Chapter 16 : The Door At The End Of The Hallway
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[Author's Note:] This chapter is dedicated to silverkey and edywison - their birthdays both fall on the 19th of May. Of course, being the leech that I am, I am just packaging together something to send to them. Honest I am! Will inform both of you when I actually MAIL it though. Anyway, a new chapter, and HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to the two "IDENTITIES". ^_^ [/END NOTE]
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The drive to Melaka was smooth sailing, although Choong Leeng felt that her entire head was matted with sweat, thanks to the weird orange wig. Ben had never felt more free and happy in his entire life. He would be spending his holidays with his girlfriend, who wouldn't be happy? His only fear was that Joycelyn was a poor soul who lived in a one-storey house (or apartment), but instead, Joanne's house was fit for a prince! It was a huge mansion, with immense gardens. The gardens were also a sight to behold - an orgy of colours.
In the house, Joanne showed them to their rooms. Ben thought that he would be sharing a room with Seamus (Choong Leeng), but each of them were given their own guest rooms. The guest rooms were decadently decorated, with drapings over four post beds with silk throw pillows and luxurious rugs. Seamus's room was further down the hallway, while Benjamin's room was situated near Joanne's parents and Joanne's own room. With a cheery "Hope you like it here!", she left the guys (well, guy and girl) to unpack.
"Can you believe this? Gawd, Joanne really is generous! I bet Seamus will regret this. Quick, take some pictures of me in this bathrobe!!" Benedict wrapped a thick Burberry's bathrobe over his clothes and posed seductively for Choong Leeng.
"Quit kidding around!" she chided, but she couldn't resist taking a picture anyway. "I wonder how Joanne's parents can afford all this."
"Well, she'll be introducing her parents to us over dinner. You can ask Uncle Ling and Aunty Ling when you see them."
The two of them unpacked, with Benedict pleading with Choong Leeng to wear boxers for the entire duration of their trip, instead of her underwear. "What if Joanne looks at the laundry?" he argued.
But aside from that, everything went as planned. They went out with Joanne to have lunch at a restaurant famous for their baba and nyonya food. Joanne even paid for the lunch, as she flirted lightly with Benedict and Seamus. It was all in good fun. No harm. Clara met up with them after their lunch, and they drove around Melaka, visiting the tourist hotspots, like the A Formosa and the Perigi Hang Tuah. They bought souveniers. They got their portraits done by an old man, who was more used to drawing caricatures of gwailos.
What surprised Benedict more than the fact that he was enjoying himself immensely was the fact that Clara and Joanne were being more than civil with each other. It must've been the Malaccan air or something, but they were joking, laughing, talking about mutual friends that they knew in Melaka (they kept going, "OMG, you know him too? Man, this town is small!"). At one point, Benedict could have sworn that the two girls even linked arms when they were walking. Well, he didn't mind. The holiday would even go more smoothly if the two girls got along this well. As he sipped on his fresh coconut juice, he wondered how Seamus and gang were getting along back in Moonway College...
* * * * *
Eurene Tonk and Igene Chee were sitting around with Loo Thingy and Seamus Lim, discussing the entire magazine launch, that was slowly falling apart. They managed to arrange cafeteria food, at an exorbitant price. No famous acts were willing to show up to perform for free, so the next best thing was to get the cables and sound system from the college multimedia department. Seamus, Eurene and Igene had thought up of a new idea, which was to get established companies to sponsor discount coupons to give out to the students. However, that idea fell flat.
"Piece-A-Hut was the rudest to us. They promised us that they would give us the discount coupons, but when we went to their head office, they denied any knowledge of the agreement. Luckily I was there, or Seamus would've punched the marketing manager's lights out," declared Igene proudly. Seamus looked confused... he thought that it was Igene who had called the marketing manager "a sack of shit" and it took both Eurene and him to restrain her.
Loo Thingy sighed after the reports on the magazine launch were finished. "Well, screw the discount coupons. What's most important is the magazine, and the publisher called to tell us that the magazine can indeed be launched on the given date. Thank God, after all the delays. All we need now is a great big cake for the ceremony. Is the cafeteria supplying us with the cake?"
"Course not," answered Igene, Eurene and Seamus at the same time.
"Well, how are we gonna get the cake? Let's just get it from Berry's... it's cheap and it's nearby."
"I say that since the launch is crap all ways - no offense, Seamus - then we must make sure the cake is the main attraction. You know the cake the Association of Internation Students had during the cultural night? Well, the icing is CLEAR, and all the teachers were raving about it. Let's get that cake."
"ALRIGHT! WHERE?" said Eurene, getting ready to dash to his car.
"I don't know where. Let's drive around and ask bakeries around Moonway," said Igene simply.
