Episode 5: Shelved
Both ear buds in was the only way Cricket could concentrate on what she was doing. She listened to her music mix on its loudest setting because Bea and her friends Connor and Lolo were having a tournament on "Maximum Man" on Connor's game station. Inside her room, Cricket was preparing to go to the public library to drop off some books she'd checked out a few weeks earlier. But first she had to organize the pile between books from her college library and from the public library.
She thought about the merits of both. The public library had a large variety of fiction, which she enjoyed once in a while when she wanted to let her hair loose. The college library's content was purely factual, which served when she was curious about a certain subject. The public one was closer. But the college one had Silas. And that did it, college won.
All done. Two neat stacks of books lay on her bed. The public library was closer, so she got ready to go there first, tucking the books into a tote bag.
As soon as she took her ear buds out, arcade- like music filled her ears as well as multiple voices shouting. She went to the single person couch where three whole bodies sat crammed on it. Bea was on the actual couch cushion, while Connor occupied the right arm and rested his elbow on the redhead's head. She didn't seem to mind. And Lolo, the smallest of the three, was perched on the sofa's back rest, leg carelessly tossed on Connor's shoulder. All three held controllers in their experienced hands, and all three pairs of eyes were glued to the TV screen that had still not been returned to its original spot in the downstairs lobby.
"I'll be home in a few." Cricket said over her shoulder before she left.
"Okay!" Bea called to her, not daring to take her eyes off the screen. Cricket shut the door behind her and almost immediately a dazzling chorus of sound came from the TV and Connor shot straight into the air and shot both hands up, dropping the controller and flipping Lolo over the couch as he did so. She yelped and landed on the soft carpet. Bea caught her controller.
"Level fifty seven, yes!" He exclaimed.
"You alright?" Bea asked her small friend, craning her neck.
"Uh, I'll live." Lolo's quiet voice rasped.
…
The drive to the library started out peaceful. No traffic, as Gravity Falls was still relatively small compared to most cities. The skies were clear for the most part, and it was a nice Friday afternoon.
Cricket cranked up the music, deciding to have a bit of fun. She had a few discs she'd loaded in her uncle's car when he wasn't looking for times like this. Not many people knew, but Cricket liked pop and rap music. She executed each verse surprisingly well as she drove. She even started snapping her fingers and bobbing her head to the beat.
Soon she pulled up to the parking lot and turned her music off and headed for the library's main entrance, tote slung over her shoulder. But something was way off. There was a large crowd gathered around a spot next to the doors. She caught a glimpse of a mint green booth through the throng of people. She shouldered her way past them and found the oddest thing. Standing in front of her was the most well- dressed middle school she'd ever seen. At least, he looked like a middle schooler. His hair was platinum blond, shiny, and well kept. He had a flawless complexion with a pointy nose and stood at least half a foot shorter than her. Then it hit her: This was the kid she'd seen the other day on… on campus. He'd been the little angry Chihuahua trying to call someone on his phone. But he had a downright cheerful demeanor today. Right then the kid was speaking to someone about a tablet device of which there was a stack sitting on the booth. The crowd buzzed around her and she couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Someone bumped into her and apologized, but she was much less interested in them as she was in the device in their hands. A half glance showed her a list of well- known books, all stored electronically.
The kid found her gaze and immediately smiled wide at her, and she was amused to see there was a distinctive gap between his two front teeth. He quickly thanked the woman he was talking with for her time and addressed the crowd, looking straight a Cricket the whole time.
"I'll return momentarily to answer any more of your questions." Then he made his way over to her.
"Hello. I don't believe we've formally met. My name is Alastair Aldrich, pleasure to have your acquaintance." His constant unwavering yet cheerful gaze was unsettling. "And who might you be?"
Cricket fixed her posture and tried for the same delighted tone. "Cricket Atwood… um, hi."
"I believe I've seen you around the local college, correct?"
"I… believe so." This kid was, for lack of a better term, weird.
"What a turn of fate that we end up here at the same establishment at the same time, no? But how rude of me, you obviously came to see what this-" He gestured to his mint green booth that matched his mint green outfit, "is all about."
Cricket faltered. All she wanted to do was return her books! "I- well- I wanted to… yeah, sure." Completely caught off guard, she was led into the library.
Familiar oak brown walls, tall stands filled with thousands upon thousands of pages of information. This was Cricket's true home. And it was made less comfortable by who she was convinced by this point was an intruder in her sanctuary. Next to the check- out was another booth with a poster with his face on it holding out a tablet. There was a rotating stand showcasing the sleek tablet with a small spot light on it. The reflective screen shined the light right in her eye and Cricket flinched away.
Alastair plucked the device from its stand and brought it over to her. "To put it simply- I want change. This beautiful device will hold every book you could possibly need. No more trips to the library, no more waiting in long lines at the book store, not with the entire arsenal of literature at your fingertips." He leaned on the counter and cocked one brow up, trying to impress her.
"You want to replace books?" Cricket was taken aback. "But then what happens with the library? And all the books?"
"This poor excuse for infrastructure will be taken down as soon as I get the go ahead from the proprietors. Replaced of course with my RadPad. Like the name? My team pushed for a name that would attract the youth of today." He brushed his hand over the side of the RadPad.
"How old are you again?" She asked.
"Fourteen." He answered briskly.
You are the youth of today. Cricket was bewildered. Her beloved library would be taken down! "What if people didn't want your RadPads?"
