Time: 9:32 AM
"My name is Eloise Robinson," the girl told Stinky. "And... I think you're another me."
An awkward silence fell between both girls for several seconds after that, as they continued to stare at each other. Stinky almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of such a statement, but felt a sense of unease and uncertainty.
"Uh... Okaaaayy..." Stinky said. "How... do ya figure, exactly?"
The girl named Eloise blinkered and gulped. "Oh, u-uh," she stammered. "Well, you and I are sort of... kind of... similar?"
Stinky shook her head. "Pffft, yeah, I'm sure we are - you don't even look like me!"
"I-I know!" Eloise replied. "I just... feel like I know you somehow." After she paused, she asked Stinky, "Do you not feel the same way?"
Stinky wanted to laugh it off and brush this encounter aside, but she couldn't. She knew Eloise had a point, and curiosity got the better of her.
"Y'know, to be honest," she answered, "I kinda do. But, c'mon, I'm sure that's just deja vu - pretty sure we've never even seen each other before today--"
"Your best friend is a boy named Sam, right?" Eloise interrupted. "And you know another boy named Dylan?"
Stinky was stunned. "Whu-- how did you know that?"
Eloise smiled nervously. "I knew it... so it really is you. I was just reading about you, and then you showed up, and--"
"Whoa, hold up," Stinky interjected. "Reading about me? Pretty sure nobody's written a book about me."
"T-Then--!" Eloise exclaimed. "Do you remember anything about finding a glass bottle full of liquid on the ground and then getting really bloated after you drank it?"
Stinky stood and crossed her arms. "No, not really..."
"Then, what about when you tried to stop the local gang from stinking up the movie theater?"
Stinky shook her head. "Wrong again... I think..."
She's talking about Betty and her Gas Gang, Stinky thought. So, she DOES know about me... I guess...
"Then, uhm... oh, you went and found this old video game called Breakwynd Journey! Anything you remember?"
"Dude, enough already," Stinky moaned. "I'm telling you, none of that stuff happened to me!"
"B-But, you do have severe chronic flatulence, right?" Eloise asked.
FINALLY, something that actually sounds like me! Stinky thought.
"Yeah, I fart all the time," she answered. "You also a Stinker?"
Eloise shook her head and said, "I don't know what that means, but... it's what you say to describe yourself and your gas. A-And you and Dylan have a rivalry about that, right?"
Stinky uncrossed her arms and said, "And you have some sort of beef with a girl named Dylanie, right?"
"Yes, yes!" Eloise exclaimed. "See, we... we know each other somehow!"
"Sure, but that doesn't mean we are... you, me... whoever," Stinky said back. "Where did you even find this stuff out?"
"S-Same place you probably did," Eloise explained. "I cam here to this library a couple hours ago, looking through the books on the shelf, when I saw a book with no title or cover. It was just all... white, for some reason."
"Yeah, yeah, same!" Stinky exclaimed as she pointed at the white book that laid at her feet. "I was reading this, and every day of your week was something totally different!"
"Same with you!" Eloise nearly shouted.
The two girls paused again, likely processing everything. It was clear that, despite being strangers to each other, they had similar experiences in their lives. Or perhaps, it was possible that they had similar experiences. As the two recounted to each other the events that led up to their meeting, certain things did not add up.
"OK, OK, OK, slow down," Stinky said as she waved her hands. "This... this is wild! What the heck is even going on?!"
Eloise put her hand up to her chin and replied, "I... might have an idea. Tell me, do you watch or read a lot of sc-fi at all?"
"Yeah-yeah!" Stinky nodded. "I love that stuff! But, what does that have to do with us?"
"Well, there's this one theoretical concept in science-fiction that I think applies here. This is probably going to sound crazy, but I think you and I are experiencing an instance of parallel realities."
It was ludicrous, but still made sense in Stinky's head. "Oohhhh-hoho, I smell what you're cookin'! So, you are me, and... I am you... but we're from--"
"--We're from different realities," Eloise finished. "If... if what I'm thinking is correct, somehow the two timelines seemed to have intersected, which is how we're able to talk to each other at all."
"But how would that have even happened?" Stinky questioned. "That's not the kinda crap that just happens every day!"
Eloise struggled to find a suitable answer. "I... I don't know," she admitted. As she finished her thought a fart could be heard.
Brrrrpphh...
Eloise's face gave it away - she was caught off-guard by her own gas. It clearly slipped out as she failed to come up with an answer to their query.
"Oh, uh..." She said.
Stinky couldn't help but snicker. "Pff, haha.. you all outta gas?"
Eloise nodded. "I-I think so. This is a lot to process, so..."
"Say no more!" Stinky added. "My tank's still full, so it's my turn to figure somethin' out!"
Eloise smiled softly at Stinky, and Stinky smirked back. Now, think-think-think, Stinks! Stinky said to herself, as she tapped her forehead with her index finger. Clear your head first. Take it one step at a time.
Stinky then took a deep breath, and as she let out a large sigh, a larger fart followed.
BRRRRRRRPPPPHHTT!
And just after Stinky pushed it out, her eyes shot open like she had an epiphany.
"I got it!" she exclaimed. "It's gotta be that weird white book! As soon as we started reading it--!"
"--That's when you and I ran into each other," Eloise confirmed. "The book must be the key!"
"Bingo, sister!" Stinky replied as she pointed at Eloise with finger guns. "I knew letting out a good fart would clear my head."
Eloise chuckled. "Wait, that works for you?"
"Yeah, duh," Stinky replied, rather bluntly. "How else do you think I figured it out?"
Eloise shrugged and said, "I just pass gas when I'm stressed, usually..."
"See? Same thing!" Stinky assured. "Whatever is goin' on with you and me, it's too much to handle - like a really big fart that comes from too much gas build-up! Once the farting's all settled, it refreshes everything!"
"That's... actually not a bad way to look at it," Eloise agreed.
"But, there's another problem now," Stinky said. "You have a book, and I have a book... yours is about me, and mine is about you, so..."
"Right," Eloise sighed.
Stinky made a breakthrough as she broke wind, no doubt. But now, both girls were faced with another mind-bending question: the presence of both books, and how they were even able to find them at all. That's when Stinky got an idea.
"OK, I think I got it."
"What, what is it?" Eloise asked.
"We gotta ask Dom."
"Dom? Who's--"
"He's the librarian," Stinky quickly answered. "If anybody knows what's up with our weirdo books, it'll be him - that guy's the most booksmart dude I know!"
"Oh..." Eloise said. "I thought his name was Tom... have I been remembering it wrong this whole time?"
"Doesn't matter, let's go!" Stinky quickly grabbed her version of the white book and made a dash for the stairs that led back down to the first floor.
"H-Hey, wait up, Elueze!" Eloise yelped as she stumbled, following after Stinky.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------
Eloise caught up to Stinky. "Please don't just... *pant* run off like that, Elueze..."
Eloise looked up and saw Stinky standing still, her back facing her. After she collected herself, she asked, "Elueze? You alright?"
She could see Stinky nod. "Yeah, yeah. I just... well, Els, you should check it out."
Eloise stepped besides Stinky, and looked in the same direction she did, towards the front desk of the library where Dom usually was. The two girls saw--
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