Categories > Original > Fantasy > Mr. FixIt
Authoress' Note: This little story is a real weird one of mine that just popped into my head during school. Please review, as it's much appreciated. Constructive criticism is especially wanted. Please review and enjoy.
Purple light filtered through the city causing an endless night-glow. People of various shapes, size, colors, and species wandered through the cold. The streets of Almus were covered with a thin layer of liquid water that all citizens sloshed through to get around. This layer was sustained by the constant dripping of water throughout the city. This was a side effect of living in an intersection of pipes.
Bazba stomped through fresh puddles making his way through the streets. His feet were cold, but everyone else's were too. A seat before a fire would warm up numb toes. The cuffs of large black overalls were soaked from the water while short arms swung with jerky movements. He resembled something of a dinosaur in comparison to the little man sitting on one massive shoulder. The smaller of the pair was dressed in bright green overalls and fit quite snugly on his perch clutching an ear for support.
The squeaky voice of Skoot spoke up. "Lots of water today. Yes, we're walking through quite a bit of water."
The larger man grunted.
"Too much water I'd say, too much. Very unusual, yes, most unusual."
The giant did not reply. The pair walked along through the water. They were not the only ones to make this observation, though others worried far more about it.
&&&
"This is disastrous!"
Angry pacing ensued after the loud declaration. A wiry man slammed small feet against the floor as he continued to pace. On his chin was a beard that appeared to be in the shape of a mustache. Furiously he pulled on his beard/mustache and with every turn before a wall a few hairs were plucked out.
"Sir -"
"The level's gone up several millimeters since last year! SEVERAL MILLIMETERS!!! Do you hear me?! Millimeters!!! There's never been such a significant change in so short a time. What's going on with those walls?"
The poor scientist stood in fearful silence, his fancy blue overalls covered in pockets filled with pens and paper; one pocked was steaming. He was on the receiving end of the mayor's anger and was a very unfortunate soul. He reached up to his face, touching the impressions around his eyes. He traced these nervously, following the outlines of glasses across his face.
"Sir, we could -"
"Send someone to look into it! Find out what's going on!"
More hairs fell from the noticeably thinner facial hair as the mayor's eyes glittered with barely-controlled rage. The scientist did not need any more urging. He was out the door and down the hall, smoke streaming behind him, faster than the fish could fly.
&&&
Cards were scattered across the table top as Bazba and Skoot sat playing.
"I can see your cards Bazba, oh yes I can see that two of hearts, it's in your cards it is."
Bazba growled under his breath and shifted a bit in his seat.
"I can still see them, indeed I can, that there's the ten of spades I'd say, yes, I'd say so."
Skoot sat proudly on his perch as Bazba threw down his cards.
This was why he did not like card games.
Hard knocking on the door signaled the two to get up and move. Bazba nodded to the table in acknowledgment as he moved his heavy body towards the door. A leg shifted from beneath the old woodwork and with shaky steps the table, cards, and chips got up and walked away.
Back at the door the knocking increased in volume and speed. Bazba opened the door to a disheveled looking messenger in pale pink overalls, the knees soaked with water.
"The mayor would like you to look into the walls. There's seems to be a leakage problem."
Skoot was quick to speak, "Yes indeed a leakage. Of course we check, for there is a leakage to check. I'd say we should check Bazba that we should."
Bazba stepped out of the dingy building and back into the city. He and Skoot trekked down the street heading to the far side where after much walking reached a solid steel wall.
The walls of the pipes of Almus were like all other pipes in Pisla; thick steel walls rising to oblivion and continuing on for just as long. Bazba and Skoot took a long look at the high walls, then to the little hole in the wall. These were located all over, and were of no concern. What was a worry though was the fact that instead of occasional droplets falling from the minor crack, there was a tiny waterfall consistently falling.
"That would be the problem that it would."
Bazba grunted the affirmative. His feet were getting cold again. He chanced a glance at his black overalls to see that all his walking had gotten him wet from the thigh down. No wonder he was cold.
Looking up another street parallel to the wall, one could easily see more holes similar to the one the pair stood before.