"Impossible. I designed it specifically so that it would represent the cutting edge of technology." He stated confidently. He stood a bit too close to her. She watched the people outside through a window marveling over the compact tablets. Alastair put a hand on her shoulder, and she focused on their reflection in the glass. "This backwoods town has been behind on technological advances since it was founded. If I remember correctly, cars weren't introduced until the late 1960's! When I' done here, Gravity Falls will be the pinnacle of modern society."
Cricket frowned worriedly.
…
"What are we doing here again?" Bea scratched her head with a wooden picket sign. She, Connor, Lolo, Joel, and Cricket were behind the library, and Cricket had made enough picket signs for everyone. Each had a strong message about keeping her favorite place open. She was determined to get the people on her side.
"We're picketing." She said simply, putting another sign in Bea's free hand and giving four to Joel. While she fitted him with an extra sign that went around his neck, Connor gently elbowed Bea's side to get her attention.
"I've been picketing before. I have many strong opinions. For example their decision to change Yoogle's logo? Insane. I picketed day and night for two weeks."
"You were at Yoogle headquarters for two weeks?" Bea asked in disbelief.
Connor laughed. "Oh pshh no! I don't have the time, money, or means to get there."
…
[Connor is stood in front of his computer with the Yoogle search page open holding a sign that says 'Yo Yoogle, not cool dude' and staring at his computer's face cam.]
…
"I went for the inexpensive route." He nodded.
"And the environmentally friendly route." Lolo commented. She curled in an edge of the thick construction paper from her sign out of boredom.
"How green." Said Bea. Cricket gathered her team and went out front to protest. Everyone was still crowded around Alastair's booth while he was inside, negotiating with the owners about demolishing their building.
And unfortunately, not many people listened to anything any one of them said. Cricket tried to get some of their attention by shouting a chant that the other picketers picked up on. But everyone's eyes were stuck to the RadPad screen.
With the sun beginning to set, the crowds thinned out and the picketers were left alone. Cricket and Joel were the only ones actually still holding their signs, while Bea Connor and Lolo had found a way to have the signs loop through their pants so they wouldn't have to hold them. They were each squatted down and busy making a drawing in the sand together of Maximum Man taking down seven bad guys at the same time. Cricket dropped her signs. It was nearing the end of September and it would be getting cold soon.
Alastair strode out of the public library with a certificate in hand. Looking straight ahead, he trampled Bea's drawing.
"Hey watch it! We worked on this for hours!" Bea protested. The rising dust clouded Connor's eyes as he was squatted down, and he fell back and landed on his back, rubbing his eyes.
Cricket set her last sign down, and Alastair turned around. "Oh, you're still here!" He said, pleasantly surprised. "Was there something else you wished to discuss together?" He asked, as if he was hoping for a particular answer in return.
Crick was bristling with anger. She wanted to yell at him for taking away her favorite place to go. She loved the sound the paper made when she turned the page, the smell of old and new novels and encyclopedias, the quiet atmosphere of people like her sharing in the same activity without physical exertion or conversation. She felt less like an outcast. But she couldn't find it in her to shout. She just wanted to go home. Shaking her head, he then handed her his card.
"Thanks." She muttered and he walked evenly out to the road, hands folded behind his back, where a black limousine picked him up. He watched her with interest as his window slowly rolled up.
Bea got up from her squat and kicked the dirt where Alastair had smudged her and her friend's hard work. "What a bust. Don't worry Crick, we're not done trying. I know how much the library means to you."
She sighed. "Yes we are. He has the go ahead to demolish the library, what else is there to do?" Bea didn't have an answer. She turned back to her friends for support, but they were lost too. Lolo folded her arms and Connor twiddled his thumbs. Bea wrapped an arm around her sister.
"Why don't you go say goodbye to it then?" She suggested solemnly. Cricket let out another big sigh.
"Yeah." She whispered. They all made their way to the library so Cricket could pay her last respects.
…
"You may not have been my library for long, but I probably spent more time here than anywhere else these last three months." She patted the check- out counter.
The middle age man on the other side scrunched up his nose at her. "Ma'am, we're about to close-"
Bea pushed herself across the counter and shushed him. "Don't interrupt her. This is a sensitive time."
"She's in mourning." Lolo clarified.
"Yeah, give her some room you monster." Connor added. The man eyed him and then Bea again, who pursed her lips seriously and stared him down until he gave and took some steps back. Joel lagged behind them.
Soon Cricket had moved on from the counter and the others followed. But the man stopped Joel. "Fine then. If you're staying, you lock up." He put on a dark brown jacket, a hat, and marched out.
Cricket walked through every corner, every isle, shoulders slumped. Bea stayed next to her with a comforting arm, but Lolo and Connor got caught up in the kids' section.
...
Lolo picked up a shiny orange book and gasped. "This was my favorite story as a little kid!"
"Really? What was it about?"
"It was this little girl who lost her kite and went all over following it."
She turned the page and the little girl indeed crossed multiple state lines following her kite.
"I think this story should have more to do with bad parenting." He observed.
"This right here was my childhood. Do you remember your favorite book?"
Connor shook his head. "I was a more TV shows kinda guy. I never really connected with books the way I connect with live characters."
"Oh yeah, now I remember. What a shame. Here, I'll show you." She plopped down on a squishy red kid's chair, and it made an audible squeak. Connor sat himself on the floor next to her. She was a perfect fit for the tiny chair.
