Something To Do While You Wait

[Birol]

BlueTexas, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to borrow your idea from "The Winners" thread to help take everyone's mind off the wait and start a prompt.

For those unfamiliar with a prompt, I'm going to start a story and leave off before it ends, the next poster will pick up where I leave off. Don't write a lot. Just a paragraph or two. And keep in mind, it's not supposed to be good and just a little insane.

:scared:

As dawn approached, on the morning of Friday, April 1st, Alphabeter found herself counting the other authors waiting in the contest lounge at the AW Bar & Grill. It had been a long night and, since there weren't any sheep around, she thought counting authors might help her to sleep. After all, writers didn't exactly have the wild reputation of rock stars.

"Three hundred and five, three hundred and six, three hundred and seven." She stopped counting.

SueB glanced at her. "Did you lose your place?"

"No."

"Forget to count yourself?"

"No. I counted myself first. I always start with myself. There's three hundred and seven of us."

"But," SueB's brow furrowed as she thought a moment. It had been a long week, but she was positive something was not quite right with Alphabeter's tally, " I thought Jenna said there were three hundred and eight of us?"

[dragonjax]

"You know what this means," dragonjax said. "One of us is a Cylon!"

As her dire announcement echoed across the electrons, three hundred and eight people eyed one another warily.

"But how can we tell who's the Cylon?" Birol asked. "I mean, I know I'm not, because my signature line clearly states that I'm not one of the three hundred and eight. What about the rest of you lot?"

[wurdwise]

William the Heckler, working the floor of the AW Bar & Grill overheard. "Cyclon?! Mommie4a don' allow no cyclons round here!" Wurdwise, pretty wasted by now, beings she'd had five beers and one of those funny tasting brownies, set her Dos Equis on the bar, "well, what's that over there in the corner, then, Heckler?"

[SueB]

"You know what this means," dragonjax said. "One of us is a Cylon!"

As her dire announcement echoed across the electrons, three hundred and eight people eyed one another warily.

"But how can we tell who's the Cylon?" Birol asked. "I mean, I know I'm not, because my signature line clearly states that I'm not one of the three hundred and eight. What about the rest of you lot?"

SueB looked at her new friends with the compasionate tollerance of a mother.
"Children, children, come back from fantasy land. Think. This could only mean that the judges have chosen the top winner and removed his, or her, submission from the pack. So now the question is, 'who is missing?'

[mommie4a]

As dawn approached, on the morning of Friday, April 1st, Alphabeter found herself counting the other authors waiting in the contest lounge at the AW Bar & Grill. It had been a long night and, since there weren't any sheep around, she thought counting authors might help her to sleep. After all, writers didn't exactly have the wild reputation of rock stars.

"Three hundred and five, three hundred and six, three hundred and seven." She stopped counting.

SueB glanced at her. "Did you lose your place?"

"No."

"Forget to count yourself?"

"No. I counted myself first. I always start with myself. There's three hundred and seven of us."

"But," SueB's brow furrowed as she thought a moment. It had been a long week, but she was positive something was not quite right with Alphabeter's tally, " I thought Jenna said there were three hundred and eight of us?"


"You know what this means," dragonjax said. "One of us is a Cylon!"

As her dire announcement echoed across the electrons, three hundred and eight people eyed one another warily.

"But how can we tell who's the Cylon?" Birol asked. "I mean, I know I'm not, because my signature line clearly states that I'm not one of the three hundred and eight. What about the rest of you lot?"

William the Heckler, working the floor of the AW Bar & Grill overheard. "Cyclon?! Mommie4a don' allow no cyclons round here!" Wurdwise, pretty wasted by now, beings she'd had five beers and one of those funny tasting brownies, set her Dos Equis on the bar, "well, what's that over there in the corner, then, Heckler?"

SueB looked at her new friends with the compasionate tollerance of a mother.
"Children, children, come back from fantasy land. Think. This could only mean that the judges have chosen the top winner and removed his, or her, submission from the pack. So now the question is, 'who is missing?'

"Darn straight I don't! Now you all start behaving like Mr. Rogers' watching folks, or I'm gonna halfta call in JAWS, and you know he's the law around here!"

[BlakeOvard]

"but look, we're now down to 306!" someone said.

Sure enough, someone else had gone missing. Could this mean that the finalist were being chosen, and were moving to those chairs on the other side of the wall? Could it mean that someone else had been transformed into a Cylon? Did whoever have the rights to the name of Cylon came in and take them away?

[BlakeOvard]

...and another was gone leaving just 305.

[SueB]

...and another was gone leaving just 305.

Mommie4a tore her eyes from the Heckler, as she turned to her new found writer friend sitting on the bar stool next to her. "Do you think........."
She stopped in midsentence, with her mouth agap.
Slowly, the buzz in the room faded. All eyes were on the body that had leviatated from the barstool next to Mommie 4a. The body floated across the table tops and seemingly vaporized through the far wall.

[dragonjax]

:guns:

304...

[Elincoln]

ELincoln looks up from her laptop, her sleepless eyes gazing about the room. "Not Cylons, Eliminations. It's starting. Soon, only the top 10 will survive." She turns off the computer and signals a shot of JD. "They're starting to see who's moving onto to the next round, and who's just going to dissappear." And with a nod to the crowd, she throws back her head and swallows the shot.

[firehorse]

Firehorse, ever the nitpicky one, felt compelled to point out that there were originally 307 entries, not 308. The first post was Jenna's, explaining the rules and introducing the thread.

"Smartie-pants!" said SueB.

