AN ONGOING SAGA - SERIES 2 - STORY 1...
PART EIGHT : HEY, MICKEY... Prologue and additional inspiration by Nick Goodman. Other plots written by Paul Chandler.
Last Episode : In which Trent makes communication - Mavis and Rwanda are lost - Hazel takes Lavinia away from it all and Samantha meets Yen's cousin...
This Episode : In which Mickey rides into town - Edie has a flashback - Bowen tells Samantha the truth and Yen remains critical...
Prologue :
Mickey looked out onto the desert of the Nevada...
The city of Las Vegas, so bright and proud, looked like a kiddies play area in the distance. As Mickey moved one colossal foot further and further into the sands, he remembered the odour of chloride from the fountains of Vegas. Chloride or not he could have jumped straight into it at this moment. Suddenly he was gripped by panic. Who exactly was he? He seemed to have too large a body to be natural. He could remember laughing and talking like Michael Jackson and talking to - someone in a dress - something in a dress!?!
A mouse!
What seemed like an age later, Mickey's huge foot hit something half in the sand and he fell heavily down onto the ground. The huffing and anxiety inside his "body". Mickey was so hot he was nearly sick. He looked at what he had come across. A buggy with wheels and a mirror. Looking into the mirror, a dark, inanely grinning cartoon mouse stared back and him. As did the words of his
boss, "If you don't do something pretty darn incredible, your ass can consider itself fired!" So this was something incredible. But what had brought him out here - in costume for heavens sake. And if this was a novelty costume, why did he apparently have Mickey's memory too! Magic of Hollywood? With all his might, Mickey hauled the buggy out of the sand. He knew what that was too. Being a Bond fan he had always admired Sean Connery's chase across the Nevada in Diamonds are Forever. Could this be a real prop? After all this time. Mickey hauled himself on and turned the ignition. It worked! After 30 years it still worked. As it growled into life, reality was kind enough not to contradict the moment. With a high pitched Mickey laugh Mickey revved to maximum and went shooting off across the dunes.
Incredible wasn't in it!
Recap : Mr Bowen smiled, waving away Samantha's sympathy, "Not your fault..." he chuckled, "This was the first thing I could find... But you have to be careful with these sorts of things - they have a way of taking you over..."
"They do?"
"Oh yes, Miss Ruth... Why I used to have a friend who used to dress as Wily Coyote... Well - you can imagine..."
"What happened..."
"I'm afraid he's no longer with us... Those ACME bombs have quite a punch..."
"Right..."
"ANYWAY!! You'll be wanting to hear how Yen is... Come this way..."
Gingerly, Samantha nodded and began to follow the man - leaving the Reception behind them as they hurried away into the depths of the hospital...
-----
Edie sat alone in the Circus tea room - she felt slightly light headed and excited... She had done something really daring - without telling Mavis or anything!!! She had just signed a 6 month contract with Siggtrigger to do a Speed Knitting act as part of the new regime on acts there in Vegas. She hadn't taken leave in years - she must be owed 6 months leave if nothing else!
Dear Mavis, (she wrote on her postcard, not having the guts to ring Mavis and discuss the matter with her.)
I may be some time out here. I have been offered a job. Weather is warm here. Have made lots of new friends. See you soon.
Edie xx
She daren't say anything more just at the moment...
Edie also had another sneaking suspicion - another thing that was keeping her...
On seeing Samantha for the first time at the airport she had been overcome by a strange feeling that she had seen Samantha before... At first she had wondered if maybe she had seen her face in one of P.I.Ps files. But now she knew that wasn't the case at all... Edie opened her hand bag and took out a small photograph - a photograph she had been sent some ten or fifteen years before. The girl in the photo was about fourteen or fifteen and yet the resemblance was obvious - the photo was Samantha...
"Alright in there, Edie?" Barry was sticking his head around the door.
"I'm fine Barry, dear..." replied Edie, "What about you? How are the alien animals doing?"
"Not bad - calmed down... Everything's on hiatus since Siggtrigger decided we might steer away from monsters... Have you seen him by the way? Not off chasing chicken again is he?"
"Chicken, dear!?"
