Welcome to third chapter of 'All I wanted was my test scores!' Yes indeed… and the beast in my closet is going to do the disclaimer for me!
Everyone: Clap clap clap clap clap!
Beast: clears throat ROOOOARADEOUS FHOEHOISVHDSHBVGS! bows
Translation: Faith still owns nothing.
Everyone: YAAAAY! ENCORE! BRAVO!
Chapter three
"THIS IS WHY WE WERE DUMPED IN SOME FREAK'N NEW WORLD? TO SURVIVE ON OUR OWN FOR TWO WEEKS? THIS IS NOT HOW IT HAPPENED IN THE MANGA!" AJ yelled to the heavens.
"Urg…. Would you SHUT UP? It's too late for your senseless babbling." MJ grabbed a mini carton of milk, pouring it onto the last of the box of honey nut cherrios. Who cared that it was seven o'clock at night?
"Uh… MJ? That milk expired five days ago."
With a choke-she had just put the spoon in her mouth- MJ threw the bowl-yes the whole bowl- at the wall, still sputtering.
"EEEERRRRRGGGGGG!"
"Did it actually taste bad?"
The girls, as may have already been gathered, had been living in the woods, in the middle of no where, for two weeks. Yes. Two whole weeks. That's fourteen days. One hundred and sixty eight hours. Twenty thousand one hundred and sixty minutes.
Not of course, that they were counting.
"If I'm supposed to be the priestess shouldn't I be finding my warriors or something? Not… HERE." MJ said for lack of better terminology.
"Yes… I quite agree. That would be more beneficial."
"Hmph."
AJ handed her a glass of water. "What we need is a cow."
"A cow?"
"You know… for more milk."
MJ stared at her, as if determining, not if she were insane- but just how insane. "AJ…. Has it ever occurred to you that we don't even know how to milk a cow?"
"Well… my Mom was a farmer… maybe it's genetic."
"My Dad is a nurse. That doesn't mean I automatically know how to stick people with needles."
AJ shivered slightly at the prospect. "Well… it was worth a shot." She began to smile but stopped upon seeing the other girl's face. "What?"
It was not AJ MJ was focused on.
It was the glass of water in her hand.
"Oh… sorry I guess I should have offered… do you want some?" She asked, holding it out slightly.
MJ continued staring, her mouth slightly open.
That was when AJ too noticed.
The water in the glass pulsed. It pulsed again.
The whole thing reminded MJ was the LOTR series, right before a war showed up or something.
Except of course… there were no wars around here… at the moment anyway. In fact… there wasn't anything around here. Just the woods at the base of the mountain-
Mountain?
"AJ! Quick!"
Outside the house, a group of a hundred or more bandits approached, the smoke from the chimney alerting them the normally abandoned cabin now had owners.
Owners that needed to be taxed.
Or killed.
Second in command, Kenji was feeling rather good about himself. The raids had gone particularly well. Men joined the mountain more then ever now, the feelings of getting rich and living free of worry and cares drawing young teens, men, and even the occasional eight year old. Not that this had ever been anything exceptional.
Their journey back up the mountain had been short lived however, when the men, already hyped up from the amount of stolen goods they were carrying, decided to investigate the smoke rising in the distance, by a place where they normally did not travel, knowing the only thing there was trees… and more trees… and more trees.
Bursting into the house, about a dozen men began their classic battle cry, weapons raised as was custom. Usually the personnel would be so terrified they gave in almost immediately.
The only problem was…
There was no one there.
Kenji stood in the front of the group, peering around the room while one of the rather dull members in his group observantly commented.
"Duuuh…. There's no one here boss!"
Rolling his dark eyes, Kenji turned to the men. "Tell the men outside to begin looking. They can't be far. As for the rest of you, start looking for anything of value."
Immediately, orders were obeyed. Kenji glanced around the room, slightly put on.
'There was smoke… someone was here… and recently.' He reasoned. However, the fireplace, was completely put out, a few puny wisps of smoke rising the only thing left.
Walking closer, he peered at it, poking his head inside the domed chimney. Brushing a fingertip experimentally it returned just as he thought. Black… charred… and wet.
Wet because someone had been in a hurry to put it out… and get the heck away.
Someone foolish.
Smiling a little he ducked back out of the fireplace, calling for his men to keep searching.
It was only then, that the girls above him dared to let out two tiny sighs of relief from their cramped and dirty hiding spot in the shadows.
"This stuff is weird." One man commented as he ripped through a bag. "I've never seen anything like it?"
One man held up a bright red object. "What do you suppose this is?" He asked.
Grabbing it, Kenji turned it over, brushing against the black knob. It lit up immediately, and the shocked bandit dropped it with a yell.