"Hmm." ChunkyC knew exactly what he was going to say, but he paused for dramatic effect. "I don't think that's what you mean.

"Smartie-pants would be pants made of delicious multicoloured chocolate candies. I think you mean smarty-pants."

SueB rolled her eyes. "You Canadians and your British candies. What's wrong with M&Ms?"

"Once you've had Smarties, you can't go back to M&Ms," Chunky said. "M&Ms taste artificial. Smarties are real chocolate."

"I say that's candy discrimination, besides which we're off the topic of Firehorse being a know-it-all."

"I'm not done with the chocolate thread yet." Chunky sighed and chewed his lower lip as though it were an All-Sorts candy. "Hear me out. Canada takes the best of all things British and American. When it comes to chocolate, the UK wins." He paused again (not that ChunkyC paused all that frequently, but Firehorse was apparently addicted to the word 'pause' while writing this.) "Chocolate and actors. And musicians. That's what the Brits do best."

"No wonder they have bad teeth."

"Actors?" Chunky asked.

"No, chocolate-eating British musicians, like that guy from the Pogues."

"They were Irish."

"Oh." SueB folded her arms across her chest. "Wait - what does this have to do with the Idol contest?"

"Maybe Richard and Three can get Smarties to send out consolation packages to the 297 who don't make the cut."

Firehorse attempted to take center stage by turning with a flourish, but it was kind of hard to create a flourish in a t-shirt and jeans that didn't even flare. "While you are debating whether I'm an intellectual snob or a chocolate-pants-wearing freak - " she gave them both a level look over top of her wire-rimmed glasses " - I'm off to my Mensa meeting."


(please note the above was created with the assistance of many migraine medications including copious amounts of codeine, and the names are not meant to be representative of the personalities. They were just the easiest to type under the influence)

[hdrusa]

Eyes darted around the room. Who would be next? Furiously punching at keyboards, several members searched for answers.

"We're dying here!" an unknown member screamed at his monitor.

"We may be dying, but those being eliminated now can have some peace," observed hdrusa. "It's going to be a long night."

Members' heads bobbed in front of their laptops as they waited for Jenna's post.


302......and waiting.

[bjewel77]

Suddenly 302 Smarties started flying across the room from the open door. Everyone turned to look as Bjewel77 was flying those treats around the room for everyone. “Someone mentioned Smarties and that made me hungry for my kind of Smarties, the ones that taste like little Sweet Tarts. I’ve sat around all day popping candy corn and jelly beans in my mouth, waiting for that big announcement to come on the screen. Smarties sure did sound good. I canceled a Dr. appointment to come here and watch. Anyone have a band-aid for my index finger, the one’s that been hitting REFRESH all day?”

Bjewel77

[Hummingbird]

Hummingbird sat at the bar. She had just finished drinking her root beer in under a few minutes. Usually it was chocolate or jellybeans that she'd consume while waiting, but root beer was handy and more and more bottles appeared right in front of her. For a small fee, but she'd live.
Drumming her fingers on the bar, she watched as people started to search for answers. Her fingers slowly moved and twisted around a strand of hair.

"How long can we survive like this?!" Hummingbird asked out loud.

She took a sip of the new root beer that was handed to her. Another person lifted up, without really noticing, and started floating towards the wall. They reached out for a rootbeer on the way. The had just started drinking as they passed through the wall.

Hummingbird blinked a few times and quickly changed her attention to her root beer. She glanced back at a laptop, waiting for the golden post...

301...

[bjewel77]

Bjewell77 realizes she has given away all the Smarties, and wants more. She wonders if her story has already made the rejection pile. She jumps on a table and tries to "float" toward the wall to go get more Smarties.

"BAM!"

Bjewel77 realizes that the wall is made of bricks. She jumps up smiling, because if she couldn't pass right through it, maybe there is still hope for her story!

Still 301.

[Hummingbird]

Hummingbird giggled at seeing Bjewel77. She stood up and placed a hand on the wall, seemed solid enough. Looking back at her lone bottle of root beer, she began to wonder if the real goodies were on the other side of the wall. [I]What I would give for some chocolate...[\I]
Hummingbird pressed her ear up against the wall. Party music faintly came through the wall. She wanted to join the party, but still wanted to stay, hoping for her story to come through.

"Can anybody else hear the music?"

[hdrusa]

"Hummingbird, I hear the music. It's faint, but upbeat," said Hdrusa. "I'm sure it'll get louder as more of us go to the other side."

Kelly ran over to Hummingbird and Hdrusa. "I can't take it! Did you see it? Did you see it?"

"Kelly, did you see a post from Jenna?" Hdrusa asked.

"No, I'm refreshing like crazy, and there it was. A new post in the judges' room. Will it happen soon? What'll we do? I don't know what to do! Whose got the latest refresh? Anybody? I know someone's got the latest!! Where's Jenna?"

Hdrusa shook Kelly and spun her around to dump her on nearby bar stool.
Hdrusa ordered Kelly to stay put as a root beer slid down towards them. "Drink up! Maybe you'll calm down. Hysteria will help none of us."

[ccwriter]

Apryl slumped bleary-eyed at her keyboard, nursing the last two fingers of whiskey left in her glass. The pale blue light of the computer screen was the only light in the room…she couldn’t remember how long she had been sitting there. New threads and posts popped up on the board like blooming crocuses in the garden….tiny buds of hope in a landscape crowded with possibilities, but her own hope was almost gone. Almost.


