession of the staff to Mrs. Johannes the green duck smiled even wider. "Mrs. Please take this and I want you to visualize Morty in your mind tonight before bed. Keep the staff in your bed. Then tomorrow morning at nine sharp, I want you to return here and I promise you that you will see the love of your life once more." Without another word, Jack ripped his arm away, and returned to his group. "Come on everybody. It appears that we are not welcome here." The group's robes fluttered behind them as they took their leave, a wave of Toons behind them who stood in awe.
"I'm sorry 'bout that, Mrs. Johannes. Just go ahead and ignore that kook. Real shame that somebody would take advantage of ya like that." Mike whispered.
"Well, Mrs. Johannes did show up that next morning with that damn staff..." Mike looked visibly horrified, shaking his head. "Well when she showed up there was one other Toon. Big old red horse. It was Morty. He looked like nothing had ever happened to him. Guess you two wouldn't know, but Morty had been workin' on a building project and well... I ain't gonna tell you too much. But he was in a bad accident, broke his neck and died instantly. Was a terrible tragedy. Well I was on my mornin' walk and sure as the sun rises each mornin' there he was. Didn't take long before rumor started spreadin' through town about the miracle."
Quentin and Chip stared at each other. "Wait, he brought him back to life?" The black cat inquired. "How is that even possible?"
"Just hold yer horses. We're gettin' there. Anyways more and more Toons started to follow this guy. Showin' up all sorts of places to spread the word. Hundreds of them. Well one day he comes back to my office and tells me that I need to give up my position as mayor and give him control of the town. I laughed in his face, and had him arrested immediately. This caused a bit of a rile up among his followers but nothin' really happened. After a while we let him out and kicked him out of town. Let's just say he didn't take things that well."
Mike stood in front of the mostly empty cell. In a bed, Jack laid back and whispered to himself. Peering up, he smiled and clasped his hands. "Ah, Mayor Mike. If it isn't my favorite Toon in the whole town. Have you considered my proposal any further?"
"Listen to me, duck. I don't want you here. Most Toons don't want you here. Yer a stain on Funny Farms even from yer cell. Now I'm going against my best judgement here and will let you out. With one exception. You never come back to this town. Don't wanna see as much as a hair from yer scrawny neck within fifty or so miles. If there's even a breath of knowledge that you returned? Well, let's just say that I'm not goin' so easy on you. Do you understand me, O'Lantern?"
Standing up aggressively, Jack strolled over to the bars and slammed his hands on the cylindrical metal. "You listen to me, Mike. I have come here and done nothing but bring hope and salvation to many. Continuously you fight back against Him, and now you threaten me? Well let me tell you something. You will learn to regret the day you ever crossed me. Fortunately for you backwater boonies, He is much more forgiving than myself and will spare the remaining Toons here. They will continue to be given an opportunity to join me. Yourself though? Let's just say I hope tomorrow is the greatest day you have ever had." Stepping backwards, Jack pulled out some powder from his pocket and flushed the air, creating a white smog. Once the dust had settled, the cell was empty and Mike was alone.
"What in tarnation!" Mike stomped his foot and growled. "Err, that damn duck. Well whatever, ain't no use crying over it. Gettin' rid of you will be sure tomorrow is the best day I ever had, you young punk."
"Goodness. Who was this Jack, guy? Bringing Toons to life? Disappearing? I'm guessing he is responsible for those pumpkin heads. I don't really understand what he was doing or why?" whispering, Chip scratched his head.
"Well, clearly the guy is insane. Talking about eternal salvation and immortality? Like such a thing is possible. Just a cult. I actually wrote a short film about a cult in school." Pulling off his glasses, Quentin rubbed his eyes. "Why are we still sitting here? I thought we were supposed to be going to your house or something to avoid being out here."
Mike didn't respond, instead focusing on a small shop across the street. Lifting his arm, he pointed to the front door. "In about thirty seconds, an orange crocodile is gonna walk outta' there. He's gonna lean over to grab his newspaper and his glasses are gonna fall off. After he picks them up he's gonna wave at us. Wave back and don't say anything. Then he'll walk back inside and we can be on our way."
