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Post by ral365 on Sept 21, 2013 19:03:19 GMT -5
Which also makes me wonder; what would non-Asperger's Flint think of the ? Just another useless invention? He certainly didn't seem to care about Steve. He'd probably wanna deactivate it to keep it from causing another food hurricane, not having any sentimental value for it.
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Post by smf on Sept 21, 2013 19:08:56 GMT -5
Well, that makes sense. (Of course, we'll have to wait until after the movie to find out if it still needs to be deactivated; that'll be covered in the rewrite, I suppose?)
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Post by ral365 on Sept 21, 2013 19:13:23 GMT -5
I still hope my theory that he IS an aspie at all still holds up in the second movie! 0.0
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Post by smf on Sept 21, 2013 19:18:21 GMT -5
Well, since this would be a sensible AU anyway if that were the case, I don't think it matters much. XP But still, having well-written Aspies is great - even more so if they feature in good media!
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Post by argionember on Sept 21, 2013 19:54:44 GMT -5
Oh wow, is this like a remake of "A Gift or A Curse"? I really, really like it! I feel it's very, very true to Flint and this is super good! No changes on my part, just moar!
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Post by ral365 on Sept 21, 2013 20:02:49 GMT -5
Oh wow, is this like a remake of "A Gift or A Curse"? I really, really like it! I feel it's very, very true to Flint and this is super good! No changes on my part, just moar! Yep, this is a remake (I personally think Gift or Curse had a lot of room for improvement the more I look back on it). I'm so glad you like it! I'll try to finish it before CwacoM 2 comes out!
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Post by ral365 on Sept 21, 2013 23:41:27 GMT -5
Chapter 4
Flint, Joe, and three other townsmen had gathered around a green poker table in a 90s style, grunge bar that stood next to Tim’s Tackle Shop. His son seemed to have gained quite the social circle since the transmogrification.
However, Flint quickly learned that just because he was more aware of his social surroundings didn’t mean that he was an instant genius on them.
Joe slammed his cards on the table. “Full house!”
Flint looked around the crowded bar. “Yeah, I can see. This place is packed. But for a good reason!”
Joe smiled as he raked in about twenty poker chips. “Looks like I’ll be buyin’ me that new RV after all!”
Flint smiled as the dealer laid down the flop for their round of Texas Hold ‘Em. “Ooh, I like my raises the way I like my steaks: well-done!”
A heavy, middle-aged man at the table chuckled. “You’re quite the card tonight, aren’t ya, Lockwood?”
“Um, I’m gonna assume that means you think I’m funny?”
“Of course!”
“Ohh, ok! Gotcha!”
Joe turned his cards over. “I fold. So, Flint, what’s your latest doohickey gonna be next?”
“You mean invention? Ah, I dunno. I’ve been more interested lately in trying to branch out, ya know, see what other people are up to for once.”
A burly, black man revealed his cards. “Aha! Read ‘em and weep!”
Flint raised an eyebrow. “Read the cards, and what?”
The middle-aged man chuckled. “Oh, Lockwood, you haven’t changed a bit!”
Flint froze for a second in surprise. “…Haven’t changed?”
---
Over the next few days, Flint did his hardest to make himself behave like a “normal” guy.
At the coffee shop, he saw an old lady in a pink dress drinking tea with her pinky finger stuck out. Flint looked at all the fingers on his right hand. Thumb, pointer, but then, when he stuck the next finger out, the old lady approached him with a scowl on her face.
“Don’t you have any manners?!”
WHAM! She smacked him across the face with her matching, pink purse.
Another day, he was filling out a job application for the local grocery store. “Hmm….I can imagine I’d need to look presentable for the interview.”
So he approached the customer service desk at the store in a full-fledged tuxedo!
“Hello, m’am. I’m here for the job application?”
Some nearby customers snickered at Flint’s over-the-top getup, including a 6-year-old boy.
The middle-aged secretary slapped her right hand on her forehead. “That won’t be necessary, Mister Lockwood.”
The next day, embarrassed by that blunder, Flint went down to a clothing store called “Pants N Stuff.” He browsed through the variety of trendy jackets, shirts and pants, and picked up a few from each aisle. However, when he put on his new outfit in public, people giggled as he went by: a navy blue suit jacket, a black shirt, beige pants, a bright red bow tie, and a brown fedora.
