Life in Monstropolis was happy as ever. The energy crisis had been avoided because of the new means to produce electricity. Back in Monsters Incorporated, no one claimed or whined about the work any longer, because it was relaxing and amusing at the same time. Although, it was rumoured that it caused workaholism to some monster beings.
Next day would be a holiday. Of course, bogeys needed free time too, like human beings. They had their families, kids, friends and other things they wanted to share their time with. Towards the end of the day, Mike Wazowski had not been an active member of the work ground, any more, but kept hanging at the reception, babbling to his girlfriend. He had remarkable plans concerning the weekend.
"Well, li'l Shmoopsiepoo, howdabout a pique-nique, tomorrow…? Huh?" the green eyeball ogled Celia.
She leaned over the counter, as sugary expression on her face, and did not even notice the phone that had been ringing maybe 5 minutes in row, already. "A pique-nique? Ooh! Did you invent that just for me…?"
"What would you say going to the… Kraken Pond? There's the nice tiny wee puny boscage where that white-red-checkered linen can be put onto the soft grass and eat some clod-cookies and hear the krakens holler sweetly when they dive up from the pond… huh, Smoochie?"
"Oh, Googly Bear… that would be wonderful…" Celia purred and batted her eye.
Mike reached out himself over the counter to give his Honey a kiss.
But a nauseous voice interrupted his love affair: "Is your paper work done? I'm expecting the monthly roar-laugh report from you in two hours."
Wazowski almost jumped in the air for startle. Roz stood rigid right behind him, with her usual austere face.
"Oh, oh, right, working with it, I was just going to get the papers, just a blink, getting it…" he got into a real panic. Of course, knowing his lazy nature, he had not written half a letter of the report. "I'll be riiii-ight back, wait for me, Smoochie, I'm driving you home tonight!" he gave the last yell to Celia and bolted towards his office. Wazowski was now in a position that almost equalled the post of a vice president. Therefore, he should do his job.
"And, would you kindly answer the call? The phone has been ringing almost ten minutes. It can be important." Roz pointed out to the receptionist, who still seemed to be somewhere beyond infinity, in her daydreams. Wincing she gripped the receiver and shook the castles in Spain away.
And Mike… he would blink a note to one of his hard-working employees and get the frustrating paper work done that way.
-------Human World, next day---------
The streets of the city started to quiet down, gradually. The stores closed their doors and a lonely Pizza Planet deliveryman whizzed with his chipped car towards the downtown. The whole Tri-County area prepared to the beginning dreams of the night. The air was warm and full of freshness after the rain of yesterday. No wind brushed the trees, no clouds wandered over the ground. Only the pale sickle of the raising moon animated the sky.
One family among the others, living in the suburbs, similarly got ready for the resting hours. A cosy single-family house was lit calmly, the atmosphere filled with sleepy yawns of a little girl and her brother. The mother of the family was on the moment in the girl's room, tugging the tiny cutie with golden locks, under her blankets.
"But Mom… I still want to play…" the drowsy voice of the toddler reached the mother.
She patted the head of her daughter, kissing her cheek. "Not now, Molly. Your big brother may still stay awake because he has homework to do for the school. But you have sweet dreams, now. It'll be an exciting day tomorrow at the kindergarten."
"Okay, mum. I see a nice dream about a big, friendly teddy bear that comes from the closet to make circus tricks!" the girl tittered with bright eyes when her parent switched off the lights. Her mother smiled lightly after getting to the downstairs. "Kids…"
Nevertheless, in the bushes, outside the house, two gleaming eyes stared at the windows that were getting dark one by one.
"This is it. If I have travelled here to the suburbs in vain… no, I will not give up. This house seems promising… I just have to get in and wait…" Then, a shadow swarmed away from the shelter of the leaves, heading to the front yard.
"Davis…" the shadowy figure read the text of the mailbox. "Whatever. The only thing this family exists here for, is that they will help me get back to where I belong to!"
