Okay, I know this means that 'Into Perspective' is actually a really short story, but there's only one more chapter left after this one. 'Into Perspective' was just meant to be a sort of link story anyway, though some of the events (especially one in particular, which the next chapter highlights) are actually quite vital to everything else. Just thought I'd tell you that, so enjoy the next chappy!
Chapter 7- Old Friends
Randall had been grinning the entire day- which did, admittedly, confuse a few fellow workmates- but he had a sensible reason to, as did Fungus.
A whole month had passed since Fungus's involvement, and though each and every day had dragged more than Randall could ever imagine, they had both made it. Finally, the machine was finished.
Everyone bustled their way out of the Scarefloors, chatting to their friends about the relatively uneventful day and looking forward to returning to their homes, until only a solitary few were left- two Scarers and their Scare Assistants. Randall and Fungus were taking their time with packing up, wanting to send off some important paperwork to Roz's office without anyone too close by, but the other Scarer and his assistant were quite relentless.
Randall rolled his eyes, (as did Sulley, as a matter of fact) as an overconfident Cyclops raised an eyebrow in mock surprise, fingering some of his own paperwork. (Unfinished, of course.)
"Hey Sul, would you look at this!" Mike began loudly, glancing at Randall who had his back to them. "I've just worked out that...yes! You've been Top Scarer for a whole year!" The lizard-monster hadn't flinched, instead whispering something to Fungus importantly and passing by Mike without so much as a word. "Now isn't that something, don't you agree, Randall?" Determined as ever, he tagged along behind the experienced Scarer and his assistant, who were both hefting giant piles of paperwork over to the office, trotting beside them with a smug look about his face. "You know what I'm thinking, Sul?" he called back to his sighing buddy. "I'm thinking that someone's getting a little jealous..."
Getting the paperwork to Roz was what was on Randall's mind at this time, though the distraction was obviously getting a little annoying, let alone tedious. They soon reached her desk, and after plopping the stacks of paper upon it, he gave Roz a knowing nod and turned around, ready to deal with the blabbering interference. The new (or not so new, as the case was) Top Scarer had stepped up behind him, looking defiant.
"...But Sul here, he has the technique, the, the motivation that some monsters-"
"If that paperwork hadn't been important it'd be halfway down that open trap of yours, Wazowski," Randall started angrily. "So count yourself lucky."
"Ahh, but I know that you're all talk and no action, isn't he Sulley?" The furry held his hands up as if to say 'don't get me involved', though anyone could see why.
"Yeah, sure. Look, Wazowski, I can pretty much guarantee that if I could find anything actually big enough to stuff down that cakehole of yours, it'd be down there right now, rotting away with your lunch, ya got that?" Randall's menacing side took over, and he sneered at Mike, balling his fists but also pointing a finger at the round monster. "So you'd better shut it, before I do find something."
"Come on, Mike," Sulley urged his friend, steering him towards the exit. They were out of sight in a few seconds, but Randall was adamant to wait a bit longer- if anyone followed him to his hideaway as Fungus had, all of their hard work really would be wasted, and Waternoose would be sure to blame the lizard-monster. The Scarer and his assistant both grabbed a cup of hot slime, sipping it in silence and thinking about a lot of things. Randall didn't like these moments; the one thing he had been thinking of almost constantly for the past month since it had happened wasn't something he liked to recollect- he did this enough whilst trying to get to sleep at night, and it certainly wasn't healthy for him to start thinking about it now. He pushed it to the back of his mind, binning his empty cup.
But all of that blood...Deep red...splattered...all because of him...Yet another life wasted.
"No," Randall whispered to himself as he, along with his faithful friend, quickly strode to the new entrance of his hideaway- built in mind of easier access, especially whilst carrying new, larger parts for the machine. "Stop...thinking..."
A spanner, the secret lever which would open the 'tool' door, was clicked upwards and a cold, dark, echoing metal passageway beckoned. Randall walked down it without so much as a shudder, as did Fungus; they were used to this entrance by this time, and had used it on many an occasion until going down it became a bit of an annoyance rather than an unpleasant experience.
And then there it was.