…
Cricket combed through the teen angst vampire novel section.
Bea shivered. "Brings back some memories this spot."
"Yeah, but I'll still miss it."
"I know… hey do you hear that?"
"What? My heart breaking? Crunch." She lightly punched her chest.
"No it's more of a… a tiny sob." Bea's head turned this way and that, trying to pinpoint the direction of the tiny sobbing.
Cricket wiped her watering eyes with her sleeve and searched. A tiny voice reached out to her.
"Over here! You!" It came from a shelf at eye level. A book with a blonde vampire and shimmery skin was leaned over and from underneath it came a mouse sized man. He had a long pointy nose, leathery skin, pointed ears, and a brown top hat. His brow furrowed with worry. "You! Can you help us?"
Bea flipped around and gasped. "Holy exclamation!" She breathed.
"My apologies, I would not usually show myself to humans, but we are in dire need of assistance." He worked his hands anxiously, his voice gruff. The little man's feet pattered on the hard wood.
"What with?" Asked Cricket.
"Come with me." He turned around and made his way down the bookcase through a hidden network of ladders. Once on the floor, he pattered across through their legs and the girls had to be extra careful not to step on him. Two sections over in the Historical Fiction section, he climbed two shelves over and pushed a book off onto the floor. Behind it was the smallest house either of them had ever seen. A tiny wooden table, a Kleenex used as a couple of beds, and three other mouse sized people. One young woman with delicate features wearing a dress with an apron, and two young children. Bea tapped Cricket's shoulder and pointed across to another shelf. Countless small heads poked out from between books, some young, some old, and all of them scared.
"We are the Shelf Elves. This is our home." The elf gestured all around him. "The Historical Fiction section is the easiest to stay in because no one ever goes here, but we live all around."
"Isn't Historic Fiction your favorite kind of fiction, Crick?" Bea poked her playfully.
"I stand by the genre." She muttered.
"I bring you to my people's home because it is about to be destroyed. One of our own overheard a human say this."
"It's true!" Another elf piped up, a young man from the bottom shelf with light colored hair and blue clothing. "I overheard him making the deal! This place is about to be leveled!"
"We are ill- prepared to make the journey to find a new place to live. We have children who are too young to travel and elders whose joints ache. We need your help to keep this library open." He pleaded.
Bea gestured with her head for her sister to follow her. Out of ear shot, Bea very seriously said, "You have to help them."
"Bea, what can I do? I'm just a person."
"I know you're hurting, but we've overcome harder things in the past. Back home. If anyone can save this library, you can."
"… I think you're right."
She faced the elf once again. "This library will not close." A chorus of cheers erupted all around her. He extended his hand for her to take.
"Call me Poe." Deep creases marked his skin as he smiled. She took it in her thumb and index finger.
Elves around her cheered and hugged, and some threw confetti in the air. Bea celebrated with them and cracked open a bottle of tiny champagne for them, three Shelf Elves sat on her shoulder and another four on her head. The top hit a light fixture and cracked the bulb.
…
The next day Cricket's mind buzzed with excitement. She had a full- fledged plan ready.
"Unfortunately Joel actually has a job he has to go to, so it's just us." She paced back and forth behind her beloved establishment, Bea, Lolo, and Connor sat down in front of her. "So this is what we'll do-" She dragged her feet along the dirt, marking the ground with her idea. "You three are going to protest, and you're gonna protest hard. I know from experience that you're loud and know how to draw attention to yourselves."
"Wow. How did you know?" Asked Connor, who was wearing a shirt that said in big letters, Certified Class Clown. With a little decorative hat on top of the C in "Clown", and the O being a red nose.
"Bea," Crick continued, "I need you especially to keep an extra eye on the booth. Keep people away from the RadPads."
"That's what they're called?" Asked Connor, grinning. "Why does it make me want to buy one? Weird."
"Focus." Cricket begged, exasperated.
"What are you gonna do in all this?" Asked Bea.
"Um, great question. I got the feeling that Alastair thinks of me as a friend, so I'm gonna use his card to call him and see if I can get a closer look at his plans. Because see," She explained pointedly, "Every big corporation has a fatal flaw, a chink in their armor- like, like Yoogle, yesterday one of you said something about how they changed their logo and you didn't like it, right?" She nodded to them, trying to get them to understand.
"Ooh or like Bryson, that huge company that made chicken nuggets shaped like cartoon mouse heads? Turns out their nuggets? They're not made from all chicken." Said Lolo. "But they technically told everyone what else was in it with the nugget shape, so no one could sue."
"Yes, exactly my point. I want to expose his dirty secret, everyone has one. And when I do, no one will want his stupid technology." While Cricket gave her plan of action, she had been drawing inside a dirt box. One smaller box inside had three stick figures around it with exclamation points all around them, symbolizing the three protesters. The other box was bigger and two stick figures were inside. She circled the larger box and smiled. "That's where I'll go."
…
"I am absolutely ecstatic that you phoned me! We will have such a fine day today at my estate. Comfortable?" Alastair and Cricket were seated in the most expensive mint green jet plane possibly ever constructed. Cricket was splayed out in a heavily cushioned seat with cup holders on either side. Alastair was in a twin seat next to hers, her only line of defense being a small decadent coffee table in between them.
"I'm positive we will- is, is this seat cooling and heating my back at the same time?" Cricket squirmed, uneasy. She was not at all used to great luxury, it made her uncomfortable.