Suddenly a low snarl approached the ears of the lurker. It winced after seeing a dog in the side yard, jerking the rope with which it was attached to the dog house.
"Stupid animal… now it's waking up the whole neighbourhood!" the figure cursed and hopped behind the plant that was right beside the front door. Soon the door clacked open as a woman emerged to see what the problem was. The barks and snarls of the family dog had been that loud that she had understood it better to come out and see, what was wrong.
"Bah… the dog has seen a cat, again. Or some rodents scurry across the yard… mickey mice…" the lady talked to herself after checking out the situation. Shaking her head tiredly, she slammed the door shut after her, then heading to her bedroom, which was situated straight to the right.
What Mrs. Davis did not notice, was, that in her household was an unwanted guest. Beside the door, behind a large yucca palm, lied low the bogy that had wanted so badly to get in. Randall Boggs, who else. Rubbing his hands together rather gratified, the visitor began to study the new environment.
"Now… all I need is to find the room of some brat and try to wait quiet. Sooner or later, hopingly this night, someone of those idiots of Monsters Incorporated opens the portal… and badda bing, bingo!"
Randall sniffed the rooms of the downstairs, then comprehended that the possible children would have their places upper there. A quick spurt along the stairs… and the light work was granted. Two doors to two children's rooms. The chameleon opened slightly the first one that leaded to the chamber of the big brother. But that was a disappointment to him.
"No closet! Not a dratted closet! What kind of a million times dratted room is that where is no closet? Double drats!"
Therefore, there was then left the possibility to try the other one. His eyes, used to the dark, comprehended soon that this was a direct hit.
"Ha! A girl's room… and there is the doorway, as where it always should be!" he sniggered and with a rapid movement, slinked under her bed. There… no hinder seemed to wait for him, maybe he would make his success this time.
----------
Back in Monster's Incorporated, the laugh floor was silent. The holiday had quieted down the work ground, all the employers happily spending their time with their families or friends. But the energy factory was not completely empty. James P. Sullivan, the chairman, hadn't left his place. The whole morning he had done overwork, calculations and statistics about the energy produce of the current year. The net was incredibly promising. Therefore, there might be a way to promise salary increases to the diligent workers.
It should have been the time to go home, for Sulley, too. But now he clumped along the laugh floor, leering complacent at the places. It was silent like in a graveyard, but this factory was like a home to him, the taciturn mood of the rooms only making him happier. Everything was in order, handled in merry ways. The sick days and delays were rare things here; unlike they had been under the scream energy period. Some more fearful workers had hid in the nooks, faked being fatally ill and got the rest of the day free. But now… no need for fear, no need for scares.
"Good work, good work…" was the proud thought of Sulley. He truly reflected the whole function of the factory with sheer pride.
As he watched there the empty corners, the door scaffolds and the sun that cast its last beams through the windows, an idea popped into his mind. What if he would do some extra job, just go to laugh a couple of kids and then get back to his apartment? He just loved that, seeing the charming smiles of the tots he would meet. Boo would be one of his visits, then maybe that irresistible golden-haired girl he had met yesterday, making her nearly cry for joy with that hula dance.
"Why not?" he hummed and pressed a button on the wall. Soon a door whizzed along the rail in the highnesses, then letting it land to its stand. Sulley adjusted some energy bottles beside it, then went to get his laugh equipment. What would he do this time? Dress himself up to an oversized chicken and run around the room, pretending that he would have a moulting? A funny idea. Why not to put a fish bowl over his head, too? Chuckling he dressed up to his costume and opened the portal.
But… something strange was there, this nasty voice in his mind that kept claiming that he should just go home and leave the whole work. The distant thundercloud that had been upon his head, yesterday, had returned. Nevertheless, he ignored it, just thinking the happy faces of the kids.
Randall had lied a few hours under the bed of Molly Davis. In his dog-sleep, he heard the closet door keep a tiny creak and instantly was in the state of awareness. A disgusting smile took the corners of his mouth up.
"Now it's my time."
…more to come… Comments? Flame as much as you want.