Life continued as it was for a time. Studio kept working nights at the

diner and passed her Blacksmithing course with flying colours. She then

enrolled herself to learn welding and metal fabrication. Ruby kept listening to

her scanner, documenting all the crimes and call-outs the police got, and

noting where and when they occurred on her maps. She also started creating

dossiers and profiles of the types of people who perpetrated certain crimes. All

very stereotypical and very vague of course, but she was doing it to fend off

boredom, not to become the next Detective Columbo. Pud continued working

on and developing his super-dooper-metabolising-work-out drink formula. After

his initial claims of having found the perfect formula he found when he tested it

on himself, that it was un stomachable. He couldn't keep it down for longer

than 30-40 seconds and then WHAM! He would projectile vomit it all back up,

in neon technicolour, so hard and fast you would have thought it was being

carried on the worlds speediest roller-coaster out of his mouth.

Studio had no idea what was in the drink, and wondered if it was actually

doing Pud more harm than good. Or at least if it was doing him any good in

terms of what he was trying to achieve, even if it wasn't doing him any harm.

It took Pud eleven changes to his original formula before he could actually

keep the drink down for a reasonable period of time without vomiting, yet he

persevered.

“It is questionable in the least, to think that you are so adamant to make

this work that you are willing to make yourself sick repeatedly,” Ruby would

half laugh at Pud, “You're lucky I can't drive or I'd be taking you to a home for

the hopelessly deranged to be assessed.”

“One must have things to strive for, Ruby, and one must also see those

things through to completion. If I started this and then never finished it, it

would be equivalent to cheering a mugger on as they stole someone's bag or

wallet.” Pud declared defiantly oblivious to the fact Ruby saw his process as

entertaining, “plus after months of testing I have now found a formula that if I

take it immediately before bed, I can not only tolerate without vomiting, but

makes he feel more energetic, focused and active. I damn myself for not

continuing with hiking after we moved here from the mountain. If only I had

to go long distances to get supplies I wouldn’t have to improve my fitness so

much. I can hardly give up now, now can I?” he declared, returning to his

newspaper.

“So, let me get this straight,” Ruby started turning her scanner down and

leaning forward in her chair looking at Pud intently, “To tolerate this gloop, you

have to take it and go straight to bed and go to sleep immediately?”

“Yes. That is what I implied, if not explicitly, said,” replied Pud looking

slightly confused as to where the conversation was heading.

“I would hardly call sleeping through any intolerance of it tolerating the

terrible gloop, brother,” Ruby began to chuckle and shake her head as she was

talking, “I think you have missed your calling and should have become a

comedian.” Ruby burst into rambunctious laughter as Studio walked into the

room.

“What's going on?” asked Studio looking from Ruby almost falling of her

chair in fits of laughter, to an indignant looking Pud frowning at Ruby from the

other side of the room.

“Pud.... formula....vomiting...as long as he goes to sleep.” laughed Ruby,

not making much sense. Studio looked towards Pud hoping he would clarify

what was going on.

“My sister finds great joy in the requirements and limitations imposed on

me in the trialling of my formula. She fails to realise that most great scientific

discoveries happen after a long process that- they do not generally happen

over night.”

With that Ruby fell completely off her chair laughing even harder than

before. Studio ran to her assistance. “In your case my brother, they most

definitely do happen over night, but only if you go immediately to bed so that

you do not start vomiting.” Ruby roared with laughter once again, this time to

the point she could hardly breathe. Pud left the room in disgust as Studio

called the nurse, and together they helped Ruby back into her chair.

That night as Studio was leaving for work she passed Pud in the

kitchenette. He was in his pyjamas- without his dressing gown or slippers on.