“What’s this?” she whispered, as a new thread appeared. “WINNERS ANNOUNCED…”


She rubbed the grit from her eyes and shifted in her seat, staring at the bold print on the screen. Her heart squeezed in her chest… “Dare I take a peek?” she thought, as her trembling hand guided the mouse. The cursor hovered…”Nah,” she said, and drained the rest of whiskey.

With a dejected sigh, she turned off her computer screen and yawned in the dark. “Time for bed,” she mumbled to herself, and stood up to take the whiskey glass to the kitchen.


“Whomm—whomm...whomm—whomm …” a strange sound drifted from the computer’s speakers.

“What the--”

“Whomm—whommmm…” the tone sounded again, louder this time…and the darkened computer screen began to crackle.


A thin red light appeared, like a glowing cursor in the center of the screen. It glowed brighter, pulsing, and then traveled in a lateral line across the screen—ping-ponging across the blackness. Apryl’s mouth went dry.

“My God, it’s true,” she whispered.

“Whomm…whommm…whommm.”


A tickling sensation prickled along her arms, and she stared in shock as her fingers disappeared, then her hands…her arms. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

The last sound in the room was the empty glass thudding softly on the carpeted floor. The computer screen went black once again. Three hundred …

[edfrzr]

I sat there silently at the bar; never making eye contact with any of the others. That would be the cardinal sin. This had become an unfriendly competition. I tipped back the 23oz. glass and emptied the rest of the cold, frothy brew down my waiting gullet. I smiled to myself, because I knew something they didn't.

The Smarties were nothing more than an apparition, a figment of the imagination of those that thought this would be like candy. As I watched the others dance and try to attain the mythical candy, it reminded me of the prizes and awards this infernal contest promised. DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM ALL TO HELL!!! Those were the true Smarties. Yes, I thought, that is everyone is trying to grasp.

I ordered another.

There was a slight tap on my shoulder. "Why aren't you playing with the rest of us?" SueB asked as she floated away.

"I'm too old to play. My time is short."

"I don't understand," came from across the room.

I turned and looked at the remaining hopefuls. "I wanted to keep this to myself. But, I guess now is as good a time as any to tell all of you," I said as I hung my head.

The room grew deathly silent. You could hear Mommie4a thinking about her next submission.

"What! What is it!," Hummingbird yelled as she ran towards me.

Slowly I raised my head. There must have been 604 eyes and 604 ears looking and listening to what I had to say. I had never felt so important. It was so obvious. I took a deep breath and let it out just as slowly. "I know all," I said softly as I turned back around to pick up where I had left off.

[Elincoln]

"Lincoln, Lincoln; I've been thinkin'. What's that stuff that you've been drinking? Is it whisky? Is it wine? All my gosh, it's strychnine," Elaine smiled to herself as she downed her last shot. "Poor Fools."

She could smell their fear, their nervious energy flowing through her veins as slowly as the alcohol. "Poor, unfortunate fools." She flicks a floating candy at the ceiling and wonders when it will be her turn, for she knew...knew what was going on.

"Eliminations," she murmured to no one in particular, though Hummingbird was now looking at her with a frown. But these were no ordinary eliminations.

Elaine looked around. Who was it? Who was that desperate.

You see, it wasn't the judges that were making the writers disappear. Jenna was a professional and cared for them too much to let something like this happen to her friends. No, this was some one else.

Someone who wanted to the competition to disappear.

And Elaine could feel it. Writing Fantasy stories for twenty so years had given her insight into unknown worlds. Those insights were often horrible and amazing at the same time. And those insights gave her power.

She could sense the killer was in the room. One of them was eliminating her fellow writers, but who...

She knew she might never find out before her turn. Even now, the sense of metaphysical eyes were turning towards the bar. Soon, they would find their next victim.

[bjewel77]

Bjewel77 wonders if it is the winners or the rejected who are going through the wall to the party next door. She is chatting with her new writer friends around a table in the center of the room when a waiter walks up with a big bologna sandwich. She thinks he has only accidentally dropped it beneath her table, until the sandwich suddenly flies out from under the table to land a few feet away. Bjewel77 raises the tablecloth slightly to keep anyone from noticing, and what she suspects is true. “Lucille!” Bjewel77 tries to whisper. “ No Miracle-Whip, huh? What the hell are you doing in here! You were supposed to wait by the door. Lucille is grinning sheepishly.



Suddenly, everyone scatters to all four corners. “What the hell is that smell?” someone says. Bjewell77 is so embarrassed; she has to let everyone in on the truth. Lucille had let a big one. She pulls Lucille out from under the table and pushes her back out the door where she came in. “Sorry, everyone, I didn’t know she was in here. Lucille ate too much junk today waiting for results with me.”



Now minus 1 blue tick hound, and still waiting…



Bjewel77

[SueB]

Apryl slumped bleary-eyed at her keyboard, nursing the last two fingers of whiskey left in her glass. The pale blue light of the computer screen was the only light in the room…she couldn’t remember how long she had been sitting there. New threads and posts popped up on the board like blooming crocuses in the garden….tiny buds of hope in a landscape crowded with possibilities, but her own hope was almost gone. Almost.


“What’s this?” she whispered, as a new thread appeared. “WINNERS ANNOUNCED…”


She rubbed the grit from her eyes and shifted in her seat, staring at the bold print on the screen. Her heart squeezed in her chest… “Dare I take a peek?” she thought, as her trembling hand guided the mouse. The cursor hovered…”Nah,” she said, and drained the rest of whiskey.

