CHAPTER 25: FREEDOM

I came from the bottom of the stairs, and the man with the mustached still sat there. He looked as frightened as ever when I appeared from the hall. I exchanged glances with the guy and he stood up, removing his blue bowler hat. He tossed it to the side and came over to me, looking down at the ground.

"Hey, I don't want anymore trouble," I said, "So—"

He cut me off.

"So you're the boy that… that…"

I gave him a nod, and wondered if I would need to fight him too. I hadn't the energy. I really needed to get Paula and rest.

He continued his rambling, "You went after Mr. Carpainter and…"

I nodded again, "Yes."

"You're awesome!" he said and held up his hand for a high five.

I chuckled under my breath and slapped his hand.

"Thank you so much!" he said, suddenly wrapping me in a tight hug, so tight my ribs were threatening to crack.

"You're… welcome." I choked out.

He kept hugging me and I started to have trouble breathing.

"Can you let me go!?" I pleaded.

"Oh sorry!" he said, and dropped me.

I landed on my feet, stumbling backward and taking a deep breath. He ran around back to his desk, pulled out a briefcase and started singing a song about leaving and never coming back. Smiling was all I could do. But when I approached the door out of the office, I gripped my bat tight. What if the blue freaks were outside and ready to attack me as soon as I exited? What then? I had no energy left in me since even before the fight with their psychotic leader.

Before I could reach for the handle, the mustached secretary burst past me and threw the door open. He ran out through the large church hall, and cheering and even jumping up and clicking his heels together.

To my surprise the hall was almost entirely empty now. The battle, and the booming of thunder and crackling of lightning must have scared them all away. Or it was possible they just all snapped out of it and left.

With a renewed hop in my step, I rushed across the hall, and burst out the front door into the village. The sun was still setting and would be down soon. It was disappearing past the mountains to the west, leaving a trailing ray of beauty upon the blue structures. I was sure the villagers were going to have a lot of work to do, repainting and all.

"Yes," I said, "I did some good here."

It was more than a tiny accomplishment and for a moment I basked in the remaining rays of sunlight rejoicing. But that moment of brilliance was stolen from me, because the smell of donuts wafted on the wind, and made my stomach growl.

"What a horrible nightmare!" I heard the voice of my nemesis say.

When I turned I found Pokey hobbling toward me like a penguin. He looked even more robust than normal. In his hand was a glazed donut that had a bit of red jelly dripping from it.

"Pokey…" I said, growing unhappy once again.

"I somehow woke up!" he cheered, waving his donut around and splashing the jelly all over the grass.

"Are you sure that's how it happened?" I asked, crossing my arms and leaning on my bat.

"Of course good buddy!" he said, "Listen, Ness, let's be friends again!"

I glared at him, and frowned. What did he expect me to say? He had kidnapped Paula! He tried to have me killed! And I was still quite sore about the fate of Buzz Buzz.

"Please answer me," he whined, "I promise to be good. …uh …okay?"

With the roll of my eyes and a chuckled, I held out my hand to shake.

"Sure," I said, "I forgive you."

He took my hand and smacked it with jelly fingers. He smiled and pointed at me with both index fingers and walked backwards, keeping his eyes on me. When he reached the dirt path that led out of the village he spun around.

"Hah! I lied!" he cried, "See you, sucker!"

The jerk took off running with all the strength he could muster. He was lucky Paula was waiting for me, otherwise I would have beaten him to a pulp. Something deep inside told me it wasn't the last I was going to see of him. I was going to regret letting him go.

Nonetheless, I let the jerk flee like the coward he was.

As I walked through the village, people were coming to. Some were standing up and stretching as if they had been under a long sleep spell, which I guess was kind of what had happened. One man was walking around a grassy patch of the field playing a saxophone. The music was far from the sad haunting air that had infested the village before—now it was hip and happening. I almost wanted to start break dancing—but I knew I'd make a fool of myself.

My sad mood was quickly dissipating. So I burst into a sprint toward the cave. I passed the drugstore and ducked inside the hole, never stopping but to lower my head. I ran out into the field where the shack was waiting. Quickly I pulled open the door and went inside.

Paula was kneeling down inside the prison cell with her head lowered. Was she praying?

