Post MU-Life's a Scream! Prologue

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, yes, I've FINALLY gotten myself together and began my awaited post-MU story. Be warned to anyone who has not seen the movie yet, there WILL be spoilers. I'd like to thank everyone has become true to MU since its premiere and had been so encouraging that I make this story as soon as possible, special thanks going to Aeon-Borealis, PerryRocks, and especially Victortky.

So this is the prologue and you're introduced to my very first MU OC Laura Sharp. For more info about her as well as my other OCs, check out the MU/MI folder in my gallery.

NOW ON WITH THE STORY! PLEASE COMMENT!
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    It took a while for the newborn to open her eyes, having just been brought into the world minutes ago, but her exhausted mother didn’t mind. The gentle murmur of her baby was relieving enough as the former pregnant woman rested her head against the broad chest of her husband, who stood over her beside the hospital bed, looking just as exhausted from the countless worry and fear he had induced those few agonizing hours since he and his wife rushed to the hospital.
    Fillmore Sharp could not suppress the tears from falling down his face as his daughter’s eyes opened for the first time, a beautiful mix of sky and grass that were her irises met his brown ones.
    “She has your eyes, Atta,” he whispered lovingly to his wife, resting his head atop hers.
    Atta chuckled and simply smiled, basking in the glow of the moment as she held her daughter in her furry arms. Gently, she removed the cloth that had been wrapped around her baby after delivery. Her eyes gazed down fully at what she and her husband had created.
    Her husband was a monster of such draconic features, his entire body made solely of glistening black scales, massive wings, and a strong tail. Atta herself was a well-built monster of pale turquoise fur with curled horns tapering atop her head.
    Their daughter, however, possessed neither a tail nor horns, but this didn’t bother Fillmore one bit. Instead, her smooth skin glistened like the darkest of midnight, her stubby legs furry like her mother’s of another varied dark blue, and her wings looked that of her father’s as well.
    Tail or no tail, horns or no horns, wings big or small, Fillmore knew immediately what beauty and originality his daughter possessed, having thought long before she had even been born. Every monster was born different, some harboring the same appendages as of his or her parent, others varying and being gifted with something similar.
    Each born different, each born special. And he had been blessed with one to call his own.
    Before he and his wife could continue to coo at their daughter, the clicking sound of legs echoed near their doorway and Fillmore caught sight of a familiar face.
    “Aahs, you’re here!” He exclaimed excitedly, extending his bulky arms, hoping for a hug.
    But the woman before him merely stared at her family member’s insisting gesture, not moving a muscle. Instead, she turned toward his wife and the new baby in her arms.
    For a moment, Aahs’ apathetic expression nearly altered at the sight of the new creature brought into the world. But she immediately suppressed such and cleared her throat before turning back to Fillmore.
    “Have you named her?” Her voice hardly held curiosity, but Fillmore could see it plain as day in her eyes.
    “We have,” he said proudly before he reached down, his wife gently handing him their daughter. He slowly rocked their baby girl, eliciting a small murmur from her lips and his smile widened.
    He turned back to the female monster, eyes brighter than the sunlight pouring through the hospital window.
    “Laura, her name is Laura,” he announced happily. “Laura Sharp.”
    Aahs neither smiled nor even moved, though Fillmore could see it in her eyes how proud she was of him.  
    “A proper name, indeed,” she nodded.
    Fillmore cautiously held his daughter out to her. “Want to hold her, Aahs?”
    The request took her by surprise, but she did not show it. Instead, she held out a sharpened claw out to the baby girl. She had quite a grip as her chubby fingers held around a single nail. Aahs was unable to stifle a chuckle, before she took back her hand, releasing Laura’s hold.
    Laura gazed at her curiously, sucking on one of her fingers as she cuddled against the strong chest of her father.
    Aahs merely said nothing, looking away.
    “I’m certain you and your wife will be able to teach this girl properly as she ages?” She asked, not even looking at Fillmore.
    “Of course,” he chuckled. “I’m going to teach Laura great things. Especially about respecting other monsters.”
    “Hmm,” Aahs murmured softly before casting him a questionable look. “Are you not going to teach her about Scaring, dear Fillmore? After all, are you not one of the top Scarers of your company?”