“Aren't you cold, Pud?” Studio asked him

“Yes, but I shall be in bed in just a moment. I just have to take my

formula and off I go,” Pud replied, taking the top off a stinky, gloopy looking

mixture that smelt so bad that Studio's eyes began to water, and she had to

pinch her nose closed and cover her mouth. “I have found though that the

quicker I get into bed the greater my tolerance for the formula, so I have done

away with my slippers and dressing gown in my night time bed ritual so that

my journey into bed is quick and efficient with no wasted time or unnecessary

delay. So that I don't vomit basically.” He continued as he pinched his nose

closed tightly in preparation for drinking the potent drink, “But don't tell Ruby I

said that.” He said in a high nasally drone as he screwed his face up and his

body contorted as the gloop hit his mouth and throat. Studio couldn't bear to

watch him drink the terrible gunk, so instead of having to remove her hands

from her mouth and nose and risk smelling the stuff again, she just nodded at

him and motioned towards the door with her head as she turned and walked

out.

The next morning when Studio returned from work, Ruby looked

exhausted.

“Up all night listening to the scanner?” Studio smiled at Ruby, who looked

like she'd had a hard night out on the town.

“No.” said a grumpy sounding Ruby as she looked over the top of her

glasses at Studio in such a way that Studio was aware that if in better health

she may have been chased. “I'm not sure if it was Peepe and Poopo, or if Pud

was up inventing something, but last night there was an awful lot of noise in

here. “Peepe and Poopo were Ruby's omni present, yet hardly seen

tumbleweed impersonating dogs. “Banging, thumping, running, sounds like

someone crashing in to things, sounds that where either muffled barks or

muffled shouts. It was like nothing I have ever heard. And let me tell you,

when Pud gets up, if he isn't as tired as I am I will assume the noise was him

and he will get a piece and a half of my mind, let me tell you.”

Pud came through the door with impeccable timing at that precise

moment. “Good morning everyone!” he beamed as though he had slept like a

baby. “What a wonderful morning it is. The sun is shining, the birds are singing

and...” He looked at the state Ruby was in, “Too much time on the scanner last

night I see.” he joked, “You really should make sleep more of a priority, Ruby.”

he said as he dashed out the door “Got to go - work to do.”

“Ruby and Studio looked at each other with their mouths open,

wondering who the strange man was that had just literally bounced through

the room. It couldn't have been Pud. He was normally very slow to start the

day, and often so subdued in the mornings that it was hard to tell some days if

he was even awake.

Studio was about to ask Ruby what that was all about, but she couldn't

find the words and just shook her head instead. Ruby looked slightly unnerved

at her and shook her head as well, “Indeed, I do not know exactly what he is

up to, but he is up to something.”

“”Really?” asked Studio, still in too much shock to string more than one

word together.

“Oh yes, you mark my words. Did you see how wide awake he was? Its

obvious that the noise that kept me awake all night had no effect on him.”

Ruby narrowed her eyes, “He was obviously up all night inventing something

he doesn't want us to know about.”

“It could just be that his formula gave him so much extra energy that he

slept well and feels good today.” suggested Studio playfully.

“Don't be silly.” Ruby moaned with a dismissive wave of her hand in the

air, “That gloop has no other affect on him but psychosomatically. Its all in his

head. No, he was working on inventions all night with no regard for anyone

else. Working on them in the residential area of the house floor, instead of the

laboratory level because he felt too sick in the stomach to use the elevator I

bet.” Ruby looked off out the window as Studio looked completely bemused,

“You wait though. I'll think of something. I'll get him.” Ruby smiled in such a

way that Studio wondered if she best help Ruby out for fear of being on the

receiving end of one of Ruby's plans herself.

Studio whispered to Ruby “You can't actually move very well Ruby..”

Hoping not to jolt Ruby from her evil fantasy too suddenly and then risk

becoming the target herself.

“I know.” snapped Ruby turning to look directly at Studio before

whispering back “that's what I have you to help me for.” An all knowing smile

spread across Ruby's face until she put the Cheshire cat to shame, and she

looked as deranged as Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

Ruby's plan was to sneak Peepe and Poopo in to Puds room once he had

gone to bed and lock the door from the outside. Studio agreed to help find the

dogs, but to have no more involvement than that. The dogs had free run of the

floor they lived on and with the floor being so vast, they were often not seen

for days at a time. Studio hunted high and low. There were lots of places for

them to hide if they did not want to be found, and it seemed like this day was

a day when they most definitely did not want to be found.