"Never mind... But have you seen him?"
"He's gone out dear..."
"Anywhere good? Did he say?"
"He's auditioning a team of Swedish Mexican jugglers..."
"I'm sorry I asked - what exactly is that?"
"As it sounds dear - Swedish men and ladies juggling Mexicans..."
"Right... Ok..." Barry was just looking confused - he waved and then hurried off again.
Edie shrugged her shoulders - took another look at the photo in her handbag and then reached down for something else. It was a letter. A letter that she had carried with her for years. Written to her by a man whom she had once loved...
"My Immortal Beloved. I journey without joy, until I can feel the peace of being at home. My home is nowhere. It is not a place. It is with the heart that I love. I hug and kiss you 1,000,0013 times in my closed eyes. It is a pain that kills me 365 times a year. I may never know the sense of that closeness again. I travel, and I move. I never stay still. Be calm my love. Be still. For I can never be as long as we are far. Ever yours, ever mine, ever ours."
Edie folded the letter up once again and sighed... She must speak to Samantha... She must make her way to the hospital...
Now it was all coming back she must say to Samantha all she could remember!
Before she forgot it again...
-----
"I think it's best that you know something, Samantha..." sighed Bowen - looking very serious - despite what he was wearing. They had found a small waiting room at the end of a maze of corridors, "...And I think I should also make it clear that I am not his cousin either..."
"Then WHO are you? I recognise your name - I remember Yen mentioning you when we were travelling on the Sub - you didn't get on if I remember rightly... How DO you know him then?"
"You're right we never got on - not truly... But we were very close - infact you could say that - well - that I am an aspect of him..."
"How does that work exactly? Are you saying that you're twins?"
"Nothing quite so surburban..."
"Well what then - that you're SAME person?"
"Of sorts..."
"But not exactly..."
"No Samantha - not exactly..."
"Are you the good to his bad side?"
"Perhaps... We were - in hospital together - not this hospital... But - well - the whole business isn't worth confusing you any more with - our relationship is complex - although I certainly wouldn't say that we were friends..."
"Enemies then..."
"I never said that..."
"Well what DO you mean then?"
"This isn't what I wanted to bother you about Samantha... There are other matters..."
"You've gone all coy on my now Mr Bowen..." sighed Samantha, "Now I don't expect to understand half of what you're going to say to me but you have definitely gone coy... Why are you here?"
"I sensed Yen was here... That he was going to die..."
"And you came to help or hinder him?"
"Neither... Just to observe..."
"The pub... falling on him like that... It wasn't your doing was it?"
Mr Bowen looked shocked, "WHY NO, SAMANTHA DEAR - NO OF COURSE NOT..."
"I'm sorry... It's just - well - I don't know anything any more..."
Bowen nodded, "Yes - and I'm sorry about that... That's Yen's doing... At least you've become aware of what he's up to now... He's been acting the friend for far too long when infact his motives are not genuine..."
"I think I've gathered that now..."
"Good..."
"...And I'm not necessarily who he told me I am... I mean... He's confused me several times - when I arrived here I was Carol and for a long time before that he was calling me Samantha..."
"Best to focus on Samantha I'd say..." sighed Bowen. "There remains some doubt as to who you are - but only because Yen himself has caused that... I'm sorry Samantha - I'm sorry he caused that to happen... He's an obsessive..."
"Obsessive about me?"
"Just slightly..."
"You sound just like him..." Samantha thought to herself, "Almost exactly - so serious - so convincing..."
"I'm not sure whether that should be taken as an insult or a compliment..." Samantha jumped, "Apologies..." continued Bowen and laid a hand on her arm.
"You read my mind like he did..."
"Yes... Neat trick that... Didn't used to be able to - something that has come about over the months since I first met him..."
Samantha shivered - closing her mind - ceasingly all private thought for fear he detect it, "Well - it's been interesting talking to you Mr Bowen... I really don't intend to stay here much longer... I'm leaving Las Vegas - as soon as possible... I don't care if he tries to follow me once he recovers - I'll close my mind to him - he won't be able to find me..."
"He won't recover Miss Ruth - you can be sure of that..."