    Fillmore merely chuckled. “Aahs, sure I’ll teach her some things about Scaring. But be aware that Scaring isn’t everything, I mean, every monster is scary in his or her own way, but we’re made for other things besides Scaring. And Laura here,” he gazed down lovingly at his daughter, “she’ll learn other things besides how to scare a human child. Like how every monster possesses something that makes him or her special, or what gives them an advantage, or-”
    “I guess it’s safe to say you’re off to a good start, Fillmore,” Aahs declared.
    With that said, she turned away and made her way toward the door.
    “You’ll come to Laura’s one-day birthday celebration later, right?” Fillmore called out hopefully.
    Aahs stopped in her tracks, simply gazing at him.
    “I suppose,” she gave a slight shrug. “Though I must say that a ‘one-day birthday’ is just pushing it.”
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    6 years later...

    The sun shone brightly as a school bus merged around a corner down a quiet neighborhood, the children within ecstatic and anticipating for their field trip to begin.
    As the bus slowly eased through the entrance and passing through the opening gate, the famous factory itself came into broad view as some of the children poked their heads out their windows to gaze at the memorable name Monsters, Inc..
    Finally, the vehicle parked itself a few feet from the company and came to a slightly abrupt halt, its interior containing children that were now yapping and squirming with even more excitement. The children began to file out as the doors immediately opened, laughter and ambition mixed and every few moments one little monster would scare the other and vice versa to see who could be much scarier in comparison or who would scream louder.
    A wide-angled female monster of forest green fur and long, brown hair checked her clipboard before smiling at her rambunctious class.
    “Alright, everyone,” Ms. Lawrence called out, though it rarely served her much attention as the children still chattered and fooled around. “Remember our field trip rules. No pushing, no shoving, and most definitely no poking each other with horns.”
    “Ow!” One student cried, rubbing his tender bottom while glaring at the mischievous face of his classmate with three horns protruding from his scalp.
    “What did I just say?” Their teacher admonished.
    After making the culprit apologize to his victim, Ms. Lawrence began counting heads. She rubbed her furry chin in confusion.
    “19?” She asked aloud. “Okay, we’re missing one.” Her eyes loomed over the restless children. “Who are we missing?”
    A sudden voice shot out from one of the open windows of the bus, catching the teacher’s attention and making a few of the children’s heads turn.  
    Laura Sharp poked her head out the window, her bright blue and green eyes blinking apologetically before she opened the window further. With a flap of her wings, she hopped out and gracefully flew down before her teacher.
    “Laura, why were you still in the bus?” Ms. Lawrence asked her.
    “Sorry, Ms. Lawrence,” the little draconic-like child looked down at her furry little feet. “I found candy on the floor and just couldn’t resist having a snack before the field trip!”
    Her teacher sighed, though smiled. She then turned back towards the other kids.
    “Alright, it’s time to partner up. Everyone find a buddy.”
    Laura was about to follow her teacher, but was immediately stopped in her tracks as one of her classmates stood in front of her.
    “Hey, Laura,” he greeted, putting on a shy facade as he pretended to trace the ground with a flipper. “Want to be my partner?”
    She eyed him curiously, feeling slightly flustered yet embarrassed. Before she could answer, another monster came beside her, eyeing the other menacingly.
    “No, no, no...” He insisted, standing closer to her. “She’s going to be my partner.”
    Laura was stuck between them as they glared at each other, growling and hissing.
    “Uh, guys?” Her voice was barely above a whisper as the two argued.
    “Back off! I saw her first!”
    “I sat two rows closer to her on the bus than you did!”
    “Guys!” Laura shouted, breaking the tension.
    Both monsters turned to her, both with hopeful smiles that she finally made a choice. They were surprised when she reached down and took ahold of both their hands.
    “Why don’t you be partners to each other?” She insisted with a nervous chuckle, linking their fingers.
    Before they could say anything, she bolted away from them, nearly colliding into Ms. Lawrence.
    “Uh, ma’am?” Laura looked up at her with pleading eyes.
    Her teacher took one glance at her and simply smiled.
    “Well, looks like you’re with me again.” And she extended her hand down to her.
    Laura gave a relieved grin, hooking her fingers into her teacher’s before they made their way toward the company.
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    Laura and Ms. Lawrence were walking in front of the class as one of the company workers led them toward a nearby scare floor.
    “And this is where our Scarers venture into the human world,” their guide explained as he gestured toward the massive room.
    All the kids watched in astonishment as Scarers entered and exited each human child’s door, the sounds of roars and screams mixed with the ringing of canisters being filled. Laura walked a bit further ahead of her classmates, her sky and grassy eyes widening with fascination.