“Never mind,” said Ruby, “we don't need to find them straight away. As

long as we find them by the time Pud goes to bed my plan will work just fine.”

Studio looked for them for hours and hours, and still couldn't find them. By

that evening she had given up almost completely.

“It's like they know I'm looking for them.” she lamented to Ruby.” I can't

find them anywhere.”

“That would be right,” exclaimed a frustrated Ruby, “The smart little

things know exactly what's going on and don't want to get locked in his

bedroom for fear of being vomited on during the night.” She slapped her hand

on her thigh in exclamation. “Maybe if we put some food out, they may come

out for that.”

Studio put food out for the dogs and she and Ruby waited and waited.

Pud went to bed and there was still no sign of the dogs. “I have to go to work,

Ruby. Let me know if you see them and I'll have another look tomorrow. I

don't work tomorrow night, so maybe we can do it then?” Studio said putting

her coat on and throwing her bag over her shoulder.

“Meh,.” grunted Ruby looking disappointed, “If you see them on the way

out, you could race them back here and we would still have time.”

Studio smiled at Ruby, who was looking hopeful like a child who knows

they have been naughty, but still asks for a treat.

She didn't see the dogs on the way out to work. And when she returned

in the morning their food that she had left out the night before hadn't been

touched either. Ruby looked even more exhausted than the morning before, so

Studio guessed she had been kept awake by the noise once again.

“Again?” Studio asked, as Ruby shrugged her shoulders in

acknowledgement too tired to talk or move beyond that. “What on earth is he

doing? We could ask him, you know. Was it all night again?” Ruby nodded.

“Okay, well I'll get some sleep now, but I don't work tonight, so I'll see if I can

get to the bottom of it if it happens tonight as well.”

That night Studio waited up after Ruby had gone to sleep to see if she

could find out the hows and whys of the terrible racket. At first she was

walking the hallways, but nothing. No noise. Then she sat for a while in Ruby's

chair. Still no noise. So she decided to go and lie on her bed and just wait.

After 2 hours she had still heard no noise and she began to wonder if maybe all

that listening to her scanner had affected Ruby's sub conscious mind to the

point it was giving her nightmares or night terrors. She was ready to go to bed

herself when it started.

It sounded like someone was running laps around the floor and hitting or

banging things together. Studio darted up, her torch attachment clipped to her

'hand' and raced out of her room just in time to see someone or something

dart out of sight around the corner. She took off in pursuit. Whoever or

whatever it was was certainly fast, and Studio was quickly out of breathe

trying to keep up. Every time she rounded a corner, who or what would round

a corner out of sight further down the corridor. It wasn't Peepe and Poopo, that

she knew for sure, but who it was she had no idea. She could barely see in the

dark, and having a torch didn't really help as much as she had hoped because

it was attached to her hand socket, so it was moving with her arm as she ran.

She dare not turn on the lights for fear of attracting attention to herself.

Finally she followed who or what ever it was into the fire stairs and down

a level. Studio knew the next floor down was her rock climbing/abseiling area

and was intrigued as to what was going on. “Do we have a squatter?” she

considered as she stood at the exit from the stairwell, her hand on the rail,

ready to push the door open.

The floor was one large open space, except for support columns here and

there, so she didn't want to barge in and leave herself exposed. She took a big

deep breathe and inched the door open ever so slightly, peeking around to see

what she could. The lights were on, and who-ever it was was trying to climb up

Studio's abseiling ropes, without harness or hat, and doing a very bad job of it.

Studio entered the space and closed the door very quietly behind her and

walked around the edge of the space very slowly trying to stay unnoticed and

out of sight.

