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Chapter 10
The first thing that Dottie and Gordo noticed when they walked back into Mort’s workroom was the dark stained cloth that was draped over something on his work table.
The stains matched the stains on Mort’s lab coat.
“Why do you have her covered up Mort?” Dottie asked.
Mort, who always had a flair for the dramatic, smiled at Dottie.
“You can’t have an unveiling unless you veil it.” He said and waved his arm towards his lumpy dark masterpiece.
“Quit fooling around Mort! We have to get her back over to Suzy’s house before she wakes up and it is getting late.” Dottie growled.
Gordo was getting antsy and could not wait to get this nightmare over.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you….FLUFFY FOREVER!”
With a smooth graceful motion similar to that of a matador, Mort pulled off the cloth.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK!!!!!!” Dottie and Gordo shrieked and clutched each other.
Nothing prepared Dottie and Gordo for the horror that was under that cloth. They found themselves staring right into the enormous glistening eyes of Fluffy with teeth bared, back arched and claws extended.
“Pretty impressive isn’t she. I told you I would get those eyes in there although it was a real challenge.” Mort gloated.
Dottie and Gordo were frozen in fear.
“There isn’t any additional charge for the mouse. I thought it needed a little something and I think the mouse pulls everything together nicely.”
Dottie noticed a stuffed mouse positioned as if it was trying to run away with its tail caught under Fluffy’s left paw. She felt the icy cold of fear drain away and be replaced by a hot molten wave of anger.
“Mort! I am going to hit you so hard your momma is going to feel it!” She clenched her fist and started towards a very surprised Mort. He put his arms up and began backing away.
“You were SUPPOSED to put her in a peaceful sleeping pose!” Dottie yelled and lunged at Mort.
Gordo held Dottie back and tried to calm her down.
“I know that is what you THOUGHT you wanted but I was inspired to make it more of an action scene.” Mort shouted back at her and ducked down behind the worktable. “Do you know how hard it was to get her to arch her back like that? And just look at the detail on the mouse. I even got its little face to look terrified.”
Dottie stopped struggling and looked at the mouse. It did look terrified. Gordo did not loosen his grip. Mort relaxed and stood up straight and a big smile spread across his face. This was a mistake.
Dottie stomped down hard on Gordo’s foot causing Gordo to yelp out in pain and pull back lifting Dottie up in the air. Once she was in the air, she swung her legs causing both of her black patent shoes to fly through the air like twin dark torpedoes.
The first shoe barely missed its mark and hit a jar filled with cloudy liquid, knocking it off the table and shattering the glass when it hit the floor. Something slithered under the table.
The second one hit Mort squarely between his eyes. He groaned and dropped to the floor.
The force of Dottie’s kick combined with the searing pain in Gordo’s foot caused him to lose his balance and he and Dottie crashed to the floor knocking over the work table and another table filled with jars holding different colored liquids in the process.
The sound of breaking glass followed by the smell of mixed chemicals filled the room. This seemed to take the fight out of Dottie. Gordo lay face down on the floor slowly trying to get his bearings. Fluffy lay in the middle of the broken glass and the cesspool of chemicals. Dottie thought she looked angry with her arched back and bared teeth.
“When I ask you to do something Mort, I expect you to do it.” Dottie said while patting Gordo on the shoulder. “Sorry about that Gordo. You okay?”
“Dottie, I am an artist and…ouch…have a vision. Have you thought about looking into anger management?” Mort asked as he gingerly touched his nose checking for blood.
“I didn’t break your nose.” Dottie said.
“How do you…owww…know?” Mort replied.
“I didn’t want to.” Dottie said calmly as she stood up and dusted off her clothes.
Next week: Lost
Words and Pictures Copyright 2016 SF Varney