And now the conclusion of the thrilling pilot of Lori Disney (Not Likely!) right now
XXX
Lori Disney (Not Likely!)
Episode 1B: Part of Your World
XXX
The group is still right where they left off- at the pond in the forest preserve. Lori is pacing frantically back and forth by the pond muttering to herself at a breakneck pace. Charlie is sitting by the side of the pond by Ariel and both of them are watching her go back and forth. He still has his flashlight and is playing with it, flickering it on and off.
"This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This… this is NOT happening!"
"Is she alright?" Ariel whispers to Charlie concerned.
"Actually, I don't think so. I think you may have broken her."
"It's some sort of joke. It has to be a joke. There's no other- OF COURSE! You sent me the book for this- this elaborate prank of yours!" She pulls the book from her bag hastily and tosses it to the edge of the pond.
"Cool!" Charlie exclaims, flipping through it. "This is some sort of antique or something. I collect old books," he explains to Ariel. She brightens.
"I collect things too! Things from the human world I find in these ship-wrecks!"
"No," Lori interjects hastily. "No you don't. You are not Ariel. I am not conversing with a Disney character!" She goes back to pacing as Charlie flips to the front cover and see the poem.
"If this book's correct you are." She halts and stares at him biting her nail. "Did you read this poem?" She nods. "You opened the book. You're the reason she's here. I mean it's the obvious explanation."
"No! No! I'm going back to my room!" She grabs her stuff and storms off back through the preserve. "This is NOT happening!" Charlie watches her before rising and turning to Ariel who is watching her puzzled.
"I'll be right back," he says calmly before taking off after her, nearly tripping over a tree. Ariel watches them go and sighs.
"Alright. I'll be here!" She glides back to the middle of the pond. "I wish I could walk on land like they do. I hate being stuck here. Then I could really explore this place and have a real adventure!" She starts humming 'Part of Your World' to herself before swimming back to the edge again, waiting.
XXX
Lori exits the preserve to see Victoria and Tyler are waiting for her. She looks at her watch and smiles triumphantly. Victoria calls after her as she passes. "You didn't see anything? But-"
"I made it an hour and a half! Stop talking to me!" She continues walking as the two turn and see Charlie come charging out of the preserve waving the book.
"Lori-"
"You too!" she shouts without looking back. Charlie finally slows and looks at the book in his hand for a sad moment before looking back towards the preserve. He then walks off the other way, mumbling to himself. Victoria and Tyler watch him go before standing at the edge of the preserve.
"What just happened?" she asks. "Why didn't it work?"
"I don't know," he answers frustrated, kicking a rock into the trees. "But I'm done playing games with it. I'm getting sick and tired of people making fun of us for it. Tomorrow I'll get some guys together and we'll catch it." He starts back towards the dorm. "It just must have been sleeping or something tonight."
"Don't worry Tyler. We'll get back at her somehow."
XXX
Lori climbs into her bed. Hannah leans over the edge of her, the top bunk, and stares down at her smiling. "How'd it go?" Lori jumps and hits her head on the top bunk. "Sorry."
"It's fine. I won."
"That's good." The two both settle back in bed and there is a long pause as Hannah stares at the ceiling. "I'm glad the monster didn't get you."
"Yeah… night."
"Goodnight!"
XXX
Lori steps out of the bathroom the next morning just as someone knocks on the door. "Hannah, did you forget you key again?" She opens it to reveal Charlie who is holding the book under his arm.
"I don't even want to know how you found my room." She goes to close the door but he stops her. "We're not talking." He nods and sits outside her door. "Threatening to sit there until I agree isn't going to… fine let's get this over with! I'm coming." He gestures towards the room.
"We could just-"
"I'm not letting you in my room!" They start down the hallway. "And we're still not friends." He hands her the book.
"I was looking through it last night. In the back there's pages and pages of rhymes. According to the front, you need to find hers so we can-"
"Charlie, you don't believe this, do you? I mean, you can't believe this. You're the logical one remember?" The two start down the stairs and he stops her.
"That tail was real." She goes to say something, but can't really come up with a defense. "And I may have skipped the Disney phase, but I know she was a Disney character." He taps the book. Lori opens to the Ar page and sees her entry. "It only makes logical sense Lori." She takes a moment before slamming the book closed and staring down at him.
"Even if she was, I don't want any part of this." They continue down the stairs.
