CHAPTER RE-EDIT MARCH 2017: Lots of fun I'm having, really. I never got around to edit this chapter originally 'cause I was so lazy… Ugh. Well finally I can edit it properly, and fix some junk up. Especially since I didn't know the pilgrims were called pilgrims. Enjoy, readers!

(1) I laughed at this when I realized the rude way of saying it.

~ALICE~

My mother shoved the clutch right under my armpit, sending a stab of shock through my body.

Great. I was done. My life was screwed. I glanced at the woman with depressed, teary eyes. She looked back at me with sympathy, but her lip quivered. The look in her eyes said 'I'm sorry'.

"I'll drive you today, Alice. How about that?" she offered, in her kindest voice. My face didn't even twitch. I wasn't sure if I was more angry or sad, especially with that crutch stabbing my armpit. Mom put her hands on my shoulder. "Look..." She stopped for a moment, as if the words couldn't form on her tongue. I considered helping her find the words, but my own tongue was dried up. A great help that would be.

My mother released her hands and bowed her head, like she was getting a punishment. "Maybe... Maybe you should stay home today… If you want..." She looked at me, as if those words hurt to say. I think her words were just as muddled as mine in this situation. Maybe less, as she could actually speak. All I did was look at the floor.

"I'll take that as a yes, love," Mom sighed, staring at me, with more sympathy. "Are you alright? What really happened yesterday?"

"I want to go to school." I blurted out. The words hit me in the head and in the heart, like I couldn't control them. But there is always a reason why words hit you. I just didn't know why the words hit me at the time. My mother raised an eyebrow, like a police officer.

"Are you sure?" she asked. I nodded, grabbing my clutch tighter than before. Perhaps it was my courage that made me say those words... No... I didn't have any courage.

"I have... A history test," I lied. I eye-gestured to the door. "Come on, we'll take the car."

The tension in the car burned my soul more than I thought it would. Mom and I didn't speak a word to each other, our throats clogged by our own fear. I was both relieved and horrified when our car pulled into the school carpark. Then I started regretting coming to school. What was I thinking? But it was too late to turn back... Besides... Home would just be as awkward as ever..

I went over to the boot and pressed the button. It flung open, revealing my black school bag. I grabbed it and flung it over my shoulder, trying to ignore the pressure it physically put on me. I was already overloaded with my mental crap.

"Alice, you forgot your crutch." Mom said from the front seat. (1) I felt a drop of sweat roll down my cheek. I reluctantly grabbed my crutch from the boot and slung it under my armpit. I sighed and left the car with a dry tongue, not even saying goodbye to my mother.

~THIRD PERSON~ (here we go)

Students were chatting happily to each other, as if they had no idea of the incident that had occurred the previous day. A group of girls were huddled close to the lockers, their voices low and subtle, the atmosphere dark and dreary. Compared to everyone else, they were a storm cloud in a sunny day.

"Do you think she's coming?" the tallest one asked, raising her brow. Her acquaintances shrugged, fear displayed on their faces.

"I hope not. She practically did that on purpose. Poor Lou. She told me that jacket was the thing her mother gave her before she died." the medium height one said, depression hidden in her eyes and expressed in her voice. The shortest one bowed her head, her hair falling off her shoulders.

"It's a shame really... After... A-Alice ran away- Don't ask me how she can run- The school called her mother and gave her a crutch... or something." she said quietly.

"Oh, she got a crutch all right." the tallest one said, pointing her tan hand at the entrance of the school. A girl with short, blonde, wavy hair and with a crutch under her armpit was waddling down the steps.

"Jeez, why did she even come today?" the medium one scoffed, brushing her mousey hair out of her face. She glared horribly at Alice, who had a blank, heartless expression. It was like she was under some sort of mind control that removed her emotions.

"Come on, I don't want to be in Crashice's presence." hissed the tallest one. Her groupies gave a quick glare at the blonde girl, before following their ring leader with a clop of heels.

Alice slowly trotted down the steps, before everyone in the school glared at her, or looked away. As if they had rehearsed, they immediately turned their backs to her and started wildly whispering, which seemed more like loud hisses. Alice didn't even seem to notice them, as she took a step across the floor.

"What are you doing here, Crashice?" one of the boys spat at her. Everyone's eyes were on Alice's leg, as it banged against the crutch. "About time ya got some help for that excuse of a leg!" he called. The school hall was filled with wicked laughter as the expressionless girl walked over to her locker, not even looking up.