"What are you talking about? That's ridiculous. Come on we need to ke-" Quentin was interrupted as he watched the front door of the shop open. Sure enough an older orange crocodile stepped out and bent over to grab the newspaper that was laid at his doorstep. Eyeglasses falling to the ground, the Toon let out a loud curse before reaching and grabbing them. Unfolding himself, and placing his eyewear back on his face, the crocodile looked over at the trio and smiled. The trio all waved in unison at the older crocodile who nodded and stepped back inside of the store. Unsettled, both Chip and Quentin looked over at Mike who was checking his watch. "That was planned right? You're messing with us, aren't you!" Quentin whispered aggressively.
"I've never seen anything like that before... You just predicted exactly what he was going to do. How did you do that?" Unable to blink, the brown monkey was also unable to stand to join Mike who was waiting impatiently for the pair to follow suit.
The purple bunny cracked his neck and arched his back to stretch. "Well when you've seen in a thousand times, you start to memorize things. Remember how Jack told me that I better make sure that I had the greatest day of my life? Well he wasn't kidding. I've lived today for more than eight years. It's amazing I don't have this entire town memorized at this point.
"Eight years? Today? You're not making any sense, Mike. How did you know that crocodile was going to do that?" Chip had yanked out his notepad and began to continue taking notes.
With a desperate laugh, Mike started walking, quickly being followed by the duo of Toontown residents. "Well the next day, Jack stayed true to his word. Didn't show his face. Everything was pretty good, and the day went well. Wasn't til the next day when I really started to find out what was going on.
Stretching out in bed, Mike looked over to his alarm clock. There was still sixteen minutes until he was supposed to wake up for the day. Not enough time to go back to sleep. Kicking off his blankets, the purple rabbit stretched his extremities and pulled himself out of bed. Walking into the bathroom he began his normal morning routine by brushing his teeth, taking a shower, and waking himself up. As he exited the bathroom, the radio on his clock began to play as the clock hit seven. "Good morning, Funny Farms! I hope that you're all having a Toontastic morning on this beautiful Tuesday! Weather today is..." Mike scrunched his face. Today wasn't Tuesday. How did these announcers get such a simple thing wrong? He was going to have to drop by the radio station and correct them later. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he slipped on his socks and shoes and walked out of the room and into the kitchen. The rest of the morning went as normal. Heading out, he did what he did every Wednesday morning - head to Danny's. Danny's wasn't the best diner in Funny Farms, but it was his favorite regardless. As he approached the restaurant, the empty town caused him to shiver. It was unusual for things to be this slow on a Wednesday morning. Two days in a row where he had not seen a single Toon on his walk. Pulling open the door he stepped inside and was greeted by a yellow deer in a pink waitress uniform.
"Mike? What are you doin' here. Thought you only came in on Wednesdays!" The deer cheerfully walked over and hugged the purple bunny. "Must've come to yer senses and decided to come in more often! Come on, take a seat anywhere! Let me get ya some coffee!" For the second time somebody had gotten the date wrong.
"What do you mean? Today is Wednesday, silly. Don't tell me ya forgot yer own sister's birthday! Unless yer pullin' a prank on me." Chortling, Mike slipped into his favorite booth. He had eaten here so frequently, his spot had an indentation that matched his figure. "Pretty impressive, got the radio station in on it too, eh?"
The Banana paused in place and turned back with a white mug of steam. "Mike, are you doin' alright? The Apple's birthday is tomorrow. It's the nineteenth today. Today's Tuesday." Sliding the mug in front of her diner, she looked at him concerned. "Drink some coffee and this'll wake you up. Anyways, do you want the usual?"
"Hold on. Hold on. I'm pretty certain today is Wednesday. Yeah, yeah! I was off on the weekend, and then on Monday I went and talked to that kook Jack. Then yesterday must've been Tuesday. Aren't you normally off Mondays? Well if you worked yesterday, then couldn't be Tuesday could it?" Mike wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, The Banana or himself.
"Aw, Mike. You really should think about headin' home after this and gettin' a bit more sleep. I didn't work yesterday. Can even ask Danny." Turning towards the kitchen, the waiter cupped her hands and yelled out. "Hey Danny! Did I work yesterday?"
A grisled face popped out from the window and sneered. "Nah, Amanda and Michael worked yesterday. If you came in I ain't payin' ya for it." Pulling back in, the chef went back to work.
"See, yesterday was Monday. Did somethin' happen Mike? You've seemed real stressed lately. I'm sure the town will be okay if you took a day off." The yellow deer rubbed her friend's shoulder.
"Yeah, that duck has really done a number on me. Must've been so focused on kicking him out of town that I got my days confused. Anyways, I'll take the usual, please."