And so they began the search for the cake. Seamus was worried --- how long was this going to take? His sisters were arriving from Penang, and he wanted to pick them up from the train station. He would have to sneak them into Choong Leeng's hostel unit (Choong Leeng agreed to let Seamantha and Seamndra stay while she was in Malacca). Lumpy had been increasingly irritating, calling every other hour to demand to know whether the girls had already arrived. At the moment, Wison The Bison had gotten him a "How To Be Seductive" book for Lumpy to read. Of course, how Wison got the book was anyone's guess...
Seamus checked his reflection in the mirror and ran a comb through his hair before he got into the car with Eurene and Igene. Well, however bad his day was in Moonway, it sure would be better than Benedict having to withstand ol' Pastry Face. He grinned and shook his head when he imagined how much Benedict would be ranting once he got back from Malacca.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, Benedict, Choong Leeng and Joanne were having dinner with her parents at home. The food was rich and the platters that were being served before them seemed to be neverending. Mr and Mrs Ling were very pleased to meet Benedict and Choong Leeng, and made them feel very welcome. Mr Ling was a huge and burly guy with a beard and immense muscles. When Benedict asked him what he worked as, Mr Ling laughed loudly for a long time before replying, "I'm in the importing and exporting trade, boy! You get what I mean? *winkwink* And I make sure that my importing and exporting trade goes well without a hitch, you know what I mean, boy? *winkwink* I have a lot of followers... you know... those who call me 'Big Brother'... you know what I mean boy? *winkwink* I normally don't tell just anyone what I do, but since you're Joanne's.. (he holds up his pinky finger)... it's ok right!!!" He guffawed loudly.
Benedict wondered what the pinky finger meant.
Nevertheless, it had been a long and tiring day. He had no idea why Joanne could still be so hyper and chirpy despite driving for 2 hours and bringing them all around Malacca. AND eating such huge meals. Huge meals always made him feel sleepy. Like a bear going into hibernation, he slipped under the covers and was soon fast asleep.
That night, he dreamt a vivid dream.
He was walking down a long hallway, and he could see a doorway. Behind the doorway had to be bright light, because he could see the doorway framed by vibrant white light. He walked slowly and stiffly towards the door. And he opened the door.
It was locked.
He tried it again, and put his shoulder to the door. It still wouldn't budge. For some reason, he kept fighting with the door, and he didn't know why he wanted to go through, but he kept on trying. In the end, he walked back down the hallway, and started running towards the door. He slammed against the door, felt it gave way and the bright light flooded the room.
Then he was falling.
He looked down and found that the door did not lead to another room, but led straight out of a castle, and he was falling into an azure ocean beneath him. He didn't remember the loud splash, but he remembered the desperate feeling of drowning. He couldn't breathe! He tried to break the surface and fill his lungs with oxygen, but he couldn't. All around him, he felt the water enveloping him.... the restriction... lack of breath....
WAIT, wasn't this a dream? It became lucid to him now... it was a dream... wake up! Wake up, he told himself. Barely able to open his eyelids, he tried to open his mouth and breathe...
And he couldn't.
A heavy weight sat on his chest, and someone's face was on his... someone's mouth was pressing against his. Someone's long hair was around his face...
Even in his stupor, he remembered reading about succubuses, or sleep demons, who seduce one in their sleep while sitting on them. It had to be a succubus sitting on him right now! He rolled his head around, fighting the demon, and suddenly, mustering all of his strength and wiping away the last traces of sleep, he pushed the figure off him and ran to switch on the light. He didn't really expect to see anything, thinking that this was all a figment of his imagination, due to sex deprivation.
When he saw Joanne Ling sitting at the edge of his bed, he started screaming.
And when she saw him screaming, she started screaming too.
Of course, when Mr and Mrs Ling rushed in to see the problem, they were greeted with an astonishing sight. Benedict was shirtless and in his boxers, while their own daughter was sitting next to him in a skimpy negligee.
"WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!!?" bellowed Mr Ling.
Before Benedict could explain himself (well, he was still figuring out WHAT was happening), Joanne screamed out, "I tried to stop him pa! I tried to! But he was stronger than me!"
Benedict stared at Joanne, while Mr Ling advanced towards Benedict threateningly. "Joanne told us that you were her boyfriend (he holds up his pinky finger again)... how DARE you take advantage of our trust on you by .... by.... MOLESTING Joanne!!"
Joanne was sobbing uncontrollably, with her mom's arms wrapped around her. Benedict was truly speechless.
What happens to Benedict next week? What is Joanne up to? Will Lumpy become seductive enough for Seamantha and Seamdra? How will the cake-buying incident go? Tune in Next Time for More Sweetness From The Sugarcomb!