"Paula!" I cheered, holding out the key to the cell.

She immediately popped up and jumped to her feet, and dove at the cell, grabbing the bars.

"Ness! You got the key!" she said, looking me up and down, "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head and smiled, as I started putting the key into the lock.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you," she said.

I clicked the lock and threw open the cell.

"You're free!" I cried.

Paula leaped forward and wrapped her arms around me. Her sweet scent filled my nostrils. She smelled just like strawberries and I could feel

"Thank you, Ness!" she whispered. I could feel her tears soaking the collar of my shirt.

"You don't have to thank me, really." I whispered back.

"You're just like I imagined you would be…" she said.

My face was flushing red, but I tried to remain composed.

"You've been missing awhile," I told her.

"I'm sure that some people in Twoson are worried about me…" she said, "Getting back there may be dangerous, but we can do it if we combine our strength."

"Are you strong?" I asked, "Do you have a way to fight?"

"I'm able to use a little psychic power that is actually pretty deadly…" she said, "Let's head back to Twoson."

"Right!" I said, "Sure thing! There was a man in Burglin Park that wanted me to tell him if I found you."

"Oh Mr. Everdred!" she said, "He's a nice fellow, despite being rough around the edges."

"If you call that nice!" I laughed, as she gathered some belongings and a backpack that had a teddy bear sticking out of it.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The guy nearly killed me!" I said, "He leaped down from his rooftop and tried to ambush me!"

"Oh he's silly like that!" she giggled.

"Ha!"

I held open the door and we walked out.

"Ness, ole buddy ole pal!" came a familiar voice.

From up a nearby tree dropped the man in the black outfit with the camera-the mysterious photojournalist.

"You again!" I said, and pointed at him, "What're you doing up there? Why weren't you helping!"

"I already put myself in the line of danger by being here!" he said, "What more can you ask of me?"

"Do you know him?" Paula asked, peeking past me.

"Kinda," I mumbled.

"Do we know each other?" the photo guy asked, "Do we KNOW each other!?"

He held out his hands wide as if he expected a hug. I instead crossed my arms and glared at him.

"Okay, so we know each other a little!" he said dramatically, and swept his hat off his head, then walked to Paula and bowed.

"Not at all really," I scoffed, and looked to the side.

"I'm hurt buddy!" photo guy said, "I've only been taking your pictures since forever!"

"Since you appeared outside my house a few days ago!" I said.

"Is that all?" He asked, adjusting his glasses and walking around to the front of us, "Seems like so much longer!"

"It wasn't." I stated flatly.

"Oh well!" he said, and shrugged, "But you know what time it is, right?"

"Oh joy," I rolled my eyes, "Picture time!"

"YES SIRREE BOB!" the man cheered, "I'm a photographic genius if I do say so myself!"

"Let's get it over with!" I said.

"Yay!" Paula cried and jumped up and down, "I love pictures!"

"Don't encourage him!" I groaned.

But of course I would never get away without allowing it, so I tried to force a smile, as Paula put her arm through mine.

"Okay!" photo man said, "Get ready for an instant memory!"

"Yeah!" Paula smiled.

"Look at the camera…. Ready… Say, 'Fuzzy Pickles'"

Paula snorted into laughter and he snapped the lense.

He grabbed the photo out of his polaroid camera, and shook it, then looked.

"Wow," he said, "What a great photograph!"

"Lemme see, Lemme see!" Paula cried.

He handed it to her and she giggled, "Ness you look so cute!"

"Oh boy," I muttered.

But when she shoved it in my face, I actually kind of smiled. Paula's face was contorted in laughter, but it was cute. I looked shocked, but had a grin on.

"It actually ain't bad, buddy!" I said, and looked to him, but of course he was gone, as always.

"Where'd he go?" Paula asked, looking around the small valley.

"Maybe up in a tree again," I said with a sigh, "Back to his nest!"

She laughed, "You're funny."

I set down my backpack and searched inside. I pulled out the handful of other photos and handed them to her.

"I'm sure we'll see him again," I told her, "He likes to pop spontaneously."

"I look forward to more memories by your side!" Paula said and hugged me tight.

I felt myself blush again, but I hugged her back. My legs wobbled beneath me and I felt as if I was about to pass out.

