"Hey! Wiggums!" Blocky cried. "Where are you going?!"
Wiggums did not slow down. He continued to hop at amazing speed. It was getting increasingly difficult for Blocky to keep up. He was not used to running this fast for this extended period of time. Not even his time playing Bardot's 'games' could have prepared him for this marathon. Wiggums did slow down for him a few times, but just barely. Just enough so that he could still see him.
Snap had trained Wiggums well, but he mostly just obeyed Snap. It was a little difficult trying to get Wiggums to do something without Snap around. So Blocky was not surprised that Wiggums would not respond to his commands. He wasn't sure where the wiggie was taking him. Usually when Wiggums comes get him, it meant Snap wanted to talk to him. Snap didn't always contact him this way. Only when he was in the mood for it. But Snap was with Rudy at the hospital and the direction they were going was far away from the hospital Rudy was staying at, so that couldn't have been it.
But if Snap didn't send Wiggums to come get him, who did? How did they manage it? And why would they have Wiggums fetch him instead of come getting him themselves? Just where was this wiggie taking him? He didn't go this way that often and he couldn't recognize a lot of things around here.
As Blocky continued to chase after Wiggums, his mind shifted to Rudy. He was concerned about him. It was scary, the idea that the Great Creator had mysteriously fallen ill, and by the same disease he had heard rumors about. There was so little information, so little understanding on how it worked, and now Rudy was suffering from it. Blocky hoped that they find a way to help him. Someone had to know something of what's going on, right? Maybe Biclops or Barney would know. They were full of information.
Then that concern shifted to fear when he remembered reports of three new creators in ChalkZone. Not so friendly ones either. They hadn't done too much, but all that could change very quickly. A few zoners had already vanished, though there was no evidence to suggest these new creators were responsible for that. It could have been Bardot... No. He should his head. He wouldn't have been responsible. The yellow zoner was banished to the Fire Zone, never to escape. There was no way he could have done this, and even if he did escape, he was wearing a purple collar, which he can't remove, that weakened him. He wouldn't be dumb enough to try to challenge anyone in that state.
Blocky wasn't going to dismiss the possibility of these new creators being the one who made those zoners disappear. It seemed like too much of a coincidence that they disappeared around the same time these new creators showed up. But again, there was no proof that they did it. Regardless, many zoners have been taking precautions just in case. Most zoners started to walk around with friends, never being alone just in case they were picked off. When it was time for sleep, they'd lock the doors and windows and always stay with at least one other person. Some even went as far as get weaponry, even though the creators could just draw something to counteract it.
What was disturbing Blocky about all of this is that some zoners had been protesting in the streets, calling for the reinstatement of 'all creators are banned' that was in place for decades. This included Rudy Tabootie himself. These zoners claim that the disappearance of zoners after three new creators showed up is proof that all creators should be deemed dangerous and kicked out of ChalkZone permanently. And some other zoners began to agree with them. It wasn't a particularly large group though, but it still worried Blocky that such a mindset was starting to spread at all.
He hoped that this anti-creator group wasn't going to try to do anything to Rudy. The poor guy was already going through enough as it was. He didn't need some anti-creator group getting him some problems. He wished that this group would see that Rudy is as much of a victim in this as them, that he is the one who is very sick, not them. But then, some people just can't be reasoned with, and this group appears to be one of them. He hoped that, when the time came for it, they would be dealt with before they cause too many problems.
Blocky's mind was torn from that when he took notice of where Wiggums had been taking him. It appeared to be the Chalk Mine. Blocky stopped for a moment, confused. Why would Wiggums bring him here? Since when did Wiggums take orders from Biclops? Or is that what happened all? Did Wiggums really want to lead him here or did he just want to play? He watched as the wiggie hopped towards the entrance. He stopped and stared back at him. He jumped up and dow, slurping his tongue, in an excitable manner. Blocky understood what this meant and he headed towards the Chalk Mine entrance.
Blocky followed Wiggums down the tunnels. He took a look around. This was one of the very few times he entered the Chalk Mine. He felt nervous. He knew how Biclops could be when it came to guarding this place. He didn't permit a lot of people to come in here. Rudy was one of the few he allowed in the Chalk Mine. If someone else entered without permission, he was typically not very happy. He hoped that, if or when he did run into the giant, he would understand and not be too upset with him.
