Meera: I will never look at mouse traps the same way again.
Juliet: And you made fun of me for being a fox.
Meera: Well, how was I supposed to know I would be a rat in the next story I was in. And I don't know why everyone gave me dirty looks.
Juliet: Well, rats aren't usualy accepted by anyone unless you're a scientist.
Meera: And mice are! They're vermin too!
Juliet: Yeah, but mice would run away when you try to scare them off, rats, however, would run towards you. At least, that's how it was in New York.
Meera: (sighes) I lived with rats, Jewels. That's why you scare them off with a shovel. That way when they run at you, you use the shovel to take their heads off.
Juliet: So we both agree that rats are more terrifying and more likely to attack then?
Meera: Well, yeah, but that didn't mean everyone had to judge me.
Juliet: How about we let the readers get to the story so they can judge you for themselves. We don't own anything, it all belongs to Disney.
Meera: Enjoy the story.
Trigger warning: There is mention of abuse in this chapter. If this is a trigger or will upset you do not read.
Meera tumbled out of the portal and found herself tangled in tightie whities stained with…well she knew what it was but she didn't really want to think about it. She struggled out of her dirty confines only to get hit in the head with a sock. "Oh for the love of God!" she snapped struggling to get her bearings. After freeing herself from all articles of clothing in various states of cleanliness she realized she was in a suitcase. More than slightly confused she began to puzzle how she was going to get out of the suit case when her eyes caught sight of a small ray of light. She squirmed and climbed her way up to the patch of light and managed to budge the zipper open. She climbed out of the suit case and promptly…fell to the floor.
Groaning slightly she looked up to see if anyone had noticed her and came face to face with a sleek, mean looking black rat. "Rat!" she screeched. "Rat! Someone kill it! Someone kill it! Someone…" She cut herself off when she realized her voice was coming out in squeaks. She glanced back at the rat and raised a hand only for the rat in front of her to raise its pink paw up. She realized she was staring at her own reflection in the tile molding.
"I'm the rat," Meera stated staring at her now hairy reflection. "Seriously?!" She sighed and glared at her reflection. On closer inspection she should have realized right away that the rat was her. In the neighborhood she'd grown up in rats were fairly common. But she'd never seen one wearing a sombrero and a tan poncho over an orange sundress before. Meera sighed. "I can't believe we're rats, Jewels." There was no response. "Jewels?" She glanced around her but didn't see her friend. They were clearly separated again. Feeling rather agitated she began to look around at her surroundings. At first she thought she was in an airport, but closer inspection knocked that thought. Glancing around at the people in the building who were of various ethnicities she determined she must be in the United Nations building.
"That must mean I'm in The Rescuers," Meera murmured. She was confirmed moments later when she saw a mouse wearing a kilt. She realized he must be a representative from Scotland. By that theory she was pretty sure she was a representative from Mexico. Deciding she should try and stick to the story line, at least for the moment, she followed after him through a mouse hole and down some pipes. Others were making their way to the meeting too. It didn't escape her notice that the others were sending her scathing looks. Meera was tempted to point out that mice were vermin too. She shook it off and ignored them as she walked to the entrance to the meeting. Her sharp black eyes landed on Bernard, who was sweeping outside the door.
"Hola Bernard," she greeted. "Como estas?"
"V-Very good Senorita Garcia," Bernard stuttered out shocked. "Uh como es- how are you?"
"Muy Bueno," she laughed before entering the meeting and looking around for her designated spot where she sat down and waited for the meeting to start.
"Order! This emergency meeting of the International Rescue Aid Society is now in session," a large brown mouse in a blue coat yelled over the chatter throughout the room. Quickly, the voices all died down. "Delegates, you have been summoned from all corners of the globe, because we have reason to believe that someone is in distress."
"Well, why else would we be here?" Meera muttered under her breath.
"As you know, our society has never failed to answer a call to help," the brown mouse, clearly the head honcho hear, continued. Cheers filled the room at this declaration, and the head honcho let the room settle down again before going on. "We will face the portrait of the beloved founder of our society, Euripides Mouse. Delegates, hands over hearts."
Meera placed her hand over her heart, but when everyone else started singing she just hummed along. Honestly, she'd kind of had it with the random singing:
R-E-S-C-U-E
Rescue aid society
Heads held high
Touch the sky
Our hearts we pledge to thee.
Meera winced as she listened to the pitiful wails she heard from one of the mice in the front and started developing a case for why random singing was a bad idea to present to Disney. Just when she was about to snap and go down there and shut the mouse up herself, a more melodious voice flooded the room. Meera looked over her shoulder to see a white mouse wearing a yellow coat and hat entering the room. "That must be Miss. Bianca," Meera thought, remembering the details to the movie. She looked back up front and waited for the anthem to finish so the meeting could go on.
The Head Honcho got right back to business the second it did end. "Mouse scouts, bring in the bottle," he ordered. A group of young mice pulled the bottle in on a wagon type invention. When it was placed at the front of the room, the Head Honcho called for a worker. "Mr. Bernard, if you please."
Meera smiled as the bumbling little mouse hurried to the front of the room, dangerously swinging a hair comb around. "C-c-coming through," Mr. Bernard stuttered. "Uh, pardon me. Have a care there." Meera stifled a giggle as the poor guy nearly decapitated a row of delegates. Others in the room were not able to hold back their laughter and a commotion soon swept over the room.
"Delegates, this is no time for levity," the Head Honcho scolded. "Serious business you know. Serious business." Bernard managed to lean the comb on the bottle and climbed up, but stopped nearly at the top. The Head Honcho sighed. "Now what?"
"Sir, there are thirteen steps on this ladder," Bernard said.
"Oh, superstitious nonsense," the Head Honcho dismissed. Bernard then used the rope he was carrying to pull himself up to the very top of the bottle and pulled out the wine cork. Meera was not able to stifle the giggle that snuck out as the poor guy fell into the bottle. Still, he did manage to pull the message out, only to fall to the bottom of the bottle. The Head Honcho picked up a monocle and began to read the message. "To Morning Side Orphanage, New York."
The Head Honcho fretted. "It's difficult to decipher," he fussed. "I can't make it out."
Miss. Bianca hurried to the front of the room to help. "I am…in terrible trouble," she read slowly. "Oh, oh dear, it's all watered out." She tried to continue on. "Hurry. Help. Penny."
"Penny?" the Head Honcho repeated. "Morningside Orphanage? It's not much to go on, is it?"
"Oh that poor little girl," Bianca murmured. "Oh, Mr. Chairman, please, please may I Have this assignment?"
"You, Miss Bianca?" the Head Honcho exclaimed. "Dear lady, it's absolutely without precedent. I mean, it's not like the old days when it was a man's world."
"Excuse me?!" Meera cried standing up and marching to the front. "It was never a man's world. Men don't own the world. Miss. Bianca is more than capable of completing this assignment."
"Yes, Senorita Garcia, you've made your point," the Head Honcho sighed and looked back at Miss. Bianca. "I suppose there has to be a first time for everything."