    Scarers of every shape and color, each possessing a unique talent that served as an advantage. While she indeed admired the Scarers, the Scare assistants were just as amazing as well. She watched as each pulled out a key card from a folder, sliding it through the process machine before a new door emerged from the top platform and placing itself on the floor. Laura wished she could grab at least one folder and read it from top to bottom, knowing that what the file contained was very important for the Scare assistant to inform his or her partner when coming in contact with human children.
    “You wouldn’t stand a chance.”
    Laura immediately broke her gaze from the breathtaking view before she found one of her classmates tearfully taking another severe insult by another fellow student.
    “You’d be dead before you could even make a human kid scream,” his tormentor snapped. He folded his arms. “Because, face it, you’re not even close to scary.”
    Eyes immediately ablaze with anger, Laura stomped her way past her other classmates before she finally stood between the poor victim and his bully.
    “Who says who can’t be scary?” She growled.
    Before the insulter could utter a word, she hissed, her tiny wings pointing downwards as she eyed him angrily.
    “Every monster is scary in his or her own right,” she furiously insisted. “We may not all be Scarers, but there’s always a little scary in all of us.”
    She turned back to the victim who watched her in disbelief. She smiled before she motioned to him.
    “See him? He’s got horns that are curled at a certain angle. Advantage? Able to carry things on it, and to an extent for fearful purposes, ram it against a wall to create that creepy effect!”
    Her smile disappeared before she glared once more at the bully.
    “Now I know Ms. Lawrence said no hitting with horns,” she snarled, “luckily for you, I don’t have any. But she did not say no fire breathing!”
    Before her classmate could even flinch, his bottom was attacked with flames spurting from the back of Laura’s throat. He let out a terrified howl, rubbing his keister.  
    “Laura Sharp!”
    Her fire ceased in mid-flame as she looked up into the disapproving eyes of her teacher.
    “Laura, we do not breath fire on this field trip!” Ms. Lawrence chided. “Even if it’s for good reason!”
    The draconic-like girl nearly shrank where she stood, biting her lip, swallowing what little fire she had left. However, before she could explain, a jolly and oh-so familiar voice rang out.
    “Did someone say Laura Sharp?”
    She gasped, eyes widening in excitement before she immediately bolted away from her teacher and classmates, racing straight into strong arms.
    “Daddy!” She exclaimed happily.
    Fillmore Sharp chuckled as he embraced his daughter.
    “Hey, kiddo,” he greeted, “I was wondering when you and your class would get here.”
    Laura merely giggled. Her ears suddenly became attuned to the murmurs and whispers of her fellow classmates.
    “Her dad’s a famous Scarer.”
    “She can do anything because her dad’s a Scarer.”
    “She’s going to become a Scarer for sure, so what’s the point of learning in school?”
    Laura’s ears nearly deflated at how much praise she was being given just because her father worked on the scare floor. Ever since she started pre-school, kids have always showered her with cheesy compliments and questioning why she bothered to learn when her future was pretty much set. All because she was the daughter of Fillmore Sharp.
    She hated that. She really did. Despite being just a little kid, she just wanted to work hard. Earn what she wanted. Not be immediately taken in as something of a celebrity with everything given so easily. Daughter of a Scarer or not, she wanted things fair.
    “Uh, sir?”
    Both father and daughter looked over to a slightly concerned Scare assistant with glasses.
    “I know she’s your daughter, and I really do hate to break up this precious moment,” he smiled apologetically, “but she can’t go beyond the line.” He motioned to the scare floor entrance where the rest of the class stood, a yellow line separating them from the rest of the dangerous facility.
    Fillmore rolled his eyes before he carried his daughter back to her class.
    “Well, hello, kids!” He greeted cheerfully. “I’m Laura’s dad, and I work as a Scarer here at Monsters, Inc..”
    The other kids gazed at him with big eyes and unhinged mouths, before they turned their attention to Laura, who merely shrugged with embarrassment.
    “Fillmore,” his assistant called. “We got a door ready for you.”
    The older monster sighed before he gently placed his daughter down.
    “Duty calls,” he chuckled. “Hey, after you kids finish your little field trip, head on over to the lunchroom. Anything you want, it’s on the company!”
    The children cheered excitedly, and Laura gazed up at her father with a hopeful smile.
    “And ice cream and blue corn?” She asked eagerly.