With a dejected sigh, she turned off her computer screen and yawned in the dark. “Time for bed,” she mumbled to herself, and stood up to take the whiskey glass to the kitchen.


“Whomm—whomm...whomm—whomm …” a strange sound drifted from the computer’s speakers.

“What the--”

“Whomm—whommmm…” the tone sounded again, louder this time…and the darkened computer screen began to crackle.


A thin red light appeared, like a glowing cursor in the center of the screen. It glowed brighter, pulsing, and then traveled in a lateral line across the screen—ping-ponging across the blackness. Apryl’s mouth went dry.

“My God, it’s true,” she whispered.

“Whomm…whommm…whommm.”


A tickling sensation prickled along her arms, and she stared in shock as her fingers disappeared, then her hands…her arms. She opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.

The last sound in the room was the empty glass thudding softly on the carpeted floor. The computer screen went black once again. Three hundred …

SueB walked upon Firehorse listening, with a compasionate look in his eyes, to hdrusa. "I can't stand it! I feel so guilty! Another poor soul just passed through that brick wall, and here I sit with my hope still in tact. That poor girl has been stripped of all vestiges of hope. She was so talented! Much more than I! I can't live with this!"

"Listen, hdrusa. I need to tell you something. There's good news and there's bad news, ok?"

"OK," hdrusa gulped, looking up into Firehorse's eyes with a question mark.

"Hdrusa," Firehorse gently patted her shoulder as he continued, "While it's true that you and I still stand a chance of being winners, I need to tell you that your guilt over those, who have passed through the wall, are unfounded."

"How can you be so callous, Firehourse?" Hdrusa was shocked.

Again patting her shoulder, Firehorse explained, "Hdrusa, I believe that those who have passed through the wall are the winners."

Hdrusa looked to SueB who had joined their little circle only seconds ago. "SueB?"

"That's what I think, too, Hdrusa."

"Welllll.........she wasn't that talented."

"Hey Firehorse, what are we down to now? 300?" someone called from across the room.

"301," Hdrusa corrected as she arched her brow at Firehorse.

"Why'd you say that?" Firehorse questioned her.

"Well, I didn't want to say anything before, but since you have shown me my error, I think I should return the favor, ok?"

"OK," Firehorse answered with his most charming one sided smile-- which was not being wasted on Hdrusa.

"You were correct in saying that Jenna was the number one post, Firehorse, but the last entry was number 309."

"Naww, really?"

"Really. I'm a nit-picker too."

[edfrzr]

No oone else knows. There is no possible way! Einstein was the only other person to figure it out. We only use ten per cent of our brains. The theory is that if we were to use one hundred percent, we would be pure energy; no physical body, just energy, and with that comes power; power to do what ever we choose. Even if that means making people randomly...

I felt the eyes on by back. I turned and looked at Elincoln. She screamed. She knew.

[Elincoln]

What the He**? I'm drunk. Might as well end it. Elaine turned around, stared down at the one she sensed, and screamed.

"Enough is Enough. This ends here!" And with that, she leaped off her stool and charged across the room. So what if her martial arts were only to be used in self-defense, she had no way to dodge paranormal blows.

In a flying leap, the woman tackled Edfrzr to the ground, using her body to secure his arm as he attempted to punch back. She pulled it under his head and pinning him to the floor with her legs and body. With her hand raised in a menacing manner, she breathed in the air. Yes, power. The Chi in her body vibrated, waiting for her strike.

"Out with it. What is going on?" she roared at Edfrzr.

[dragonjax]

dragonjax drums her fingers against her keyboard. Said keyboard grumps about this--I'm a keyboard, for God's sake, and every time you drum your fingers, you make me go asdasdasdasdasdasdasd, so get a grip, woman--and dragonjax somewhat sheepishly begins to drum her fingers on her desk. Not her desktop--her desk.

There has to be a way to know who would be next, she thinks. There's gotta be a way. There--

Oh look. Bunnies.

dragonjax starts to pull an Alice as she follows the white rabbit. But she doesn't watch out for the rabbit hole. And, just like that nasty lawyer from L.A. Law back in the 1990s, she steps without looking to see if there's a floor beneath her feet and she falls...

:Jaw:

Sing it with me!
299 contestants are left on the wall
299 nervous writers still wait
Take one out -- you'll sing, you'll shout:
298 contestants are left on the wall

[bjewel77]

Lucille starts going crazy barking right outside the door. She can smell that stupid white rabbit.


Bjewel77 is singing an old song to herself:


"Mama told me not to come,

This is the craziest party there could ever be,

don't turn on the lights because I'm afraid to see."

[hdrusa]

Hdrusa tapped on Bjewel's shoulder.

"Great song. But you should open your eyes. It's not over until Jenna's post."

Bjewel tilted her head and raised her glass. "It's going to be soon, Hdrusa. Let me enjoy the moment."

Hdrusa glanced at SueB. "Do you think she's okay? She's been really strong through all this, ya know? Maybe she knows something we don't?"

SueB shook his head. "Hdrusa, stop worrying about everyone. Everyone's in the same position right now. Leave her alone."

Firehorse exclaimed, "Lucille sounds miserable too! Maybe she found something besides that white rabbit! Maybe she found Jenna, or a post?"

"I know I'm new here. But I'm getting used to all my new friends. I don't think I'm joining the party on the other wall." Hdrusa slumped in a red, upholstered chair. "Jenna said Friday, right? I remember Friday. We're running out of time here!"

Firehorse said, "Here we go again with the nit-picking."