"Well whatever..." she didn't linger on his comment but continued, "I would like to see him just once before I leave..."
"That's up to you..."
Samantha was on her feet and making for the door, "Just as long as you don't try and stop me... I do so hate it when people try and interfere Mr Bowen..."
But there was no reply. Samantha turned at the door and looked back into the room. Mr Bowen was gone - leaving only a rather tatty looking Donald Duck costume in a pile on the floor.
-----
Mickey had seen the sign for the circus at quite a distance as he crossed the Vegas desert into the main part of town. He recalled, partly from his memory of movies, that there had once been a casino called Circus Circus in that particular spot - where as now there was - well - just a circus - a real big top... He felt drawn to it... Strangely drawn...
As he neared the entrance he noticed a large sign : UNDER DEVELOPMENT... REHEARSAL/PRESS NIGHT SHOW TONIGHT - ENTRANCE FREE... So the place wasn't even properly open yet...
It was then he noticed the Vikings...
They appeared to have already noticed him...
They were staring... It must be the Mickey Mouse suit, Mickey reasoned - he'd still not been able to take it off - it seemed fuzed to his body - part of him now... It was all most odd...
"Err - hello..." called out Mickey, wondering how he should introduce himself - unsure himself how to explain the pull he'd felt to this place. He had so much to say - so many stories to tell - like the time he had been chased down corridors by magically possessed brooms during Fantasia (that had been nasty - he'd been bruised for weeks!) Then there was his marriage to the lovely - now what was her name - Minnie...
"Have you come for the press show or to audition?"
Mickey jumped, his mind had wondered - standing before him was a man dressed like a caretaker with BARRY written on a baseball cap and next to him one of the viking men with a badge on his lapel that read : ERIK. "I - err... I'm not sure..."
"I,iii've never seen anything like it before..." said the Viking, Erik.
Barry frowned, "Hmm - neither have I - not since that night at XXL in August 2002 when - anyway - that's by the by... What are you doing here - press or audition? Audition is it?" he asked hopefully.
There was a glint in Barry's eye that frightened Mickey, "Audition for what?"
"The circus FOOL - you some sort of comedy act - parody on Disney or something?"
"Disney..." The name rang a bell, "Disney... Oh, you mean Uncle Walt..."
Barry laughed, "Hey that's cute - whatever... Listen - the bottom line is that we need acts desparately alright - it's opening night and the boss has just put a ban on us using all the alien performance acts that we had lined up... I've just come back from auditioning some jugglers and we have a knitting act and that's about it... If you can do comedy then that's great... The pay's not good - but - hey - neither are the acts - YET!"
Mickey looked awkwardly - he suddenly realised that he was being surrounded. The viking workers had seen him standing there in his odd mouse costume, sitting on his buggy and they now looked fascinated...
"I don't know..." said Mickey, "The wife might not like it - Uncle Walt might not like it..."
Barry frowned, "Do it for us for a favour, huh? You don't want to make these lads cross now do you?"
Mickey looked at the slowly angering Vikings but tried to be brave, "Not tonight hey... May another night - I should be going..."
"ERIK!" Barry turned to address his original companion, "DRASTIC MEASURES ERIK..." Erik nodded and indicated to a group of Vikings in the shadows, "I'll ask you again Sir..."
"Mickey..."
Barry tried to hide his smirk, "Okay - Mickey - I'll ask you one more time... I need a favour... I need an extra act for tonight's press show and you seem to fit the bill... You turn up in costume and it's all too good to be true... Don't disappoint me now hey? Come on Mickey - say you'll join us..."
"I'm sorry - but no..."
Barry lifted his hand, Erik gave a whoop and the next thing that Mickey knew the Vikings seemed to be riotting a net was falling down upon his head and then all was darkness...
"Hello..." said Mickey eventually, "I could rethink my decision..."
But nobody out there was listening - as he felt himself being dragged off across bumpy ground he heard Barry the Caretaker mumbling excitedly, "Well done Erik... I wonder if there are any more like him out there in the desert..." he said to a response of laughter from the viking, "A job well done Erik - we make a good team..." he continued, "Fancy coming back to mine tonight?"