Further into the cave they went, and so far there was no sign of the giant. Blocky was admittingly confused, but dismissed it. Biclops probably just went for a stroll somewhere or something, or he was just in a different part of the cave. The Chalk Mine was not exactly very small. Then again he might not be here at all, like his first thought suggested. Biclops sometimes would sing to himself when he was alone, and he was hearing none of this. No pounding of feet as he walked, nothing. Biclops must have left the cave, but then, why was Wiggums taking him here?
The whole thing confused Blocky. He had no idea what was going on. There had to be a reason why Wiggums was taking him here. But what could it be? Who sent him? Why were they in the Chalk Mine? If they weren't here, why would they have Wiggums come here to begin with? Something strange was going on, and the more Blocky walked down these tunnels, the more he started to get a bad feeling about the whole thing.
Wiggums then turned a corner and disappeared. Blocky rushed over. As he did so, he realized that it wasn't a corner he disappeared through, but some open door. Blocky followed and he went through. He stopped and stared, his eyes widening in shock. He couldn't believe it.
It was Biclops...
The giant looked horrible. He was laying on the ground, looking like he had passed out from something. He looked a tad thinner, and not in a good way. His mouth hung open, his tongue flopped to the side. Even from here, it looked dry. He at least didn't look like he was physically hurt, well except for his hand, which looked a little bruised and banged up. Seeing the indention in the ground, he had a pretty good idea on how his hand got that way.
All around him were large electric bars. There was plenty of space between them for smaller zoners, but for Biclops, it was more than enough to keep him in that confined space. The area Biclops was stuck in was not too large and did not give him a lot of room to walk around, and the 'ceiling' of the cage looked like it was a little too low for the giant, which would have prevented him from standing up straight.
Blocky stared at this scene before him in disbelief. He watched as Biclops's weak form took in slow, shallow breaths on the ground, his eyes sunken in, closed. Even without a lot of physical injuries, he looked so horrible. His pale skin made it seeme even worse, and everytime he heard him take in a breath, hearing out scratchy it was, he winced. Just how long had Biclops been trapped in here? Who had done this to him? When did this happen? Did they do anything else to him?
His body shaking, his heart racing, Blocky did the one thing he knew he had to do. He turned and began to run out of the Chalk Mine to get help.
sss
Penny, Snap, and the others sat next to Rudy's hospital bed. The eighteen year old was still unconscious. His breaths sounded very weak. The heart monitor beeped ever so slowly and lightly. A wet cloth was laid across his head to try to help keep his fever down. It was hardly doing anything. One of the monitors showed that his fever was still dangerously high. His body was covered in sweat, his face pale, so white. He looked so...dead...
Penny wiped away a tear as she looked at Rudy's prone form. They had brought the green chalk over. Rudy was wearing it around his neck, a piece attached to a string. So far, his condition was not improving. Snap suggested that it might just require a little bit of time for the chalk to activate. Penny hoped that he was right. She didn't want to think that the whole trip to the Gem Desert wasn't going to do anything to help Rudy. She didn't want it to be all for nothing. It had to work. It just had to. Sure it was not going to cure the disease, but the idea of seeing Rudy do a little better, even for a short time, it would bring some hope to her and the others.
It hadn't been easy getting back here. Even following King Mumbo Jumbo's instructions, they still had a hard time. The exit they came out of was in the middle of the Gem Desert, and they couldn't tell which direction they should go to get back. She had drawn a hovercar, though, being not as talented as Rudy, it didn't function very well. It was even worse trying to use it when they were getting lost and had to try to find their way back. They did eventually get out after they thought more about the king's instructions and finally understood what he was talking about.
She realized she should have drawn a teleporter there in case they had to find Barney again. Oh well, at least now she knew where he was. Unless he decided to move again, which she had doubts for, they could now go find Barney in case they ever needed his help again. Or just to visit him; not all the visits had to be business-related. That place did seem quite nice, and if even Bardot wouldn't go there, she could undestand why he'd choose such a place. She did hope that, one day, he would be able to conquer his fear of Bardot. She hoped that he would come to realize that Bardot was trapped forever and can't hurt him anymore.
She glanced over at Rudy's parents. They had been crying for what felt like hours. Their faces were stained red, a little glisteny from the tears that rolled down their face. They had started sobbing when they saw their son in such a state. This was the first time any of them were allowed to see him, well except for her mom, and he looked so much worse than any of them had imagined. Mr. Tabootie had done his best to cheer up his wife, but even he couldn't hold it together, and he started to break down himself. Seeing Rudy's parents like this tugged at her heart strings.