[edfrzr]

The laughter emoted from deep within my belly. So loudly that glasses dropped from their slots in the racks over the bar and splintered like peanut brittle on the solid oak below. The wall length mirror behind the bar shattered into a million shards sprinkling to the floor like a small child's magic dust.

I looked down as Elincoln continued to pummel the floor beneath her knees. I wonder, was it something I said? Her anger was menacing. I allowed her to continue until she stopped. She must have gone on for over 10 minutes. You could hear her knuckles crack as they met their target, over and over, again and again. To say they were bloody would be like saying this contest was a moot point. She had to be impervious to the pain. Her hands resembled something along the lines of old, spoiled hamburger.

That's right boys and girls. I said "looked down". To the dismay of Elincoln and everyone else surrounding her in the room; not only could they not stop me, there was no way they could contain me. One statement and already they want me gone.

The individual she was beating wasn't her intended target. Poor Dragonjax, all that pain. There was no hole; only destiny. After all, I have the power to do whatever to whomever I please. I create the hole, I take it away. You are not in control. Remember? 100%

"I told you. I...KNOW....ALL!!!

Martial arts? Hah! Maybe you should have stuck with performing arts.

"Barkeep, another round for my friends," I said as Elincoln looked at her hands in confusion and started to cry. "And please, some band-aids for Dragonjax."

I thought to myself, All these poor people; thinking what they are feeling, saying, doing, writing, wishing; they think they have a choice. I slowly shook my head. Why can't they realize that it has already been decided?

[BlueTexas]

BlueTexas, who had been eavesdropping on Firehorse, SueB and Hdrusa, turned to face them.

"Do you think it's possible to nit-pick a writer to death? We do it to oursevles all day long...could that be why we're slowly dissapearing?"

"Hmmm. Do you really think we edit ourselves that much?" asked Firehorse.

"Who cares," shouts SueB. "Look at the sign on that far wall! How come we didn't see that before?"

Shouting in all caps from the wall was the simple little sign that said....

[dragonjax]

Bleeding and bruised, dragonjax sheepishly accepts the bandages, then desperately tries to get the bartender's attention.

"Got any Pinot Grigio?"

"Sweetheart," the barkeep says, "this is the AW Bar and Grill. You want the hoity toity stuff, amble over to the AW Winery."

"Fine," dragonjax sighs. "Got a Sammy on tap?"

Beer in hand, dragonjax smiles at the others. "How much longer do you think we'll have to wait?"

"Not very," hdrusa says. "I hear they have a Plan."

"A plan?"

"No. A Plan, with a capital 'P.' By tomorrow night, humanity's children come home."

With a sigh, dragonjax sips her beer. "Dang, now we're back to Cylons again..."

[dragonjax]

Shouting in all caps from the wall was the simple little sign that said....
GO HOME. NOTHING TO SEE HERE. MOVE ALONG.

"Geez," dragonjax whispers to BlueTexas. "Think they're trying to tell us something?"

[edfrzr]

As I once again sat at the bar trying to mind my own business, I looked over at the bloody and beaten Dragonjax.

I nodded, waved my hand and she had her Pinot Grigio. "Sorry," I said.

She raised her glass to me as if to say "no problem". Another nod; her wounds were healed.

Elincoln continued to sit on the floor on her knees staring hopelessly at her hands. I think I'll let her suffer just a little while longer, I thought.

Then I noticed the sign also, but in what was left of the mirror. It read -- yaw siht ynitsed ruoy.

I didn't need to turn.

[BlueTexas]

All of us that were left watched in awe as Edfrzr walked to the sign on the wall. He titled his head up, winked, clicked his heels, and vanished.

Moments later, we heard deep laughter coming from the other side of that wall....

[bjewel77]

Bjewel ponders the fact that people are worrying about her and Lucille. She did take quite a blow to the head trying to fly through the wall earlier, but she tried to laugh it all in front of everyone. A few more drinks and the dull ache should pass.



Hdrusa and SueB are studying Bjewel now and see her face turning slightly pale. Hdrusa gets closer and asks “Are you OK?”



Bjewel opens her eyes. “Yeah, I’ll make it. It’s just that Lucille has ESP.”



Firehorse hears this and runs over. elincoln is close behind, excited.

“Do you mean Lucille has Extra Sensory Perception? Is she barking because she still senses Evil in this place?”



Bjewel laughs. “I don’t know what she can sense. But what I sense is her Extra Smelly Poop.”



Bjewel77

[edfrzr]

The loft was much more comfortable. It was nowhere near as noisy. I could barely hear all the off-key singing. Plus, there was no staircase. Perfect. It was better that I leave. I was starting to get attached to some of the others. I had yet learned to harness the energy and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt anyone.

I'll return later, I mused. When it becomes necessary.

Rest, I needed rest.

[bjewel77]

Lucille's eternal barking made Bjewel go to the door to see what was wrong. There lay Lucille in front of someone's abandoned laptop and she had been trying to chew on the screen. Bjewel see why as soon as she sees the announcement on the screen. Jenna has announced no decision probably until tomorrow, April 2. Is this for real, or the latest April Fool's Joke? Bev goes in to tell the others.

Bjewel77

[hdrusa]

"She may have ESP, Bjewel, but Lucille was working on an answer." Hdrusa smiled.

They had watched in amazement as Edfrzl vanished through the wall easily. He must hold all the power. Bjewel got some bumps and bruises while trying to find out who and what was behind the wall.

Hdrusa rubbed her dry, scratchy eyes. "I can't take anymore of this. I just want to be able to congratulate the winners!"