Who-ever it was hadn't given up trying to climb up the ropes, without

helmet or harness mind you, despite the fact they had fallen on their face 5

times in the minute or so Studio had been watching. “What are they doing?”

Studio thought to herself as she tried to get closer to get a better view. “Their

enthusiasm is impressive, I'll give them that!” she smiled to herself, and with

that the person picked themselves up off the floor for a sixth time and took of

running at full speed around the space. They were darting this way and that,

left and right as though they were evading some invisible foes. Every so often

they would fall flat on their face with a thud, and without missing a beat, pick

themselves up and keep running. The person returned to the abseiling ropes

and continued trying to climb up them, oblivious to Studio standing against the

wall. Studio was trying desperately not to laugh. Because she was so much

closer now, she managed to see from behind that whoever it was was wearing

Pud's torn Lycra compression suit over what appeared to be pyjamas. The suit

was ripped right up to the back of the neck now though, but because the suit

was so tight by design the pyjamas were almost billowing out of the suit like a

cape behind the person.

They suddenly turned around and ran back towards the door to the fire

stairs. Pud! Its Pud! Studio realised as he ran towards her. A thousand

questions flew through her mind as he passed within inches of her with no

expression on his face, no acknowledgement of her presence, no lights on in

the building so to speak. “Pud?” she said gently as he passed her, but he

continued running back out the door and up the stairs. After a momentary

shock, Studio took off after him upstairs. This time she really wanted to see

what was going on so she managed to keep up a little better. As she burst out

on to the floor they lived in she saw Pud running down the hall, still dodging

invisible foes and doing what looked like parkour of the walls, door frames and

anything else he came across. Of course he was doing it very badly, and every

hundred meters or so still managed to fall flat on his face in less than elegant

style.

Studio followed him around for a couple of hours and gradually he

started to slow down, like some one was playing him on half speed. His

attempts at parkour, running and even his falling flat on his face looked even

funnier as he slowed down. Finally he returned to his bedroom, lay face down

on his bed and appeared to either pass out or fall asleep with his bedroom door

wide open. Pud was fastidious about keeping his bedroom door closed for fear

of Poopo and Peepe getting in there, so him going to sleep with it wide open

made her wonder even more what was going on. And where were the dogs?

She hadn't seen them for days. She pulled his door slowly closed and made

her way up the hall looking for the dogs.

Studio eventually found the Poopo and Peepe locked on a floor that

was very rarely used and took them back upstairs for some food and water.

She assumed that they must have followed Pud on one of the previous nights

when he was running around like a mad thing. When Ruby awoke, grumpy

from the noise overnight, Studio filled her in on what she saw. Ruby started

laughing, “Really? No, I don't think so. Although it would be funny to see,” she

chortled.

“I'm serious!” said Studio emphatically, he was running around like he

was some mad person in that terrible lycra suit with his pyjamas hanging out

the back.” Studio kept talking over Ruby's laughter, “he didn't even notice me

when I was inches away. It was really weird. I'm still not sure what was going

on.”

“I can't wait to see his face when you tell him what he has been up to,”

laughed Ruby even harder than before.

“That's the thing, I don't think it's a good idea to just confront him. Like

it's not a good idea to wake a sleepwalker. I think we should wait and see if it

happens again tonight and if it does, tomorrow I'll turn on the CCTV cameras

on all floors to record it. If we're going to tell Pud this is what's happening we

have to have proof. And we have to have enough proof that he can't deny it or

say its a one off.” Ruby's face fell, “Spoil sport,” she said to Studio looking

glum.

Studio patted Ruby on the leg, “It's ok, you can sleep in my room for the

next few nights, it seems to be much quieter over that side of the floor.”

Studio had to work that night, but she left as late as possible, hoping to

catch Pud in the act. He seemed to sense something was up however, and

stayed up much later than usual with Ruby listening to her scanner, which was

odd in itself. When she could wait no longer Studio went into the little room

Ruby sat in.

