Chapter 3 – Captain Brady Black's Return/The Festival Of Fools
Meanwhile in the square, the area was bustling as usual as people were shopping for food and other necessities. A young man with short, dark hair and some scruff on his chin was wearing a black shirt with khaki pants with a gun in his holster and was accompanied by a horse named Maximus.
He then looked around the square as he peered at his map with confusion. He then sighed in frustration and muttered to himself, "You've been out of town for a couple of decades and they change everything."
He then noticed a couple of people walk past him and he yelled out, "Excuse me, I'm looking for the Salem Police Department-"
The man then dropped his hand upon realizing that nobody was listening to him.
"Never mind."
As he kept on walking, he noticed a large crowd gathering around a particular corner and he pushed through a couple of people to see what was going on.
A young girl with auburn brown hair looked at the gypsies dancing and giggled. "Mommy, look! There are people dancing!"
"Come on, Ciara. Stay away from those gypsies. They'll steal us blind," her mother scolded her as she dragged her grumpy and disappointed daughter away.
Brady then walked closer to the spectacle as he reached into his pocket. He then took out a golden coin and flipped it into a red hat. The moment he looked up, he was entranced by what he saw.
The woman before him turned around and revealed herself in a gorgeous and stunning red dress and black stashes wrapped around her abdomen. She had big, gorgeous, hazel green eyes and shoulder-length auburn brown hair wrapped in a big bun and flawless, milky white skin. She had a very sweet, innocent angelic face to her and big, round cheeks. Her name was Natalie.
Natalie then giggled as she started to dance around him and then twirled around in front of him. She then shook and tapped on her tambourine as she continued to prance around. A light blue furred male lemur-like alien creature with a large dark blue horn on his head and a 3 ringed tail named Yaarp was bouncing around on his tail and beeping through his horn softly.
Just then a dark-skinned boy whistled and then Yaarp honked as he hopped around frantically. He then grabbed the hat and dropped a couple of coins trying to run off. Natalie then bent down to scoop up the remaining coins in her hand and just as she got up she was accosted by a couple of police officers.
"Hold it right there, gypsy. Where did ya get that money?" a dark grey-furred male hyena named Janja growled at her.
"For your information I earned it," Natalie snarled.
The officer laughed in her face. "Gypsies don't earn money."
"They steal it," another dark grey hyena with a large black nose named Chungu sneered as he confiscated the hat and a couple of other officers grabbed both of her arms.
"Yeah," a third hyena named Cheezi with a goofy-looking face and a large red nose snickered mockingly.
Natalie then struggled to break free and grunted as Brady looked on in horror. "You would know a lot about stealing."
"Troublemaker!" Janja shot back as Natalie kicked him right in his underside, causing him to double over in pain. "Goddammit!"
"Yeah, a day in jail would definitely cool you off," the other officer snickered as he drew out his taser gun and Yaarp growled angrily. He then charged right at him and head butted him right between his legs, causing him to hunch over in pain. He then jumped into the air and smacked another officer across the face before he blasted a sonic wave at him.
The officer then was rocking back and forth in agony as his ears were ringing incessantly.
Natalie then bolted out of the corner as she attempted to flee the cops. "Run, Yaarp!"
"Get her!" another one of the officers roared as they went after her.
But just then Maximus whinnied loudly as he then drop kicked Janja on the side. He then groaned as he skidded on the ground and fell face flat.
"Maximus, sit," Brady commanded as the horse then sat right on top of him.
Janja then yelled in frustration as everybody started laughing.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" Brady laughed as he then pretended to scold his steed. "Naughty horse, naughty! He's just impossible, really. I can't take him anywhere!"
"Get this thing off me!" Janja whined.
"We'll teach you to mess with the Salem PD, punk!" Chungu snarled as he and Cheezi pulled out shotguns at Brady's head.
Brady then pulled out his own .44 magnum with a smirk. "You were saying, Lieutenants?"
"Oh, c-c-captain!" Cheezi stuttered as he accidentally whacked himself in the face and fell on his back in a daze. "At your service sir!"