Beautiful, if not a little intimidating, the completed Scream Extractor glinted and gleamed as bare hanging light bulbs were turned on, illuminating its shear size. If a human child wasn't to be afraid of this thing, then no monster would ever be able to scare them. And, though its actual purpose was a little cruel, the machine seemed to look proud of its very existence, and maybe slightly sad that it would have to do what it was made for.
But it was still a thing of beauty- something that no-one could deny.
Well, at least, that's what it seemed like for Randall- if it had been any less than a work of art, he most certainly wouldn't be satisfied, especially after all the time he spent on it. For Fungus, the machine wasn't as symbolic, only posing as a sort of favour for a friend.
As the machine loomed into view whilst Randall walked around some pipes blocking the scene, he gasped silently, his mouth opening.
There's someone HERE!
Randall immediately acted by instinct, leaving Fungus in the dark, and leapt out of the shadows, crashing to the floor with the unwelcome visitor underneath him.
"Who – the heck – are YOU?!" He managed to spit out, shaking with suppressed rage. The monster beneath him was a fair size with blue-green skin, though this had turned to an almost perfect white in shock. His countless black eyes were popping out of his head as he replied, stuttering and trying to stop his four tentacle arms from flailing.
"I-inspector for W-Waternoose, s-sir..."
"Inspector, huh?" Randall refused to give in, keeping the security tight as possible. "Ya got any proof?"
"P-please, sir, it's i-in my b-bag..." The 'inspector' pointed to Randall's desk, and, as he had said, there was indeed a bag. And, now Randall had begun to take real note of the monster's appearance, and even his voice, the assumption that he was barely a kid seemed logical enough.
"FUNGUS!" Randall yelled, sending his friend jumping about on the spot and hurrying over.
"Y-yes-"
"Check his bag for ID, and be quick about it!" It took a minute or so for Fungus to find anything, but he did eventually, cautiously tip-toeing up to Randall. "Give it here." He snatched it from the outstretched hand and checked through it, scrutinizing every detail. Once satisfied, he unpinned 'Greg' and got up, handing over the ID and signalling for Fungus to give him the bag. "Why are you here?"
"I...I was told by Waternoose t-to check the m-machine's progress...?" Greg replied, hoping that he had answered correctly, but Randall only nodded idly, fiddling with the boy's bag. He didn't manage to find much- a few personal photos, an empty notepad, and...a letter?
"Who's this from?" he asked in a straightforward manner, dropping the bag cruelly and ending up with only the envelope.
"I-I can't say, s-sir-"
"Why not?" Randall continued his interrogation, intrigued.
"It's p-personal...NO!" Ripping up the already open envelope, Randall swiftly unfolded the piece of paper it held inside, but before he could read a single word, he had spotted Greg ready to dive, so he quickly slithered up a wall and onto the ceiling, enjoying the monster's panic.
"Well, well...what do we have here? How about I read this out, huh? And then you can answer any questions I might have," Randall said teasingly, still hanging onto the ceiling as Greg jumped up and down frantically. "Dear Mr Forsythe, I am writing you a quick note to inform you of your newly acquired position within the SoHH. Your progress in the company has been quite spectacular and you will receive an award later in the year at the Awards Ceremony in Ikleon, as arranged. And, as a perk of your new position, your first new task is quite high-profile- to report to Henry J. Waternoose at the Monstropolian energy giant, Monsters, Incorporated. Upon arrival, he will provide you with accommodation and the like, and will also tell you of what you are expected to do regarding his new creation and, of course, the CDA. I will write another note before long. Yours sincerely, Executive Manager and Promotions Organiser – SoHH."
Satisfied yet unbearably confused, Randall crept down the wall and folded up the note.
"I hope you'll be able...to...Oh, GREAT!" There was not a trace of Greg Forsythe, or his belongings for that matter, other than Fungus crawling around on the ground, patting the floor. "Fungus, you stupid little..." There was a quiet crunch, and Randall lifted up his foot to reveal a crushed pair of glasses.
Picking them up, his brain suddenly went into overtime, reeling at the large proportion of questions that he had just come across. What were these people wanting to do 'regarding the CDA', and how had they got it into their tiny little brains that the SE was Waternoose's creation instead of Randall's? And what was the name of this 'Executive Manager and Promotions Organiser' anyway? And what the heck was the 'SoHH'?