"Looks like Crashice broke her hearing and her leg!" There was laughter and loud snorts all over again. Alice just kept doing what she was doing, opening her locker like a tortoise. She pushed her bag in her locker, then grabbed her maths book.

"Ooh, is she going to cry?" somebody else jeered, with an evil grin. The horrid laughter continued, echoing through the halls and corridors. Then Alice stopped what she was doing. She put down everything she was holding and looked at the world around her. Her mind was deep in thought, as she closed her eyes for a brief moment.

"Whatcha ya gonna do now, Crashice?" somebody asked, staring at her with devious eyes. Everyone cooed, giving her harsh glares. Then something snapped behind the girl's eyes.

"It was an accident! The stupid mustard thing was an accident! MY LIFE IS AN ACCIDENT!" Alice screamed, her voice cracking. It was as if her voice hadn't been used for many years. Everyone stopped laughing and talking. There was nothing but bitter silence. Alice bit her lip and picked up her stuff, her footsteps sounding like air horns as she walked through the shocked crowd. Everyone's eyes stayed glued to the blonde girl with a crutch, who didn't even look back.

~ALICE~

The rest of the day was a blur. I'm honestly not sure if everyone was completely petrified or furious at me. I got a lot of glares and an occasional snarl, but everyone kept their distance from me and not one person (apart from the teachers) talked to me. I'm not sure if I hated it. It was too much for me to think. I guess I had enough anger to yell out the truth in the morning. It didn't even feel good.

Mom came to pick me up from school. She smiled warmly at me as I got in the car, her fingers tapping on the steering wheel. I think she was the only person who smiled at me that day, apart from my English teacher when I managed to finish my essay. I clicked in my seatbelt and gazed out the window, my chin cupped in my hand.

My thoughts traveled back to my experience with Poptropica the previous night. I was such a coward, staying in the shadows and letting everyone else do the work. Always had been. No wonder I don't have any friends. My soul bridge was weaker than ever. I could almost feel it cracking.

When we got back I stormed up to my room, not even caring about how much noise or mess I made.

"Stupid... Stupid… stupid..." I scolded myself, flopping onto my bed, face first into the pillow. I lazily reached out my arm and grabbed my laptop, which was on my bedside desk. It felt cold and smooth beneath my fingers. I sat up and crossed my legs, switched my laptop on, went onto the internet and booted up Poptropica.

"At least one person needs me..." I mumbled, signing into Fierce Fox. The screen showed Home Island, with Fierce Fox holding the medallion, completing Monkey Wrench Island. Amelia was clapping, with a big grin. It was just like yesterday...

Except I was missing... They didn't even notice. Who would?

"Where's Alice?" Amelia asked, after the confetti died down, contrary to my thoughts. She looked around, tapping her chin.

"Dunno." Fierce Fox said, captivated by how shiny her medallion was. She was looking at it with pride. I scowled and made her jump through the celebrations and onto her bright yellow blimp. It lifted off into the air, bringing up the good old map. I made her go to a faraway island... A special island: Early Poptropica. She landed on the island, making me feel nostalgia for the first time I played Poptropica… so many lost memories.

I sighed and closed the browser, my emotions taking charge of my actions. My head was hurting with horror and memories of school, and the years I had been bullied... All I wanted was a miracle. All I needed was a miracle. Is entering Poptropica a miracle?

I found my little badge on my bedside table. I clutched it tightly in my fingers, tapping its plastic exterior with my nail. It made a little dinging noise, which seemed to ring in my eardrums. I sighed and placed it back on the table. There was a knock on my door, which made the hairs on my air sit up.

"Alice?" my mother's kind voice said from outside my room. "Are you okay?"

"Just... leave me alone," I said, laying my head onto my pillow, which had a face print on it. "No one can help me now... I have no courage... No anything..." But my mother didn't move.

"Alice... You are so much braver than you think. Much braver than me. I never thought you would be able to go to school... But you did. Your courage is hidden away somewhere, and when the time is right, you'll know when to let it out." she said. I sighed loudly, rubbing my eyes.

"Go away." I snapped, a little too harshly. I heard Mom sob quietly and her steps vanish along with my confidence. I mentally slapped myself.

It was evening as I laid on my bed, my hair spread out on my pillow. My emotions were so dead that I couldn't cry. I couldn't smile. It was as if my brain was an inactive factory. I began to wonder if I would enter Poptropica again that night. Wait, what? No, that was a dream, I told myself. I never entered Poptropica… that's impossible. Like my chances of courage. Suddenly my vision was overcome with white.