The gun clicked as Brady pointed his weapon at Janja and he glanced up fearfully at him, his entire body shuddering in tremors and his ears folded against his head.
Brady then smiled as he added, "I know you're very preoccupied right now Janja, but about that police department…"
Brady was then accompanied by the officers as he was escorted through the square.
"Make way for the captain!" Chungu bellowed.
"Make way for Captain Black!" Cheezi hollered.
Brady then turns around to see a strange person sitting in the square covered in a black cloak as he tipped another golden coin into a hat. As he left, two heads emerged from the hood and Yaarp and Natalie looked ahead with confused yet intrigued faces.
The gang soon advanced towards the Salem Police Department station as the camera zooms in towards the building.
The scene then faded into black and another scene appeared as Brady walked right into a long and empty cell block. He heard the pained and agonized screams of a young man as he ambled over to the source of the sound.
It was then that Randy appeared as one of the officers approached him.
"Stop it right there!"
"Yes sir," the officer saluted.
"Ease up. Just wait between lashes. Otherwise the old sting will dull into the new," Randy advised him sternly.
"Very well then, your excellency," the officer nodded as he walked away.
Randy then pivoted towards Brady with a wide smile.
"Ah, so here's the gallant Captain Brady Black back home from the Chicago city wars."
"Reporting for duty as ordered, sir," Brady saluted firmly.
Randy's smirk grew wider as he walked closer to Brady and began to pace in front of him.
"Your reputation precedes you. I expect nothing but the best from an officer of your caliber."
"And you shall have it sir, I guarantee it," Brady answered firmly with a staunched expression.
"Yes…" Randy purred as he rubbed his chin pensively. "You know, my last Captain of the Guard was um… a bit of a disappointment to me."
He then glanced back with a sadistic smirk as he heard the man cry out in pain at the sound of the whip.
Brady then flinched apprehensively as Randy continued to eye him with his smirk still on his face.
"Well no matter then. I'm sure you're capable of whipping my men into shape, so to speak."
"Um.. . t-t-thank you sir…" Brady stammered nervously, swallowing hard. "It's a t-t-tremendous honor to serve you."
Brady and Randy soon climbed up the bell tower and walked over to the balcony.
"You've come to Salem in her darkest hour. It would take a firm hand to save the weak-minded from being so easily misled."
"Misled, sir?" Brady questioned him with a curious raised eyebrow.
"Look, Captain," Randy commanded as he gestured over down below to see Natalie dancing and playing with her tambourine with Yaarp as an electrical elemental experiment, a blue koala-like experiment, a pink koala-like experiment, and a green koala-like experiment with a yellow Mohawk stood by and clapped in amusement along with a couple of other children.
"The gypsies. They are the ones that live outside of the normal order and these heathen vermin inflame the people's most basic instincts. They must be stopped."
"I was summoned from Chicago to capture fortunetellers and palm readers?" Brady scoffed in disbelief.
"No, Captain, the real war is what you see before you," Randy explained as he looked out on the horizon over the balcony. He then started to squish some of the stray ants crawling on the surface as he continued his monologue.
"For 20 years I have been taking care of these gypsies one by one…"
He then picked up a huge slab of concrete, revealing a huge mess of ants crawling all over the place. Randy then turned back to Brady while still holding the slab of concrete.
"And yet with all of my success they have thrived. I believe they have a safe haven within the very walls of this city. A nest if you will. They call it The Court Of Miracles."
"What are you going to do about it, sir?" Brady asked as Randy's smirk grew wider and more evil before he slammed down the concrete place onto the ants, squishing them. He then shifted it slightly to make sure they were dead.
Brady then recoiled with a grimace at his actions. "You make your point quite vividly, sir."
"You know I like you, Captain," Randy grinned as he placed his hand on his shoulder and they walked through the balcony. "Shall we?"
Randy then heard the cheering of the people below and groaned.
"Ugh, duty calls. Have you ever been to a local festival?"
"Not recently, sir."
"Then it should be quite an education for you."
The camera pans over down below to a vast and colorful festival right in the square as several people of all shapes, sizes and colors were ambling about. It was then that Drew was hanging from a pillar dressed in a black cloak as he was watching the commotion.