Rudy's aunt didn't look much better. She, and Sophie too, had been crying a lot and looked like a mess. Sometimes Sophie would try to wake Rudy up, calling out his name, but to no avail. It was painful to watch, making Penny's eyes water with more tears. And Tilly... Penny could have sworn she heard her say 'sorry' a few times. She wasn't sure why she was saying that. Was it because of her being angry with Rudy for when Sophie disappeared? Why was she blaming herself like that? Rudy was never upset with her. But in times like this, Penny couldn't really blame her for thinking mostly of the bad things.
She turned her attention back to Rudy. The chartreuse chalk had been around his neck for about ten minutes now. Why wasn't it doing anything? Why wasn't it working? She felt more tears well up. She looked down at Snap. He was crying, too. He wasn't moving. He wasn't saying anything. He was just frozen there, fresh tears moving down his face. Penny looked back at Rudy. She bit her lip. The chalk had to start working... shouldn't it? Come on, work...
Just then, there was a soft glow coming from the chalk. Penny and the others watched, their eyes widening, as the glow spread through Rudy's body, lasting only for a couple of seconds, before it vanished completely. The chalk kept glowing for a while, making some kind of weird sound. Penny couldn't describe what it was, but something about it felt familiar. The chalk then made a ding sound before the glow became so dull that it was hardly noticeable. They all waited and watched, trying to see if the green chalk did anything to help Rudy.
At first, nothing happened. The hope that had risen up inside of them started to die down. Penny began to wonder if the chalk they brought back really was the right type, or if they had come back too late. She closed her eyes and let a few tears move down her face. She only reopened them when she felt Snap tug at her. He pointed at Rudy, and Penny could see that Snap's eyes were widened. Confused, she looked over and when she saw what Snap was looking at, her eyes widened as well.
Rudy's right eye was starting to open up, his lift still covered by the patch. She and the others watched with great anticipation as Rudy's right eye opened up completely. The boy blinked slowly and let out a soft groan. Despite his eye being open, he didn't seem fully awake, and when he tried to speak, it was just slurred words. He shifted on the bed, turning his body over. Another groan escaped his mouth as he took a look around. His right eye appeared to be glazed, distant, and filled with confusion.
Slowly, Rudy looked around the room. He lifted up his hand and started to rub his head. "Oh..." He groaned. "What...what happened...?"
Unable to hold back their elation, Rudy's parents cried out his name and suddenly clung onto him. Rudy let out a surprised grunt as his parents wrapped their arms around him, crying tears of happiness. They expressed great joy and relief that he was finally awake again. Rudy could barely respond. He was still pretty out of it, the high fever still being present. He did not move; he just laid limp in his parents' arms as they hugged him, his mother kissing his forehead and his dad stroking his hair.
Tilly and Sophie let out cries of happiness and they moved in closer, trying to get as close to Rudy was they could. Penny and Snap looked at each other and then back at the scene. They were stunned at first, but then extreme happiness welled up inside of them too. They shouted Rudy's name and rushed over to join in. They took turns giving Rudy a hug and expressed their immense relief that he was awake again. All the while, Rudy did not respond with much outside of groans and perplexed expressions. This came as no surprise to any of them as Rudy had been out for a while and the fever may have made it hard for him to remember anything.
"Oh Rudy..." Mrs. Tabootie said as she hugged her son tightly. "We're so glad you're okay..." She planted another kiss on his forehead.
"What...what's going on...?" Rudy said in a grumbled voice.
"You were unconscious.. A fever..." Tilly managed to say before getting choked up with more tears.
"You almost died..." Mr. Tabootie said, flinching. He ran his hand along Rudy's head gently. "But you're safe now... You're safe..."
Rudy still looked so confused. He still couldn't get his bearings and it didn't seem to register with him just where he was. A few times, his right eye would start to close again. A shout from one of his loved ones was enough to keep Rudy from closing his right eye completely. He looked so out of it, like he hadn't slept in days. He just laid there as his family and friends continued to hug him.
When she was able to, Penny held onto him, pressing her cheek against his. So the chartreuse chalk worked after all. Now Rudy had a fighting chance. She hoped that it will be enough to save him. She hoped that there was a chance to reverse this disease's effects. For now, she concentrated on being glad he was still alive and some time had been given to him. She held onto him, running her hands along his back in an attempt to comfort him even though he still did not regain his bearings. Snap held onto his arm tightly and pressed his head against his shoulder, crying softly in immense relief. A few times, he'd whisper the word 'Bucko' in a shaky voice.
