Previous Post The Story so far: - The Prologue: http://mangacool.com/php/show.php?msg=parodyverse-2009042603581066 - Part 1: http://mangacool.com/php/show.php?msg=parodyverse-2009050402234486 - Part 2: http://mangacool.com/php/show.php?msg=parodyverse-2009051103093547 - Interlude, Part 1: http://mangacool.com/php/show.php?msg=parodyverse-2009062705242258 --------------- On the edge of the Grey Desert in a place known to most as Comic Book Limbo there stands a small town, almost a ghost town of forgotten characters, concepts, objects & other things that have been wiped away from the main narrative. In this town there is a bar with no name where everyone might know your name if they can remember it. Sitting in a booth near the back were two people, one was a man about 6 feet tall. His dark brown hair looks not to have combed in awhile, he has dark sky blue eyes and he wears a well-used pair of horned rimmed glasses. He was wearing a multicolored trench coat, their was colors everywhere with multicolored shapes & words scattered about. Under that he was wearing a dark grey t-shirt, a pair of jeans & blue Converse High Tops. He is Chad Swiss & had come to the town some time ago, how long is irrevenant since time has no meaning or relevance there. His boothmate was a woman, wearing navy blue Chuck Taylor All-Star high tops, argyle socks on her feet. Her pants are a well worn & ripped in a few places pair of blue jeans. She wore a greying black Hoodie. Slung over her right shoulder is a olive drag colored messenger bag. On her wrists were a few too many bracelets & a couple of wrist bands. A few of her fingers had some rings on them. Her black nail polish was cracked & chipped in places. She had short sandy blond which was pulled back & into two small ponytails, one on each side of the back of her head. She had somewhat pale skin & was also wearing a pair of black plastic glasses. She is Catherine Gillespie & is a more resent (if time mattered) resident to the town who feels like she doesn't belong there. "So, how does one get out of here?" She asked. "No one really knows for sure. Mostly since once a person would possibly leave they would be forgotten so we'd never notice they weren't here anymore." He could see that his comment had sort of dressed her. "But, there is a theory among a number of us here." She perked up a bit. "Since we are all forgotten here a way to leave would be have someone outside Comic Book Limbo remember you. This is of course unless the reason your here is because used been written over by a new version of yourself. Then, no ones' memories of you wouldn't be connected to you but to that version of you out there." "oh." she said & returned to her previous depressed state. "But, it's ok. The town has everything you'd ever need. I'm almost amazed at what's been forgotten. Plus, if I remember correct which may be wrong but the town is always changing. I think I've seen this bar in at least half a dozen places & with a half dozen decors'." "Thanks, Chad for trying to cheer me up but I don't think it'll work. I still have clear memories of the outside world…" "And you miss it." "Yes. I might be happy here if I knew my Chad was ok." "Ah yes. The version that replaced me." "Yeah." "I sometimes wonder why I was written over & not Ronnie. I sort of thought we were a package deal. I can understand why Little Cat but why did the cosmic powers that felt I needed rewriting. Why only rewrite me & not my best friend?" He said not sounding a bit depressed himself. There was some silence between the two of them, then she said. "Maybe you were under different cosmic powers? Like Ronnie was under one & you under another. Or maybe Ronnie was also rewritten, he just ended up in a different part of Limbo?" "I've thought about that, Comic Book Limbo is a big place. I've often thought about trekking out across the Grey Dessert looking for Ronnie but have felt tied to this place. It's become home over however long I've been here. If left I might forget how to get back. Then I might aimless wonder the desert the rest of time. I know it's doesn't matter here but I'm never seen anyone die here so I'm under the impression that we may be immortal here. But I've also think we could die here just not in the typical sense." "Death by forgetfulness?" "Yes. I sometimes go walking during what we locals call nighttime, there is no Sun in the sky & the darkness come at what seems to be random times. But I'm getting off point, during my walks I see phantoms, ghosts. They spark some memory in the back of my mind & become more… More…" Chad tries to search for the right word or words. "There?" "Yes. They seem to fade in & out of existence. I feel that all of us here in Limbo will eventually end up this way." "Unless we are remembered?" "Yes. But I'm not sure how much that happens." More silence between the two of them. "Has anyone ever gone out into the Dessert?" "I'm not sure. They could but I then they might be forgotten so we don't know they were even here." "Comic Book Limbo: out of sight, out of mind!" she said. They both laughed a bit. "I think you could be happy here. I know I would be. You make me feel good." Chad said as he look longingly at her. She tried to not make eye contact. "Thanks." she said nervously. "I might be ok here. But the real world still calls to me." "That will pass. I does for all of us. I think." "But I just feel like I came here by mistake." "We all do in the beginning. I know I did." "I got to get out of here!" Catherine said as she stood up & rushed out of the bar. --------------- Later on at the edge of town & the edge of the Grey Desert. Catherine stands there & Chad walks up behind her. "It's hard to leave." He said. "You know you want to but can't for whatever reason. So, you end up standing still." "I've got to leave." she said. "No, you don't. Stay here with me." "I… I… I can't." He puts his hand on her shoulder. "Give in." "What?" "Give in. This is pointless. Come spent a life with me." "But I can't. I don't belong here." "Yes, you do." He said some what forcefully. His grip on her shoulder became stronger. "Chad, your starting to hurt me." "It's for your own good. Come with me." He said. His voice deepening. "No. I've got to leave." "NO!" He yells as he finger dig into Catherine's shoulder. Catherine reacts & breaks Chad's grip. She spins around to face him. He was different now. He no longer looked human, he was now some sort of demon. "Wha… Wha.. What are you?" "I am what is commonly referred to as a Hero Feeder." He said with some glee. "But I'm not a Hero." "I know but me & my kind aren't choosey." He said with what Catherine think was a smile. "Now come & join me for dinner." "No." "What? I have you trapped. It's either spent the rest of time wandering the Grey Dessert or become my lunch." There has a moment of tense silence before Catherine said. "Ok. But first tell me two things. 1. Why did you look like Chad & 2. Why were you waiting here for me?" "Ok. I'll grant you this last wish. The form I took, much like everyone else in town, was once someone who came to town. Once we eat them we can take their forms & also have access to their memories. Most of what I said as Chad was how he felt. Also, the reason I was here was to watch for the delivery of fresh meat. They don't come in all that frequently." "So… you killed him, you bastard!" "No. I know who my parents were. But yes he made for quite a tasty meal much like I think you will be." He said with a devilish smile. "As Chad you said you felt that if you ventured out in the dessert you may never make it back here?" Catherine asked with a smirk on her face. "Partly. Many of those I've had have felt like that." "Well, then…" Catherine said, turned around & walked out into the desert. Within a few steps she disappeared. "NOOOOOOOOO!" The hero feeder screamed as he dropped to his knees. --------------- TO BE CONTINUED... Will Catherine get out of the Grey Desert? Will she meet up with Jane? If they do, will they get back to Parrodipolis to continue on with the mystery of what happened to Chad & Ronnie? What's Little Cat been doing during all this? Some of this might be answered in the concluding part of this Interlude!

