Molly and the Machine by Erik Jon Slangerup

Author:Erik Jon Slangerup
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2022-06-07T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23 INDIGESTION

“Urrrrrrrp.”

The burps were coming at regular intervals. Wally lay on his back, spread-eagled in the middle of the room. He was experiencing that perfect combination of satisfaction and misery that comes with inhaling a triple-decker hot fudge sundae. He moaned a little, and the burps continued. Maybe he shouldn’t have eaten it quite so fast? But he really couldn’t help himself. He had been so hungry, and it had tasted so good.

Uh-oh, here comes another one, he thought. It rumbled up from deep down in his gut, gaining momentum as it moved up his throat to his mouth. Finally, it arrived.

“Urrrrrrrrp.”

Still, he had to admit, even the burps tasted pretty good. And it felt nice to enjoy himself without having his big sister yell at him for every little thing. He licked a little hot fudge sauce from the corner of his lips, found a single stray candy sprinkle, and crunched it.

“Mmm,” he said. He was starting to think that if this was his new life, being the prisoner of a giant robot who served him hot fudge sundaes, it wasn’t too bad.

“I’m glad you liked it,” said a voice.

Wally looked around. “Who said that?” he asked nervously.

“I did,” said the voice. But Wally couldn’t tell exactly where the voice was coming from. It seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. He sat up and looked around. Ooof, his poor tummy. He groaned again.

“Easy now,” said the voice. “You ate that pretty fast.”

“Well, yeah, I kinda did,” said Wally, his cheeks growing a bit red. “Wait, have you been watching me? Is this your robot? Uh, why did it swallow me?”

A large television screen directly in front of Wally flickered to life, revealing the darkened silhouette of what appeared to be someone’s head and shoulders. Slowly and silently, the head tilted to one side, then the other, as if sizing Wally up.

“Who are you?” Wally asked the television.

“You first,” said the silhouette.

“Me? My name’s Wally.”

“How old are you?”

“Eight and a half.”

The questions went on and on at a rapid-fire pace. Wally did his best to answer them all between burps.

“Where were you born?”

“Right here. In Hocking Hills, Ohio.”

“Favorite baseball team?”

“Um… the Reds?”

“Favorite Saturday morning cartoon?”

“Um… Thundarr the Barbarian.”

“Second favorite?”

“Jabberjaw.”

With every answer, Wally’s confidence grew. He didn’t care much for the tests in school, or being interrogated at home by Molly, but this seemed different. Finding his rhythm, his answers came faster and louder:

“Favorite breakfast cereal?”

“Cookie Crisp!”

“Favorite arcade game?”

“Donkey Kong!”

“What if it’s out of order?”

“Hmm. Frogger.”

“Favorite condiment on a hot dog?”

“Yellow mustard!”

“Least favorite condiment on a hot dog?”

“Brown mustard!”

“Bard, wizard, or ranger?”

“Not a wizard…. Ranger.”

“Legos or Lincoln Logs?”

“Definitely Legos.”

“Best board game?”

“Battleship.”

“He who smelt it…?”

“Dealt it.”

Wally giggled a little at his last answer. He got the sense that whatever this test was, he was passing… maybe even getting an A. He couldn’t know for sure, but the voice behind the shadowy figure on screen seemed pleased with his answers. Another burp worked its way up his throat, and when it came out, it was the loudest one yet.

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