Missing Father

Missing Father is the thirty third episode in the Wombles Eight.

Mother was at his wits end. He had bad luck at every turn trying to find a way out of Gotham. The realisation that he left his sister alone in LA was a shock that gave him a major wake up call. He was supposed to be an expert in intelligence but there he was getting a rough time in his childhood city. First he had to get over his nerves since It had last struck. The buses were on strike as all the passengers kept going crazy and attacking each other (because of It). The taxis were all full as several had crashed because of It.

Mother had to walk to the train station where a man tried get his wallet by squirting him with tomato sauce and mustard. So he had to buy a new suit and shirt. The only suit available was green with question marks all over it. He went back to the station only to be arrested by a detective called Montoya. He boarded a train once he had proved he was not the Riddler.

Unfortunately the train was hijacked by gangsters. Montoya stopped the hijackers but also arrested Mother again! On proving his innocence the second time he finally got to the sea port where he was almost hit by a truck. Ironically with a big logo reading DIE. The truck was stopped by a lady in a purple costume. When the drama was over she checked that Mother was alright. Finally he boarded a ferry to NY.

The crossing was choppy and long. Mother was tired when he reached New York. He hopped onto a taxi as it passed. All the taxis were taken in NY like in Gotham so Mother listened into people’s conversations. A couple were on their way to JFK where Mother needed to reach. He clung onto the taxi sign on the roof and jumped off at the airport.

Meanwhile Father had walked deep into the tunnels beneath LA. It was hot as she was now underneath the desert. That desert was hot for a reason. It sat right over an entrance to hell! Father walked straight into it. “Ah! I see another soul for my collection!” boomed a menacing voice.

“I think you are making a big mistake sir! My feet are needed you see. Both my soles!” Father replied. “No mistake sinner! You are mine!” shouted the menacing voice. Father had had enough and snapped back at full volume “Please show me the way back to my brother’s car! I’ve been walking a long time and my feet hurt! It’s a Bentley Mulsanne Turbo. Probably the only one in LA.”  “You dare to shout at the devil!” boomed the reply.

The devil called in a demon. “Asteroth! You may take her and enjoy torturing her long and loathsome, painfully and without mercy!”  The big demon wore a long dark coat with spiked armoured shoulder pads. His tall steely grey hair waved in the heat as he dragged Father by her feet.

Father screamed “Stop it!” and suddenly she felt a chillingly big furry spider walking over her. Asteroth just laughed as Father kept hitting herself to kill the imaginary spider. It was laughing too as he drew out Father’s fear. The Devil pointed upwards and It set off back into the mortal world to reap fear from another victim.

That victim was Mother who had just said “Darn it!” after missing his flight to LA (due to some mysterious flying balls). The airport lounge was the same as before but as he saw everyone’s faces they were all revealed to be clowns. Evil grinning clowns with jagged teeth. The clowns surrounded Mother. Some were wearing holiday clothes and others in American Airlines uniforms. Slowly they closed in and reached for Mother with their razor sharp claws. Mother was cowering like a baby on the floor when something whirled in.

Now Mother was enveloped in the whirling force. Suddenly he was released. He opened his eyes to find himself sitting in his house. “Mother old son! When will you bloody well learn! Stop saying that word!” said an exasperated Constantine. “Word? Where am I? Home? How? Oh! You mean” Mother started to reply. Constantine cut in “The word that rhymes with twit!”

“Are you insulting me?” asked Mother. “I can if you want me to” replied Constantine. “I suppose I should thank you for rescuing me? Well thank you Mr Constantine and I wonder if you could find my sister?” said Mother awkwardly. “All part of the service! Now you get back to your job and I’ll have your sister back soon. Remember don’t say the word!” Constantine said before leaving.