BY SOLO
EPISODE 17
Just what the hell is happening here???? The room
is dark; the table
in the middle of the room is draped in a white cloth. The time
machine
ticks away in the corner of the room (well from my perspective it IS
the
right hand side of the room.) 8:58:12, 8:58:11, 8:58:10….
Tim and Paul
are dressed in long brown robes with the hoods pulled back to expose
their handsome faces. Paul's robe had the sleeves rolled
up several
times and the hem extended a metre out behind him.
Solo was kneeling before the table/alter muttering some
kind of
disbelieving prayer.
Richard lay - tied down, on the top of the table.
He had his eyes
squeezed tightly shut and was mumbling "Mummy, mummy mummy!"
In his hands, Tim held a very large knife; its jewel-encrusted
handle
glittered green and red in the firelight.
Firelight? Oh yes, I forgot to mention…all around
the room at one
metre intervals, were small bowls, lit with a yellow flame.
- So what is going on here?
Of course…The gang is playing Mister Sacrifice.
Oh dear. Poor Richard!
Tim raised the knife high above his head and at Paul's
hysterical
urgings, slammed it down.
Solo leaped up… "No, Tim you've…" she looked at Richard.
The knife
lay imbedded in the wooden tabletop mere centimetres from Richard's
ear.
"Tim, you missed." Paul stated needlessly.
"Oh yeah!" Tim grinned and struggled to pull the knife
from the
table, "I'll try again!"
Richard whimpered.
"Oh no you don't!" Solo leaned forward over Richard and
yanked the
knife out of Tim's hands. Using the razor sharp blade, she quickly
cut
the ropes binding Richard and helped him off the table. Tim picked
up a
remote control, clicked the top button and restored the normal lighting
to the room. The lights went up and the candles went out.
Solo grabbed the hilt of the knife in both hands.
"No one may become
king…Ahhhh I mean, whomsoever can pull this knife from this wooden
table
shall be crowned king…ahhhhhhhh I mean, only the chosen one will possess
the ability to pull this knife from the table…yeah that sounds okay."
Solo ended her spell and slammed the knife blade down hard, driving
it
deep into the wood.
Tim grinned… "Just stand back and let a master work!"
He reached out
lightly to tug on the hilt.
He tugged harder.
He reached out with both hands and pulled with all of
his strength.
Nothing.
Paul pushed Tim aside. "Get out of the way
Ferguson." Paul
grabbed the hilt of the knife and pulled.
He pulled again.
He leaned forward and put his shoulder into it.
Nothing.
"What did you do to it?" they both demanded.
"I have certain abilities Tim, I wouldn't be here otherwise."
Richard looked at the knife and took a step back…better
it stays
there for now, he thought. He'd be safer that way.
Game three!" Paul announced running over to the
bell, clanging it
hard before running back to Tim, Richard and Solo.
"This game Richard, is a very simple game, a very easy
game."
"I don't want to play Paul!" Richard whined.
"You won't get hurt mate. Game three is called Hide
and Seek.
Richard, you, Solo and I will go and hide and Tim has to find us."
"Okay Paul," Richard agreed easily. It sounded safe
enough.
"Ohhhhhhhhh! Why me Paul?" Tim complained.
Paul winked at Tim from behind Richard's back. Tim
grinned.
"Okay Tim, Start counting."
Tim turned around and smashed his skull into the tabletop
next to the
knife. "One, two, three…ahhhh!! Four, Um… five, six eight
no no seven,
eight." Came the muffled sounds of counting.
"Off we go Rich," Paul said. Richard ran off out
of the door.
Solo moved to follow him but Paul grabbed her arm.
He shook his
head.
Tim looked up from the table. "Is he gone?"
"Yep!" Paul answered.
Tim and Paul sat down at the table and began to gather
up all the
strewn cards.
Solo looked confused. "Aren't you going to go look
for him?"
"Nah! He'll come out eventually!" Tim replied.
Paul giggled and repeated, "Eventually."
Tim motioned her Solo to sit down. He shuffled the
cards and began
to deal them out… "So Solo do you know how to play Poker?"
"Poker? What kind of Poker Tim?"
*****
Richard lay huddled under the staircase. The
staircase was not
unlike the one found on the original Titanic…the first ship to be named
as such. He giggled to himself softly. "Tim'll never find
me here."
He giggled again.
*****
Solo stifled a giggle and put down her cards.
The two boys groaned again.
