The day after their excursion into Dapplewood, Dr. Penny Stacy was led into the bowels of the Glenbrook Mental Asylum by one of their lead psychologists, Dr. Jenkins, following one of the only leads she was able to dig up when it came to who might know something about the intelligent animals in Dapplewood.
"We hope from what we've shown you so far that we've successfully demonstrated that our facility provides the best care it can to its patients," said Dr. Jenkins, somewhat nervous after having someone from the National Institute of Mental Health drop by for a surprise inspection, "However, the ones you're about to see were certified as criminally insane. We've done all we can to help them, but, well…"
"I understand, doctor," Dr. Stacy said, making notes on her clipboard as they walked down a dimly lit hallway, past padded rooms that had been fitted with bullet proof glass on one wall for observation.
The inmates wore straight jackets, either muttering to themselves incoherently, rocking back and forth against the padded walls, or simply sitting stoically, leering at Dr. Stacy as she walked by.
"The inmate you requested to psychoanalyze and observe at the institute is right this way," said Dr. Jenkins, "Last cell down on the left side."
They continued to walk down the hallway until coming to the cell. In it was a very short man in a straight jacket, red-headed but balding, with a mustache.
"The rodents, they're smart I tell you, smart!" he muttered, staring at the wall, "Always, always wrecking my plans!"
"Professor Norton Nimnul?" Dr. Stacy asked.
He turned his head with a crazed scowl, "Who's there? Are you here to take my shrinking ray again? I'm going to shrink the art museum and steal all of its contents! Hahaha!"
"This is Patient # 34829, Doctor Norton Nimnul," said Dr. Jenkins, "He has been incarcerated several times for using his inventions to commit bank robberies and pull museum heists, among other things. He was finally found to be clinically insane after being captured at a police station."
"It wasn't me! It was the rodents! They showed up like they always do. They got me sent to prison, and then I was sent here, because nobody believed me. Those vermin, they always ruin everything!"
Dr. Stacy's eyes narrowed, "His case file mentioned that he also experimented on rodents, is that correct?"
"Well one of his crimes involved using hundreds of mice running on wheels to power a generator of some sort," answered Dr. Jenkins, "The guy goes on and on about this imagined group of rodents that conspire to foil all of his crimes. We think they might be some sort of psychological manifestation of his guilty conscience."
"Interesting," Dr. Stacy said, "Was any evidence found pointing to the presence or involvement of rodents in his heists, besides the one you mentioned?"
"Not at his last one, though he was once found to be training mice in his lab to rob a bank. Why, is that important?"
"NIMH is currently looking into any cases of unauthorized animal testing we can find. Plus Dr. Nimnul presents a fascinating psychological case which we'd like to study further. Have him brought into the van outside."
"Very well, Dr. Stacy."
"The rodents are all intelligent!" Nimnul shouted, "They're as smart as humans I tell you! Just as smart as humans!"
The furlings munched on their lunchtime rations as the day wore on. The black trail went on forever, and it split over and over. They had no idea where they were going. They only knew that they had to press on.
"Another split down below," Russell grumbled.
"Um…go left this time," said Edgar, trying to keep track of where they'd been by drawing the trail on the map.
The flapper wingamathing cleared a hill, and below them, the furlings beheld a very foreign, unfamiliar sight; but one that they'd been looking for. At the bottom of the wooded hills the forest simply stopped. Here the black trail was arranged in a grid. And around this grid were strange buildings. Something the furlings had never seen before.
"I think we finally found out where the humans live," said Abigail.
"What are those things?" Willy asked in wonder.
"I don't know," said Edgar, looking at the buildings, "Maybe the humans built those big rectangle things."
"I'll take us down lower," said Russell, and the aircraft swooped downward, taking them along the black trail, which was lined by trees on either side, arranged in perfect rows. Alongside the trail they also saw monsters-on-wheels, but they were stationary, with no humans inside. Michelle remarked that the monsters must come here to sleep.
"The trees are so strange here…" Abigail remarked, looking upwards at them. Michelle looked upwards as well, with curiosity, "And…and what are those black vines?"
Between the leafy trees that lined the trail sometimes the furlings noticed a tall tree with no leaves at all; instead they had strange white cylinders on top, and twin black vines, connecting them to the next odd tree.
"Didn't we bump into something like that on the way back from the meadow last time?" Russell asked.