Come one, come all…
Drew then glanced over to see Anne, Ivan and Marlena as Anne gave him a thumbs up and Marlena and Ivan waved at him encouragingly.
Leave your looms and milking stools
Coop the hens and pen the mules
Drew then leaped over from pillar to pillar as he was attempting to sneak quietly into the festival. As he was grabbing hold onto one pillar, one of the ropes untangled itself and he was flying in the air yelling for dear life.
Come one, come all
Close the churches and the schools
It's the day for breaking rules
Come to the Feast Of…
Drew then landed right in the middle of the square as he looked around in confusion. A man was sauntering about in a colorful costume while walking in stilts as another man soon appeared in a colorful costume and mask face of his own, grinning mischievously. It was Rory!
"Fools!" he cried joyfully with a hearty laugh as he started to dance wildly along with a huge group of marijuana smoking and beer drinking people. He then spotted Drew and immediately started dancing with him.
A group of salsa dancers started to prance and move about in flaming red dresses as a dark purple experiment standing on four legs and with a long, flat tail was busy banging on the ground with tremors rocking the earth to crush the ice along with a light blue ice elemental.
Once a year we throw a party here in town
Once a year we turn all of Salem upside down
Meanwhile, a young dashing man was dancing around with another woman with a yellow experiment with a crown-like head and a long and slender body. There was also a male orange experiment with dark thick rimmed glasses and a pink large nose blasting a horn in another man's face, annoying him. Drew then started to get really nervous and overwhelmed and attempted to sneak away. Rory then started to look around surreptitiously with a mischievous grin.
Every man's a king and every king's a clown,
Once again it's topsy-turvy day…
Rory then popped out of the screen out of nowhere while making a face while a dark green experiment with three spines on his back and glowing green eyes materialized into a devil to scare the children. The kids then ran away in fear as he laughed evilly. Drew then jumped in surprise at seeing Rory pop out of the balloons and whack him on the head with a Randy-like doll.
It's the day the devil in us gets released
It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest
Everything is topsy-turvy at the Feast of Fools
It was then a couple of experiments started to smash some beer bottles on the ground and burst balloons with pins. Drew then looked on in awe and shock. A couple of people popped out corks from champagne bottles and clicked on wine glasses as a tan yellow elephant-like experiment charged through the square while a red cone head-like experiment started to juggle balls, swords and shields around him with his mind. A light green clownish-like experiment soon began to weave and dance around like a slinky.
Drew then felt a hand pull him away and he was soon lured into a long line as they performed the Conga with confetti and coins flying in the air. They soon turned around into a circle as they began to dance around in the square.
(Topsy-turvy!)
Everything is upsy-daisy!
(Topsy-turvy!)
Everything is acting crazy!
Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet
That's the way on topsy-turvy day!
Drew became so disoriented that he stumbled towards a nearby tent and tumbled right inside, surprising Natalie. Natalie was already wearing a red dress and her hair was hanging loose.
Natalie gasped as she rushed over to see if he was hurt.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to intrude!" Drew yelled apologetically.
"Oh my God, are you okay?" she asked as Drew clutched the hood to hide his face. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"No, no, no! Please, I'm fine, really!" Drew insisted as he clutched the hood tighter and Natalie knelt down next to him. She then gently removed the hood from his head and smiled with relief.
"See? There, no harm done," she declared as Yaarp recoiled with disgust.
Natalie then helped Drew up as she proceeded to escort him out. "Just try to be a little more careful next time, all right?"
"Sure, I will," Drew nodded as he got out of the tent.
Natalie then flashed a brilliant smile at him. "By the way, great mask."
She then disappeared back into the tent as Drew stared with a besotted and silly look on his face.
A couple of gymnasts started to perform a couple of back flips and tumbles while a group of Jamaicans started to pound and bang on the drums and a couple of musicians blared on their trumpets.
(Topsy turvy)
Beat the drums and blow the trumpets
(Topsy turvy)
Meanwhile, the same auburn haired girl from earlier and a female stocky yet muscular light green koala-like experiment with a big head and small eyes snuck up to a couple of unsuspecting people and made away with their cash.
