B-Gone, Intruders!

Chapter 15: Boiling with Emotion

Chapter 15: Boiling with Emotion

"Nooooo! Why?! Why?!" the appliances cried through anger, shock, and tears.

"Guys! What happened?!" Ellie exclaimed. "How did Phil get here?!"

The other appliances were too busy panicking to respond.

Ellie suddenly spots a note next to the cables. It was from her dad. She did not want the others to see it and quietly slipped into the boiler room.

Ellie closed the door behind her and started to read the note to herself.

"Dear Ellie, I have some sad news. The old Parts Shop is being torn down due to the heavily damaged circuits. When Roger called me earlier, he told me the shop's power box was beyond repair and would be unsafe for you to work there. I know this is just as hard for you as it is for me. It will be very sad to see her go."

Ellie had to take a break. She was crying too hard to continue reading. Although the bad memories were finally put to rest, so was Phil, which was the worst of the whole outcome. If the appliances lived with her, it wouldn't be the same without him.

As Ellie managed to read the rest of the note, she was unaware someone was listening behind her.

"I do have some good news. As you can see, my old hanging lamp and its extension cords are in perfect condition! When I went to the shop for the last time, I saw it sitting on a pillow. To my amazement, the lamp is alive! It wasn't angry with me anymore. In fact, it said it was happy to see me again! I was shocked I was speaking to a ceiling lamp at first, but it wasn't as strange as I imagined. I felt like I was talking to an old friend."

"I guess you might have made pretty good friends with it and its buddies. I'm guessing they are alive too, but let's keep this a secret. The lamp told me that it wanted to be with you. I asked Roger if he could help install it inyour basement, if it's okay with you. Of course, I'm no help at all with my bad eyesight, so Roger wanted to know if you could help install the lamp and its extension cord. You've always been great with repairs like your mom. If she was still here, I bet she would be proud of you. I'm at the store with Quad Jr. picking up more Flab-A-Way. Love, Daddy."

Ellie was laughing through her tears. The others will be so happy to hear Phil will be installed and live with them in the basement.

"I need to tell the others this!" Ellie said.

But when Ellie tried to open the boiler room door, it was locked. She attempted to call to the others outside, but the power mysteriously went out, trapping Ellie in the dark. The only light in the room was coming from the furnace in the back, which emitted an ominous red glow.

Ellie, terrified, shouted and banged on the door again.

"Guys! Help! Get me out of here!"

There was suddenly the sound of shuffling in the boiler room from somewhere. Ellie tried to look around in the darkness to see what, or who, was in there with her, but she didn't see anyone. It didn't even sound like footsteps...

That's when someone squeaked and poked Ellie's foot.

She looked down and spotted something small in front of her...

Which looked a like it had a knife!

Ellie immediately stood her ground. After meeting the Phil and the other appliances, she wasn't going to let anyone take away her own functions.

If the appliances can defend themselves from intruders, so can she!

Ellie quickly knocked the object out of the intruder's grip and pounced on the tiny nuisance. She caught it instantly, which squealed loudly in a child like voice.

"Help!" the voice wailed.

Ellie, while restraining the intruder in her arms, felt along the walls until she found the light switch to the boiler room.

When the lights went back on, Ellie noticed her father's screwdriver on the floor and Blenny crying in her arms.

"Don't hurt me..." Blenny sobbed. "I'll be good..."

Ellie was about to blast the little blender when something occurred to her. Blenny was only a youngster. He didn't have his experience like he did before, and clearly didn't know a screwdriver is not a knife! Then again, Blenny could scare away other intruders with this act like his friends did at the Parts Shop, but maybe a 'Norman Bates' act would be pushing it for a baby...

"Blenny," Ellie said quietly. "I promise I won't hurt you. I know you're still upset about what happened thirty years ago, but I will never do that to you. I'm sorry you lost your old motor, but you're here now because I gave you a new one. What went on at the Parts Shop will never happen again to you or anyone. You don't have to like me, but I will always be on your side and love you as my baby blender."

Blenny stopped crying and looked up at Ellie curiously. He didn't say anything, but hearing Ellie say this immediately won his trust.

"Miss Ellie? Are ya ready ta help me with the lamp? Hullo?"

There was the sound of footsteps coming down the wooden stairs. It was Roger.

"Just a second!" Ellie called out while unlocking the boiler room door. "I want you to stay in here, Blenny. I promise I will be right back after I help install Phil."

Ellie carefully placed Blenny on the floor and left the boiler room door a jar. Blenny peeped his face out at Ellie, waiting for his mom to come back.

Roger was already getting started with preparing Phil's wires. The other appliances were inanimately sitting on the shelves, facing Roger's direction. Ellie slowly walked over to Roger, holding back her tears the best she could. She never cried before when fixing things, but the thought that this was Phil tugged at her heart a little.

If she messed up, she could never forgive herself.

"Ah! There ya are!" Roger said. "We're almost ready. I just need one more thing."

Roger walked over to Vinyl and plugged him in an outlet. Potter, who was weeping quietly behind the counter, started to hear the instrumental version of the song 'My Way.' He had always been a big fan of Frank Sinatra and started singing from his hiding spot.

"I haven't heard this version before." Roger said as he pulled out the wire cutters and screwdriver. "I wonder who's singing this one?"

"I think I've heard him somewhere," Ellie giggled. She knew this was Potter singing. "But I can't remember his name. He does have a lovely voice."

"Welp, let's get started lass."

Ellie, fighting back tears, started to help Roger with Phil. Occasionally, she would start crying, telling Roger it was only the music, and other times she would start laughing.

"If I don't laugh, I will only feel worse." Ellie thought, thinking of what Phil said back at the Parts Shop. For a lamp, he had a very rational way of dealing with life's ups and downs.

Ellie and Roger just finished installing Phil and his cables. The project was a success! As Roger said farewell, Ellie gave Phil a new bulb while Potter sang the final verse of the song:

"For what is a lamp?"

"Or coffee pot?"

"If not himself, than he has naught,"

"To say the things, he truly feels,"

"And not the words, of one who kneels!"

"The record shows, I took the blows..."

"And did it, my way!"

Ellie turned as the other appliances cheered for her. She had the biggest smile on her face and sang the last line.

"Yes, it was my way..."