A tapping noise suddenly filled the room, and Meera looked over to see Bernard tapping the glass bottle he was still stuck inside of. "Uh, uh, Mr. Chairman, sir," he began. "I-I-I don't think Miss. Bianca should go. It could be dangerous. I mean, I mean any…anything could happen to her."
The Head Honcho sent the janitor a hard look before turning to Miss. Bianca. "Before our janitor interrupted I was about to suggest that you should have a co-agent or two go with you," he said. "Gentlemen, who will volunteer?" Meera scowled as every male mouse in the house raised a paw and hooted. Men were all the same, regardless of species.
"Gentlemen, this is indeed a most difficult decision to make," Miss. Bianca stated. "I choose…Senorita Garcia and Mr. Bernard to be my co-agents."
"I'll be happy to go along," Meera agreed instantly.
Bernard wasn't so quick to go along. "M-Me?" he asked disbelievingly. "Oh th-that's, that'd really very, uh…No, uh, see, I'm…I'm only a j-janitor."
"Oh come on," Miss. Bianca persuaded. "We'll be a great team together. Oh come on!" The room filled with calls of encouragement from the delegates. Meera had to admit they were a pretty friendly bunch.
"Mr. Bernard, you should come with us," Meera said. "It'll be an adventure." Slowly, Mr. Bernard nodded his consent. The Head Honcho was clearly not pleased with how the arrangements had made out, but agreed to them. The good news was that the orphanage was in New York City so they didn't have to travel far. Meera led them to the nearest bus station and managed to find them a bus that would take them to a stop fairly close to the orphanage outside the Central Park Zoo.
"H-Here it is," Bernard stuttered after getting off the bus. The three were huddled under a mailbox to take shelter from the rain. "Three blocks down and uh, uh, four blocks over."
"Well, why don't we take a short cut through the zoo?" Miss. Bianca suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Meera replied and started following her to the gate of the zoo.
"Uh, gee, uh, Miss. Bianca, uh…I don't know," Bernard stammered. "I mean, it's, you know, it could be risky."
"Oh come on," Miss. Bianca encouraged. "Remember our pledge? Through storm and rain and dark of night…"
"Never fail to do what's right," Bernard finished. "All right…duty calls." The three made their way into the zoo, but quickly began to feel uneasy. Meera wasn't sure why. In her teenage years she'd broken into parks and buildings all the time during night and she'd never felt nervous before. But of course she'd been much bigger. As a rat everything towered over her, and seemed more threatening. Suddenly, taking a short cut through the park didn't seem like such a good idea.
Miss. Bianca seemed to be rethinking her plan too. "Uh, Mr. Bernard, um, maybe we'd better go back," she said. "It's so dark in there."
"Dark?" Bernard repeated and Meera watched a speck of male ego settle of the male mouse. "Who's a...who's afraid of the dark? Look you stay here. I'll…I'll check it out."
"Men," Meera muttered as she and Miss. Bianca watched Bernard walk into the zoo. A few seconds later a nasty growl filled the air and Bernard came running past them.
"Wait for me!" Miss. Bianca called and chased after him. Meera followed as quickly as she could. Her path was blocked by Miss. Bianca's umbrella which she'd dropped in her haste. She fumbled with it until Bernard helped her out and then the three continued running, until they felt they were safe.
"How…How about trying, uh, three blocks down and, uh, four blocks over?" Bernard panted.
"What did you do to make him so mad?" Miss. Bianca asked curiously.
"Nothing," Bernard replied slightly defensively. "He's just a…just a grumpy old lion."
"You woke him up, didn't you?" Meera questioned. Jewels had often said waking her up was like poking a lion.
Miss. Bianca chuckled. "Well, after all, waking him up in the middle of the night," she teased. "Wouldn't you be grumpy too?"
"I didn't wake him up in the middle of the night," Bernard protested. "I was walking through the thing, and he just…"
"Save it," Meera cut him off cheerfully. "Let's just get walking. We have a long way to go now." When they arrived at the orphanage they snuck in through an open window and dropped down to the floor in front of a box with a kid's name written across it.
"I'll, uh, I'll take a look around, see what I can find," Bernard said heading towards the closet. Meera followed along after him, and saw a box with the name Penny written on it. "Miss. Bianca, over here. I-I found something."
"This box has Penny's things in it," Meera told Miss. Bianca when she hurried over.
"Now we're getting somewhere," Miss. Bianca exclaimed as the three climbed into the box. "Oh look, the little girl's treasures."
"She didn't have much did she," Meera sighed. This kid didn't seem to be having any better of a childhood than she had. She barely had any toys when she was a kid, and only one that she loved. A rag doll she'd name Margarita. She dragged that doll around with her everywhere. It had been her only friend, until one night she accidentally spilled her father's drink. Her father had snatched Margarita off of her and cut her head off with scissors saying bad girls didn't deserve dolls to play with. Meera had only been five.
Meera shook herself back to the present, and tried to ignore the sudden persistent need to drink. "I don't see much useful in this box," she said, and then pretended like she didn't know what was really going on. "What do you think's going on here?"
Miss. Bianca shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "Do you think she could be still here in the orphanage?"
"Sh-She can't be," Bernard said. "It says on the box; Hold until further notice."
"Maybe she's been adopted," Miss. Bianca suggested.
"Then why aren't her things with her?" Meera asked.
Suddenly, the box shook a little and the three looked up to see a cat wearing glasses staring down at them. "Mice!" the cat cried. "And a…rat."
"Cat!" the three squeaked backing up against the far side of the box.
"Now listen here you three," the cat said reasonably. "If the folks find out that rodents moved in here…I-I'll get kicked out, lose my job."
Miss. Bianca broke away from the wall and climbed up the box to be eyes level with the cat. "Oh, d-don't worry Mr. Cat," she soothed. We won't be here long."
"Yeah," Meera added. "We only came to find some information."
The cat looked relieved. "I'm a mite too old to be chasin rodents," he sighed.
"Uh, sir could…could you tell us what happened to a little girl names Penny?" Bernard asked.
"I sure can," the Cat replied. "But you ain't gonna find her around here. The poor little thing ran away."
"When was the last time you saw Penny?" Bernard questioned.
"Was there anything unusual?" Miss. Bianca added.
"If she ran away there had to be something upsetting her," Meera said remembering the times she'd ran away as a child. Of course, she had always ran to her Abuela's, but there's been times when she wished she really ran away.
"Try to remember," Miss. Bianca urged the cat.
"Let's see now," the Cat pondered. "The last time I saw her she was sittin' over there on her bed all alone. She looked awful sad, and so I asked her…"
Meera felt the earth shake and she grabbed onto something. "Not again!" she wailed remembering the same occurrence when she'd been Sleeping Beauty. That time she'd jumped sixteen years into the future. She was pretty sure that couldn't be the case for this movie. When the ground settled she glanced around. She was still in the orphanage, but Miss. Bianca and Bernard were no longer with her. The cat was there but he was sitting on the bed with…Penny. Meera recognized her from the times she watched the movie before. "I must have just been pushed into the flashback." Quietly, she crept closer to the Cat and Penny.