-----
Finally she'd managed to get in to see him... Even though Bowen had vanished he seemed to have left confirmation with the Ward sister that she should be allowed in - so he was probably actually the one she should be thanking really...
He looked so squashed - so flat (literally as flat as a sheet of medium strength cardboard) and lifeless... But he wasn't totally lifeless... He was still breathing - although the respirator was doing most of the hard work for him... He was also deep in a coma and yet when she reached out to take his hand he seemed to squeeze her hand and she thought she heard him speaking inside her head...
"Samantha - I'm sorry... I don't know how I'm going to make up for this..."
"Yen?"
"Yes..."
It definitely was him.
"Why did you lie to me... I'd have stayed with you if you'd just asked... You're a fascinating man - you didn't need to lie..."
"I know now - I'm sorry..."
"Bowen's here..."
"BOWEN!" the thought transference raised its strength, "NO SAM - HE IS DANGEROUS..."
There was a knock on the door, Sam's thoughts were disturbed and suddenly she could speak with him no more...
It was the Sister.
"Sorry lady... But there's someone here to see you... Her name is Edie... Do you want to speak with her?"
EDIE!
Sam looked back guiltily at Yen, "Yes... Yes - alright..."
Out in the corridor Edie appeared to have gotten herself tossled up in a ball of wool, she seemed concerned, "How is he, dear?" she asked, "You mustn't put yourself in any more danger - you should leave him..."
"He can't hurt me now..." sighed Samantha, "But he did try to contact me telepathically - he's still alive but he's very weak - it's all very confusing - I met a man named Bowen - who said he was Yen's cousin but then... oh it was confusing..."
Edie had taken her hand and was staring at her intently, "Bowen is a very - evil man, Samantha... You truly are putting yourself in danger... Is he still here?"
"I don't know... He was very odd..."
"Well you stay with me, dear..." Edie insisted, "Is there somewhere we can go to speak... I have something I must tell you... Something that I've kept bottled up for years and have only just remembered..."
Samantha nodded - there was far too much going on - far too much to take in - but she would listen to Edie all the same.
"Yen..." she called, "Yen? Are you still there?"
There was no reply this time. So Samantha gave in and headed after Edie.
-----
How ever had he gotten himself into this pickle, wondered Mickey... He wasn't quite sure where they had taken him but he appeared to be inside some kind of wooden box. In the background he could hear growling noises and what sounded like animals moving about...
"Hello..." he called out nervously, "Hello?"
No reply.
"Oh well..." he mused and began to sort through his mind as many funny jokes as he could think of - really wishing he had never angered Barry and the Vikings... Afterall - what was the point... He was meant to be here... Drawn to the circus...
His skin was itching again and he tried to get his fingers under the sleeves of his costume... But they were no longer any sleeves - only black mouse fur covering his arms...
"Why me..." sighed Mickey sadly, "This would never have happened to Bugs Bunny..."
-----
"Yen... Yen can you hear me?"
Nothing.
"Yen?"
Still no reply.
"Mr Bowen?"
"Samantha... Samantha... Please concentrate?" Samantha jolted alert as Edie fumbled around in her handbag.
"I'm sorry..." Samantha apologised, "Very sorry... What is it that you wanted to tell me?"
"I wanted to show you this..."
Edie held out the photograph.
"That's me..." gasped Sam, "Where did you get that? From my mum's house?"
"No..." said Edie, "It's mine..."
"But that was taken years ago - when I was a little girl... Did you know my mum or something? I don't understand..."
"Do you have one of these..." continued Edie without replying directly - she held out the envelope and inside it the letter...
"My Immortal Beloved. I journey without joy, until I can feel the peace of being at home..."
Samantha stared at Edie open-mouthed...
"What does it mean?" she said.
"It means that you're my long-lost daughter..." said Edie.
They sat in silence for a long time. Edie was the first to speak.
"You don't believe me..."
"I do..." Samantha corrected her - although still visibly shaken, "It makes sense... Well, no - it makes no sense - but there you are..."
Edie laid a hand on her arm, "I have so much to tell you - but we must take time..."
Silence again. Samantha spoke.