"I know it doesn't fit your image of college, but it is YOUR job to get her home. Tyler and Victoria know she's there. We don't-"
"For the last time… there is no "we". There isn't even a "me". So stop!" She starts back up the stairs towards her room again.
"Lori!" She doesn't react and vanishes down the hallway. He continues down the stairs and outside. "I need to do research… to the library!"
XXX
Tyler enters a local fishing store and spots a huge net on the back wall. He smiles and goes up to the counter. "I'll take that one."
"You must be after a large amount of fish, son."
"No," he answers the old man behind the counter as he pulls out some cash. "I'm just after one really big one."
XXX
In the library the student librarian is in front of the desk looking over her Calculus homework. Something is placed on the desk and she sees it is a VHS copy of The Little Mermaid. Puzzled, she looks up to see Charlie fiddling in his pockets. "I'm sorry, only college-"
He puts his ID down on the counter. She looks at it and then him before smiling and scanning the video and his ID. "Have this back in two weeks, little guy," she says cheerfully.
He smiles brightly at her. "Thanks." He turns to head out, rolling his eyes dramatically as he does.
XXX
It is another dark summer night. Tyler is with a group of his friends over by the edge of the pond with the large fishing net. He notices the flashlight Lori dropped on the ground and picks it up. He turns it on and scans it over the lake. Suddenly, Ariel pops her head up.
"Lori… Charlie… is that you?" She swims close enough that the group throw the net over her and haul her so that only her tail remains in the pond as she fights and screams. "Let go of me! Let me go! My Dad is going to-"
"What is she," one asks Tyler. He scans over he with the flashlight and they see her for what she truly is- a real live mermaid.
"Boys, we caught ourselves one hell of a fish." He starts back towards the preserve and gestures for the others to follow. "Come on. I think I know how to take care of this." The group follows him out as Ariel continues her struggle.
"Wait! Come back! HELP!"
XXX
Lori sits at a table eating a lunch consisting of a ham sandwich when Charlie throws down his tray in front of her. Her face turns from bliss to a mixture of annoyance and almost defeat.
"I figured out why she's here."
"We're not doing this. Today's my free day and everything. Go- go sit by yourself." She does a shooing gesture and goes to take another bite. He grabs the sandwich from her.
"I watched the movie for the first time last night. The book said each character has something to teach you. Well, Ariel was looking for adventure- just like you need to." She looks thoughtful for a moment.
"That was your first time watching The Little Mermaid?" She grabs back her sandwich and he puts his head in his hands.
"Lori, please, can you just focus for one minute. She's still a mermaid. She hasn't met Eric yet."
"So. I remember him being pretty bland. We might be doing her a favor." Charlie is clearly frustrated beyond belief and groans.
"Lori! Focus! Nothing has happened yet! We could ruin the entire story!"
"There is no story to ruin. It's fictional."
"Tell that to the mermaid in the pond, because she isn't!" He sighs and gets a grip. Lori is back to enjoying her sandwich. "I'll- just I'll be right back." He walks towards the drinks.
"You're not sitting here!"
He walks up and grabs a cup, dropping it under the counter. He ducks under there and two sets of feet block him from leaving.
"But it's still in the net, right?" Victoria asks. Charlie has a panicked look cross his face and back farther under the table.
"It should be," Tyler answers. "We called some people and talked to the rangers. We're going to lead it to them tonight. Tomorrow we should be on the cover of every newspaper in the country." Charlie gasps.
"Did you hear that?" He covers his mouth and presses himself against the wall, heart pounding. A moment goes by. "You said it knew them."
"Yeah, it asked for them when we found it with the flashlight. They know something." The two walk away and after a moment Charlie bolts out from under the table and runs back to where Lori takes a bite of pudding and frowns.
"Lori-!"
"You know, pudding should be delicious. This is just good pudding. It… it should just be so much better."
"They caught her." Her head snaps up and she drops her spoon into the apparently non-delicious pudding. "Tyler and his… minions caught her in a net last night. They used your flashlight and she thought it was us and the caught her. They know! They saw her! They're bringing ranger out to her tonight!"
Lori recovers and returns to her normal indifferent expression. "So?" This makes Charlie lose it. He pounds the table.