"What's wrong, Penny, honey?" the Cat was asking.
"Nothing," Penny replied glumly.
"Oh, come on now. No secrets," the Cat said. "You tell old Rufus, huh."
"Oh yeah that was his name," Meera muttered.
"Well, it was adoption day at the orphanage," Penny began.
"What happened?" Rufus questioned.
"A man and a lady came and looked at me…but they choosed a little redheaded girl," Penny explained. "She was prettier than me."
"Oh! She couldn't be," Rufus cried, indignant for the girl. "You listen to me darling. You're something special."
"No I'm not," Penny replied sadly.
"Why, someday a mama and a papa will come to the orphanage looking for a pretty little girl just like you," Rufus insisted.
"Honest?" Penny asked. Meera continued to watch the exchange between the little girl and the cat fondly. Everyone needed someone. When the ground shook again she knew she was being pulled out of the flashback so she wasn't surprised when Miss. Bianca and Bernard appeared at her side again.
"She seemed happy enough, but the next thing I heard, Penny was gone," Rufus sighed.
"Well, aren't the police still looking for her?" Bernard questioned.
"No, no, no, no," Rufus replied. "They gave up weeks ago."
"A cold case," Meera said. "In a city this size the cops don't have the resources or time to keep up a search like this when many other people go missing and murder cases come along. It was the same in Los Angeles."
"Oh, this is terrible!" Miss. Bianca exclaimed. "That poor little girl."
"I just can't believe Penny would run away," Bernard sighed. "Uh, Mr. Rufus, please think. Now, there must be something else."
"Well, come to think of it, there was," Rufus replied and then shook his head. "Oh, no, no it's nothing. Penny wouldn't get in with her."
"Don't be so sure. Little girls are easily manipulated," Meera said remembering the time her old neighbor had offered her candy if she'd come inside and talk to him. She had and she'd gotten her candy, but not before he got some of his own. She closed her eyes forcing the memory to the back of her mind. The other two had jumped on what Rufus had said as well.
"Get in what? W-with who?" Bernard questioned.
"Oh, a weird lady tried to give Penny a ride…but she wouldn't have anything to do with trashy people like them," Rufus responded.
"Trashy people?" Miss. Bianca repeated. "Who?"
"She and her partner run a sleazy pawn shop down the street," Rufus answered.
"Miss. Bianca, Senorita Garcia, we must go down there and investigate," Bernard said firmly.
"I agree," Meera replied.
"Suit yourself, but you'd be wasting your time going down there," Rufus told them.
"She could be in real trouble," Bernard stated. "We gotta find her and help her."
"Yeah, but two little mice and a rat?" Rufus said. "What…What can you do?"
The three of them rushed down the street and crawled under the door of the pawn shop before heading to the back room to look around for clues. Miss. Bianca was the first to find something. "Bernard, Meera, a child's book!" she cried. Meera and Bernard rushed over to help her open the cover. "It's Penny's!"
"Then she'd gotta be here," Bernard said.
"No, but I bet the people who own the shop know where she is," Meera replied. The three jumped as a cuckoo clock announced the next hour, and began to scurry away. But in his hurry Bernard got his tail stuck in the book, and when he managed to get it out, the fur was messed up. Meera and Miss. Bianca began laughing.
"What's so funny?" Bernard asked innocently.
"Your tail!" Miss. Bianca laughed.
"You should see it," Meera chuckled. "It looks so bushy."
"Here, here, let me help you fix it," Miss. Bianca soothed as Bernard began to look distressed. Meera watched as Miss. Bianca licked her paw and straightened out the fur. They had no sooner all calmed down when the phone began to ring.
"Jesus!" Meera hissed as she dived into a mail slot next to Miss. Bianca. She peered out from behind an envelope when the door slammed open.
"Who could be ringing at this time of night?" a scary looking red head muttered storming into the room and over to the phone. Meera recognized her as the bad guy of the film. She could see why the writers of the film had named the character Medusa. She certainly looked like she could turn you to stone. "Madame Medusa's Pawn Shop Boutique"
Meera winced at the sickening fake sweet voice and then jumped when the crazy witch began dancing in excitement. "Snoops!" Medusa cried. "Don't tell me, Snoops. Let me guess. You found it! You've found the diamond!"
"Oh yeah, that's right," Meera murmured finally remembering the whole plot of the movie. This crazy redhead and her partner had kidnapped Penny so the girl could find some huge diamond. Suddenly, Meera had real interest in finding the girl. She could help the other two save the girl and get a big, sparkly diamond for her effort. Meera zoned her attention back to the phone conversation. Medusa did not looked pleased anymore.
"Give you time?" she questioned. "You bungler! You have been down there for three months." Meera heard the tinny voice of someone else reply, but whatever they said didn't pacify the redhead. "Bottles? What bottles…You caught Penny sending messages in bottles? You blundering fool! Can't you control a little girl? Shut up! I am taking the next flight down to Devil's Bayou!"
Meera watched as Medusa slammed a suitcase on her desk before storming off. "Now's our chance," she said stepping out into the open again.
"Yeah, come on, into the suitcase," Bernard ordered. He and Meera managed to climb into the suitcase, but just as Miss. Bianca was about to climb in Madame Medusa came back into the room and she had to hide behind something on the desk. Meera held back a squeak as the redhead began to stuff clothes into the suitcase, jostling her and Bernard. When the woman stepped away for a second Miss. Bianca rushed over to them and used a belt hanging over the side of the suitcase to climb up. Meera and Bernard both tried to pull her the rest of the way in, but they were forced to let go when Madame Medusa shut the suitcase on them.
"Miss. Bianca!" Bernard shouted.
"Calm down," Meera ordered. "She'll be fine. I have no doubt she'll manage to keep up with this psychotic woman."
"Yeah, but…"
"Fretting won't help the situation," Meera cut him off. "Just trust me she'll be…" She was cut off as the suitcase was thrown down and she banged into side. "Ouch."
"Are you okay?" Bernard asked.
"Yeah, I'm…" she didn't get to finish as the two were jostled once again. "Seriously, how did this woman get her license?!" Suddenly, the latch on the suitcase was undone and Miss. Bianca's face peered over the side.
"Miss. Bianca!" Bernard exclaimed.
"We'll help you in," Meera said extending a paw. She and Bernard worked together to pull their teammate in and the three held onto each other during the crazy ride, until they, along with the suitcase, were tossed in the air and landed on the side of the road. "Great. Just great."
"Now, Meera, calm down," Miss. Bianca soothed.
"How?!" Meera snapped. "What are we going to do now?"
"We'll go to Devil's Bayou of course," Miss. Bianca replied. "We'll have to hurry back to headquarters and set up a flight time."
"Flight time?" Bernard questioned.
"Yes, we'll have to use Albatross's Air Service," Miss. Bianca stated. "And the three of us will need to pack a few things together. Now let's hurry now. There's no time to waste."