“Well I'm off then,” she said as she entered. She jumped when she saw

Pud pretending to be surprised, “Pud! I didn't think you'd be up! Rather late for

you to be awake isn't it?” Ruby smirked and looked out the window so Pud

couldn't see her face.

“I.. ah.. just wasn't ready to sleep....” he stammered, as he folded and

unfolded his newspaper on his lap. He looked down and then, like a child

offering something up for show and tell said “Newspaper!” and held the

newspaper out towards Studio at full arms reach. “Yes, I was reading the

newspaper.”

Studio looked at him quizically, “Ok you two, well I have to be off. Don't

want to be late.” She slowly backed out of the door into the hall looking at Pud

as he pretended to read the newspaper. As she stood waiting for the lift to

arrive, it took a very long time in this old building for the lift to get from the

bottom to the top, she scratched her head wondering what on earth was going

on. The next day when she returned home form work, Ruby was already up

and sitting in her chair looking tired and grumpy. “Oh no, not again,” said

Studio as she took off her jacket and put her bag down.

“Your room is quieter, so I couldn't hear Pud whalloping around, but my

poor babies were so stressed from the noise they kept barking and barking and

barking. The nurse had left by then though, so there was no one here to bring

them into your room.”

“I'm so sorry Ruby, just a couple of days longer, I promise. I'll turn the

cameras on before I leave for work and put Poopo and Peepe in my room so

they can sleep with you. When the nurse leaves just get her to make sure they

have enough food and water. I promise a couple more days. Tops. We just

need evidence he can't deny and to try and figure out what is going on.”

“Oh, just let me tell him,” sighed Ruby huffily, “I'm an old feeble lady, I

don't get much fun in life, allow me this?” Ruby clasped her hands under her

chin and looked up at Studio like she was begging. “Please..?”

“A couple more days and I promise you can tell him.” Ruby crossed her

arms in defiance. “ I said you can tell him,” Studio continued. “you can say

what you want, however you want and I'll keep my mouth shut. Just a couple

more days.”

“Deal,” said Ruby smugly, with a self-satisfied smile, and an evil glint

dancing across her face.

The next few days when Studio would return from work in the mornings,

she would check which security cameras in the building had been activated the

night before, and watch through any footage. Every morning there was Pud's

entertaining display of his lack of physical prowess from the night before

caught on camera for all to see. Falling on his face repeatedly. Trying to do

parkour of doors, the fire stair railings and the rock climbing wall. Banging

blindly into hallway walls as he rounded corners a little faster than his co-

ordination, or lack thereof could cope with. And all this without him slowing

down when he fell, or seeming hurt or to mind when he would crash so hard

into things he would again fall down. Studio couldn't figure it out and was

thoroughly intrigued. After 5 nights a pattern started to emerge. Pud was

falling less and less, and his parkour was actually almost distinguishable as

parkour, rather than a self harming attempt to walk through solid objects. His

running was getting faster and he no longer banged into walls as he rounded

corners.

“Ruby, you need to watch this.” Stusio said placing her laptop on the

table next to Ruby and clicking a button.

“A Pud's daily blooper reel! Excellent, just what I need,” said Ruby

rubbing her hands together in delight.

“Just watch and tell me if you notice anything,” Studio implored.

They watched the footage together in silence. “Well did you notice anything?”

Studio asked Ruby when it had finished.

“Well for one, it wasn't nearly as funny as the footage from other nights

this week. A bit of a let down really. I didn't even laugh once.” Ruby

complained.

“Exactly!” cried Studio, “He seems to be getting fitter, less clumsy, he's

not falling over as much. Get it?” She asked Ruby

“Yes, but I liked the footage from the other nights better. Can we watch

those now?” asked Rub,y smiling.

“No, don't you get it, his formula must be doing something, because his

co-ordination and everything is improving. If only we could figure out why he

seems to be sleep walking we'd know what's going on.”

