"What have I done...?" Mr. Wilter said softly to himself. "What have I done...?"
He should have known better. He should have listened to his gut feeling before. He should have realized that he had been wrong. Snap's emotions, his behavior...they were realistic because he was real. It wasn't just really good acting. It was real, authentic. Snap was alive... And he had almost killed him...
Mr. Wilter sat down in the chair in the living room, reflecting on his horrific actions. He couldn't believe he allowed fear to control him. He couldn't believe that he had listened to those fears instead of what was right in front of him. He had treated Snap horribly all because of this fear...and this belief that he wasn't a real person. He thought that, him being a drawing, meant that it didn't matter how badly he treated him; everything would be all right. He didn't even think he could get sick. And now he was being proven wrong.
He blew it...he really blew it. He had kidnapped a child. Regardless of the fact he was a drawing, he was still a kid, looking like he was about Rudy's age. He had premediated a kidnapping and went through with it. He captured him and dragged him away from his friends. He had locked him up in here against his will and started to antagonize him and menace him. He recalled the harsh words he spoke to him, and how cold they sounded. Even more so than he had remembered. Had he really been that cruel? Yes...yes he did. And only know was he realizing it.
He had called Snap poor names, like 'chalk creature'. He had forced information out of him by threatening his chalk friends. If Snap was real...did that mean these other zoners were real, too? And if they were, what did it sound like to them when he scratched the chalkboard? What would have happened if he did draw that infernal supervolcano and let it erupt? He hadn't thought it would do any real damage, because he didn't think zoners were entirely real. Now that he knew otherwise, the thought sent chills down his spine. The realization of what he had almost done struck him like a freight train.
As he stared down at Snap, he realized one thought as it came to him. He had become a monster. There was no ifs, ands, or buts. He had crossed the line. He kidnapped Rudy and Penny's friend, and his actions almost cost the zoner his life. It was all his fault, and he had no one to blame but himself. Revenge for what happened to him at the police station was not worth this. He...he had never meant to take things this far. He had never meant to harm another living being like this. He should have just let Snap go.
Snap's words echoed in his mind. His pleas for him to stop, to not hurt him, his begging to leave his zoner friends alone, the way he was breaking down... Mr. Wilter could feel his stomach twist in knots as the full realization of what he did caught up with him. How could he have been so horrible? He saw how distressed Snap was, and he still went on with interrogating him, hurting him, treating him like crap. He mentally scarred the zoner and for what? Petty revenge...
How could he have sunk that low? He was an adult. He was a teacher, in charge of looking after his students. He should have been the responsible one. He should have known better. And he still acted like some little kid. He throw a hissy fit, more or less, over old news, and took it out on a kid. Snap had shown more compassion than he did these past twelve or so hours.
He cradled the zoner in his arms. He had wrapped him up in a thick blanket. He cut his sleeve carefully and pulled it apart to reveal his wound. He was about to clean it when he realized he had nothing he could use. Real world water would hurt him. He instead opted to use a cloth, which he guessed wouldn't hurt him as it wasn't made of chalk and wrapped it tightly around his damaged arm. Using another cloth, he made a madeshift sling, tying it behind his head and putting his left arm in it for support.
Seeing the blood on the cloth made his heart clench in guilt. He had shoved a cuff straight through the zoner's arm. He had pushed it through bone and muscle, and he refused to take it out until now. The zoner was clearly in a lot of pain, but he had ignored it... How could he have ignored it? Snap was suffering. Another living being was suffering, and he knew he was in pain. And yet...and yet he refused to take the cuff out, because he didn't think it was one hundred percent real. He thought it was kind of superficial. What a disgusting thought that was... He should have known better.
Because of his carelessness, his callousness, the germs from his leotard had gotten into the zoner's body and wreaked havoc. With no food or water, his condition worsened. This illness could kill him if it wasn't taken care of soon. He recalled how the wound looked. All puffy and red with lots of pus and swelling... The slightest pull or touch would make the zoner scream. He took in a shaky breath as he recalled what he had done before. He yanked the chain so much that the zoner had passed out. Had he...had he caused more harm to the zoner? Had that sped up the infection? Oh no...
He could feel Snap shivering in his arms. He held him close, his small form laying across his lap. Only Snap's head was visible; the rest of his body was hidden in the thick blanket. Mr. Wilter pulled Snap against him, trying to share his body warmth with him. The zoner's face was flushed red. He reached down and pressed the back of his hand against his forehead. He flinched as he felt just how warm he was. The zoner's eyes opened up part way and stared up at him. He bit his lip as he saw just pitiful the expression was, as if he were silently asking him 'why?'.
Snap had been awake for a while, but he never spoke a word. He was too sick to really say anything. The fever was clearly screwing with his head. The zoner let out a few moans, turning his head from one side to the other. Sometimes he'd close his eyes, as if he wanted to get to sleep. Sometimes he would, but only for short times. It was as though the illness made him feel too uncomfortable to sleep. Wilter could see his mouth moving, his lips curling. Then, seconds later, he sneezed.
The sound of this made his heart clench. The sneeze sounded so painful and pitiful. He could just hear how much Snap was suffering just from that one sneeze. He sounded like a helpless little baby. He took a tissue and reached down to gently wipe away the mucous that dripped from the zoner's nose. He crumbled the tissue and tossed it to the ground. There were other tissues on the ground with it. He'd clean them up later. Right now, he focused his attention on his thoughts...and Snap.
