LUCY
AND
THE MAGIC FACTORY
Joe DeMonte
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2009 Joe DeMonte
Electronic
rights reserved:
Copyright
2009 Strict Publishing International
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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CHAPTER ONE
Summer heat penetrated the town of Cedar Falls. On a residential street, lined with shady trees, a newly painted white house was filled with the voices of children. It was the house that Lucy Larson lived in, and today was her tenth birthday.
Lucy, a perky and outgoing girl, with long brown hair and inquisitive hazel eyes, was in the midst of ushering her friends to the outdoor patio in the backyard, where her mother would soon be serving a birthday cake and lemonade to Lucy and her guests.
Lucy was about to head out to the patio area herself, when her father called out to her from the family room. He pulled her close and whispered something into her ear. Lucy squealed with delight!
“Are you excited, Lulu?” he asked her.
Her father, and most everyone else, had been calling her ‘Lulu’ for as long as she could remember.
“Wow, yes, Daddy!” she exclaimed. “I can't wait! When can we go?”
“Saturday,” he informed her. Then he took her in his arms and gave her a loving birthday hug.
“Thank you so much, Daddy,” she chirped happily, hugging him back tightly. “I can't wait to see the Magic Factory. This is my best birthday ever!”
Her father smiled broadly. “Well, we'll talk more about it later, okay? You better get back outdoors and spend some time with your guests. Your mom is probably ready to bring out your cake.”
Lucy scooted down the hallway, in the direction of the sliding glass doors, which separated the family room from the patio and back yard area. What a great birthday this is, she thought again, as she headed outside to greet her friends.
When she told everyone there about what her father had just given her for her birthday, her friends all cheered, and Krista, her very best friend, asked Lucy to please bring her a souvenir from the Magic Factory.
“I will,” Lucy promised.
Just then, Lucy's mother arrived with the cake and set it down on the patio table. Lucy's guests, all twelve of them, sang 'Happy Birthday' to her, and then she blew out the ten candles on her cake, even though it took her two tries to do so.
A few minutes later, Lucy's mom and dad came out and gave her more presents, and there was even one from her older brother, Eric, who had to attend baseball practice and could not be there for her party.
The party went on for two more hours, and when it was over, Lucy was exhausted. She helped her mom clear the patio table, and then asked to be excused for a nap. Lucy had not taken a daytime nap since she was five years old, but she felt she needed one today.
“I think that's a good idea,” her mom said to her, smiling brightly. “You've had a pretty busy day, birthday girl.”
She gave her mom a kiss on the cheek, and then headed up the stairs to her bedroom for her much needed nap.
Lucy's last thoughts, before drifting off to sleep, were about what she imagined she might see at the famed Magic Factory. She was not at all sure that any of her thoughts were correct, but she hoped so. She had long had a fondness for magic, illusions and the like, ever since that magician had put on a show at her school when she was in the second grade. She was totally fascinated by what he had done that day, making coins appear from behind the students’ ears, pulling cards out of thin air, and even making a bunny emerge from a top hat. She knew then and there that she wanted to explore the world of magic a lot further.
* * *
CHAPTER TWO
That following Saturday, just after dawn, Lucy, her thirteen-year-old brother, and her mom and dad, headed out on the one hundred and five mile trip to the Magic Factory. It did not take that long at all to get there, but to Lucy it seemed an eternity.
“Look, everyone,” Lucy shouted from the back seat of the car, when she first caught sight of the immense theme park, “there it is!”
Her mom and dad both laughed slightly at their daughter's excited state, and her brother woke up with a jolt from the nap he had been enjoying.
After parking in the spacious area provided, the Larson family went through the gates to the park, and then ate a much needed late breakfast at a restaurant called 'The Witches Brew'. All the waitresses were dressed like witches. Lucy marveled at their costumes, and also at the decor of the large dining spot.
It was almost eleven o'clock when Lucy and her family finally entered the Magic Factory itself. They, along with a host of others, were guided inside by a young man clad in a wizard's outfit. They were informed that a magic show was about to commence in theater three, so that was where they headed. Lucy had some syrup on her hands from the pancakes she had eaten, and it felt sticky. She asked her mom if she could to wash it off before they entered the theater. Her mother looked around and saw a restroom not far from where they were standing.
“Yes, go ahead, Lulu,” her mom said. “Go wash your hands in there,” she added, pointing out the restroom to her daughter. “We will wait for you right here.”
Lucy edged her way through the crowd of people and pushed open the door of the restroom. Once inside, it was quiet. She found herself standing in a small alcove, with doors on both sides of her. Not knowing which one to select, she pushed at the door to her right. At first it would not open, but then Lucy heard a clicking sound and the door opened slightly. She pushed again and made her way inside. It was pitch black. Figuring she had made a mistake and had entered the wrong door, Lucy turned around quickly to leave, but she was too late. The door clicked shut softly and she could not open it. She was left standing there alone, and a bit frightened by now, in the darkness.
Lucy tried the door again. It still would not open. She banged on it with her tiny fists but with no success. She then began to holler out, but no one came to her aid.
“Oh, my!” she said aloud. “What am I going to do?”