The Banana looked puzzled, but walked back to the kitchen. "Um...Sure thing, Mike. Be right back with a house special."
"Well the rest of my day went much of the same. Thought I was going crazy, but eventually got home and went to bed... Then I woke up the next day. Same thing happened. Woke up at the same time. Same message on the radio. Everything else was the same. Then it happened again, and again, and again. Every morning I woke up was Tuesday, July nineteenth. Honestly I was in denial for a while. Thought it was a dream. I mean how does someone keep living the same day?"
"How does someone bring back the dead? Sounds like we're dealing with a magic Toon here." Chip scribbled notes as he walked alongside the rabbit who told his story. Eventually they turned down a street into a small suburb full of homes. "This is a nice little area."
Mike shrugged. "I guess. You get used to it though. Anyways, I've been going through more or less the same routine every day for the last eight years. Nobody else seems to have any idea. On top of that, nobody seems to know who Jack O'Lantern is. Whenever I'd bring him up it seemed like everybody had their memories wiped. A whole bunch of Toons had just disappeared alongside him and nobody seemed to remember them either? Remember Mrs. Johannes? Well her and her family were among the first I noticed missing." The three Toons walked up to a small purple house and waited as Mike unlocked the door and led them inside.
"So, you're telling us that a magician appeared here, brainwashed a bunch of idiots to join his cult, stuck you in a time loop and erased everybody's memories? No offense, but it all seems a bit too ridiculous for even be to believe." Skeptical, Quentin sat down on a black leather couch and sprawled out, exhausted. "If that's all true, what's with the other town? You still haven't told us a damn thing about the pumpkin heads, or the dolls. You just keep yammering about this Jack guy."
"Ain't nobody taught you any manners, boy. Listen ta me. You want to know? Well I'm telling you. You don't believe me? Well let me tell you a bit more about that hotel you two just came from." Mike grabbed a large box and plopped it on the floor in front of the Toons. Chip hadn't even made it to the couch before dropping down and laying on his side. Mike lifted the top and tossed it aside. Inside was a large stack of newspapers. Sliding out a random copy, Mike flattened it on the floor and pointed to it. "Go ahead, read that."
Chip rolled over and eyed over the paper. "Disastrous Fire At The California; Twenty-Seven Dead... Wait, this is the newspaper that I found when I was in the hotel. Well, the non-burnt hotel." Chip sat up and reached into the box, pulling out paper after paper, his heart sank as he realized they were all the same paper, all with the same headline. Even though they were all the same, they're condition varied wildly. Some were older and faded yellow in color, whereas some looked as new as if they were just printed. "Why do you have so many copies of this?"
"Decided to start keeping them. Helps me keep track of how much time has passed." Mike rubbed the back of his head. "Now, let me tell you something. The California didn't burn down on Monday, July Eighteenth. At least not originally. Now let me start answerin' yer questions. I guess ol' Jack finally figured he had enough messing with me and came back. At that point had been what, maybe two months? He comes to me again and offers me a deal. He'll break the curse he placed on Funny Farms in return for my resignation and his immediate empowerment."
"Why does he care about being in power so much? No offense to you or your town, but this isn't exactly the first place I'm going as a powerful wizard to take over and convert to my cult" Quentin rolled around to try and get into a more comfortable position. "Seems pretty pointless, no? Also why not just turn everybody into pumpkins with his magic?"
Mike rubbed his chin. "Been tryin' to figure that out myself. I figured he wanted the power to add legitimacy to his self. Figure if the Toons saw him as mayor it might make it easier for him to convince them to join him. As fer the forced conversion? I couldn't say. My best guess is that maybe his magic isn't strong enough to overtake a Toon by itself. Probably needs them to give him that power willingly. I'm just a simple mayor tho, not some sort of wizard. Anyways, he told me that if I didn't give him an answer he'd start takin' one Toon per week and bringing them with him and that I'd never see them again. Well I wasn't about to let him get the better of me so again I refused. Well, he followed through. Like clockwork, once per week he'd come and his minions would gather up someone and take them with. I was never quick enough to stop them, and that was the few times I actually figured out who they'd be kidnappin'. Then one day he came for The Banana..."
