Swamp Call

[G-MAN]

Oh man, that was wonderful, I love that song, it's one of my favorites from Chicago

 

[redBoobergurl]

I loved it!!!! That line was simply perfect! It was worth all your planning for it, I hope it was worth your wait! A simply great scene! I can't believe it's up to 25 chapters! Wow! Can't wait to see more!

 

[TogetherAgain]

You know those weird warning labels that you find, like, everywhere? Well, why in the world should this thread be an exception?

WARNING: The following chapter is longer than most chapters. It is longer in order to include all aspects of the chapter as the author imagined them.

WARNING: The chapter after the following chapter is shorter than most chapters. It is shorter because the scene in it is just that awesome.

WARNING: Starting with the last two lines of the following chapter, we start exploring the scenes that I have been imagining since, oh...... um..... the beginning of the school year. Yeah. Definately imagined these scenes on the bus to school when it was light outside, and that hasn't happened since the beginning of school. Therefore, the scenes in the next few chapters will be much more... powerful, heartwrenching, oh-my-gosh-I-need-a-teddy-bear... pick your adjective.

WARNING: Although there is a bin of over twenty teddy bears for you to use in the back of the room, these teddy bears MUST be returned.

WARNING: Although teddy bears are provided, this thread is BYOT- Bring your own tissues.

WARNING: Teddy bears and tissues may not be needed until the chapter after the following chapter.

........ok....... That's enough warnings........ for now, anyway........

 

[theprawncracker]

*shakes uncontrolubly*

Alright, I've got the tissues! Now I'll take this nice pink teddy bear and I'm ready! *shakes out of chair*

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter twenty-six

Juhl’s Pizza Place roared with the laughter and applause of every customer, humans and amphibians alike. Kermit watched their overflowing joy with pride.

“They did a great job, Uncle Kermit!” the little frog in his lap said.

“They sure did, Robin,” Kermit said as he hugged his nephew. “I had a feeling they could.”

“They do great without you, Mit!” Maggie said with a devious twinkle in her eye. “I bet by the time you get back, they’ll be so used to having you gone, there won’t be anything for you to do!”

Kermit scrunched his face up. “Sheesh,” he said, “If that happened, I’d have to spend all my time avoiding Miss Piggy.”

Jerry shook his head as he cleared away some empty plates. “Speaking of Miss Piggy,” he nodded towards the television, “That bacon looked a little steamed.”

“Yeah, well,” Kermit shrugged, “I guess that’s her price to pay for hamming it up so much.”

Jimmy smiled. “She really hogged the spotlight in that first number,” he said.

“And she’ll make a real pig out of herself at dinner!” Maggie laughed.

Kermit shook his head. “And in the mean time, it’ll be pork chops all around.”

Jerry pushed the phone over to him. “Maybe you should try to calm the waters?”

Kermit picked up the phone. “Of their safety’s sake, if nothing else,” said with a smile, and he dialed the number.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

Rowlf snatched at the phone and nodded to Susan and Gordan as they entered the backstage area. “Backstage, Muppet Theater,” he said.

“So how mad is she?” the familiar voice on the phone asked.

Rowlf smiled. “I don’t really know. She hasn’t come off the stage, and I haven’t gone on.”

“I don’t blame you,” the voice laughed.

Rowlf chuckled. “So how are you doing, Kermit?”

“I’m pretty good,” Kermit said. “How’s everything there?”

Rowlf glanced on stage. “Chaotic as ever,” he said. “Want me to put you on speaker phone?”

“That might be a good idea,” Kermit said.

Rowlf pushed a button. “Kermit’s on the phone!” he called onto the stage.

Susan and Gordan came over by the desk. “Hi Kermit!” Susan said.

“Hey! Kermit!” Gordan said.

“Susan, Gordan, is that you?” Kermit asked. “How are you guys? How’s Sesame Street? It’s been a while!”

“We’re fine and Sesame Street’s fine,” Susan said. “We just came with Grover and we’re going to take him home.”

“HEYYYYY FROGGIE BABYYYY!” Grover shouted as he ran off stage.

“Speaking of Grover,” Gordan said.

“Hi Grover!” Kermit said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there, but you did a great job on the show tonight!”

“Thank you! Grover said. “It was a lot of fun.”

“Oh good,” Kermit said. “I’m glad you enjoyed.”

“Except for the part when that other monster wanted to eat me,” Grover said.

“Yeah, uh...”

“He was not a very nice monster,” Grover said.

“No, he wasn’t,” Kermit said. “I’m sorry about that, it wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Oh it is alright,” Grover said.

“Well Grover we’d better get you back to Sesame Street so you can go to bed,” Susan said.

“Oh, yes, my mommy will be worried if I am not home,” Grover said.

“Okay then, goodnight guys!” Kermit said.

“Goodnight, Kermit!” Gordan said.

“Bye Kermit, I hope your mom gets better!” Susan said.

“Bye Froggie Baby!” Grover said.

But by then, almost everyone had crowded around Kermit’s desk, and it took quite a bit of work for them to get out.

“The show was really terrific, guys,” Kermit said. “Everyone here really loved it.”