The three got back to headquarters and scheduled a flight for the next evening. Meera wished herself a traveling bag so she wouldn't be the odd man…rodent…out. They only stayed long enough to get their things together before setting out for the airport. They arrived shortly before their flight was set to go off. Meera was in quite a hurry in her eagerness to save the diamond. "Err, to save the child," she reminded herself. "Getting her paws on the diamond would just be a bonus.
Bernard was also eager to get going. "Hurry, Miss. Bianca!" he called. "Medusa could be down at the Devil's Bayou by now."
"Oh, I'm sorry, but a lady does have to pack a few things, you know," Miss. Bianca huffed.
Meera looked back over her shoulder to see Miss. Bianca struggling to carry her over packed suitcase. "I think you packed more than a few things," she replied before hopping on the escalator. They rode it to the top of the roof where the planes were and scurried across the top, hurrying under helicopters, until they reached a small shack that looked like a chicken coop, with the sign "Fly Albatross Air Service" perched on the roof. The three climbed up into it and placed their luggage on a scale. It was then Bernard decided to look at the clock.
"Oh no, we missed the flight!" he cried. "Miss. Bianca, if you hadn't…"
"Oh you worry too much," Miss. Bianca cut him off. "You know that flights are always late."
"Always," Meera repeated. "It's one of the few things in life that you can count on."
Suddenly, a voice came in over the radio in the shack. "Albatross Flight 13 to Tower," it called. "Albatross 13."
"Now what did I tell you?" Miss. Bianca said. "We are lucky, Mr. Bernard."
"Luck? Flight 13?" Bernard mumbled dumbly. "Maybe we better take the train."
"Don't be so superstitious," Meera teased. "Everything will be fine."
Suddenly, the voice rang through the room again. "Wake up!" it hollered. "Dad-rad it! Somebody answer down there! Get off the dime! Hello! Hello! Is anybody down there?"
Bernard climbed up and answered into a microphone, "Uh, h-h-hello?"
"Where have you been, oh, you lazy knucklehead?" the voice demanded.
"W-we-we just got here sir," Bernard replied. "Uh, uh, see, one of my co-agents insisted on packing her, uh…"
"Look, bud, am I clear to land?" the voice asked cutting Bernard off. "Traffic up here is thicker than fleas on a hound dog's…Wo-Wow! Dad-blast, you dirty road hog…"
"What did he say?" Miss. Bianca asked from down below.
"I think he's experiencing road rage," Meera laughed. "I think that's a pilot's equivalent of a trucker's language."
Mr. Bernard seemed to agree with Meera. "I wouldn't dare repeat it," he said.
"Well then give him the permission to land," Miss. Bianca laughed.
Bernard turned back to the microphone. "Uh, Captain, you, uh, you have our permission to land," he granted.
"Well it's about time bud!" the voice cried.
"Look, look!" Miss. Bianca exclaimed. "There he is!" Meera and Bernard rushed over to the window and glanced out at the sky to see a seagull descending down onto the roof. "Doesn't he fly beautifully? And you wanted to take the train, you fraidy cat."
"Fraidy cat?" Bernard asked indignantly. "It's just that, uh…No, I-I like trains. I mean..."
"Bernard, give it a rest," Meera sighed, and then watched as the seagull dipped below the landing platform.
"Pull up! Pull up!" Bernard shouted. The three watched as the bird made an extremely bumpy landing and rushed to his aid. The bird seemed fine thought, humming happily as he brushed himself off.
Still, Meera wanted to make sure he was still okay for flying. "Are you alright sir?" she asked. "You aren't hurt, are you?"
"Nope," the bird replied. "One of my better landing bud." Meera paled at the thought.
Bernard seemed equally perturbed. "Oh great," he sighed, and turned to Miss. Bianca who'd joined them. "Come on. We're…We're gonna take the train. Play it safe?"
"Train?" the bird cried indignantly. "Safe? Listen, here buster, I'm as fit as a fiddle."
"And you look simply wonderful, Captain," Miss. Bianca soothed.
"Oh, shucks," the bird replied bashfully. "Just call me Orville, little lady."
"Alright, alright," Bernard said giving in. "It's important that we get to Devil's Bayou."
"Super important," Meera added for emphasis.
"Well, now, will you just keep your shirts on?" Orville scolded. "Flight 13 hits the wild blue yonder in five minutes."
"Great," Meera muttered as Orville wandered off to get ready. "He gets here late, and keeps us waiting. Now I know I'm at an airport."
The trio waited in varying states of patience as Orville suited up and prepared for the flight. When he finally rolled out the stairs to climb aboard his back, Meera was relieved. She got in line behind Bernard and Miss. Bianca. Bernard was counting the stairs as he climbed. "Eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve…Oh no," he muttered. "There are thirteen steps on this ramp."
"Well, why don't you just jump the last one?" Miss. Bianca suggested.
Bernard did as she suggested and just as Miss. Bianca reached the top step Meera was about to follow when Orville stopped her. "Senorita," he said, "I'm afraid you're a mite too big to fit in alongside your companions."
"Well, then, where am I supposed to fit?" Meera asked, slightly annoyed. She wasn't used to being the larger person in the group. She wasn't sure she liked it.
"Well, in the harness of course!" Orville replied cheerfully.
Meera eyed the harness wrapped around the bird, with an attachment on the chest of him. "I'm not so sure that's safe," Meera said.
"Nonsense! You'll be fine," Orville encouraged her. Sighing she gave in and strapped herself to the harness. Satisfied that everyone was in place Orville prepared them for takeoff. "This is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard, folks. Fasten your seatbelts. No smoking. Just sit back and leave the driving to me."
Meera wasn't so sure that last part was a good idea. She fretted nervously as Bernard read Orville the checklist. She really wasn't looking forward to flying all the way to the Bayou strapped onto the chest of a bird. She squeaked as she began to be jostled as Orville took a running start. Her nervousness only intensified as the seagull began to pant. She gripped tightly to the harness as they reached the edge of the building and the screeched as the bird plummeted over the side into a dive. Her eyes widened in terror as the ground came closer and closer, the people looking less like ants than before, until finally Orville pulled up and glided smoothly through the sky.
Meera relaxed a little when it became clear they were not going to be crashing into the concrete ground and began to enjoy the ride. Her eyes watched the jewel toned horizon as the sun set for the night. "Juliet would love this," she thought. "It would certainly give her good writing material." She continued to gaze around at the view as a random song played in the background. She was okay with it, since this time no one was singing. As the sky grew dark the motion from flying lulled her to sleep.
She woke up hours later when Orville began talking. "Well folks, we'll be landing in Devil's Bayou in just a minute," he said. "Your crew thanks you for flying Albatross Air…" Meera's ears perked up at the sound of something whistling through the air. "What in the…Sufferin sassafras!" Meera screeched as a red flare hit Orville setting his tail one fire. "My rudder's on fire! Bail out! Bail out!"
"Help!" Miss. Bianca cried and Meera saw her fall out of her jacket and off the seagull to the ground below. "Bernard!"