"Ness, are you alright?" Paula asked, feeling me tremble.

"I'm just tired," I said, holding my forehead as black spots appeared before my eyes.

"Come on," she said, "Let's see if we can find a hotel or something."

"Here?" I asked, "Everyone wants to kill me."

"Not anymore," she said, "Right? Carpainter's influence is gone!"

"But…"

"Pleeeeeease? For me?"

"Fine," I said, as she helped me balance again, "We'll have it your way."

"Tee hee," she giggled.

I smiled as we trudged across the grass and toward the cave, it was nice to have someone by my side.

CACAW!

A crow screeched and divebombed straight for us. I started to go for my bat, but Paula put her hand forward and said, "Freeze Alpha!"

A blue burst of ice exploded from her palm and the crow dove into it head on. In mid-flight, the crow froze and fell to the ground, shattering into a million little icicles.

"Whoa!" I said, "Wicked!"

"I told you I know a bit psychic powers!" she smiled with her eyes closed, then made her way for the cave.

"A little, my butt!" I said, chasing after her, "That was amazing! With you by my side we'll stop Giygas for sure!"

She shook her head and stopped.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Not without the others," she told me, looking grim, "Two more boys."

"Do you know their names? Or where they're at?" I asked.

She lowered her head.

"Honestly I don't. They could be anywhere in the world."

"Then we'll just have to find them!" I said, with courage in my voice, "And when we do—WHAM! That Giygas won't know what hit him!"

"I like your bravado!" Paula said, and grabbed my hand, and then pulled me along, "We'd better hurry before everyone in town goes to bed."

She was right—the sun had almost set entirely. We hurried through the cave and out into the village. The villagers were almost all gone now, and the houses were lit up with lanterns in their windows. There wasn't any electricity way out there in the boondocks.

We walked around, and knocked at several houses, but most people barely had a bed for themselves. Finally there was a farm at the end of the row. A man was standing outside with a bucket of water, scrubbing a large steer. It was mooing in protest as he worked away what looked like blue paint.

"No way," I said, "The guy painted his COW?"

"Looks that way," she said, "Let's ask him."

"Mister!" I said, waving my hand as we approached.

He stopped his cow cleaning and wiped the sweat from his face.

"Can I help ya?" he asked.

"Yes," Paula said stepping forward, "We need a room for the night—we just need to rest before we make our way back to Twoson!"

He looked between us, then nodded, "I only got one room—but there's two beds in it."

I looked at Paula and she was blushing.

"I can sleep somewhere else…" I whispered to her.

"No," she said, and straightened her skirt, "It's fine. If I catch you peeking at me when I change I'll just Freeze Alpha on you!"

I stepped back and held my palms before me.

"I won't peek!" I reassured her, "I'd like to stay alive thank you!"

She did her trademark eyes-closed smile and nodded, "Good!"

"So you'd like to stay?" the man asked, and wiped his sweat away once again.

"Yes," we both said in unison.

"Excellent," he smiled, "Please make yourself comfortable, on your blue sheets…"

Paula and I looked at each other in fear. We'd had enough blue for a lifetime.

The man burst out in laughter, "Bwahahaha! No, no, I'm just kidding, Ha. Ha. Hah!"

With a sigh of relief we laughed too.

"The room's on the second floor, towels are in the bathroom," he nodded, "I got a lot of mooving work to do."

"Um… Don't quit your day job…" I told him.

He just continued his laughing as Paula and I walked into his house. It was a fairly simple place. A couch, a old wood burning stove, a kitchen to the side, and a bathroom on the other. We found the staircase easily enough and went upstairs.

"I'm so tired!" I said and flopped down on one of the two beds, which were NOT blue thankfully.

She went to the far side of the room and lay down on her bed.

"Aren't you going to change?" I asked.

"You wish!" she laughed, "I don't have anything clean to change into."

"Neither do I…" I said, "Gotta wash my clothes."

"When we get back to Twoson, you can use my washer." She said.

"Thanks," I whispered, and rolled onto my side.

A few minutes later, I thought I heard Paula whisper my name, but I was just too beat to respond. I just needed to drift off to a peaceful, non-blue sleep.