Martoons

Cast of characters

Miss No

Taxi driver

*

Giggly Debrief    

When something is truly awful, try not to think about it. Miss No’s mother had always told her that.

Obviously the alcohol was still working its horrific magic. The sooner she got all this over with, got home and slept it off, the better.

Miss No issued herself a military order: Get to the office. Get the handbag.

She peeked in the door, ready for anything. Two dark, waxy silhouettes were undulating near some candles burning on her big desk, sending figures and animal shapes all around the room like liquid projections.

She felt chills all over her body as if someone had doused her with a bucket of ice cold water and it was trickling agonizingly down her spine.

* Will she have to face the shadowy figures? *

This was so freaky. Surely she’d awakened from that bizarre dream … or had she? Or … was she dead? Had she ever been born?

Lord, I will make a deal with you. Get me through this hell and I will never, ever touch a drop of alcohol again. Swear and hope to die!

She crossed her heart, put her head down and approached the desk, sidestepping the dancing duo. She grabbed her handbag; so far so good – the horrifying shadowy shapes hadn’t noticed her.

* Will they though? *

As if wielding a huge eraser, she mentally erased all her surroundings except the office door and a narrow little path leading to it. Take a step – left, right, left… quickly!

The door frame got larger and opened out into another world. The pulsations of light from the candles flickered and faded behind her; the shadows had vanished; the show was over and it was time to go home.

Stepping out into the hallway, an icy hand clamped down on her shoulder from behind. The effect was like a live wire zapping her; she shuddered and froze.

One of the dancing shadowy blobs was grabbing her!

Miss No reflexively swung around and hurled her handbag into the dark.

She couldn’t see anything but heard a thwack as it struck the groping shadowy shape; a thud followed and she presumed the ghastly ghoul had dropped to the ground.

She fled down the hall and stairs and into the street. She purposely left the roll-up door unlocked.

“The last thing in the world I want is for that ghost to be locked inside and not be able to get out when it’s finished its morbid party.”

She scurried out to the cab, her high heels clicking on the pavement like gunshots.

The cabby had sunk into a ‘Z’-state sleep and was off in his own fantasy world, dreaming that he’d eloped to his favorite love motel with his number one soju tent ajumma.

In his dream room, he was all laid out on a traditional mat on the warm floor; his last cigarette dangling from his lips and a TV remote in his hand.

He’d sent his ajumma down to the front desk for more smokes.

He’d need them shortly because he smoked profusely after romance. His imagination floated away anticipating his impending amorous actions…

Suddenly, the sound of knocking distracted him. “Come in,” he said in a lovey-dovey voice, “Did you get my smokes?”

His nocturnal acquaintance didn’t answer. The knocking got louder. “Come in! Ayeesh! It’s not locked…”

Still more knocking. “Why? Who is it?”

“Miss No, your number one client. Open up sir!”

The cabby snapped out of his fairy tale dream and re-oriented himself to his real surroundings, reminiscent of his army days of being wakened up in the middle of the night for drill.

Presently, he catalogued what his senses were registering: A cold car seat; the foggy windshield; the noisy dashboard heater.

“Taxi Sir! Taxi Sir! Open the door – Ayeesh!”

The cabby now clicked in to exactly where he was: In the alley behind this client’s business.

“Oh, yeah…”  I am babo, he cussed himself. She’s probably freezing out there. He leaned to his right and pulled the latch to open the passenger door.

As soon as it was cracked Miss No aggressively flung it open and hurled herself inside. “Get out of here as quickly as possible – away from that building! Very strange! Pali! Pali!”

* Will she tell him what she believes happened? *

The bewildered, alarmed and somewhat embarrassed cabby floored the gas peddle. No calmed down as they left the alley behind in a cloud of dust, screeching tires and careening gravel.

She confided in her cabby: “Something mysterious happened in that building…”

The cabby weaved in and out of the few cars on the road.

“Taxi Sir, do you believe in … ghosts?”

* What will the cabby say? *

*

Tomorrow: No finally makes her way home but still feels unsettled…