Bernard dropped down to help her, but Meera couldn't get the harness undone. She was stuck on the falling bird. "Mayday! Mayday!" Orville yelled plummeting to the ground.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Meera screamed and watched in terror as the ground got closer and closer. Just as they were about to crash she saw a stumbling rat in their way. "Watch out!" But the rat didn't hear her and she and Orville crashed right into. The rolled and stumbled across the ground. Meera finally came free from the harness and bounced a few steps before finally lying quiet. It felt like she'd just been hit by a truck. Unsurprising though, as she'd taken the brunt of the landing.
"If I ever get my hands on that mouse who got me into this mess I'm going to kill him," she mumbled not even trying to get up.
"Wowee!" a voice cried out and Meera turned her head to see the rat they'd ran into. "This new batch really packs a wallop!"
He lifted the jug up to drink whatever liquor he had in there but Meera snatched it off of him. "I need this more than you!" she snapped and gulped down the burning liquid. It didn't seem so strong to her, but considering how much she drank she might just be immune to the burn of alcohol anymore. Still, she felt calmer with the alcohol buzzing in her head and flowing through her veins. She handed the jug back and stumbled a few, dizzying steps to the swamp where Orville had landed in the shallows. She looked up in the air when she heard Bernard's voice.
"Look out below!" he hollered. He and Miss. Bianca were drifting down to the ground with an umbrella acting as a parachute. Unfortunately, it gave out just before they landed and the two plopped into the water.
Meera was about to rush to their aid when another rat ran past her and into the swampy water. "Oh what a shame," the rat fussed. "Here, honey, let me help you."
Her companion followed in after her and pulled Bernard up. "Say cousin, you look like you could use a swig of this," the male rat said. "It's good for what ails ya. Just ask your friend over there. She downed some a moment ago and she's right as rain now." Meera frowned slightly but didn't say anything as she helped the female rat get Miss. Bianca to shore.
"Where are you folks from anyway?" the male rat asked.
"We're…we're from New Y…New York," Bernard wheezed.
Orville seemed to recover then. "Now stand back folks!" he ordered pulling his goggles back into place. "I'm not going to hang around this creepy place long. Clear the runway!" Meera watched as the seagull ran off the runway straight into the water. She rolled her eyes and was about to make a snide remark when the sound of an engine roared.
"What the…" she murmured stepping closer to the swamp. She winced as she watched some crazy vehicle suck Orville in and spit him out the exhaust pipe. At least it put the bird into the air. Still, the vehicle was fairly ominous, and once Meera recognized the person riding it she knew it was something to be avoided. The vehicle slowed down, and Meera watched the redheaded woman looking around. She guessed Penny must have escaped again.
She wasn't the only one who recognized the woman. "Bernard," Miss. Bianca exclaimed. "It's that terrible Medusa."
"I'd like to give her a few whacks with my rolling pin!" the female rat cried smacking said rolling pin down on her own paw.
"We swamp folks would like to run her clean out of our bayou." The male rat, seemingly the female's husband, agreed.
"Hold it. Hold it!" the wife ordered. "Somebody's comin this way." They all peered through the reeds to see two overgrown alligators carrying a teddy bear and a girl precariously in their mouth.
"Why did you have to go and spoil everything?" the little girl complained. Meera had to give the girl some props. If she were in her situation she didn't think she'd be so calm. "Nero, don't you dare get my teddy bear wet."
"Oh, it's that poor little young'un," the female rat moaned. "She's tryin' to run away again."
"It's Penny," Miss. Bianca gasped. "Oh, how terrible."
"It's sick!" Meera spat as she watched the two alligators dragging the girl into the swamp and bringing her back to wherever.
"Hurry!" Miss. Bianca urged pulling her and Bernard out of the reeds and after the alligators. "We have to find out where they're taking her!"
"You need a boat," the female rat said. "Evinrude's got the fastest boat around here. Evinrude, wake up! Start up your engine boy!" Meera, Miss. Bianca, and Bernard climbed into a leaf that ran on the power of a dragonfly, and began to follow after the two alligators. "Send Evinrude back as soon as you need help. I'll round up the neighbors!"
The makeshift boat began to skip across the swamp, but it wasn't going nearly fast enough. "Evinrude, you can go faster," Meera encouraged. "Pick up the pace." The dragonfly beat his wings harder and the boat charged ahead into thick fog. Unfortunately, they were now unable to see.
"Slow down, Evinrude!" Bernard ordered and began to look around him. "They gotta be around here somewhere."
After a few moments of glancing around they still didn't catch sight of the alligators or Penny. "Oh dear, we've lost them," Miss. Bianca cried.
Meera sighed and glanced dejectedly in front of the boat only to freeze in shock as she realized they were now right in front of the two monsters. "No we haven't," she wailed. "Look!"
"Jehoshaphat!" Bernard yelled. "Hang on! Hard to port, Evinrude!" As the boat glided between the alligators the water grew very choppy, and Meera tumbled out of the boat along with Miss. Bianca.
"Help! Bernard!" Bianca shouted barely managing to keep her head above the water. Meera was a stronger swimmer and had already managed to make it back onto the boat, pulling herself over the side.
"Bianca!" Bernard shouted directing the boat after their companion.
"I'm fine by the way," Meera gasped coughing up swamp water. "Thanks for asking." Bernard didn't seem to hear her as he frantically grabbed a rope that magically appeared out of nowhere and tossed it in Bianca's direction. Meera couldn't help but think that Disney was a little too convenient. Sighing, she grabbed onto the rope alongside Bernard and helped him pull Miss. Bianca back into the boat. They weren't out of danger yet. The swell created from the alligator's tails knocked the boat up into the air. Luckily, they all landed back in it when it crashed back into the water. Meera glanced over the side of the boat to see a wrecked ship in the distance.
"That must be where they're keeping Penny," Meera said.
Bernard nodded and turn to Evinrude, who was panting in exhaustion. "Come on Evinrude," Bernard encouraged. "Give it all you got." The dragonfly beat his wings a few times, but not much happened.
"Poor Evinrude," Miss. Bianca said. "Your carburetor is all pooped out."
"Well, rest a bit," Meera put in. "We know where they're going now. We can take a minute to rest."
"I agree," Miss. Bianca replied. "We'll paddle the boat along ourselves until Evinrude recovers." The three got down on their knees and used their paws to push the boat along. They finally reached shore and settled the boat.
"Stick around, Evinrude," Bernard said. "We'll signal if we need you." Suddenly, the hum of an engine filled the air, and the three looked up to see Medusa barreling towards them. "Look out! Here she comes!" The evil redhead rode the vehicle up onto the ship wreck and bashed into the ship. The trio climbed up to a window of the ship and peered in to see Medusa arguing with a plump, middle-aged man.
"That must be her partner," Meera whispered as she watched the woman cuddle with her alligators. She wondered why Disney villains never had any cute and fluffy sidekicks.
"We need to get inside," Bernard said. "We can't hear them from out here."