[Author's Note:] This chapter is dedicated to silverkey and edywison - their birthdays both fall on the 19th of May. Of course, being the leech that I am, I am just packaging together something to send to them. Honest I am! Will inform both of you when I actually MAIL it though. Anyway, a new chapter, and HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to the two "IDENTITIES". ^_^ [/END NOTE]
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The drive to Melaka was smooth sailing, although Choong Leeng felt that her entire head was matted with sweat, thanks to the weird orange wig. Ben had never felt more free and happy in his entire life. He would be spending his holidays with his girlfriend, who wouldn't be happy? His only fear was that Joycelyn was a poor soul who lived in a one-storey house (or apartment), but instead, Joanne's house was fit for a prince! It was a huge mansion, with immense gardens. The gardens were also a sight to behold - an orgy of colours.
In the house, Joanne showed them to their rooms. Ben thought that he would be sharing a room with Seamus (Choong Leeng), but each of them were given their own guest rooms. The guest rooms were decadently decorated, with drapings over four post beds with silk throw pillows and luxurious rugs. Seamus's room was further down the hallway, while Benjamin's room was situated near Joanne's parents and Joanne's own room. With a cheery "Hope you like it here!", she left the guys (well, guy and girl) to unpack.
"Can you believe this? Gawd, Joanne really is generous! I bet Seamus will regret this. Quick, take some pictures of me in this bathrobe!!" Benedict wrapped a thick Burberry's bathrobe over his clothes and posed seductively for Choong Leeng.
"Quit kidding around!" she chided, but she couldn't resist taking a picture anyway. "I wonder how Joanne's parents can afford all this."
"Well, she'll be introducing her parents to us over dinner. You can ask Uncle Ling and Aunty Ling when you see them."
The two of them unpacked, with Benedict pleading with Choong Leeng to wear boxers for the entire duration of their trip, instead of her underwear. "What if Joanne looks at the laundry?" he argued.
But aside from that, everything went as planned. They went out with Joanne to have lunch at a restaurant famous for their baba and nyonya food. Joanne even paid for the lunch, as she flirted lightly with Benedict and Seamus. It was all in good fun. No harm. Clara met up with them after their lunch, and they drove around Melaka, visiting the tourist hotspots, like the A Formosa and the Perigi Hang Tuah. They bought souveniers. They got their portraits done by an old man, who was more used to drawing caricatures of gwailos.
What surprised Benedict more than the fact that he was enjoying himself immensely was the fact that Clara and Joanne were being more than civil with each other. It must've been the Malaccan air or something, but they were joking, laughing, talking about mutual friends that they knew in Melaka (they kept going, "OMG, you know him too? Man, this town is small!"). At one point, Benedict could have sworn that the two girls even linked arms when they were walking. Well, he didn't mind. The holiday would even go more smoothly if the two girls got along this well. As he sipped on his fresh coconut juice, he wondered how Seamus and gang were getting along back in Moonway College...
* * * * *
Eurene Tonk and Igene Chee were sitting around with Loo Thingy and Seamus Lim, discussing the entire magazine launch, that was slowly falling apart. They managed to arrange cafeteria food, at an exorbitant price. No famous acts were willing to show up to perform for free, so the next best thing was to get the cables and sound system from the college multimedia department. Seamus, Eurene and Igene had thought up of a new idea, which was to get established companies to sponsor discount coupons to give out to the students. However, that idea fell flat.
"Piece-A-Hut was the rudest to us. They promised us that they would give us the discount coupons, but when we went to their head office, they denied any knowledge of the agreement. Luckily I was there, or Seamus would've punched the marketing manager's lights out," declared Igene proudly. Seamus looked confused... he thought that it was Igene who had called the marketing manager "a sack of shit" and it took both Eurene and him to restrain her.
Loo Thingy sighed after the reports on the magazine launch were finished. "Well, screw the discount coupons. What's most important is the magazine, and the publisher called to tell us that the magazine can indeed be launched on the given date. Thank God, after all the delays. All we need now is a great big cake for the ceremony. Is the cafeteria supplying us with the cake?"
"Course not," answered Igene, Eurene and Seamus at the same time.
"Well, how are we gonna get the cake? Let's just get it from Berry's... it's cheap and it's nearby."
"I say that since the launch is crap all ways - no offense, Seamus - then we must make sure the cake is the main attraction. You know the cake the Association of Internation Students had during the cultural night? Well, the icing is CLEAR, and all the teachers were raving about it. Let's get that cake."
"ALRIGHT! WHERE?" said Eurene, getting ready to dash to his car.
"I don't know where. Let's drive around and ask bakeries around Moonway," said Igene simply.