Again, she banged on the door and shouted for help. It did no good.
She then turned around and opened her eyes as wide as she was able. She could barely see two feet in front of her. Thinking there might be another exit elsewhere, Lucy began to make her way gingerly and cautiously in the opposite direction of the locked door. A tear began to trickle down her cheek from her left eye. She rubbed it dry with her hand and continued walking ever so slowly in the darkness. She could not see or hear a thing.
All at once, she fell. It was only a slight drop, but it shook her nerves. When she picked herself up, she realized she was no longer on the same floor she had been walking on. Instead, she found she was on some sort of a belt-like fabric. Before she could think further, she heard a low sound, like that of a machine being turned on, and soon she realized she was moving! She was on a conveyer belt of some sort! The movement of the belt knocked her off her feet, and she was now sitting, her knees pulled up against her chin.
“Oh, no, no!” Lucy wailed in protest. “What is this? Where am I going?”
The noise of the machine became louder and Lucy could hear other sounds as well. She heard thump, ping, whack, thump, ping, whack, over and over, as she was moved along by the huge belt. She was shaking with fear by now, and she shut her eyes and curled her arms around her legs, her knees still locked tight against her chin. She began to cry softly.
A moment later she felt something pressing against the top of her head. She was too afraid to look up to see what it was. Then, less than five seconds after that, she felt the same type of thing being pressed against her sides. She finally gained the courage to move her hands away from her legs, and she reached outward. It was cardboard, she knew upon feeling it. She was being covered with cardboard! But why, she wondered, as her small body trembled.
Before she could gather another thought, she felt still more cardboard beneath her. It pushed and prodded its way under her bottom until it had encompassed her completely. She was now totally covered by cardboard.
“I'm in a box!” Lucy wailed, now crying hysterically. “Oh, someone, please help me!”
Lucy lashed out at the cardboard with her fists, but to no avail. Then, to make matters worse, she heard the sound of something that completely terrorized her. She was being sealed in. She knew that sound, though on a much smaller scale, from when her mom wrapped boxes for mailing, with tape.
Lucy began to cry harder. Then she began to scream. It was after her third loud scream that she heard voices from outside her cardboard prison. She stopped screaming and now began to beat again on the walls of the box with her fists.
* * *
CHAPTER THREE
A minute or so later Lucy could feel the box she was in being lifted off the belt. She could hear the tape being torn from its top. Still shaking and sobbing, Lucy at last saw light. Once the lid was opened, Lucy looked up and saw a tall man wearing a tuxedo and a top hat. He was staring down at her.
“Well, my, my, my,” said the man. “What have we here?”
Before Lucy could utter a sound, another man, this one bald and chubby, came into her view, along with a woman with long red hair and the greenest eyes Lucy had ever seen.
“Who's in that box? Is it Goldilocks?” the chubby man asked, smiling and waving his hands about.
“No, no, it's not Goldilocks, you old fool,” the tall man said to him. “It's a little girl.”
“How did you get in here, pray tell?” the tall man asked of Lucy.
“I - I don't know,” Lucy muttered, still sobbing a bit, but relieved to be breathing normally again, and to see light and people.
She then went on to tell the trio of strangers her frightening ordeal.
“Well, let's get you out of there,” the tall man said.
He then reached down and pulled Lucy free of the box.
“Thank you, sir,” Lucy said, wiping her eyes, and thrilled to be standing up once more.
“Now, what's your name, little one?” the man inquired.
“Lucy, sir,” she told him. “Lucy Larson. I came here with my parents and brother to see the Magic Factory.”
The tall man chuckled, and so did the chubby man and the red haired lady.
“Well, see it you shall,” he informed her.
“But no one has ever made their way back to this part of our factory. It is off limits and quite secretive, you see.”
“Oh, I'm sorry,” was all Lucy could think of to say in reply. “I didn't mean to come to this part, sir. I truly didn't.”
“Oh, I am certain you didn't, Lucy,” the man said. “It surely wasn't your fault anyway. More than likely,” he added, looking at his two cohorts, “it was the fault of Donald the Dunce.”
The chubby man and the red haired woman nodded in agreement with the tall man's comment.
“Donald the Dunce is our chief of security here,” he explained to Lucy. “He must have hit the wrong button when he started up the conveyor belt today. No doubt he hit the button that unlocks that door you came through in that restroom at the precise second that you pushed on it. I shall have to speak with him later about that.”
“Oh, I hope I didn't get him into any trouble, sir,” said Lucy, quite worried that she might be the cause of someone’s misfortune.
“No, none at all,” the man said. “Donald is always doing things like that. That's why we call him Donald the Dunce, you see?”
“I - I guess so,” Lucy sputtered.
“Well, now, Lucy, since we all know your name, I suppose it would be only fair to tell you ours. I am Max. Max the Magician, actually. And this is Sadie,” the tall man told Lucy, pointing in the direction of the redheaded woman. “Sadie is our resident sorcerer, and she is known far and wide as Sadie the Sorcerer. This is Mr. Rhyme,” Max informed Lucy, indicating the bald, chubby man. “We call him Mr. Rhyme because he fancies himself a poet, and he just about always rhymes everything he says.”