All around me, I heard voices. I opened my eyes, and I was back in Poptropica. It was Home Island again, looking plain normal. Fierce Fox was gone, but Amelia was there. She was hanging out on the bridge, gazing out into the distance. I stared at myself. I was wearing the same clothes from yesterday... well… I looked exactly the same as I did yesterday. I wiggled my thumbless hand, trying not to gasp at my missing thumb. Then Amelia saw me.

"Greetings Alice!" she called, giving me a wave. She gestured me over to her. I slowly trotted towards her, taking deep breaths along the way. I stood still, facing her, feeling weird in my stomach. Amelia is such a bright light compared to me...

Amelia's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Where did you go?" It was full of concern and sympathy, which showed on her face, too. "You... just disappeared yesterday."

"Um... I can't explain," I answered quickly, trying to keep my blank face. "Where's Fierce Fox?"

"Wherever the voice said she is." Amelia answered, turning on my brain gears. Wherever the voice said she is… Of course! She's at Early Poptropica!

I pictured her on the island, not doing anything. She was standing there, with an anxious expression, just waiting for something to happen. Waiting for a miracle... Waiting for the voice... She needs a miracle...

"So... Do you know a way to get to Early Poptropica?" I asked nervously. Amelia raised an eyebrow.

A few minutes later, we were back in Amelia's plane, flying over the Poptropican ocean. It looks just like a cartoony ocean, with the occasional grass island. I gripped the sides of the whirring plane, as if it was going to toss me out. Amelia was in the front, clutching the steering wheel. Apparently Amelia had got her plane back from Monkey Wrench and got it fixed. Don't ask me how.

"Early Poptropica is just up ahead!" the pilot called, her hair blowing back in the wind. Her glasses were pulled over her face, making her look tough.

"Okay." I replied, as the wind blew on my face, making it icy. I glanced out the plane again, seeing if I could spot any familiar islands. All I saw was another one of those grass ones. Then, the plane started to descend, passing clouds and seagulls. Up ahead, I could see an island, that was definitely not one of the grass ones.

"LAND AHOY!" Amelia cried, as the plane neared the island.

"Isn't that saying associated with boats?" I asked, with an eyebrow raised.

"Oh well... Here we are!" Amelia replied, as the plane made contact with the ground, right in the middle of the street (which is probably illegal in my world). Amelia jumped out, her feet landing on the ground. She removed her goggles and inhaled proudly through her nostrils. "Ah... Early Poptropica. First island ever. Did you know that?"

I tried not to groan. Yes was all I said, as I climbed out of the plane, my feet hitting the floor. I brushed out my arms and let the nostalgia fill my head. We were in the main part of Early Poptropica, with the arcade, The Soda Pop shop, The Pop Art museum... It almost made me smile, as the memories flowed back. Amelia put a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked kindly. It felt strange hearing that question from another person.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Go back to Home Island. I can find Fierce Fox." I said, nodding at her. Amelia looked hesitant, but waddled back over to her plane anyway. She climbed in and turned on the engine, which made a loud noise, and forced air to pull my hair back.

"Want me to come and get you later?" she asked, gripping the steering wheel.

"Nope, I'll be fine. I've got my own way off this island." I said, mentally slapping myself for over-talking. Own way? Seriously, Alice? Amelia shrugged and brought her plane to life, maneuvering it to fly off into the distance. I watched its silhouette for a few brief moments, before I mentally harassed myself. How on Earth was I going to find Fierce Fox? My feet padded along the concrete path, as I stared at the brilliantly blue sky. It was really quite a shock compared to the grey sky I'd been seeing everyday.

"Fierce Fox!" I called, my voice straining, as I passed the common room. I ran along the cement road, my feet padding until I reached early Early Poptropica. I bumped into one of the Early Poptropicans- aka a Pilgrim- who's extremely pixelated and looks like he comes from the 80s. His expression was almost as bland as mine. I looked at him, taking a deep breath.

"Excuse me," I began. "Have you seen a red-haired Poptropican girl?" I asked. The pilgrim looked at me with pixelated eyes.

"Welcome to our town! We're Poptropica's first settlers." he replied, as an 'answer'.

"Great... Thanks..." I mumbled, storming past him. I walked by the pale plank wooden houses with straw roofs. The ground was dirty and grubby beneath my feet. Then I spotted Fierce Fox, gazing into the sky. She was in front of the largest cottage, which had two doors and a large straw roof.

