Albertson's department store had once been the TOWN STEEL MILL. Generations of people had worked there. Some were from Earth. They were the LOST PEOPLE, some who had gone for a walk in the park, or to the STORE, and had suddenly found themselves in a strange world.
Those who had become acclimated to their new life, had gone to work in the Steel Mill. Their CHILDREN had ALSO FOLLOWED in their footsteps. The Steelmill had built two tunnels under Interstate 25 that led employees in and out of the steel mill.
The town's history was entrenched in steel making. For over 40 years, the tunnels had been major entrances and exits for laborers.
Lobelia's uncle had worked in the mill's chemical lab for 46 years, and his grandfather had made a career in the mill's powerhouse. Lobelia's aunt had worked in the legal department as a records custodian. As a small boy, Lobelia used to meet his uncle with his lunch pail in his hand.
At one time, the tunnel ran under the railroad tracks.The Main Gate of the tunnel resembled the entrance of a subway or metro station. Through the tall metal turnstiles and down two flights of stairs, the pair of concrete passages were once filled shoulder-to-shoulder with mill employees.
One tunnel was for traffic entering the mill and the other for exiting foot traffic. Out of use for many years, the tunnel had an air of eeriness, and it was RIPE WITH THE GHOSTS of the MILL WORKERS, who had worked in the Mill, so LONG ago...The Steel Mill had shut down several years before, amidst reports that SEVERAL HARDHATS had been eaten by a pack of WOLVES.
New developers had come to town, and had turned the old Steel Mill into a DEPARTMENT STORE. Like the OLD Steel Mill, the NEW department store was RIPE WITH RUMORS of HAUNTINGS, and MANNEQUINS who MOVED AND TALKED AMONGST THEMSELVES, and EVEN THOUGH the stories couldn't be VERIFIED, the people were SCARED TO BE INSIDE THE STORE after DARK-----EVEN THOUGH the store was THE ONLY DEPARTMENT store that was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year!
It was to these tunnels that Sgt Falconian, and his new friend LOLA, had found themselves in. The tunnels-----as one might expect-----were cold, dark and MOLDY PLACES. The two traveled through the tunnels in silence----------Captain Hoolihan had allowed them to get inside the store to rescue little BUBBA, and KOOKY CLARENCE. Now, the TWO OF THEM WALKED, side-by side, in total silence. Their breathing sounds, and their footsteps echoed eerily down the tunnel. As they walked, cold gusts of air hit them, as did the MOLDY SMELLS of the dank tunnels. The small lightbulbs which lined the hallways cast eerie shadows on the wall. Suddenly, they saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Sgt Falconian wiped his brow wtih his grimy hand. "We're HERE..." he muttered.
...He had finally arrived at the Department store. He'd bumped into one of KOOKY CLARENCE'S old friends, WEIRD HAROLD. The old geezer had REMINDED him OF MOM. They HAD JUST LOST DADDY, and MOM had decided to go to the RAINBOW BAKERY, FOR SOME WHEAT BREAD. Well, he went with her-----------he was ALWAYS GOING PLACES WITH HER--------------and THIS DRUNK STARTED TO HIT ON MOM!!! He called her 'SWEETIE!' and he said SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL! He wanted to TAKE HER OUT, and SHE GOT MAD AT HIM! She said that DADDY WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAD ANY RIGHT TO TALK TO HER LIKE THAT, and she TOOK HER PURSE AND TRIED TO SWING IT AT HIM!!!!
He saw what was going on-----------he was looking at the CREAM PUFFS-----------and he RAN OVER TO WHERE SHE WAS AT, AND TOOK HER AWAY to LOOK AT THE MACAROONS! He shivered at the memory, having had MENTAL PICTURES OF THE DRUNK LYING DEAD AT HER FEET, and the POLICEMEN HANDCUFFING HER AND TAKING HER AWAY. He had JUST LOST his father, and he COULDN'T BEAR THE THOUGHT OF LOSING MOM, TOO!!!
