Trouble In The Communications Tower

 

Writer Lady walks into the kitchen, forgetting why she needed to be there, she returns to the living room. She stops in the living room and looks at her empty hands. Remembering she wanted a cup of coffee, she growls in frustration and returns to the kitchen. Feeling a bit lighter, she sits down in High Command and opens her email.

“No...no...no...NO!”

The last ‘no’ echoes throughout the house waking children, animals, and creatures of Faerie alike. Dobby and Tinkletoes both hit the Pause button on their controllers at the same time. As they exit Dobby’s room, the door disappears behind them. The pair find Writer Lady with her head on her desk muttering incoherently. She is surrounded by the other occupants of the house.

Tinkletoes enters the room gently putting his hand to a shoulder here, saying “excuse me” there, parting the crowd.

“Mom?” Dobby asks, following the self-proclaimed mercenary. “Mom are you okay?”

“No Dobby I’m not okay. I got another appliance warranty email.”

“I’ve got this.” Tinkletoes says clicking on it.

“No!” Several characters call out. “You aren’t supposed to click it. It only encourages them.”

Tinkletoes ignores everyone and reads the email. “Do you own one of those Edsel refrigerators?”

“There’s no such thing as an Edsel refrigerator.” Writer Lady rolls her eyes. She looks at Tinkletoes. “Thank you but don’t do it again. It just encourages more of it. More of the crap.”

“If it’s crap why are you so...you know...tense?” He asks.

“Because, I’m tired of wasting so much of my time trying to weed out the real email from the garbage. How is this stuff even getting here? Why haven’t these people been stopped?”

Dobby begins to respond.

Writer Lady raises a hand in a ‘stop’ gesture. “It’s okay kitty I already know the answer. There is so much other stuff going on in the world.”

Tinkletoes looks at Dobby, “Since this is just girl stuff. I’ll leave you to it.”

“Don’t touch a single button until I get back.” Dobby responds.

Tinkletoes holds both hands up. “It’s me. Have I ever done anything like that?”

“Yes.” Everyone in the room answers.

“I promise. I won’t touch a thing.” Tinkletoes says, turning to leave.

“He won’t touch a thing Dobby. He can’t get in. The door is gone and it is staying gone until you return.” House says.

“Um...thanks.” The ginger tabby says.

“You’re welcome kitty.” She croons. “If Tinkleboob wants to get back to his game I suggest he help. NOW.”

Tinkletoes stops walking and turns back to the activity behind him. “Yeah, since I’m here, might as well.” The self-proclaimed mercenary works his way back through the crowd. He leans down to Dobby and whispers, “All we have to do is train her to stop being such a girl. You’ve got to have a thick skin when it comes to this stuff.” Tinkletoes’ phone pings. He swipes and looks at his email. “Someone just logged into my Facebook account.” He clicks on the email link and begins typing a message to the senders.

Writer Lady turns around, she stills his typing hand with her own, “Wait, I thought you closed that account last year.”

He looks at Writer Lady, his mouth drops open, “I did.” Tinkletoes cancels the email he was composing.

“Dude that was close.” Ray says.

“Too close.” Tinkletoes responded. “We are at Defcon Two Ladies and Gentleman. The enemy must be disabled. Now!”

Tinkletoes leans down and whispers in Writer Lady’s ear. “I need you to close your email and step away from the computer, get yourself and the others to safety, Dobby will come for you when the mission is complete.”

Writer Lady listens, nods, takes a moment to pause, gives Tinkletoes a sideways glance and deciding she is too tired to fight this fight today she turns High Command over to the self-proclaimed mercenary, the ginger tabby, and an insomniac who eats entirely too much junk food. “So much for Sunday being a day of rest,” she mutters as she quietly guides everyone else from the room.

Tinkletoes looks at Ray. “I believe this is your department. What do we do?”

Ray is standing in one spot with his eyes closed. Droll begins to run down his chin.

“Ray!”

Ray opens his eyes, startled. “Dude.”

“How do we catch the scammers?” Tinkletoes asks.

Ray shakes his head, “I’m a game designer.”

Tinkletoes looks at Ray sternly.

“I don’t know call the Internet Police?” Ray suggests paling.

“There are no Internet Police are there?” Tinkletoes asks.

“There’s somebody out there...doing stuff...to protect and stuff.” Ray continues. “I don’t know them.”

“Why are you here?”

“The games. I come to fix the games. Mostly I’m here for the cheese puffs, potato chips, nachos when I time it just right.”

Tinkletoes looks at Dobby.

"After you finish talking about the savories you have to move on to the sweets. Writer Lady bakes great sweets." Ray continues. 

“Do we know anyone a bit more street wise?” The self-proclaimed mercenary asks looking at the ginger tabby.

“No. But you know someone who’s sneakier!” A voice calls out. There is a puff of smoke, as it dissipates a tiny winged man appears with bright blue eyes and a mischievous smile. “You know TP!” The faerie somersaults through the air, stopping to float in front of Tinkletoes and Dobby. TP somersaults again repeatedly, spinning in front of them.

“You know how scammers work?” Tinkletoes asks.

TP stops spinning. “No. TP has magic, TP can learn.” The faerie floats down to the desk, looks at Writer Lady’s computer tower and says, “Permission to enter.” A feathered Musketeer hat appears in the faerie’s hand. He bows with flourish to the tower as he holds the hat in front of him.

“Go ahead.” Tinkletoes says.

TP looks at the self-proclaimed mercenary, “Not you. Her.” He says gesturing to the tower. The tower’s indicator lights blink several times. “Thank you Milady.”

TP floats into the computer tower and disappears.