The sunlight seeped into the cold room. It brought little warmth, but enough to keep the people in the room from shivering. The room itself was small and only fit a small table and a chair. A man stood leaning against the wall and the other sat in the chair. The man leaning against the wall stood in a dark blue trench coat. The other man (at the table) was twiddling with his thumbs. He was nervous.
"I want the machine." The man against the wall broke the long silence. The man at the table gulped.
"I need it. I almost became bankrupt last time!" the man at the wall replied in a louder voice. He came over and slammed his fist on the table. Then he leaned over to the other man.
"I need you to get it for me." The man told the other, and then he began to pace the room.
"But, I c-can't." the man at the table stammered.
"And why is that?" the man pacing spun around and glared at the other man.
"Because…because…we just can't. The inventor is too smart to outsmart. The police might come and we'll be arrested!" the man at the table cried out.
An unpleasant frown was brought to the man in the dark blue coat. He was silent for a moment and then pulled out a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at the other man. A gasp came from the other.
"You WILL get the machine. You'll bring it to me and I'll deal with it. I already managed to tweak with it when it was found in the water." The man with the blue trench coat snarled and came closer until the gun was pressed to the other man's forehead.
"Understand?" the man in the dark blue coat growled.
"Y-yes." The other man trembled with total fear. Nodding the other man pocketed the gun and ushered the other man outside. After he told him not to return until he got the machine. Or the trigger will be pulled.
The afternoon was going by slow. Flint Lockwood sat in the Laundromat reading the newspaper, while his lab coat spun in the washer. Every few minutes, he'd look up and look around. Any minute now the washer was to stop and he was to throw the lab coat into the dryer. He didn't want anyone to do it for him. Someone might steal his lab coat. In all he really didn't like the Laundromat, but the washer and dryer at home had stopped working—for good. His father had told him to come here.
"Mr. Lockwood! Your clothes are all washed!" a lady called out from behind the counter and Flint hopped up to throw his lab coat into the dryer for a few minutes. As he did, he saw a few rain clouds form outside the window. Once again he had forgotten his umbrella…
After Flint had gotten his lab coat all dried, he stepped outside and looked up. The rain clouds hadn't poured yet. Quickly, he hurried home. He was worried that he had left the FLDSMDFR alone. But then Steve was there. The monkey would take good care of it for him.
He hoped.
As he ran down his street, and came to his house, his stomach was flipping. For some strange reason he had the feeling that something was to happen. The same feeling had come to him when he had seen the Spaghetti Twister in the distance on the re-opening of the town. Or when he had seen the giant meatball. It was feeling of fear. He entered his yard and approached his lab. But he saw something on the floor. It was a flattened cigarette. Confused, Flint wondered if his dad smoked. It wasn't possible. He, himself, didn't smoke either.
Maybe the wind carried it over here. Flint thought. But the wind is blowing the opposite direction. Flint thought again and shrugging went into his lab. Why would anyone come here anyway? He knew everyone in ChewandSwallow. No one would come here. He didn't even know anyone who smoked!
"Hey, Steve!" Flint called to his monkey who was lying on his computer keyboard.
"Steve!" Steve hopped up and followed Flint around the lab toward the table with the FLDSMDFR. This time, Flint hadn't covered the machine because there was really no one to see it. There was only him and Steve.
"Do I grab the machine and him?" the man asked the man in the dark blue trench coat.
"I just want the machine! Do whatever you want to the guy! Now GO!" the man in the blue trench coat yelled and the pushed the other man out the door.
It was getting cloudy as the man walked out onto the street. That's when he saw the inventor dash out of the Laundromat. A look of worry flashed on the inventor's face as he hurried home.
Why do I always have to do his dirty work? Can't he go and get the machine himself? What's so hard about that? Nothing! Why should I care if he wants to be a millionaire? Maybe I want to be a millionaire! Maybe I should just take a ship to New York and start a new life! The man thought to himself. But he shook the thought out of his head. It all sounded easy, but when he actually did it, he'd be running back.
It was either get the damn machine or run away. It was now or never.
Flint stared at the FLDSMDFR on his table. What was he supposed to do with it NOW? His fingers hovered over the power button. Should he? No. Yes? NO! He couldn't. What if the thing exploded, or flew out his window? Closing his eyes, he breathed in. He will press the button. But first he had to plug it in, hook it to the computer, and pour in water.
"Steve, do you think I'm going insane?" Flint asked his monkey.
"STEVE!" Steve cried out and ran to the other side of the room.
"I'll take that as a yes." Flint rolled his eyes and went to find the wire that he connected to the computer. Steve followed him. They connected the FLDSMDFR to the computer and plugged it in.
Fear was rippling inside Flint. Somewhere inside him was a voice telling him to turn it on. The other was screaming at him to banish it. The voice reminded him of Sam. She would hate him and ask him why the hell he had turned it on. What about other people? They'll never forgive him. Especially not the citizens of ChewandSwallow.
"Let's wait till tomorrow, Steve. I don't have the guts to turn it on today." Flint yawned and fell onto his bed. Even if it was late afternoon, the inventor was tired out. All the running around had knocked him out and he was asleep in seconds.
"Gummy Bears?" Steve asked and sat down on the floor next to the bed. When Flint didn't answer the monkey crawled up on the bed and curled up at Flint's feet.
The monkey fell asleep too and all was heard from the both of them was shallow breathing and soft snoring.
Outside the lab, the man who was told to take the FLDSMDFR was thinking of a way to get into the lab. There was no way in. The man wondered how the inventor got in. All he saw was a tunnel thing leading into the lab and a giant green crate… wait was that a portable toilet?
Blinking in confusion, the man opened the door and walked in. Instantly the thing shot up like a rocket and the man screamed. It came to a stop and the door opened.
Freaked out, the man got out and found a door in front of him. He pushed it open and found himself in a purple tunnel. He hoped the tunnel didn't have like a security system or anything. Glancing around nervously, the man walked down the tunnel. He came to a curtain and pulled it open.
Wow.
That was all the man could think when he saw the lab. It was breathtaking. The walls were high and the ceiling was dome-shaped. Millions of switches and buttons covered the walls. There were small screens all over and a giant computer with eight or so screen. And there was the machine on a table. Or at least he thought so. What if it was the wrong one?
The man walked over to the table and saw the inventor asleep in a bed nearby. Gulping, the man lifted the machine and realized how heavy it turned out to be. Wincing, he steadied it in his arms and left the lab. Mission Accomplished.