He reached down and gently stroked the top of Snap's head. The zoner shuddered, but he couldn't tell if it was from the chill or from his touch. He ran his hand gently along his head, trying to provide some comfort to the zoner, and as a silent apology. Snap stared at him, but it was hard to tell if he recognized him or not. The fever slowed down his reactions, inhibiting them. Snap let out another groan and his eyes closed lightly as the zoner appeared to try to sleep. Mr. Wilter, in response, lifted Snap up a little higher, bringing him as close to his body as possible. He cradled him as if he were just a baby and proceeded to gently rock him back and forth.
Snap let out another sneeze. This one was painful, as Snap shuddered uncomfortably in response, his eyes grimacing a little to show pain. His body continued to tremble like a leaf, the fever wreaking havoc on his body. Snap started to cuddle closer to him, clearly seeking warmth. He let out a few small whimpers as he pressed the side of his face against Wilter. The teacher placed his hand against Snap's head, providing support as he held him close.
As he watched Snap suffer like this, he thought, again, back to his pet comments. The thought of them made him shudder. He had almost considered making a pet out of Snap. Before, he hadn't thought it was any big deal. He thought Snap would make for a good exotic pet, if he ever decided to go along with it. But now, the realization of what he almost did...it disgusted him. He had almost forced another sentient being into the role of a pet. He was going to treat Snap like some stray dog he found on the street.
No..he realized he had treated Snap so much worse. Those who treated their pets the way he had treated Snap... They end up in the slammer. He had been downright abusive towards him and hardly showed any ounce of kindness towards him. He had tried to 'tame' Snap as though he were some wild animal. He had told him that he might make him a pet. And that chilled him. Snap hadn't deserved that. He banished those horrific thoughts out of his mind. How...how could he have thought that was a good idea? Just what part of him felt it would have been fine? The part controlled by anger and vengefulness, that's what.
Mr. Wilter stared down at Snap, feeling a few tears form in his eyes. He stared at the zoner's reddened face, the wetness coming out of his nose, the dark circles around his eyes... He looked so horrible. And it was all his fault. He caressed Snap's cheek softly, sucking on his lip for a few seconds before he lifted Snap up more, pressing his head against his shoulder carefully, his chin resting on the back of the zoner's head. The zoner shivered and whimpered against him, and he attempted to comfort him by gently rubbing his back.
What was he going to do? He couldn't help Snap here. He could keep him warm, which was what he was doing now to the best of his ability. But he couldn't help him get better. Snap was very sick all because of his actions. He could die if his fever gets too high. He had been able to take his temperature earlier, and it was 103. And he was certain it was steadily getting higher. Snap needed chalk medicine, which he was unable to provide. He couldn't even get him anything to drink or eat, and this inability was making Snap even weaker. If Snap didn't get any of this soon, he'd die either from the illness, starvation, or dehydration.
The only way Snap could get any help was going into ChalkZone. And he had no way into that place. He didn't have any piece of magic chalk. He couldn't open a portal and drop Snap off. He couldn't open a portal and quick draw medicine or food or water for him. On the chalkboard, yes, but it wasn't like that materialized in the real world. He needed actual magic chalk, and the only source he knew of was Rudy Tabootie.
But he couldn't just steal it. He couldn't break into his house. He was in enough hot water as it is. He kidnapped someone, abused him, and put a cuff through his arm, making him sick. That was enough to get him sentenced for a long time. He didn't need to add something else onto it. He couldn't go to Rudy's place and break in to steal magic chalk. He'd surely get caught and arrested. And if the police find him, what would they do? He was certain they'd take him to a hospital, and if real world fluids hurt him... The hospital was the worst place he could be, and with him being so weak, he wouldn't be able to talk or fight back when they stick the needle in him.
There was only one thing he could do. He had to bring Rudy and Penny here. He couldn't take Snap over there, not in this storm. It wasn't going to let up for a while. He could try to protect Snap from the rain, but it was better he stayed in here, where it was dry. Rudy and Penny would have to come here, and use his chalkboard. That was the only way Snap was going to be able to return to ChalkZone. He knew that fully well.
But could he work up the courage to confront and confess to them what he had done? How would they view him afterward? Would they be angry? Of course they would. They had every right to be. He kidnapped their best friend, for crying out loud. Confronting them was going to be hard, and his heart twisted at the thought. A part of him almost decided on doing something else without calling Rudy and Penny. But that would be stupid. They were his best chance for survival and he was making things worse by delaying it.
Besides, he had taught the students that it was important to take on responsibility. It was admirable when someone admitted they were wrong and tried to do something to fix their mistakes, like how Reggie confessed he drew that rude picture of him. What kind of teacher would he be if he didn't own up to his mistakes? He taught his students to be honest. He should practice what he preached and confess. Though it would be hard... he knew it had to be done. He needed to take responsibility for his actions.
He made his decision. Being careful not to hurt Snap or move him around too much, Mr. Wilter reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He dialed a number and put the phone to his ear. He let it ring, waiting for someone to pick it up.
sss
The phone rang and ran, but no one came to pick it up. That's because no one was near the phone. The downstairs of Rudy's house was empty, devoid of any life. Instead, they were all upstairs, in Rudy's room, the door shut. There was noise coming from this room, in the form of scolding, not just from Rudy's parents, but Penny's mom as well.