A street sweeper gazed at him from across the sidewalk. “Flint, Halloween isn’t until tonight, you silly goose!”
The humiliation was almost unbearable…
Later that afternoon, Flint played it safe and wore one of his signature t-shirts and jeans when he headed back into town. He was headed toward the coffee shop when, suddenly, he stopped and gasped. Sam Sparks was sitting on a café table outside with another man! A blonde just about her age in a red sport’s jacket, smooth, silky hair, and even shiny brown loafers on his feet!
Flint hid in a nearby alley. “Ok, ok, I can do this. I can do this. I’m a normal guy now. I just gotta believe I’m one.”
Flint then approached the man with a stern look on his face. “Hey there, punk! You makin’ time with my gal?!”
“What?! Dude, I was just-“
“Don’t give me any of that. I know how you types work. You think you can just schmooze your way down here with your good looks and charm, and snatch a lady up like a lucky penny off the street! But frankly, I feel pretty sorry for you. You must feel like a total loser if you have to try to steal women to get them to like you…”
Sam and her supposed date stared at Flint with dropped jaws for a few seconds until Sam smacked herself across the face, and the man violently shook his head.
“Dude, I’m her BROTHER!”
Flint’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. “Y…Y-You are?”
“YES! Is it such a crime that I wanted to hang out with my sister?”
Flint’s face turned bright red. Everyone in the whole block just saw his little performance, and were now laughing out loud, or murmuring about it with their friends. He’d just made a complete fool of himself in front of a highly entertained audience.
Flint’s embarrassment made it almost impossible for him to speak. “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean…I-I was only trying to…”
Fighting tears, Flint fled the scene through the allies, trying to keep his face hidden from the amused public. Sam’s expression softened to concern, and she raced after her distraught boyfriend.
“Flint, wait!”
As the two ran back toward the suburbs, an array of grey storm clouds started passing above the setting sun…
Wasting no time, Flint pulled out another car battery onto the backyard, and brought the Brain Transmogrifier and jumper cables from the lab, all while muttering to himself with an odd mixture of explosive frustration and shaky sadness in his voice.
By the time he had hooked up the car battery to the cables, Sam was just arriving at the gate. “Flint! Flint, wait up!”
Flint jumped back a bit as his girlfriend approached him. “Flint, what’s going on? Over the last few days, you’ve been acting really strange…”
Flint continued working with haste. “I’m really, really sorry about what I said, Sam, but I don’t have time to explain!”
Steve jumped back as a wave of thunder rolled overhead. “Danger! Danger danger danger!"
Sam put a gentle hand on Flint’s shoulder. “Flint, please tell me what’s going on! I’ll help you!”
Flint quickly put the helmet on. “Don’t worry! One more power up from the Brain Transmogrifier and I’ll never say anything stupid like that again!”
“Brain Transmogri-what?!!”
ZAP!!! A bolt of lightening struck down on Flint and his helmet! As he sat there on all fours, screaming in pain, the thousands of volts electrocuting his body were also powering up the helmet! The siren and lights repeatedly flashed on and off, and the tiny knobs were spinning around all by themselves!
Flint could feel his whole body transforming. The entire right side of his brain inflated from inside his head, causing his scalp to inflate along with it, with much of his hair still attached onto the lump. Thick, red blood veins had grown enough to become visible from underneath his skin, lining across his forehead. His screaming slowly deepened into a raspy snarl. His bloodshot eyes were now completely coated with red. One pupil was three times its normal size, and the other three times as small.
Finally, the Brain Transmogrifier violently sparked and shorted out altogether, and the electric shock had worn off. Flint then shook the helmet off, and let out a blood-curdling…
ROOOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!
With that, Flint dashed off on all fours in a fit of pure, unadulterated rage. He raced toward the fence, snarling like an angry dog, but instead of opening the gate, he simply kicked the door down with his foot, and swiped his claw-like hand at a shrub blocking his path. As soon as he was on the front lawn, an unsuspecting Ratbird landed next to him. Flint growled in fury, and kicked the innocent creature several hundred feet away! Flint then ran aimlessly down the sidewalk to the right of his house, leaving Sam Sparks and Steve scared stiff.
