For part one of the story, click here
The day that The Disaster came dawned like any other day: with the bright morning sun streaming through that one spot between the curtains that couldn’t quite be shut all the way, and hitting Thorson directly in his left eye. Yes, somehow it was always his left eye that was assaulted by the sun’s first foray into his bedroom. Thorson stretched, first the right side of his body, and then his left. He pushed aside his covers and swung his feet down onto the cold hardwood floor of his room. Somehow, he just knew that something different was going to happen today.
After completing his morning ablutions, he got dressed and bounded down the stairs to the kitchen to prepare himself some breakfast. First he grabbed the largest bowl in the cupboard and filled it with Fruit Loops, and then he poured in a small bottle of Coca-Cola. As he sat down to consume his breakfast, he pondered (as he usually did at breakfast time) why his acne seemed to be so much worse than any of his friends ever faced. He came to the same conclusion as he did every day: “It’s just dumb luck.”
After breakfast, he quietly put his dishes in the sink (his parents were still sleeping. They slept in every Saturday morning…which was a bit odd, considering that it was Wednesday…but it was a holiday, so maybe not that odd). Then he went outside to walk to the local movie theater. They were showing a brand new film there…it was the opening day for a brand new independent film, and Thorson loved independent films. The characters were usually unknown actors and actresses, and he liked seeing nobodies have a chance. It made him feel like he might someday be able to do something impressive…that, and they were almost always low budget, and usually quite cheesy. He had a rather bizarre love of cheesy shows.
The film that he was about to watch was about a small town nestled in a mountain valley that faces an unexpected volcano. Thorson had been waiting to see this film for months. He couldn’t be more excited that the film The Disaster had finally arrived.
He bought his ticket, a big bag of buttery popcorn, and an extra large Coke, then went to grab his seat in the nearly empty theater (not everyone in his town shared his love of independent film). When the curtain finally rose, he saw the protagonist: a teenage girl named (in the movie, at least), Jennifer. She was the most beautiful girl that Thorson had ever seen. His knew at that moment that his life was changed forever. He had to meet the girl who played Jennifer…someday she was going to become his wife. He planned to watch the credits carefully so that he could find this girl…even if the quest to find her would last the rest of his life!
~~To be continued~~ (click here for part 3)
Quest for Whirled Peas 