"Do you kids realize you could have been hurt?!" Mr. Tabootie snapped, his voice raised in volume. Rudy and Penny flinched at this, cringing back as the angry man scolded both of them. "Of all the dangerous, irresponsible things..!"
"But..dad..." Rudy started to say, but he stopped himself. Not just because of the way his dad looked at him, but because he knew he couldn't tell them about Snap. He looked away.
"I can't believe you would do something so stupid, Rudy!" Mr. Tabootie raised his hands in the air. His face was slightly red from the anger he was feeling. Rudy had never heard his dad this angry before. "What possessed you to do such a thing?! You could have been hurt, or killed!"
"And from what the neighbor said, you fell down! I know it was kind of a short fall, but if you had landed at just the right angle..." Mrs. Sanchez started to say.
Penny interrupted her mother. "But it wasn't Rudy's fault! The neighbor surprised him. If he hadn't called out the way he had and startle Rudy, it wouldn't have..."
"It wouldn't have happened at all if Rudy hadn't tried to pull a stunt like that." Mrs. Tabootie said, cutting off Penny. She folded her arms against her chest, glaring in Rudy's direction. Rudy shrank under the glare of his mother, moving his foot a little in guilt. "Just...why would you do such a thing, Rudy? Why would you climb up that pipe at Mr. Wilter's house?"
Rudy wanted to so much to tell them. He wanted so much to explain his actions. If they knew the truth, if they knew what Wilter was, they would understand a little more of why he climbed up that pipe. He wanted to tell them so badly. But just what could he say? There was nothing really he could come up with that wouldn't compromise ChalkZone. He couldn't tell them about Snap; they'd try to take him to a hospital, where he would be killed or hurt worse.
He couldn't think of a backup excuse. There wasn't any that would make sense. Even Penny couldn't think of one. What Rudy had done was very dangerous and yeah, he could have been really hurt pulling a stunt like that. In order to satisfy his parents, he'd need to come up with a really good excuse to at least help them understand why he did it. But nothing came to mind; as far as his parents knew, he climbed up because he was having a momentary lapse in judgement, and that wasn't something he was known for.
A part of him wished he hadn't climbed up that pipe, or at the very least, was more careful. If he or Penny had been on the look out more, they could have seen the neighbor coming and gotten down before he slipped off. Or maybe he could have even gotten off well before the neighbor came.
But then, what choice did he have? He needed to know if Snap was up there. He needed to see what condition he was in. Despite being in danger, Rudy still felt that it was worth it to take the risk. Now he knew for certain where Snap was and what condition he was in. Now he could formulate a plan to rescue him. Even if he got grounded, he could still use his chalkboard to sneak into Wilter's house and grab Snap. He wasn't sure if he could remove the chains or not, but he...he had to try.
He had given a piece of magic chalk to Penny earlier. He was certain that his parents and her mother were going to ground them for the night. Just in case that happened, he made sure Penny had a piece of magic chalk so they could meet up in ChalkZone. After that, they were going to talk about what to do regarding Snap. How were they going to get him out of Wilter's house? Rudy was certain Penny would have some kind of idea on what they could do. She was always full of good ideas. Certainly she'd think of something.
Then a horrible thought entered his mind. What if his parents are so furious with him that they take his chalkboard away...? That would put a dent in his and Penny's plans, and it would delay help for Snap. The zoner didn't have much time. If Rudy didn't get to him soon...if he didn't get Snap back into ChalkZone, he might... He didn't want to think about it.
Rudy was torn from his thoughts when he heard Mrs. Sanchez scold her daughter.
"I'm surprised with you, Penny!" Mrs. Sanchez said.
"Wh-What are you talking about? I wasn't doing anything." Penny said, fumbling her hands nervously. Rudy knew Penny was right. She hadn't done anything wrong.
But Mrs. Sanchez didn't agree. She folded her arms against her chest and glared at her daughter. "You should have known better. You know better than to trespass one someone else's property. But that isn't what is making me angry. No, what upsets me is that you should have known Rudy could have gotten hurt. You should have gotten him down from there! Why didn't you stop him?"
"Mom, I..." Penny's voice trailed off.
"You're usually so responsible, Penny. I don't know why you..." Mrs. Sanchez's voice was laced in anger. She let out a soft groan, as though she couldn't think of how to continue. The two kids took a step back. Mrs. Sanchez gave a soft sigh, attempting to calm herself down. "Look, I understand that you two didn't mean to get yourselves into trouble. But you..." She looked at Penny. "And you..." She then looked at Rudy. "You both should have known better."
"She's right." Mrs. Tabootie said, her eyes still narrowed. "Both of you could have been seriously hurt. You were lucky the fall didn't cause more damage than a bruised leg, Rudy." She then looked at Penny. "And you were lucky Rudy didn't fall on you and accidentally hurt you."
"And you were both incredibly lucky that the pipe didn't end up falling on both of you. The neighbor told us how it was bent." Mr. Tabootie said. "If it had fallen over, I'm sure Mr. Wilter would want us to pay for the damages." He continued to glare at the two kids. Slowly, that glare softened up a little. "But we wouldn't be as upset about that, as we would have been if you two were badly hurt."