Mike had triple checked his math. Today was seven days since Jack last appeared to nab somebody. Who was it going to be this time? How many Toons could go missing before somebody would finally start to question things? Funny Farms was down to just a few thousand Toons, with nearly half the population converted. The purple rabbit wasn't sure where Jack took the other Toons. Did they go to another town? Did they have a compound somewhere in the desert? After two miserable months, and a failure to stop Jack, Mike had stopped trying. Now all he could do was try and protect the only Toon in the world he had left. The Banana and her sister The Apple were his best friend's daughters. When their mother, his friend, Chocolate Covered Cherry had passed away years before, he had promised to always lookout for them. Mike was unable to stop The Apple from being taken. He had failed to realize she had willingly left with Jack among the other several hundred Toons. Probably under the promise of getting her mother back. Oh, to be young and naive. It was a blessing and a curse. Sitting in his favorite booth, Mike sipped on his morning coffee and chatted away with the waitress. "Hey sweetheart, do you have any plans for today?"
"Well after I get off I was thinking about running down to Marty's and getting myself some stuff. I'm gonna make muddy-buddies. Then I'm gonna just start hitting my backlog of books. I just picked up a copy of Frankentoon and I'm real excited to read it finally!" The Banana took a seat on one of the booths at the bar. Mike smiled sadly, she must have read that book fifty times by now. "What about you, Mike? Any big plans for today?"
"Nothin' really. Think I might just hang out here for a while if that's alright. Have myself a nice, easy day. Do some work. That'd be if that's alright with you guys?" Mike tried to be as nonchalant as he could, although he figured it wouldn't matter. If anything came to pass, they would know.
The hours passed and nothing happens. A few Toons would come in every once in a while, and then they would leave. Soon it neared the end of The Banana's shift and the diner was empty. As the yellow deer finished up, she looked over to Mike and chuckled. "You weren't kiddin' about a while. Been here six hours. Aren't ya needed at work?"
"They'll be okay I reckon. Anyways, since yer off I might join ya on yer trip to Marty's. The Apple's birthday is tomorrow and I was thinkin about makin' her a cake with all the works. Mind if I tag along?" Mike stood up and folded up the newspaper he had pretended to read for the last six hours.
"Sure! Lemme get my things and I'll be right out. Mind turning the sign to closed fer me?" The Banana walked into the back and out of sight. The purple rabbit stood up and walked to the front door. Breathing a sigh of relief. Usually Jack would come early, so it looked like he was safe. Or so he thought. As he approached the door, a Toon pushed through. A lime green duck with his fancy suit. It was Jack... The Banana walked back into the lobby and frowned. "Gosh, I'm sorry sir, we just closed. There's a real good place down the street that can serve ya if ya want though."
Mike stood defensively between Jack and The Banana. "Stay back sweetheart. He ain't here for lunch." The older rabbit knew he wasn't going to be able to put up much of a fight against this magical Toon.
"Oh, Mike. Still being selfish about this whole thing. The poor girl already lost her mom and sister. Now you want her to suffer even more? True shame, Mike. True. Shame. I think we all know how this ends, so why don't you just let her come with me."
"What's he talkin' about Mike. Why's he know 'bout mama? Or The Apple? She ain't hurt, she just left town for a few days!" The Banana stepped forward, ready to confront the duck, but was stopped when the mayor placed his arm out as a barrier.
Mike glared at his opponent. He knew if The Banana found out what happened she would likely go with him. She loved her family more than anything, and would be susceptible to such trickery. There was only one way he was going to be able to beat Jack, he was going to have to play Jack's game. "Stop!" Mike yelled. Whispering defeated, Mike lowered his head. "I give up... I will give you what you want. But you must leave her alone and let her leave this place..."
"I'm glad to hear that, Mike! I assure you that I am a Toon of my word. I will still allow her the choice to join us of her own accord just as I do with everybody else. I am no monster, just a messiah. Now, shall we do this?" Jack tugged on his cravat and grinned evilly. "How about you show me around my new office!"
"Wait. Please, let me have one more day. Just this last day. Then tomorrow you can have it all. Surely you can wait just a few more hours?" Mike pleaded.
Smugly, Jack leaned to look at The Banana who was staring at both in confusion. "That is fine. I will grace you one last day. I would think after two months you'd be tired of today, but you simple folk out here must be different. Alright. I will be at your office tomorrow morning at eight. Don't make me wait, or I will make sure you regret it." Jack turned and lifted his hand to wave goodbye, exiting the restaurant and walking down the street.
