Blob had arrived back in Fleetwood. His escape attempt had failed.
He looked back at the ship that had been his hope of freedom and which had ultimately brought him back. He sniffed one tear and then turned and smiled. The attempt had failed. But he was still alive. And where there is life there is hope and beauty and freedom. Very often, Blob says, we can created prisons for ourselves that don't really exist. We trap ourselves in situtations. We bury our dreams in thought processes that speak of hopelessness and self criticism and lots of other things that aren't the truth. Some prisons are real. Blob had seen them. He had imagined what it would be like to be on the other side of the wall, to be in a real physical prison. Some prisons are not.
Maybe, just maybe, Fleetwood itself would turn out not to be a prison at all. Maybe Blob could find freedom here. Inner freedom and the deepest of joy that can only come from contentment of mind and heart. Life might be in Fleetwood for the foreseeable future. But that didn't mean it had to be terrible. Here there would be sunsets, and eccles cakes, and cafes. There would be market days and climbs up The Mount. There would be friendships to forge and even Fleetwood could have an almost infinite scope for new adventures. Blob was determined. Life would be happiness. Whatever place he ended up in. Even Fleetwood.
And so he stood up proudly by the ferry and smiled his biggest smile and sighed in expectation of the future. Or rather he was held up by his creator because it was very windy and he didn't want to risk falling into the water.
Blob told his person and his creator that things would work out. He said that they shouldn't look so sad about being back in Fleetwood. At least this was a place where hungry dogs aren't turned into statues for stealing a biscuit. Blob's smile and his enthusiasm were infectious and pretty soon his person and creator were smiling too. Fleetwood wasn't so bad.
Together they stood by the dock and watched the ship workers prepare their ship for departure. And then it left. Blob knew that he might never see that ship again and he waved his best wave. It wasn't a particularly good wave because he hasn't got a hand to wave with. Blob's person waved a much better wave because Blob told her to. The ship got smaller and smaller. At least that's how it appears and right now Blob wants to go into an extended monologue about how perspective makes things in the distance look smaller but Blob's person isn't going to let him because anyone reading this probably knows about such things already.
And then the ship was gone.
Gone. And just for a moment a great darkness seemed to fall across the face of Blob. Just for a moment. Then life was bright again. The sun shone and the birds still sang.
The three friends stood for a while longer by the dock considering their lives. How was it that everything had led up to this moment? And what would a future in this land hold for them? They stood and watched the water and believed they would stand and watch nearby waters many times again.
Then they turned with their heads held high and walked back into the town.
It didn't look bad. It was true that all the cafes were shut and they desperately needed a drink. Just when it looked as though thirst would defeat them they saw a big sign up ahead. "North Euston Hotel." They were saved. Surely they could get a drink in here. It did look like an interesting building.
The three walked in and were greeted by an old man who said some very strange things. Blob decided that this man must be the person employed as the town fool. He was very friendly. He beckoned them into an area with lots of chairs and there was a man there behind a counter selling drinks. Fortunately Blob's creator still had enough cash to acquire a drink. The next day they would all have to look for gainful employment. Maybe they would all get jobs as swan feeders on the local lake. That would be good. They sat and drank and started to make plans for the future. If they were truly stuck in this town for the rest of their lives then some pretty solid plans were needed. Blob was quite impressed at the results of the planning meeting. He hasn't got time to tell you about it but promises you that it was a good meeting with a lot of actionable outcomes as business people put it. Blob doesn't like the word actionable.
Feeling a lot better and wonderfully refreshed by the local tea, the friends got up to leave the North Euston Hotel because they didn't have the spare cash to rent a room. The town fool was still there and greeted them again on the way out. He spoke some more strange words. Then he said the most profound thing anyone had heard that day.
He said, "The Fleetwood Ferry tram and bus stop is where they come. The Fleetwood Ferry tram and bus stop is where they go. In and out. In and out. They get off the tram, get off the bus. And they get on the tram or the bus again. From elsewhere they arrive. To elsewhere they leave."
Could it really be true? Was it really that easy? Was it possible that Fleetwood wasn't a prison at all and that all one needed to do was get on a bus at a specific place and time and escape would be secured? Really?
Blob Thing said that they had to try it. What did they have to lose? He would be able to forge a new life in Fleetwood but he didn't really want to. He wanted to be able to go home to where his soft toy friends lived. Blob's person said, "No, it can't be true. Not after all we've gone through." But Blob was adamant. And when Blob is adamant there's no point saying no.
So Blob Thing, his person, and his creator left the North Euston and walked back to Fleetwood Ferry, to the place they had spotted a tram stop earlier. And they waited. Hardly daring to hope that the old fool had spoken a truth in his crazy ramblings.
But he had.
A bus arrived. A bus. The companions boarded the bus. Their passes still worked. They could leave Fleetwood. The bus driver didn't even know it was a prison of any kind because she had been bringing people to Fleetwood and taking them away again for years.
Blob Thing had escaped. It only remained for him to return to Blackpool and from there he would be able to return to his creator's house and rest from his adventures.
Note: Blob will be taking a little break from his Blog for a few days because he's currently on holiday having more adventures and doesn't have the time to write anything even if he had the opportunity. He's just got one more adventure to tell you about from his day on the Fylde coast. It's one that he found very exciting. His person found it quite exciting too.
[1245 words.]
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