"Yeah. A pipe can be replaced, but you two can't."
"We don't want to be angry with you two. And we don't know if we will ever understand why you did it..." Mrs. Sanchez said. "But..please... Promise us you won't do something so stupid and crazy ever again. We don't want you to get hurt."
Penny nodded her head. "We promise."
Rudy lowered his gaze a little. He made nervous gestures with his foot as his hands were clasped together behind his back. As much as he hated to lie, he had no choice in this situation. "I..I don't know why I did it. I'm...I'm sorry..."
Mr. Tabootie, who had calmed down for the most part, reached over and touched Rudy on his shoulder. "We know you are, son. We know. Just..." He bit his lip and sighed softly. Rudy could tell that his dad was still angry with him, despite his much calmer expression. He found it hard to look into his eyes. "Just please... Think before you act. Don't go pulling crazy stunts like that. If something were to happen to you, I..I don't know what we'd do..."
Mrs. Tabootie nodded her head in agreement. "We care about you two. It would break our hearts if you two got badly hurt."
Mrs. Sanchez lowered herself down to Penny's level. "We hope that you two have learned your lesson, and you won't go and do something crazy like this again."
"We won't..." Penny said softly as she wrapped her arms around her mother. "We promise..."
Rudy felt his eyes widen in surprise when he felt his dad hug him without warning. Given his previous mood, this came as a surprise. He saw his mother approaching a little slowly at first. But soon, she was joining in the hug as well. The feeling of two people hugging him made him feel stiff, unable to move. But at the same time, it was...comforting. He remained still, feeling the warmth of his parents as they kept their arms around him. He moved his eyes over to see Penny in her mother's embrace, her mom gently rubbing her back.
Rudy did feel bad about scaring their folks like that. He didn't like worrying his parents, and that's exactly what he did when he climbed up that pipe and fell off. And they were right; he could have knocked the pipe over and hit Penny as well. It wasn't that strong. It certainly wasn't made to be climbed on. Mr. Wilter was in need of repairing that pipe. He was lucky he didn't get more hurt than he already was.
What hurt even more is that he couldn't even tell them why he climbed up there. If he did, he would risk endangering Snap. If his parents found him and saw what kind of condition he was in, they'd take him to the hospital or have Mrs. Sanchez try to treat him. And without knowing he was made of chalk, they'd hurt him or kill him.
And what if they found out he was chalk? What would their reaction be? Rudy felt his blood turn to ice as he thought of all the really horrible ways they could react. They might kill Snap out of horror. They might treat him like he were some stray dog. They might send him to a scientist to be studied. Mrs. Sanchez might want to study him, and while she can be kind with animals and humans, he wasn't sure if she'd extent that kindness to a zoner, a being made of chalk. If they ended up hurting Snap...he wasn't sure what he'd do.
Snap... He hoped he was okay. He hoped that his condition won't worsen during the time frame that he couldn't be with him. He was so sick... And that cuff through his arm.. His body shuddered at the memory. Seeing a cuff through anyone's limb was horrible, but it was so much worse when it was something he loved...that he cared about. Snap was clearly in a lot of pain, and most of it came from that horrid cuff. How could Mr. Wilter be so cruel as to put something like that through his friend's arm? What was he thinking..?
That man... Rudy was not going to let him get away with this. Mr. Wilter had destroyed the trust that he thought he and Penny had with the man. He was not going to allow him to destroy Snap as well. Somehow, someway, he would get Snap back and make sure that Mr. Wilter paid for what he had done.
Mr. Tabootie pulled away from Rudy. He gave him a gentle smile, any sign of anger gone. He was about to speak again when he lifted up his head. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes focused on the door. "Do you hear that, Millie?"
Mrs. Tabootie looked at her husband in confusion. "What is it?"
"I think I hear the phone ringing." Mr. Tabootie said.
Rudy and the others in the room looked confused. They tried to listen to the phone's ring, turning their heads from side to side, but none of them could hear the ring that Mr. Tabootie claims was there. They looked at each other, and then back at Mr. Tabootie, wondering what he was talking about. The man straightened himself up, his gaze still at the door. He took a few steps towards it. The way his eyes narrowed, it was clear to everyone, especially Rudy and his mother, that his dad was not lying about this. He really did hear something.
Mr. Tabootie reached for the doorknob and turned it. He opened it up. As soon as he did, they could all then hear something faint. A familiar ringing sound. Rudy blinked his eyes. Who would be calling them at this time? It couldn't be anyone from his dad's work. They don't usually call on the weekends. He didn't think it could be any of his mother's friends, or anyone else. Who could it be?
Mr. Tabootie moved outside of the room. As he did so, the ringing stopped. They heard the sound of the answering machine being picked up. They could hear Mr. Tabootie's voice stating to leave a message. As this played, Rudy, Penny, and their mothers walked forward, just as curious about this message as he was. They could simply ignore it and listen to it later, but a part of Rudy had a feeling that this call might be very important. He wasn't sure why. It was just a gut feeling.
The beep came, irritating their ears for a few seconds. Then the message came. Rudy and Penny widened their eyes as they heard Mr. Wilter's voice speaking over the phone.
"Uh...hello.. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie... This is Mr. Wilter. I..need to speak to Rudy. It's...an emergency. I know it's not so great outside right now, with the storm and all, but this can't wait. I also...I need to speak to him privately. Would you mind bringing him over to play place? This is something that I...I must speak to him in person. Please... I know this is a rather unusual request. But it's important. Please hurry."
