Greetings to my glorious band! Saturday has arrived at last in the merry Land of Eng and my sister and her husband and son have come home for the weekend! The sun is shining, even if it is freezing outside, we just had my Mum's should-be-world-famous pancakes for breakfast and another chapter of Amy is about to be lowered from the shelves for your entertainment! Let us proceed!
Chapter 9
Splat
"Uh Splat? They’ve been gone a while… don’t you think you should follow them?"
"Abe said 20 minutes."
"Yeah, but… You know, they might be in trouble?"
"Oh fine."
I headed a few metres down the passage until I was out of Alf’s hearing range and sat down against the wall. Alf worried too much. If Abe said 20 minutes, I’d go in 20 minutes. Still, sitting here silently was more comfortable than standing around Munch’s body with Alf silently. He didn’t seem eager to say much. I wasn’t eager to make him. After making Munch think I was some helpless kid…
At that point, Abe came running past. "You and Alf haven’t been arguing have you?"
"Not recently? Why?"
"Then why aren’t you waiting with him?"
"He told me to come after you."
"Then why didn’t you?"
"You said wait 20 minutes first."
Munch’s snoozer came running round the corner. "Hey Mouse-mat."
"Hey Half Pint, what you up too?"
"Running away. What’s it look like?"
"Who from this time?"
"The guys from Tourist Information."
"Munch managed to wonder in front of a security camera while I was reading the map." Abe explained. "The guys at the other end apparently knew a snoozer shouldn't be hanging around in the middle of the corridor.
"Heh. Subtle as ever Munch." I stood up. "Looks like its time to party."
"Abe rolled his eyes. "You 2 can stay back here and hold em off. I’ll go save Alf and see if we can find somewhere to hide. They’ll probably think we’ve run off."
"Good, I could use some exercise. Ready Short stuff?" I called up shred power.
"You bet Finger-face."
"You’ve used that one already."
"Oh yeah…"
Abe gave us a look that blatantly said he didn’t think leaving us alone was such a great idea. Then shaking his head, he turned and ran back towards the entrance.
"So where are these sligs Fuse box?"
"They weren’t to far behind us. There’s a lot of em. You sure you can handle it Spider-mud?"
"That’s weak Munch. Very weak." There was a clatter up ahead.
A voice yelled, "OUCH!"
"Oh yeah," Answered a definite slig voice, "Real subtle Gar."
"See, I told you they were close." Munch informed me.
"Let’s go then. First to fifty wins. You loose if you get killed. Ready… set…"
A slig stumbled round the corner. Spotting us, he opened his mouth to scream. Then he died.
"That one didn’t count Munch, I haven’t sad go yet."
"You just did then."
"I know." Another slig appeared and I shredded him.
"One nil to me!"
Abe
"Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!!!" Munch’s less than pleased voice sounded from near the entrance.
"What’s up Munch?" Alf asked as he came running up behind us, normal body restored.
"I was on 44! Forty-flippin-four! And splat was only on 36! Then this idiot slig came up behind us and shot my snoozer in the head."
"Yeah, whatever Munch." I said dismissively, "We were just trying to decide whether you could fit through that vent."
Munch looked up at the small opening at the top of the wall. "I could, but I’m not going to."
"Why not?" Alf said, sounding uncharacteristically frustrated.
"Well, 1, it’s too cliché. 2, it’s tiny, and 3, I’ve seen this movie; grey dude always dies first!"
You only have to go 5 metres to the next corridor Munch. Alf, give him a leg-up. I’ll go tell Splat we’ve found an escape," And headed up the passage to Splat
Over the sounds of yelling sligs, firing guns and screeching Splat, I made myself heard. "Splat? We’ve found an exit."
"Ok, I’ll be with you in a minute, just head back down and b ready to show me.
"I ran back down to where Alf was hopping nervously from one leg to the other and boosted him into the vent. A few seconds later Splat came running, looking tired, scratched and very pleased with himself. "Here, through the vent. You’ll have to give me a leg-up."
"Fine." Seconds later Splat had bunged me into the passage. My face was crammed into Alf’s kicking feet and Splat was shoved in behind me as the sound of several sligs running past below us flooded the tine vent.
"What’s the hold up Alf?"
"Munch’s got himself stuck."
Then a particularly muffled voice: "Go back Alf, GO BACK!"
I called past Alf, "Munch, if we go back Splat’ll land in the middle of the sligs."
There were a few seconds of silence except for the sounds of a confused troop of sligs running up and down the corridor we’d left. "It wouldn’t be a great loss…"
I sighed and said quietly, hoping Munch wouldn’t here. "Splat? Alf? On the count of three we all shove as hard as we can."
"Oh no you don’t Abe!"
"Oh yes we do Munch! THREE!"
Splat rammed me forward, I shoved into Alf and suddenly we were flying froward through the vent and then through empty air before landing on a heap in an empty corridor.
"See that wasn’t so bad was it?" I said, climbing off of Alf.
"I think you guys fractured my skull," Munch moaned, sitting up.
Splat leapt to his feet. "HA! 76 Munch, AND you got killed! Beat that!"
I've also made another attempt at chapter 8. Munch's bit has been improved and I'll update it as soon as I get the formatting sorted out for this chapter. Tell me what you think, 2 RELEVANT replies by next weekend and I should be able to update again. Tell me what you think and I'll tell you what comes next!
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