"What should we plug it with? Yes indeed, what should we? Patch it up we could, but not sticky enough, would not hold forever. No nail fit in there, no, no nail would fit."
Skoot rambled on as Bazba watched the water that was once only under his boots swish about his ankles, sometimes rising precariously close to mid-calf. The water remained a strange purple from the light giving anything in it a slightly purple tint. Floating around him was debris carried by the excess amount of water.
"Gum."
Skoot jumped at the deep voice resonating from the giant. He was so surprised he let go of the ear and tumbled into the water. Sputtering he floated to the surface where Bazba picked him up by his now wet overalls and plopped him back on his shoulder. Now his shoulder was cold too.
"Gum? Gum, you say? Why yes indeed, gum would work it would. Sticky it is, hard it can be, and very sticky. Yes, gum."
Bazba turned around with a still soaking wet Skoot on his shoulder and headed up the street looking for a store.
Twenty minutes later Bazba and Skoot left a small shop on a crowded street loaded with packs of gum.
Skoot began the cry. "Gum! Lots of gum! Need chewers, yes indeed we do! Chewers, lots of chewers to chew gum!"
All along the street people moved to Bazba, taking gum and popping it into their mouths. And then the little band of volunteers chewed. They chewed, and chewed, and chewed until the gum with soft, squishy, and had no taste left. Then they walked.
Bazba and Skoot led the way to the wall full of holes.
"Stick it in the hole, in the holes it will stick and stay it will! Yes indeed, stay it will because it sticks!"
The crowd of people pulled the gum out of their mouths and plugged all the holes in the wall.
Much cheering occurred after the pedestrians realized exactly what they had participated in. The city would not drown in its own water and they could go home and warm their feet. Bazba and Skoot headed home stopping only after an overly-excited mayor exclaimed to them how wonderful they were to have fixed the problem.
The walls of Almus were fixed, the leakage was over, and the streets were beginning to dry. A thin layer of water still remained, something to keep one's feet just a bit cool.
Inside the small home Bazba warmed his feet before the fire, his boots sitting off to the side drying. Skoot sat upon his shoulder, playing cards with the table.
Purple light filtered through the city causing an endless night-glow. People of various shapes, size, colors, and species wandered through the cold. The streets of Almus were covered with a thin layer of liquid water that all citizens sloshed through to get around. This layer was sustained by the constant dripping of water throughout the city. This was a side effect of living in an intersection of pipes.
Bazba stomped through fresh puddles making his way through the streets. His feet were cold, but everyone else's were too. A seat before a fire would warm up numb toes. The cuffs of large black overalls were soaked from the water while short arms swung with jerky movements. He resembled something of a dinosaur in comparison to the little man sitting on one massive shoulder. The smaller of the pair was dressed in bright green overalls and fit quite snugly on his perch clutching an ear for support.
The squeaky voice of Skoot spoke up. "Lots of water today. Yes, we're walking through quite a bit of water."
The larger man grunted.
"Too much water I'd say, too much. Very unusual, yes, most unusual."
The giant did not reply. The pair walked along through the water. They were not the only ones to make this observation, though others worried far more about it.
&&&
"This is disastrous!"
Angry pacing ensued after the loud declaration. A wiry man slammed small feet against the floor as he continued to pace. On his chin was a beard that appeared to be in the shape of a mustache. Furiously he pulled on his beard/mustache and with every turn before a wall a few hairs were plucked out.
"Sir -"
"The level's gone up several millimeters since last year! SEVERAL MILLIMETERS!!! Do you hear me?! Millimeters!!! There's never been such a significant change in so short a time. What's going on with those walls?"
The poor scientist stood in fearful silence, his fancy blue overalls covered in pockets filled with pens and paper; one pocked was steaming. He was on the receiving end of the mayor's anger and was a very unfortunate soul. He reached up to his face, touching the impressions around his eyes. He traced these nervously, following the outlines of glasses across his face.
"Sir, we could -"
"Send someone to look into it! Find out what's going on!"