“Are you sure? They really loved it, Kermit?” Fozzie asked. “It wasn’t just your family being polite?”

“Well it’s not just my family, there’s a whole bunch of people here,” Kermit said. “And I don’t see a single unhappy face in here. Oh- uh, except for that lady over there, she just spilled her coffee.”

Miss Piggy slowly walked off the stage, picking splinters out of her gloves, still furious. “Kermie!” she said angrily.

“Hi Piggy,” Kermit said calmly. “Are you okay?”

“Kermie, vous have no idea how embarrassed moi am!” she said. “Dangling there like some- some sort of- puppet and falling down, and crashing through the stage in front of millions of people, it was humiliating!”

Kermit hesitated. “Well,” he said, “...It was a very GRACEFUL crash...”

“Kermit, clearly some people here just do not know what they are doing,” she said.

“Piggy, I’m sure it was just an honest mistake,” Kermit said. “Where’s Clifford, by the way? Is he okay?”

“WHY DO YOU CARE IF HE’S OKAY?” Miss Piggy shouted.

“Well he fell, too,” Kermit said. “How is he?”

“He’s still on the stage,” Scooter said. “I think he’s asleep.”

“Asleep?” Kermit said. “After that fall, you think he’s asleep?” There was an awkward silence. “Could someone go check on him?”

“Right away, Chief,” Scooter said as he hurried onto the stage.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

“Kermie?” Miss Piggy said. “Moi have never been so humiliated in my life.”

“Well, I’m sorry to hear that, Piggy,” Kermit said, “But as I was just saying, everyone here really loved the show, right guys?” He motioned for his family to agree, and they did so loudly. “Yeah, especially the opening number.” He motioned for his family to get louder, and a few of the human customers agreed as well. He gave them a thumbs up.

“Really, Kermie?” Miss Piggy asked, clearly pleased.

“Really, Piggy. Would I lie to you?” He felt a tap on his shoulder. “Oh, uh, hang on a second, guys.” He turned around to see his mother standing there. “Yeah Mom?”

She smiled and motioned to the phone. “You can tell them that I really liked tonight’s show,” she said.

“Oh good,” Kermit said, “I’m glad.”

“Wilson is here now, and we’re going back to the swamp,” she said in her forever-gentle voice. “Are you going to talk for a while longer?”

He nodded. “Probably. I can walk home, though.”

“Alright. Not too late, now, Kermit. You know tomorrow is a big day.”

“I know, Mom. I won’t be too long.”

“Good,” she said. “Good night, Kermit.”

“Night Mom!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

Clifford followed Scooter off the stage in time to vaguely hear Kermit saying goodnight to his mother over the phone.

“Okay, I’m back,” Kermit said.

“Clifford’s here now,” Scooter said.

“Oh,” Kermit said, “Are you alright, Clifford?”

“Yeah, I’m alright, Kerm,” Clifford said.

“Oh good,” Kermit said.

“Did you like the show?” Clifford asked.

“Yeah, the show was really great,” Kermit said. He hesitated. “So uh, whose idea was it for the lights in the opening number?”

“That was Clifford’s idea,” Rowlf said.

Clifford chuckled. “We gotcha on that, didn’t we Kerm?”

“Yeah, you did,” Kermit said.

Clifford turned to Scooter. “Aw, see, I told you!”

They laughed.

“Oh,” Kermit said, “And my mom wants me to tell you guys that she really liked the show.”

“Oh how is she?” Fozzie asked.

“Oh she’s alright,” Kermit said.

“Isn’t the operation tomorrow?” Gonzo asked.

Kermit hesitated. “Yeah,” he said, “Tomorrow is the, uh... it’s the big day.”

“She must be pretty nervous by now,” Rowlf said.

“No, actually, she seems okay,” Kermit said. “I don’t know how she does it, but she’s really strong. She isn’t... She’s not worried... at all.”

“Well they think the operation will work, right?” Scooter asked.

“Well, they... they’re not really sure,” Kermit said quietly. “I guess... I guess we’ll just have to... wait and see.” He was quiet for a moment. “She’s not worried, though,” he said. “She’s okay.”

Fozzie stepped a little closer to the phone. “Kermit?” he said. “Are you okay?”

Kermit hesitated for along moment. Then he sighed a heavy sigh. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I’m okay.”

They were quiet, trying without success to believe their friend.

“Well, I..” his voice wavered. “I... should probably... head back to the swamp.”

“Okay,” Fozzie said. “Call us soon though.”

“I will.”

“Goodnight, Kermie,” Miss Piggy called gently. A chorus of goodnight’s followed her.

“Yeah... goodnight...” There was a tiny pause, and they heard him reluctantly hang up. Still they kept their eyes on the phone, their thoughts with their friend, their hearts on the ground. It was Fozzie who shattered the silence with speech.

“Why aren’t we there with him?”

No one answered.

 

[theprawncracker]

“Why aren’t we there with him?”

No one answered.

Good lord...Good lord Lisa...That line...Oh dear...wow...that's...that's just...oh wow...Lisa...I...I...wow...

