Land Of Lost Toons
1947
The toons were singing as Eddie and Dolores joined Roger and Jessica in Toon Town. Porky broke up the crowd as the LAPD under Lt. Santino stayed behind to clean up the crime scene. Santino watched them go, feeling a little misty-eyed. Then he got down to business. "Okay, guys, let's start cleaning this joint up. We ain't got all day." Doom was gone, and Toon Town would be safe from developers, at least for now. But what about the rest of town, he wondered. L.A. was still booming, after the war, and Doom wasn't the only one with plans…
2022
"Seventy five years?" Eddie asked in disbelief as he and Roger climbed through the magic hole that Eddie had kept with him. They stood on what was now a vacant lot, on a stretch of Ventura Boulevard that was vastly different from when he'd last seen it. The cars, people's clothing, none of it was familiar. "How were we in there for so long? I should be a really old man by now."
"Time is different for toons, Eddie," Roger replied. "We don't age the way you do, and in Toon Town, nobody ages. We're always fit as fiddles." Eddie made fiddling motions with his ears.
"Very funny, Roger." Eddie tried to looks for a familiar landmark or something to get his bearings, but the only thing he could see was the Hollywood sign, minus the "Land" part that he had known. But it was the people that got his attention, aside from their clothing. Many of them were staring down at small palm-sized contraptions in their hands and most didn't seem to notice a talking rabbit and a former gumshoe in gumshoe's clothing. "You'd think we'd get more attention," he muttered to Roger.
"Maybe this will help!" Roger suddenly stood in front of one of the passers-by, sticking his tongue out and making faces as the person looked at their gadget. Aside from an annoyed frown, the person didn't seem to notice as they walked right by.
"What a sourpuss!" Roger exclaimed. "That guy was worse than you when we first met!"
Eddie sighed. "Well, I can see that L.A. has changed, and not for the better. I guess you can't go home again." He thought about his old office, wondering if the building even still existed anymore.
"Come on, Eddie," Roger said. "This isn't the place for us. Besides, you are home, now."
Eddie grinned. Dolores was waiting for him. "You're right, pal," he said. "Let's go home."
THE END