    Fillmore merely chuckled, grasping her hand and pulling her to his side.
    “You hear that kids?” He laughed. “Ice cream and blue corn! Most definitely!”
    Laura laughed happily as she clung to her father’s leg.
    “Fillmore!” His assistant called out rather impatiently.
    Her father gently pried her off him. “Daddy will see you later, sweetheart,” he told her before giving one last hug. He rushed back across the floor where his door waited.
    Laura smiled, watching as her father lurked through the door. After a few moments, she heard his roar and an ear-splitting scream emerged, followed by the ding of a scream canister perfectly filled.
    She suddenly felt restless, determined even. She wanted to take a closer look at her father’s work so badly.
    She looked over her shoulder to see Ms. Lawrence scolding another student. Perfect opportunity.
    Remembering some of the skills her father taught her, Laura crouched until her furry knees nearly touched the floor. Wings tucked in and giving herself a few breaths, Laura quietly sprinted across the yellow line.
    When her father was home and the family would play hide-and-seek, Fillmore would teach her various ways of how he hid from the human children, perfectly timing himself before he scared them.
    He taught her to be quick on her feet and hide behind objects, which Laura immediately did as she rushed behind a scream canister when a Scare assistant turned in her direction.
    He taught her how to hide in the shadows, that their skin was like night sky and could easily help them blend in the dark, which Laura also used as she rolled under a table out of another Scarer’s view.
    He even taught her how noise could distract a human child, giving the Scarer a chance to continue hiding. Laura did this by having grabbed a nearby Scare assistant hat, then ever so carefully, tossing it across the floor before it hit a nearby group of empty canisters, spilling them over the floor, grabbing nearby monsters’ attention as they raced over to clean it up.
    Laura stifled a giggle before she finally was able to escape from underneath the table and racing toward the doors.
    “Which one was daddy’s?” She suddenly gasped, gazing at each door worriedly. They all looked the same to her, and she didn’t know which section her father was located on the floor.
    “Whose door was this suppose to be for?”
    Laura let out a gasp before she hid behind another scream canister, daring a peek, she saw two Scare assistants beside a new door. One of them gave a nonchalant shrug.
    “I don’t know. Sharp’s, maybe?”
    Laura’s eyes lit up. As soon as the two assistants left, Laura immediately abandoned her hiding place and gazed at the door. Her jaw fell in astonishment, never having even seen a real human child’s door before.
    Not wasting another second, with a flap of her wings, she flew up, her tiny hands grabbing at the knob, furiously working it.
    She heard that click, and she beamed with excitement.
    “I’m coming, daddy!” She exclaimed before she slowly opened the door and slipped in.
    Fillmore exited out of the door right beside the one his daughter had ventured through. He let out a deep breath and chuckled.
    “This kid a toughie?”
    He turned and smiled as a tall blue monster with many legs and tiny horns protruding from his head walked past him.
    “He wet the bed more than he did scream,” Fillmore joked, causing his fellow Scarer to laugh. “You’re just starting on this door, Frank?” He jerked his head toward the one beside his.
    “Yup, time to work my magic,” Frank declared as he reached over toward the knob with a clawed hand. “Hope to meet your daughter later, Fill.”
    “Yeah, I should go and see how impressed her class is by our work,” Fillmore decided before walking back toward the children.
    His eyes loomed over every student, and he gave their teacher a confused look.
    “Where’s Laura?”
    Ms. Lawrence’s eyes widened before she turned back to her students, quickly counting heads.
    “W-where’s Laura?” She asked the children anxiously.
    “Ms. Lawrence?” One of her classmates called. “Since Laura’s dad works here, does that mean she’s allowed to step over the line?”
    The two adults looked at her in confusion.
    “Why do you ask that?” Ms. Lawrence asked carefully.
    “Because Laura went into the door that guy with a lot of legs just went into to.”
    The color immediately drained from their faces when both turned to see the door Frank merged through slowly close.
    “Laura!” Ms. Lawrence screamed in horror.
    “Oh, my gosh!” Fillmore shouted.
    “What? What?” His assistant asked desperately.
    “My daughter went into Frank’s door!” The Scarer cried.
    “She what?” The assistant exclaimed. “Oh, no! Not this again!”
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    Laura hid behind a toy chest, the realization that this was not her father’s door passed minutes ago. She watched as a blue monster with many long legs and tiny horns sneak his way up to the child, a little girl.