Bjewel sadly replied, "You can congratulate the winners tomorrow. Jenna just posted."

Silence can be deafening when you can hear everyone's thoughts of crushing defeat and self-doubt hanging in the air.

"I guess I'll go home and crash. By my computer. I don't want to miss Jenna's post first thing tomorrow." Hdrusa moaned as she stood up and stretched her arms over her head.

Firehorse exclaimed, "Well, it may be a prank. It's April 1st. Maybe we will find another thread with the real winner's list."

Bjewel questioned, "If Jenna's post says tomorrow, why are you torturing yourself with thoughts of an imaginary winner's list tonight."

"I saw a post by Mr Underhill. He thinks it's a prank. It's April Fool's Day." Firehorse exasperately explained to her friends.

SueB passed by and said, "Go home. Jenna's post says tomorrow. It's tomorrow."

Hdrusa groaned. "I can't go through another day of this. Aren't Jenna and the other judges even watching how torturous this day has been? Hysteria, injuries, abuse, and doubt trampled our writers' beings today."

"Not for all of us, Hdrusa." said a taller stranger lurking in the shadows.

[mkcbunny]

"Oh look. Bunnies." - dragonjaxThe word "bunnies" echoed in her ears as Lydia sat waiting in the patient pick-up area. Carl had been out of surgery since noon, but the spinal had kept his legs numb for five hours and the nurses wouldn't let him leave until he could take a piss.

It was after six when they got home. Lydia propped her husband up on the sofa, made dinner, and produced a few Smarties from the secret candy-hideaway for dessert. Somewhere around nine, she took a breath. Somewhere around nine she remembered what day it was.

April Fool's. The contest.

Heart pitter-pattering, she checked the boards. "Winners," "Finalists," and hoaxes splattered the screen. Another day of waiting. So much waiting. Nurses telling her to wait. Judges making her wait. Can't it all just be over? Can't there be some news? Doesn't have to be good, just end the hovering sensation. Let me rest. So tired.

Carl called out from the sofa, "Love you," as he gobbled up his tart treats. He was too grateful to his wife to tell her that he'd expected the chocolate kind he'd grown up on in Ottawa. Lydia shut off the computer. It's only a contest, and Carl's doing fine.

[Elincoln]

Elaine shook her hands, the blood and destruction to her hands slowly vanished from her hands and arms. She hated illusions, especially when they were put on her. She had seen him start to glow and thought to strike first. Should have known it was an illusion and a switch. She looked down at the floor and cursed to herself. "Thoughtful action is better than instant reaction. Better clean up my mess before I get anyone else hurt." With a sigh, she stood up and headed back to the bar.

Elaine glanced at Dragonjax and winced, guilty on her blunder. She asked the barkeep for a first aid kit and sat down next to the battered writer.

"Sorry 'bout that. Shouldn't drink and fight at the same time. Here, let me." She proceeded to wrap up Dragonjax's wounds. "I guess we'll see soon enough what happens, huh?"

[dragonjax]

"Thanks, Elaine," dragonjax says, though her words are muffled from the bandages. "And here I thought the only thing that would get battered, brusied and bloody was my ego."

"The writing gig's a cut-throat one," Elaine says with a shrug. "Guess we're just lucky no one takes that too literally."

Bjewel runs in, gasping. "Did you hear?"

Elaine and dragonjax sit up straighter. "Are the results in?"

"Not that," Bjewel says in a whisper. "That's later. I'm not talking about that."

"Then what?" stammers dragonjax, whose poor stamina couldn't take much more news.

"I don't have to say it," Bjewel says. "Look over there. You'll see for yourselves."

Elaine and dragonjax slowly turn to look, and they see...

[edfrzr]

I have to quit. They amuse me, but I have to quit. The "playing with their emotions, theiir minds" along with making them see and do things they normally wouldn't see or do. It just wasn't right. It just wasn't me.

What demon has this competition unleashed?

I stood at the rail overlooking those down below. Ah, fifteen minutes of solid rest without stressing over "the announcement". I felt good. It must have been the fatigue that caused me to play with the children.

Elaine, Dragonjax and Bjewel were talking. Bjewel seemed to be excited about something. She was pointing and very animated. I turned my head to see what the commotion was all about. I couldn't believe what I saw. The walls were moving. Ever so slowly they were closing in. The room was decreasing in size. I rested my arms on the rail and hung my head. It had started.

[BlakeOvard]

Elaine and dragonjax slowly turn to look, and they see...

A flashing sign on the wall that seems to be eminating from a hidden projector, showing the content threads of the forum. There, in a recent post, like the hand writing on the wall, is a message from Jenna. "Winners will be announced tomorrow (April 2nd)".

Everyone looks around the room and notices that entrants are disappearing faster and faster. 269, 268, 267...

[SueB]

A flashing sign on the wall that seems to be eminating from a hidden projector, showing the content threads of the forum. There, in a recent post, like the hand writing on the wall, is a message from Jenna. "Winners will be announced tomorrow (April 2nd)".

Everyone looks around the room and notices that entrants are disappearing faster and faster. 269, 268, 267...

Tuesday, shortly before the half hour chimed, 12:29, Lucille starting barking excitedly. Most of the group piled out the doors and onto the street. Firehourse grabbed the computer from between Lucille's two front paws. "Good girl....Good girl," he soothed as she whined. Firehorse used the sleeve of his well worn, flannel, black and gray plaid shirt to wipe Lucille's frothing drool off the screen face. 12:29 the judges had another posting!