“Can I tell him now?” asked Ruby, a cheeky look on her face.

“Friday,” said Studio, “just give me two more nights to try and figure this

out.”

That night Studio sat in wait outside Puds room with a portable stereo

after he went to bed. When he opened the door in the lycra suit and pyjamas

she turned the stereo on as loud as it could go, but Pud continued bouncing of

the walls literally, oblivious to the sound. When he went into the floor of the

building where she had her abseiling, rock climbing and decathlon equipment

and started trying to climb up the ropes, she pulled on his legs, yanking him

back to the ground, but again he didn't seem to notice her. And when he ran

back towards the door to the fire stairs she stood in front of it with her arms

and legs stretched out to the sides blocking his path. He simply barrelled

through her knocking her to the floor and running on her as he went. When he

was running towards her, she looked into his eyes to see if there was anybody

home. But they were glazed over, glassy and non responsive with dilated

pupils. There was not even the slightest glimmer of recognition or

acknowledgement of her presence. Studio went to sleep in the early hours of

the morning that night, with lots of new questions going through her mind, and

more than a few new bruises. The next night she didn't have to work, and

noticed that Pud was staying up much later than usual again.

“Are you ok, Pud?” she asked hoping to get some insight into what was

going on, over the noise of the scanner.

“Yes, yes. Fine.” he replied as he smiled at her rather weakly over the top

of his glasses.

Studio went into the kitchenette to make herself a cup of tea and Pud followed

her in.

“Actually I think Ruby is up to something,” Pud whispered quickly into

Studio's ear. “I didn't want to say anything, but I keep waking up with all these

awful cuts and bruises and my lycra suit is torn almost in half. I think she may

be sleep walking and taking her sub-conscious anger about her physical

deterioration out on me at night. I'm not too sure. I'm just staying up to keep

an eye on her.” With that he scurried back into the other room and continued

to watch Ruby over the top of his glasses and pretending to read his

newspaper.

Studio was stunned and it took a minute for her to realise fully what Pud

had said. “Is he serious?” she thought to herself, “Is he poking fun at us

because he knows we're on-to him?” she wondered. “Surely he has some clue

as to what was going on, right? Pud wasn't someone to joke around. Especially

about physical aggression.” None of it made sense.

Studio made sure the cameras were on, and the dogs were with Ruby in

Studios room for the night. Studio again set herself up in the hallway outside

Pud's room and waited. At around 1.30am, again out he came, like he was

running from a tiger. But this time he didn't get very far. Studio had locked

some of the hallway doors that were normally left open for the dogs to run

through, trapping Pud in a relatively confined space, which was either a very

smart move so she could observe what was happening, or a very silly move

because she was also trapped in the small space with him.

It didn't slow him down though, he just continued to do flips and things

off walls and sprint the length of the hall dodging and weaving like he was

again evading invisible enemies. Studio watched and watched for a couple of

hours as this continued. Then all of a sudden Pud ran full speed at the locked

door at the opposite end of the hallway and slammed into it, and broke not

only the lock, but knocked the whole door and door frame to the door and then

kept running.

Studio stood there unsure what to do. “Ok,” she thought to herself, “if that's

what he's capable of, there is no way I want him pushing me out of the way,

or barging through me again!” and with that she leaned the door and door

frame against the wall, so Pud wouldn't trip on it, and took herself off to the

relative safety of Ruby's room for some sleep. For the next 3 hours or so she

could hear Pud still running around the building, but there was no way she was

venturing back out to see what was going on after seeing him break the door.

The next morning Studio left a note in the sitting room asking Pud and Ruby to

meet her in there at 3pm because she needed to talk to them both about

something.

Since he had been taking his gloopy drink, not only was Pud having his

weird and intense fitness attacks at night that he was seemingly unaware of,

but he was much more sprightly, chipper, animated and alive during the day

too. However his short term memory seemed greatly affected, but of course he

kept forgetting that he had something. Let alone remembering what it was he

was supposed to remember so he had no idea about that. And his eyesight had

also gotten worse.