Both Sadie and Mr. Rhyme smiled broadly at Lucy, and that made her feel more at ease.
“Are you sure she's not Goldilocks?” Mr. Rhyme spoke out. “Look at her socks. They're like Goldilocks'.”
“No, she is not Goldilocks,” Max snapped. “Her name is Lucy. She doesn't even have golden hair. Her hair is brown, as you can clearly see, Mr. Rhyme. It's as brown as a fallen autumn leaf.”
“This girl is thirsty, that's what I think,” said Mr. Rhyme. “Why don't we get her a nice cold drink?”
“Good idea,” Sadie the Sorcerer chimed in. “What would you like to drink, Lucy?”
“Do you have any lemonade?” Lucy inquired. “I am awfully thirsty after being in that horrible box.”
Before Sadie could reply, Mr. Rhyme cut in. “Yes, we have lemonade, and it's nice and cold. May I fetch you a glass, if I may be so bold?”
“Yes, please,” Lucy replied quickly.
While Mr. Rhyme went off to get the lemonade, Max explained to Lucy what was in all the boxes, like the one she had been trapped in.
“We make magical things here,” Max told Lucy. “Most of what we make is shipped overseas. But we also make stardust. Do you know what that is, Lucy?”
“I'm not sure,” Lucy answered.
“It's a very, very special potion,” Max informed her.
“What - what does it do?” Lucy wanted to know. “Is it something you drink?”
Max laughed. “Oh, no, dear girl,” he replied. “It is a spray type of potion, and we have been working on it a long time. We just recently perfected it. The stardust potion has to be sprayed from the air. Do you know how crops are sprayed, Lucy?”
“Yes,” she said. “A plane flies over them and sprays them.”
“Exactly,” Max said in agreement, just as Mr. Rhyme returned with a tall, cold glass of lemonade and handed it to Lucy. “Stardust is sprayed the same way. We are most fortunate to have acquired the services of Captain Mad Jack Jingle and his small aircraft. He does the spraying of the stardust.”
Lucy took three rapid gulps of the lemonade to quench her thirst. Mr. Rhyme smiled, and then turned to Max.
“This girl was thirsty, I told you so. She's drinking that down, like a buffalo,” Mr. Rhyme said to Max, who paid him no mind.
“Where do you spray the stardust, and what does it do?” Lucy probed further.
“Well, so far, we have sprayed only two towns, both far away from here. One was Cliffdale and the other was Oak Springs. Are you from either of those places, Lucy?” Max asked her.
“No,” Lucy responded, “We live in Cedar Falls.”
“Cedar Falls is the place to be. I once was there, back in forty-three,” Mr. Rhyme piped up briskly.
“You've never been anywhere near Cedar Falls, you old coot,” Max said to Mr. Rhyme, shaking his head sideways.
Lucy laughed.
“Oh, yes I have,” Mr. Rhyme retaliated. “It's got lots of rocks. In fact, that's where I met Goldilocks!”
Lucy laughed again.
“Anyway, Lucy,” Max went on, “what stardust does is make people care for one another in a most profound and unique manner. It brings a whole new meaning to compassion, understanding, tolerance, patience, caring, kindness, and especially love. And best of all, it lasts a lifetime. It took us a long time to properly develop it, and it is very valuable, as I am sure you can understand.”
“Wow, it sounds wonderful, sir,” Lucy exclaimed. “I wish it had been sprayed over Cedar
Falls.”
“Oh, why is that?” Max questioned. “Is Cedar Falls not a loving and friendly town?”
“Well, it's okay, I guess,” Lucy drawled. “But sometimes the people there can be very rude, and some of them are not friendly at all.”
Lucy wanted to point out that her mom and dad had not been getting along well lately, and that she and her brother were afraid they might soon get divorced, which Lucy dreaded even thinking about. But she did not feel comfortable telling that to strangers, or to anyone, for that matter.
“When people are rude, it makes me feel blue, so I go to my kitchen and eat a good stew,” said Mr. Rhyme. “A stew with big carrots really tastes nice. But I like it much better if it has some brown rice.”
“Are you really a magician?” Lucy inquired of Max.
“To be sure,” Max smiled down at her. Then, he reached behind her ear and pulled out a very shiny silver dollar. He gave the coin to Lucy, who was dazzled by the feat.
“Oh - wow, thank you!” Lucy cried out.
She tucked the silver dollar into the pocket of her walking shorts.
“I want one, too! I need some money. I have no cash to take out my honey!” Mr. Rhyme
wailed.
Max ignored him.
“Sadie,” Max said to the red haired lady, “why don't you show our young guest around a bit?”
“I'd be pleased to,” came Sadie's reply.
“Would you like to see some of the things we have here, dear?”
“Oh, yes!” Lucy answered with eagerness. “But I really shouldn't stay too long. I am sure my parents are very worried about me by now.”
They were indeed! Unknown to Lucy, when her mother could not locate her in the rest room, she and her husband wasted no time in contacting the theme park security officials, and they called in the local police when they were unable to find Lucy.
“Well, we will take a quick tour then,” Sadie the sorcerer told her. “Come along and I will show you things you have never seen before.”