"N-NANI?"
"Boss… we can't find anything great. Even the food is messed up. Someone's mixed all the ingredients together!" One man complained.
MJ, who was watching this from a tiny spot in the chimney where the rock had chipped away giggled.
"What is it?"
"They found the pizza… and your flashlight." MJ whispered.
"These are devils objects!"
They're wizards! That's how they disappeared!"
"Do you honestly believe wizards wear skirts?" Asked Kenji mockingly, as one of the men threw their clothing all over the floor.
"Witches then!" The superstitious man howled.
"MJ." AJ said faintly. "My arms are going to bust."
"I know… hold on a little more."
"It's so hard to breath in here."
"Keep holding… you can do it." MJ wasn't sure whether she was talking to AJ or herself. The men had been fooling around for nearly twenty minutes. The black haired man- obviously the leader of the bunch, was determined that the girls would be found… and only seemed to grow more frustrated as the time passed.
AJ was right, the smoke that had lingered as they crawled into the dome was intoxicating, the soot worse. She was terrified she would sneeze. It would only take one small movement for the soot to fall beneath and give them away.
"I don't think they're around boss."
"I can't believe they got away."
Both girls relaxed slightly. AJ could practically feel MJ's smile, even in the dark. 'We did it!'
"It's too late to head back to the mountain. We wouldn't arrive before nightfall." Kenji turned to the door. "Four of you head out. Tell the men to set up camp as best as the can… it's warm tonight. Sleeping under the sky won't harm them."
"We'll stay here then?"
AJ bit back a groan. "No way." She muttered.
"Shh!" MJ hissed cautiously.
As the men talked on, and the looters began making beds in the house out of the girls clothing, one of them even with a skirt of AJ's, MJ's voice softly wavered again.
"We'll have to wait until they're asleep. Then we can sneak out and make a run for it."
"You think?" AJ asked hopefully.
"It'll be okay. Were going to make it." MJ said about two million times more confident then she felt.
Looking up through the chimney, AJ could see the sky was growing gradually darker. She prayed it would come soon… no yoga practice she had ever done had felt as bad as this.
The men had gathered around, passing around drinks, laughing and gambling, using profanity and words that made the girls blush. Outside, the same thing was apparently occurring.
The sky became completely dark above, like a sheet of smooth glass. Overjoyed with the fact they may actually get down from the dark fowl place they waited carefully, quietly.
"Chen it's getting dark… make a fire."
The words jolted them awake. Both began shaking.
"Can't boss… the wood's soaked."
"That was a close call!" MJ thought, relieved.
"So go out and get some more you fat lazy oaf. There's a pile of twigs and wood by the side of the house."
Rummaging was heard below, as his orders were carried out. New wood was stacked against the health, someone's grubby fingers arranging them just so, muttering to himself.
"Hurry up Chen. Don't have all night."
"Can't you just light a candle boss? It's not like there's any shortage." He complained.
'Yeah… can't you boss?' MJ thought desperately.
"Can you boil tea by a candle? Stupid idiot."
A spark flew from beneath them, and suddenly, a burst of light engulfed the hiding place. MJ saw AJ clamp her mouth shut, blinking back tears from the smoke, like she herself was trying to do.
"Not nearly large enough, add more paper."
AJ pushed herself against the wall in retaliation. Death by fire, or at the mercy of a hundred obnoxious men.
'Don't cough… don't cough! If you do they'll find you! If you do you die!'
MJ attempted to scurry up the side of stone, but it was too small- there was no place to hide.
Sharing a look of fear, and pressing their faces into their shirts as breathing masks, tears from the soot and smoke created dark trails on their faces.
'How much longer can we go on like this?' She wondered, dread clenching her stomach.
Below the men clamored for the small pot they had brought, beginning to prepare food supposedly.
Suddenly, a log was thrown on the fire, sending a shower of red hot sparks.
Both girls screamed as their flesh began to burn.
Below, Kenji jumped to his feet upon hearing this.
"Put it out! Put it out you baka!" He shoved two men aside, throwing the food aside and pulling the wood out while crushing the tiny spark beneath his feet. Then his eyes snapped at attention to the fire place.
"Show yourselves. Show yourselves now!"
After a small moment, one that seemed to last for eternity, Amy Joe McDermott and Mary Jane High slowly climbed out awkwardly and stood before the men, burned, sooty and shaken.
Cliff Hanger hanging from a cliff! AND THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED CLIFF HANGER…
For those of you who have seen that TV program. laughs Yes I watch kiddy cartoons. I'm lame like that. :giggles:
Many thanks again everyone. I want reviews. Please and thank you.
FAITHIE