[edfrzr]

Watch them run. Scurrying about like ants trying to see who can do the most work; gain the most favor. All of them so happy in their tiny little individual worlds; like the children they are, totally oblivious to how their lives are about to change. If they only knew.

I tried to tell them, but no one would listen. A threat? I was no threat. My lot in life was to help, guide, inform, you know...show them the way. Instead they continue to fantasize about "what might be", not about "what is".

As the room grows smaller, soon it will be only big enough to hold the chosen; the TOP TEN.

I needed to instill one message and one message only to the 200+ writers down below.

That message is; It doesn't matter whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can't, because whatever you believe, you're absolutely right.

Somehow I have to get this across to all of them...well maybe all of them except Elaine.

[SueB]

Watch them run. Scurrying about like ants trying to see who can do the most work; gain the most favor. All of them so happy in their tiny little individual worlds; like the children they are, totally oblivious to how their lives are about to change. If they only knew.

I tried to tell them, but no one would listen. A threat? I was no threat. My lot in life was to help, guide, inform, you know...show them the way. Instead they continue to fantasize about "what might be", not about "what is".

As the room grows smaller, soon it will be only big enough to hold the chosen; the TOP TEN.

I needed to instill one message and one message only to the 200+ writers down below.

That message is; It doesn't matter whether you believe you can or whether you believe you can't, because whatever you believe, you're absolutely right.

Somehow I have to get this across to all of them...well maybe all of them except Elaine.

SueB looked at edfrzr from a distance and saw his aura. She smiled, "Ed, I've been wondering, 'who is that masked man?' Why don't you just take off your mask and let us all see?"

[edfrzr]

"SueB, you may be the wisest of all in this room, say for one," I replied calmly. "It is not who I am that is important. Look deep inside your soul and you will come to known the importance of self-worth. Look deep inside your soul and you will see me there. Know yourself, then and only then you will know who I am. Now go -- write; create -- get ready. You're going to need it."

[SueB]

"SueB, you may be the wisest of all in this room, say for one," I replied calmly. "It is not who I am that is important. Look deep inside your soul and you will come to known the importance of self-worth. Look deep inside your soul and you will see me there. Know yourself, then and only then you will know who I am. Now go -- write; create -- get ready. You're going to need it."

"And you Ed, what is it that you need?" SueB asked softly. "Do you really need that mask? Would it not be a relief to show your real face? Do you sometimes forget who you really are?"

Ed averted his eyes, as he pondered her questions.

"And Ed, I am not really that wise. I do, however, posess a certain gift. I have the gift of vision. I see your aura, Ed. I know who you are. Take comfort in these words, because you see, I just may know this better than you."

[SueB]

"And you Ed, what is it that you need?" SueB asked softly. "Do you really need that mask? Would it not be a relief to show your real face? Do you sometimes forget who you really are?"

Ed averted his eyes, as he pondered her questions.

"And Ed, I am not really that wise. I do, however, posess a certain gift. I have the gift of vision. I see your aura, Ed. I know who you are. Take comfort in these words, because you see, I just may know this better than you."

Ed slowly turned his gaze back to SueB. He gave her a patient smile, "Come on SueB," he said as he cupped his hand under her bent elbow, "You see Elaine and dragonjax gaping over there......You just be might interested in what they are 'seeing'.

[edfrzr]

"Mine is the face of a lost generation. To know who I am is to know all those around me. To look into my eyes is to know what I know. That is something you cannot grasp."

SueB looked around the room at the others. Some had stopped what they were doing. Typing stopped, singing stopped, no barking dogs, there was total silence as two more victims migrated into the wall. Those left watched in awe as they huddled in fear beneath the loft. You could hear the whimpering. "..please, not me. I'm not ready. Just one more chance. that is all I'm asking for." No one knew where it came from, except me. The large bar was not so large now.

"As for my needs, I need only the comfort of knowing that you believe what I say, and what I say is that your time would be better spent creating rather than concerning yourself with things you'd never understand or comprehend."

At the back of the crowd Dragonjax and Elincoln watched the clock and kept repeating over and over what they had already come to believe. Chanting, almost like a mantra... he knows all...he knows all.

In the distance a bell rang and a voice inaudibly shouted 199, 198.

[bjewel77]

Bjewel strolls into the room from outside, to everyone's surprise.


SueB approaches her cautiously and questions her. "Bjewel, if you just got here, who is that broad who has been impersonating you?"

Bjewel grabs onto the other Bjewel and shoves her out the door.

"Oh, that was Bjewel7777, she's my clone. I had to work today so I gave her the choice of working in my place or keeping an eye on this place and Lucille. I knew if I made her go to work in my place instead of staying here, she would wreck my job. She would like me to let her take over in my place here permanently, but that's not going to happen."

SueB asked, "Are you sure you can trust her? What if she did something bad while you were gone?"

Bjewel tried to reassure SueB. " I checked online to see what I had missed before coming back in. She gets a little bit excited, but I think she did alright standing in for me tonight."

SueB asks, "Did you notice the size of this room is shrinking? Do you think something evil is taking over?

Bjewel's eyes widen as she...

[bjewel77]

hears elaine and dragonfax wondering about where Hdrusa is today. "The last time I saw Hdrusa I told her Jenna had posted. She told me she was going home and would be back today."

SueB laughs hysterically. You said, "Jenna had posted?"

Bjewel, questioning the hysterical laughter, answered slowly, "Yeaah.." She's trying to carry on conversations but watching Edfrzr suspiciously.

