Chapter 11:
Encounters With A Shivering Koopa
Author's Note: I had a mild case of Writer's Block earlier...that and the fact that I know this story's dragging; and this chapter only proves it more. I promise to have the next chapter have some major progress in the...odd plot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mario. It's pretty obvious.
Click, clack! Click, clack!
The sound of high-heels touching the old cracky stairs echoed throughout the Limerick Hotel staircase room. Rushing up endless flights of stairs; Princess Daisy was growing a bit exhausted. How many stairs would it take before she finally reached the twelfth floor? There had to be at least one hundred...
Up, up, up, all she could see that was in front of her was more beloved stairs. One floor; two floor; three floor...this was taking too long!
Daisy was never full of patience for too long. Patience came in big amounts every once and a while, for her to use in small progressions. But was it like she did?
No, she had used all her patience up with the train ride to the Mushroom Kingdom. The delay....and long, sleepless night from before...if that didn't use all her patience, then what did?
Eventually, after what seemed to be half-a-day later in her opinion, she finally came upon the twelfth floor. And much like the other eleven, it looked somewhat forsaken.
The hall had many old cracked doors; the ground was full of dust and dirt; as if it hadn't been stepped for over a centenary...
There were some rather suspicious pictures in between the rooms, hanging on the dull grey walls; an end table with dead flowers sitting under every few. Taking her time walking down the hall, Daisy couldn't help but think this could have been a setting for a horror flick.
It was the perfect example of a haunted house; complete with all the perfect and REAL props. She stopped, the noise of her heels stopping with her, in front of one of the many brown doors. She extended her left gloved hand and dusted the name plate off.
Room #278
Mr. Edward Koopa
She had finally done it! She knocked, somewhat excited and relived, until she suddenly realized there was no answer. She turned the rusty gold knob. The room looked like no one had even set foot in it for years; much like the rest of the hotel did. Taking her time, Daisy slowly walked inside, calling out 'Hi' or 'Anyone here?'
There came no answer to her constant calls; thus causing her to become much more frightened. By the tone of Toadette's voice when she handed her the paper, it didn't sound like Edward was dead.
No, if he was, why in the first place would she have given Daisy his address? It would have been unnecessary. Well, unless Toadette was tricking her; but Toadette didn't seem much like that sort of Toad...
Well, at least her looks and personality didn't tell the princess that. But looks could easily deceive one; that in which caused Daisy to feel more suspicious.
Was Toadette trying to get her killed? Maybe she should have listened more to Toadsworth's detailed speech about security. Perhaps the code orange terror alert was more then just a simple warning...
Maybe, just maybe.
And suddenly, Daisy froze in her tracks.
Edward Koopa did exist! The Koopa sat, shivering on a rocking chair. It didn't look too old; it didn't look too young.
"H-h-h-hello..." it said, its voice shaking along with its body movement. "A-a-are you the c-c-cleaner? M-m-my...they sure do have t-t-tacky uniforms..."
Tacky!? What an insult! Daisy shot him a somewhat annoyed glance. "Umm...no, I'm not a cleaner, I'm Princess Daisy...Peach's...."
"I-I-I-I-I like p-peaches..." remarked the Koopa, with a faint smile on its face. "T-t-they t-t-taste r-r-r-really g-good, dipped in h-h-honey..."
Peaches dipped in honey!? What an interesting combination. Daisy giggled to herself. Peaches dipped in honey...it was shock that someone didn't know who Princess Peach was by the reference of her first name.
"Your friend Toadette gave me this address," she continued, glancing at the shaking Koopa. Was it having a seizure?
No, he wasn't. It looked like he was always shaking...
The room wasn't that cold.
"T-t-t-toadette?" he asked, his eyes widen. "N-n-nice thing," he said, shaking his head. "She brings me fresh p-p-peaches every week. She t-t-told me they were g-g-good for me."
"Oh, well," Daisy frowned. Was he a total introvert or something? It looked like he hadn't seen the daylight since one hundred years ago. He couldn't do much about it, as far as his apartment. The windows all had boards on them, from when a nasty hurricane had struck the city, merciless of the many sky scrappers and establishments. "I need some help..."
"H-h-help...how can I h-h-help, Princess?" Edward asked, still shaking rather constantly.
Maybe he needed medical attention.
"I, I need to get back to the central part of the city," she started, wearing a bigger frown.
"T-t-take a t-t-taxi," Edward said, wearing a slight frown himself.
"I would but; well, it's a very long story..."
"I l-l-l-like r-r-really long stories..." he said, his frown turning into a smile.
Daisy heaved a sigh. "If you insist," she said. She took a deep breath, telling the stranger everything about her visit; the odd horoscopes; the train ride; Waluigi as a taxi driver; her picnic with Peach. The Koopa listened intently, especially when she started talking about how she was almost kidnapped by a taxi driver.
"Th-there's been a lot of cases with th-that...regarding c-c-c-elebraties..." said Edward, with a sigh. "I-I c-c-could, dr-drive you back...I g-g-guess...."
Daisy was half afraid he'd fall down dead at the wheel from all the shaking he was doing. "Ok-okay," she said, somewhat uncertain. "Thank you for...the kind offer..."
"D-d-don't mention it..." he shrugged. "I-I was t-thinking of g-g-going for a walk anyway..."
The two got up, Edward going towards his apartment door and opening it, waiting for Daisy to go out before he shut it. He fought the lock, trying to get the key in it to lock it, with no success.
She frowned. "Eddy," she said, tilting her head. "Is it alright if I call you that?"
"Y-y-yeah..." he said, still fighting the lock with his old beat-up key.
"I think the door will be fine," Daisy said, with a slight smile. I don't think anyone would WANT to go in there in the first place, she thought, letting out a giggle.
"O-o-okay..." said the Koopa, heading towards the elevator and pushing a black button beside it. Amazingly, it arrived; the doors sliding open with little conflict, as Daisy and Edward stepped inside. The elevator went down, occasionally pausing for a moment or two, landing on the ground floor with a big THUMPH!
But on the bright side, the princess thought, walking out a bit astounded...it took one third of the time that walking up the stairs did.
The two made it to the entrance doors, and down the street towards the old hotel's parking lot. The Koopa led her to an small rusty green car. Her eyes widen. Would that thing even GET them out of the parking lot?
He twisted his key in the lock, the doors being unlocked and opened; Daisy and him getting in. As the two headed onto the highway, (much to Daisy's surprise), something caught her eye as she glanced behind. A yellow taxi, much like the ones that had drove her to that horrid part of town earlier; seem to be following closely behind.
Final Notes: Sorry for any...mistakes on the spelling and grammar part. Please review! I need some feedback from you, readers! I don't see things nearly the same way that you do!