"We thought we lost you.." Penny said in a soft voice.
"But now you're okay.." Sophie said quietly. She reached up and grabbed Rudy's hand and squeezed it. "Now you'll start to get better...won't you...?" Tilly picked her daughter up and gave her a hug. "He'll be fine, won't he?" Tilly didn't answer and just hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Just then, the door opened up and they looked over to see Mrs. Sanchez. Penny watched her mother as she approached Rudy on the bed. They all made room for her, getting out of the way so she could examine him. She looked just as relieved as they were when she saw Rudy was awake now. She reached down and placed her hand across his head, then she pressed it against his cheek. She took out a notepad and wrote something down in it.
After that, she took out a stethoscope. She pressed it against his chest and listened, her eyes narrowing a little as she concentrated. Penny watched as her mother listened to Rudy's heart beat and take in breaths. Once she was done, she wrote down the information on her notepad. She began to do other things, such as check his pulse on both his neck and on his wrist, and then she checked his blood pressure. Every time, she would write the information down in her notebook. Penny couldn't tell if any of the information was good as her mother did not give any indications on the results being good or bad.
They all watched her, waiting in anticipation to see how Rudy's condition had improved, or if it improved at all, with the presence of the chartreuse chalk. Penny felt her heart racing, clenching tightly at the thought of the chalk not working, of them being too late. She stared at her mother intently, clenching her teeth. She hoped, prayed, that the chartreuse chalk did something. The others were hoping the same thing. A quick glance down at Snap was enough for her to see the look of determination and fear in his eyes. Penny looked back at her mother, sucking on her lip. And when her mother turned to look at them, she found herseld subconsciously leaning closer, waiting to hear what she had to say.
"Rudy appears to be stabilized now. His blood pressure and pulse appear to be going down to manageable levels." Mrs. Sanchez said, smiling at first. This excited everyone in the room, but they quickly quieted down when the woman frowned a little and looked down at the confused Rudy with concern. "However, his fever hasn't gone down by much. It went down enough to allow him to be awake, but whether or not it will go down any further... Only time will tell."
Penny looked at her mother as this information entered her mind. It was of some comfort that Rudy was doing a little better now, just like Biclops said he would. His blood pressure and heart rate returning to normal was definitely good. Both had been dangerously low, and from what she remembered her mother saying, that almost killed him, sometime after the fever nearly did him in. It was definitely terrific news that at least some things were returning to normal and he was improving a little. Even just a tiny bit of improvement was something, and it was nice seeing Rudy doing better than he had been for a while.
But the fever thing...that was definitely a concern. Her mother said it had gone down, but only enough to allow Rudy to regain consciousness, and it could go up again at any time. She wondered how low the fever would go, if it would disappear completely or remain there this whole time. Fevers were dangerous. Rudy may have to stay home for a while until they can figure out how to help him get rid of the fever. It would make him an easy target for those black chalk artists. No doubt they would take advantage of him in such a weak state.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Rudy started to talk again.
"C-Can someone...please tell me..." Rudy let out a soft groan. "What is going on here?"
Everyone in the room remained quiet. They looked at each other. From their expressions, Penny knew what they were all thinking. How were they going to explain everything to Rudy, especially in a state where his mind was muggy and he looked so unfocused? Someone had to tell him, though, or at least try. He had to know what was going on.
After a while of silence, Penny decided she would be the one to tell him. She moved closer to him and stood next to him. He looked up at her. She winced as she saw just how glossed over his right eye looked. Poor guy... he was still so sick and so weak. She took a moment to glance at the others. They all gave her a slow nod, encouraging her to begin the story. She looked back down at Rudy, who was staring up at her with that confused expression. A part of her wondered just how much he was able to see... She shook that horrific thought out of her head and took in a deep breath.
"Okay Rudy..." Penny hoped that he was going to be able to understand what she was talking about even in his muggy state. "Here's what happened..." She began to explain to Rudy everything that had happened since he passed out at the school.
sss
Terry looked around in confusion. She stood in a large building that appeared to be empty. Not that there wasn't anything in here. It looked like it was recently used. There was furniture, cabinets, and such in this place. It was clearly a home of some kind, and she guessed whoever lived here must had gone out somewhere.
But that didn't make any sense. She looked down at her watch. This was the time when this person wanted to speak to her. She had gotten a phone call from her boss stating that this person in the building she was currently in had something of interest they wanted to report. This was the time they wanted to meet her. She had rushed over as fast as she could with her news camera. She had expected the person to be waiting for her, but when she knocked and no one answered, she was confused. She was even more puzzled when she found the door was open. Curious and confused, she walked in.
