Log: Walter and Lilli Summary: Lilli accidently phases into a closet and then is unable to escape. THIS IS A DISTASTER. Until Walter comes by. It's a small victory.
Lilli: Friday had been a long, long day. Really! It had. Two tests, a paper assigned by the social studies teacher who smelled like bologna. So, naturally by her last class Lilli was staring longingly at the clock willing it to move faster. If only that was her power! School would be over in less than five seconds. Well, she may stick around for art and choir. Those classes were fun. She nearly jumped for joy when the bell rang. A squeak! A giggle! A punch to the air. She had gathered her books, stuffed them in her backpack (no need to go the lockers!) and skipped out the door.
Even more antsy was the ride home. Now, if she had that scary Aurora womans power for superspeed? Then she'd be in business. So she swung her legs, counted how many dogs she saw (three), how many blondes she saw (six) and how many men in dresses (1). Finally, after what seemed like forever the bus pulled up to the hotel. The driver, Bill, gave her a wary smile. "So, you live at the hotel with...?" Concern was reflected in his aging eyes. Lilli winced. She hated that look. She always felt guilty.
"My brothers, sisters and dad of course!" She smiled widely, "We moved here after my grandpa died. It's so neat living in a hotel, kind of like Suite Life!" She batted her eyes sweetly, cherub cheeks flushing from the lie. Lilli slipped her chesnut hair behind her ears giving a toothy grin. "I think they might take me to a movie tonight, Bill!" She chirped, clambering down the stairs.
"Ah, right. That sounds fun. Well. Have a good weekend and don't get into too much trouble there, Lil." He scratched the tip of his bulbous nose that was a size too big for his face.
"Sure, bye!" Well it wasn't a total lie. The residents were like some big whacked out family. She hurried toward the building, swinging the doors open and tossing her bag to the floor. "Home!" She knew no one would answer, but it still felt nice to say. She raced up the stairs in excitement. Maybe someone would play playstation with her, or really take her to a mov--wait. Why was it dark? Lilli blinked. Looking around. ... Where was she? Her hands reached up feeling around blindly. She felt plastic, leather and cotton. The space was tiny and confined, smelled like lint and mothballs.
...
She was in a closet. How!? Did she completely phase in her excitement and not watch where she was going? Ugh! The first time she phases her entire body and look where she ended up! She muttered, fumbling for the door knob. A ha! Wiggle. Wigglejigglejiggle. ... Oh. No. The door wouldn't open. She was TRAPPED! Trapped like a rat in a monkey cage. (Hush, she knows that doesn't make sense but at the moment her mind wasn't working like that!) "HELP! HELPHELPHELP!" She rattled the door wildly, kicking, slamming.
Oh. No.
Walter: A day at work always made Walter miss school. He didn't mind work so much, it was even kind of fun on some days. But it was just a reminder that he could be doing something else. It was nice to have a routine, though. Walter thrived on that. Wake up at the same time every day, go home at the same time every day. Come home, change his clothes. Read a book, eat dinner. He was in the middle of such a routine when he thought he heard some shouting.
Then again, this was just another day at Paradise hotel. Several young folks lived here, it got loud from time to time. He ignored it and headed to his room. No, no, that's not right. He would have liked to change out of his uniform and maybe have a nap, but instead he backtracked. Followed the sound. It wasn't just shouting. It was shouts for help!
Walter got to the closet door and immediately put his hand on the knob. "Lilli, is that you?" He tried the door-- it didn't open right away. Weird. "Lilli, what's going on?"
Lilli: The door rattled back. She blinked, she was about to get testy with the door, yes the door, when she heard Walters voice. Hallelujah! The choirs of angels were singing. "WalterWalterWalter," his name spilled from her mouth in a stream of excitement and panic. "I don't know, I'm stuck!" She thudded her shoulder against the door, whining. "I accidentally phased all the way through and now I'm stuck." Her button nose crinkled in frustration, the concentration of her annoyance with this situation caused her skin to tingle and her fingers slipped through the wood of the door doing a little peek-a-boo. A deep frown melted over her face, her stormy blue eyes filling with tears. If only she could get her whole arm through!