And so they began the search for the cake. Seamus was worried --- how long was this going to take? His sisters were arriving from Penang, and he wanted to pick them up from the train station. He would have to sneak them into Choong Leeng's hostel unit (Choong Leeng agreed to let Seamantha and Seamndra stay while she was in Malacca). Lumpy had been increasingly irritating, calling every other hour to demand to know whether the girls had already arrived. At the moment, Wison The Bison had gotten him a "How To Be Seductive" book for Lumpy to read. Of course, how Wison got the book was anyone's guess...
Seamus checked his reflection in the mirror and ran a comb through his hair before he got into the car with Eurene and Igene. Well, however bad his day was in Moonway, it sure would be better than Benedict having to withstand ol' Pastry Face. He grinned and shook his head when he imagined how much Benedict would be ranting once he got back from Malacca.
* * * * *
Meanwhile, Benedict, Choong Leeng and Joanne were having dinner with her parents at home. The food was rich and the platters that were being served before them seemed to be neverending. Mr and Mrs Ling were very pleased to meet Benedict and Choong Leeng, and made them feel very welcome. Mr Ling was a huge and burly guy with a beard and immense muscles. When Benedict asked him what he worked as, Mr Ling laughed loudly for a long time before replying, "I'm in the importing and exporting trade, boy! You get what I mean? *winkwink* And I make sure that my importing and exporting trade goes well without a hitch, you know what I mean, boy? *winkwink* I have a lot of followers... you know... those who call me 'Big Brother'... you know what I mean boy? *winkwink* I normally don't tell just anyone what I do, but since you're Joanne's.. (he holds up his pinky finger)... it's ok right!!!" He guffawed loudly.
Benedict wondered what the pinky finger meant.
Nevertheless, it had been a long and tiring day. He had no idea why Joanne could still be so hyper and chirpy despite driving for 2 hours and bringing them all around Malacca. AND eating such huge meals. Huge meals always made him feel sleepy. Like a bear going into hibernation, he slipped under the covers and was soon fast asleep.
That night, he dreamt a vivid dream.
He was walking down a long hallway, and he could see a doorway. Behind the doorway had to be bright light, because he could see the doorway framed by vibrant white light. He walked slowly and stiffly towards the door. And he opened the door.
It was locked.
He tried it again, and put his shoulder to the door. It still wouldn't budge. For some reason, he kept fighting with the door, and he didn't know why he wanted to go through, but he kept on trying. In the end, he walked back down the hallway, and started running towards the door. He slammed against the door, felt it gave way and the bright light flooded the room.
Then he was falling.
He looked down and found that the door did not lead to another room, but led straight out of a castle, and he was falling into an azure ocean beneath him. He didn't remember the loud splash, but he remembered the desperate feeling of drowning. He couldn't breathe! He tried to break the surface and fill his lungs with oxygen, but he couldn't. All around him, he felt the water enveloping him.... the restriction... lack of breath....
WAIT, wasn't this a dream? It became lucid to him now... it was a dream... wake up! Wake up, he told himself. Barely able to open his eyelids, he tried to open his mouth and breathe...
And he couldn't.
A heavy weight sat on his chest, and someone's face was on his... someone's mouth was pressing against his. Someone's long hair was around his face...
Even in his stupor, he remembered reading about succubuses, or sleep demons, who seduce one in their sleep while sitting on them. It had to be a succubus sitting on him right now! He rolled his head around, fighting the demon, and suddenly, mustering all of his strength and wiping away the last traces of sleep, he pushed the figure off him and ran to switch on the light. He didn't really expect to see anything, thinking that this was all a figment of his imagination, due to sex deprivation.
When he saw Joanne Ling sitting at the edge of his bed, he started screaming.
And when she saw him screaming, she started screaming too.
Of course, when Mr and Mrs Ling rushed in to see the problem, they were greeted with an astonishing sight. Benedict was shirtless and in his boxers, while their own daughter was sitting next to him in a skimpy negligee.
"WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!!?" bellowed Mr Ling.
Before Benedict could explain himself (well, he was still figuring out WHAT was happening), Joanne screamed out, "I tried to stop him pa! I tried to! But he was stronger than me!"
Benedict stared at Joanne, while Mr Ling advanced towards Benedict threateningly. "Joanne told us that you were her boyfriend (he holds up his pinky finger again)... how DARE you take advantage of our trust on you by .... by.... MOLESTING Joanne!!"
Joanne was sobbing uncontrollably, with her mom's arms wrapped around her. Benedict was truly speechless.
What happens to Benedict next week? What is Joanne up to? Will Lumpy become seductive enough for Seamantha and Seamdra? How will the cake-buying incident go? Tune in Next Time for More Sweetness From The Sugarcomb!