She didn't like the idea of just entering someone's home. She hoped that this guy wouldn't mind her entering and would understand why she did it. Maybe he needed help? It was possible he was just stuck somewhere or busy and didn't hear her knocking on the door. She didn't really hear the voice or footsteps of anyone here, but it was possible that he was just a very quiet person. She took her time to look around the house, admiring how pretty it looked.
However designed this place had good taste, in her opinion. Everything seemed so neat and tidy, like it wasn't lived in at all. The only sign she found that someone really was living here were some dishes in the sink. They didn't look like they had been staying there that long. Everything else seemed almost impossibly clean. Maybe this person had just recently moved in. That would make sense. It would explain why the place looked more or less spotless.
Terry set down her camera and began to look around the place. She traveled through the house trying to find any sign of someone being here. A noise, a footstep, a shadow, anything. She found nothing, just more rooms. It was all so confusing. Where was this guy? Why did he tell her to meet him here at this time if he wasn't going to be here? It was clear he was not in the house anywhere. Maybe he had just forgotten about their meeting and went somewhere. If that were the case, she should get going. Her boss wouldn't be happy if she hung around here all day instead of going back for more orders.
She was about to start heading out when she noticed one room that seemed to stand out. The other rooms were dark, no lights turned on. But this one did. Perhaps that guy was home after all. She made her way to the room. She reached for the door knob and turned it to see if it was unlocked or not. Seeing that it was open, just like the front door, she turned it slowly and pushed the door open. She walked inside the room and took a look around.
This was...one unusual room. That was the only word she could think of to describe it. It was mostly empty except for a cabinet and some chair. It almost reminded her of a room she'd find at the doctor's or dentist's, though this room was more barren than what she'd find there. Everything else about the room was the same as she saw in the others. Same color floor, same color walls, same everything. She half wondered if this person was studying to be a doctor or dentist of some kind and just modeled this room to kind of resemble one to prepare. She hadn't heard of anyone doing such a thing, but there was a first time for everything, wasn't there?
She took a few steps further into the room. She put her hands on her hips and looked around. There was still no sign of that guy, much to her annoyance. She really had to talk with her boss about sending her to random sources like this without making sure they were legit. Anger rose up inside as she realized what this most likely was. Just some prank call, and she had fallen for it. She might have broken into a powerful person's house and if they catch her in here, she was going to be in big trouble. While she had the chance, she had to get out of here.
Suddenly, the door shut behind her. Her body stiffened in surprise. She heard foosteps. Someone had entered the room with her. There was a click, then more footsteps. She turned her head, but to her shock, there was no one there. She grabbed the knob and tried to turn it. It was locked. She fumbled with the lock but for some reason, she couldn't undo it. It was jammed. She spent some time trying to undo the lock, only stopping when she heard a cold laughter behind her, causing her heart to freeze.
It was then she knew, without a doubt, this was a trap... She had been tricked. She fell for it. Oh why didn't she question things sooner? Why didn't she leave when she realized there was no one here? Why did she have to be so nosey and look around? Now her nosiness had landed her in hot water. She was completely trapped. This room had no window, no vent, no other exit. Her only way out was blocked.
With nowhere to run, she slowly turned around to see who her captor was. She took a sharp gasp when she saw who it was.
"V-Vinnie?!"
There, standing not far from her, wearing his usual black leather outfit, was Vinnie Raton. He had his arms folded against his chest and staring at her with a smug smile. His dark eyes stared at her, almost boring through her soul. Her body shook a little from the shere shock of seeing him, and took a step back. How was this possible? Vinnie was not this intelligent. How had he...?
The man took a few steps towards her. Terry found herself moving back. She was still in such stunned silence, she wasn't sure what to do. Vinnie had never been this smart before. She never would have thought he could trap her like this. What did he want from her? Was he angry about her breaking off their partnership? Was he going to try to coax her to resume her attempts at exposing ChalkZone? Admittingly, there were a few times where she was tempted, but she managed to control herself. She was never going back to that, not after her experience with the whole Bardot issue.
"Surprised, sister?" Vinnie said in a sarcastic tone. He paced in front of her, his head leaned back to look above him. "I bet you are shocked that 'stupid little Raton' did this... Well..." He stopped and turned his head, glaring at her. "I am not as dumb as you may think I am."