She huffed, tugging her hand back. "I can't make my whole body do it again, see?" She kicked the door an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. "And. This. Stupid. Door. Won't. OPEN!" Her hands gripped the handle with ferocity. She shook it wildly, as though her body were convulsing. The hinges trembled, and a bit of dust fell from the ceiling and onto Walters face. "Heeeeeelp."
She sniffed. "Save me, Walter."
Walter: That little voice has to be the saddest thing Walter has ever heard. The tiny hand peeking was by far even worse. "I'll get you out of there." If he had to take the damn thing off it's hinges. If he had to saw a hole in the door. He dipped down in a crouch, knees bent, examining the doorknob. This thing probably would have gotten stuck whether or not a little girl was trapped on the other side of the door. Lilli was just lucky. "Back away from the door. Don't be scared. In fact, how was your day?" He wanted to keep her mind off the fact that she very well may starve to death-- aw, c'mon, that's not funny.
Lilli: She slumped into the pocket of the closet gnawing in her thumb. Lucky was right, to a degree at least. If someone else had passed the door--she'd probably be stuck in there for days! Or hours. Same thing to a barely thirteen year old girl. "Um, well. My social studies teacher smelled less like bologna today and more like old garlic, and I talked with a few girls about some eight graders and what it will be like to be eighth graders next year." She watched the key hole, comforted by the sound of his voice and happy to be distracted. Thank you, Walter. "Hey, Walter? I know it's kind of babyish, and I am babyish and still believed in Santa, but I am scared of the dark." She wrapped her arms about her knees.
"Also, a bunch of the girls are getting boyfriends now. Brittany and Rita keep talking about it, and there's a dance this year and they just keep talking and talking about it. We could never go to the dances at the home." She meant the children's home she was sent to when her grandpa died. "Is it okay to ask a boy? Because--because they said girls are supposed to wait to be asked."
"Gah, this closet smells!" She covered her nose her lower lip trembling.
Walter: Yeah, he thought that taking this knob off would be the only choice at this point. The screws looked a little old, but he should be able to do it. First, comfort her before dropping the I've Gotta Get A Screwdriver Bomb. "Maybe he ate some garlic today. Bologna all the time isn't good for you. Garlic bagel? Those are good." Walter sounded slightly distracted. Would it be quicker to run up to his room or to the garage?
Her talk about the dance made him smile. "Aw, girls can ask boys." Walter would have been flattered if a girl would have asked him to a dance at thirteen. Flattered, and then the hyperventilating would come along. "Is there a boy you want to ask? --AlsoIneedtogetascrewdriverrealquick." He wouldn't leave you for long, Lilli!
Lilli: It's okay Walter, you're doing great. "I don't know. All I know is it smelled really bad and the windows were closed." Her voice was slightly muffled now since her face was against her knees with eyes clenched shut. She was glad someone was there to be a distraction from the dark. "Maybe Hank could make me some anti smelling spray. Or something to put in my nose so all I smell is cinnamon buns."
She leaned against the wall continuing to wiggle her toes inside of her shoes, aw Walter. You now have a beautiful, if somewhat crazed French-Canadian fawning over you! Be happy! "I guess so but that's only supposed to happen on Sadie Hawkins and that's an eight grade dance, so I don't want to make the boys run away you know--" when he asked about a boy, she turned bright crimson. She was so glad he couldn't see! There was someone she was considering, but she doubted he would ever-- "OKAYGOGETITQUICK." Oh thank goodness, further distraction!
Walter: Walter rose from the floor and patted the closet twice with his hand. "Yeah, Hank could make you smell cinnamon buns all day." Then he took off in a jog down the hall, took the stairs two by two. Once inside his room, he found a screwdriver pretty quickly. What? He had tools, man! As he ran back, he was sure to hold the screwdriver in a way that wouldn't stab him or any unsuspecting resident.