Amazing. Purely amazing. But Lisa, I must know more, and I must know why I need this teddy bear (that I am being very careful with ). Post more when you can Lisa.

Wow Lisa...wow...

 

[TogetherAgain]

Hm. You, ah... you must know more, you say?

<thinks>

That's... that's rather... curious...

Because you see...

...Well...

...You'll see.

 

[TogetherAgain]

Chapter twenty-seven

Kermit kept his hand on the phone for a moment, then stood up to leave the nearly vacated restaurant.

“You want me to call Wilson?” Jerry called after him. “He could give you a ride back.”

Kermit slowly turned to face him. “No,” he said, “I think I’ll walk.”

Jerry shrugged. “Okay, suit yourself,” he said. He started to wipe the counter off, saw something, and stopped. “Hey Kermit.” He tossed something to the frog. “Have a muffin for the road.”

Kermit caught the muffin and smiled. “Thanks, Jerry,” he said. Then he turned and walked out into the dark, starry night.

He let his flippers guide him through the streets of Leland and munched on the muffin as he mulled over the conversation. He just couldn’t understand it. His friends sounded worried. His family members were worried. He was worried. But his mother was the one with cancer, who was going into surgery, and she didn’t seem to mind at all. He just couldn’t understand it.

He walked slowly and finished the muffin before he left the town. At first he kept his eyes mostly to his feet, then to the ground just in front of him, a few feet in front of him, several yards in front of him, just short of the horizon, and then to the horizon itself. By the time he reached the marsh grasses, he was looking almost straight up at the sky. He stopped and scanned the darkness above him.

A bright, glimmering flash of light flung through the heavens, seeming to brighten the other stars as it passed, leaving a wake of stronger lights across the sky as it disappeared beyond the horizon.

Kermit smiled, just for a moment. He nodded to the shooting star, and slipped through the marsh grasses into the swamp.

He made his way to his favorite log and sat down in the grass in front of it, surprised to see that someone else was already there, waiting for him. He smiled at his companion. “Hi Mom,” he said.

“Hi Kermit,” the elderly lady frog smiled.

“I’m kind of surprised you’re still awake,” Kermit said. “I sort of thought you’d want a good night’s sleep before tomorrow. I mean, you said yourself, it’s a big day.”

“It’s a big day for you,” she said in her forever-gentle voice. “I’ll be sleeping for most of it.”

He shrugged. “I guess I didn’t think of it that way,” he said. “But aren’t you tired?”

“A little,” she said vaguely. “But I thought you might want some company when you got back.”

He nodded. “Well,” he said, “I certainly don’t mind it.”

Their eyes drifted to the water, where they could see a few tadpoles still darting around.

“So much energy,” she sighed. “If all goes well tomorrow, I’ll enjoy watching them grow.”

Kermit looked at his mother. “Mom?” he said. “Aren’t you scared or worried at all?”

She looked at him. “Well,” she said thoughtfully, “Yes, I suppose I’m afraid. But I’m not worried about it. The doctor knows what’s best. This is my best chance. If it works, I’ll live a little longer. If it doesn’t work, or if something goes wrong, well I’ve already had a good life.” She put a hand on her son’s shoulder. “I love my family, my family loves me, and I’m happy. What more can I ask for?”

He stared at her, bewildered. “You mean... you’re okay with dying?”

“Well, I don’t want to die,” she said in her forever-gentle voice. “But what happens, happens.”

Kermit shook his head. “I don’t know how you’re so strong,” he said.

She tilted her head to the side. “Kermit?” she said. “Did you forget the lullabye I used to sing to you?” She hugged him and cuddled him close to her chest as though he were an infant.

He snuggled into her arms. “No, I... I remember,” he mumbled.

She swayed him gently, back and forth, and sang a song he knew so well, but hadn’t heard in years.

“Let the world turn
There will still be tomorrow
And when the dawn comes
Your sun will shine.
Take a deep breath
You can feel more than sorrow
And you know that I know
You will be fine.

Rest your head
And your mind
When morning comes,
Who knows what you’ll find.
You’ll see more
With rested eyes.
The light of the dawn
Will show you the prize.

Sing a new song.
Let the melody soothe you.
Feel how your heartbeat
Flows with the words.
As it sways you to sleep,
Let your troubles all lose you
Chased by the memories
Of songs you have heard.

Rest your head
And your mind
When morning comes
Who knows what you’ll find.
You’ll see more
With rested eyes.
The light of the dawn
Will show you the prize.”

She smiled down at her son, pleased to see that the song could still put him right to sleep. She gently laid him down in the grass and kissed his head. “Good night, Kermit,” she whispered. “Sleep well.” Then she slipped away into the night.

 

[theprawncracker]

*chokes* The...star...

*deep breaths* His mom...she's amazing...just amazing...the song...the star...the muffin! It's all amazing Lisa! You are a saint among us for posting 2 chapters tonight. I hug you for them. I hug you for them 10 fold! <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<HUGx10>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[G-MAN]

Oh man, the star and the muffin were both the perfect touch, but now I'm really worried about the "Teddy Bear Chapter"