Terry winced at how cold his voice sounded. He never spoke to her like this before...or to anyone for that manner. His voice never held this much malice before. She swallowed and managed to speak, "What do you want, Vinnie?"
"What do I want?" Vinnie pressed his thumb against his chest, narrowing his eyes further. "You dare ask what I want?" Terry winced at this. He pointed a finger in her direction. "You should know what I want! I want to be a millionaire! I want my chalk world theme park! You were supposed to help me!" He advanced on her, causing the woman to back away. "I don't know why you turned your back on all this... But I intend to find out..."
Terry felt her heart start to race. She did her best to hide her fear. She pressed her back against the door and narrowed her eyes at the slightly shorter person standing before her. "And, what..you're going to try to get me to tell you why I stopped, and then try to get me to help you again? Is that what this is about, Vinnie?"
Vinnie grinned nastily at her. "You seem pretty smart, sister. I remember why I enjoyed working with you." He tilted his head to the side. "It is a shame you threw that all away."
"I don't plan on going back, Vinnie. You can't make me." Terry said firmly. "Now why don't you let me leave?"
"Oh no, I can't do that. You see..." Vinnie pressed against Terry, pinning her against the door. He grabbed her arms and forced them at her sides. She struggled to get free, but it was no use. He put his face close to hers. "For the next five hours...you belong to me..."
Terry's eyes widened in horror at this. She started to struggle harder. If Vinnie was implying what she thinks he is, she had to get out of here now. No, Vinnie wouldn't do that to her, would he? He was a nutcase, but he wasn't that crazy. She tried to get free, pulling her arms as hard as she could. It was during this time she was given the horrific reminder of just how much stronger he was than her. He tightened his grip and twisted her arms, causing her to let out a yelp of pain.
She stared at him, her eyes locking onto his. As much as she tried to stop, she couldn't keep herself from showing fear. Her eyes widened and she clenched her teeth. The realization that she was trapped, the dread that accompanied it, it was coming into full bloom now. She tried again and again to get free. Vinnie chuckled darkly as he watched her struggle.
"And trust me... by the time I'm done with you..." Vinnie said, his voice ice cold. "You will tell me whatever I want. And you will do whatever I say."
Vinnie started to drag Terry over to the chair, keeping his grip on her arms. She tried to get herself free, her feet tripping up on the ground. But it was no use. Vinnie got her over to the chair and shoved her in it. Before she could get free, Vinnie started to clamp her limbs to the chair. Soon her arms and legs were immobilized. She tried to yank herself free to no avail. After one final yank, she involuntarily relaxed, running out of energy.
She looked up at Vinnie in horror. She winced as she saw him crack his knuckles and walk over to the cabinet. He pulled out something small. Her eyes widened as she saw it was a scalpel. Her eyes focused on the sharp tip as Vinnie walked back over to her. The man reached over with the scalpel and showed it to her, grinning menacingly as she shrank back in fear.
"So now then, sister..." Vinnie traced the scalpel lightly across her cheek. She winced at the slight pain. "...let's talk..."
She shivered and looked at him with eyes wide with terror. How was she going to get out of this mess?
sss
Rudy couldn't believe what had happened to him. His mind wasn't so muggy anymore, so he was able to process the information that was given to him. It was hard for him to comprehend. How was this possible? He knew they weren't lying. They told him the truth. But it was still so hard for him to fully accept as reality.
Being unconscious for days? He hardly even remembered what happened at the school. He did remember the fight with Jenny, but then after that, a blur. Even after it being explained, he still didn't remember, not even the stinging pain of when Mrs. Sanchez apparently treated his eye. How was it possible that he had forgotten what happened even a couple days before the fever had knocked him out? He could see forgetting the day of, but all that time, a blur?
He was horrified when he learned that he had almost died at least twice due to the condition his body was in. And it was made even worse when he was informed he had some type of chalk virus. He had no idea how it was possible for a chalk virus to be contracted by a human, someone who was from the real world. Wouldn't the virus dissolve in his blood? How was it wreaking havoc on his body? It was of no comfort that the last two humans who got this disease died...and no one knows exactly how that happened.
Rudy was grateful for the effort Penny and Snap put in to try to help him. Risking their lives while injured to get the chartreuse chalk, that must have taken a lot of courage. He was happy that they were able to find the chalk and they were able to help each other out defeat the evil trio, even if it were just temporary. It was nice that someone was able to get back at those three. He didn't like the idea of Penny having them deliberately attacked like that, but he agreed there wasn't much choice she had. It was either that or they both died.
