The Sketch Survivors: The Secret of Lint Corp

They'll All Learn

"Wake up! Wake up!" the first sight Soal woke up in the morning to blink to was Gordon Gulley's snarling face. He winced slightly as the man, still in the frock coat, stood up taller and gave Soal some breathing room.

"What are you doi... oh," Soal scratched his hair and yawned. "I remember. What time is it?"

"Four-thirty," Gulley growled. "You're late."

"This late?!" Soal scrambled out of his comfy bed and towards the dresser.

"You were dozing away, and I figured you could use a few more minutes. But then you just wouldn't wake up. I was afraid your Dream-Walking powers had carried over to the earth and you just died in your sleep. I may be the Messenger and Director of Sketches, but Strallatropharh is the real one to talk to about such things. I'll give you some privacy for two minutes while you dress. When you're ready, meet me in the corridor outside." Gulley shut the door behind him and hummed after prancing away.

Soal dressed quickly. He dug through the clothes in the dresser, until he found just what he wanted. His red turtleneck sweater, now polished. Perfect. He put that and a new pair of pants on, slung his lightweight pack over his shoulder, and leaped out of the door, ready for action.

"Follow me," Gulley beckoned Soal closer, and soon enough they were speeding down the gray hallways in a zigzagging pattern.

After passing by some glass windows of other large chambers, and some ramps and passes with a view of the dreary coastline; they were finally there- a steamy room with dim lighting and a roofless pod on tracks in the center. The pod wasn't moving, and it could only fit two people. But Soal knew this was the place.

Gulley halted abruptly and raised his palms. Soal almost collided with him, but stopped just in time. "We're here," Gulley said without turning his back.

"I know I could trust you back in Trook, Gulley, Olivier, Gage... whatever. But I somehow can't trust you anymore. Nobody does."

"They'll all learn," Gulley finally turned with a scrunched look on his eyebrows and cheeks. "Follow me. Watch your step when you board the Bridge Pod... the tracks are spiky."

Soal stepped over a foot of sharp spines to enter the Bridge Pod. It seated two, which he had noticed before, and there was no roof of an kind. There was a large metal gate with Articulus's face on it blocking the rest of the tracks. Soal shuddered as memories of Articulus came back to him.

Soal sat down in a rubbery seat. The wooden boards were uncomfortable on his feet as soon as Gulley pressed down the Pod with his weight.

"Emases nepo," Gulley whispered to the Pod, and tapped his shoes three times. Soal was confused at first, but he curiously found out what it meant as the Articulus gates opened and the Pod began to speed down the tracks. The long tunnel ahead was dark and hazy, with red light bulbs occasionally creating small circles of light.

"That's open sesame backwards," Soal smiled smartly.

"Indeed. Clever boy," Gulley patted Soal's shoulder, and a burst of embarrassment filled Soal. This is going to be a long day, he thought, rolling his eyes.