“Afternoon ladies,” Pud chimed as he burst through the sitting room door

like a pubescent teenager ready to try out for a cheerleading squad, at Studios

pre arranged time. “How are we both?”

Studio stared at him, dumbfounded which left the door wide open so to speak

for Ruby to jump right in. “Ah Pud, my dear brother. Please take a seat. I have

something I need to tell you.” Pud looked confusedly at Studio as she put her

hand to her forehead dreading what Ruby might say.

“I thought Studio needed to talk to us?” Pud started

“No, no,” Ruby interrupted, “I asked Studio to write that for me so you

wouldn't worry. Pud started looking concerned and sat down rather quickly.

“You see I'm not very well...as you know,” Ruby continued loving every minute

of her soliloquy “and I feel a terrible burden to you and Studio. Mentally,

physically, emotionally, financially. Its just too much to bare. So I'm going to

do a naked centrefold shoot in a mens magazine and make myself big bucks!”

Ruby slapped her own thighs and she burst into laughter. Studio and Pud both

said “what?” at the same time and looked at each other in astonishment. “No,

really,” continued Ruby, “ok, the truth now. You know all the noise I've been

hearing at night that's keeping me awake? It's all a lie. I was just trying to

cover up the fact that I have a toy boy name Raoul, and he keeps me awake all

night.” By this stage Ruby was snorting with laughter and Pud looked like he

was listening to some one speaking a language he didn't understand. Studio

sat there looking at Ruby shaking her head. “No, no really, he's a robot. Raoul

the robot. My toy boy is a robot.”

“What is going on?” Pud half whispered with a scared look on his face

glancing between Studio and Ruby. Studio had told Ruby the day earlier that

Pud thought it was she that was giving him bruises, and that coupled with the

fact that she had Studio's permission to say whatever she wanted, meant Ruby

was going to milk this moment for all it was worth.

“Ok seriously now. I'm a voodoo high priestess and at night I have been

sticking you with pins. Not a doll of you, but the real you. I figure why make

the doll when the real thing is so close!” Ruby was beginning to slide off her

chair and was having trouble breathing she was laughing so hard.

“What Ruby is trying to say Pud is that you need to watch this footage,”

and with that she clicked her mouse and a montage of footage of Pud from the

nights of the previous week played.

Puds jaw dropped open. He sat in stunned silence the whole 20 minutes of

footage. When it stopped Studio closed her laptop, “And thats the abridged

version.” Pud said nothing while Ruby sat watching intently like a naughty little

schoolgirl seeing someone else get into trouble. Pud still said nothing. So they

all sat there. And sat and sat. Until finally Pud breathed in audibly, “What in

the? How? Did? What? Really?” he asked himself quietly. “Did you get someone

who looks like me?” he asked Studio who shook her head. “Running? Jumping?

Flips?.... No wonder I have bruises...” he trailed off.

Studio re-opened the lid of her laptop. “Pud I think your gloopy drink

may be causing this somehow. Its almost like you're asleep when you're doing

it all. If you watch this,” Studio said as she clicked the mouse button again,

“you can see that I get right in your face and you don't even see me.”

“I have no recollection of any of this whatsoever, so please forgive me if I

take a little time to process it.” said Pud, half defending himself.

“I know,” said Studio patting his arm reassuringly, “But I want to have a

look at the formula for the drink so I can try and figure out what going on.”

“Of course, of course I'll go get it now,” said Pud removing his glasses as

he stood, “I can run!” he whispered in surprise as he went to walk out of the

room crashing into the door frame and knocking himself backwards as he did.

“Too bad you can't see!” cackled Ruby, turning her scanner on and

laughing to herself. Studio tried not to laugh as she gave Ruby a disapproving

look. “What?!” exclaimed Ruby, “I didn't do anything. Besides it's true!”

Studio- Next Chapter released by 3rd July 2012

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