    As she watched the Scarer remain in his hiding spot, counting down to the moment where he could finally strike, Laura took the time to gaze at her surroundings.
    She was in the human world. In a human child’s bedroom.
    The monster child gazed breathlessly at everything, from the decor of the room to the toys that littered the floor. They looked like nice toys, but they were not monster toys. She knew touching them would bring harm on her life as her father had constantly told her.
    She watched as the Scarer slowly eased across the floor. She was astounded as his many legs missed every single toy, like a string carefully dragged through the cracks and openings.
    Laura held back a gasp when she saw him crouch low, claws extended, ready to sneak up on the child and frighten her. However, the sound of the child’s bedroom door opened and the Scarer rushed into his hiding spot as the light from the human’s doorway emerged into the dark bedroom. The dragon-like girl immediately hid further behind the toy chest, swallowing hard as she made out the shadows of the human child’s parents. Laura was just inches away from them, so she held her breath.
    “Poor baby, she’s all tuckered out from the trip,” a woman’s voice said.
    “Sleep tight, kiddo,” sounded a man’s voice, it almost reminded Laura of her father’s.
    After the parents closed the door and their footsteps became distant, Laura watched as the Scarer emerged once more, then crouched down, crawling on hands and legs before he reached beside the bed. He was so close to the slumbering human child.
    Claws extracted, mouth opening in a terrifying snarl, Laura watched in pure awe as the moment before her eyes took into effect. The child slowly woke up when she felt her bed slightly shake.
    And, for the first time ever, Laura saw an actual human child scream.
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    Frank exited out of the door back into the safety of the monster world. Before he could even blink, he was grabbed by the shoulders by Fillmore Sharp himself.
    “Fill, what are you-?” Frank exclaimed. He peered over his fellow Scarer’s shoulder to see everyone in the scare floor with fire extinguishers, first-aid medical boxes, walkie-talkies, and panicked expressions.
    “Is she okay?” Fillmore demanded desperately. “Tell me she’s okay!”
    “Who?”
    “My daughter! She went in there as well! Oh, great glop of goo, if a human child touched her...!”
    “Daddy?”    
    Both looked down to see Laura herself standing behind Frank, her eyes lit up and a cheerful smile on her face.
    “My baby girl!” Fillmore cried, pushing Frank aside before he reached down and scooped her up.
    Laura laughed as her father held her close.
    “Daddy, I saw it!” She exclaimed. “I saw an actual human child scream!”
    “And you survived! That’s what matters most!”
    Both she and her father turned to look at Frank, whom held an expression of both surprise and disbelief.
    Fillmore smiled sheepishly. “Frank, this is Laura.” His daughter shyly waved at him.
    Before Frank could say anything, Ms. Lawrence came rushing over, looking both relieved and displeased.
    “Laura!” She exclaimed. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
    Laura sucked in her breath, looking away rather shamefully. However, before she could think of something to say, Frank immediately interrupted.
    “That like father, like daughter,” he chuckled as he reached over and placed an encouraging claw on her shoulder.
    Laura looked up and her bright blue and green eyes stared at smooth blue skin.
    Blue. Her absolute favorite color.
    Frank just smiled. “Just like your old man.” He turned to Fillmore.
    Just then, Fillmore’s assistant came beside him.
    “This is the second time it happened!” He cried. “And in a week!”
    “Oh, come on,” Fillmore scoffed, “like my daughter, at least that one green kid with the single eye was fearless. That counts for something.”
    “Holy moly, I almost called the CDA!” His assistant exclaimed.
    Laura listened in confusion, wondering just what exactly they were talking about. But her thoughts drifted away when she turned to see Frank once again.
    “So, kid,” Frank smiled, “Monsters University I presume?”
    She looked at him with even more confusion.
    “Or will you go Fear Tech like your old man had?” He asked before shifting his eyes over to the other Scarer.
    Fillmore chuckled, holding his daughter closer.
    “MU, FT, whatever she feels is best for her,” he said proudly, “I’ll support her decision. But right now, I’m thinking she pretty much wants to go for that ice cream and blue corn I promised.” He turned to her teacher. “Ms. Lawrence?”
    Her teacher sighed with exasperation. “Oh, yes. I’d like a coffee if you don’t mind. Make it extra dark and extra gloppy.” Her fingers rubbed her aching temples.
    Fillmore and Frank chuckled before they turned back to Laura.
    “Oh, just wait until your mother learns about this,” Fillmore laughed.