CHAPTER SEVEN
"We're almost there, guys," Iris informed her passengers. "We should see it right about.... now."
The white minivan gracefully turned a corner, in an affluent neighborhood, to face a large wrought iron gate set in a tall brick wall. The gables of the massive mansion within could be seen peeking over the wall with their red Spanish tile roofs piercing the afternoon sky.
"Whoa!" Mike exclaimed, "Your uncle lives here?"
"Yup. He's got over 10 million and spends his money like Scrooge at a Christmas party." Jade remarked sardonically.
The car pulled up to the enormous gate. Iris rolled down her window and pressed a button on the little thingy next to the gate.
"Who are you and what do you want?" an irritated voice shrouded by static came through the machine.
"It's me, Dan," Iris said into the intercom box. "I think you know why we're here." She smiled at the seriousness of the guard.
"Oh. We'll let you in right away, Mrs. Woodward," came the distorted reply. The gates swung open, allowing access up the winding drive to Gill's gargantuan abode.
The group pulled up to the front of the goliath white marble steps. A little man in a navy blue suit stepped out from behind the huge oak front doors and hopped down the shiny steps to the van. He opened the doors for the odd group with a flourish.
"Welcome," the little man said cheerfully.
"Hey, talk about getting the royal treatment!" Mike expressed, pleased. "Oh, thanks, buddy!" He said to the little chauffer to show his appreciation.
"Come this way. Mr. Bates is at work currently, so you will be received by his daughter," the shrimp in the blue suit informed the group.
"Yippee. A welcoming committee headed by the ultimate brat," Jade said moodily, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Meanwhile, inside, Randall and Trish were having fun reading stories on the Internet called "Fan Fictions". They were currently exploring a section on a very popular children's book about a very popular little boy....not of the "muggle" variety.
"Look at this guy's bio!" Randall said. "He's seventeen and writing stories about a kid's book!"
"Watch it. I've got a story posted here," Trish said in the author's defense.
The intercom, attached to the wall next to Trish's bedroom door, squawked.
"Hey, Trish. This is Dan at the guard gate. Your relatives arrived early. You're going to have to receive them."
Trish looked at Randall. He gazed blankly back at her and gulped.
"I have to wear the collar?" he said, clearly not looking forward to it. He so loathed the thought so much, in fact, that he made himself green.
Trish smiled at him. "I promise I won't yank you," she said, fondling his front frond affectionately.
Randall sighed. "Kay. I'll wear it. But I'm only doing it so your relatives don't freak out."
Swallowing his pride, Randall slipped the choke collar over his head and followed Trish, who held the leash and the accursed collar. The pair made their way into the cavernous foyer, where the odd group waited.
"This place is huge! I'd get lost just finding the bathroom!" a high voice, oddly familiar to Randall, drifted down the hall. He recognized the voice and cringed. It was Mike Wazowski.
Randall stopped dead in his tracks. Wazowski? Here? He was close to panic. If Wazowski saw him like this, he would never be able to live it down.
"I'm not going in there," Randall whispered frantically.
"You're coming, and that's that!" Trish commanded, giving the leash a not-so-slight tug.
When the couple got to the foyer, however, his pride was the last thing on his mind. Wazowski and Sullivan were both there, and in nothing less than the most hilarious disguises Randall had ever seen. But he didn't really care about that. He was more concerned with the little brown-haired girl that he, himself, had tried to kidnap a year before.
And worse, she was looking right at him. She marched up to him and roared, completely unafraid of this thing that had once terrified her.
Mike noticed the girl's behavior. He walked up to her to pull her away. "Hey, kid, playing with dangerous animals isn't a good...eek!" The green thing that was painted pink jumped backwards, pulling the girl with him. He stepped up to Sulley and tugged on his coat sleeve.
Trish and Iris didn't notice any of this. They were busy with introductions.
"This is James and his son, Mike," Iris said to Trish.
"Nice to meet you," Sulley said, and then noticed Mike pulling violently at the wool coat he had on. "What is it, Mike?"
"It's him," Mike said, stabbing his finger in Randall's general direction.
"Oh," Trish said, knowing what Mike meant. "That's dad's pet alligator, Stinky. Say hello, Stinky!"
Randall just glared at Trish. Oh, the humiliation!
"Come this way. Dan will get your luggage for you," Trish said in a friendly voice and began walking toward the guesthouse, with Randall performing an amazing slither / trot at her side.
"He moves rather fast for a cold-blooded reptile with prehistoric ancestors," Jade commented scientifically.
"You really need to get a life, Jade," Trish commented meanly.
