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Captive, by Gordon Lawrie

8/1/2014

 
For those who have lost track of the story so far, Danny the parking attendant has found himself pushed aside by Carlos in the battle for Alice's affections. But parking attendants are made of sterner stuff than that. This was posted on 3rd January.

Danny awoke to find himself locked in a large, lightless cupboard. His head throbbed as he struggled to recall what calamity had befallen him.

Slowly in the darkness it came to him: a swarthy, moustachioed man had been behind him, grabbed him, then a sharp prick in his neck before...

Danny felt around him. He recognised some mops and brushes below, dusters and J-cloths on the shelf above. Miraculously, he could feel six bottles of water on the floor corner. But he was trapped, all alone, in the hall cupboard.

Suddenly he felt something, and heard a familiar sound.

“Miaow.”

The next instalment of Danny's story followed on 6th January.

Locked in the cupboard, Danny grew increasingly frustrated. What was going on? Was his beloved Alice safe from Carlos? For sure, he knew he couldn’t rely on the pacifist dog movement to rescue her.  And now, a new consideration – what was Leon up to? Worst of all, Alice’s cat was pleading with him to do something. Anything.

He didn’t want to do it, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Danny donned his tight-fitting latex outfit, complete with cape and a large ‘P’ on the front, and became “SuperParkingAttendant”.

Confidently, SuperParkingAttendant put his shoulder to the door.

Hopeless. Still trapped.


The next chapter followed on the following day...

Crushed, Danny – aka SuperParkingAttendant – sank back into the cupboard. What use was he to the world? Would he ever issue another parking ticket? Only just, he resisted the temptation to kick Alice’s cat.

“Just as well,” the cat said. “I want out of here as much as you do, but I need your help.”

“OK, smarty-pants,” said Danny, “What’s your idea, then?”

“Alice keeps a spare key on the top shelf. But cats can’t work keys in locks.”

Danny reached up – YES!

With one bound, SuperParkingAttendant turned the key in the lock and was free.

“About time,” Alice’s cat thought.

And then on the 8th January...

Having escaped from imprisonment in a dark cupboard, Danny – now fully transformed into SuperParkingAttendant – strode through the house masterfully. But although he searched  thoroughly, he could find Alice nowhere.

He was about to open an upstairs window and take off in desperation, when the front door opened and in walked the woman herself, carrying three large carrier bags.

“Alice!” Danny said. “Wonderful to see you! Where have you been?”

“Doing the week’s shopping, of course, what else?” She added, “And why are you wearing that stupid fancy-dress outfit again?”

In the corner, Alice’s cat watched and simply scratched his ear.




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