I'm not sure how many people remember but the Chad portrayed in this story was how Chad use to be. He was the original version I used for Chad in the early "Chad & Ronnie" stories. A handful of stories into writing in the duo I decided to change the character to present day version most people know. There were some changes to Ronnie at that time but they were some minor stuff & that's why Chad was not joined by Ronnie in Comic Book Limbo.

When I originally came up with the idea of having Catherine stranded in Comic Limbo she was going to met up with Chad & then wonder the town meeting various other cast off versions of my characters. I was also thinking about having some forgotten/one-shot characters show up, too. But when I got around to finally writing this I just didn't have enough ideas to write them into the story. I had thought about having Catherine mention that she had wondering around the town seeing these character versions of stories' past but then I'd have to either explain who they are in story or in footnotes which I didn't feel like do either so I just decided to skip that idea all together.

Also, the original idea was to have this part split up into 2 parts: half with Catherine in Comic Book Limbo & half with Jane in the Jungle. I skipped this since I didn't really have much of an idea of what was going on there. I will resolves this plot line in the next part of the story.

Now I wrote this story at 2 different times. The first part (the bar scene) was mostly written all at once. The part where Catherine gets up to leave was written on at the time I wrote the ending. Now that wasn't the ending I had originally thought of using. Not sure what the ending was going to be. I knew I wanted to Catherine leave some how. Not sure why I went the way I did. I guess it was mostly like the way I was writing Chad & something in the back of my mind said that Hero Feeders roamed the CBL so I wrote what I did. It accomplished what I wanted to do: it got Catherine out of the Town.

Now what happens next you'll just have to wait for the concluding part of this Interlude.