There was the sound of a click and the phoneline went dead. The answering machine ended, gave a beep, and then all was quiet.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room. No one said anything. They looked at each other, some giving confused looks, others worried. Rudy stared at the phone, his heart beating quickly. Penny looked at him sympathetically, and he could tell she was just as puzzled and frightened as she was. Their parents looked at each other, low murmurings of confusion slowly replacing the quietness that was prevelant earlier.
"Mr. Wilter...calling Rudy to his house...during a storm? Has he gone mad?" Mrs. Tabootie asked.
Mrs. Sanchez said, "Well there may be a good reason for it. You know Mr. Wilter. All no nonsense." She looked at Rudy's parents, holding up a hand in gesture. "If he really wants to see Rudy, then it has to be a very damn good reason."
"Yeah, I know. The guy usually has a good head on his shoulders...but..I..." Mr. Tabootie put his hand on the side of his face and rubbed it. "I just don't know what to make of this. This seems...really odd. I know some guys who may pull something like this, but..Mr. Wilter...? He's usually not crazy enough to call to see a student at his house during a storm."
"Maybe that's just to show how urgent it is." Mrs. Sanchez suggested. "If he wants to see Rudy that badly that he's willing to see him in a storm..."
As the parents spoke to each other, Rudy and Penny moved away, further into the room. They looked at their folks, watching them as they discussed the situation with Mr. Wilter. The two of them looked at each other, each lost in their own thoughts, but both sharing similar worry.
Rudy couldn't believe it. Mr. Wilter...calling them at this time. There was only one explaination for it. The tone of the voice sounded sad and urgent, but Rudy knew the truth, and so did Penny. Mr. Wilter knew they were over at his house. He knew that they had tried to get Snap out of there. He knew that they were trying to stop him, and, depending on what he knew, he might be making him come over to force him to reliquish the magic chalk, or more information in exchange for his friend. His parents might think that he just wants him to help fix the pipe, even if it is a stretch, but no.. Mr. Wilter would sooner take his magic chalk than ask him to help with that pipe.
Rudy felt anger rise up in his blood. How dare Mr. Wilter try to play with his parents' hearts, making bullshit claims of 'emergency' and sounding sad to try to convince them to take him over there... How dare he believe that he and Penny would be so stupid as to fall for this trick. He knew what would happen. As soon as he was alone with the man, he was going to trap him, and force him to give information. Alone, there was little he could do, and even if Penny were there wish him, they'd still have problems. Mr. Wilter was bigger and physically stronger than they were. He could hold them both there for a long time, under the guise of this 'emergency' crap he talked about.
There was only one thing they could do. As he and Penny stared at each other in the eyes, they both made the same conclusion. Rudy couldn't just simply walk into Mr. Wilter's trap. They had to think of a work around. Somehow, someway, they had to get over to Wilter's house silently, sneak around back, and climb in through the bathroom window. They'd have to be careful because of the rain, but, if they think of a plan, they could do it. Maybe they could sneak in with a bag and have Snap go inside it and they could flee. Yeah, that could work.
There was no way he and Penny were going to be fooled. They'd find a way to go into the rain themselves. They'd go a different way so Mr. Wilter doesn't see them coming. Then they would go into the bathroom and leave with their friend. His deceit is not going to work on them. He might think he has them fooled, but they knew better.
In a short while, they will get Snap back. Rudy would see to that.
sss
Mr. Wilter flipped his phone closed as soon as he was done recording his message. He wished he had thought of something better to say. He wished he had thought things through a little more. He had been ill prepared for when the answering machine came on. He had hoped that one of Rudy's parents would pick up. He thought they would be home.
Instead, he got the answering machine. And as it came on, he realized just how little he had prepared for this. He needed a way to get Rudy to come over here, and in his head, his mind swirled with many thoughts as he tried to think of something to say that would be good enough for the parents to let Rudy come over during a storm. He had his doubts that a simple visitation would be good enough reason for them to allow Rudy to come over. Claiming their was an emergency was the only thing he thought of that could work.
And this was an emergency...
He glanced down at Snap, whom he still cradled in his arms. Snap had his eyes closed and his mouth was partially open. He was breathing through his mouth now, his nose too stuffy. Each breath sounded ragged and strained. The sound of it made Mr. Wilter flinch, reminding him more and more of his mistake. It was his fault Snap was like this. There was no way he would deny that. Just yesterday, Snap had been healthy and having a great time with his friends. And now, not twenty-four hours later, he was sick with a horrible fever. He had deteriorated so fast, because of his actions.
Mr. Wilter wished there was something he could do for the zoner. He wanted to do something else to help him feel more comfortable. He couldn't feed him or give him anything to drink. He couldn't offer any pain medication or any kind of ointment. All that stuff would make his situation worse...
Mr. Wilter placed a hand against the zoner's forehead. His eyes widened when he realized the temperature seemed to have gotten even higher. It was a slight change, but with Snap's already weak condition, he couldn't afford something like this. He got up from the chair slowly. He kept Snap wrapped up in the blanket. He walked towards the kitchen, keeping the zoner pressed against himself.