"This is your fault! I get it: you didn't know, you don't want this, this wasn't in the plan, you don't care. But they are going to take her and torture and probably experiment on her. We have to get her home tonight! It may not have been the plan, but it's your job now! She could be hurt, Lori. She's probably scared. Sebastian and Flounder aren't there to protect her. We are. We have to make sure her story works out the way it should by getting her home as soon as we can. This is your adventure now." He pulls the book from where it's visible in her bag and slides it to her. "Please."
"Maybe the Jell-o will be delicious." His face literally falls as if disappointment has literally crushed him. It then switches to one of judgement.
" I thought you were a better person than everyone here. That's why I thought you'd be a good friend, even though all you do is push. But now it's pretty logical. I was wrong." He snatches the book and grabs his tray and things. "I'll send her home myself then. Enjoy the next four years." He walks away from her and she has a small frown flicker on her face and looks down at her pudding- almost in thought. Almost as if he's finally gotten through to her.
"Yeah, the Jell-o will be delicious."
XXX
Ariel struggles weakly in the net. She has managed to move up to her belly button back into the pond, but has the cuts from the net to prove how much effort it took. Night has fallen again and she looks at the moon almost defeated. Footsteps sound and she turns her head to see Charlie scrambling towards her with the book and his flashlight. "Ariel!"
"Charlie! You came back!" He kneels next to her. "As fun as this is, I really want to go back home."
"I know." He flips to the poems in the back of the book. "We don't have a lot of time. I need to know your poem." She just looks at him.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." He starts flipping frantically through pages. Ariel notices dim flashlights in the distance. "Charlie, look."
"Come on. Come on." Tears fill his eyes as he gets more frantic, even giving himself a paper cut. "Which one could it be?" There is a crack.
"They're- they're coming back for me. Charlie, you have to get out of here. They can't see you helping me." He reaches the end of the book.
"I'm not leaving you. You-you still have a lot of things you haven't done yet." He flips through it once more. "I'll- I'll-" He again reaches the end. He throws the book towards the forest frustrated and tries to untangle the net- wincing as he cuts his hands.
"Some adventure," Ariel whispers. "I'll never leave my family again."
Charlie gives a ghost of a laugh. "I wouldn't guarantee that."
Tyler's voice echoes. "Yes sir, it's right over here." Ariel turns to Charlie.
"Charlie, you need to put those legs to good use and get out of here. I'll be fine. I promise. I am more than capable of taking care of myself." She puts her hand on his. "I am sixteen after all." Charlie frantically shakes his head. The groups is right on the edge of the pond and both wince- waiting for it.
Suddenly, a scream echoes off in the distance- an almost inhuman one. The flashlight turns in that direction. A voice calls, "It must have escaped. This way! We can't let it get away."
"It was hurt pretty badly, sir! We should find it easy!" The flashlights recede and Charlie lets out a huge sigh of relief. A branch creaks behind him and he whips around terrified.
Suddenly, Lori slides down a nearby bank and skids next to the two of them. "Lori!" they both exclaim. She puts her finger to her mouth.
"Shut it! I don't think I bought us that much time." She starts to fiddle with the net but quickly becomes too frustrated. "It's too tangled up."
Ariel smiles at her. "You'll figure something out." Lori looks around desperately thinking when she spies the book where Charlie tossed it. She runs to grab it.
"I tried. There are hundreds of poems in there. We have no clue-"
"This isn't your adventure though," she interjects, returning to her spot next to him. "No offense." She flips through pages when suddenly one of the poems starts to glow a bright yellow. Her and Charlie exchange a quick amazed look. "Keep an eye out for them." Charlie gives a quick nods and runs off into the preserve. "Alright, Ariel, you're going home."
"Thank you for helping me." Lori snorts.
"I am the one who got you in this mess in the first place."
Ariel shrugs. "It was an experience. They may not go the way you really wanted it to, but you might find something extra special instead." Lori gives her first real smile since arriving on campus when Charlie sprints back in.
"They're coming back this way. We need to hurry." Lori looks at the book and begins a very shaky reading of the glowing poem.
"'I send you back to under the sea To find your prince and swim happy and free." Nothing happens.
Charlie looks perplexed. "Why-"
Ariel gives a small giggle. "It almost sounds like a song." Lori suddenly gets the look of a deer in headlights.
"I-I don't sing."
"Lori, you have to."
"Singing is magical," Ariel lends. "Sebastian taught me it's how you say what's in your heart." Charlie looks it over.
"It's to the tune of Under the Sea. Just sing it real quick."