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Post by argionember on Sept 22, 2013 7:10:09 GMT -5
oh, whoops. lol flint should have thought before saying that. now Flint is half rabid dog?
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Post by smf on Sept 22, 2013 9:06:39 GMT -5
O.O Scary... I could definitely feel for Flint there! Also, I think that "90s, grunge bar" should probably be a 90's style grunge bar. Sorry for interrupting. XP
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Post by ral365 on Sept 22, 2013 12:30:19 GMT -5
oh, whoops. lol flint should have thought before saying that. now Flint is half rabid dog? Lol, well Flint doesn't have rabies, but he's got all sorts of primitive animal mannerisms in his deformed brain now XP I hope I didn't make him too scary
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Post by ral365 on Sept 22, 2013 12:30:45 GMT -5
O.O Scary... I could definitely feel for Flint there! Also, I think that "90s, grunge bar" should probably be a 90's style grunge bar. Sorry for interrupting. XP No no, it's ok! I always appreciate feedback
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Post by ral365 on Sept 23, 2013 21:32:12 GMT -5
Chapter 5
A full moon rose high above as all the unsuspecting children of Swallow Falls headed out on the suburban streets to go trick-or-treating. The tykes ran excitedly down to each house on their block, and were each given a warm welcome and a handful of candy from their neighbors.
A blonde four-year-old, dressed in a pink princess hat and dress, stood at the gate of one house, trembling with fear. After a moment, she took a deep breath, walked up the steps, and rang the doorbell. As the door slowly creaked open, the girl gave a beaming smile, and she presented her bag with wide, round eyes.
“Twick or Tweat?”
“GRAAWWL!!!”
A sneering Monster Flint jumped onto the porch from behind a bush, making the little girl shriek and run back out on the streets. As soon as she and Flint were gone, a middle-aged woman opened the door holding her bowl full of candy, but looked around in confusion as to who might’ve rung the doorbell and left.
--
Cal and his friends were at one house with a porch that was elaborately decorated with fake spider webs, neon signs, sound effects from a tape recorder, and window clings that looked like the silhouettes of screaming men and women. The kids were headed toward the door when Flint jumped out at them from a bush, standing on two legs.
Cal’s poked the scientist with a beaming smile. “Cool! A robot zombie decoration!”
Flint tried to chomp on Cal’s finger, but he quickly withdrew his hand, and ran off with his friends, screaming.
--
A brunette boy with glasses, dressed as a pirate, approached a house with a large “Beware of Dog” sign on its metal fence. However, as soon as he was at the door, there was vicious snarling and barking, and the metal fence shook violently, scaring the child away. However, Flint was the one making the racket in the backyard! As he climbed up the gate to make his way out, the brown Labrador in that same yard sat hidden in his grey doghouse, whimpering with fear.
--
As Flint made his way back down the sidewalk, another familiar voice called out to him, making Flint stop and turn in confusion.
“FLIIINT!”
Brent arrived dressed in a fully feathered chicken costume, with an orange, paper cone attached to his nose, and stared at Flint with a wide grin on his face. “Wicked zombie costume, bro!”
Flint rolled his eyes and tried to crawl forward, but Brent kept looking his buddy’s “outfit.” “Man, that looks so real! Did you make all that yourself, or did you, like, make another awesome invention for that?”
Flint turned to his friend, and let out an angry, “ROOOAAAAARRR!!!”
However, Brent was still smiling. “Nice scary face, dude. You had me fooled there for a second.”
Flint finally had enough, and gave Brent an angry shove against the road before going back on his way.
Brent watched him leave with a hurt look on his face. “Geez, what’s his problem?”
Just then, a white mini van pulled up behind the sad chicken. Manny was at the driver’s seat while Sam was sitting next to him, and Tim was riding in the back.
Sam rolled down her window. “Brent! Have you seen Flint anywhere?”
“Yeah! He was just here walkin’ around dressed like a zombie, and then he pushed me into the road and ran away! What’s up with that?”
“That wasn’t a costume, Brent. Flint accidentally turned himself into a real monster!”
Brent stared at Sam with an odd mixture of shock and confusion. “…Wait, what?”
“C’mon in! I’ll explain on the way! Did you see which way he went?”
Brent buckled up, and pointed toward downtown. “He went that way!”