After he got in the kitchen, he started to rummage through his cabinet, soon finding the thermometer he had placed there. Not the best place for it, but he wasn't really thinking too clearly right now. And for good reason. He glanced down at Snap as he wiped the tip of the thermoneter, a force of habit. He checked to make sure the digits were at zero again and he then returned his gaze to Snap.
"Open your mouth please." Mr. Wilter said gently.
Though Snap was sluggish and out of it, he did understand what Mr. Wilter wanted. He complied, opening up his mouth slowly. Mr. Wilter winced as he felt him breathe against him. Even Snap's breaths felt like they were incredibly hot. He lowered the thermometer to his mouth. He placed it under Snap's tongue and eased his mouth shut to hold it in. He kept in in there for the full minute that it recquired. After it beeped he pulled it out and checked what it read. He winced as he saw the numbers.
104...
Snap's fever was now at 104... That wasn't good. If it gets any higher..
Mr. Wilter had to figure out a way to lower Snap's body temperature and fast. If he didn't, he was going to get even worse. But how? He couldn't use any water or ice. That would hurt him. He couldn't give him any medications either. They wouldn't work or they would harm him, or both. But he couldn't just give up. There had to be something he could do. Though his head hurt from all the concentration, he still thought long and hard, trying to think of some kind of solution. Something that was alluding him.
Then he realized something. He recalled one of his childhood friends had gotten him one of those... He forgot what they were called, but they were matts that had something in them that made them cold without the use of water. It wasn't much, but it might help Snap. Putting the thermometer back, Mr. Wilter adjusted Snap in his arms, making sure both of his limbs were wrapped around the zoner to support him. He felt his heart clench as Snap shifted himself a little and let out a soft groan. He headed towards the stairs.
After scaling them up, he moved towards his bedroom, which was in the opposite direction of the dreaded room he had forced Snap to stay in for so many hours. Mr. Wilter reached the door to his room. He turned the knob and opened it up. He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He carried Snap further into his bedroom, moving at a slow pace so he did not irritate the zoner.
He could see through his window the storm hadn't really let up. The wind was still blowing, practically pounding on his window. The rain splattered against the wall. He heard Snap whimper loudly. He looked down and he saw Snap was staring at the window in fear. Realizing instantly why Snap was so frightened, Mr. Wilter moved towards the window. He pulled the blinds over and then pulled the curtains together, hiding the rain from Snap's sights. It took a little while, but Snap soon calmed down a little, his breathing returning to...well as normal as it was before.
Mr. Wilter lowered Snap on the bed, laying him on his back. He rose up, looking down at Snap to make sure the thick blanket remained around him. He then turned around and went over to his closet. He rummaged through his stuff, looking through the few boxes he had pushed up in here. He soon found what he was looking for. He pulled it out and unfolded the matt. It was a little dusty. He wiped off the dust the best he could. He got up and he moved back towards the bed.
He paused for a moment. He thought about perhaps just laying down here instead of carrying Snap downstairs. The sound of the storm was slightly more muffled here and a bed was more comfortable than the chair. He looked behind him, towards the dresser in front of his bed. He had a small television there. Though there had been some issues with the power thanks to the storm, it was pretty stable right now. He could turn on the TV and put on some station with some comedy or something relaxing to help the zoner remain calm and keep his mind off of his pain and the storm itself.
Mr. Wilter moved over to the bed. He lifted Snap up into one of his arms. With his other, he pulled the blankets on the bed back. He climbed in, pulling the covers over him. His hand rummaged through and located the remote control for the TV. He flipped it on and quickly turned down the volume as loud noise bothered the sick zoner. He changed the channel until he found something suitable on. He then set the remote down and put his other arm around Snap. He adjusted himself so that he was laying down on his back with his head and shoulders sitting upwards against the headboard.
After that, he removed the thick blanket around Snap, the blanket on his bed being just as thick and would do just fine. He placed Snap on him, laying the zoner on his stomach across his chest, his head resting near his shoulder and upper chest. Mr. Wilter pulled the nice, warm blanket over them, covering as much of Snap as he could. He looped an arm across the zoner's back to provide support while his other picked up the cold matt and pressed it against the zoner's forehead. Snap gave a shudder, but soon relaxed, giving a sigh of contentment.
Mr. Wilter looked ahead at the television, watching the show that was going on. It didn't do much to get his mind off of what he did, but laying here with him, the television on, it did seem to help Snap out mentally. The zoner was noticeably calmer and more comfortable. He snuggled up against him a little more, his undamaged arm looped around him. Mr. Wilter smiled softly at him and he looked out towards the window. He hoped Rudy would get here soon.
sss
"Okay, we're finally here." Penny said, clutching the umbrella over her head. She tried to keep herself steady as the wind blowed hard. "Of all the times Mr. Wilter had to kidnap Snap..." She shut her mouth and sighed. "How do you want to do this?"
Rudy didn't answer at first. He was holding onto his umbrella as tightly as he could. The wind was stronger than he thought it was going to be. He knew it was bad, but he didn't realize just how bad. It made him wish that he had accepted his parents' offer to just drive them down here. Even if it would have made it difficult to sneak inside, at least they wouldn't be soaking wet right now.
