doors are complicated

[campanas]

Pen' was just going to go practice singing. (She likes singing. The words are all lined up for her already and she doesn't get them wrong.) But this doesn't look like the practice room. So it's probably the magic restaurant.

Pen knows about the magic restaurant! You can go in it, and get food or things to drink (she has bracelets!) and then you just go back out the door and it's been no time at all and you're right where you went in.

She goes in. She is going to have cake.

Comments

[pythbox]

"It's, uh... this," he says, gesturing to his glass. "Do you want to try some?" Should small children not have caffeine? He has no idea. It probably won't be a total disaster, anyway.

[campanas]

"'Kay." Pen takes his cup and sips. "Sweet," she comments.

[pythbox]

"Yep," he says. "And fizzy."

[campanas]

"Yeah!"

[pythbox]

He grins. "You now know pretty much all there is to know about Coke. Can I have mine back, or do you want it?"

[campanas]

Pen offers it back.

[pythbox]

"Thanks," he says, accepting it. "What's your name? I'm John."

[campanas]

"Am Peninnah. Pen."

[pythbox]

"Nice to meet you," says John.

[campanas]

"Yes!" agrees Peninnah. "I meet so many of the people, yesterday. Now you!"

[pythbox]

"Milliways is nice like that."

[campanas]

"Yes. Nice bar."

[pythbox]

"Definitely the nicest I've been to," he says.

[campanas]

"Mommy like nice bar. Daddy also."

[pythbox]

"And where are your mommy and daddy right now?"

[campanas]

"Home."

[pythbox]

"Seems reasonable."

He finishes his Coke; he takes a look around the bar, savouring the moment; he gets up.

"I should get back to work," he says with a sigh. "Nice talking to you, Pen."

And he heads for the door.

[campanas]

Pen gets some milk, and drinks it, and then goes to the door too. Huh, it's still a little open.

She opens it up, peering over her shoulder as she does for a last look at the nice bar, and then she's through and it closes properly this time.

[pythbox]

This is definitely not the same place she left. It's a deserted street in an unfamiliar city, under a cloudy predawn sky, and the door that just closed belongs to a small office tower.

[campanas]

That's not how it's supposed to work.

She turns back to the door and pulls on it.

[pythbox]

It is locked.

[campanas]

That's really not how it's supposed to work.

Pen tries to brainphone Mommy.

She tries to brainphone Daddy.

She tries to brainphone Jane.

She tries her sisters and all the grownups she knows.

It doesn't work.

Gosh.



She tries to find an alt of Mommy, and that doesn't work.

She tries to find an alt of Daddy.

[Hi?]

[manofmyword]

[Who's this?]

[campanas]

[Am Pen! Am lost. You one Daddy.]

[manofmyword]

[Am I now.]