"You mean when our wing caught on fire and we crashed back in Dapplewood." Abigail said, "You're right Russell, they must have those strange trees in the forest somewhere, but I never saw one up close."
"Cornelius would know what they are I betcha," said Michelle.
They turned their attention to the buildings behind the trees. Everyone but Willy recognized doors and windows on them, things that the homes in Dapplewood also had. But all of them were much bigger.
"This has gotta be where humans live," said Abigail, "What else is that big?"
Their suspicions were confirmed with the sighting of a young human boy riding on a contraption with two wheels, an older human man operating a noisy device which cut the grasses in front of his home, a human woman trimming bushes.
"We did it you guys!" Abigail said excitedly, "We found out where the humans live! Now we just have to look for white, block-shaped monsters-on-wheels."
Their guesswork had paid off. Their families must have been taken to this strange place. They kept vigilant and watched the monsters-on-wheels as they passed directly beneath them, following trail from above. They came in all colors, and many shapes. They stopped whenever they came to a spot where two black trails intersected, and sometimes they would slow to a stop in front of a human home, as the humans inside stepped out. The furlings finally realized that the 'monsters' really were nothing more than advanced machines, as Cornelius had thought. But just then, as they were taking in the awe of their alien surroundings, the furlings heard a faint tune in the air.
"What are those…those sounds?" Willy asked, baffled.
Ahead, Russell spied a white rectangular truck. It looked similar to the ones they'd seen pull up by where the gas leak occurred.
"You guys, it's the one we're looking for!" Russell exclaimed.
Abigail and Edgar looked over Russell's shoulder, as Willy looked over the side and Michelle stood on her tip-toes to see.
"It's white and rectangular alright," said Abigail, "But what's with that music?"
"I dunno," said Russell, "But I'm gonna follow it and try to land on top of it. If our families are in there we've got to rescue them."
"Right, it's not going very fast so we should be able to catch up to it," said Abigail.
Russell steered the flapper wingamathing forward, and as the monster-on-wheels stopped at an intersection, he made a landing. It was fortunate that it wasn't traveling as fast as they usually saw the monsters travel, or else they'd have been blown clean off. The music was loud, Michelle kept her hands over her ears.
"We're on!" said Edgar, "So, how do we get in?"
"Let's wait for it to stop somewhere," said Abigail.
"Then what?" asked Willy.
"Some of us will get out and try to find a way inside," Abigail explained, "Let's have three of us go, then someone will need to stay with Michelle and fly the Flapper Wingamathing for our getaway. Get the rope out of the backpack."
"Why can't I go?" Michelle whined.
"We need to keep you safe," she said, patting Michelle's head, who crossed her arms angrily, "We can't risk our navigator, right?"
"I'll go," said Willy, wanting to be of use.
"Can I come?" Russell asked, "Flying this thing is getting kinda exhausting. Edgar can fly it, can't he?"
"I've flown it before,' said Edgar, digging through the backpack for some rope.
"Okay, and then I'm gonna come with," said Abigail.
They rode on back of the monster for some time, until they spied some human children running after it. It pulled to the side of the road. The furlings watched this with confusion. What would drive human children to run after such a horrifying machine? But, as it stopped, Abigail, Willy and Russell stepped out of the flapper wingamathing.
"You stay here with Michelle, Edgar," Abigail said, carrying some rope wrapped around her shoulder, "We'll be back."
The three of them peeked over the side, as a window opened up. An adult human greeted the group of children that gathered in front of the window, and then they began exchanging green slips of paper for some sort of snack. The furlings wouldn't have thought it was food until they saw the children eating it.
"I wonder if that's any good," said Russell hungrily.
"I wonder if this is the monster-on-wheels that we're looking for," said Abigail, beginning to doubt it.
"Only one way to be sure, huh?" said Willy, "We need to get inside. But how?"
"One of us stays here and holds the rope," said Abigail, "Then two of us can swing through the window, after the humans stop paying attention."
"Okay, think you're strong enough to hold the rope?" Abigail asked Russell.
"Sure," he answered.
"Why, you think I'm too weak?" Willy asked with a frown.
Abigail giggled, "Well, you're smaller, less robust…"
Willy flexed his bicep, "Feel that. It's rock solid."
Abigail giggled more, and reached out to squeeze his upper arm, "Oh, yes, it's like a rock. I'll be very impressed with you if you can do this."
She fluttered her eyelashes at him, and he blushed.
"Okay okay, so he'll do it," said Russell irritably, "We've got to go now, the kids have gone."