"Finest seats money can buy." He snobbishly stated.
"I can see that." Cricket took a look at the rest of the plane. Padded velvet walls, marble floor, a painter sat on a cushioned stool painting their portraits. His easel was probably made of silver.
"You might want to hold a smile for a bit, for the portrait." Alastair suggested, and Cricket managed to twist her lips into a constrained smile.
…
Bea held a firm hand on a megaphone with a rainbow- colored rim.
She had planted herself beside the RadPad booth, and gave anyone who dared go near it an earful. "Move along, citizens, nothing to see here!" She bellowed through the amplified megaphone. One man reached out to get at one of the tablets, and Bea smacked his hand away. He scrambled off.
Her two friends were stationed on either end of the library, each taping posters on nearby poles. Lolo had stayed up late marking balloons with the slogan 'Take Paper-Backs Back!'. She tied the first few to some railing, and was now busy tying some more to the flagpole. One slipped from her grasp and went sailing off.
"The balloon!" She gasped. Connor turned his head away from his work on a red poster. Lolo cried, "Dude this is just like the book with the girl and the kite! It's a sign, it's not a coincidence we found my favorite book yesterday! She wants me to catch that balloon."
"Follow your dreams, fulfill the prophecy!" Connor called to her, and she bolted after the balloon. He followed.
Meanwhile, Bea seethed into the amplifier. "Keeps your hands off the tablets!" A woman walked past her, honey brown hair wearing a pink kami and shorts, minding her own business as she read a hard cover novel. She jolted as Bea appeared in front of her. "Ma'am did you know the RadPads you see on that booth are the leading cause of blindness?" She spoke quickly and as formally as she knew how. "I have four scientific studies that prove this and I'll show you only I can't because I don't have them with me." A long silence while the two stared at each other, Bea exaggeratedly staring stone cold, and the woman shrinking away.
The woman began stammering a response, but Bea went on the defensive. "What you don't believe me? I will have you know that I have a degree in Scientific Studies from the Science University and you have my word that everything I say is- is factuous." She finished.
"Humph." The woman looked away from Bea and marched into the library.
"Another soldier recruited. You are too good." Bea mentally patted herself on the back. Wanting to see how her friends were doing, she surveyed the area they'd just been moments ago. But they were both gone.
"Hey guys?" She called, regaining her light tone and dropping her shoulders. No one answered.
"Better not leave my post. My cohorts have deserted me, yet duty calls my name. My task remains." She puffed out her chest and stared out solemnly. The same man from before reached the same hand out to try to get at the RadPads. Bea glanced at him, then did a double take. "Did you not just hear what I said? Touch that and go blind, I have a PhD for goodness sake!" He slunk away. Bea dropped the megaphone on the ground and it made a grinding sound when it hit the hard cement. She wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her jersey. "This is hard work. I hope Cricket's not having too much trouble wherever she is."
…
"No doubt you have heard of my estate before? The name 'Aldrich Industries" ring a bell?" Alastair led her through his lavish home. It was all she could do not to squint, everything in his enormous house was spotless and shining too bright for one not to go blind.
"I'm- I'm ashamed that it doesn't." Cricket got out before stopping to blink several times. Appealing to this piece of garbage required more self-restraint than she first thought.
"Ah, well, that matters not. You will know it once you leave. Come. My factory is just outside." They passed two arching stair cases, both gleaming gold, and two matching spires. Cricket's long gaze of awe was interrupted by a squawk at her feet. She jumped. Looking down, she saw a swan. Beautiful feathered white with black undertones, graceful slender neck with a mint green bow tied around it.
"Oh- yes, this is Ebenezer. Ebenezer, say hello to my guest of honor." Alastair patted Ebenezer's wing, and it squawked once again and pecked at Cricket's leg. Alastair chuckled a snooty chuckle. "Playful little thing isn't he?"
Even though it was a short walk from the back of his 'estate' to his factory, it was as decadent as everything else. Luscious green grass, neatly trimmed so not a single blade overlapped the smooth cobblestone path. A perfectly creepy statue of him holding Ebenezer in his arm, considerably taller and… more muscular than the real Aldrich.
Once in the factory, Cricket found herself in a room with one side all windows. Her feet stepping on the cold hard metal and producing an audible echo told her she was a ways from the ground. Looking down, she saw conveyer belt after conveyer belt rolling away. Hundreds of workers' gloved hands fiddled with incomplete versions of RadPads. A few on the far left held electrical wires and wore magnifying lenses around their heads to see the intricate maze of tiny copper lines.
Alastair met her, chest puffed out with pride. "This is just one of many factories located in Oregon. We are a fairly new company, and will eventually expand out of state. Do you like it?" He gazed at her expectantly.
She scrambled for the right words, but then centered herself. "It's fine." She found her angle: "But… I think I'd get a better understanding of why your industry is so great if I was able to know more about it. I dunno, maybe if I could go down there to see how these are made, maybe comb through the archives, documents, see where this all started?" More to herself she added, "Maybe find out that this factory was built over a home for orphan nuns?"
"What was that last part?"
"Nothing, I said nothing. I'm not sure, but I think I could be able to admire your success if I knew more about it."
Alastair's eyes widened. "You admire my success?" He looked down at the ground searching for words. "Then by all means, dig as much as you want."