"You have him control of the entire town? Why didn't you just pop him in the face? Why not spend your day riling up the town to come to your defense and then when he comes for you, you guys take him out?" Quentin stated sarcastically. "Great mayor you are."
Mike glared at Quentin and waved him off. "Would it kill ya to stop interruptin' me? There ain't no way in heck I was givin' up without a fight. Nah, I followed that smug duck. Turns out he wasn't as far as I thought. Right after he left, I ducked out and began to tail him. Few blocks and he's walkin' into The California. Wasn't sure if he was throwin' me off, or maybe going to take somebody else. Anyway I get there and the craziest thing happens. He opens a door in the lobby. A door I ain't ever seen before and walks inside. Nobody seems to notice. Claws doesn't even give a glance his way. Its like he's invisible. Anyways I head inside and go to the door. I open it and there's a tunnel. I ask Claws about it and he looks at me like I'm crazy. I figured this was some kind of portal or somethin'. Well I started thinkin' and realized that if nobody else saw it then nobody else would come through. I could set up a trap and catch him as he came back. Well I went to work... and then it all went downhill...
Mike returned to The California late in the night. Bringing a myriad of gadgets, he was happy to see that the lobby was completely empty. There was nobody on staff for a short period between ten and eleven at night which gave him an hour to set up everything. Working efficiently he set up a system that would be triggered by the door opening. This would not only drop a net onto whomever stepped out, but it also would set off an electronic trigger that would alert Mike that it had opened. He would sleep in a chair in the lobby, and had brought an assortment of weapons to use. It was a bulletproof plan. After a few hours of waiting, Mike gave in and decided to take a nap to refresh. As things had not reset once it hit midnight, he felt a sense of safety. The purple rabbit couldn't remember exactly what time he heard the screaming that woke him up. "Fire!" An orange cat began to panic as a large fire erupted from the wall where Mike had installed his device in the wall. Leaping up, the purple rabbit ran over and tried fighting it. Hitting it with a towel from a nearby cart, it was to little use.
"Don't you have a fire extinguisher?" Mike screamed at Claws who had begun to run up the stairs.
"Its underneath the desk! I need to go alert the guests!" The hotel was old and had not been fitted with any fire alerting technology. Before Mike could get behind the counter, the fire had spread and covered the entire back half of the lobby, torching everything in sight. Unable to reach the needed fire suppressor, the mayor began to panic. He began to ran towards the stairs but was cut off by the hot embers barking at him. There was only one safe path, out of the front.
Horrified, Mike barreled out of the front and ran down the street calling for help. "Somebody! Please call the fire department! Fire! Fire!" Toons rushed outside. Many crying and screaming as they watched guests in their rooms begin to wake up to the smell of smoke and the chaos. By then the fire had started to climb the stairs and was making its toll upon the second floor. The purple rabbit dropped to his knees as cries for help began to pour out from the hotel. The sound of a siren blared in the distance as windows opened and Toons begged for their lives. One, a mother with their daughter cried perilously before being engulfed. More and more Toons crowded around before the fire department finally arrived. Setting up as quickly as possible, the hoses began to spray the exterior of The California.
"We can't get in! Fire is too strong!" One Toon yelled to his comrades. "Hit the second floor, we need to keep it out so we can go through the top!" As he yelled that a chair came flying through a window on the second floor and dropped, crashing into the ground. A rope made of sheets and blankets was tossed out and Claws began to scurry out. "We have a Toon! All available hands on deck! Bring the trampoline!" Before they could, the orange cat slid down and dropped to the ground below. Crying in pain, he had obviously been hit by the fire, as his clothes were singed and his skin had partially melted. Some Toons vomited, more cried. Claws was quickly gathered and rushed to the nearest hospital. Over the next few minutes, the remainder watched in horror as nobody else escaped, and the final remnants of The California began to crumble. Soon the fire fighters had won, but not without a deadly cost. After it was safe, they had entered and investigated. Twenty-seven dead. Including one fiancee of Claws Henley, Maria.
"Good lord, Mike. That's terrible. Did they ever find out what caused the fire?" whispering sadly, Chip looked at the purple rabbit who was clearly restraining his emotions.