"Alright, let's go," Miss. Bianca agreed and the three snuck in using an air vent, and hiding under a desk. They arrived in time to hear the evil duo discussing jewels the girl had found. Medusa, though, was not happy with the smaller gems, and whacked them out of her partner's hands.
"She's insane," Miss. Bianca whispered. "Utterly mad."
"I want that diamond," Medusa growled bearing down on her partner, Snoops. "I've got to have the Devil's Eye!"
"Yeah, me too," Meera thought to herself. There was no way she was letting this psychotic woman have it. No money in the world could make her beautiful or attractive. She on the other hand was already quite a looker. Getting her paws on the diamond would just simplify her complicated life.
"You didn't leave the girl down in the cave long enough," Medusa said snapping Meera out of her thoughts.
"She won't take orders," Mr. Snoops replied, making up excuses.
"You are too soft," Medusa told him.
"But the water was rising and the tide was coming in, and all she did was fuss about her teddy getting wet," Snoops argued.
"Snoops, you don't have a way with children," Medusa replied. "You must gain their confidence…make them like you."
"Yeah?" Snoops questioned. "How do you do that?"
"You force them to like you, idiot!" Medusa shouted. Meera glared. Even her parents had never been this nasty, and she'd gotten more than one beating from them on a day they'd consumed too much alcohol. She shook her head focusing back on the two's conversation. "At the next low tide, I am going to put her down there myself, and keep her there until she finds it. It is as simple as that."
"Oh, it's as simple as that, is it?" Snoops replied. "Well, you're the boss, boss."
"Yes, now come along, petsy-poos," Medusa cooed to her alligators.
"We gotta get Penny out of here tonight," Bernard declared as they stepped out from under the desk only to be scared back under as the alligators headed their way. Meera peered out warily at them. From memory she knew she was about to be doing a lot of running. Sure enough one of the alligators paused before clearing the table and began sniffing the air.
"This is going to suck," Meera muttered backing to the opposite side of the desk.
"Bianca," Bernard whispered in dread. "They smell your perfume."
"Oh dear," Miss. Bianca gasped. Meera watched in dread as a green snout pushed under the desk and forced the three of them back against the wall. Bernard swatted at the snout with his cap. Unfortunately, this put him to close to the alligator's mouth and his shirt was snagged by one its teeth, allowing it to pull Bernard out from under the desk. Bernard swatted its snout again and began to run, climbing up the curtains in an attempt to escape. The alligators worked together to pull the curtains down, and knocking Bernard down with them.
"Oh no!" Miss. Bianca gasped.
"This isn't good," Meera sighed.
"Miss. Bianca! Senorita Garcia!" Bernard cried for help.
The two ran under the curtains to help. "Let go, you-you big bullies, you!" Miss. Bianca cried.
"Yeah, you overgrown lizards!" Meera shouted. The three managed to escape the alligators and ran to an organ before hiding in its pipes. Miss. Bianca and Bernard thought they were safe, but Meera had seen this movie before. When the alligator pressed the key and sent the mice flying up, she wedged herself in the pipe using her arm and legs. The other two were shot out of the pipes giving away their hiding place. Meera held onto her grip as the alligators pounded on the organ's keys for a minute trying to catch the mice. Unfortunately, when that tactic didn't work they tried another.
Meera was forced out of her grip when the one alligator crashed into the pipes. "Damn!" Meera hissed, knowing now she was in as much danger as her companions. She stumbled back as the alligator lunged at the pipes again. The next time the alligators tried shooting them out of the pipes Meera wasn't ready and barely avoided the alligator's grasp. She tried to wedge herself in once more, but was too disoriented to manage it. Finally, her pipe was sent flying as an alligator launched after Bernard, catching him in his mouth.
"Brutus! Nero! Stop that infernal racket!" Medusa hollered. "I mean now!" Meera winced as the woman bashed her cane on the animal's snout, forcing it to release Bernard. Of course, the redhead wasn't too pleased to see the mouse either. She screeched and climbed up onto a chair. "Snoops! Snoops, a mouse! Oh, kill it, kill it! Oh Snoops kill it!" Snoops appeared with a broom and began chasing after Bernard with it. Meera hurried over to Miss. Bianca and pulled her out of the organ pipe just as Bernard caught up. "There are two more!"
Meera grumbled as she dodged a broom, two alligators, and unnecessary gunfire as they made their escape. She was relieved when they made it outside. "Never again!" she panted. "I will never do this again! Being the good guy sucks." As if to emphasize her point one of the shots blasted the part of the deck they were on and dunked them into the water. "Dios mío. La próxima vez que ponga las manos encima a esa mujer que voy a golpearla."
Bernard called for help. "Evinrude, over here!" he shouted, and soon enough the dragonfly rushed the boat over and they all climbed into it. "Is everyone alright?"
"Not by a long shot," Meera replied moodily.
"Why she…she tried to kill us," Miss. Bianca cried. "That terrible woman! Oh if I was only a ten foot mouse, I'd show her."
"It's…it's no use Bianca," Bernard sighed giving in. "Maybe Rufus was right. Wh-what can two little mice and a rat do?" The three sat in quiet for a moment, a rendition of the Rescue Aid Society's anthem randomly playing in the background when Bianca regained her gumption.
"But, Bernard, the Society's counting on us," she said. "We can't quit now. Oh, and that little girl. We've just got to rescue her."
"And the diamond!" Meera added. The other two gave her a funny look. "What? Trust me, you do not want this woman to get her hands on a fortune. You think she's scary now? She'll be ten times worse, if we let her get her hand on that diamond."
"Maybe, but Penny's our priority," Miss. Bianca said. "We'll try to keep Medusa from the diamond, but not if it puts the girl at risk."
Meera frowned. She was willing to put the girl at risk for the diamond, but of course she couldn't say that, so she just nodded. "Yes, of course," she replied. "The girl's safety is of utmost importance."
"Let's go find her, shall we?" Bernard suggested and the three of them hurried back onto the ship. Suddenly, music filled the air:
Be Brave Little One,
Make a Wish for each sad little tear
Hold your head up though no one is near
Someone is waiting for you
Don't cry little one
There'll be a smile where a frown used to be
Someone's waiting for you.
Meera felt nostalgic as the song went on. The song used to make her feel so much better as a child. She'd probably shed more tears than Penny in her childhood. Meera began to feel uncomfortable. This movie was surfacing quite a few memories that she'd done her best to drink into oblivion. But in truth she remembered everything. She could relate to Penny. She certainly knew how it felt to feel unloved and alone. She sighed wearily as the song faded to an end.
Have faith little one
Til your hopes and your wishes come true
You must try to be brave little one
Someone's waiting to love you.
Meera had long ago stopped believing in that song. No one ever stuck around her. In the end she always wound up alone. She shook herself out of her thoughts as the boat came to a stop, and followed the other two up to Penny's room. They peeked in through the window to see the little girl saying her prayers. Meera listened through a section of glass that was broken.