To make matters worse, they were in the rain longer than necessary. They did a loop around the neighborhood to come in from behind. Mr. Wilter didn't know that he knew he had Snap. So he would be expecting him from the front. He wouldn't think to look behind. And that was where he and Penny came in from. The loop involved taking a longer route, and in this kind of storm, that was not exactly pleasant. The only reason his parents let them walk here at all was because it was pretty close, so they wouldn't be exposed to the weather that long.
There was the manner regarding Penny. Rudy said that he could convince Mr. Wilter that Penny could be helpful as well. More heads were better. Mrs. Sanchez was skeptical of letting Penny walk outside in the rain, but she did ultimately agree with Rudy's parents that it would be fine. The storm was bad, but with how close Mr. Wilter's house was, it was manageable. It would not take them long to get there. Even with the detour, Rudy and Penny made good time. Strong wind and rain was a good motivator to make them move faster.
Rudy soon stood next to Penny. He gripped this umbrella tigthly, gritting his teeth as the wind picked up for a few seconds. Once the wind died down, he looked over at Penny and said, "If I can just get up there, I could try to open up the window and get inside." He paused for a moment, and then added, "I'll try to find something in that room to pull you up."
Penny nodded her head. "Sounds like a plan. Risky, but..." She bit her lip. "We need to get Snap back..."
Rudy nodded his head. "Yeah... But don't worry, we will." He smiled the best he could. He looked down at the thick water-proof bag Penny brought with her. "We can have Snap ride in there. I had to zip him up in there, especially since after what Terry did to him." Rudy's mind froze for a second as he recalled how Snap had been captured by that woman. He shuddered a little. That was an unpleasant memory. Not only was Snap kidnapped, but ChalkZone nearly got exposed...
"I'm sure he'll understand." Penny said, cutting him from his thoughts. "He'll know that it's for his own good. He won't get angry with you for putting him in there." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Snap will know you are just trying to help him."
Rudy nodded his head slowly. "Yeah." He knew Penny was right. Despite feeling guilt of putting his friend in a zip bag, he had to agree with Penny. Snap would understand, and it wouldn't be for that long. He turned his head back up to the window. "We need to get up there. But how?"
"The pipe won't be a good idea. It'll be too slippery in the rain." Penny pointed out. "And it's bent. If you try climbing on it again, it could fall and break. You could get hurt."
Rudy winced a little as he looked over at the pipe. It was bent a little more than he thought it was. Him climbing up had caused this. It didn't break and was still mostly in tact. But if he climbed up it again, would he even reach the window in time? Or would the pipe give out? It might not be a severe drop, but a drop from the right angle can be fatal, even from a low height. They would need some other way of getting up there. But how?
He searched his mind for an answer. There wasn't much time to think. There wasn't much time to plan. He had to act fast. He looked all around, ignoring the wind and the rain the best he can as he tried to analyze the situation. He didn't know how long he could stay out here before the worst of the storm would hit. Had this happened during more fair weather, he'd have nothing to worry about. The only good thing about this storm is that it's keeping that annoying neighbor in his home, so they don't have him to worry about anymore.
He kept trying to think of a solution. There was nothing else here that they could climb on. There were no nearby objects to help him either. He thought about sneaking in the back, but he didn't trust himself. He was certain that he was going to make enough noise to alert Mr. Wilter, no matter how quiet he was. Plus he had no idea what the layout of that building was like. How could he be certain he was going the right way? How could he be certain he wasn't lost?
He glanced over at Penny, giving her a somewhat defeated look. This lasted only a few seconds. Penny looked confused when Rudy's eyes suddenly widened big. He stared intently at her, eyeing her up and down. He understood he was probably looking creepy right now, but he didn't care. Penny... she just might be the key to getting Snap out... He knew she would be strong enough. She did lift him and Snap up once, when they were trying to stop Vinnie.
He kept looking at her, eyeing her legs and body length, and then tried to figure out the length of her arms. He swiveled his head towards the window. He ran the calculations in his mind, mentally figuring out if he was going to be able to get up there or not with Penny's help. He soon decided it might be a bit of a stretch, but it was worth taking. They had little time to fool around. Snap was in trouble. They needed to get him out of there.
Rudy looked over at Penny and said, "Can you lift me up to the window?" Penny looked at him like he was crazy. "Oh come on, Penny!" Rudy held out his hand in gesture. "You lifted me and Snap up before! I'm sure you can lift me up!" He looked up at the window. "I think if you push me up high enough, I'll be able to grab onto the ledge of that window."
"How do you think you'll get it open?" Penny asked.
"I thought I felt the window move a little when I fell down earlier, before the storm started." Rudy said. "The window might be pretty easy for me to open." He walked over towards the window. "And besides..I can't think of any other way we can get up there."
"Okay... But I'm not going to like this." Penny said, concern laced over her voice. "If you fall down..."
"It will be fine, Penny." Rudy said, giving her a reassuring smile. "Trust me."
Though Penny smiled back, Rudy could tell she was uncertain about this whole thing. He couldn't blame her. He was about to take another risk, and this time, he was dragging Penny into it. He could accidentally hurt her in the process, if he fell down. But what else could they do? They needed to save Snap and this was the only way they could do it. Any other option would just get them caught or hurt worse.
Penny moved over to Rudy. The two of them, though reluctant, set their umbrellas on the ground. They ignored the chill they felt as the rain pounded on them. Penny got behind Rudy and helped him up onto her shoulders. The process was tricky, but they eventually did it. She gripped his legs tightly as he stood on her shoulders. She wobbled back and forth a little as she attempted to regain her footing. Once she did, she moved over towards the window. Soon she reached it and she pressed herself against it, using it as support.
