Keep It Slick.
		In a vast place, relatively speaking, where some Thoughts mature while others fade away, Keep It Slick flung open the door that someone forgot to lock and ran as fast as a young Slogan could. Every Belief, Joke, and Curse in the large foyer stood in shock as Keep It Slick raced across the floor. Even the Egos, who love to save the day, lunged late and fell in a heap. Everyone in Consciousness watched helplessly as Keep It Slick reached the far wall and disappeared behind the office door marked, “Speech”. Inside, the long line-up of Questions, Compliments, and Lies also froze as Slick sprinted by them. Someone finally yelled, “Stop him!”, but the Slogan was at the teller’s booth before anyone reacted. He pushed aside the first one in line just as the red "Speak" light was switched on by Pituitary Command Center who, a moment later, were informed that a rebel Thought had jumped rank. Keep It Slick leaned forward and loudly spoke into the VoiceCom. Behind him, a surprised Good-Night shrugged and walked away, stripped of his destiny lost forever. Keep It Slick screamed and kicked as security dragged him back to Idea Purgatory; this time they made sure the door locked firmly behind him. The other Thoughts ignored Slick as he scanned the musty room. They chattered away to one another, unaware that Slick had just entered or that he'd even left at all. Every Thought in Purgatory, for the most part, was shapeless and undeveloped. Consequently, they were naïve, and didn’t know the darkest and dirtiest place in all of Stan was theirs for a reason. Idea Purgatory was home to Thoughts who were no longer needed, as well as those who would never be used at all. It was a decrepit saloon of disillusioned drunks, clinging to hope by constantly talking about it. A lucky few were summoned to leave now and then, but most slowly melted over time into the soupy floor that had created them. Keep It Slick sighed and found a quiet corner. He shivered and grew tense, fearing his fleeting instant of selfish glory came at the greatest price of all. His ill-timed stab at popularity had in fact resulted in a close friend of Stan’s being told to, "Keep it slick". A muffled voice informed everyone in Consciousness through wall speakers that an unfortunate breach of security had occurred. Good-Night and a few other witnesses were asked to report to the Faux Pas office for questioning. The voice also said an emergency conference was now taking place at the Stress & Worry Department. Shortly after, the meeting’s details were relayed throughout Stan to bring each sector up to speed. It was reported that the girl and Stan had not chatted in a rather long time, and that a task force was being assembled to rescue the relationship. After some statistics concerning damages to the Guilt and Regret agencies were given, the voice became serious and grave. “We have discovered today,” the voice warned, “that even the actions of a mere Slogan can have far-reaching consequences.” There was a pause, then: “Research has already begun to determine humane ways in which obsolete Thoughts are returned to Circulation before their will actually expires." New policies were typically implemented with staggering speed throughout Stan. Departments adjusted almost immediately to revised guidelines from Pituitary Command, whose respected decisions nearly always led to Stan-wide improvements. Preventing a repeat occurance of Keep It Slick’s recent joy-ride was no exception. Many Thoughts in Idea Purgatory suddenly slumped to the floor as the new regulations were enforced. Most of the fallen Thoughts were little more than blobs before the policy change anyway, veterans who no longer served a purpose. The others had never been used at all, therefore without substance or potential. Keep It Slick was a rare Thought, however, shipped over from Subconscious after a filing error and assigned to Idea Purgatory simply because he belonged nowhere else. As the very cause of this new Thought protocol, Slick also felt himself weaken and dropped to the floor. There were rumours around Purgatory that a failing Thought sometimes experienced incredible visions when the end of their existence drew near. Thoughts who were recalled to duty just moments before they vanished completely reported having intense fantasies...fantasies that seemed as real as the floor they later woke up on. So, as Keep It Slick fought to exist, he suddenly found himself in a large stadium that had a boxing ring in its center. He was in that ring, sprawled motionless near one corner, with the canvas floor vibrating against his left cheek.
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