"Dang, it gets dark early at this time of year." Farmer Jim said, "I guess you had better spend the night."
"Thanks..." Julie said, feeling as if something was a bit off as Farmer Jim led her to the spare room.
"Now, here you go - bathroom is over there, and I'll get us a bite to eat." Farmer Jim said, pausing, "I should warn you though - strange things sometimes happen on this farm. Very strange things!"
"Thanks for the warning." Julie said confidently as Farmer Jim left for the kitchen, and she stepped into the bathroom "But I think I can handle anything."
She was wrong.
"What the HELL?" Julie said. Instead of a dinky bathroom with dated fixtures, she suddenly found herself in a huge warehouse of sorts - no, a huge back stage. Backdrops, mattresses and a huge supply of mad scientist gear that would make Frankenstein drool cluttered the endless expanse. In the distance, she could see several sci-fi ships hanging from the ceiling.
Julie turned to see the door she stepped through was standing upright and alone. The sound of Farmer Jim singing some song about a little nash rambler wafted through the door, with the smell of dinner. Julie turned to look back at the expanse, and was startled to see a rather homely looking chap dressed like Dr. Who, playing a game of solitare on a heavy oaken desk which hadn't been there a moment before.
"Who are you?" Julie asked.
"Some call me irreverent. Some call me irrelevant - but usually, I'm called 'D<-' in instances like this." D<- said, "Welcome to the BEA Backstage. I'm your storyline fixer for the day."
"Storyline fixer? BEA Backstage?" Julie said, obviously confused, "What's going on?"
"Just a slight detour on the story of your life. Now, who are you again?"
"Julie Kim." Julie said annoyed, yet feeling more defined as she brushed back her long black hair, and wrinkled up her face so that her exotic oriental features seemed like little lines, "Look, if my dad sent you to haul me home to Chinatown, to marry that criminal mastermind Long Dong for his fortune, forget it! I'm going off on an adventure and maybe find true love!" With a little imagination, she almost looked like Minka.
"An ADD-Venture is more like it. Even though it was delayed by a few years." D<- chuckled, "Things are never as they seem."
"Like here?" Julie said looking around, "How did this fit into a bathroom?"
"It doesn't. Especially now that the problem Nightarrow caused is resolved - in its own way on this part of the thread." D<- chuckled, "Not that it was ever really a problem at all..." Julie blinked and suddenly she was in the dank bathroom again, staring at herself in the mirror.
"Crap - that was strange!" Julie muttered to herself, eyeing the pot of pot in the corner of the bathroom. Maybe she had just been daydreaming...
When she came out of the bathroom though, she found...
Tue Nov 09 13:06:30 2004