Chapter 7 - Murdoc

Shrek woke up fairly early the next morning, he wanted to do allot today. Shrek made a pot of coffee to wake himself up before leaving to join his family for breakfast. Once the coffee was ready, he sat down at a table in the center of the living room and relaxed. As Shrek sipped on his coffee he thought of the early morning events,

"Ah the early morning. The sound of the early birds, the low hanging mist, and the smell of toxic waste..."

Shrek's nose wrinkled up.

"TOXIC WASTE?!"

Shrek stood up from where he was sitting and smelled the air, something was not right.

"Ughhh!!! What's that horrible stench?!"

He smelled the air again.

"Fiona must have given one off! No, she's still sleeping."

Shrek ran to the window, but saw only thick fog.

"I must find out who-"

There was a knock at the door. Shrek went to the door and opened it. It was Sebbi, Shrek's second sister.

"Hi-"

She paused for a moment and looked at Shrek. He was wearing only his small boxer shorts.

"Shrek... Ah... Your parents are going to have breakfast in the main house-"

"I know. Me and Fiona will be there in a moment."

"Ok."

Sebbi looked at Shrek again and smiled. She left and headed back to the main house. Sebbi was tall and slender ogress with dark black matted hair. She had large features and Shrek stood at the door and looked at Sebbi with staring eyes.

"Shrek!"

Shrek jumped in surprise.

"Hi, dear."

"What a evening, I hope we do it again tonight."

"What the dinner?"

"No, the sex."

"Heh heh... yeah."

Shrek gave a fake smile. He looked back outside towards Sebbi, but she was gone. He shook his head to get the thought out of his mind. He closed the door, as he did he looked out into the fog.

Later that morning, Shrek and Fiona were sitting at a large table with the rest of the family. Breakfast was being served, and the coffee was poured into cups that everyone had. Tayer was sitting next to Fiona, Fiona was sitting beside Shrek. Sebbi walked into the room, Shrek became agitated.

"Hello Shrek." Sebbi said calmly.

"Hi" Shrek said nervously.

As Shrek ate BK, he mentioned the awful stench that was outside in the early morning.

"Did you guys smell that disgusting odor this morning? It was so gross! I almost plugged my nose!"

"Oh, that smell? It's just the swamp dump and the black lagoon working away." Cearl answered.

"Swamp Dump? Black Lagoon?"

"Oh, your father Cearl and his friend Dorhal own a garbage, sewage and toxic waste disposal dump nearby." Maria said back.

"Really? Hmm. What's the black lagoon?"

"It's a place where all the by-products, toxic sludge and lethal waste collect. The lagoon is just meters away from the main house. It all comes from the nearby waste dump, it likes to collect at the lowest point of the swamp. We call it the black lagoon because the water turned into a poisonous black pond. We know It's not good for us or anyone else, but we get a ton of money from taking care of other peoples messes."

"That's good, I almost thought my wife broke the wind."

Fiona jabbed Shrek in the side.

As breakfast continued Shrek talked about rescuing Fiona from the dragons keep.

"So we went up to the castle and there was this great lava moat around it. When we entered the castle we found a dragon, it wasn't very nice, it hit me with its tail and a was thrown high into the sky."

The rest of the family listened in silence.

"I landed right into the princesses chamber. I shook her up from her sleep and we left the castle."

"Did you two get married once out of the castle?" Tayer asked.

"No, we got into a bit of a mess after. Only later, when we figured out that we were meant to be together, we married."

"That was a great story!" Maria said.

"Tell us another one!" Adam said excited.

"Ok, how about I tell you the time we went to see the in-laws-"

There was a loud rumbling noise coming from outside.

"What's that noise?!" Shrek said.

"I don't know! It's sounds like it's coming from above!"

Shrek, Fiona and his family ran out of the dinning room and outside into the front lawn by the round about. Everyone looked up and saw a large creature trying to land. Shrek's eyes grew, he knew who it was.

"IT'S DRAGON AND DONKEY!!" Shrek yelled out.

"Who?" Maria asked.

"It's my annoying talking donkey and his pet dragon."

Dragon landed with a big THUD on the front lawn.

As Donkey jumped of Dragon back he yelled out with a big cheerful smile,

"HELLOOOOO Shrek!!"

Shrek froze up in horror. He thought in his mind, "Donkey had arrived, he was here to mess things up, he was here to annoy me." Shrek cringed inside thinking about how Donkey could complicate matters in one way or another.

"Hi Donkey... What are you doing here?"

"Well me and my honey decided to show up! I know we were a little late, but here we are!"

"A talking donkey!" Tayer yelled out.

Shrek's family crowded around Donkey.

"It's nice to get some new attention around here!" Donkey said with a big smile.

Shrek rolled his eyes and waived Donkey off. After some time talking and examining Donkey, Dragon and the new "Mutant" babies. Were shown to their place to rest. Erika and Donkey talked,

"Now donkey, were going to have supper, do you want to come?"

Shrek faintly heard the conversation, he did not want Donkey sitting at the table again.

"Say Donkey How about I show you around the grounds?"

"Sure I'll have dinner with you guys."

It was too late, Donkey was going to stay for supper, whether Shrek liked it or not.

