I immediately got to work on this chapter as soon as I finished Chapter 11. Now, I hope you're all in for a little heart-break. AngelOli16, get ready to unleash those coyotes, or polar bears, or whatever it is you're packing. (She'll know what I'm talking about).
Upon reaching the city and piling out of Cowman's Cow-Mobile, the first thing the Justice Brood noticed was what appeared to be a giant blob of green goo attacking the city.
"You guys try to distract him, and I'll freeze him when he's not looking," Abby/Cowgirl whispered to the rest of the gang, who all nodded in agreement. The trouble was, you could never really tell where a blob of goop was looking.
Abby crept into a back alley that she presumed the monster was facing away from. She was about to pull one of Cowman's freeze-bombs from her belt, when she felt something thick and goopy rise around her ankles. She tried to lift them, but couldn't. Abby looked down to find herself ankle-deep in the same green goo that the monster was made of.
Abby then came to a horrifying realization. The ooze monster was backing into the alley as well, and in the process, eating her! She tried to pull her legs out of the soupy mass to no avail as it rose up to her knees. She made sure to remove her rope from her belt before the goop reached her waist, which it did in almost no time at all.
Abby quickly tied the rope in a lasso and cast it at an overhead pipeline, but was horrified to discover that it was too short (by this time, the goop was up to her chest)! The rope fell lifelessly into the ooze and sank out of sight. Abby had only one idea left, and if it didn't work, she was blob chow! She would try to push herself out. She didn't know what good it would do, but she was out of options.
Using both arms, she pushed down on the gloppy surface with every ounce of her strength. It only resulted in her left arm sinking into the goop and getting stuck (she managed to pull her right arm free before it got stuck, as well).
The ooze had now swallowed her shoulders and was starting for her neck. There was nothing left for her to do but wave her one free arm in the air and scream for help in the hopes that someone would notice and come to her rescue. But before she could even open her mouth, the goo rose over her chin and snout. It wasn't long before the rest of her beautiful face disappeared into the ooze. Her outstretched arm soon followed.
This is it! Abby thought. I'm done for! She was sure this would be her last conscious thought. But then she got one last idea. She prayed that it would work.
It was almost impossible to move in the thick goo, but Abby managed to regain control of her arm just long enough to prime one of Cowman's freeze-bombs. She then braced herself for the cold wave that would follow. She didn't have to wait long.
The monster was frozen solid, but now, so was Abby. She kicked herself mentally for pulling the plug. Good going, you idiot, the voice in her head told her. I cannot believe you did that! Good luck finding Otis when they thaw you out a thousand years from now!
But then, Abby felt the ice around her start to crack, and then shatter, freeing her from what she thought would be an eternity frozen in ice. She didn't car how it happened; she was just glad to be alive. She had just rejoined the rest of the Justice Brood when reporter Hilly Burford approached them.
"Justice Brood, that was AMAZING!!!" Burford exclaimed. "But I have one question. Where's Cowman?"
"Oh, um," Abby stammered, struggling to come up with a good excuse. "Well, you see, Cowman had a much more important mission he had to attend to." It was somewhat true.
Burford cleared his throat. "I see. Well, when Cowman comes back, you tell him he missed one heck of a party!"
Abby giggled. "Well, he does hate it when he misses his parties. On that note, we gotta take off."
"Tell Cowman I said hi."
"Will do!" Abby and the Justice Brood piled back into the Cow-Mobile and left town, leaving a crowd of cheering civilians behind them.
The rest of the gang was already back inside the farmer's house. Abby paused for a second to get the mail. She noticed that one of the letters was for her. She prayed it was Otis. Even though they hadn't seen each other in a few days, it had seemed like an eternity to Abby.
She eagerly tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter. What she read made her nauseous:
DEAR ABBY,
THE DEPARTMENT OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS DEEPLY REGRETS TO INFORM YOU THAT AS OF THIS MORNING, GUNNERY SERGEANT OTIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED KILLED IN ACTION. IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT WE BRING YOU THESE TIDINGS.
WHILE ONE CANNOT TOO DEEPLY MOURN THE LOSS OF SUCH A BRAVE SOUL, THERE IS CONSOLATION KNOWING THAT OTIS DID HIS DUTY WITH COURAGE AND VALOR, AND WILLINGLY GAVE HIS LIFE THAT OUR NATION MAY HAVE A BETTER TOMORROW.
RESPECT AND SYMPATHY,
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LEVI WILKES
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
With tears in her eyes, Abby raced back to the barn, threw herself down on her hay bed, and cried herself to sleep.
You all must HATE MY GUTS right now!!! And if you never want to speak to me again, that's perfectly understandable. But before you judge, I just want you to know that this story isn't even half-way over! Maybe it'll take a turn for the better in the second half…
"I find it foolish and wrong to mourn America's fallen sons. Rather, we should rejoice that such brave men lived." –General George S. Patton