Another time, she was talking about HOW SPECIAL DADDY WAS, and about WHAT A GOOD MAN HE WAS, and that NOBODY COULD FILL HIS SHOES. He was KIND OF OUT OF IT, at that time, and he AGREED with her-----especially about the PART WHERE NOBODY COULD FILL HIS SHOES. Daddy had BIG FEET---------THAT'S HOW COME his FEET were SO BIG, and THIS WAS ACTUALLY WHAT he THOUGHT MOM WAS TALKING ABOUT. It wasn't until MUCH LATER, that he REALIZED THAT IT WASN'T THE SIZE OF HIS FEET, she was talking about. She was talking about the SIZE OF HIS CHARACTER, and his HEART! Daddy was a SMALL PERSON, physically, but HE WAS LARGER THAN LIFE!
When he LOST them, he had kind of REGRESSED TO his YOUNGER SELF, to the point where he was EVERYTHING LITERALLY! He used to do that WHEN he WAS A KID, but for SOME REASON, he had REVERTED BACK to THAT KIND OF THINKING when DADDY LEFT, and AGAIN WHEN MOM LEFT. He was actually taking things LITERALLY, to the POINT, that when someone had told him to JUMP IN THE LAKE, HE WENT AHEAD AND DID IT!
The MANUFACTURERS had had to take him BACK TO THE FACTORY for REWIRING, and then they HAD checked his circuits over and over again. There HAD been something WRONG with his circuits, but they didn't REALIZE that he had actually become HUMANLIKE, to the point where HE HAD EXPERIENCED EMOTIONS over the loss of his parents! Other mannequins had become 'LIVE'---as they referred to this strange process-----but NONE of the manufacturers were made aware of it----because they would've viewed the mannequins as THREATS.
He was just at the entrance to the old tunnel, when he saw POLICEMEN surrounding a SHOPLIFTER, who had gotten VIOLENT. The shoplifter had pulled out a gun and had FIRED. The bullet struck him on the arm. Because he was becoming LIVE, he felt PAIN, SUCH AS HE'D NEVER FELT BEFORE. He dropped the bag, which contained the creature who'd killed ROBIN, and, clutching his arm, he fled down the dark tunnel which led to the hallway, where the storage room was.
08/02/09 09:45:07 PM
Those who had become acclimated to their new life, had gone to work in the Steel Mill. Their CHILDREN had ALSO FOLLOWED in their footsteps. The Steelmill had built two tunnels under Interstate 25 that led employees in and out of the steel mill.
The town's history was entrenched in steel making. For over 40 years, the tunnels had been major entrances and exits for laborers.
Lobelia's uncle had worked in the mill's chemical lab for 46 years, and his grandfather had made a career in the mill's powerhouse. Lobelia's aunt had worked in the legal department as a records custodian. As a small boy, Lobelia used to meet his uncle with his lunch pail in his hand.
At one time, the tunnel ran under the railroad tracks.The Main Gate of the tunnel resembled the entrance of a subway or metro station. Through the tall metal turnstiles and down two flights of stairs, the pair of concrete passages were once filled shoulder-to-shoulder with mill employees.
One tunnel was for traffic entering the mill and the other for exiting foot traffic. Out of use for many years, the tunnel had an air of eeriness, and it was RIPE WITH THE GHOSTS of the MILL WORKERS, who had worked in the Mill, so LONG ago...The Steel Mill had shut down several years before, amidst reports that SEVERAL HARDHATS had been eaten by a pack of WOLVES.
New developers had come to town, and had turned the old Steel Mill into a DEPARTMENT STORE. Like the OLD Steel Mill, the NEW department store was RIPE WITH RUMORS of HAUNTINGS, and MANNEQUINS who MOVED AND TALKED AMONGST THEMSELVES, and EVEN THOUGH the stories couldn't be VERIFIED, the people were SCARED TO BE INSIDE THE STORE after DARK-----EVEN THOUGH the store was THE ONLY DEPARTMENT store that was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year!