SueB spoke between giggles, "Hdrusa misunderstood. She thought you said, "Jenna is toasted!" She gave up for the night and went home and we haven't seen her in a while.

Bjewel says, "Maybe Hdrusa was right. Maybe Jenna WAS toasted last night and..."

[hdrusa]

Hdrusa staggers into the room to greet Bjewel, dragonfax, Elaine, and SueB.

"Where have you been, Hdrusa? It's almost 5pm!!" questions Bjewel.

"You know, I woke up and checked the board this morning. And no post from Jenna. Although I'm really disappointed that she was so toasted that she didn't follow through on the list," Hdrusa answered.

Hdrusa stands back incredulously as everyone laughs hysterically.

SueB tries to catch his breath. "Jenna's not toasted, she had posted."

"What? OH! Well, that's better. Where's the post? Who's in the top ten?" Hdrusa drilled them.

Bjewel said, "I tried to tell you last night. Jenna posted that the results would be today."

"I haven't seen them today!" Hdrusa countered.

dragonflax observed that the judges had been posting, but no official lists have been sent.

"Well, I guess I'm here for the night. Do you think we'll get another post that it'll be tomorrow?" Hdrusa pondered.

SueB answered, "No, we're not in purgatory."

Bjewel looked around and said cautiously, "Look, the room. It's shrinking again."

[edfrzr]

The girls are so innocent. The men so unaware. All have been caught up in this tidal wave of hope we call AW Idol.

The laughter on the other side of the wall stopped. Why? The sign on the wall started to flash. It was hypnotic; drawing everyone en masse closer and closer. Standing off to the side were 9 writers. They had kept a low profile throughout the whole ordeal; barely speaking or even mingling with any of the others. they held their positions and like zombies everyone else started to form a line.

I thought to myself, all my experience, everything I know, all I have accomplished in my life and I cannot complete the one task that would mean more to everyone in this bar than anything. But then again, I always knew.

I cannot keep this room from shrinking. I'm sorry.

[jdkiggins]

Pretty soon, you're going to have to change the title of this thread to

Something To Do While No One Shows Up

[hdrusa]

"Ooohhh, the colors! They're so pretty!" Hdrusa stared.

"SueB, what's wrong with her? I don't see any colors!" Bjewel asked.

"I don't know what she's seeing. Maybe hallucinating from constant monitor freshing." SueB thought.

Firehorse and dragonflax joined them. Everyone formed a line, transfixed by an unknown source.

"Edfrzr, is it over? Where is everyone going? Are we going to be crushed to smithereens?" Firehorse asked.

"I cannot tell you now. The answers you seek will be illuminated in time. Do not question your submission or your fate!" Edfrzr warned.

[edfrzr]

The bar grew silent. The lone sound; Mommie4a typing on her typwriter. The door swung open. In rolled the largest machine any of us had ever seen. Gasps went out all over the room as people fell to their knees and wept.

"Oh my God!" hdrusa said. "NO!!!!"

SueB started to dance with joy and Mommie4a went back to her typing.

Slowly, the menacing components of steel, gears, and our future started to whine and whirr.

It was the last thing any of us ever wanted to see. It was a shredder.

[SueB]

The bar grew silent. The lone sound; Mommie4a typing on her typwriter. The door swung open. In rolled the largest machine any of us had ever seen. Gasps went out all over the room as people fell to their knees and wept.

"Oh my God!" hdrusa said. "NO!!!!"

SueB started to dance with joy and Mommie4a went back to her typing.

Slowly, the menacing components of steel, gears, and our future started to whine and whirr.

It was the last thing any of us ever wanted to see. It was a shredder.

SueB looked to edfrazr, "OK masked man, my initial reaction was that they were going to shred our submissions. But now another thought occurs to me.
Would you care to enlighten me?"

[Elincoln]

Elaine took one look at the machine and sighed. She glanced at SueB and Bjewel with a smile and at Dragonjax with regret.

She entered this contest and knew no one, and now she had people to talk to and who actually laughed at her comments.

And she had challenges ahead here. But despite all this, she knew it was time.

"Didn't really expect to be in this contest long," she mused as the blades whirled and the motor hummed. "But I'm glad I did. See ya around people. My part in this adventure needs to end." She pulled out a card from the pocket of her jacket. "I have fantasy worlds to maintain and the job isn't getting done with me standing around and watching walls.

With a side glance at edfrazr, she tosses the card into the machine. The whirling grinds to a temporary halt, the motor straining to destroy an ordinary piece of bonded paper. It seemed to delay the reaction. She gives the mysterious stranger a salute. "Been real. Just remember. Power, Creativity and Knowledge is one thing. What we do with it and how our actions are interpreted is what makes us who we are. Behave yourself, or I will come back for you." Her soft smile curls into an wicked grin.

With a nod to all, she walked through the machine by the door. Her body shimmered as it passed like a ghost, an outline only seen for a brief moment before it disappeared entirely.

"Well, that's different," said Bjewel.

The machine coughed and clicked, going into reverse. The card shot out from the entry slot, embedding itself into the wall.

Everyone's eyes turned toward edfrazr, confusion and fear so evident in them. He smiled, clucking to himself as some experience parent would at a child's anxiety. What the foolish woman said was instantly pushed aside in his mind, though he still felt something watching beyond him and the others. He dismissed it as nothing more than nerves and gazed at his audience.

The shredder roared back to life and the writers there shuddered. The fate of them would be revealed...

[edfrzr]

Tears flew. Cheers arose. The lights dimmed and finally the room grew silent.