…
Cricket had somehow gotten her tail to leave her alone for a bit. Alastair got caught up speaking to one of his advisors on the ground floor of his factory. Mr. Advisor wore a stylish mint green suit, just as his employer did. An eerie sensation dawned on her: everyone around her was smiling. The only reason she'd noticed is because Alastair's advisor was the only one with a blank expression on his dull face. Each worker on the conveyer belt worked tirelessly, and it was hot enough for Cricket to be sweating, yet no one around her was.
"Why is everything he owns color- coded?" She muttered as she explored the numerous pathways of the factory. The workers on either side of her ignored her and went about their daily jobs. All of them also wore the same shade of green aprons and hats. Eerie.
"Excuse me." A voice behind her said cheerfully. One worker was carrying a box of miscellaneous equipment inside and waited patiently for her to step aside. When she did, she thought of a few questions.
"Could I bother you for a bit?" She asked.
"Oh sure! I have plenty of time." He said, now walking alongside her. She followed him until he stopped, setting his box down on a long table at the far edge of the vast room. It was as good a time to start as any.
"What can you say about your employer?"
"Who, Mr. Aldrich? Oh he's splendid. Best job I've ever had, for sure!" His Minnesota accent helped with his joyful tone.
"Yeah? And how about the hours?"
"Reasonable as any. I have plenty of time left over to spend time with my lovely wife and kids."
"And the pay?"
"Well above minimum, it was a miracle I found Mr. Aldrich."
The way he referred to Alastair as "Mr. Aldrich" was funny. This man was well into his forties and yet his employer had barely even started puberty. He took a peek at his watch.
"Ooh, break time! Would you like to accompany me to the break room?"
"Okay." Cricket wanted to see if maybe conditions weren't as great elsewhere. But she was dead wrong.
Through magnificent double doors was a spacious break room with an L- shaped leather couch, a fully- equipped kitchen, an HD flat screen television, an aquarium built into the wall, and six other workers, mint green aprons hung on a coat rack next to her.
"Come sit and watch the game!" One of them offered Cricket a seat next to her. She politely took the offer, but flinched as soon as her backside touched the expensive leather couch.
"What's with expensive seats and temperature?"
"I know right?" One of the workers piped up, and Cricket whipped her head around to hear him better. A complaint?! A negative emotion amidst all of the sickening positivity? "Best my butt's felt in a long time!" Nope.
"I can no longer tell whether it wants be to be warm or cool." She muttered.
…
Finally away from the overly nice employees in the breakroom, she focused herself more on the history of this little creep's establishment. In yet another seat, in a well-lit and fancy room in his incomprehensively behemoth house, that was determined to defy the laws of thermodynamics and keep her backside both well above and well below freezing, she immersed herself in every document he could possibly cough up.
The paper she was currently reading was held up to eye level as she read the fine print. There must be something he's hiding. He kicked a puppy. Spit on an old person. Everything's too perfect. The next paper she flipped to had a picture of his father shaking hands with the old owner of the warehouse that he converted into the factory. The caption underneath underlining all of the technicalities of the transaction were squeaky clean.
A hand brought the paper down away from Crick's prying eyes. Alastair was leaning in close to her.
"I was thinking you may want to talk a bit. Tell me about yourself."
Cricket set the papers down. "Okay… I like studying-"
"Oh, not here my dear. Come with me."
Together they made their way to the roof. Atop his house was another luscious garden with a sanded cobblestone path that led to a mahogany table. A butler stood motionless with one hand behind his back and the other holding out an extravagant array of food. He daintily set the tray in the middle of the table and left the two alone. The sun began to set over the horizon.
Cricket took her seat, and Alastair his. She fidgeted, itching to get back to her investigation. Alastair took her hand in his, and she flinched, but controlled the urge to jerk her arm away. I need him to like me.
"This has been a most wonderful evening. I don't get many visitors to my estate, you're one of the first who isn't out to get me."
"I am?" Cricket cocked her head. "Who- who's out to get you?"
"Oh, just people here and there. Anyways, tell me about you. I want to get to know you better."
"Ah, well… I'm majoring in anthropology." Cricket stole a glance at the setting sun. Her day was already over. She was too late.
"Oh anthropology! Most interesting isn't it? The history of mankind and their rise to power over all other beings…" Alastair went on in a soliloquy, but Cricket stopped listening.
…
Bea sprawled herself out on a chair in the children's section. Shouting and running around all day took a toll on her, especially now that she'd taken over her two deserting friends' jobs on top of her own. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them again she was met with a small head peering at her upside down. It was the little scout that had overheard the deal between Aldrich and the library owners. He'd introduced himself as Lewis. She sat up and the elf fell from her head onto her open palm.
"How ya doin'?" He asked.
She signed exaggeratedly. "Not good. I'm already exhausted and if Crick doesn't find any dirt on Mr. Mint Green Jerk then… the whole thing's dunzo."
"Not good, not good. When I heard them talking the other day, they set the date for the library to be bulldozed tomorrow." He squeaked. A small voice piped up from the shelf above her.
"You mean… there's nothing else you can do?" The voice came from Poe's daughter, Mary. In her arms was a baby Shelf Elf wrapped in green cloth.
"I didn't say that, I didn't say that! You're better than this, Bea, think!" She raised her eyebrows. "Connor told me all about his protests. Now, I can neither deny or confirm that he's done this himself because he once said he fit 13 jumbo marshmallows in his mouth and still said 'chubby bunny', but he told me one of his tactics was to chain yourself to the actual building so they can't physically tear it down. I mean-" She backtracked. "Unless they're psycho murderers, they won't. But what are the odds of that, right?" Bea got up and stretched. "If Crick isn't back until it's too late, it won't matter. This building isn't going down. You can count on it."
