Theodore & The 7 Layers of Space, Book 1: Brick & Bird

Chapter 21: Antonio's

Strictly speaking, sock puppets aren't exactly invulnerable. But while in their home Layer of Sock, they are quite resilient.

Most of the afflictions that plague nearly every other species – old age, physical ailments, eating way too much pizza – those sorts of things – aren't much of a concern for them. All of which helps explain both the large population and the deep love of extreme sports in Sock Puppet City.

But it should be remembered that, while they are quite tough, a good fall still does hurt. A lot.

***

Theodore landed with very little grace or ceremony on top of a sock puppet hot dog stand. As further testament to the continuously madcap nature of Sock Puppet City, neither the proprietor nor any passers-by seemed at all disturbed and simply carried on.

The crash left his sock-body filled with a dull ache, which illuminated further the sheer physical strangeness of his transformation. He could sense that his insides were not what they were before he became a sock puppet, that the general set-up of organs and functions were alien, like a lump inside of him instead of individual parts. But he could also sense that this lump had been knocked around. He pulled himself out of the wrecked cart, picking up a little piece of cellophane that would have to have been his loose glasses lens in sock puppet form. He popped it back in place, reflexively.

He stood alone again in another strange Layer of Space, but he was getting used to this sensation. Nobody from the palace above seemed concerned about him, they'd clearly been after Terrycloth Green. He looked down the street and contemplated the glowing sign of Antonio's, where Terrycloth Green had said there was a door back to the underground of Gup. He clumsily apologized to the hot dog vendor, got a little hot dog made of sewn felt and cloth, and then sat down on a bench made of over-sized and partially-used popsicle sticks. He took a breath, and he took stock of his current situation.

He could probably figure out how to navigate through to whatever door was over at Anotonio's without TCG's help. The little man was abrasive and rude and quite probably manipulating him, but Theodore sensed that his information was accurate. Meanwhile an inner clock ticked, as he felt a growing weight of responsibility, wondering at the vaguely ever-deepening threat that the missing Brick presented.

"But he also helped me," Theodore said, studying his non-existent feet with wonder and thinking about Terrycloth Green. Theodore had lived most of his life with very little help, though he'd always tried to be helpful.

He thought to take out his watch and it appeared before him. It was back to twelve numbers (and therefore hours), but they looked more disheveled than they had in Gup. Some were written in pencil and others were made out of felt and buttons. The hands spun merrily, implying very little about the time. He stopped thinking about it and it disappeared with a POOF of cartoonish smoke.

"This is very weird," he said to himself.

He looked over at Antonio's again, thinking how much easier it would be to leave Terrycloth Green behind. He looked back up at the balcony he'd jumped from. He made a decision and stood up with a sock puppet nod. He'd need a rescue plan.

"First, I'll have to get a disguise," he spied some workers ambling out of a service door from the palace, and could already see himself knocking one out to nab some coveralls. "I'll infiltrate the building, and then..." And then the world went dark again as Terrycloth Green landed on him from above.

"Ow!" Theodore cried out.

"Thanks for cushioning my fall!" TCG cried out.

"I just decided to come and rescue you!" Theodore insisted as they disentangled themselves and stood back up.