"They did. I guess when the wires in the walls were manipulated when I was setting up my trap, caused some kind of issue. So I ended up startin' the fire. Can't tell you how I felt after I found that out. That whole day as more details came out I just felt worse n' worse. Then on top of it Jack never showed up. Part of me wished he had perished in that fire, too. Anyways I figured that at least things would reset the next day, just like they usually do. Well they mostly did... with the exception of the hotel. I woke up the next morning and grabbed the paper and well... the rest is history. That newspaper is the first time that headline ever showed up. Somehow that sonnova bitch incorporated it into the day and forever scarred this town. Those twenty-seven Toons would never get another chance. After that Jack stayed away for a long time. No more conversions, Sometimes his cohorts would drop by, but they'd just watch me. Laughin'. I think they were tryin' to break me mentally. I wasn't gonna give in though. Not so long as The Banana was here. I had to protect her. Life went on."
Quentin sat up and leaned forward. "Didn't you ever try going through that door, see what was in there?"
"Of course I did. Many times. About a week or so afterwards I finally decided to try makin' my way through. Was the most horrifyin' experience of my life. Stench of death and blood everywhere. I made it to the other side and showed up in the desert. The whole town was gone. Like it had been transported somewhere else. I knew I wasn't gettin' through the desert so I turned back. Every once in awhile I would go back just to be sure, and it led me to the same place."
"That makes no sense though. We went through a tunnel in the hotel and came through that door. How did that happen?" Chip was nearly running out of room in his notepad to write and started to keep notes on his hands.
Mike stuck a log into his fireplace and started a small fire. "Funny you say that. It all started when Claws got out of the hospital. I went to visit him at home. I had found out his fiancee had been workin' at the hotel at nights so they could see each other more. Wanted to give my condolences. Wanted to tell somebody what had really happened to get this massive guilt off of me. Well, when I got there...
Mike stood outside of Claws' house. He had been there for a few minutes, unable to bring himself to knock. How were you supposed to have this conversation? That you were responsible for the death of someone? Well it was mostly Jack's fault, but the point remained. Inhaling, the purple rabbit knocked and waited for the door to open. After a second, the sound of locks releasing and the door opened. However in front of Mike was not Claws, but the familiar lime green duck that had brought this Hell upon Funny Farms. "Mikey! Isn't it a delight to see you. We were actually just talking about you. Come in, come in!" Jack stepped out of the way and ushered in the tortured soul. Claws was sitting in an armchair and looked up sadly.
"Claws... whatever he told you isn't true." Mike whispered.
The orange cat shook his head. "You knew that Jack could bring her back, and you said no? Why Mike? Why would you do this to me? What about all the other families that were lost. Why Mike? You're the mayor. You're supposed to be looking out for us!"
"It isn't that simple, Claws! He's manipulating you. He's using your pain to give you false hope. You cannot give in to him. He only wishes to cause you further pain!" Jack had crossed his arms and shook his head mockingly.
"Mr. Mayor, you never seem to learn do you. This poor soul is aching, he longs for it to be gone. Yet you deny him. You deny this entire town what they truly want. I have respected your decision, and have taken things into my own hands. Now, Mr. Henley. Have you made a decision" Both Jack and Mike watched patiently as Claws placed his head in his hands. "It is a fresh start. Your old job, your old fiancee. Everything will be back to normal. Wouldn't that be glorious?"
Struggling, Claws stood up and looked Mike in the eyes. "Mayor Mike, I loved Maria. More than anything. I want to see her again. I'm really sorry, but I am going with him. I hope that you will come with. Come find salvation with us! It isn't too late! Jack says He will forgive us all!
"I guess that is that! Well shall we go, Claws? Mike, feel free to come with too. I think you're going to be pleased."
"What happened next?" Quentin and Chip listened like children, laying on the floor by the fire and watching in awe as Mike detailed his story.
"Well, I went with. I didn't know what else to do. I followed him back to The California. The same place I had gone dozens of times, through the same door I had been through. We walked through that disgusting tunnel. I fully expected him to kill me out there in the desert, but at that point, I was ready for anything. As we get through the door to the other side we are not in the desert. Nope, we're in The California. Everything looks the same as it did, just a lot older. Like somebody took the original and left it alone for many years. Jack led us outside and it was home. It was Funny Farms. I saw Toons I hadn't seen in months. Some I thought I'd never see again, but many looked different. Some had pumpkins where their heads should be. First time I saw that I nearly had a heart attack. Jack told me that he had recreated the town for those who had followed him. That they would be given true eternity there."
Chip felt a tear roll down his face at the tragedy. "So that's why Funny Farms just showed up one day. It was there, but it also wasn't. But everyone was there! I'm so confused!"
