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Part 2... the horror continues.

        The waves lapped against the beach, breaking over their feet
        as they walked along the shoreline.

TOM: Later, marine biologists found that every sea creature within a
5-mile radius was dead.

        Jon picked up a smooth pebble and lobbed it towards the sea.  

MIKE: Look out for that ship! ...oo, good shot.
TOM: Wow, it's going down fast.
CROW: I can just make out its name -- T...I...T...A...N...I... drat,
it's gone.

        It skipped once, and sank.

MIKE: What did that pebble ever do to you?!

        Although the sky had been threatening rain all day, they had
        decided to talk on the beach.  There was no telling when they
        would be able to walk on the beach again, and by then the
        property might belong to someone else.  Feeling reckless, they
        had discarded their shoes and socks and rolled up their jeans
        to wade in the incoming tide.  

CROW: Yeah, that's what yuppies would consider reckless.

        The cool water and rough sand massaged their feet, soothing away the
        soreness accumulated during the day.

TOM: Calgon, take me away... from this story!!!

        The sun was settling into the ocean, turning the clouds and
        water all shades of red and gold, and setting the sky on fire.
         The world was bathed in a warm orange glow.

MIKE: Actually, God had spilled his Tang.

        Feeling both comfortable and awkward in each other's presence,
        they walked in silence.  Close, but not touching.  

CROW: Because SOMEONE forgot their Secret Sure Dry.

        A breeze blew in from the sea, ruffling their hair.  Jessica
        shivered involuntarily as the cool air touched her skin.  Jon
        put an arm around her shoulders.  She looked up at him.  Their
        eyes met, and locked.

TOM: They should really do something about finding that key.

        "Wasn't this where we left off?" she smiled at last, slipping
        her arm around his waist.  

        "I think so."  Jon returned her smile.

        "Okay."  Jessica said.  "So where were we?"

MIKE: Trying to get to the end of this story!

        Jon pretended to ponder, although the moment was engraved in
        his mind. 

ALL: Liar, liar, pants on fire!

         "Let's see... first I said 'Jessie,' and then you said 'Jonny,' ...
         and then the Beach Boys started singing 'Surfing USA.'"

CROW (as Jon): Ha ha! Aren't we pathetic?

        Jessica laughed quietly.  "No distractions now," she said.

ALL start making distracting noises.
MIKE (waving arms in the air): Hey! Over here!
TOM: Woo hoo! 
CROW: Yo!!! Whassup? Whassup? 

        "None," Jon agreed.  "So...Jessie..."  He looked at her. 
        "What color are your eyes?"

        "What?"  She was caught off-guard.

TOM (loudly): WHAT... COLOR... ARE... YOUR... EYES?!!

        "Your eyes," he repeated.  "They've been on my mind for years.
         I could never figure out what color they are."

        She raised an eyebrow.  "Well...I always thought they were
        green," she said slowly, still trying to figure out where this
        was going.

MIKE: You're not the only one, lady.

        "No... not green exactly," he mused.  "Sometimes they're blue.
         And sometimes, like now..." he gazed into her eyes, 
        "...they're blue and green at the same time.  Aquamarine,
        almost.  Like the ocean."

TOM: ...Spray.

        Something occurred to Jessica then.  "Let me get this
        straight," she said.  "You've been wondering about the color
        of my eyes for -- *years?*"

CROW: Can we say obsessive?

        "Ever since we were kids," Jon replied.

        "Oh," she said.  And then, "OH." as realization finally dawned
        on her.

MIKE: Good for you! Care to clue the rest of us in?

        He nodded.

        "Well, as it happens..." she glanced at her feet, and then
        back up at him,  "I've been wondering about your eyes for
        years too."

        "*My* eyes?" he smiled.  "They're just plain blue."

        "Not *just plain* blue," she informed him.  "A steady blue.  A
        dependable blue."  Her voice dipped a notch.  "A... *very*
        nice blue." 

        "I'm glad you approve," he said huskily.  "*Do* you
        approve...?"

        "Oh, yes.  Very much," she assured him.  "I just never
        realized how ... *blue* they were ...before."

        They looked at each other for a long moment.  

        Then he bent and pressed his lips to hers, tentatively, almost
        shyly.  The awkwardness quickly faded as she slid her free arm
        around his neck.  His other arm wrapped about her, enclosing
        her in a warm circle.

MIKE: Wittle Mikey wanna go fwow up now.

        At last, breathless, they parted reluctantly.  

CROW: Because her gum got stuck in his bridgework.

        Although her heart was pounding madly, Jessica couldn't help
        but giggle at the look of astonishment on Jon's face.  She
        reached up and traced his jawline lightly.  "You look so
        surprised."

        "I *am* surprised," he replied.  "I didn't plan for any of
        this.  And I never thought that you..." 

        "I do," she assured him.  "I just can't believe I never
        realized it till today."

        "I've been crazy about you since I can remember," he
        confessed.  

MIKE: You know, the Days of Our Lives people are always looking for
writers...

        "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

        "You kidding?  Your dad would have killed me," Jon replied,
        grinning. 

TOM: All the more reason he should have said something. Then we
wouldn't have this story to sit through!

         Then he sobered.  "And I was afraid... that you wouldn't feel the
         same way.  And that you wouldn't want to be around me anymore.  

CROW (as Jessie): Well, now that you mention it... You're right!

        Discretion seemed the better part of valor."

CROW: WHAT does that mean?
MIKE: What DOES that mean?
TOM: What does THAT mean?
[beat]
MIKE: What does that MEAN?

        She tightened her arms around his waist.  "All these
        years...?" "All these years."  

TOM: Can we say "repression"?

        Jon stroked her hair and dropped a kiss on top of her head, 
        breathing in her scent.  She smelled of spring flowers.  

CROW: It's the newest scent from Pine-Sol!

        Jessica turned her face up to his, her eyes sparkling.  "It
        was worth the wait." 

        He smiled fondly at her.  "So what do we do now?"

CROW: I have a few ideas...
MIKE: CROW!

Probably to be continued...

MIKE: The author is SUCH a chicken.
CROW: Hey! Don't knock birds!

[Doors sequence.]

TOM: Hey, isn't that Val Kilmer?

The end of this MSTing, but only the beginning of The Next...