My heart jumped with relief. "Fierce Fox!" I cried, my voice hitting her. She turned around and scowled.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, her tone hitting me with shock. It felt like school all over again, as I tried to ignore the memories.

"I've come to help you." I answered, in my most shy and polite tone.

"I don't need help from you. The voice will tell me what to do." Fierce Fox scoffed, glaring at me. I felt my soul bridge shake. Then an idea made its way into my head.

"Well... My voice says that I have to help you," I retorted, mentally grinning. Fierce Fox kept glaring at me; a suspicion lurked deep in the back of her eyes. I did my best to ignore the harsh stare. "Come on, we have to talk to him." I said, pointing to a pilgrim in front of a pig pen. He blinked his pixelated eyes, staring at the ground. Fierce Fox stormed over to him.

"My precious pig! My prize winning porker! Snatched by that sneaky spider!" he cried dramatically, making me wonder if he was from a melodrama. I jogged over to the stone well nearby his pig pen and peeped down into the darkness; chills went up my spine.

"We need to go down t-there..." I shivered, my hand gripping the rope, which leads into the darkness. Fierce Fox jumped down the well flawlessly, which didn't make me look any better. My fingers began to sweat up, loosening my grip on the rope. There's no way I can go down there…

"Hey know-it-all! You coming?" Fierce Fox's harsh voice called. I bit my lip. Come on Alice... Stop being such a coward...

"Uh... Jump down all the platforms and use the sea-saws to help you jump up and around to get to a place where you will find a glow stick." I instructed, my voice a little shaky. I heard Fierce Fox snort.

"But why aren't you getting your lazy butt down here? Why don't you help me for once?" she hissed. I felt my soul drop all my confidence. The bridge began to crack.

"Just... I can't... It's not hard. You'll be able to do it," I said, trying to ignore the shame at myself in my voice. I heard her groan. "Besides... I'm not the hero..." I muttered, peeping down into the hole. Why can't I be so courageous? It's a few jumps!

I couldn't see anything in the pitch black, except for the outline of a crate. Then, Fierce Fox appeared before me.

"I got the glow stick. Where next, know it all?" she asked, glaring at me. I sighed.

"This way." I said, walking off to the main street. Fierce Fox immediately bolted, leaving me in the dust. My tortoise pace eventually caught up to her, which made her rather impatient as she tapped her foot. I cleared my throat and pointed at the manhole. "We need to go down there-"

"'We'? Sorry, let me rephrase that: I need to go down there while you stay up here." scowled Fierce Fox. I bowed my head, lacing my fingers. My heart stung and I felt my strength vanish like steam.

"I... don't know anymore..." I muttered, taking a step back. I racked my brain, searching for answers. Or at least courage. But those words I said were true: I just don't know anymore. Fierce Fox stared at me with aggravation. A voice appeared in my brain, like an echo. Your courage is hidden away somewhere, and when the time is right, you'll know when to let it out.

"So... are you coming or not? Or are you staying up here like always?" Fierce Fox asked, looking into my eyes. I walked to the edge of the manhole and peeped in. I kneeled down, putting my legs into the darkness, then slithered down, praying that I didn't die. My hands tightly clutched a rope, my feet mirroring at the bottom.

Very slowly, I slithered down the rope, landing on the dirty, wooden bridge. The whole room has a Halloween feel, with cobwebs in the corner, containments of slime, and spiders hanging from the platforms. The front of the bridge had been snapped in half; its rope trailing down to the bottom.

"You actually came down?" Fierce Fox gaped, appearing behind me. I squeaked and whipped around, the hairs on my arms standing up. She raised an eyebrow at my face. Then it hit me: I conquered my fear. I did the thing I thought I could never do. I was here.

I looked around, a smile almost creeping onto my face. My feet haltingly tip-toed across the weak wooden bridge, getting near the drop, which led to a platform with a goth girl. The fear started to seep back into me, and the negativity returned. I tried to remind myself that Poptropicans are very close to immortal, and I wasn't going to get hurt.

Fierce Fox jumped in front of me, landing on the wooden platform with a breeze. She faced the goth girl, who was murmuring about spiders. I stood on the edge of the drop, taking a deep breath, and shut my eyes. I pushed myself off.

I was in the air for a few milliseconds, before my feet made contact with the ground, as my knees bent. Oh... what am I doing in this tunnel? The fear in me was yelling at me to stop; to run away like I always did. My courage was trying to motivate me. It was like an argument between my emotions.

"Hey dreamy, what do we do next?" Fierce Fox asked, her voice piercing my thoughts.