He was happy to see that both Snap and Sophie got out of the hospital. They both looked relatively okay. The only reminder of what happened was the bandages that still adorned their bodies. They seemed to be able to moved around on their own just fine. He was happy for that. He had been so worried, so to see them doing much better did warm his heart.
He was furious when he learned what Ghadir threatened to do. Force feeding Penny a piece of Snap? Then wanting to eat Snap herself? This woman was absolutely sick and disgusting. She was twisted to even want to eat Snap at all. What kind of person would eat a sentient being? Only someone whose mind was so warped... Sort of like Bardot.. He shuddered at the name and tried to push it in the back of his head.
It was just as horrible that Ghadir was going to make Penny eat Snap. That was so cruel, so unnecessarily cruel... It would have been such a harsh blow to Penny mentally. The thought of it made his blood boil. If he saw Ghadir again, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. He knew she was a vile person, like any black chalk user. But to eat a sentient, living, breathing person and to force feed a piece of them to a dear friend...? That was wrong on so many levels. Ghadir was not going to get away with that.
But for now, he tried to keep himself relaxed. Mrs. Sanchez believes he might make things worse for himself if he stressed himself out too much. He had to try to keep himself calm. That was going to be next to impossible with what was happening lately. She recommended he at least tried. So try he did. He wasn't doing a very good job, though. His mind kept swirling with thoughts of the terrible things that had taken place.
It had been two hours since he woke up. He was still laying in the hospital bed. His friends and family had been ushered out. The zoner doctors and Mrs. Sanchez had wanted to run a few more tests on him to see how he was doing. He wasn't too thrilled about it, but he participated nonetheless. And the tests were over before he knew it. So it wasn't too bad. He just had to wait here for the results. He had a feeling that they were going to keep him here a little longer. He felt his stomach growling. He hoped they would bring some food in soon. He felt like he hadn't eaten in days...which may very well be the case.
He glanced down at the green chalk hooked around his neck. He manipulated the object in his finger, examining it. He could see the faint glow from it. This piece of chalk was what was helping him stay awake. According to what Penny and Snap told him, this chalk would just slow down the disease's progress. It didn't get rid of it. Well it was certainly better than nothing. He was confident that they would find way to treat the disease. It was just a matter of time. Yeah...they'd find something soon.
He winced as he felt a sharp pang originating in his stomach and in his eye. He tried his best to ignore it. He hadn't been able to hide the pain in his left eye earlier. The others caught on quickly, noticing the way he cringed. Mrs. Sanchez did what she could to treat the eye some more. It was painful, but he did feel a little better afterwards when more ointment was applied and the bandage reapplied. It was weird seeing out of only one eye, but at least he still had eyesight at all.
His stomach, on the other hand, he managed to hide well. He didn't want to alarm them. He knew that stomach pains were a likely symptom of the disease he had, like what happened with Michael. He didn't want to make his loved ones panic, and perhaps, in a way, he was trying to convince himself that the stomach pains were just from not eating for a while. It wasn't related to the disease. It couldn't be. He hadn't started showing other signs like throwing up blood or the hydrophobia thing. Yeah, it was probably just something else. No need to worry. When he gets home, he'll have something to eat and he'll feel all better.
The doctors said he'll be able to return home soon. Probably a few hours, however long it takes for the results to come in. His parents said they'll be back to take him home later. However, after he gets home, he has to be monitored. Someone has to be with him at all times and look for any other symptoms that crop up. They weren't able to prescribe any medications for him, though, because of the nature of the disease. A chalk virus infected a real world body... In this case, due to the dual-nature of it all, no oral or injection treatment from either world was going to help him out.
Rudy grunted as he felt another sharp pain in his stomach and he clutched it tightly. He shut his eye and gritted his teeth tightly. He tried to bear the pain. It had gotten a little worse. Perhaps it's not hunger pains after all... No..that can't be it. He shook his head. No, it had to be hunger pains. It can't be a new symptom. It just couldn't.. He tried to focus his mind on something else. Anything else. The more he thought about the pain in his stomach, the worse it seemed to get.
The door opened up. Rudy snapped his head over to see who it was. He saw Mrs. Sanchez walking into his room. She looked at him with concern. Rudy winced. He wondered if it was going to be some bad news. He watched as she went up to him, standing next to his bed.
"Well it seems all tests came back normal..." Mrs. Sanchez said.
