Ah, 1:00am on a Tuesday! Or, as it's more commonly known as: Story Time! That's right, it's time for another installment! Awesome. You're all so excited! I'm so excited! This one might be the best one yet. It's a Noah heavy entry, so you're all happy. Might be some twists, might now. Might be LOTS though. Also might now have any. That's how I roll. If you haven't figured it out, go back and re-read the last 7 entries. Anyways, what happened last time?
Noah and Emily and The G Bomb had just ended up at Donnies Discount Tablery. Now, I realize that previously in the story, I had called it Donny's Discount Tablery, but I've changed that. I like the new way better. Ok, back to whatever. They had just got there, and the dogs were getting ready to do something about a basin or something, I don't remember. Anyways, here goes! The third, and FINAL installment of: The Red Basin II: The Third Chapter: Chapter 3: Hello My Name Is... Guurnt..?
The doors slid open smoothly and quickly away from the trio as they approached, making barely a sound. As they moved into the breezeway, a long, dimly lit hallway, they snapped shut behind. They walked down the hall toward a second set of automatic doors. As they approached, the faint sound of gentle music could be heard comming from the other side, and through the tinted glass, hints of bright coloured lights filtered through. "Remember" reminded Emily "Donnie is a business man, so make sure you're on your best behavior. We want this to go smoothly." They stopped before the pressure mat that would open the last portal. "I know you've never been here, so stay close. It's not exactly what you're expecting."
"How does she know what I'm expecting?" Noah asked no one, as she moved toward the doors. As they stepped onto the mat, the high doors wooshed open, and the sight was in fast, nothing at all what Noah had expected. The place was massive! Resembling what was more like a massive bazar than a table shop, dozens of kiosks and other small shops sprawled out in front of them, some multiple storeys, all with blazing neon signs advertising their wears. Mountains of merchandise streatched toward the distant ceiling. If the outside world was abandoned, this was surely the reason why. masses of people moved about, trading, selling, laughing, yelling. A pair of men were looking to start a fight off near a shop that apparentally sold lavish carpets, the shopkeep trying in vain to calm them. "Jeez.' Breathed Noah. "This is exactly what I had expected." Emily gave him a berating look and started off down one of the "alleyways". As they continued on, passing under a brigge between two of the larger shops, they passed what looked like a resturaunt, crowded with people and selling what looked like grilled shrimp, right off of a giant grill in the middle. "Mmm, that smells great!" Noah sighed, straining to get a closer look past the throng of people. "Can we get some fish things, or something? I'm famished." Emily turned on him, and scolded "Noah, we're already late for this meeting with Donnie, and you want to get some shrimp snacks?" The G Bomb continued down the alley without them. "Do you even like shrimp?"
"I like the idea of shrimp." Noah reasoned. "And besided, we're already late, what's a few more minutes?" Emily growled and grabbed his wrist, pulling him back in the right direction. Noah resisted, reaching out with his free arm toward the shrimp grill, and finally gave up falling back into step behind Emily, grumbling. "I love shrimp, I bet." They walked a ways further, past more interesting shops, none of which sold shrimp, and finally came to an opening, something that looked like a small square or park, with white benches ringing it's full circumfrence. More heaps of merchandise bordered the square, giving it artifical walls. In the middle, stood a man dressed in a pristine white suit, chatting loudly with a small group of what appeared to be merchants. He had slick black and a short curling moustache. He carried a white walking stick capped with a golden goose head, and wore shiny black shoes. When the pair (Neither noticed The G Bombs disappearance as of yet) came into his view, the mans ever opened wide and a great big grin came over his face, he quickly ended his conversatoin with the merchants, and arms out wide approached Emily and Noah.
"Friends!" He greeted, his teeth were gold. "You 'ave made it!" He crushed them in an embrace. Noah, taken by surprise, started to protest, but was quickly silenced, due to lack of air. The man broke off the hug, and backed up a step, his smile never fading. "I thought that you might not show!" Big ol' smile still.
"Ha, well, sorry about that, we got caught up in traffic." Emily lied. "But, we are here, and we're ready to work!" She pointed over to Noah. "This is Noah, he's a friend, and a teriffic worker! He's going to be my partner on this job, if that's ok with you. Noah, this is Donnie, of Donnies Discount Tablery. He's a great man." Donnie looked at Emily, his grin growing.
"You flatter me, Emeel." He cooed, feigning embarassment. "No-ha, pleasure to meet you." He reached a hand out to Noah, who hesitantly took it in his, and recieved a vigorous shake. The gold rings on Donnies hands dug into his knuckles, the handshake was that firm! Upon release, Donnie sniffed the air, and asked "Is that Kenyan Dark that I smell? Wonderful!" Noah shot Emily a smirk. "Ah, what a day, but we have work to do!" He turned and started off to the door at the oposite end of the square. "Does he know that your name is actually Emily, and not Emeel?" Noah asked.
"I have no idea why he doesn't get anyones names right." Emily said "But he always has some weird version."
"Weird." Noah added. "He was pretty close with mine though, you have to admit! Maybe he knows that I have huge potential." Emily shot another berating look at him, and picked up her pace. Noah, smirk in tow began after her. Before they got to the door though, it opened, and a short man with an amazingly large, but flat, head walked out. He was nearly a sphere, and his flat head helped accentuate this fact. He wore an army green vest, and a red truckers hat, that was overly round, apparentally to disguise the flatness of his head. "Oh! My friend! You two, you must meet my wonderful friend!" Donnie bent low and hugged the little man, who appeared to hate it as much as Noah, if not more. "This is.. Um.. This is, my friend!" Donnie clearly had forgotten the mans name. "Introduce yourself, my friend! This is Noo-ka and Emeel! They have come to give us a hand today!" The man cleared his throat, and, his head and wide mouth very animated, said.
"Hello."
"What up?" Noah greeted casualy.
"Hi, I'm Emily." Emily added.
"Nice to meetcha." The little man vigorously replied.
"Um, what's your name?" Emily awkwardly asked, after a few moments silence.
"Oh, right. Uh, my name is." He paused, seeming surprised. "Uh.. I'm... My name is.. G-g..El... Ern..er.. guurnt..?" he stumbled, apprering to have made the entire thing up, very unconvincingly. Emily scrunched up her face shooting him a confused look.
"Nice to meet you Guurnt." Noah said, appearing to have not noticed the bumbling whatsoever. Emily turned her scrunched up face to Noah.
"Um, right, nice to meetcha." The little man bobbed, looking nervous. "Hey, look what I bought!" He seemed desperate to change the conversation. "Was only twenty bucks from some drunk down near the pond!" He reached and began to open the door he had come through the rest of the way.
"There's a pond?" Noah asked no one. The door swung open, and standing there, smug as a bug, was a little robot, no higher than your weist, with a pot of fresh coffee sitting in its open chest cabinet. If The G Bomb was capable of smiling, he would have put even Donnie to shame right then.
I love that entry. What a cool building! I bet not what you expected at all, nevermind Noah! And what's all this about The G Bomb getting bought? Has he finally excaped Noah? Will he finally be able to exact the revenge on him he so sorely craves? We'll have to wait and find out! I give myself... 4.5 out of 5 stars for that one. Shrimp grills.
TED talk
12 years ago