Chapter 8 : The Woods
The tourney game started amazingly, the Auradon Knights had scored two points already, and Ben was playing like a pro. Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay were sitting in the bleachers, watching contently. Fairy Godmother and Audrey had placed themselves next to the villains (so they wouldn't notice that no else wanted to sit next to them), Jane and Lonnie also sat close by. Chad was on the field, playing defense, while Doug was with the band.
"Do you like it, so far?" Fairy Godmother leaned closer to Jay, smiling at him.
He shrugged, "I like how that Sherwood kid got hurt a few minutes ago."
Fairy Godmother gave an awkward smile, before turning back to the game; Audrey was wearing Ben's letterman jacket, something most girlfriends did at Auradon. She would usually be with the other cheerleaders, but they excused her for this game so she could stay near the new kids in case they needed her.
(Much to Mal's annoyance.)
It was a late game, and the sky had grown dark. Evie was getting tired, and Carlos had already asked if he could rest his head on the older woman's arm. Fairy Godmother nodded, noting how he seemed to be the kindest of the group. She couldn't tell if he had fallen asleep or not, only being able to see the top of his frosted-tips. But it was safe to assume his eyes were closed and he was enjoying a peaceful sleep.
Mal complained about the lack of food, and the fact she quickly grew cold. Audrey offered her Ben's jacket, to which she flat out refused. She settled with cuddling next to Fairy Godmother's other arm.
"And another score for the Auradon Knights!" The announcer cheered. The audience was quick to clap and shout out their future King's name. Audrey squealed, before quickly silencing herself after spotting a sleeping Carlos and a tired-looking Mal.
Evie sprang to life when Prince Ben waved over at her. (Though, he was actually waving to Audrey. But Audrey didn't have the heart to tell her that.)
"When is the game gonna be over?" Mal asked sluggishly to the headmistress.
"Soon, hopefully."
The purple-haired girl dug her head back into the woman's arm, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips when she felt the warm fabric brush her pale cheeks. No wonder Carlos had fallen asleep.
Jane and Lonnie couldn't stop gushing over the cute little boy who slept soundly a few rows in front of them. (They definitely took pictures.)
But after a few more scores from both teams, the Auradon Knights won the game. The crowd cheered, causing Carlos to stir awake. His cheek was red from where he'd pressed against Fairy Godmother's arm, and his hair was messy.
Dude, the campus mutt, ran across the field (a tradition for every win), and naturally darted towards the new students. Wanting to smell them.
Carlos shrieked, and bolted. The dog quickly gave chase.
"No- Carlos! Wait!" Fairy Godmother, along with the others failed to catch him before he ran into the woods. Ben saw the ordeal, and was in hot pursuit. Mal, Jay, and Evie were quick at his heels. Fairy Godmother followed too, along with Audrey (who was sensible enough not to wear heels to a tourney game). Most of the other princesses couldn't say the same thing...
"CARLOS!" Ben shouted into the dark woods, hearing Dude's barking and Carlos' screams get further and further away.
Mal ran in without hesitation, along with Jay. Evie stopped to explain before darting into the woods herself, "He's afraid of dogs!"
The little eight-year-old had tears streaming down his freckled-cheeks. His little legs carried him through the woods, over small logs, dodging rocks and low-hanging branches. He could feel his heart beating against his chest. The vicious animal continued chasing him, barking, snarling menacingly.
"No!" Carlos cried, "P-please, don't!" He circled around a tree, hearing the bloodthirsty-beast bark madly, snapping it's jaws loudly, ready to rip out his throat.
He kicked up dirt, shooing the animal away. Carlos heard his friends' voices in the distance, finally noticing the darkness that surrounded him. The monster stepped closer, sending a petrified Carlos up on of the trees. He was always a good climber.
"H-help!" He cried out, "Ben! J-Jay!"
The dog was nipping at his feet, making Carlos scream in terror.
His thoughts filled with images of fur traps snapping around his ankle, sinking it's steel jaw into his leg and never letting go until it hit bone. The same feeling would come from a dog bite, according to his mother.
"N-no, no, no! D-don't k-k-kill me! P-please!" His face was shining from the tears, light from the moon bouncing off his cheeks, which were blood-red. Dude had since stopped barking, and was sitting at the base of the tree, looking up at Carlos.
"CARLOS!" A voice sounded relatively close, it sounded like Ben's.
"B-Ben!" The young boy cried out, "Ben! Help m-me!"
He heard the shuffling of tourney-gear a few feet away, prompting the eight-year-old to pry open his eyes and see the sixteen-year-old.
"Oh, thank God!" Ben outstretched his arms, "Come here, Carlos..."
The white-haired boy looked at the ground, no longer seeing the vicious animal. He jumped into Ben's arms, hiding his tear-streaked face in the shoulder-pads of his gear, while latching himself onto him.
Behind the tree, Audrey had snatched up Dude, and carefully whisked him away so Carlos wouldn't see him. Fairy Godmother saw Ben and Carlos, and reassured the other kids that they should follow them out. After a good five-minute walk, Ben walked out of the woods and onto a now-empty tourney field. Lonnie and Jane (and now Chad and Doug) were waiting on the bleachers, all excited to see Carlos alright.
"Is he okay?!" Lonnie jumped to her feet, "He's crying."
Carlos dug his face further into the padding. Jay was now at Ben's side, saying that he should take them to their room so Carlos can get in bed. Fairy Godmother escorted Mal and Evie to their room, while Audrey (careful not to let Carlos see) snuck Dude back inside.
"Is he okay?" Audrey whispered as soon as Ben closed the boys' door behind him.
Ben shook his head, "He'd fallen asleep in my arms, and Jay helped me put him in bed. Jay said he'd come get you if something happened, is that okay?"
Audrey nodded, "Absolutely."
The prince sighed heavily, "Do you think he's afraid of dogs because of his mother?" Audrey gave a sympathetic look, before nodding once again.
"Make's me wonder what stuff the other's have been through."
Ben chewed the inside of his cheek, "It kills me to know there are more children on that island, enduring the abuse these kids obviously got from their parents."
"They don't even know who their father's are. Or in Jay's case, who his mother is."
"Well, we could always test them. We have every original's villains DNA. Maybe we can find out who's their other parent, and if they want to know, we can tell them."
Audrey nodded, "And we can get them the usual checkups and stuff, too."
Sorry for the shorter-than-usual chapter, along with the gap in updates. But hopefully that's a rare occurrence. We caught a glimpse of just how much fear Carlos has for dogs, and there might be a chance the villains will find out who their other parents are. Make sure to leave a review telling me what you thought, and also tell me any ideas or suggestions you might have for future chapters. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time! Bye :)