It was to these tunnels that Sgt Falconian, and his new friend LOLA, had found themselves in. The tunnels-----as one might expect-----were cold, dark and MOLDY PLACES. The two traveled through the tunnels in silence----------Captain Hoolihan had allowed them to get inside the store to rescue little BUBBA, and KOOKY CLARENCE. Now, the TWO OF THEM WALKED, side-by side, in total silence. Their breathing sounds, and their footsteps echoed eerily down the tunnel. As they walked, cold gusts of air hit them, as did the MOLDY SMELLS of the dank tunnels. The small lightbulbs which lined the hallways cast eerie shadows on the wall. Suddenly, they saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Sgt Falconian wiped his brow wtih his grimy hand. "We're HERE..." he muttered.
...He had finally arrived at the Department store. He'd bumped into one of KOOKY CLARENCE'S old friends, WEIRD HAROLD. The old geezer had REMINDED him OF MOM. They HAD JUST LOST DADDY, and MOM had decided to go to the RAINBOW BAKERY, FOR SOME WHEAT BREAD. Well, he went with her-----------he was ALWAYS GOING PLACES WITH HER--------------and THIS DRUNK STARTED TO HIT ON MOM!!! He called her 'SWEETIE!' and he said SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL! He wanted to TAKE HER OUT, and SHE GOT MAD AT HIM! She said that DADDY WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO HAD ANY RIGHT TO TALK TO HER LIKE THAT, and she TOOK HER PURSE AND TRIED TO SWING IT AT HIM!!!!
He saw what was going on-----------he was looking at the CREAM PUFFS-----------and he RAN OVER TO WHERE SHE WAS AT, AND TOOK HER AWAY to LOOK AT THE MACAROONS! He shivered at the memory, having had MENTAL PICTURES OF THE DRUNK LYING DEAD AT HER FEET, and the POLICEMEN HANDCUFFING HER AND TAKING HER AWAY. He had JUST LOST his father, and he COULDN'T BEAR THE THOUGHT OF LOSING MOM, TOO!!!
Another time, she was talking about HOW SPECIAL DADDY WAS, and about WHAT A GOOD MAN HE WAS, and that NOBODY COULD FILL HIS SHOES. He was KIND OF OUT OF IT, at that time, and he AGREED with her-----especially about the PART WHERE NOBODY COULD FILL HIS SHOES. Daddy had BIG FEET---------THAT'S HOW COME his FEET were SO BIG, and THIS WAS ACTUALLY WHAT he THOUGHT MOM WAS TALKING ABOUT. It wasn't until MUCH LATER, that he REALIZED THAT IT WASN'T THE SIZE OF HIS FEET, she was talking about. She was talking about the SIZE OF HIS CHARACTER, and his HEART! Daddy was a SMALL PERSON, physically, but HE WAS LARGER THAN LIFE!
When he LOST them, he had kind of REGRESSED TO his YOUNGER SELF, to the point where he was EVERYTHING LITERALLY! He used to do that WHEN he WAS A KID, but for SOME REASON, he had REVERTED BACK to THAT KIND OF THINKING when DADDY LEFT, and AGAIN WHEN MOM LEFT. He was actually taking things LITERALLY, to the POINT, that when someone had told him to JUMP IN THE LAKE, HE WENT AHEAD AND DID IT!
The MANUFACTURERS had had to take him BACK TO THE FACTORY for REWIRING, and then they HAD checked his circuits over and over again. There HAD been something WRONG with his circuits, but they didn't REALIZE that he had actually become HUMANLIKE, to the point where HE HAD EXPERIENCED EMOTIONS over the loss of his parents! Other mannequins had become 'LIVE'---as they referred to this strange process-----but NONE of the manufacturers were made aware of it----because they would've viewed the mannequins as THREATS.
He was just at the entrance to the old tunnel, when he saw POLICEMEN surrounding a SHOPLIFTER, who had gotten VIOLENT. The shoplifter had pulled out a gun and had FIRED. The bullet struck him on the arm. Because he was becoming LIVE, he felt PAIN, SUCH AS HE'D NEVER FELT BEFORE. He dropped the bag, which contained the creature who'd killed ROBIN, and, clutching his arm, he fled down the dark tunnel which led to the hallway, where the storage room was.
08/02/09 09:45:07 PM
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