Sam turned around to her group as Manny drove forward. “Ok, everyone, listen. Flint accidentally deformed his brain using a special helmet he invented in his lab. Now he’s running around acting like a monster, and the helmet broke during the transformation. As soon as any of us finds Flint, we do whatever we can to catch him or hold him down so that he can’t get away again, but don’t hurt him, especially not his head! If we damage his brain any farther, it might make it even harder for his Brain Transmogrifier to turn it back to normal.”
Sam then opened a first aid kit in the glove compartment, and took out a syringe full of clear liquid.
“Now, once we do have Flint, Manny will give him this sedation shot to knock him out for a few hours, and we’ll bring him back to his lab. That way, we can make sure he stays away from town while we try and figure out how to fix his invention.”
Tim raised one half of his brow. “Um, isn’t Flint the only one who CAN fix it?”
Sam frowned. “I don’t know, but it’s the best plan we have until we can find another way to make him snap out of it.”
Brent looked confused. “Why don’t we just try to make him remember who he really is?”
Sam showed Brent a few items in the car. “Flint’s Dad and I brought some of his belongings, like his lab coat and this picture of his mom, to see if those will help Flint remember his true self, but we can’t have that be our first option. If it doesn’t work, a lot of innocent people could get hurt. Knocking him out and capturing him is the most efficient means of getting him back home while keeping everyone else safe.”
Sam sat back in her seat, and stared at the distance with a concerned expression. “Hold on, Flint. We’re comin’…”
--
Most of the older teens and adults in Swallow Falls were partying at the outdoor, Halloween block party at the center of town. A DJ was cranking up some catchy jams on the stage with a lively audience dancing in front of him. About twenty feet in front of the crowd were small tents and venders such as a snack bar, games like bobbing for apples and a pumpkin-shaped piñata, and even a makeup stand for kids and adults to get their faces painted.
As Monster Flint came raging toward the crowd, everyone ran off in a panic. In the midst of all the chaos, Officer Earl pinned him to the ground, holding down both of his arms.
“What in the world are you doin’, Flint Lock-WOOD?! You’re scarin’ enough souls to outperform the boogeyman!!!”
Flint tried to reach for Earl’s hands to bite them, but they were out of his reach, so he kicked Earl in the stomach with both feet, causing Earl to let go and cover his abdomen, groaning in pain. Flint started to run away, but Earl glared back up at him.
“Oh no you don’t!”
Earl leaped right in front of Flint with his arms wide open. “YAHH!!!”
Flint tried to dodge the studley officer, but Earl zipped so fast in front of him, one would swear he didn’t even move his legs doing so! After a few times, Earl lunged for Flint, but the mad scientist ran right under Earl’s legs. The officer chased Flint down the street, repeatedly reaching for his scrawny neck, but even as a monster, Flint was too agile for him.
Just when Earl was ready to pin him down again, Flint dodged his jump, causing Earl to plunge headfirst into the face-painting stand! Everyone gasped and flinched as red liquid splashed from the wreck, but a moment later, the cloud of dust settled, revealing a furious Earl taking a paint bucket off his head, which was soaked in red paint.
All of a sudden, a six-foot fishing net was thrown down on top of the monstrous Flint. Tim, Brent and Sam were pulling it from the back end.
“Don’t let him get away!” his dad shouted.
“But don’t hurt him either!” Sam added.
Flint violently swung his hands around the net, trying to thrash his way out, but he just got himself more tangled and tied up in the thick wiring. In a matter of seconds, he was rolled up netting, wiggling and struggling like a worm on a fishing hook.
Earl immediately pressed Flint’s body against the ground. “I got him now!”
Flint violently struggled as Brent, Sam and Tim raced over, and held Flint down by his arms and legs, shouting “Flint, calm down!” and “Take it easy!” or “We’re trying to help you!”
As soon as Flint saw Manny with the sedative in his hand, he mustered enough strength to throw his body forward, and make Manny accidentally inject Earl’s left knee instead!
The officer stared at everyone with a goofy, tired smile, and yawned. “You crazy kids go on without me…”
Earl flopped forward, and Manny tried to hold him up with his tiny arms, but WHAM! Earl collapsed right on top of him with his dead weight, snoring like a lawn mower.