…
Cricket was flown to Gravity Falls once more. What she hadn't grasped when she'd flown for the first time is that she'd left the city to a remote part of the woods. Once she was within city borders, she boarded the first bus that would take her home. The sun had set, and it was nearing seven pm.
In the bus she took the first good look at the goody bag Alastair had given her. The 'goody bag' was more of a goody basket, a very beautiful one at that. Why did it have to be so pretty? She thought with a heavy heart. She unwrapped the package and examined the contents. A RadPad, of course, with a bow of a familiar color tied around it. A few other tablets of varying sizes.
Intrigued, she poked around deeper into the package and removed what appeared to be a watch with a tiny touch screen on it. Useless. She decided with an amused snort.
…
Someone shouting woke her from her snooze half an hour later. The bus was passing the public library. Someone was stood right outside the double doors. Were those chains?! Whoever they were, they wore a familiar green jersey and had fiery red hair.
"Bea?!" She launched herself out of her seat, remembering last second to take her goody basket with her. "Stop the Bus!"
The bus jarred to a halt, causing Cricket to lose her footing and careen forward. She was out in the next minute and running to the double doors.
"Bea what the heck, what are you doing?" She wanted to be and sound angry, but sounded and was amused more than anything.
"I'm protesting like you asked." She answered, voice mostly gone from said vigorous protesting.
"I know that, but why aren't you home? It's late." Cricket pulled at one of the chains. It wasn't coming loose.
"Eh, I lost the key." Bea pointed. "Down that pipe over there." The pipe she was pointing to was a good thirty feet away, at the edge of the road.
"How do you lose a key that far away?" She rubbed her temples. Good ole Bea.
Bea shrugged with a small absent- minded smile. "How'd your diggin' go?"
Cricket sat down and covered her face with her palms. "Fruitless. I couldn't do it. He's clean. Did you know the breakroom even has caviar?" She lifted a mint green baggie with left overs she had had for lunch. "It's not that great though, really."
"Surprising. Well no matter. Bea's got this this time." Bea did her best to pat Crick on the shoulder through the chains. "Pat pat." She strained. A Shelf Elf climbed on Bea's shoulder from a hidden space in her jersey. It was Lewis.
"Beautiful night. Whatcha got in the bag?" He asked.
"Leftover caviar." Said Cricket somberly.
"Eh, eh." Lewis extended his arms and open and closed his hands, staring at the bag. Cricket handed it to him, buried her face in her arms, and he got to munching. In between swallows, he said, "Never had caviar before. Read about it. Never had it. Top notch food for a last meal."
"Hey don't think like that!" Bea said, yawning. She sang, "Every li-ttle thing, is gonna be al-right." And with one finger drew Lewis' cap over his eyes.
He fixed his hat and sat down on her shoulder, chomping down on another fish egg.
Cricket reopened her eyes and found Poe and Mary standing next to her, as well as a number of others huddled together. She felt a pang of regret and guilt.
"We were not meant for open spaces, we are too easily made prey." Fretted the old elf Poe, not meeting Cricket's eyes. "Our kind will not survive without our home."
Mary hugged her infant close and dug her face into Poe's chest. He held her tight. Together they led the elves back inside to share in one last night as a community.
And together they watched the star-speckled night sky until they fell asleep, Cricket resting her head on her knees and Bea limp and being held up by the chains with Lewis' bulging full stomach still on her shoulder, each breath causing metal to grind on metal, adding a soft white noise to lull them all into a deep sleep.
…
The hard grind of aging rusting metal and the groan of an overworked engine filled the dawn sky. Cricket blinked several times to focus her vision. She combed her hair back with her fingers and stood up. As soon as she was upright, every hair on the back of her neck stood up. Yellow caution tape traced the property's borders. Orange flag markers dotted the fence the tape created. And men and women in orange vests directed tractors towards the front doors.
"Hey Crick," Bea yawned. "Could you get me another blanket? My bed is lumpy." Dark- ringed eyes closed, Bea shuffled around to try to find a more comfortable position.
Lewis turned over in his sleep, miraculously not falling off Bea's shoulder as she moved around. "Yeah, get me one too if ya don't mind."
"That'll be sort of difficult." Crick said, focusing on the events unfolding around her. "Wait here." She ordered flatly and started for the nearest orange vests.
"No need to ask me twice." Bea went limp again instantaneously, having dozed off.
Cricket combed through for someone in particular. There was one person wearing a vest who was considerably shorter and more arrogant- looking than the rest. He smiled widely at her, that stupid gap between his teeth glaring her in the face. "Oh, wonderful! You have come to watch me make history today."
"No I haven't." Cricket corrected him. She was done trying to be nice to him. She took a few deep breaths, and faced the other orange vested people. "Everyone! Aldrich should not be allowed to bulldoze this library. It… it means a whole lot to a whole lot of people." She hid the fact that by 'people' she meant both book- lovers as well as Shelf Elves. "It's a community. My community. Where people from all different classes and creeds can come together to share in an experience. Not in the comfort of everyone's individual homes, on a dim soulless screen." Aldrich's smile disintegrated, replaced by an evil glare. Cricket's palms started sweating now that everyone from the block was listening to her speech. "And if it's torn down, somewhere, a little lonely girl who always wished she could be a part of something for once… well she'll be broken hearted." She paused, taking in the fact that she'd just described her childhood to a bunch of strangers. She clenched her sweaty fists, lips pursed. Now for the cherry on top. "And why? Because this- this person right here," She pointed a finger at Aldrich. "Wanted some extra space for his RadPad."