"I-I… I don't…" Charlie just stares at her. A branch snaps in the distance.
"Lori, you can do this. Honestly, it doesn't matter if you can or not. You NEED to do this." She finally takes a deep breath and nods.
"'I send you back under the sea," she sings in a trembling voice. "To find your prince and swim happy and free." There is a huge burst of bright light that both shield their eyes from. When they open them, Ariel is gone. They both smile and look at one another.
"You did it!" The voices are shouting now and sound closer than ever.
"We have to get out of here." She goes to get up, but he grabs her wrist.
"Wait, I've got an idea. Get down."
"What?"
"Trust me." She drops back down and he pulls the net on top of her as she winces. "Now act like I just found you when they come, ok. It's like in the movie. We make them think you're the one they were looking for and trapped. Ariel gets away scot free. This time it's a good thing though." She catches on nods. Tyler appears with a friend and three park rangers.
"It should be-"
"Don't worry Lori! I'll get you out of there!" Charlie turns and sees the group. "Thank God! Lori, help's here. She's been missing all day so I came looking for her. She doesn't have class today so no one really noticed, but of course I did. She mentioned she liked to study here and- what are you waiting for? She's been stuck in this all day!" The rangers nod and rush to help her. Tyler merely stares with his jaw dropped. Lori is helped to her feet and their eyes meet. Charlie grabs the book as she limps off supported by a ranger. Another goes by Tyler.
"You're in a lot of trouble for this." Tyler doesn't react. "Come on."He drags him off as he merely examines the spot where a mermaid should be.
XXX
Lori sits at a lunch table when Charlie comes up next to her with his tray. "Ouch. That looks like a nasty cut," he sympathizes, pointing to her head.
Lori grimaces. "The net did a good number." Charlie's face falls.
"I'm sorry. I didn't-"
She merely shrugs. "Don't be. It was a good plan. Not only are you a provable genius, but you could be an actor." He smiles.
"It was kind of fun to get them in trouble," he whispers, setting his tray down.
"I can't agree more." He takes a seat beside her. "I didn't say you could sit with me."
"It's all about the pursuit." He starts picking at his food. "So… Tyler and Victoria are probably onto us."
"There's nothing to be onto. I re-bound the book. It's locked up in my filing cabinet. It was a one-time thing." He merely looks at her.
"You read the poem. That's not going to stop it."
"We'll see. Now I can go back to my scheduled programming." They sit in silence for a moment awkwardly.
He clears his throat after taking a bite. "I'm proud of you. You did a good thing."
"Thanks. I was inspired- "
"Excuse me, but who do you think you are?" a voice shouts from behind her. She turns to see the boy who crashed into her the first night- the one with the tie. Charlie goes pale. Lori looks confused.
" I'm Lori…"
"You've been running off with my brother in the dead of night and putting his life in danger! Do you know he's a provable genius! You cannot recklessly-!"
"Ben. Stop. This isn't cool," Charlie begs, covering his face with his hands. Ben shoots him a glare.
"You're thirteen. Cool is sneaking into R-rated movies. Anyway,-"
Lori's face suddenly lights up. "Wait a second. You're the jerk who ran into me that first night." She then looks between the two of them rapidly. "You-you two are- are brothers?"
"Step-brothers," they both answer in a clipped tone. Lori looks back and forth again as they glare at one another.
"Whoa…"
XXX
We are inside a small motel where the old man with a scar is pacing back and forth on his cell phone. "What do you mean, it never came? Then where is it?" He throws the phone at the wall, shattering it. He pounds on the bathroom door. "Stevens!" He throws it open to see a cloth rope dangling out the window. "STEVENS!"
XXX
The man with the cowboy hat, Stevens, it running through the city as fast as he can. He never takes a chance at looking back. He keeps running off into the distance.
XXX
Tune in next Thursday as Lori comes to grips with just what she's done as a large jungle cat is spotted roaming the preserve.
(To answer some questions, yes I am doing this in the format of a show and it will thus be updated every Thursday (unless something comes up in which case it will be mentioned that the President is giving a speech or something and regular programming is cancelled) for the first thirteen week which consists of Season 1. Then I might take a few week hiatus to recharge and come back for Season 2 if it is wanted. This way you know exactly when to expect updates and I keep myself on a consistent schedule. I hope you enjoyed and tune I next time!
Dis)