Solo grinned…Tim dropped his hands down to his boxer shorts…
"I'm not
taking em off!" he proclaimed. Although they were still sitting
around
the table, from her position she could see Tim's frilly pink, covered
in
red love hearts, boxer shorts. Tim had nothing else on…not even
his
boots.
Paul grunted… "Well, I've got nothing left to take off!"
he wined.
Solo couldn't see much from where she was sitting but she new he had
crossed his legs beneath the table.
Solo struggled so hard not to laugh, both boys had been
sooooooo sure
they'd be able to beat her at cards that they had suggested the two
piece rule…meaning that each time you lost a round you had to remove
not
one but two pieces of clothing…. Solo hadn't lost any.
Gee…. Sitting here staring at these two naked and practically
naked
guys solo was beginning to wonder if maybe she shouldn't stay on board
the titanic II when she sent it back to the future. Though, true
Paul
was pretty hairy and Tim was as skinny as a rake but mmm, mmm…. There
certainly was no hardship to sitting and staring at these magnificent
bodies…
In an effort to distract solo and stall before having
to take off his
last item of clothing, Tim jumped up and cried… "I'm hungry!"
"Yeah so am I," Paul agreed…but he didn't jump up.
"Me too!" Solo said (well big bloody surprise there!)
Solo rose from her seat… "I'll go get something shall
I?" She
suggested. Taking the long way around the table, Paul strategically
drop quite a few cards into his lap…. Solo chuckled, winked at Paul,
before disappearing in the direction of the kitchen.
Paul turned to Tim, "Oi! I thought you were going
to deal from the
bottom of the deck?"
"I did!" Tim answered and then looked sheepish…
"Oh you mean I was
supposed to deal them to you?"
Solo returned with a tray filled with chocy tim tams and
three
glasses of Coke.
As she sat down, Paul announced… "I don't want to play
anymore!"
"Me neither!" Tim said. Paul grabbed Tim and
dragged him around to
stand in front of him as he stood up. Solo was practically shoving
her
fists down her throat in an attempt to halt the hysterical laughter
that
continuously threatens to escape her mouth. Dragging Tim with
him Paul
headed for his bedroom. As he turned away…the laugh erupted from
solo's
chest.
"Cute tush!" she gasped between chuckles.
Paul looked over his shoulder at his exposed cheeks, flushed
bright
red "Get stuffed!" he cried and stomped off to his room.
Suddenly the doorbell rang.
Solo put down her glass…"well who could that be?"
She wondered.
Quickly she made her way over to the door. She was
shortly joined by
Tim and a few seconds later Paul, Both were half dressed,….(Bummer!).
They had their white T-shirts and jumpsuits back on but they had not
had
time to pull the sleeves of the jumpsuits up…both had their sleeves
dangling around their legs
Solo reached out and pulled open the door.
In the doorway, holding a heavily laden basket was a little
old drag
queen. The queen looked decidedly familiar. The little
old man/woman
entered the room, shut the door, reached into his/her basket and pulled
out a lush, healthy looking apple. He/she held it out to Tim.
"Here ya go Timothy, help a poor little old woman by buying
an
apple?"
Tim recognised the little old man/woman but before he
could announce
the queen's identity, Solo dove forward and grabbed the apple out of
the
little old man/woman's hand.
"Ohhhhhhh fresh fruit…I knew you guys were missing something
in your
kitchen!"
"No, Solo, it's Bob!" Tim cried but it was too late.
Solo bit into the apple and swallowed before Tim's words
had a chance
to register.
She stared at the apple in her hands in horror.
Before she grabbed
at her throat and collapsed to the floor.
"Oh well, It was meant for you Timothy, but don't worry…I
have
more." Psycho Bob held out his basket - It was full of apples.
Suddenly the door slammed open. "You're not even
looking for me are
you Tim?" Richard asked stomping into the room. He paused
and took in
the scene before his eyes.
Paul and Tim were standing half dressed. Psycho
Bob, dressed as an
evil drag queen stood next to them, holding what appeared to be a basket
full of apples. Solo lay unconscious at their feet. A half-eaten
apple
held gently in her hand.
Richard looked, with wild eyes from Paul, to Tim to Bob
to Solo and
then back to Bob.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ohmigosh!
How the hell had bob survived?
How poisoned was the apple?
Is Solo going to die?
If she does die, how are the guys ever going to get back
to the
future without her to reboot the system?
If she dies…. Will the series continue??
Is Bob going to force Tim, Paul and now Richard to eat
the remaining
apples?
Oh help!! What is going to happen now???
STAY TUNED….