Sunday Mornin' Hope : The Race p4.

Puffy and the Platty challenge p.4


"Is there anything you can do better than me? Is there? Is There? IS THERE?" Puffy grew in a frustrated mocking tone. "You keep making new hoops for me to beat you in, and I run circles around them. Before you say go, I'm there and back. What do you expect from a road runner?"

"One last challenge I give to you." Platty said in a calm voice. "The river Nis. First one across and back is the eternal champion. Fair enuff?"

"But that's water, and my feet are not webbed like yours. Although; I'm faster than any creature and I can get a head start. The path to the river will give me plenty of speed......hmm. When I beat her (in hushed tone) she will forever know "Who's the best".. YOU'RE ON!!" Puffy jeered. "Next week at this time, we race." Puffy went home and researched foods for training, proper sleeping habits, wind velocity over river currents, speed versus gravity, and many other challenges of speed racing. All week long Puffy raced through the town Complacency. Most residents there paid little attention to the flash of "beep beep" as she sped by. She ran up hills as often as possible to increase her stamina. Arriving at the top of one, she noticed she was running to a cadence in her head. Like a marching drum going to battle, she could feel her feet timing to the rapid snare. Suddenly she stopped. But, the drum kept going. The sound was above her in the trees. It seemed to pass from one tree to another in a straight line. But what was it? Then it became very faint and distant. She raced off the roads and into the brush and trees to find the source of the drum.

"OUCH!!" Puffy screamed in pain. "I'm stuck!" She was suddenly caught up in Sloth's rose bushes. Sloth had planted her roses from the Cropduster and they became very fruitful. "Sloth! Fanny! Anyone?? Please help me. I'm all tangled up." The little drum beat was getting louder and nearer. "Whoever and wherever you are...Can you help me?" Puffy cried out. As the drum stopped, she heard something coming down toward her from the tree next to her. She grew silent and stiff. Branches were snapping and bending. Looking up she saw an unusual creature hanging by his tail. In one hand was a set of 2B Vic Firth sticks. In the other was a drum of unusual origin. Being a former drummer herself, she gazed at the sticks and asked, "2B or not 2B?" The big brown spider monkey looked at the sticks in his hand and got confused. His tail relaxed and he fell next to Puffy. "Nice of you to drop in." Puffy laughed. "What's your name sir?"

"They call me 'Micky D', but you can call me 'sir', as in Sir Spider Monkey." he replied. "Well, ok. Micky D will be fine. Good guess! These are 2B nylon tip VF's and YOU are really in a mess here. You must have been moving pretty fast to get this far into Sloth's thick rose bushes. Here, there's a secret to loosening the grip of these thorns. They relax to music. Micky looked up to the other monkeys in the tree above, "Hit it Mike!" Suddenly the forest was filled with electric guitar sounds and tamborines. Micky stared deep into Puffy's eyes and sang "Then I saw your face. And I have a 2B leever..." As the music contimued, the roses screamed and danced. Mickey lifted Puffy out of the bushes.The thorns relaxed and the band went on their way to other damsels in distress. Davy grabbed Micky by the arm and swung him to the next tree. Peter caught him and swung him again releasing him to another large tree ahead. "But wait! I didn't get to..." Davy broke in,"Sorry chap! We're late. I just hope we don't miss the last train to Clarksville. There is one stop on the way. You can call her from there. The train always fills up on water at the River Nis. Someone told me of a sporting event there. Maybe we'll catch some of it." Micky looked away as he flew from tree to tree. A tear fell from his eye. He began to sing, "I thought love was only true in fairy tales... WAIT! This is a fairy tale!!"

(the writer scraches head and gets up for mint chocolate ice cream) more brain food!

At the river's edge were many ROUS's and creatures of every color. Papa Gorilla was showing his friend Star Tamer his new white stallion. Star Tamer sat on his black beauty and tried to show interest, but was concentrating more on the event about to happen. Sloth and Fanny were busy buying hats, re-issued 60's band cd's, and frig magnets from the train depot gift shop. Suddenly a hush fell upon the large gathering in front of the River Nis. Exploding from the west came thundering lights of purple, clashing swords, and minor chordal brass instruments. The crowd began to cough and hiss. The smell was worse than a dumpster behind a questionable restaurant on a hot day. As the brass stopped, there appeared the most disgusting creature imaginable. It had one eye and a skinned over place where an eye once was. The body was strong yet deformed. A throne was given to it by one of it's tormented souls. From under Fanny's wing came Snap. She had seen this soul before. The tormented soul had the same wings as Snap. She wanted to say something, but her throat swelled up and overwhelming tears caused her to choke. Moi took Snap (like a big sister would) and said "We make choices and have to live with them. Come and sit with me here." Moi gently helped Snap to their seats. A hush again fell over the crowd as the winds ceased and the river stopped. A sardius cloud slowly lowered from the heavens. In the cloud like a chizzeld stone was written 'soon'. Sloth began to giggle and cry. As the cloud hovered over the water, Wonderful stood up. Some saw a lifeguard. Others saw a cropduster. Yet others saw something completely different. All of creation stood up and cheered except what now looked similar to an octopus in a black cloud. It slinked into it's rusty fold up chair, tentacles holding on to the frame for balance. A golden throne was set for Wonderful and He sat on it. The music and colors around the throne became lightning flashes like swords. With each sword an angel appeared. Two mighty angels flashed across the water like jet fighters at an air show. Sloth dropped her magnets as one closest to her winked in flight. As the pagentry concluded, Wonderful stood and began to give the rules for the 'greatest race of all time'.

Thanks Dino.