Chapter 26: Visions and Antidotes

Maybeck POV

I shoved my hands into my pockets, kicking at the straps of my backpack that laid at my feet.

"Hey Maybeck," a voice said behind me. I turned and smiled at Merida.

"Hey."

"Something eating you?" she asked. I shrugged.

"I'm disappointed. Cindy told me that you guys couldn't find the fob," I sighed. Merida nodded sadly.

"I don't know how Charlie and I are supposed to cross back over," I kicked my backpack harder. It fell onto it's side and the sketchbook and pen fell out. I raised an eyebrow.

"I think you just found your answer," Merida lifted the Book and handed it to me. I opened it up, its pages empty. I clicked the pen, but stopped.

"What if it doesn't work?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Merida leaned over my shoulder.

"What if it's just a useless remote? What if I draw it wrong?" I asked.

"Maybeck! You're an artist!" Merida said.

"A pottery artist," I closed the Sketchbook again. "Not a drawer."

"Please. I've seen some of your work. You can do more than just pottery."

"Yeah, okay. But still. What if it the remote doesn't work? What if it comes out as a T.V. remote?"

The door in front of us slammed open, and I quickly tucked the Sketchbook later. FG walked out.

"I'm DONNNEEEE!" she sang, and Charlene walked out, smiling shyly. Her arm was in a cast and pulled up into a sling.

"I'm afraid I have to go now, dears! I'm still working on the antidote!" FG closed the door again.

"Antidote? Antidote for what?" Charlene asked.

"Nothing. You broke your arm?" I moved the topic over to Charlene's arm. She nodded.

"I have no idea how!" she said. I eyed my backpack again. Charlie saw me and followed my eyes.

"What's in there?" she asked. I jumped to grab the backpack, but Charlene, being Charlene, was faster than me. She grabbed the backpack and clutched it to her chest. She sat down and tried opening it with one arm. I reached over to take it away, but she swatted my hand away.

"OW!" I withdrew my hand, rubbing it. Charlene finally got it open and pulled out the sack or Willo o' the Wisps.

"What's this?" she asked.

"NOTHING!" I grabbed it from her.

"And this?" Charlene lifted up the frying pan. "Why do you have this?"

"Rapunzel said it makes a good weapon! Now give!" I thrust my hand out to her, but she put the frying pan behind her.

"And this?" she pulled out the Sketchbook. "Maybeck, you draw?"

"It's more important than that!" I took it from her, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Maybeck, you're keeping secrets from me..." she trailed off.

"N-n-no I'm not!"

"You just stuttered!"

"N-n-no I didn't!"

"You did it again!"

I slammed my mouth shut and Fairy Godmother entered the room again. "I think this might work! Try it, Maybeck!" I grabbed the glass of blue liquid from her.

"What's that?" Charlene asked, pointing to the glass in my hand.

"It's the antidote!" FG said.

"Antidote? For what?" Charlie asked.

"NOTHING!" I screamed, cutting Fairy Godmother off. I lifted the glass to my mouth and swallowed the horrid liquid. I gagged and wiped my mouth, handing FG the glass. My stomach churned, and I groaned, leaning forward.

"Nope. I think I just made it worse," FG muttered.

"WHAT?!" I moaned.

"Made what worse?" Charlene asked.

"I'm fine!" I stood up dizzily and put my sunglasses on. "I'm fine!"

Amanda POV

Jess finally appeared, but she didn't open up. I shook her lightly. "Jess?" I whispered.

She shook violently, sweat beading down her forehead. She was having a vision!

"P-p-paper," she whispered, her voice hoarse. I grabbed her purse and dug through it, finding a piece of paper and a pen. I slipped them into her hands, and she started drawing. After adding the last details, she opened her eyes and groaned.

"You okay now?" Philby asked, helping her up. She nodded. I took the paper out of my sister's hand and looked at it. Finn looked over my shoulder.

A boy and a girl, running, following a floating...thing. The girl's arm was in a sling, and in her other hand was a frying pan. The boy clutched a book to his chest.

"Hey, isn't that...?" Willa trailed off, not finishing her sentence. I nodded, my eyes wide.

Charlene and Maybeck.

Charlene POV

"The sack!" Merida gasped. Maybeck looked at her strangely.

"You wan't the fob, right? The Will o' the Wisps!" Merida said, pointing at the sack in Maybeck's hand. He nodded and quickly opened the sack. I shook my head, confused. A blue floating...thing came out of the sack, and Maybeck closed it quickly and retied the sack to his belt. The blue thing... a Will o' the Wisp, hummed a creepy, ominous song.

"Think of the Fob. Only the Fob. Focus on it," Maybeck whispered in my ear, and I nodded, closing my eyes. I didn't know what I was doing, but I trusted him.

The blue thing shot off, flying out of the room.

"FOLLOW IT!" Merida screamed. My eyes flew open and I ran after it, still holding onto the frying pan. Maybeck grabbed the book and ran out behind me.

I sprinted after the Will o' the Wisp and it bounced out of Cinderella's Castle and into the empty park. I heard Maybeck's breath behind me, and I tightened my grip on the frying pan.

After a while, I rubbed the sweat from my brow. The Will o' the Wisp flew into the trees, and I followed it. The twig snaps behind me assured me that Maybeck was still behind me. I heard a grunt and I spun around. Maybeck fell to his knees, clutching his stomach. "Maybeck!" I gasped, and ran to him. I put a hand on his shoulder. the Will o' the Wisps flew out of sight. Maybeck gasped for breath.

"Maybeck! Maybeck, are you alright?" I asked. Maybe this running took a lot out of him. I took off his sunglasses and gasped. His eyes were red and puffy. He clutched his stomach.

"I-I-I'm gunna..." he flew into a coughing fit, laying on the ground.

"Maybeck!" I gasped. He rubbed his mouth and stopped coughing.

"Poison..." he whispered. "Side...effects...Why...is...everything...SPINNING?"

His eyes closed, and he passed out.

"MAYBECK!"