A long silence dragged out over the entire block. Everyone stood still. Even the bystanders beyond the yellow tape. Alastair broke the silence.
"My dear," He laughed, "you're too late. Don't get me wrong, that was an honorable speech, but your judgment is clouded. You said it yourself, you admire my success. Please, ladies and gentlemen, ignore the lady. She is delirious." He snapped his fingers and two orange vests appeared on either side of Cricket. They lifted her into the air. "Pedestrians should stay behind the caution tape, my dear. It is dangerous." He blew her a kiss, but his eyes betrayed his words. Steely and cold. Cricket batted the air, scrunching her nose in disgust at the thought of any form of kiss from him getting anywhere near her.
"No, listen to me! He- he's a cheat! He's about to commit genocide!" The words tumbled out before she could bite her tongue. But Cricket was desperate. The orange vests carried her beyond the caution tape and would not let her through again. She craned her neck to get a look at the impending destruction for herself.
…
Aldrich dusted his suit off under the peasant vest he had draped on and readjusted the orange hat on his head. The neon color of the vest was mild compared to his red infuriated face.
A groggy voice calmed down the tension- filled atmosphere. "Crick? Where did you go? And where's my blanket?"
Alastair turned his attention over to the girl with fiery red hair who was chained to the doors. "It's the 'artist' who yelled at me over dirt. Certainly don't need any of those in my new store." He muttered deviously. "And we are fresh out of bolt cutters. Tisk tisk tisk. How unfortunate. Manny!" He yelled.
A very short orange vest was at his side the next second. "Manny," Alastair continued, "I want you to be the first kick to the sandcastle."
The orange vest's eyes watered. "It… would be my honor-"
"Just do it before I change my mind." Aldrich snapped at him.
The little man climbed aboard one of the yellow tractors. It had a long mechanical arm with eight bulky claws that clamped closed with the force of a 108.3 gallon engine. It roared to life, smoke spewing out of its three exhaust pipes, which coughed out the dark grey and brown fog like it was sick. It lurched forward, heaving. Alastair had chosen Manny for a very good reason: He was not tall enough to see what was in front of him. In the demolition part one did not have to necessarily be precise, so a great view was not a priority. And how convenient that the driver of the death truck couldn't see the person he was about to squash. No one, no one was to stand in the way of the generously dubbed ramshackle being annihilated.
…
Bea's stomach growled. It was loud enough to wake her up and pat her stomach, unaware of both the cold metal loops wrapped around her and her impending doom.
She yawned, stretching out. "Hey Crick, ask Uncle C what's for breakfast, would ya? I had a rough night, everything hurts." She rotated one of her wrists to try to get it to pop.
"Who's that?" Asked Lewis, scratching his potbelly.
"He's this guy owns the apartments we're staying at. Pretty cool I guess-"
"No I mean who are all those people…? Oh no!" He jumped to his feet. "Aw jeez, it's happening. Wake up!" Lewis slapped Bea across the face, and her eyes fluttered open.
"Wha- hey! What's with the violence? Not cool dude." She got ready to flick him.
"No! Look!"
Bea directed her attention to the giant yellow excavator headed straight for her. "Hey! Excuse me? Excuse me, driver dude? I'm here still! Driver dude?" She fought for her voice to reach his ears. To reach anyone's ears. The machine rumbled along despite her calls.
"It's hopeless, he can't hear me!"
"Yeah, unless he can an' he's that psychopath you talked about!" Lewis spat. "'What're the odds'!"
"I've made a terrible mistake!" Bea cried and wrenched herself sideways. Nothing budged. Lewis dug himself in her jersey.
…
Alastair watched coolly, arms crossed, almost looking bored.
"Mr. Aldrich! Mr. Aldrich!" A man with a high- pitched voice, a moustache, and a hat called to him. He had the most innocent big eyes and long lashes.
"Mayor Cutebiker!" Aldrich straightened his back and shook his hand, eyeing his sash that read "Mayor of Gravity Falls".
"Do you think I could geet a looksee at your new product before it hits the stores?" The mayor batted his eyelashes.
"Absolutely." Alastair said, pulling out the spare RadPad he always kept in his back pocket and handing it to the mayor. The powerfully bright rising sun reflected off of the Pad's sleek screen and shot into the mayor's eyes.
"Ah, my eyes! I can't see!" He shielding himself with an arm, RadPad falling to the dirt. Tears streamed down his face, and the last sentence resonated with the crowd.
"I- I apologize profusely, Mr. Mayor! Bad luck. Perhaps you want to enjoy it under some shade instead, it is quite bright out this lovely morning."
"Hey! That scientist girl was right!" "
"RadPads make you blind!"
"I'm not touching one of those!"
"He got the mayor!"
The crowd behind the yellow tape grew restless. Even the orange vests murmured amongst themselves. They let their guard down enough for one lanky girl to slip past them and haul it towards the double doors.
"Mr. Mayor please, do not listen to the bystanders."