"So who am I?" she said, "Do you know who I really am? My real name..."
Edie shook her head, "No... I suppose you must presume that it really is Samantha..."
"Not Tula then, or Carol or - whatever else I've been hearing... But why don't you know for sure..."
"All I know is that I gave birth to you and that they took you away from me and then put such a gap in our ages that you'd never guess that we were related... I don't even totally remember my own background - a lot of my past memories are missing - they took them away..."
Samantha couldn't figure any of it out - it all seemed so dreadful, so confused, "But you must know who I am - if you gave birth to me - what did you call me?"
"I never got a chance to call you anything... He took you away and placed you with that other woman - Patricia Ruth... She became your adopted mother - she wasn't real though Samantha - just a character he created to look after you until you were older - grown up... Until he needed you..."
"He? Who do you mean? Who did all this..."
"Yen..."
"How come you're only just remembering that now..."
"Don't ask me dear..." said Edie sadly, "All I had was that letter and the photo - but then as soon as we met... Well - it all came back to me... Things I never realised I knew - things that were hidden away - so much information... Suddenly it came flooding back, dear..."
"And Yen did this? He's responsible for splitting us up..."
"I believe so... I'm 102 now - I gave birth to you when I was 22 in 1920 but he must have taken you into the future because it's 2002 now and you're what - late 20s - early 30s..." Samantha nodded. "He must have known that he wanted to use you... He had you lined up all the time..."
"But what for? Bowen said he was obsessed with me - infatuated - in love or something..."
"Obssessed yes... But that's because he knew he was going to die here - knew he couldn't escape fate... He will try anything... You are his successor... He wants you to carry on the work he began..."
"But why me..."
"Because Samantha, dear..." said Edie, "He is your father..."
-----
Bowen stood looking down at Yen as he lay silent and unmoving on his bed. There were no hospital staff about and the blinds were drawn on his private room. Bowen was kitted out in a figure hugging green hospital "cat suit" (as he liked to think of it...)
"It is time for us to say goodbye now, Yen..." he murmured, "I'm looking gorgeous - shame we can't say the same for you! You're looking flat..."
"STOP THIS! STOP THIS! STOP! STOP! STOP!"
Yen's telepathy was growing weaker as his strength depleted...
"Take it easy... Give in... I am your rightful heir Yen... Myself and the lovely Samantha... There's no need for two of us cluttering up the place - we're both doing the same job... Just think of this as survival of the fittest... Bless you - but you just weren't good enough - but you were a fine teacher... Taught me everything you knew - told me all about yourself and your powers - showed me up to be nothing more than some has-been talentless writer... But I've risen above all that - thanks to you - I have drained you not only intellectually but physically... I have BECOME you... How's that for a pupil-teacher relationship ey... It must make you smile Yen? Surely?"
Silence... Not even telepathic communication.
"Cat got your tongue?"
Silence.
"Tired ey?" Bowen smiled, "Then rest... Sleep deeply sweet Prince..."
Bowen reached up to the life-support machine and flicked off the switch...
But Yen was already gone - fading away into nothing... There should have been alarms - alarms that warned the staff of the critical nature of their patients health... But they alarms did not go off...
"Goodbye Yen..." said Bowen and then turned away - closing his eyes... "Hello Samantha..." he muttered.
By the time the hospital staff found Yen some twenty minutes later the room was empty of any mysterous visitors and Yen was beyond help - long dead and helpless. Elsewhere he had been reborn as a man once known only for looking gorgeous and writing rather pleasant pieces of writing... Yen was dead - but the man named Bowen was only just beginning to live...
What will happen next...
What is the truth of the link between Samantha and Edie? Has Bowen really killed Yen? Will Mavis and Rwanda contact Trent in time to make the cows change their minds? WHAT THE BLUMIN' HECK IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT TIME...
Find out soon...
PART NINE WILL FOLLOW BY FRIDAY 8TH NOVEMBER 2002...
Please Contribute to Part 9 - or at least write to us at : PCBEECHES@HOTMAIL.COM to tell us you're still reading...
Remember - if you would prefer to print out an episode to read later - each instalment is about 10-12 pages...
