A Monstrous Mistake

Chapter 5: A Big Problem

The trouble started when the four were halfway to the door warehouse. They'd been making their way there when Luca's water pack started beeping. The boys had been too distracted during the last few hours to realize how low it's water supply was getting. 

"Alberto," Luca said, the worry obvious on his voice. 

"What's wrong?" Sulley asked, concerned. 

"Uh, nothing serious! We just need to refill Luca's water pack before he de-gyrates!" 

"You mean 'dehydrates'?" Mike asked. 

"That too!" He pulled Luca into the nearby bathroom, obviously trying not to panic. "Back in a second!"

"'De-gyrates'?" Sulley questioned, looking to Mike.

"If you ask me," Mike responded, "you'd think that Alberto kid had never been to school."

---

The bathroom was, miraculously, empty. Without the water pack, Luca dried off (and turned human) almost instantly. The duo ran to the sinks, and fumbled with the pack before they got its tank open. 

They'd just finished getting the pack filled when the bathroom door opened. The boys froze. Alberto's pack was still mostly full and working fine, but Luca hadn't put his on yet and still looked like a human. 

A large leaf-green monster the size and shape of a refrigerator with four burnt-orange eyes was standing in the doorway. And he'd seen Luca. 

Alberto was the first to react, and pulled Luca into a bathroom stall. He locked the door as Luca put on his water pack, which activated and restored his sea monster form. They heard the large green monster stomp through the restroom. Alberto ducked down, peering out from under the stall door. As soon as he signaled, the boys ducked under the door and ran out of the bathroom. 

"Okay, we're all good!" Alberto said a little too cheerfully as the boys rejoined Mike and Sulley.

"Whoa, you're out of breath." Sulley said, again concerned. "What's the hurry?"

"We're just really excited to see the warehouse." Luca explained. "We filled my pack as fast as we could."

"Don't get too excited, it's not that interesting." Mike started to lead the way back down the hall. Sulley followed him while Luca and Alberto brought up the rear. 

Luca whispered in Alberto's ear. "That was way too close. That monster saw me."

"Don't worry, we look like monsters again. What's he going to do, tell on us? We're fine."

Luca tried to believe it, but worry still gnawed at him. He'd have to be much more careful from now on. He couldn't put Alberto in danger like that again. 

---

The monster searched the bathroom for a few minutes, but he didn't find anything. It didn't matter. He looked more smug than usual as he left the men's room. His Scare Assistant, a tiny pink monster with three arms and twice as many eyes, came up to him.

"There you are, Mr. Grimelson! I've been looking for you everywhere! Your shift starts in just a few minutes!"

"I actually think I'll be a little late for my shift today, Setelli," Grimelson replied. "I need to make a phone call."

"A phone call? Sir, you've only just been hired. You're needed on the Scare Floor. Is a phone call really so important?"

"This phone call will make me a hero, Setelli. It'll make me bigger than Sullivan and Wazowski. You'd better believe that it's important."

Setelli, who by now was used to her Scarer's arrogant attitude, rolled her eyes. "Alright, just be on the Scare Floor within ten minutes, please." She then hurried back in the direction of Scare Floor F.

Grimelson, rolling his eyes right back at her, began swaggering towards the payphones at the other end of the hall. The number for the CDA was on a sticker that someone had placed next to the numbers on the phone. 

"You've reached the CDA. What is your reason for calling?"

"This is Grady Grimelson, a Scarer at Monsters, Incorporated. We have a human child loose somewhere in the building."

---

"Here we are!" Mike spread his arms out as they entered the door warehouse. Luca's and Alberto's mouths dropped open. 

Doors of every color, make, and model were being hung in rows or flying through the air on conveyor belts. The room itself could have held Portorosso and half of Genoa. The group of four paused for a moment to take it all in. 

"So, Mike," Alberto asked, breaking the silence, "remind me how you get the doors to work again?" 

"Seriously? That's the first thing you learn in school. The doors are powered by the screams of human kids."

"Right, sorry. I just...wanted to make sure that I understood it! I don't always pay attention in school. Right, Luca?"

"Yeah," Luca quickly covered for his friend. "That's why the teacher paired us together for this assignment. I'm much better at paying attention."

Mike seemed satisfied with their answer, and turned back to face the doors. Luca and Alberto visibly relaxed, and didn't realize that Sulley was looking at them with obvious suspicion. 

"Do you think we could--" 

Before Luca could ask his question, the intercom sounded. The CEO's voice was carried all across the factory.

"This is Waternoose. All employees are to cease their activities and report to the lobby immediately. No one is to leave the building until further notice."

Luca turned to Mike and Sulley, who looked worried. "What's wrong?"

"Waternoose is the head of the company." Sulley explained. "He's never done this before."

"Something really bad must be happening," Mike concluded. "Come on, you kids had better stick with us."

Sulley and Mike began running back the way they'd come. Luca shot Alberto a panicked look. The warehouse was their best shot at getting home. They couldn't leave yet! 

He didn't know what he'd expected Alberto to do, but he certainly hadn't expected him to fall on the floor. "Ow!"

Sulley turned around and ran back to Alberto. "Are you okay?"

"No, I tripped on something. I think I hurt my tail!" He gingerly touched it, and grimaced. 

"Um, okay..." Sulley was clearly at a loss for what to do. Luca saw an opportunity and ran to his friend's side.

"He'll be fine in a second. We can find our way back. Go to the lobby before you get in trouble."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" 

"I'll be fine in a couple minutes," Alberto reassured Sulley. "Go."

"Okay." Mike cut in. He didn't like leaving the kids, either, but he'd never liked breaking rules. "You kids stay out of trouble. Come on, Sulley."

The cyclops led his friend back out of the warehouse. A few seconds after they were gone, Alberto sprung to his feet. 

"That'll buy us some time," Alberto said proudly. "Andiamo, we need to find Francesca's door."

"But we still don't know how to turn it on," Luca responded, following his friend onto a catwalk that ran between the door aisles. 

"Yes we do. Remember? Mike said that the doors are powered by human screams. We're part human, at least. So all we have to do is scream and Francesca's door will turn on. Easy!" He jumped onto a hanging door and climbed up the side. Luca hesitated for a moment, then followed him. 

Silenzio, bruno, he thought.