But mayor Cutebiker wanted their input. The man who had tried to snatch a tablet the other day shouted over the others. "She told me herself, RadPads cause blindness! Where is that courageous scientist? She had a PhD and everything!"
"Where's that scientist!" Some began to chant. It caught on within seconds.
"Stop that!" Fumed Alastair. The chanting grew louder. "Stop it I said!"
…
"Where's that scientist! Where's that scientist!" Even with the entirety of the block chanting with all of their might, the growling of the excavator's engine drowned them out to the ears of Cricket and Bea. Bea had shrunk away from the oncoming yellow death machine, which was now only feet from her. Chunks of cracked and dug up cement littered the floor, along with handfuls of dirt that spewed in every direction. The tiny rocks stung Cricket's eyes. She had one hand on a chain, and the other on one of the excavator's headlights, elbow locked to try and make it stop. Her arm gave easily from her lack of muscle mass, and the machine grumbled forward. She resorted to using her legs to make a barrier between it and her sister. Her legs were soon pushed up against her chest. Pieces of broken ceiling above them cracked and tumbled down over the girls' heads.
Cricket could no longer breathe. The excavator's deadly metal body was squashing her. But with a loud and ear splitting screech… it braked. Then retracted half a foot. The engine slowed to a deep and rumbling growl, and turned off.
"Where's that scientist! Where's that scientist!"
Cricket's legs hit the ground once more, shaking. She heard the chanting.
"What scientist?" She muttered with a shaky breath. "Wait here." She ordered her sister.
"Like I'm going anywhere." Bea said, gulping.
Checking to see if the excavator was truly harmless now (It was, Manny had left the driver's seat), she headed for the chanting people.
"No! Have you all gone insane?! My technology does not have the capabilities to blind anyone!" Alastair looked about ready to tear his hair out. The Mayor was speaking to the orange vests in a bubbly yet stern tone. Cricket walked by them both to speak to the man leading the protest.
"Excuse me. What do you mean by 'where's that scientist'?" She asked politely, concrete dust cascading down her hair and clothes.
The man stopped chanting. "y'know, that one with the megaphone and the PhD. She's a hero! Warning everyone about the dangers of RadPads."
"… What did she look like?"
"Red hair, green jacket. Do you know where she is?" He questioned.
Cricket eyed the double doors, blocked by the excavator. "Give me some bolt cutters and I think I can find her for you."
Out of the blue, Bea's two friends shouldered through the crowd. Each was more tanned than usual, hair matted and one's eyes were red- rimmed. Connor was wearing dramatically different clothes than before: Blue Hawaiian shirt, flip flops and khakis. Lolo had a snorkel and goggles around her neck, pins from Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, ect., pinned all over her shirt. She had a dirty red, mostly- deflated balloon tied around her wrist.
Connor took off his glasses, revealing the skin underneath to be many shades lighter than the rest of him.
"We're back. What'd we miss?" He said, eyes squinting.
"And where's that scientist, by Asimov!" Barked Lolo. "Haha," She dissolved into giggles. "I don't know what's going on."
…
After Bea spoke to the crowd about who RadPads caused blindness, Mayor Cutebiker ordered that nono store was to be built to sell any of his technology, a very angry Alastair Aldrich stalked off, cursing their names every step of the way, three showers and a change of clothes, the girls returned to the library. Bea yammered on about their most recent adventure to her tan- lined friends. Cricket let her wander off to the children's section to retell their story, while she met with the Shelf Elves.
"Because of you, my people will live another day. Thank you." Poe stood atop a high stack of books, surrounded by the rest of the community.
They cheered, and Crick's cheeks turned red. "Aww, well… the sun did most of the work there."
Mary broke through the crowd. "Is there anything, anything at all that we could do for you?"
"…Well…" Mused Cricket. She drummed her fingers on the worn surface of the Journal.
…
Alastair threw open the door to his mansion, face as red as a cherry. One shade brighter, and smoke would be coming out of his ears.
He smacked a mint green and white beautifully- crafted vase, and it shattered on the floor.
"Master Aldrich, would you enjoy a cool refreshing beverage?" His butler held out a tray with an extravagant pink colored drink. Alastair slapped the tray out of his hands.
"Clean that up and then do not talk to me. Keep everyone out of my study!" He ordered. "I have a tiny bit of business in the factory to attend to first." He stomped through the garden separating his mansion and the factory.
Alastair threw open the doors. The atmosphere was cheerful. Everyone still smiled, workers milling in and out of the breakroom. "Everyone! Get back to work! No breaks! The ruse is over, don't you know, you imbeciles!" His nostrils flared. The mint green- aproned workers hurriedly found their spots in the hot building. "Double time!" He shouted, and a strand of his platinum blond hair waved over his eyes.
In his study, guarded by his right hand butler, he pushed the clutter off the surface of his elegant mahogany desk including numerous forms, pencils, pens, pictures, two suede jackets and leather one, and a fedora. He ran his hand through his hair to fix it and unlocked a secret compartment on the bottom shelf. He took out a cluttered file and opened it. Inside was an archive. Red dashes were scribbled across pictures of supernatural beings. He studied the blurry picture of a Shelf Elf that had been caught scurrying across two rows of books. He circled it with a fat red marker.
"This isn't over." He growled and slammed the marker down on the picture, mutilating the elf's blurry face. "You won this time, filth," he seethed at it, "But mark my words. By the time I am finished with you, there will not be a trace of any of you left."