More hairs fell from the noticeably thinner facial hair as the mayor's eyes glittered with barely-controlled rage. The scientist did not need any more urging. He was out the door and down the hall, smoke streaming behind him, faster than the fish could fly.
&&&
Cards were scattered across the table top as Bazba and Skoot sat playing.
"I can see your cards Bazba, oh yes I can see that two of hearts, it's in your cards it is."
Bazba growled under his breath and shifted a bit in his seat.
"I can still see them, indeed I can, that there's the ten of spades I'd say, yes, I'd say so."
Skoot sat proudly on his perch as Bazba threw down his cards.
This was why he did not like card games.
Hard knocking on the door signaled the two to get up and move. Bazba nodded to the table in acknowledgment as he moved his heavy body towards the door. A leg shifted from beneath the old woodwork and with shaky steps the table, cards, and chips got up and walked away.
Back at the door the knocking increased in volume and speed. Bazba opened the door to a disheveled looking messenger in pale pink overalls, the knees soaked with water.
"The mayor would like you to look into the walls. There's seems to be a leakage problem."
Skoot was quick to speak, "Yes indeed a leakage. Of course we check, for there is a leakage to check. I'd say we should check Bazba that we should."
Bazba stepped out of the dingy building and back into the city. He and Skoot trekked down the street heading to the far side where after much walking reached a solid steel wall.
The walls of the pipes of Almus were like all other pipes in Pisla; thick steel walls rising to oblivion and continuing on for just as long. Bazba and Skoot took a long look at the high walls, then to the little hole in the wall. These were located all over, and were of no concern. What was a worry though was the fact that instead of occasional droplets falling from the minor crack, there was a tiny waterfall consistently falling.
"That would be the problem that it would."
Bazba grunted the affirmative. His feet were getting cold again. He chanced a glance at his black overalls to see that all his walking had gotten him wet from the thigh down. No wonder he was cold.
Looking up another street parallel to the wall, one could easily see more holes similar to the one the pair stood before.
"What should we plug it with? Yes indeed, what should we? Patch it up we could, but not sticky enough, would not hold forever. No nail fit in there, no, no nail would fit."
Skoot rambled on as Bazba watched the water that was once only under his boots swish about his ankles, sometimes rising precariously close to mid-calf. The water remained a strange purple from the light giving anything in it a slightly purple tint. Floating around him was debris carried by the excess amount of water.
"Gum."
Skoot jumped at the deep voice resonating from the giant. He was so surprised he let go of the ear and tumbled into the water. Sputtering he floated to the surface where Bazba picked him up by his now wet overalls and plopped him back on his shoulder. Now his shoulder was cold too.
"Gum? Gum, you say? Why yes indeed, gum would work it would. Sticky it is, hard it can be, and very sticky. Yes, gum."
Bazba turned around with a still soaking wet Skoot on his shoulder and headed up the street looking for a store.
Twenty minutes later Bazba and Skoot left a small shop on a crowded street loaded with packs of gum.
Skoot began the cry. "Gum! Lots of gum! Need chewers, yes indeed we do! Chewers, lots of chewers to chew gum!"
All along the street people moved to Bazba, taking gum and popping it into their mouths. And then the little band of volunteers chewed. They chewed, and chewed, and chewed until the gum with soft, squishy, and had no taste left. Then they walked.
Bazba and Skoot led the way to the wall full of holes.
"Stick it in the hole, in the holes it will stick and stay it will! Yes indeed, stay it will because it sticks!"
The crowd of people pulled the gum out of their mouths and plugged all the holes in the wall.
Much cheering occurred after the pedestrians realized exactly what they had participated in. The city would not drown in its own water and they could go home and warm their feet. Bazba and Skoot headed home stopping only after an overly-excited mayor exclaimed to them how wonderful they were to have fixed the problem.
The walls of Almus were fixed, the leakage was over, and the streets were beginning to dry. A thin layer of water still remained, something to keep one's feet just a bit cool.
Inside the small home Bazba warmed his feet before the fire, his boots sitting off to the side drying. Skoot sat upon his shoulder, playing cards with the table.
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