Abigail handed Willy the rope, and he unwound it, tossing it over the edge but grabbing the end, "Okay you guys, it's now or never."
Abigail went first, climbing down the rope as Willy strained to hold the rope tight. She swung a little in the wind, but eventually, landed on the window sill. The human was at the driver's seat, counting his money. This was her first glimpse inside one of these monsters. The inside was cold, and dominated by a huge shiny box in the middle, behind two seats at the front. Maybe their families were inside that silver box?
Soon Abigail was followed by Russell. It was hard on Willy holding the rope up for him, but he managed.
"Is this the right one?" Russell asked when he got there.
"I don't know, but we need to act now while the human isn't looking," Abigail whispered, "Here, hop onto that big box, and we'll try to open it. If there's nothing in it, we'll leave."
Russell nodded, getting a running start and jumping onto the big shiny box. He was followed by Abigail. The box was cold to the touch, and it hummed and vibrated beneath their feet like it was alive. Finding the door, the two of them kneeled down to try and lift it, grunting because of the heavy weight. Cold air leaked out of it as they did. Finally, with some effort, they gained enough leverage and pushed the flap open with a clang. But the monster-on-wheels gave a roar, and started to move, the music starting up again. Russell lost his footing and fell inside, with the cold boxes.
"Russell!"
He landed on a cardboard box, sitting up rubbing his arms for warmth. It was freezing.
"Russell, open one of the boxes," Abigail said, "We need to know for sure if…if our families are in this strange thing."
Russell nodded, and opened one of the boxes rather easily as it was closed with a flap. But, inside were only more of those colored ice treats. Abigail's ears went down and she wiped her eye with the back of her hand, but Russell gave a smile, pulling one of them out. It was covered in a strange transparent wrapping, a material he'd never seen or felt before.
"Come on Russell, now's not the time for a snack."
"I just wanna see what it tastes like," Russell said, opening the top of the wrapper and then pulling it back with his hands, nibbling on the tip of the soft blue ice, "This is delicious! Abigail you've gotta try some!"
"The others are probably worried about us," she warned, "We have to go, before the human notices us."
"Oh alright," he said, taking one more large bite out of it before climbing another box, "Here, pull me up."
Abigail strained to pull the overweight hedgehog out of the cold box. When she did, the rumbling of the monster-on-wheels made it hard to keep their balance. Russell, regaining his balance, got a running start and jumped to the window sill, rolling into a ball when he landed. Next was Abigail. Taking a breath she leaped, but nearly fell short of the ledge, clinging to it. Russell rushed over and helped pull her up.
"Ice cream! Ice cream!" came the excited cries of human children from outside. The vehicle slowed down.
"Come on, we need to go," said Russell, grabbing the rope.
Above, Willy felt the tug and tightened his grip. Russell and Abigail frantically climbed as the monster stopped on the side of the trail.
"Woah look, this truck's got mice!" exclaimed one of the kids.
They made it to the roof as soon as the adult human came to the window, confused to see a couple parents lead their struggling children away. But before he noticed the cause, Abigail and Russell pulled themselves up to the roof, collapsing in exhaustion, Willy panting and blowing on his hands, suffering rope burn.
"So? What did you find?" Michelle asked, "We were pretty worried when the thing started to move. You didn't get found by the humans didja? Huh?"
Abigail caught her breath, "We…we were almost…"
Feeling a sob well up in her chest, Abigail staved it off, sniffled and wiped a tear her cheek, shaking her head, "L-let's get out of here…"
Edgar sighed, "I had a feeling this was the wrong one. Come on in, quick."
There was a scream down below after the man tried to hand a child the ice cream bar Russell had partly eaten, confirming suspicions that the truck was infested. Abigail, Russell and Willy hurriedly climbed into the flapper wingamathing and worked the winder-uppers, taking to the air as children gawked. Once reaching a safe altitude they locked the wings, and Abigail and Willy slumped against the edge of the cockpit together, worn out.
"Guess we keep looking huh?" Russell asked.
Abigail nodded, disheartened. Willy blew on his hands due to the painful rope burn. Abigail leaned against him.
"You really were able to hold the rope, with both of us on it. You're so strong."
Willy blushed a bit, "Aw, it was nothing."
After resting up a bit the furlings peered over the edges of the flapper wingamathing, searching for the next monster-on-wheels that looked like it might be the one that had their families.