"We- You go down there," I answered, pointing into the darkness, my head pounding. "The 'Prized Porker' is at the bottom. Oh, and watch out for spiders." Fierce Fox gave me a strange look, but starting descending regardless. I watched her hop down from platform to platform, neatly dodging the spiders. I gulped, eyeing all the spiders. My legs didn't move; they were frozen by fear. My courage was failing again.

Fierce Fox was at the bottom, standing on the moving platform. A scary, large, green spider was roaming around at the bottom. It has long, spindly legs that gave me the creeps. A pink, pixelated pig was in the corner, as still as a statue. I'm not sure if it was alive or not. Maybe it was petrified. Fierce Fox landed on the ground, and the spider sprinted towards her.

It hit Fierce Fox in the legs, pain expressing on her face. However, she immediately got back up and gracefully leaped over the spider, landing right next to the pig. She snatched it up, and somehow the living animal went into her inventory. If this was my world, the R.S.P.C.A would be extremely mad.

My Poptropican neatly jumped from platform to platform, nearing the top. I breathed out in relief, knowing everything was going to plan. She was on the moving platform beneath mine, with her legs bent. She jumped up, when suddenly a little purple spider struck her on the chest. Her face split with pain and she began to fall.

"FIERCE FOX!" I screamed, slumping down so I was on my stomach, and grabbing Fierce Fox's arm with my hand. I forced all my strength into my arm, sweat pouring onto my face. My eyes set on the goth girl. "Um... you do realize that you could be helping me?"

"I hope you're not afraid of spiders." she replied, as if there was nothing happening. I groaned and tried to pull Fierce Fox up, but it was more difficult done than said. Then, the platform began to tremble, making me clutch my stomach. The wood was splitting open, and the slime was drooling down. I gritted my teeth and tried to pull harder, but the wobbling was loosening my grip.

"There's no getting out if this platform collapses!" I cried, the wood shoving into my stomach.

"Oh dear. I'll be off then." the goth girl spoke. I muttered under my breath as she ran out, leaving us helpless. Then, the whole platform cracked and shook, snapping beneath my stomach. I screamed as Fierce Fox and I plummeted to the ground, feeling like we were going to die. I shut my eyes, muttering a wish to myself.

"I wish it could all get better," I mumbled, as the falling subsided. My knees trembled.

"Open your eyes, Alice." a grouchy voice said outside my vision. I was on the cold, hard floor, completely intact, standing on two legs. In fact, I didn't even feel one scratch, not one bruise, zilch. Then I remembered: I'm in Poptropica! It's a lot harder to die here than in my world.

Boy, was I happy. I took a huge breath of relief. Well, then again, Poptropica is a much more dangerous place than Earth. I mean, Mythology Island is seriously dangerous and far beyond human interaction. Virus Hunter and Astro Knights are pretty bad too.

"Great, we're screwed. Well done, Alice." hissed Fierce Fox, crossing her arms. I felt rage trying to nag back at her, but I chose to ignore it, even with the big green spider coming after us. Wait... What? I whipped around, facing the thing that came right out of my nightmares. Sweat poured down my cheeks. So I decided to use every human being's emergency resource.

"RUN!" I cried, pointing to a sign on my left. The sign is underneath a large, grey wall and leads to a cavern. We ran through the cave-like part, me trailing behind Fierce Fox. We re-entered a large, pitch black area, which sent fear through my body. However, a little green light popped up and showed me the brown, cracked, dirt wall. The glowstick was equipped in Fierce Fox's hand, as she gave me a nod. There are vines on the top platform, hanging down almost low enough for me to touch. I took a deep breath.

"Okay, we're in a maze. We need to run through it; both finding the golden egg and escaping. A tip: follow the writing. And when you see the words 'Getting warmer' jump left and grab the egg, then keep going until you find the exit." I instructed, mentally applauding my memory. Fierce Fox gave me another look.

"Seriously... How do you know all this?" she asked, with suspicion. "Do you work for somebody?"

"No... I... Don't work for anybody. Come on, we need to get out of this maze." I breathed quickly, setting my foot on the ground. But a hand on my shoulder pulled me back.

"We're not going anywhere until I get answers." Fierce Fox said sternly, staring me straight in the eye. I shivered from her stare.

"Look... now isn't the time... Come on, this way." I shivered, my voice panicky. I bolted off, my legs feeling strong and full of neverending energy. If I was human, I wouldn't be able to run 3 inches without feeling puffed out. I passed a creepy engraved sign in the wall saying 'Darkness awaits'. Great.

