Carlos and taken Chad and Dude to the same park from earlier in the day. As soon as the three of them arrived, Chad threw his baseball and yelled, "Get it Dude!" to the dog. Dude barked and ran off in the direction of the ball.
"Chad, Evie says we have to get back to the school around three." Carlos told the young prince. He looked at his phone and said, "We're got two hours before we have to head back."
"Okay Carlos!" Chad laughed, picking up the ball that Dude had dropped in front of them. He threw it again and this time ran after the ball with Chad.
Chad kept playing with Dude the same way for a good hour and a half; throwing the ball and chasing after it with Dude or have Dude go get the ball and bring it back for Chad to throw again. "Okay Dude! Here goes a big one!" Chad hung his arm back, aimed at a boulder and threw the ball overhand.
The ball flew towards the boulder and then over the boulder and into the woods. Dude ran towards the woods and Chad yelled, "No! Dude! Not the scary woods! Dude!"
But Dude was already inside the woods. Chad ran after him and into the woods. Chad stood at the edge of the woods and looked deep into the center. "C-C-C-Come on Chad, be brave." He told himself. "You has to get Dude or else Carlos will be angry." Chad took a step inside, but then what sounded like a scream. "Mr. Monster sir? I'm getting a doggy that ran in there. I promise I leave when I get my doggy."
Chad ran straight forward and prayed that Dude would reach a dead end and stay put until Chad could get him. The little Auradonian prince ran as fast as his small legs would carry him, but the woods were becoming darker and the trees seemed to grow greater in size. Like, bigger than his Daddy's castle and his grandpa's castle stacked on top of one another like blocks.
"Dude!" Chad cried out. "Dude! Come back, please!"
Chad seemed to run for what felt like another ten minutes (or in his mind, an hour) when he tripped over a branch and fell with a thud. "Ow! That hurt!" He yelled. He stood up and looked at his leg. It was scrapped like his kneecaps, but not bleeding. He turned around in hopes that he could see a bright light to get out of the woods.
No, it was completely dark in the woods.
Chad was lost.
"Mommy!" Chad cried out. "Mommy! Daddy! Daddy!" He bawled his eyes out. "Dude!" Chad began to run around, wanting to get out and hoping that someone would hear him. "Mommy! Daddy!"
Chad ran and ran. Soon he tripped on another branch and this time, scrapped his elbows. He shifted himself until he was sitting down on his butt, criss cross apple sauce position, and held himself closely. "I'm not monster food, Mr. Monster!" Chad said aloud.
Chad sat there crying for a couple of more minutes before hearing his name being called out. "Chad? Chad!?"
It was Carlos!
"Carlos!" Chad yelled.
"Chad!?" Carlos yelled louder. He sounded closer. "Stay where you are and keep calling my name!"
"Carlos!" Chad yelled louder. "Carlos! Help me! I'm lost! I don't wanna be one of Peter Pan's boys!"
Carlos came out from behind a tree and spotted the small Auradonian prince sitting down, and banged up too on his knees, legs and elbows. "Hey, there you are."
"Dude got lost and so I went to get him and then I got lost and there a monster in these woods and I don't wanna be monster food and I don't wanna be eaten!" Chad said rapidly, half of his words mashing together. "I want mommy and daddy!"
"Come on little fella," Carlos picked up Chad. "Let's go back to the school and clean up."
"W-w-w-w-what about the monster?"
"There aren't any monsters." Carlos told him gently. "Monster's don't exist."
Chad nodded, but sniffed. He knew he was safe now that Carlos was around. Carlos was a big boy, he would protect Chad. "Where's Dude?"
"How do you think I knew you were in the woods?" Carlos laughed.
Carlos carried Chad out of the woods and they were greeted by Dude, holding Chad's ball in his mouth and wagging his tail. "Dude!" Chad cheered. Once settled on the ground, Chad wrapped his arms around the dog. "Your safe!" Dude barked twice and licked Chad's face. "Carlos?"
"Yeah"
"Dude says thank you for saving me."