He sighed, shaking his head. Yet MORE questions that were to be asked, but never answered.
Well, not for a few years.
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The following day was a local Monster World holiday, giving the employees of Monsters, Inc. a well deserved day off, as with many other shops and companies in the surrounding area. It also happened to be a local election day, so many of the monster's brains were quite clearly focused on certain events and happenings, and were still working hard to get who they wanted to be the Mayor of Monstropolis.
These matters, though, did not concern Randall. He wasn't particularly bothered who the new mayor was to be- it never seemed to make much of a difference to him anyway, unless, suddenly, one day one of them would develop a sense of justice in relation to the reptilian minorities.
No, today was to be a calm, relaxing day without a second thought regarding the machine. Randall still had to give it a final check-up, insuring the systems and so on were working without a hitch; he couldn't afford a mess-up, especially not in front of Waternoose. And, to assure the anxious lizard-monster, Fungus had promised him that he would, at some point that day, go and tidy the hideaway having obtained a set of keys, though Randall always preferred to do the assessments of the SE himself.
But Fungus had been right regarding one matter- Randall had been overworking himself, and did deserve a day off. It didn't seem right, though, to be in that cold, seemingly empty apartment by himself.
It wasn't right not to hear a certain someone's early morning groaning as Randall would drag her out of bed...
The Scarer scolded himself for thinking such thoughts. All that happened over a month ago, and it was finished now, ready to be forgotten about. It HAD to be forgotten about.
Randall grabbed his cup of strong coffee and slowly walked back into the main room, tiredly sitting on his torn old sofa and picking up the box in front of him with a spare pair of hands, rummaging through its contents. There was nothing much in here- a few bits of straggly tinsel, some glistening spheres there were to be hung up on the ceiling...even a macaroni card to celebrate the separation of Humans and Monsters that...that a little girl had made years ago.
Forget about it, you idiot, and if you can't, THROW the stuff AWAY.
Should he? These sort of things were very precious, especially if they reminded him of-
No. I can't be reminded any more. THROW THE STUFF AWAY.
But they were all he had left, all he could remember her by...
NO! THROW THE STUFF AWAY!
The battle continued for a good five minutes, until Randall was forced to get to his feet, the card held in hand, and go into the kitchen. The bin looked as though it knew what was coming, and its lid was stuck from last night's uneaten microwave dinner, so mustering up the courage do to something that was so against what Randall really wanted to do that he eventually gave up, placing the card on the kitchen worktop by his side. He knew he hadn't actually put any effort into opening the bin, but even thinking about throwing such an important piece of his history away had taken a lot of convincing, as had moving his feet to go into the kitchen.
But he just couldn't do it.
Returning to the main room, Randall plopped back down on the sofa and drank the rest of his coffee in silence. He would do the decorations for later, or maybe not even bother at all. What would be the point if he was the only person there to enjoy them?
This question was to be proved useless in a matter of seconds as the doorbell rang several times, causing Randall to roll his eyes, although, if he was to confess and give in to his true feelings, there definitely was an element of curiosity in his motions.
He trudged to the door, wondering who on earth would want to visit him on such a day as this.
"SURPRISE!" exclaimed two voices, one high, one low. "Bet'ya didn't expect us to be here, huh Ran?" Randall took a long breath, gritted his teeth and grinned.
"Hey, guys...No, I didn't expect you to be visiting..." He chuckled nervously, hoping that his 'happy' act was convincing enough. "It's...good to see you! Yeah...Thanks for coming!"
"It's our pleasure, Randall," smiled Carmen warmly, performing a mock bow and then stepping forward to give her friend a tight embrace. And Randall, though peeved at his two friend's appearance, found that he really, really needed it.
"Hey, Ran, where's MY hug!" cried out Jay jokily, and then waving a hand. "Hey, don't look so worried- I didn't plan to kill you!" The lizard-monster stepped back, suddenly wary of his college-mate's protruding spikes. Nevertheless, he smiled, if not a little reservedly.
"Yeah...if only." He snapped out of his mood in a second, wagging a finger. "Come on in- ya wanna cup of coffee or something?"
"Well, if you have any prepared."