Donkey, Dragon, and their little ones where shown to an abandoned barn on the edge of the property.

"Now Donkey, Dragon. You guys can stay here for the night. There's plenty of hay and dirt to sleep on."

Donkey gave a smile of approval to Erica.

As Shrek saw Erika and Dragon talking, he gave a big sigh of disappointment, he gave up trying to push Donkey away. Fiona was nearby and saw Shrek's problem.

"Shrek, why don't you give Donkey a chance, he's not always so annoying."

"You're right. I just hope he doesn't embarrass me or something like that."

"He won't."

Late in the afternoon the sun lay low over the swamp and Shrek rested on a hammock trying to avoid talking to his oldest brother. Maria and Cearl came onto the deck to relax.

"Shrek, did you go and talk to your brother Murdoc yet?"

"I don't know if I'm going to do it mom, I'm nervous that I'll mess up somehow."

"I know he seems a little dark on the outside, but he's kind and gentle in the inside."

Shrek gave it more thought.

"Murdoc just needs time to get to know you again."

"Ok, I'll do it. I will try and be a brother to him."

Shrek's parents smiled.

"After that you can come and join us for supper outside on the deck."

Shrek agreed and left the deck to go and find Murdoc.

Murdoc was working on a unknown project when Shrek found him. Murdoc was a short ogre with wavy long black hair that covered most of his face. His skin was darker than most other ogres. Murdoc wore matching black pants and shirt, which were baggy.

As Shrek entered the dimly lit shop that his brother worked and lived in, he saw what Murdoc's life was. On the walls around the room there was pictures, drawings, and sketches of demons and evil looking creatures. Fake skulls and bones hanged from the ceiling, and a there was unknown scribbled down writing on the floor. Shrek got a cold feeling from the room, and almost the same feeling from his brother. Murdoc kept on working as Shrek walked in, he knew who it was but he didn't bother to look up to talk to him.

"Hi... Murdoc."

There was no answer.

"Nice room you have here... I like how you decorated."

Shrek was pretending to like his brother's room.

"You've grown up allot since the last time I saw you."

Murdoc continued to pay no attention to Shrek.

"I guess you were surprised that I should up after all these years."

Shrek didn't know if his brother was listening.

"Murdoc, I know we left off on a bad note, and I never came back as soon as I said I would... but I'm still your brother, and I want to make it up now."

Murdoc looked up at Shrek with his cold dark eyes. He put his tools down and said,

"My Brother?!"

Murdoc got up from where he was sitting, Shrek took a step back.

"15 years ago you left with no reason what so ever. Now you've come back out of now where expecting me to be your brother again?!"

"Look I tried-"

"Who do you think you are trying to win my friendship back again?"

"Murdoc, I know it was my mistake for leaving, but I've come back. I want make things better."

"Make things better huh. If you wanted to make things better you shouldn't have show up trying to make your family love you again."

Shrek became offended at Murdoc's remark.

"Hey! The rest of my family accepts me for who I am and has forgiven me for leaving long ago..."

"Ohhh... now your family forgives you, and I'm supposed to do the same... their just doing that to please you."

Shrek didn't believe what he said, he looked at Murdoc with a displeased face.

"It's a shame that you couldn't be a little more accepting."

"So now I have to accept you."

"To some degree, I want for us to be happy and-"

"And what? Be all happy and just pretend that nothing happened?"

"I'm just-"

"You're a real fine piece of work Shrek. You leave me and the rest of your family with no warning, Then you show up expecting our love again and for us to just sweep it all under a rug."

"Murdoc-"

"NO LISTEN TO ME. You should just leave us alone and not come back again. We were better without you."

Shrek and Murdoc became angrier at each other.

"But my family wanted to see me again. Was I just supposed to not return?"

"Come on Shrek, wanted to see you again? You should have just sent us a cheap post card saying "wish you where here". That would have just been fine. At least we could have thrown it out if we wanted to."

"TAKE THAT BACK!!"

"NO! I'm not going to sit around here and watch you suck up to your parents and the rest of the family."

"I'm not SUCKING UP to my parents or my family."

"I beg to differ Shrek."

"You know what, you've really pissed me off with your sly comeback and remarks. I wished I never came to see YOU again."

"AND I WISHED YOU WERE NEVER MY BROTHER!"

Shrek and Murdoc stared at each other with great anger. Shrek was mad at him on the outside, but inside his heart pained at Murdoc's words of rejection.

"You know what, I'm leaving. I'm not going to listen to you bad mouth me or my family anymore."

"JUST LEAVE! And don't bother trying to talk with me again!"

"Believe me I WON'T!"

Shrek quickly turned around and headed for the door, before exiting he looked back at his brother.

"LEAVE!" Murdoc yelled out in anger.

Shrek closed the door and stomped back to the guesthouse. He was mad and also heart broken at he same time.

As he entered into the guesthouse, Fiona got up and tried to talk with him.

"Shrek I was..."

Shrek didn't pay attention to Fiona, he just walked past her and towards the bedroom.

"Shrek? What's the matter? Are you OK"

Shrek walked into the bedroom and slammed the door in front of Fiona. Fiona put her head against the door and heard the faint sound of crying...