The Madhouse
A. didn't mind a little rain here and there, but it'd been pouring for hours. How was he supposed to get in touch with Gillian and her friend in the middle of this downpour? No way. Unfortunately, A. found himself in one of the worst places to hide out during a rainstorm. He wasn't happy about it, but where else could he go? Too bad the nearest shelter was a madhouse.
The Cat Palace. Ah! The very name reeked with insanity! A. briefly wondered if anyone else would be unlucky enough to be forced to hide out here. He quickly decided that no one else would be
that desperate. He was wrong, of course, otherwise there'd be no plot.
On the plus side, A's only companion here wasn't any happier about the situation then he was.
*awkward silence*
A: Uh, long time no see?
Murdoch: I think I'm supposed to come up with some sort of villainous line, but I'm coming up blank.
A: Don't worry, it's not you. The author just can't think of anything for us to do.
Murdoch: Is that you're just staring at a plant?
A: Probably.
A: This is ridiculous. I've been all over the world, and I still don't like cats.
Murdoch: Tell me about it! My son's always like, "Daddy! Can we get a kitty!" I want to tell him, "The day you get a cat is the day we have sharks in The Sims 3!" but then he'd start crying. Plus I think we actually
do have sharks now.
A: You should've seen my little girl when I had to tell her that only rabbits could travel through time. Oh, she was devastated! At least until we went for ice cream.
Murdoch: *chuckle* Ah, kids.
Murdoch: But I think we're getting a little off-topic. I'm here to maliciously taunt you, after all, not bond over fatherhood.
A: Now, Murdoch, you know what happened. I couldn't do anything about that.
Murdoch: You're the one who runs The Mole! The fate of the show was in your hands! Why couldn't you do anything?
A: I feel like I should say something here, but I'm coming up blank.
Murdoch: I already used that joke, A! Write your own jokes.
A: Drat.
Murdoch: Do you have
any idea what's happened to be my family since you cancelled The Mole? That could've been our chance at a good life, you know. Now look at us. Stuck in some slum while all of the forum stars live out their happy, successful lives. You're even getting a mansion built, and you don't even
like mansions!
A: Murdoch, listen to me. Nothing I did was meant to hurt anybody. Do you think I'm ignorant about suffering, Murdoch? I know what it's like to lose all your hopes in life, to be forced into poverty and obscurity. To have nothing left. But you
did have something, Murdoch! You had a family to care for, and a family to care for you. I lost my family. They're gone now, except for one person.
Murdoch: Your daughter?
A: Yes. She's all I have left of a good life. When things were peaceful. Before I had all this alien rubbish to worry about. I cancelled the show for her, you know. As horrible the circumstance we had to live through were, she's been through so much worse. She had to grow up without a mother, and without a father who cared about her. I can't fix everything that happened back then, but there is one thing I can fix. I will
not sit back and relax while my daughter thinks her father doesn't love her. That's why I cancelled the show, Murdoch. I had to put family first.
Murdoch: Wow. I, I had no idea.
A: Nobody does. Nobody but me and Ronin. And now you.
Murdoch: Are the two of you better now?
A: No, not really. It'll take a long time for us to reconcile. I'm not even sure we
can reconcile. But I'm not going to stop trying. She thinks I care more about the aliens then about my family, and maybe I used to. But not anymore.
A: I want you to know that I'm sorry, Murdoch, for all of the pain I've caused your family. I know that's not enough to make up for all the dark things you had to go through, but I hope that you understand, if nothing else.
Murdoch: Understand? Of course I understand, A. I can see that you care a lot about your daughter, and that you care more about her then anything else in the world, even The Mole.
A: Are you angry?
Murdoch: No. I was, back then. "How could that slimeball do that to us?" I asked myself. Now I see you did it for family. And I realize that I would've done the same thing in your shoes.
A: And I promise you this, Murdoch: One of these days I'm going to repay you. I'll make it up to you. Deal?
Murdoch: Deal.
A: Cool. Is there anything else, or can we give our author a break?
Murdoch: Uh...
A: What? What's wrong?
Murdoch: There
is one thing I ought to tell you.
A: Well, what is it? What's the problem?
Murdoch: I may have had a friend of mine distract your friends so I could kidnap them and hold them ransom.
A: WHAT!?! How could you!?
Murdoch: To be fair, I thought of that while I still hated you!
A:Oh, good grief!
Murdoch: But it's not too late!
Murdoch: If we can get to the salon fast enough, we can stop them before they try anything.
A: They'd better not hurt them. You have no idea what's at stake there!
Murdoch: Relax, A. Even in my revenge, I wouldn't have wanted to actually hurt anybody! Come on, let's go!
A: I'll be right there.
A: I hope we can get there in time. It's all I have left.