"Yer tellin' me. I strolled the town a bit and sure enough it all looked right. Although it was missin' some of the charm. Well Jack tells me since I wouldn't give the town to him, he'd just make his own. Every little detail was accounted for. I went to Danny's and I ran into The Apple. She was waitressin' just like she did here. Didn't even recognize me though. She was aggressive and angry. Everywhere I went I was met with hostility. As I ran away, I ran into Jack near the tunnel and begged him to let them go. He told me that I had brought damnation onto myself and my town and that his God was not willing to forgive me. He said that Funny Farms would be granted eternal salvation, but we would never be able to move on. It was a sick joke. Frozen in time basically, forced to live the same day over and over. That is unless one was willing to give themselves to Jack and turn into one of those creatures. I returned back home and considered what to do. I decided not to fight back. That duck would return every week and keep taking Toons, with the exception of The Banana. Went on for years. Soon we were down to just a few hundred. Still, nobody seemed to notice. I would go over to that Fake Farms just to see my old friends from afar. I know they wouldn't acknowledge me. One day I go over there and I hear there are some Toons from Toontown. They were filming a movie. Well at that point I knew I needed to get help."
"Wait, that's me! Why didn't you ever come talk to me?" Quentin asked frustrated. "We could have avoided all of this and I could have finished my movie! Talk about selfishness." Chip elbowed his teammate and hushed him.
Mike grabbed one of the newspapers and tossed it into the flames. "I tried. I ran into someone. I had to be careful because I didn't know who was already turned. I felt safe that they weren't converted yet. I begged them for help but they called me a crazy old fool. Well I knew I would need to bring back proof. I ran home and thought and thought. Then I remembered the newspaper, I knew if I showed someone they would have to believe me. I grabbed my newest copy and went running back. I get back to the hotel and I see Claws there. He tells me that the crew had never been there. I figured out that there were a few different Toons there. Ones who had been fully converted, and fully believed were turned into those pumpkins. Then there were those who believed, but would not fully give themselves. They would be taken somewhere and locked away. Copies of them were made, I think using those dolls. The same way that the dead were brought to life I reckon. Well they would take place of their counterparts and could be controlled. Then there were Toons who resisted. Those were likely ones who came from out of town and were captured, or those who never really believed. They were hunted down and turned into one of the others. I figured that whole film crew had been caught. That's what broke me. I had given up hope. Left my newspaper there and returned home. I planned for a few days and decided to just give up."
"Give up? What about The Banana? What about Funny Farms?" Chip blurted out.
"What 'bout it, huh? I failed this town. My last chance was ripped away from me. I figured I couldn't live like this anymore. You know how I mentioned to The Banana I was headin' out of town? Well that was just me givin' an excuse. I wanted to see her one last time. Then I was gonna head out into the desert, eat one last slice of that sweet apple pie, and then I'd just venture out until the desert took what was left of me. Then I'd finally be free."
Both Toons stared sadly. Even Quentin had been broken by the news Mike had planned to end his own life. "Why didn't you just go to Toontown like you said? You could have gotten help!"
"What were they gonna do fer me? Call me a crazy old fool? Even if someone believed me, it would likely just end up more of the same. I didn't want to bring that burden onto anybody else. Funny Farms was best stuck in a grave where'in we weren't hurtin' nobody else. Plus Jack has powers you wouldn't believe. He can manipulate time. I'm sure he'd just do somethin' to mess with me. What was the point. Well wouldn't you know I ran into you two and when I heard you discussin' things I knew that I had one more chance. Maybe somebody was lookin' out for me. I know that everything you just heard may seem preposterous, but please. I ask you, if not for me, than for your friends. Please help us. Please." Mike had fully burst into tears, on his knees and pleading with Chip. "Please. Please help us. I can't live like this anymore, but I don't wanna die. Please say you'll help us."
Chip stood up and helped Mike to his feet. "Of course we're going to, Mike. But from what you've told us, what can we do? We have a seemingly immortal, infallible Toon who is capable of bending time to his will. We'd be defeated in seconds."
"Yeah, didn't you just say you didn't want to drag us into this? Well now you're begging for us to walk into our own deaths." confronting the possibility of his own death, Quentin shivered. "What's your plan? What could you possibly want us to do?"
Mike tried to put on a serious face and nodded. "Don't worry fellas. I wouldn't ask you to do something if'n I thought it'd be it fer you. Now, I have a plan. This is what we need to do."