"You know me, Carmen- I've always got coffee on the go!" Chuckling as he went into the kitchen, Randall's smile disappeared before long. He really didn't feel like visitors, though he hadn't seen this particular pair for a while...A thought struck him.
The two had come here...together?
There was obviously a reasonable explanation- he hadn't seen them for quite a long while- so maybe they were on a trip together or something, or maybe it was all just a coincidence.
Yeah, right.
Whilst making the coffee, Randall had a quick peek of the goings on in the room behind him, shifting invisible for a few seconds to take a look. Carmen and Jay were chatting away like never before, Carmen laughing politely at her friend's brash jokes. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with this scene. Randall shook his head, returning to the kitchen.
Always been WAY too insecure, haven't ya Randall? Always suspicious of the slightest things...
The coffee made, Randall returned to his old friends, keeping his thoughts to himself.
"So, how have things been goin', buddy?"
"Well," sighed Randall thoughtfully. "I think a more...pressing question right about now is, um, why you're here...?"
"Just come to see ya, pal!"
"Yes," began Carmen. "We haven't really been keeping in touch, though even I'm surprised that the three of us are still talking after...oh, how many years has it been now?"
"Six and a half, and still counting," Randall replied quickly, sparking a few raised eyebrows. "Birthdays, y'know...Uh, I'm even more surprised at you two keepin' in touch-"
"We have something to tell you, Randall."
"Yep, buddy- the real reason we're here!" Randall gulped. "Me and Carmen-"
"Carmen and I, Jay," Carmen pointed out. "Carmen and I."
"Yeah, yeah, well, I...err...don't really know how to..."
"We're getting married!" The couple smiled, Carmen trying to retain her immaculate poise and Jay restraining the urge to jump up and down on the settee. Surprisingly, Randall didn't feel like doing so.
"You're getting married."
"Yep!"
"You two, Carmen and Jay, are getting married." Nodding, the pair held hands, waiting for Randall's real reaction. "Sure."
"No, we are, Ran!" Jay persisted.
This wasn't right. Randall's suspicions had been proven to have been correct, but it still wasn't right. They couldn't be together. They were Randall's best friends, Carmen and Jay- they were meant to HATE each other!
"And why did you expect me to care?" This took the engaged by surprise. Looking at each other in astonishment, they turned back to face Randall, their expressions written all over their faces.
"Randall, you're our friend!"
"And I wanted you to be my best man!" Randall shook his head.
"Well, you obviously expected too much of me. Now if you would please leave, the door's right over there, y'know where you came in from?"
"Randall, what's...what's gotten into you?" Carmen asked quietly.
"What's gotten into me? What's gotten into me? You two," he started angrily, "the two people that, as far as I knew, hadn't changed over the years, the two people that had made what are some of the best memories of my life, the two people that were the only constant that I could rely on, that I could say, 'yep, it's just like it was all those years ago when I was actually HAPPY', are getting married. Do YOU see anything wrong with that, coz I really-"
"No, no, Randall, we haven't changed, not an ounce!"
"A coupla years ago, you pretty much loathed each other. And now, you're getting married. Any change there? No? You can't see ANY difference?" Jay was worried by this time, and had approached Randall.
"Come on, buddy- that was years ago! I've spent a lot more time with her since, when we went to the Police Academy together, and I never realised how amazing Carmen was back-"
"Shut up. Just shut up and..."
"Leave?" finished Carmen. "I'm disappointed, Randall-"
"You're 'disappointed'? Don't you see what it's like for me, in my situation?!" Jay shook his head.
"Sorry, bud, but we don't see what the big deal is."
"But maybe we SHOULD leave if you're going to act like such a spoiled...brat...Randall?" Depression had washed over him for the umpteenth time in as many days, and Randall found that he just couldn't take it anymore. This really was the last straw, but he found that he didn't want to loose his temper or get mad. Instead, he just wanted to cry.
In a second, he had vanished from sight, his heart beating madly, and had crept into his bedroom, locking the door.
Carmen and Jay had tried to get in, calling at Randall through the door, but had eventually given up, thinking that it was best just to leave.
Anyway, they do say that the tears of a mourner are not to be restrained, and Randall missed Fliss so much...