Normal? Rudy was confused. If they came back normal, why did she look worried? Was there something else going on that he didn't know about? Maybe if he waited, she will explain.
"However, I am going to recommend the doctors have you stay one more night, just to be on the safe side." Mrs. Sanchez explained. "The fever you had could return at any moment. We want to make sure, at least for now, it's gone. We also want to run some tests to see if there's anything else wrong with you, things we didn't notice before."
Rudy nodded his head in understanding. "How many more tests do you need to run?"
Mrs. Sanchez replied, "A few. Don't worry, it won't take too long." She leaned forward and placed her hand across his head. "Fever still seems to be down." She removed her hand and glanced down at him. "Would you like something to eat?"
"Yes, please." Rudy said.
Mrs. Sanchez smiled. "Hold on. I'll go and grab you something. I'll be back later." She went up to the door. She paused and looked behind her. "Just try to relax while I'm gone. After what you've been through, you need some rest."
As soon as Mrs. Sanchez disappeared, Rudy lowered himself back down on the bed. She was right. He did need some rest. He was a little tired. Perhaps a little sleep wouldn't hurt him. The pain in his stomach was going way, making it easier for him to close his right eye. He took in a deep breath and started to fall asleep.
Suddenly there was a loud crash. He snapped his eyes wide open and looked around. The hospital was in shambles. Fire, bloodstains, smoke everywhere. The whole place was falling apart. No, it wasn't just the hospital. Looking out a massive hole in the side of his room, he could see all of ChalkZone City was destroyed. It was all up in smoke and flames. Waves of heat smashed into him, causing him to flinch and look away. Horror and dread filled his mind as he looked at the destruction all around him.
What...what happened? How did this all occur so fast? Was this a dream? He couldn't tell. He looked all around, trying to find some sign of this being a hallucination or reality. A sharp pain spread through his head and he clutched it tightly, seething in agony. The heat was increasing. The screams all around him were getting louder. He could hear the crashing of the building starting to crumble. A fire burst next to him, illuminating him in bright orange and red.
Then voices all around him. Spooky, chilling his heart to the core. His hair stood in end as he heard the voices.
"Rudy Tabootie... We weren't lying when we said we wanted you back..."
Rudy looked all around for the source of the voice. He couldn't see anyone.
"You may have resisted for so long...but sooner or later, the bow will break. We will have you again..even if we must kill you in the process." The voice's volume rose a little. "No matter how well you fight, no matter how long, you will fail eventually."
Suddenly, black goop started to seep into the room. From the walls and from the ceiling it came. The floor all around him started to shine and move, covered by the black liquid. Rudy looked all around, horrified that he was surrounded by the stuff. It bubbled and popped like some kind of tar pit.
"Who...who are you?" Rudy asked, looking all around. "What do you want from me?"
"You do not remember us? What a shame.." The black goop on the ground rose up like a tidal wave. Rudy watched in horror as the goop began to form the head of a fearsome-looking dragon, the eyes glowing white. It opened its mouth wide, showing a bright white glow inside. "Maybe you need a reminder..."
Upon seeing the dragon, Rudy's eyes widened in recognition. "The b-black chalk..."
"Ah so you do catch on quickly. Good boy..." The dragon head flexed its neck and lowered towards the boy like a snake read to strike. "You will make us an excellent servant..."
"I..I won't work for you! I'll never give into the corruption!" Rudy shouted, trying to sound brave. But deep down he was terrified, and the black chalk could sense this. Its cold laughter turned his blood to ice.
"How noble. How valiant. We are...most amused by your attempts to resist. But trust us, Rudy. You will not escape, not even in the light."
At this, another dragon appeared. It sifted through the lightbulb hanging over Rudy. It was identical to the first dragon, only the colors were reversed. It was white with shining black eyes and a black throat.
"For you see, even in the brightest of light..." The white dragon opened its maw, showing Rudy what looked like an endless abyss of blackness. "There lies sometimes the cruelest of the dark." Rudy shuddered at the cold laughter. "Even as a hero, you may hurt. We can sense it. You have the potential to cause harm...we know you want to..."
"You're wrong...! I would never...!" Rudy protested.
"Deny it all you want to, boy." The white and black dragons rose higher above him, opening their mouths wide and letting out a screech. Rudy covered his ears. "But in the end, we know the truth. We can sense what kind of person you are... You will give into your...less than pleasant desires.. One way..or another..."
The dragons suddenly lunged for him. Rudy let out a scream.