Join the bums and thieves and strumpets
Drew then screamed as one of the flamenco dancers grabbed him and started to dance and move along the streets with him.
Streaming in from chartres to calais
A group of space pirates laughed as they chugged ice cold beer and an anime looking attractive woman with white hair and donned in a space pirate outfit poured down a beer of her own down her throat and belched loudly.
Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy on the sixth of Janu-evury
All because it's topsy turvy day
Rory then climbed onto the stage while outstretching his hands dramatically. It was then that Randy got into a carrier box and sat down with a disgusted and sour look on his face
Come one, come all
A group of male experiments peeked through the crowd while wearing binoculars with the red cone headed experiment panting excitedly. Rory then elbowed Randy as he looked very annoyed and confused while he brushed off his arm as if he were a pesky mosquito that flitted by.
Hurry up, here's your chance
See the mystery and romance
Drew then approached the stage apprehensively as he looked up. Rory then grinned enthusiastically while making grand gestures. He then raised up his hand and shook his clenched fist for a couple of minutes.
Come one, come all
See the finest girl in Salem
Make an entrance to entrance
Dance la Natalia!
Rory then threw down his hand and disappeared in a cloud of red smoke as Natalie suddenly appeared moving her hips about seductively amidst the excited cheers of the crowd. She then giggled as she whipped her black stashes around while she continued to dance.
"Look at that disgusting display," Randy sneered disdainfully as Brady stared at Natalie with his eyes wide and his mouth nearly half open. "Yes sir!"
Natalie then moved her hips about seductively as she advanced towards Randy and his eyes grew wider with his breath caught in his throat. She then jumped into the carrier box as she leaned closer to his face with her shoulders bouncing to and fro. Natalie then tapped his hat down on his face as Randy flipped it back up and growled exasperatedly.
Natalie then performed cartwheels and then did a split before she winked at Drew. Drew then hid his face inside the hood and blushed. She then bounded towards a pole as she then grabbed onto it and started to spin around rapidly while the crowd started cheering wildly and enthusiastically. She then stopped spinning as she lay on her back and grinned with a nod.
The crowd then exploded into even more applause as they started to throw coins at her and even Drew gave her a gold coin.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the piece of la resistance!" Rory bellowed with a loud whistle.
Here it is the moment you've been waiting for
Here it is you know exactly what's in store
A group of college kids laughed and cackled as they gave each other high fives.
Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore
Now's the time we crown the King of Fools!
Y'all remember last year's king?
An overweight man then belched loudly as he blinked with his enormous, disturbing looking eyes.
Rory then gestured over to a scorpion-like experiment as he clacked on his tiny shrimp-like legs. He then made a scary face up close.
So make a face that's horrible and frightening
Make a face that is as gruesome as a gargoyle's wing
Anne then frowned with exasperation and anger. "Hey!"
For the face that is the ugliest looking will be the King of Fools!
(Topsy turvy)
Drew was then pulled up the stage by Natalie as he stood the very end of the line.
Ugly folks forget your shyness
(Topsy turvy)
You might be soon called Your Highness!
Natalie then examined Drew before she raced over to the very first person in the line.
Put your foulest features on display
Become the king on topsy turvy day
Natalie then unveiled the first mask as a creepy looking and disfigured man dressed in a red outfit and boots twitched his left eye uncontrollably and curled his mouth into a snarl. The crowd then booed as Yaarp shoved him off the stage. The next mask Natalie revealed turned out to be a Xenomorph queen that lashed out her tongue and hissed.
Again Yaarp shoved her off into the ground while the crowd continued jeering and booing. Natalie then unmasked another person who turned out to be a woman dressed in a cobra-like costume with eerily glowing yellow eyes. The minute she hissed threateningly, Yaarp then knocked her off the stage as the woman transformed into a cobra and slinked away.
The next couple of people were then shoved off the stage as Natalie moved on to every single person available. Finally she reached Drew and attempted to pull off his face, only for her to step back and gasp in horror.