Fierce Fox's footsteps were behind me; I was relieved she had followed. We ran up to the first rope, then the relief I had vanished. My palms became sweaty and my head started pounding. Fierce Fox, like an athlete, jumped on the rope and slithered up like she did it everyday, carrying that glowstick at the same time. I heard her tapping her foot on the floor above, waiting for me.

"Are you coming, or staying down there?" she asked, with annoyance. My sweaty palms gripped the rope; the sweat went into it and made it slippery and ungraspable. "What the heck are you even doing?" I heard her grumble and slide down the rope again, upside down. She grabbed me with her hand and pulled me up the rope, letting my feet dangle down in the darkness.

I was placed onto the next platform with a grumpy Fierce Fox. An innocent look was displayed on my face, but major embarrassment showed in my eyes. I pointed to the right, where writing is printed on the wall.

"This way," I instructed, jogging ahead. Fierce Fox quickly overtook me, leaving me in the dark, while she had the glowstick. "RUN PAST THAT ROPE!" I called, my voice echoing through the maze. I eventually caught up to Fierce Fox. She was climbing up the rope at the dead end, like a stealthy spy. Then she saw me and groaned, slithering back down again.

Fierce Fox grabbed my arm without me being ready and pulled me up. We ran along the platform and came to yet another rope and dead end. Fierce Fox hastily grabbed my wrist and literally threw me to the left side, making me question her strength.

A glimmer of gold shimmered in the corner of my eye. I turned my head and saw the golden egg ahead, glowing in the darkness.

"There! The egg!" I cried, getting up. Fierce Fox was on the other side of the platform, wiping dust off her sleeve. She caught my eye and saw the egg, a grin appearing on her face. Holding out the glow stick, she leaped over me and snatched up the egg. Then her face turned confused.

"Why do we need this egg anyway?" she questioned me. A glint appeared in my eyes.

"You'll see. Come on, we better keep moving."

After more exploring the maze, and Fierce Fox reluctantly helping me up ropes, we made it out of the maze. We arrived in (practically) the modernist part of this island, known as Poptropica Towers. True to its name, there are large, colourful towers around us. The ground is dark concrete and if you look straight up, you would see rows of hanging washing. Jumping on them would be considered fun in Poptropica, while jumping on them in my world would be outright dangerous.

"That's the last time I'm helping you with anything," Fierce Fox hissed, before looking around. "What do we do now?" I took a deep breath.

"You need to jump on that building, then to the next one, then jump all the way to the top of the Rooftop Restaurant. You're a strong girl; I'm sure you'll be able to do it." I instructed, in my nicest tone. Fierce Fox snorted at me, but jumped up the brown building; the large, grey statue of a Poptropican, then, the large, red building. I ran along the bottom, eyeing her carefully. Fierce Fox finally jumped onto the purple building, with the Rooftop Restaurant at the top.

"CLIMB UP THE VINE!" I called, praying that Fierce Fox heard me. She looked around in confusion, as if she was lost. I groaned and sprinted to the front of the Rooftop Restaurant, jumping up and down like an excited child, waving my arms at the same time. "CLIMB. THE. VINE!" I squealed, hoping she would hear me. But she was too high up. "Great..." I mentally slapped myself again, earning another mental scar. I searched my head for ideas; maybe there was another way to get to the top.

I ran around the Rooftop Restaurant in a circle, my eyes scanning over a door on the back of the building. I trotted towards it and placed my hand on the doorknob, opening the door. Inside, there's a little reception with red and white checkered tables; a wooden roof and floor; clean white walls and waiters that look like they came from the 80s. One of them, who has a large, sticking-up bun and a white, frilly apron came towards me.

"Can I help ya?" she asked, in a sugary tone.

"Yes. Is there any way to get to the top?" I asked. "Apart from climbing up." The waitress looked thoughtful for a few moments, then her eyes flashed with an idea.

"Of course! This way, sugar plum." she said, her voice making me want to cringe. She led me through the reception, to the back of the cafe, where there was a silver lift. It looked dusty, as if it hadn't been used for years. The waitress seemed to read my mind. "This here elevator hasn't been used for yonks. I guess most people climb these days. Feel free to use it, sugar." she said, before leaving me alone.

I nervously reached my arm over and placed a finger on the 'down' button. I heard an engine whirring and coming to life, and things being pulled. The rusty doors opened up, revealing a dusty elevator interior. I stepped inside, my childhood fear of elevators coming back. I pressed the 'TOP' button; the doors, with a loud creak, shut tightly. The elevator, rather slowly, started moving up. Too slow for my preference. Suddenly, the elevator stopped moving.