"We're almost there, guys," Iris informed her passengers. "We should see it right about.... now."
The white minivan gracefully turned a corner, in an affluent neighborhood, to face a large wrought iron gate set in a tall brick wall. The gables of the massive mansion within could be seen peeking over the wall with their red Spanish tile roofs piercing the afternoon sky.
"Whoa!" Mike exclaimed, "Your uncle lives here?"
"Yup. He's got over 10 million and spends his money like Scrooge at a Christmas party." Jade remarked sardonically.
The car pulled up to the enormous gate. Iris rolled down her window and pressed a button on the little thingy next to the gate.
"Who are you and what do you want?" an irritated voice shrouded by static came through the machine.
"It's me, Dan," Iris said into the intercom box. "I think you know why we're here." She smiled at the seriousness of the guard.
"Oh. We'll let you in right away, Mrs. Woodward," came the distorted reply. The gates swung open, allowing access up the winding drive to Gill's gargantuan abode.
The group pulled up to the front of the goliath white marble steps. A little man in a navy blue suit stepped out from behind the huge oak front doors and hopped down the shiny steps to the van. He opened the doors for the odd group with a flourish.
"Welcome," the little man said cheerfully.
"Hey, talk about getting the royal treatment!" Mike expressed, pleased. "Oh, thanks, buddy!" He said to the little chauffer to show his appreciation.
"Come this way. Mr. Bates is at work currently, so you will be received by his daughter," the shrimp in the blue suit informed the group.
"Yippee. A welcoming committee headed by the ultimate brat," Jade said moodily, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Meanwhile, inside, Randall and Trish were having fun reading stories on the Internet called "Fan Fictions". They were currently exploring a section on a very popular children's book about a very popular little boy....not of the "muggle" variety.
"Look at this guy's bio!" Randall said. "He's seventeen and writing stories about a kid's book!"
"Watch it. I've got a story posted here," Trish said in the author's defense.
The intercom, attached to the wall next to Trish's bedroom door, squawked.
"Hey, Trish. This is Dan at the guard gate. Your relatives arrived early. You're going to have to receive them."
Trish looked at Randall. He gazed blankly back at her and gulped.
"I have to wear the collar?" he said, clearly not looking forward to it. He so loathed the thought so much, in fact, that he made himself green.
Trish smiled at him. "I promise I won't yank you," she said, fondling his front frond affectionately.
Randall sighed. "Kay. I'll wear it. But I'm only doing it so your relatives don't freak out."
Swallowing his pride, Randall slipped the choke collar over his head and followed Trish, who held the leash and the accursed collar. The pair made their way into the cavernous foyer, where the odd group waited.
"This place is huge! I'd get lost just finding the bathroom!" a high voice, oddly familiar to Randall, drifted down the hall. He recognized the voice and cringed. It was Mike Wazowski.
Randall stopped dead in his tracks. Wazowski? Here? He was close to panic. If Wazowski saw him like this, he would never be able to live it down.
"I'm not going in there," Randall whispered frantically.
"You're coming, and that's that!" Trish commanded, giving the leash a not-so-slight tug.
When the couple got to the foyer, however, his pride was the last thing on his mind. Wazowski and Sullivan were both there, and in nothing less than the most hilarious disguises Randall had ever seen. But he didn't really care about that. He was more concerned with the little brown-haired girl that he, himself, had tried to kidnap a year before.
And worse, she was looking right at him. She marched up to him and roared, completely unafraid of this thing that had once terrified her.
Mike noticed the girl's behavior. He walked up to her to pull her away. "Hey, kid, playing with dangerous animals isn't a good...eek!" The green thing that was painted pink jumped backwards, pulling the girl with him. He stepped up to Sulley and tugged on his coat sleeve.
Trish and Iris didn't notice any of this. They were busy with introductions.
"This is James and his son, Mike," Iris said to Trish.
"Nice to meet you," Sulley said, and then noticed Mike pulling violently at the wool coat he had on. "What is it, Mike?"
"It's him," Mike said, stabbing his finger in Randall's general direction.
"Oh," Trish said, knowing what Mike meant. "That's dad's pet alligator, Stinky. Say hello, Stinky!"
Randall just glared at Trish. Oh, the humiliation!
"Come this way. Dan will get your luggage for you," Trish said in a friendly voice and began walking toward the guesthouse, with Randall performing an amazing slither / trot at her side.
"He moves rather fast for a cold-blooded reptile with prehistoric ancestors," Jade commented scientifically.
"You really need to get a life, Jade," Trish commented meanly.