"That's not a mask!" an elderly man with white hair and a mustache gaped in awe.
"It's his face!" a redheaded woman screamed in horror.
"He's hideous!"
"It's that bell ringer from St. Luke!"
Randy then stood up in astonishment as he focused his attention on Drew.
Drew then took a couple of steps back in horror as he became frightened and panicked and he hid his face, whimpering. Rory then went over to him and petted his head sympathetically while holding up another hand to calm the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic. We asked for the ugliest face in all of Salem, and here it is!"
Rory then revealed a crown and placed it right on Drew's head. "Give it up for Drew Castle of St. Luke!"
The crowd then roared into applause as Drew was then carried over to a carrier chair and they threw a bunch of confetti and sounded the trumpets.
"Every-bo-dy!"
The entire crowd then started to cheer loudly as they carried Drew in the air and started to parade down the square.
Once a year we throw a party here in town
While the parade was still going on a frog walking on stilts lost his balance and fell over onto the other side.
(Hail the king!)
Once a year we turn all of Salem upside down
(Oh what a king!)
Once a year the ugliest creature will wear a crown.
"Girls, give a kiss!" Rory exclaimed as two women gave Drew kisses on the cheek and he giggled. He then turned towards Randy and waved. Randy then glared at him furiously in response.
We never had a king like this
And it's the day we do the things that we deplore
On the other three hundred and sixty four
A group of officers chugged their beers down while a couple of women popped out a cork of chardonnay bottles and poured some into goblets.
Once a year we like to drop in, where the beer is never stopping
For the chance to pop some chardonnay
Rory hands Drew down a specter and then he beams with pride.
And pick a king who put the top in topsy turvy
Topsy turvy mad and crazy upsy daisy
Topsy turvy day!
The crowd then cheers in several rounds of applause as Drew is showered with admiration and adoration. From above, Marlena, Ivan and Anne were drinking chardonnay while blowing whistles in celebration.
It was then that Chungu smirked evilly while bouncing a tomato in his hand and gave Cheezi a knowing look.
"Well, if you think he's ugly wait till you see this!"
He then hurtled the tomato at Drew as it slammed right into his face. Drew then recoiled from the impact as the juice dripped from his chin.
The crowd gasped in horror as Cheezi started laughing hysterically. "Yeah, that's really ugly!"
One of the men then picked up a tomato and aimed it at Drew. "Hail the king!"
Drew then flinched as he was soon pelted with tomatoes and one of them knocked the crown off his head. Many of the gatherers started to laugh and jeer at him as Drew was then shoved off the carrier chair. He was soon carried to a spinning wheel and then tied up. Drew then struggled to break free as he wrestled and thrashed with the people still tying him up more tightly.
It was then that one of the men soon pushed the spinning wheel and the wheel immediately began spinning. Drew then started screaming in fear as the people continued to laugh and howl hysterically while throwing tomatoes at him.
"Help! Help! Somebody help me!"
He then turned towards Randy with a desperate and pleading look in his eyes. "Master, help me please!"
Randy then turned away from him coldly as he ignored his cries for help.
"Permission to stop the cruelty, sir?" Brady asked Randy, a bit disturbed by the spectacle.
"A moment, Captain," Randy responded. "A lesson needs to be learned here."
Just when Drew thought the torment would never end, the entire square suddenly fell into silence as Natalie walked up to him with a black stash in her hand. She then bent down slightly in front of him and held the stash near his face. Drew then flinched in fear.
"Don't be afraid," she whispered with a tender face as she started to wipe his face gently. "I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen."
"You there! Gypsy girl!" Randy roared as Natalie whipped her head around to face him. "Get down there at once!"
"Yes, Your Honor. Just as soon as I free this poor man," Natalie answered as Randy sneered. "I forbid it."
Natalie then pulled out a switchblade and tore the rope in half, freeing Drew.
Randy then stood up as his eyes burned with fury. "How dare you defy me!"
"You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people! You speak of justice yet you're cruel to those in need of your help!" Natalie shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Silence!" Randy exploded.