"Lilli? You still there?" His overactive imagination cooked up a story about Lilli phasing through the floor. What if she didn't stop? Where would she go? Dear sweet sassy molassy!
Lilli: Geez, Walter! That's a scary thought. Where would she end up? In the center of the earth? No one would be able to get her out then. "I'm still here!" She called after raising her head. "Do you have the tools?" Lilli was watching the shadows behind the crack of the door move, that's how she knew he was out there. Well, besides him talking to her of course. Now that was just obvious.
"Because if I get out," alive, hopefully! "Maybe we can play with the playstation or something. You know. Something fun?" And less scary! ... That's when something passed over her leg. Something creepy, something crawly, something with a lot of legs and something she couldn't see! Lilli shrieked, jumping to her feet in a frenzied dance. "EWEWEWEW SOMETHING IS IN HERE! OH MY GOD!" Her feet stomped about erratically. "I don't wanna DIE!"
Walter: That was upsetting to Walter. "Oh Lilli, calm down it's all right it's probably more afraid of you than you are of it how many legs does it have?" All in one breath, all while he quickly tried to unscrew the doorknob. His hand kept slipping because her fear was making him nervous! Ah, distract her! "We can play playstation, just calm down." Two more to go!
Lilli: She was on the tips of her toes now, staying very near the door. "OKAY. Good! Because I LIKE playstation." Her eyes were searching the floor, but thanks to the lack of light she wasn't seeing anything. "OR a board game, we could always play a board game if the playstation is---" A scream, whatever it was brushed her leg, and she reached to jiggle the handle of the door.
Walter: As Lilli touched the doorknob, it came loose. Walter caught the knob on his side in the palm of his hand, then quickly stood to get out of the way. "Oh, right--" He reached forward and yanked the door open. "Good thing this place is falling apart anyway." Then he smiled at the little lady who was once trapped.
Lilli: When the door was opened, Lilli almost flew out, her arms clinging to Walter's waist tightly. She sniffed, burying her face against his shirt. "You're my hero!" Her voice was muffled ... and as for the furry ball of death that was causing Lilli so much to fret about? Out wobbled Edgar, Jubilees chinchilla, looking confused before skittering down the hall.
Walter: Walter hugged her back, complete with an awkward pat on her back. "There, uh, there." AHHH LITTLE GIRL! He caught sight of the chinchilla as it scampered away, "Hey, Lilli, it was just Edgar. I think he was wearing an apron." That was a total lie, but Walter figured it was a forgivable one.
Lilli: Sorry Walter, it was just natural to hug the hero! She sniffed a bit, pulling back as she rubbed at her face. She wasn't crying! No! No traces of it what-so-ever, see? She glanced over her shoulder. "Huh, apron? Why?" She looked puzzled before glaring at the evil closet that had held her captive! She never wanted to phase like that ever again!
"He felt like something that would eat me at the time." She explained, "Plus... I wasn't that scared." Right.
Walter: Walter was daresay, getting used to all the physical affection he was getting these days. But he doesn't want to be spotted hugging one of the youngest residents here in the hall, near a closet without a doorknob. Sure, it seems easy to explain now. "Edgar likes to clean house. He was probably just cleaning inside that there closet.
Lilli: A sisterly hug, Warren! She had her eyes on someone else anyway! She gave a weak, little nod. AW. Wasn't that cute. "Well .... can we still play a game?" Her brows raised hopefully. Oh come on, please Walter! She wants to get away from that stupid closet ASAP!
Walter: "Of course!" After that traumatizing event, video games were needed. Walter carefully sat the doorknob inside the closet, to make it easier to find when he came back to fix it. He hesitated. Ah, no one would notice. This place was falling apart as it was anyway. "Yeah, let's get out of here."