"Please let someone find my bottle," Penny prayed. "There's a message in it. Because running away isn't working. Amen." Meera watched heartbroken as the little girl grabbed her bear and began crying. "Don't worry Teddy. We'll…We'll be alright."
Meera and the other two rushed down to the girl. "Penny," Miss. Bianca whispered. "Penny."
The little girl looked up and gave them a surprised look. "Yes?" she asked confused.
"Penny…Penny, dear, now don't cry," Miss. Bianca comforted. "We are here to help you."
"Hi!" the girl greeted sounding a little more cheerful. "Where'd you come from?"
"We found the bottle with your message," Bernard explained.
"We've come to rescue you," Meera added.
"Did you hear that, Teddy?" the little girl exclaimed. "Our bottle worked!" Penny paused for a moment and looked down at the three of them. "Didn't you bring somebody big with you…like the police?"
"Uh, no there's just the…just the three of us," Bernard replied.
"But if the four of us work together, and we have a little faith…" Miss. Bianca began to say but Penny cut her off.
"That's what Rufus said," Penny cried. "Faith makes things turn out right."
"Penny, I know it's late but we have to escape right now," Bernard insisted.
"But I just got caught by Brutus and Nero," Penny replied and then scowled before lifting up her nightgown to reveal and pair of torn underwear. "Look what they did to my pants."
"You're lucky it was just your pants," Meera muttered. "I got a rather good look at their teeth tonight. It could have been your whole leg."
"Yeah, and they're still down there hoarding the gangplank," Bernard said looking out the window.
"Oh those vicious monsters," Miss. Bianca fretted. "They ought to be locked up in a cage."
"I know! I know!" Penny suddenly cried. "Come on, I'll show you." She led the three out onto the deck and pointed at an ancient elevator. "See there? The elevator."
"Oh, it's a perfect cage, Penny," Miss. Bianca praised.
Bernard rushed down the steps and into the elevator to inspect it further before giving his approval. "Great idea," he called. "Now, uh, wha-what can we use for bait?"
"Oh they'll eat anything," Penny replied casually.
"Yeah, I know," Meera and Bernard said at the same time remembering their scenario earlier that night.
"I've got it!" Miss. Bianca exclaimed. "My perfume. Remember?"
"Hard to forget," Meera replied.
"They'll follow the scent right into the elevator," Miss. Bianca declared.
"And I'll slam the door," Penny said. "And will that make Medusa mad." The girl twisted her face into a scowl and took on the redheaded woman's character. "Brutus! Nero! Did you let that little brat escape again? You're too soft."
Bernard laughed. "Hey, Penny, that's not bad," he chuckled.
"That's exactly like Medusa," Miss. Bianca agreed.
"You have a future in show business kid," Meera tacked on.
Penny continued her charade. "Track her down boys," she growled. "Bring her back."
"And we'll be so far ahead, they'll never catch us," Miss. Bianca said.
"Wait a minute," Bernard cautioned. "She might catch us in her swamp-mobile."
"We'll swipe it," Penny declared. "I've always wanted to drive it."
"What if Medusa wakes up while we're starting it?" Bernard questioned. "We're in real trouble. We've gotta stall her somehow."
"How 'bout Mr. Snoop's fireworks?" Penny suggested. "We'll shoot them off in her bedroom. That will keep her busy."
"Oh, Bernard, it's so exciting!" Miss. Bianca exclaimed. "Perfume, alligators, swamp-mobiles. It's just got to work."
"It's our only chance," Bernard conceded. "But we're gonna need help."
"We'll have to send Evinrude for our backup," Meera replied and then jumped when Medusa stared screaming.
"Snoops! Snoops get down here!" the evil redhead ordered.
"Uh, what's up Medusa?" they heard Mr. Snoops ask. "What's going on?"
"Oh, shut up!" Medusa snapped. "High tide or not…" Her voice died off as a door closed.
"I bet those two are up to something," Penny whispered. "Gee, I don't wanna go down that awful black hole again,"
"Don't worry about it dear," Miss. Bianca soothed. "You must hurry and get dressed."
"Come on, we haven't much time," Bernard urged.
"Yes, we need to move fast," Meera agreed.
"Evinrude?" Bernard called. "Up here! We need help. G-Go get Ellie Mae. And hurry!"
"I hope he gets there fast," Meera whispered. "There's not much time left until sunrise. They'll put her down in that hole again if our back-up doesn't get here on time."
"Nothing to do now but wait," Bernard replied. Unfortunately, the sun breached the horizon before help came and Medusa and Mr. Snoops dragged Penny to the site where the black hole was. Meera and her co-agents tagged along.
"Alright, you little brat," Mr. Snoops said. "Now, you are gonna go down in that hole…and you are gonna dig 'til you find me the diamond. You understand that? And no sassing me."
"Ah-ah-ah, Snoops," Medusa pretended to scold. "That is no way to speak to our little Miss. Penny.'
"What?" Mr. Snoops asked dumbly. "Oh. Okay boss, okay."
Medusa turned to Penny. "Now, my dear…you're going to find the big, shiny diamond for your Auntie Medusa, aren't you?" she simpered.
"Man she really is full of shit, isn't she?" Meera commented from where she was stuffed in Penny's pocket alongside Miss. Bianca and Bernard. The two nodded their head in agreement.
"Teddy doesn't like it down there," Penny complained. "He's afraid."
"Aw, poor Teddy," Medusa mocked before snatching the bear out of the girl's hands. "I'll just keep him up here with me, where he'll be safe."
"Give me back my teddy bear!" Penny cried. "He's mine! He's mine!"
"You get down there and find the big diamond or you will never see that Teddy again!" Medusa threatened.
Penny conceded. "Alright, alright," she replied meekly. "I'll go." The poor girl climbed into the bucket and Mr. Snoops lowered her down. As they were lowered into the dark hole a memory washed over Meera:
Meera was running around after a windup toy she'd been playing with, her small little feet taking her as fast as she could go. Her big brother hadn't wanted to play with her that day, so she'd made fun on her own. The house was quiet for once, her father out on a job he'd managed to hold onto for more than a week, her mother passed out on the armchair, a half-full beer bottle in hand. Meera wasn't paying much attention to her mother though, she was intent on catching the windup toy before it stopped this time. And that had been her mistake. In her determination to catch the toy she hadn't noticed the sleeping cat on the rug and tripped over it, landing on her mother's lap and spilling the beer all over the floor.
Her mother sputtered awake and stared around the room for a moment before she zoned in on Meera. "What did you do?" her mother whispered dangerously quiet.
"I didn't…I didn't mean to," Meera stuttered. "I'm sorry."
"Your damn right you're sorry!" her mother hollered pushing Meera off of her and staggering drunkenly to her feet. "Look at the mess you've made!"
"It was an accident," Meera sniffled.
"You're an accident!" her mother snapped grabbing onto her wrist and dragging her into the kitchen towards the basement door. Her mother swung the door open and carried her down. "You can stay down here until you learn to be more careful." Her mother turned around and climbed back up the steps. Meera followed her but her mother slammed the door shut and locked it behind her, leaving her trapped inside.