The handyman struggled to pull himself out from underneath Earl’s chest. “Oi…I need my chiropractor…”
With Earl gone, Flint was able to at least be up on his knees, but Tim and Brent were holding his arms.
Sam ran back toward the car. “I’ll go get another shot!”
Flint sneered at those words, and chomped at Brent and Tim’s hands, causing them to let go. Flint ran on two legs, charging toward Sam, and the fishing net flew right off of him. Sam desperately raced to the car, and grabbed Manny’s first aid kit, Flint’s coat, and the photo of his mom from the back seat. That moment, she spun around and saw Flint already standing behind her, raising his right hand up for his next strike. In her panic, Sam shielded herself with the back of Flint’s lab coat, causing him to claw it instead of her.
Suddenly, Flint stopped. The moment the sound of the tearing fabric reached his ears, he froze in place, and his glaring eyes widened with shock. He’d created a set of five wide holes on his lab coat from where his fingers scratched it. He stood there in silence for a moment or so, until his shock turned to desperation.
With trepid whimpering, Flint grabbed the coat with his hands, and tried in vain to close the holes together, such as pressing the torn fabric with his hands or sealing them with his tongue. Everyone in town fell silent, and watched Flint’s little episode with anxiety.
Sam whispered to Tim and Brent, “It’s working. I think he’s finally snapping out of it…”
After Flint gave up trying to fix his coat, he sat on his knees in silence, staring at the ground as his trouble mind became lost in thought. Even in his deformed brain, Flint could envision various memories of himself with the lab coat all throughout his life. Though the faces of his loved ones were blurred out, he could clearly see that that coat had been with him throughout the vast majority of his memories, and whether or not he could realize it with this depraved mind of his, that coat must’ve meant something dear to him if he could remember it so vividly, and now felt so bad for ruining it. The only thing absolutely certain to Flint was that whatever he was feeling, all this sadness, this pain, anger, and now, terror, he didn’t like it at all. He may’ve lost his ability to speak, but he had a face that looked like he was desperate for answers, begging for help.
Finally, Flint Lockwood couldn’t take his pain a minute longer. His eyes filled to the brim with tears, and he slowly laid down on the street with buried his face in his arms. His bawling sounded less like a vicious dog, and more like a raspy human voice, as if some essence of the old Flint was starting to show. Everyone continued watching Flint in silence, their hearts breaking at seeing their old friend sink so low.
After a moment, Tim approached Flint without a trace of hesitation, making much of the crowd gasp and murmur anxiously, including Sam and Brent. Flint glanced up at his father, and then leaned back on all fours, whimpering with fear.
“It’s ok, it’s ok. I’m not gonna hurtcha.”
Tim gently stroked Flint’s head with his right hand. Flint cautiously crawled toward Tim’s lap, and then climbed up to his chest for a hug, bawling some more against his shoulder. Tim gently picked up his son and stroked his back as he wept. This vicious monster now looked as distraught and helpless as a frightened child.
“C’mon. Let’s get you home.”
Tim carried Flint toward the car. Manny headed to the driver’s seat with a solemn face, and Sam and Brent followed with silent tears. As the car headed back toward the suburbs, all the townspeople who had witnessed this scene stared off into the distance with expressions of fear, anguish, and above all, compassion.
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Post by smf on Sept 24, 2013 15:43:38 GMT -5
(* Errors: That second "to" in the first sentence can be removed, After the line break, "face" should be plural, and there should be a "he felt" instead of "feel" in the part ", and now feel so bad for ruining it." Sorry again, but just wanted you to know!) This is great, Ral! I love how you started Flint on the path to healing himself.
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Post by ral365 on Sept 24, 2013 15:52:31 GMT -5
(* Errors: That second "to" in the first sentence can be removed, After the line break, "face" should be plural, and there should be a "he felt" instead of "feel" in the part ", and now feel so bad for ruining it." Sorry again, but just wanted you to know!) This is great, Ral! I love how you started Flint on the path to healing himself. Thanks for pointing out those mistakes ^^; Bad spelling and grammar can totally ruin the experience for a reader Yeah. Flint needed a shoulder to cry on for quite a while. :<
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Post by smf on Sept 24, 2013 15:58:56 GMT -5
You're welcome! Glad to help. And yeah, to both comments. Hope Flint continues to get better!
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