It was Wednesday Morning & every Comic Book Geek worth their Longboxes knows that this day of the Week is when that week's new Comics come out. Almost like clockwork, one of Forbidden Planet's regulars makes her way in through their front door, which was plastered with a poster for the one of the Big Companies' Massively Overblown Major Crossovers in which if you don't read every book, you'll be lost until the trade comes out.
"Sorry I'm late." She said looking back over her shoulder as she came in. "I think the Barissta across the street hates me. I don't see why? So, I don't like have smiley faces, hearts, swirls, etc. drawn into the foam on top? Does that make me a bad person?" The Woman, Catherine Gillespie, said as she set down the cardboard carrying tray onto the counter (taking care to no place it on to an valuable mechanize).
She pushed the hood on her black well-worn Hoodie (it's now frayed & kind of grey in color now). She shook out her raven hued hair a bit, it with his light blue highlights shined a bit under the halogen lighting. She took off her shoulder olive drab messenger bag (put it down on the counter next to the Coffee) & unzipped her coat to reveal the nerdy shirt underneath (This one was hyping the now defunct BBC Radiophonic Workshop).
"So, what's good this week?" she ask as she pulled a small white paper bag out one of the outer pockets of her bag. The paper bag contained cookies. She pulled out one rather large cookie & took a bit.
Now, Catherine had done all this before noticing that the Owner, most of the employees' & customers' were standing around a rather odd looking gentleman. At least Catherine thought it was a Gentlemen due to the fact that we was all Claude Rains'd out. His head was wrapped up in bandages & had sunglasses over his eyes, he had white gloves on his hands & was also wearing a quite dashing three piece suit. Seeing such a suit like that in a place like Forbidden Planet Comics was almost disconcerting. Catherine did notice that the Man appeared to be leaking some type of jell beneath the bandages.
Catherine noticed that people were looking at her like she had just said that Rob Liefeld was best Artist ever! She gave a sheepish half smile, turned slightly away from the group & continued to eat her cookie hoping they'd stop looking at her. As she ate, she flipped through a random comic on the counter.
The group went back to their conversation with the man. Catherine out of the corner of her eye could see Store Owner, J.J. Adams, pick up a box & hand it to the gentleman. He gave a slight nod of the head & seemed to fold out of sight: Box, Suit, Bandages & all.
A few seconds later, the store returned to normal. Customers were back to the racks, Employees' went back to their jobs & J.J. went over to the counter. Once there, he picked up on of the Coffee cups, he took a sip & said "Ah! Good old plain black Coffee. Nothing added, nothing needed."
Catherine looked up from her Comic, Commander Canada was fighting radioactive giant glowing Beavers who were controlled by Dr. Quebec.
"Was that who I think it was?" She asked.
"Who do you think it was?" J.J. asked.
"The Manga Shoggoth?"
"Then yes. Yes, it was. He was picking up his weekly supply of Imports, Manga, Anime, you know the stuff. I know he's an elder creature who could easily just separate a piece of his bio-mass & sent that on over their to get in person, but It's know he goes local. Now, I'm not sure If I just interact with a small bio-mass chunk but I don't really care. I wouldn't mind interacting with his assistant more often." J.J. said with a look of arousal on his face. He smiled a wide smile & winked at Catherine. She rolled her eyes.
"Oh. Be careful. He left a bit of residual goo on the floor so don't slip in it or anything. I might be able to get good money on eBay for an undisturbed piece of a super hero."
"Sure." Catherine dead panned as he took another bite of her Cookie. She made sure not to get any crumbs on the book.
"So, how's life?"
"Fine." Catherine said with a bit of cookie style in her mouth.
"How's the Boytoy?"
"Chad?" She said after she swallowed.
"Fine, I guess. Haven't seen him in a few days, his roommate has been hogging all his time."
"Sound like you've got competition for his affection." J.J. mocked.
"No! Ew. Sick. Ronnie is not Gay" Catherine shot back, paused & then said "At least not to the best of my knowledge."
Just then a familiar sound to all fan's of a British Sci-Fi show could be heard.
"Crap! The T.A.R.D.I.S. is coming here & the store looks like... well, crap!" J.J. said franticly.
"Calm down." Catherine said. "It's just my cell, I have the materization sound set as my ringtone."
J.J. took a few deep cleansing breaths as Catherine answered the Call.
"Hello?"
"Hello?" a voice whispered on the other end.
"Hello!" Catherine said cheerfully.
"Keep you voice down. Is this Catherine?" The voiced whispered.
"A Catherine, but not The Catherine." Catherine said in hushed tone.
"This is Ronnie & I need your help!"
"Am I your only hope?"
"Probably."
"Ta Roxor!" Catherine said as she flashed the Devil horns with her other hand. J.J. returned the sign with his tongue stuck out. Catherine smiled & laughed a bit.
"What?" Ronnie yelled & whispered at the same time.
"It's Net speak. Moving On... So, why have you called me today on this of most wonderful of Wednesdays?"
"You know where the Goth Haven Wally-World is?"
"Isn't that the Navy Blue & Grey Blight right off I-666, just before the Radioactive Wasteland?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Me & Chad are currently tied to well crafted & cheaply priced wooden Chairs in what we think is a back room?"
"And why do you think this?"
"Because Me & Chad were at said store buying Toilet Paper before being assaulted by a legion of elderly people. We woke up in this storage room."
"How are you called me if your tied up?"
"I'm leaning against a table with Jane's Cell Phone laid on it's side..."
Catherine interrupted "Is it on Speaker mode?"
"Yes. So, keep it down."
"Alright." Catherine said quietly. "So, why do you have Jane's phone?"
"It was the only phone we have at the moment."
"Is Jane there?"
"Yes."
"Did she need T.P.?"
"No. She came after repeated callings. She thought we were joking."
"So, you had her phone before & called her from it?"
"No."
"Then how did you call her?"
"I keep an emergency phone stashed in one of my coat pockets under all the Jelly Beans."
"How... Sanitary."
"Yes. So, could you get us?"
Before Catherine could answer, the sound of doors swinging open were heard.
"Hey! What are you doing?" someone said.
Ronnie stumbled over a few words for a few moments, footsteps could be heard, the phone being picked up.
"Hello? Hello?" a gruff voice said. Catherine didn't respond.
"NO PHONES!" the voice yelled.
Just before the line went dead, Ronnie yelled out something about Red Lights.
Catherine hung up.
"Hmmmm..." she said to herself.
"What's up?" J.J. asked.
"Trouble." Catherine said as he put her bag back on.
"Ok. Your Books will be waiting for you went you get back."
"Thanks."
Before he was out the door, J.J. asked. "We still on for D&D on Saturday?"
"Of Course! Only the end of the World or a retroactive reconning of the Game could keep me away"
And Catherine was off to save her boyfriend, his longtime friend, his ex-girlfriend & a hamster from the grips of Wally-World!
---------------
TO BE CONTINUED!
Posted from U.S. Network using Apple Safari/MacOS X
