Finally, chapter 3! I really hate my phone at the moment, it deleted this whole chapter so I had to write it again from what I could remember, and not as well in my opinion. So this is probably my least favourite chapter so far. Ah well! Thanks to Sydney Mechelle for reviewing again and also LTJM (though maybe YOU should spend less time reading my drabble and more time writing YOUR GREAT STORY? Hmm?) Anyways, on with the, er, chapter.....

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Chapter Three

Help!

So, what to do now?

''Dylan?''

That's Malcolm, he sounds worryingly quite far away.

''Yeah?''

''Are you okay? A branch fell down, and...''

''Yeah, I'm fine, just, a little stuck. Well, a lot stuck really.''

It's starting to get a little uncomfortable up here, but I daren't move. It's not that I'm scared of heights, its just I don't really fancy falling to my death from a maple tree. I don't tend to dwell much on how I'm going to die, but this is most definitely not how I'd imagined the end of it all.

But maybe I'm overreacting. Malcolm's talking again.

''What should we do?''

And this from the smart one.

''Well...something would be good.''

''Okay, I've got an idea,'' he says after a pause. ''Reese, come on...''

And they're gone.

I look up at Dewey, he's looking back at me. ''I'm sorry,'' he says.

''For what?'' For a moment, slightly stunned by the weirdness of this situation, I've forgotten how I got here.

''For running away.''

''Oh, Dewey, it's okay. I'm just glad we found you, we were worried sick.''

''We?''

''Your brothers too.''

''Really?''

''Yeah, of course. They were worried about you. Scared. They thought you'd been run over.''

''But they don't like me.''

Have you ever been in the situation where you have a desparate need to give a particular person a hug cos they look like they need one but you physically can't? (Like if doing so might send you both toppling out of a tree?)

Well, that's how it is for me right at this moment. In my head, I am going, ''AAAAAAAWWWWW.''

''They might be bad at showing it, Dewey, but they don't hate you. They're your brothers.''

He doesn't reply for a moment.

''Then why did they break my Mighty Man?''

''Because they're idiots. But that doesn't mean they don't love you.''

''How do you know?''

''I just do.'' Please let Malcolm and Reese come back soon, and let them have done something smart! It's getting cold now, we're both shivering. Plus something is sticking in to my butt. Sorry about that detail, but I am acutely aware of it right now.

''Dylan? Dewey?'' Malcolm calls. I've never been quite so pleased to hear someone's voice. ''Yeah?'' I call back. ''We haven't gone anywhere!''

''We've got a rope,'' he shouts up, ''a long one. Reese is going to climb up and throw it to you, then all you have to do is catch it and tie it to the nearest branch and lower yourselves down.''

I'm so happy he's thought of something I'm not even thinking about the millions of ways it could go wrong. ''You're brilliant!'' I yell down at him.

''Thanks,'' he says modestly. ''Okay, Reese is coming up now.''

A few moments later I can see Reese a few branches below us. He's holding what's hopefully a long and very strong rope.

''Where did you find that?'' I yell as he throws it up to me. I miss.

''It was tied round the gate,'' he says as he tries again. I miss again. (I know, I know. I suck at everything remotely sport-related, including catching, except long-distance running which isn't going to help me out right now.) ''Malcolm remembered seeing it on the way in.''

''Thank goodness for that.''

He throws it a third time and this time, I manage to catch it. I tie it around the branch above me, the one sort of between me and Dewey, hoping I'm remembering the right sort of knot which will hold while we climb down.

''C'mon Dewey, you can go first,'' I say encouragingly. He doesn't look convinced.

''What if it breaks?''

Good question. ''It won't,'' I reply, ''Just take it slow.''

Gingerly he edges along his branch and takes hold of the rope. ''Wrap your arms and legs around it,'' I tell him and he does so.

Slowly he lowers himself down. ''Okay!'' Malcolm yells up, ''Dylan! Your turn!''

Well, I guess I'd better go. Please let the rope be strong enough for my bulk! I'm not a walrus, but neither am I a hummingbird.....