My heart pumped furiously and I started sweating like crazy. The elevator was shivering slightly, but apart from that, it was dead still. I let out a quick scream, before running over to the electronic section with the buttons and pressing 'emergency', which was a bright red button. The whole elevator flashed red, reassuring that help was on its way. Then, I heard something snap. The elevator started plummeting down.

I screamed, as the world around me began to fade. It was over, I was gone. I fell to my knees, clutching my chest, as I plummeted. Then, the top of the elevator exploded open, making smoke seep into the room, blinding my vision. Arms wrapped around my body, as if they were from God, and I was pulled away.

"Jeez, wake up." a voice hissed. It was Fierce Fox, on top of the Rooftop Restaurant. I felt my heart pump and my forehead sweat.

"What..." I spluttered, getting to my feet. Fierce Fox glared at me.

"Alarm went off. Voice told me to rescue you, end of story. You're lucky I actually bothered to save you." she hissed, eyeing our surroundings. There are two tables that looked like they came from Lady and the Tramp, and a not-at-all mysterious vine, hanging from the clouds.

"I'm very grateful you did," I puffed, massaging my hands. I shook a lock of hair out of my face and stared at the vine. "Now we need to... Climb up that..."

"Speaking of climbing, why didn't you climb up the buildings like I did? It could've saved you from all that elevator drama." Fierce Fox pointed out, crossing her skinny, Poptropican arms. I took a deep breath.

"Now is not the time for that. Up the vine." I instructed sternly, although I was quite the opposite inside. I was mentally harassing myself, giving myself the hardest talk I could think of. What did my soul bridge have against this blasphemy?

I split my face into a sweet beam. "I'll try climbing it myself this time." I said, gripping the vine, then groaning and as I tried to haul myself up. Fierce Fox groaned.

After extremely slowly (and quite embarrassingly) hauling myself up the vine, I eventually made it to the cloud land. The land itself is like something from my imagination. The floor is cloud; there's a fantasy castle in the background and the clouds were soft like pillows. Also, there is a large purple giant. I noticed the vine hangs from mid-air, which would make scientists spit out their breakfast.

"Physics much, Poptropica?" I muttered, getting to my feet. Fierce Fox was already storming across the cloud ground, like she was a storm cloud herself. She stood right next to the giant's disgusting toes and stared up at him. He (I think) has patchy, green pants which reached his ankles; dotty, purple skin and a large, wooden, spiky club, which blocked our entrance. I walked right up to Fierce Fox.

"Give him the egg." I said, eye gesturing at the giant. Fierce Fox scowled and brought out the egg, giving it to the giant. He said a rhyme, then his club lifted, giving us our pathway.

"Let's go," I spoke to Fierce Fox, as we proceeded right. We entered the Giant's Garden, which consists of a large shovel; bucket, and lots of veggies, which are covered with curly green vines. "Jump over all that until you get to the end. Oh, and pick up the bucket," I instructed clearly. Fierce Fox practically glided over the large shovel and vine bridge. She slid down the giant watermelon and picked up the bucket.

I apprehensively climbed onto the metal part of the shovel, then up the wooden handle. I scooted across the long, green vine, which felt smooth beneath my feet. I jumped off at the end with a piercing scream, landing in the clouds, which felt like a trampoline. Like a tortoise, I climbed up the slippery pumpkin and tomato, grabbing on the nub of the orange fruit. I slid down all the other fruits, bumping my butt, and finally ending up on the other side. Fierce Fox groaned, and I blushed as we ascended to the Airplane Graveyard. Great name.

We ended up in a land full of whirring aircraft stuck in clouds, their engines blowing hot air everywhere. There weren't just planes; there were spaceships, a rocket ship, a drone, and even a UFO. I cleared my throat.

"There's a jetpack just over these planes. Go and get it, then you'll be able to fly." I instructed with a glint in my eye, pointing over the rocket ship. Fierce Fox grumbled and used the whirring breeze from an upside-down plane to get to the jetpack. Then I felt my heart snap.

I had never felt so worthless… All I was doing was letting myself be saved, because I couldn't do anything myself... I was getting myself in trouble for doing what I thought was brave. My mother was wrong. I didn't have any courage. I only went to school because I didn't want to stay home in the awkwardness with my family. Not because I was brave.