Rudy felt Penny push up on his feet the best she could. She moved him as close to the window as she could. He could hear her grind her teeth against each other. He could feel her body shaking. This was taking a lot of strength, and though he was impressed by it, especially when she managed to do this with both him and Snap at the same time, he tried to hurry himself up so Penny didn't fall down from overuse of her energy.
Penny pushed him up even more, and soon he could touch the bottom part of the window ledge. He gritted his teeth as he reached up more, practically standing on his toes by now. He eventually managed to grab onto the ledge. He pulled himself up. Keeping himself steady the best he could with one hand, he reached up with the other to grab the window. It was then he realized something about the window he hadn't before. And the realization sent a cold chill through his body.
"P-Penny..." Rudy said in a quiet voice. He looked down at her. He could see her concerned face. "The window...I-It's opened..."
Penny gave a sharp gasp at this, alarm written on her face. "What..? No..."
Rudy wished he was joking. He wished that he was wrong about this. But there was no denying it. The window had been opened up. Quite a ways, too, at that. The top of the window, which was bent at a diagonal position, was sleek with rain, telling him this had been opened up for a while. Rudy felt his heart twist in knots at this realization. Snap hadn't been far from the window. He...he couldn't be..no...
Tears forming in his eyes, Rudy grabbed onto the window and started to pull himself up faster. The realization of this grave detail made him work faster to get himself into the room. His feet kicked frantically against the house, struggling to get a foot hold. He eventually managed to climb through the window, feeling it bend upwards as his weight pushed it down. He hit the ground with a thud and he rubbed his head. He looked up at the window, noticing it was now mostly closed due to his act of climbing through it.
Rudy brushed himself off and looked around the room. He didn't see Snap anywhere. He could see the chain laying on the ground, the metal caked in blood. The sight of it horrified Rudy. That thing had been inside Snap not too long ago. Just how long had it been in there? And where was Snap? He had seen him just a couple hours ago. He was here, in this room. Mr. Wilter couldn't have moved him; why would he if he didn't know that he knew he had Snap? Something happened...but what?
Rudy walked through the room a little, looking left and right. He couldn't see any sign of his friend. This room wasn't that large, and there wasn't any places he coud hide for long. He thought that maybe Snap used his 2D powers to get away from Mr. Wilter. But he didn't think that was a possibility. With his arm that badly hurt, Snap would be in pain any time it touched a surface, even in his flat mode. But...but where could he possibly be..? Either Mr. Wilter moved him, or...
Rudy stepped on something soft. He looked down at it. It was some kind of towel, just laying there in the middle of the room. Rudy was confused. Why would Mr. Wilter set a towel here? He reached down and picked it up. He examined the towel, looking it over. Then he saw something that nearly made him scream.
No...no it couldn't be...
It had to be a mistake...
No..please..not Snap..please...
There, clinging to the towel, were colorful chalk marks. He reached down with a shaky finger to confirm it. He moved his finger along the color and pulled back. He rubbed it together between his fingers. He identified it as chalk. This realization struck him like a freight train. He wanted to deny it. He wanted to think of any other explanation. But who was he kidding? There was only one thing that could explain this.
Mr. Wilter...killed Snap. He had opened up the window more after he and Penny went home after the unpleasantry with the neighbor. He must have been watching them through that room and was just hiding himself very well. Or he saw from a lower level and was not pleased with them 'meddling with his plans' to save a 'rude cartoon', as he would put it.
Rudy's mind was numb as the implications of what happened settled in. Mr. Wilter had seen him and Penny, and had gone up here to make sure they didn't interfere with his plans. Instead of using Snap as bait, he simply decided to get rid of him. He had opened up the window and let Snap get dissolved by the rain. Rudy took in a shuddering breath as tears stremed down his face. No...please...no... He shook his head in denial as he stared at the towel, which contained the remains of his best friend.
The world around him went dark. He couldn't hear Penny calling for him. He couldn't hear the storm raging on outside, although it was a perfect metaphor for how he was feeling right now. He was only aware of the towel in his hands, the colored marks which came from Snap. He couldn't imagine how much pain he was in when he died... and he wasn't there to stop it. His mind flashed to the last look he ever got from Snap. That weak smile of hope... Snap was counting on him...and he let him down.
Overcome with emotion, Rudy dropped down to his knees. His body trembled as he cried hard, holding the towel against himself. Why didn't he move faster? Why didn't he think faster? Why didn't he ignore the neighbor and get Snap out when he had the chance? These questions, and more, floated around his head, refusing to let him go. Sobs wracked through his body, emotion sending ice through his heart and veins. It couldn't be true..no...
As Mr. Wilter entered his mind again, his blood slowly started to boil. That man... That evil man... He was going to pay... Rudy was not going to let him get away with murder... He would make sure that horrible man never hurt anyone again. He lifted up his head, his eyes still dripping with tears. He looked over towards the door as he took in a sniffling breath. He quietly made a resolve.
"I'm going to get you for this, Mr. Wilter..." Rudy growled, his voice uncharacteristically dark. His blood reached its boiling point, burning his insides, especially his stomach. "You can count on that..."