The Cardboard Box Adventures - Part 14 (787 hits)
Category: GeneralLabels: cardboard_box_adventures
Rating: 2 on 27 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by <brdn_nkd.at.yahoo.com> (View user info) at 2006-01-13 15:58:08 EST
Part 13 - http://www.ubersite.com/m/82273
I ran through the castle looking for granddad. I went through every room until I was back where we had been before I flipped. I looked out the window and saw Pickle and then he points and asks "Looking for him?" I follow his finger and see granddad lying on the ground surrounded by several bangers. I tried to flip him into the castle and couldn't do it. It felt as though something was holding him there, in my mind I saw it as a big hand.
"It's time we talk, flip us where you like."
I looked back at Pickle and saw he was laughing at me. "Not that easy Ben, I've seen that trick already."
I looked at granddad in my mind again and this time pictured a big stick pin and thrust into the hand. The hand opened for just a moment and when it closed it closed on nothing. Granddad was standing next to me in the castle again.
Before granddad could say anything I flipped Pickle and myself to the top of my mountain, being mad at pickle I pictured him up in the air so when we got there he fell about ten feet and landed with a grunt at my feet.
"Why'd you do that Ben? You don't have to be mean; I've been a friend to you."
"A friend? You want to take my imagination away; you want to steal from me. Don't call me friend again. What do you want?"
"I want a truce Ben. I want you to take us to the source so we can draw enough imagination to move on and then we'll go. The amount we'll need to take will be a pittance compared to what you have."
"Why should I do this for you?"
"If you don't we're stuck here, eventually we'll find the source on our own or you'll have to stay in this place to guard against us. I'm pretty sure your dad and the old man wouldn't like that."
"I don't think I would like that either but how can I trust you if I show you the source?"
"I knew it, you've found it! Just show me Ben, I just want to see it."
"I'm not going to show you, besides I haven't actually seen it myself."
Pickle sneered at me then and ran at me pulling something from behind his back. I flipped but immediately felt myself pulled back down. Pickle had what looked like one of those electrocuter things you see on the cop shows. There were two wires coming out of it and a lasso like rope around my chest connected to the wires.
"Just stop Ben. You're really going to hurt yourself if you don't quit."
"Let me go JERK!"
I tried to flip again, I tried to flip granddad, I tried to think to granddad the way I had with dad, and I tried imagining a hand snatching the device out of Pickle's hand, but every time I tried to imagine, the pain spiked and it seemed to get worse each time.
"Are you done yet Ben? This is an imagination inhibitor. It'll stop anything you imagine by shocking your body preventing you imagination from actually reaching to the source for power. I'm going to keep you with me until we figure out how to resolve this. Oh, and you were right, you can't trust me, I will not leave without a full harvest."
Pickle flipped us back to the city. It was empty; all the bangers were still at the castle. Pickle dragged me to one of the cells, like the one dad had been in and threw me in.
"This cell is also equipped with an imagination inhibitor; you feel a little extra pain when I turn it on since I can't let this one go without that one to stop you."
He threw a switch and I felt every muscle in my body cramp up until it felt like my body was made of steel. Then suddenly it was the low ache from before, I tried to relax but my muscles still thought they were working extra duty. I started crying as Pickle turned to leave.
"Don't go anywhere Ben." He laughed as he walked away.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pickle was trying to get Ben to meet with him; I was trying to talk him out of it. I wanted to help him and all Pickle has for Ben is lies. Ben must have felt overwhelmed because all of a sudden he disappeared.
I sat down to wait for him thinking back on my visit with the bangers and pickle, all those years ago, but before I could follow that train very far an incredible voice rang out "Ohm, Ohm, Ohm, Womp Bamp A Lou Bomp" shaking everything around me. I waited, hoping it would stop soon but it went on for several minutes and the way everything was shaking I feared the castle was going to come down around me. I ran through the halls and rooms, running for the door, and felt relieved when I got out away from the castle. Just as the voice stopped I looked up in time to see Pickle running at me and then I felt a shock or a sting and before I knew it I was laying on the ground surrounded by bangers. I felt as though I'd been wrapped in something but I couldn't see anything. I tried to move and found I couldn't so much as lift a finger against the invisible barrier.
I was laying there feeling stupid and foolish when I heard Ben calling my name from inside the castle. I watched, unable to do anything as Ben came to the window and Pickle shouted to him. Ben closed his eyes and then Pickle laughed at him.
"Not that easy Ben, I've seen that trick already."
Ben must have tried to flip me and couldn't for some reason. I watched Ben close his eyes again and suddenly the constriction I felt was gone and I was standing next to Ben, the next moment Ben was gone and I was once again alone in the castle. I looked out the window and saw that Pickle had also gone. I pulled a chair over to the window and started waiting for Ben to return. I sat and watched as the Bangers below me waited for their leader, they didn't exhibit any of the confusion I would have expected from a group suddenly short their leader. Instead, they sat calmly on the ground beneath the castle and waited.