I heard an engine turn on, and Fierce Fox, with a jetpack on her back, flew over to me. The jetpack puffed out hot smoke as she descended and landed in front of me. I took a deep breath and slumped on the floor.

"I got it. Where next?" she asked, tapping the jetpack.

"Go back over the plant produce and under that vine, over the shovel handle. You'll find a hole. Go through it and you'll land on the roof of the water tower. There will be a flag on it. Pick up that flag, then return to Early Poptropica. Give the guys their stuff back, then collect your prize from the boat." I instructed, grabbing my knees. Fierce Fox raised an eyebrow.

"What about you?" she asked, staring down at me.

"I'll be fine. Go without me. You've helped me more than enough today," I mumbled, my eyes holding back tears. "I don't deserve a medallion anyway."

"Um... I hate to break it to both of us, but my voice says that you have to come with me." Fierce Fox inquired, her face stern.

"But... your voice... No... It... I can't," I huffed, "Okay... I'll go then." My physical voice was strained and pulled back by my thoughts. I'm her voice... I'm here... There's no way... I was conscious of what I was thinking. Maybe it was something else.

Fierce Fox scoffed and stormed off, flying into the sky like a bullet, smoke trailing behind her. I ran along the bouncy cloud, my feet getting stuck in the puff. Arms grabbed onto my shoulders, pulling me up into the air. My feet dangled down, as I saw the world from above, getting a stab of nostalgia. Hot steam made my legs sweat and my lungs pant for something other than the smoke.

"Where do we go again?" Fierce Fox asked, with a stern expression. I think she only smiled when things were working for her, making me regret making her 'Fierce'. Why didn't I make her a sweetheart?

We flew over the vine and to the said hole, landing on top of the water tower, where I picked up a little, pixelated flag. It vanished from my hands and into my inventory with a little click.

"Now to Early Poptropica!" I cried, pointing to the distance like I was on the Titanic. Fierce Fox reluctantly grabbed my arms, letting me soar in the sky like a bird. We flew over Early Poptropica with a bird's eye view, before the red haired girl dropped me from about 30 feet above the ground. I squealed and landed on the hard floor with a crack, right in front of the pig pen. Boy, I was happy I was not in my world or I would be very dead, but I still felt a shocking sensation in my stomach that told me I had just fallen.

Fierce Fox landed in front of me, like an ace. She brushed off her jetpack and eyed the area.

"Thanks for dropping me," I started sarcastically. "You're lucky I'm not on Ea- Uh... I mean, look, there's the pig guy!" I squeaked, mentally slapping myself again. Fierce Fox snorted at me, then turned to the Early Poptropican, who was guarding his pig pen.

I breathed in. "Okay, Fierce Fox, give him the pig." Somehow, she reached into her inventory and grabbed the pig. It flew up from her hands and landed gracefully in the pig pen, where the little porker started jumping around. The Early Poptropican gasped in delight.

"Thank you for returning my pig! I'll never let it out of my sight again! Finally, bacon for all!" he cried, in a dramatic tone. I rolled my eyes and passed the excited pig. We came over to the man in front of the well. I gestured Fierce Fox over to the man with a wink. She got the bucket out of her inventory and handed it to the man. He placed it on the ground, where it stood next to the well.

"Thank you for returning our bucket! We raise our water glasses to you!" he said, with a grin. I reached into my own inventory and pulled out the flag, glancing at it in my hand. I waved a little bit, letting the pixelated material flow in the breeze. It almost gave me memories of the time we were learning about the American Revolution. It was probably one of the only lessons I enjoyed...

"So, are you going to give it to them?" Fierce Fox asked, making me take a big breath. I handed her the flag.

"You're the hero, princess." I said, taking a step back. Fierce Fox glanced at me for a second, then at the flag with a shrug. Using her jetpack, she flew up to the top of the grey-planked tower, where a guy was overlooking the sea. She handed him the flag, which he hung on top of a flag pole. A large ship docked, with a design of a pirate ship.

Fierce Fox gracefully flew onto the wooden deck, where yet another pilgrim was waiting. He gave her the medallion; she jumped into the air with joy. Then, I blinked, and the world was gone in a flash of white.

"Alice!" a voice called, far away. "Alice!" My eyes shot open, and I blinked about 30 times to adjust to the light. I was back in my bedroom. Early Poptropica... What happened? "Alice! It's time to get up!"

My mother opened my bedroom door, with a flustered look. She stared into my eyes, with a shy smile. "Good morning! How did you sleep?"

I patted down my hair and a twinkle was in my eye. "I slept perfectly..."