Meera had screamed for her mother to let her out until her voice went hoarse and her throat burned. She hadn't been let out 'til the following morning, when her brother determined it was safe to rescue her. Ever since that incident when she'd been six Meera hadn't been comfortable in dark spaces. She began to feel very nervous as the descended into the cave. She shook the nerves off. She had a diamond to get her paws on. She couldn't afford to let bad memories distract her.
"Oh, what a dreadful, frightening place," Miss. Bianca declared.
"Yeah, it used to be a pirate's cave," Penny told them.
"How do you know that, Penny?" Miss. Bianca asked surprised.
"Him," Penny replied pointing to an old skeleton holding a sword.
"Ah!" Miss. Bianca squeaked. "Oh dear."
"Yeah, not exactly a promising sight," Meera responded shivering slightly.
"Come on girls," Bernard encouraged. "Let's-Let's look for that diamond so we can get out of here." He hopped on a chest and began digging through it.
"Oh, I looked there already," Penny told them. "Medusa doesn't want those little ones." Suddenly the cave began to shake.
"Wha-What's that?" Bernard asked nervously.
"That's where the water comes in," Penny explained pointing to a giant hole in the middle of the cave's floor. "Ooh, I'm afraid to go over there."
"Well, you're going to have to," Meera stated. "I'd bet anything that's where the diamond is. That's where I'd hide it if I were a pirate."
"I agree," Bernard said. "I'll, uh, I'll go check it out." Bernard reached the edge of the hole before chickening out. "C-Come to think of it, if I was a pirate I wouldn't hide anything back there."
Suddenly, the light from the lantern reflected against something on the opposite side of the cave. "Bernard, look!" Miss. Bianca cried. "I can see something."
"So can I!" Meera exclaimed and charged past the two mice and ran across the narrow side of the hole. She cleared the hole in time, but Bernard, who'd been just behind, was not so lucky. He'd made it halfway when water spouted out of the hole. Meera was pushed backwards a few feet from the water but was otherwise okay. She glanced back in concern to see Bernard clinging to the side of the hole for dear life.
"Bianca!" he cried for help.
"I'm coming!" Miss. Bianca called back and pulled Bernard up and to the other side of the cage where Meera was waiting for them.
Medusa's voice suddenly filled the cave. "What are you doing down there?" she yelled down.
"I'm looking!" Penny shouted back.
"Well, look faster!" Medusa hollered. Meera tuned the redhead out while she and her two co-agents searched around for what they'd glimpsed earlier. The light from Penny's lantern lit up the object again.
"Holy mackerel!" Bernard exclaimed looking into the eye of a human skull. "That's it!"
"The Devil's Eye," Miss. Bianca gasped.
Meera wormed her way into the skull and began kissing the biggest diamond she'd ever seen in her life. "My precious," she worshipped.
"Penny, we found it!" Miss. Bianca yelled across the cave. "We found it!"
Penny dropped the lantern and called from the bottom of the cave, "Medusa, I found it!"
"Ah, good girl, good girl," Medusa exclaimed. "Let's get it up here." Meera and Bernard began pushing at the diamond, but it wouldn't fit through the skull's eye socket. Their job only became harder when water poured through the cave again and pushed the diamond back into the middle of the skull and sent her and Bernard under. They both gasped for air when the water receded.
"It won't go through!" Bernard yelled. "We can't get it out."
"What's taking so long?" Medusa called down again.
"It's stuck tight!" Penny shouted back.
"Stuck tight?" Medusa spat. "You get that diamond or you'll never see daylight again!" Penny began to make her way across the hole.
"No, back Penny!" Bernard cried.
"Oh, Penny, you'll fall!" Bianca warned. Meera watched in concern as the water crashed into Penny but relaxed when the girl used it to swim across the hole.
"Forget the diamond," Bernard urged. "Let's get out of here before we drown."
"They won't pull us out of here until we have the diamond," Meera panted pushing at it again, only to lose her ground when water filled the cave again.
"Penny, the pirate sword!" Bernard shouted. "Use the sword." Penny grabbed the sword and stuck the tip in the skull's teeth and pried its jaw open. The diamond flew out into the water, but Penny quickly grabbed ahold of it. Unfortunately another blast of water sent them all flying and Meera and her two companions were dragged towards a whirlpool that had formed.
"Penny! Penny help!" Miss. Bianca pleaded.
"Ayudanos!" Meera shouted as they began to funnel around. Penny grabbed onto them, but was caught up in the whirlpool too. Meera considered it a stroke of luck when the water geyser pushed them back up again on the right side of the hole. Penny ran to the bucket and threw the diamond in.
"I've got it! I've got it!" Penny cried. "Hurry! Pull me up!" Meera was relieved when she could finally see the light of day and hopped out of the bucket onto solid ground. She was too relieved to notice the redhead fussing over the diamond. She didn't notice anything about her surrounding's until she heard Penny crying for the alligator's to put her down. She lifted her head up to see the young girl hanging upside down in one of their jaws.
"Crap, the diamond!" she hissed. "I've got to get it back!" She looked around for her co-agents but didn't see them. She assumed they must be in Penny's pocket so she took off after the group on foot, scurrying along as fast as she could. Meera caught up just in time to see Medusa threatening Penny and Snoops, and to realize the diamond was in the bear. She held back out of sight as Bernard and Miss. Bianca set up a trap to trip the woman when she came out of the room. She was gonna grab the bear and run when Medusa dropped it.
She waited anxiously as the redhead backed out of the room, and didn't even jump when her gun went off. She rushed over to the bear and sunk her teeth into the arm, and tried to pull it along, but she was too little. "Oh, to hell with this," she sighed. "I wish I was human!" She was immediately restored to her body and snatched the bear up and began to run away with it.
"My diamond!" Medusa screamed. "My diamond!" Meera craned her head over her shoulder as she heard footsteps pursuing her.
"Shit!" she hissed and ran faster, but not fast enough. Medusa fell into her causing her to lose her grip on the bear. She glanced up in time to see Penny snatch the bear up, and the portal opening up at the end of the deck. Meera ignored the portal and chased after Penny who had climbed onto the swamp-mobile, but she was startled to see the portal closing. She looked back and forth between the diamond and the portal before deciding that she didn't want to get stuck in the bayou. She took one last look at the diamond before dashing towards the closing portal. Maybe she'd meet up with Juliet in the next story. She just hoped she was human for the next story.
Meera: I could have been rich.
Juliet: If Disney would've let you keep it. We haven't kept anything so far going from story to story. What made you think you would've had it in the real world?
Meera: I don't even know if we'll ever make it back to the real world. I just thought it was worth a shot.
Juliet: (sighes) I should be mad at you for breaking the story at the end but I'm just glad you're okay.
Meera: Why wouldn't I be?
Juliet: You went through a lot this story.
Meera: Old history. I'm fine. (takes a drag from a cigarette).
Juliet: (frowns) Alright, well be sure to review on what you thought of this chapter.
Meera: And if you want to see what I was wearing during this story check out our profile.