"JUSTICE!" Natalie shrieked at the top of her lungs. The crowd then gasped at her astounding act of defiance.
"Mark my words, gypsy, you will pay for this insolence," Randy hissed darkly.
Natalie then laughed sardonically. "Then it appears that we crowned the wrong fool. The only one I see is you!"
She then grabbed the crown and tossed it right in front of Randy. Yaarp then jumped in and honked his horn, growling angrily.
"Captain Black, arrest her," Randy ordered and Brady snapped his fingers as a team of officers surrounded her.
Natalie then started counting the officers as they circled in on her. "Okay, so there's 10 of you and one of me. Oh, what's a poor girl to do?"
She then started to fake cry and picked up a red tissue before she blew into it. Within minutes she vanished into a cloud of red smoke.
Randy then gaped in astonishment as he recoiled in disbelief. "Witchcraft."
"Oh boys," a female voice cooed as the officers turned around to see Natalie and Yaarp hiding behind a cluster of masks. The officers soon gave chase as Natalie and Yaarp attempted to outrun their pursuers.
"Get her!"
Natalie and Yaarp then jumped into a sea of people as they moved along in a fluid pace. The officers then kept up on the chase as the odd pair reached the other side. Natalie and Yaarp then slid under a person walking on stilts and kept on running. The officers then ran right into the person as the person kicked them up into the air and they soared off screaming.
Natalie and Yaarp then jumped into a cart as it soon moved and began to roll out into the crowd. The officers then jumped to try and capture them but to no avail. Yaarp then snickered as he noticed one officer hanging from the front for dear life. Natalie then gasped in horror as she noticed that they were heading for the stocks where an elderly man with a pasty looking face and dark brown hair was kept. They soon jumped out of the moving cart as the officer crashed right into the stocks and fell on his face.
The man then was released from his stocks as he walked beaming with joy.
"I'm free, I'm free!" he cheered as he soon stumbled into a trap and soon shrieked in agony.
Yaarp then grabbed Natalie as they soon bounded into the air and then started to tumble with a scream. Natalie then turned to see the officers charging at her on horses as she grabbed a metal plate and tossed it at them. The plate then ricocheted off their heads as they flew off their horses. The plate then flew over Brady's head and narrowly missed him by landing above him.
"What a woman!" Brady exclaimed, impressed.
Yaarp then climbed on Natalie's back and they soon launched into the air. The duo then started bouncing on the covered hoods as they leapt from vendor to vendor to avoid being caught by the police. Natalie then hovered in midair with Yaarp on her back as the officers pulled out their tazers and aimed at her.
Natalie then closed her eyes and then did a spin in mid-air as she grabbed the pole and began to spin around rapidly. She then cartwheeled right over the carrier box that Randy was in as more officers on horses pursued her. But unfortunately they were heading right for Randy and a long pole ripped right through the box, causing it to collapse. Randy then emerged from the wreckage infuriated as he picked up his hat in a huff.
Natalie and Yaarp soon landed on the stage as Natalie took out a black cloak. She then spun around and disappeared into thin air, leaving the crowd speechless and astonished. Rain soon fell as peals of thunder roared and the crowd began dispersing.
"Captain, find that gypsy girl," Randy commanded Brady and he nodded and soon turned his attention on the remaining officers. "Men, seal off the perimeter. Find that girl and make sure you do not harm her!"
Drew then started walking through the square all covered in tomatoes and his shirt ripped with a huge hole. Many people started to back away in fear as Drew covered his face in shame. He then stopped as he ran right into Randy, who was now on his horse. He then gave him a dirty, cold glare as Drew hung his head down and closed his eyes, weeping.
"I'm sorry, Master," he whispered in a broken voice. "I'll never disobey you again."
He then walked back towards the bell tower as the rain continued to pour down hard and the crowd kept on watching in silence. Marlena, Anne and Ivan closed their eyes and hung their heads sadly for their friend.
Drew then opened the door and entered the bell tower. He then squeezed his eyes shut as he kept on sobbing, leaning against the wall. Finally he pushed with all his might to close the door shut as the screen then went black.