I didn't now how long it had been but it must have been several because when I saw pickle come up the hill dusk was beginning to settle. I knew something was wrong, Pickle looked far too smug. He began collecting his troops and all but four started walking away from the castle. I watched, my fear for Ben steadily increasing as Pickle set guards in front of the castle doors. Finally, when he was apparently satisfied, Pickle called out to me.
"Hey old man, stay put. My business is with Ben and it will be done soon. If you cooperate I'll leave the customary amount of Ben's imagination intact and he'll be able to get you both out of here. If you decide to be the big hero I may break our laws and take everything Ben's got. If I do you'll both stay here until Ben's body finally dies. I've heard of other crews doing it to hosts and they say the outside kid ends up being a breathing vegetable. If that's what happens to Ben because of you I will find a way to make sure your son knows that it was because of you. With the amount of imagination we can harvest here I'm sure I can get a message to him in the real world. Ha ha, maybe I'll even use the imagination to make Ben tell him what happened so that the last words from his son's mouth are words of accusation against you."
With that, Pickle turned and walked back the way he came.
I sat heavily back in the chair. I may even have passed out. I know it was several hours later that I finally came to my senses and realized that I had to go for Ben. No matter what happened Ben stood to lose a lot. I was certain that no matter what action I took Pickle would trap us here so I had to act and make sure that Ben was ok. I ran to the door of the castle and was about to open it before I remembered the guards. I looked around the room and saw a shield and two swords hung on the wall. Pulling them down I then looked for something to use as a distraction. In the end I couldn't find anything useful, like a bomb or tear gas, so I put the shield on my arm took up the sharper looking of the two swords and returned to the door. I worked myself up and threw the doors open to begin the task of saving Ben.
User Reviews
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-04-12 02:43:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2006-03-15 20:58:05 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Pentameter (user info) at 2006-02-03 16:42:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Finally...time to read the rest of these.
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2006-01-18 17:26:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I missed this one!
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2006-01-18 15:57:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-01-18 15:53:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Nellypaal (user info) at 2006-01-18 12:04:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Always good
Submitted by fried-green-potatoes (user info) at 2006-01-16 11:13:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
The perspective shifts have caused me trouble, and I've never been convinced they were more for reader than the writer. But I've seen too many people fall in love with this series to trust my own judgment on that point. It's imaginative, with many, many well written moments. And I genuinely admire the way you flat-out commit to a writing project. Nicely done.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2006-01-16 09:39:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
A little too much overlapping in the viewpoints in this one, I thought, but nevertheless +2.
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-01-14 05:58:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2006-01-13 16:08:06 (#)
Ranking: 2
Damn tricky Pickle!
Submitted by LadyPlural (user info) at 2006-01-13 23:34:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2006-01-13 20:26:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Thanks all for the compliments and the nominations, Bob and Merlina. Thanks for reading!
Submitted by Phinch (user info) at 2006-01-13 18:33:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Merlina (user info) at 2006-01-13 18:03:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Merlina (user info) at 2006-01-13 09:05:01 (#)
Ranking: 2
User Awards:
Most Underrated Poster: brdn_nkd
Submitted by Merlina (user info) at 2006-01-13 18:01:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2006-01-13 17:56:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2006-01-13 17:45:18 (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Saffron (user info) at 2006-01-13 17:27:59 (#)
Ranking: 2
This needs to be made into a film. With puppets ala Neverending Story or Labyrinth. Someone resurrect Jim Henson stat. Good stuff. More please !
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Didn't henson just come out with a new movie?
Is he dead?
====================
He died a long time ago, but his company lives on.
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2006-01-13 17:45:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Saffron (user info) at 2006-01-13 17:27:59 (#)
Ranking: 2
This needs to be made into a film. With puppets ala Neverending Story or Labyrinth. Someone resurrect Jim Henson stat. Good stuff. More please !
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Didn't henson just come out with a new movie?
Is he dead?
Submitted by ripple (user info) at 2006-01-13 17:44:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN??
Submitted by Saffron (user info) at 2006-01-13 17:27:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This needs to be made into a film. With puppets ala Neverending Story or Labyrinth. Someone resurrect Jim Henson stat. Good stuff. More please !
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2006-01-13 16:16:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
EPIPHENOMINAL
Submitted by Serious_Melvin (user info) at 2006-01-13 16:12:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
A preemptive +2.
Submitted by Susie_Derkins (user info) at 2006-01-13 16:11:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Aw, Dad, you've done a lot of great things, but you're a very old man, and
old people are useless.
-- Homer Simpson
Homer the Vigilante
Submitted by Chroniclysm (user info) at 2006-01-13 16:09:07 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 on the assumption that this deserves it. I really need to go back and read all of these.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-01-13 16:08:39 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
These are a daily ritual that I look forward to.
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2006-01-13 16:08:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Damn tricky Pickle!
Submitted by The_Yellow_Dart (user info) at 2006-01-13 16:05:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Still Good!
Submitted by inion_de_trua (user info) at 2006-01-13 16:04:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
this needs illustrations.