Misery Update

We apologize for the delay on the next installment of Misery Loves Company.  Once we convince Mr. Love to find the next chapter and submit , we will get it posted.

Again, we apologize for the delay.

The Editors.

Misery Loves Company Installment #8

Chapter 5 (Continued)

Slowly I opened my eyes. I fully expected to see nothing but white lights and angels standing around me. But instead I was lying on my back in the middle of what used to be well trimmed hedges. My arms and legs were pinned to the ground by hundreds of twigs and branches that had grabbed me when I came crashing through the hedge. A black tractor wheel lay spinning beside me. The chain was sprawled out over my chest. In fact, my tractor was all around me in about a million pieces.

A voice broke the silent air. "Hey, little boy," the voice said. "Are you all right?"

It was a soft, gentle voice. It sounded concerned. It definitely belonged to a girl. I was positive it belonged to the person I just about ran over. The bushes started to rustle and twigs snapped as I heard footsteps come closer. "Where are you?"

I wanted to yell for help, but nothing would come out. I looked towards where the sounds were coming from, but the person was still on the other side of the hedge. "Where are you?" the voice asked again.

I struggled to take a breath and squeaked out a groan. The sounds got closer and the crackling of the leaves and snapping of twigs got louder. Then I saw two hands reach through the bush and pull them apart. I finally saw my rescuer.

"There you are!" she said as our eyes met. "Don't worry. I will get you out."

My eyes were still a bit blurred from the crash, but as she began removing the twigs and branches that trapped me, the girl began to look more and more familiar. She started talking some more to me as she cleared the debris away. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Misery." I answered quietly, still trying to catch my breath. "Misery Love."

My rescuer laughed. "What kind of name is that?"

I was all put out now because she was laughing at my name. It wasn't bad enough that I had just crashed and burned in front of her, but now she thought my name was funny.

"It's my name!" I replied seriously, defending myself. "My parents gave it to me and it's mine!" After a short pause I finally asked her what her name was.

She looked at me as seriously as I answered her and said very matter of factly, "Annette. My name is Annette."

At that moment I knew I had died and gone to heaven. That was why she looked so familiar. I looked back at her and just stared. Then I got very excited. All my aches and pains suddenly disappeared and I forgot about my cuts and scrapes. This really was my lucky day! Who would've ever thought. It really was Annette! And I met her right here on my own block! And I even had my Mickey Mouse ears on when I met her. And by some miracle, they were still on my head. A little bit worse for wear, but they were still there! Then all of a sudden I felt embarrassed. What a terrible way to meet the girl of your dreams. I managed to squeeze out a sheepish little grin.

Annette pulled me out of the bushes and felt around my arms and legs to see if anything was broken. It ticked and I started to laugh. I couldn't believe that I was standing there getting tickled by Annette. I was still having a hard time believing that she was even there. Then she asked me how old I was.

"Five." I answered. Then I looked at her and felt guilty because I wasn't really five. "Well, almost five." I confessed. I'll be five next month."

Annette looked at me in total astonishment. "Wow! You're getting to be a big boy then, aren't you!"

"Yea." I blushed. I kicked a rock off the sidewalk. "That's what my mother says."

Then Annette took a tissue from her purse and started to sop up the blood that was running from my cuts and scrapes. "Well, you must be a big boy because you didn't even cry."

When she said that it made me feel all grown up inside. Right after I crashed I wanted to cry because it hurt so much, but I couldn't because I couldn't catch my breath. Now I was glad I didn't cry. There was no way I wanted to cry in front of her.

The excitement of having Annette there finally got to be too much. I couldn't hod back any longer. "I watch you every day on TV!" I blurted out proudly as I threw my arms around her. I grabbed her around the neck and pulled her to me as she managed to squeak out a gagging response.

Annette took me by the arms and pulled me off of her and looked back at me looking puzzled. "You watch me on TV?"

"I sure do!" I answered! "Everyday on the Mickey Mouse Club!"

Annette paused for a while and then a big grin slowly formed at the corners of her mouth. "Why yes." She said. "That's right. Of course you watch me everyday on the Mickey Mouse Club. I am Annette, and I am on the Mickey Mouse Club." Then she looked at me and asked, "And do you like me?" She winked.

"I love you!" I screamed as I threw myself around her again. Then I had to ask. "Do you really know Mickey Mouse, and Googy, and all those guys?"

Annette looked at me and assured me that she knew each and every one of them. I was in awe. Then I turned and looked at what was left of my tractor in the bushes. "I'm afraid there's not much left of it." Annette consoled me putting her hand on my shoulder. I pulled her tigher around me and looked up and said,"That's OK. It was worth it!"

I started to pull the remains out of the bushes when something dawned on me and I just couldn't figure it out. I stopped what I was doing and turned around to Annette and asked her what she was doing here. "Don't you live at Disneyland?" I asked.

She stood for a moment and finally said, "Of course I do. But I'm on vacation right now." That seemed to satisfy my five year old brain even though I had no idea why you would take a vacation away from Disneyland. I went back to gathering up my tractor.

Annette helped me carry the remains of my tractor to my driveway where I dropped it on the spot and gave Annette another great big hug. When she pushed me away and told me good-bye, I ran into the house as fast as I could. I couldn't wait to tell my mother that I had actually ran into Annette! It was so fantastic that there was no way she was going to believe it. Just as I reached the door, Annette called back to me. "Hey Misery? How would you like to come watch the show with me tomorrow?"

This was just unbelievable. Too good to be true! Annette was inviting me to come watch the show with her! I got even more excited and started to dance around in an uncontrolled frenzy! This meant going to Disneyland and meeting the other Mousketeers. This meant meeting Mickey Mouse! I ran back and gave Annette another great big hug. "Do you really mean it?" I asked not believing my what my ears had just heard.

"Of course." She said. "It's my favorite show, too. Just come on over tomorrow and we will watch it together."

I looked straight up at her and told her I couldn't wait. I turned and ran straight back into the house. I had so much to do to get ready. I shouted goodbye to her and ran in banging all the doors on the way in. I had a lot to do to get ready. Disneyland was a long ways away and I had to get packed and everything. And I just had to tell my mother. I was sure the next day was going to be the biggest and best day of my life! It couldn't get any better. Could it?