Reverse Falls-Dimension Twist

Chapter Five-Tent of Telepathy

"Come on, can't we change the channel?" Robbie whined, shoving a fistful of popcorn into his mouth.

"No! Sherlock Goose is a masterpiece, and you know it!" Pacifica snapped, holding a tighter grip on the remote. Gideon and Melody groaned.

"What do you think of this case, Sherlock Goose? It seems to be an accident."

"You might think so, officer. It could be...or it could be fowl play?!"

"Yes!" Pacifica cheered at the same time as everyone groaned. Robbie threw pieces of popcorn at the television. "Why couldn't we watch Angels with Filthy Souls?"

Melody glared at him. "Because it's way too violent. There's literally a scene where a woman gets slowly chopped in a wood chipper! On screen!"

Robbie grinned. "Exactly!"

The screen suddenly changed from the regular skincare and fabric softener commercials, filling the room with whimsical music.

"Oh!" Melody exclaimed. "Look, it's that commercial I was telling you guys about!"

Everyone turned their heads to look at the screen.

"Are you miserable?"  the narrator drawled.

They zoomed in on a crying man on a bench, who looked up at the voice. "Yes!"

"Well, then you need to pay a visit to the Tent of the Telepathy! This bombastic, traveling magic act is lovingly hosted by the all-powerful Gleeful twins, who have used their extraordinary gifts to construct a performance that will entertain all!"  The T.V. held onto an image of a bright cerulean tent with an ominous star symbol at the top. "They're here in Gravity Ascends this summer only, so be sure to get your tickets now!"

The image changed to a very unflattering photo of Bud leaving the outhouse. "Don't be fooled by so called 'Men of Mystery'. Visit the Tent of Telepathy and see the Gleeful twins today! They'll be expecting you."

The screen abruptly switched to a car commercial.

Gideon winced. "Yikes. I'm guessing Dad isn't super happy about this?"

"You're darn right I'm not!" Bud materialized in the living room, clad in boxers, a sight which all of them hoped never to see again. "Those little shysters have been scooping up all my customers! They can't just lie to innocent tourists and profit off of it!"

"Uh, Dad," Gideon interjected, "that's exactly what you do."

"I know! I had the idea first. If they wanted to make a quick buck, they didn't have to copy off a fellow con artist," Bud insisted. 

"Well," Pacifica beamed, "we don't know that they're fake. I think it might be worth checking out!"

"Absolutely not! No relative of mine is stepping foot under that over glittery roof. If you want to have a peek at mystery, just take a look at Taxidermy Steve here!" Bud reached for the disturbing table ornament-a combination of a duck, a beaver, a fish, and a deer.

He abruptly turned a corner and vanished, as if that settled everything.

Pacifica turned to Gideon, grinning. "Do tents have roofs?"

Gideon grinned back. "I don't think so."

.................

Melody spent about fifteen minutes on the tent's ground looking for a parking spot. It was a Monday night, and there were cars backed up halfway down the main street.