Dedicated to Saramia and Randomblood.
MOUSE'S POV
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It was so hot that day.
I remember all of us were squinting, still not used to so much brightness after stepping out into the sun like mud men risen from the black depths of the earth.
The Warden arrived in an old, chortling car I've never seen before. She stepped out with the glimmer of her snakeskin boots blinding my eyes, and kept her own eyes only on the chest at Pendanski's feet.
"You," he said to Charlie, "You've had your fun. Get in the car."
Charlie didn't move.
Instead of reacting, the Warden walked towards the chest and tried picking it up.
It was heavy.
"My, my, my. I've waited so goddamn long... and here it is!" Her eyes turned black and widened with greed. She wiped away an invisible tear.
Suddenly realizing the existence of another party, she turned to us, smiling. I've never seen her smile like that. It was so genuine... and so disgustingly evil.
She suddenly realized Charlie's existence.
"DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO GET IN THE CAR?!"
Charlie's wax expression didn't change. He didn't budge, and all he did was steal a glance at me. That look on his face made me lose all hope. Because it was the look of betrayal.
Everyone noticed this and was now staring intently at Charlie.
The Warden's smile was still there, but this time there was a twitch in the corner of her mouth.
"You've done your job, son. You got me the box, and now it's time to go home."
What?
The Warden giggled. My God, she sounded crazy.
Her frightening eyes scanned all of us and stopped when they landed on mine.
My heart dipped.
"I hear voices too," she said menacingly.
My heard dropped even lower.
I shook my head in denial, while she nodded assuredly.
"Yes,' she sniffed the air, "They're my ancestors, lil' girl, not yours. But they are cunning things," she snickered, "and they'll stop at nothing to get what they've worked all their lives for..."
She shook the box in her hands. Coins jingled from the inside.
"This."
She nodded at Magnet. "They knew from the moment Magnet found that little map during his... escapade... that we've finally found it! We've found my grandfather's treasure!"
"Then why didn't you just look for the goddamn treasure yourself?" Squid spoke up.
"Why, because—" The Warden started.
"—Because why would she need to do it herself when she could have us do the dirty work for her..." I realized aloud.
"Yes, yes, that's right. You should have known not to tell your secrets to omnipresent dead people!"
My thoughts led to Charlie. He was pathetically cowering inside the Warden's car. He was still in his Powerpuff Girl shorts but had put on a shirt that was in the car.
The first person I let myself trust since JackJack... and... and he ends up being no better than him.
"I hate you," I said.
Charlie just turned away.
"YOU COWARD!!" I screamed. The Warden slapped me and pushed me back in line.
I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes.
"What are you gonna do now?" ZigZag asked.
The Warden casually took her gun out of its holster and pointed it at ZigZag.
"You get lost in the desert, of course. And Charlie here, your hostage was the only remaining survivor. He will tell us that he tried to save you, but those yellow-spotted lizards were just too fast and—" she wiped another invisible tear from her eyes with one polished finger.
"Oh, officer! I tried to stop them! But they just ran and ran and... I'm just glad my son made it home in one piece," she said, reciting what she would say to the police...
After she killed us, I realized.
"What stupid idiot will think we've been killed by yellow-spotted-lizards after finding bullets lodged in out brains?"
The Warden giggled again. "There are many holes in the desert. It would take them a hundred years to find which ones y'all are buried in." She shrugged. "Or we could just dump your bodies in this here cavern."
She pointed the gun at me.
"You bother me the most. You're going first."
"Mom!" Charlie suddenly said, and stepped out of the car.
"Can I kill one?"
The Warden smiled. "Of course, pumpkin."
She motioned to Pendanski, who handed the gun to Charlie.
"Pick one," the Warden said impatiently.
Charlie pointed it towards X-Ray, who whimpered.
But he shot it at the Warden's hand.
The first shot didn't make it, but his second shot knocked the gun right out of his mother's grip.
It landed on the ground with a dusty clatter. Squid hurried to pick it up, and he pointed it at Charlie.
"Not me, you idiot!"
"Sorry."
Squid pointed the gun at Pendanski.
Pendanski instinctively rose his hands in the air, as did Charlie's own mother.
"Baby, you're not gonna kill me," the Warden smiled. "I know ye. You ain't got the balls...just like yer father"
Charlie said nothing at first., but managed to choke out the words.
"I won't kill you, mommy. But I can still shoot you."
The Warden's manic smile disappeared.
"You're grounded."
---------------------------
Charlie managed to get everyone into the truck with one gun pointed at Pendanski, and the other pointed at his own mother.
"What about the car?"
"Leave it there."
Pendanski drove back to the camp with a gun pointed at his head.
"Who you calling a coward?" Charlie said to me.
I forced back a smile.
During the ride, everyone was animatedly in conversation, recalling everything that they'd been through.
Magnet hid the soaked map in his jumper, vowing very loudly to everyone that he would bury it and start a mystery of his own.
The truck stopped.
There was another car parked outside Mr. Sir's office. In closer inspection we saw a small woman in a purple business suit yelling at a very enervated Mr. Sir.
"Where is he? Where is Stanley Yelnats?" the woman demanded.
"He's out there digging his hole! You just have to wait here until he finishes."
"If he is out there digging his hole, then why are all the other boys here?"
"Well you see, he's a slow digger and—"
"Hey!" Charlie yelled.
Both Mr. Sir and the woman turned to us.
What a sight we must have been! A boy wearing Powerpuff Girl boxer shorts with a gun in his hand, followed by seven disheveled boys—one carrying a rusted chest, and some midget Asian girl.
"They've stolen that treasure from my home, officer! They're thieves!" the Warden screamed, scrambling out of the truck towards a Texas Ranger that was patiently standing near the woman in the purple suit.
"And this boy..." she pointed to Charlie, "was in charge of the whole thing!"
The light left in Charlie's face disappeared.
"You are not my son any more." She said coldly, leaving Charlie standing there with the gun hanging from his thumb.
Zero climbed out of the truck with Caveman's help, carrying the box with him.
He smiled, and jingled the box in his hands.
"This," he said, turning to the Warden, and then to the Texas Ranger, who was silent, "is not hers. It's Stanley's!"
The Warden laughed as if he was a small child that had said something incredibly silly. "Now, now. You're caught, little boy. You can stop playing your games."
She tried grabbing the chest from him, but Zero pulled away.
"IT HAS HIS NAME ON IT! SEE? ST-AN-LEY YEL-NATS!"
The Warden backed away, wide-eyed.
"But..." she struggled, finding some excuse to take her away from this horrible situation she'd gotten into, "But he can't read! No, no..." She laughed again, but this time her voice was shaken.
"This boy can't read."
"Well, it doesn't matter if I can read or not, lady. This chest has Stanley's name on it."
Magnet laughed.
Caveman walked over, looked at his engraved name, and said sarcastically with great surprise,
"Well so it does!"
At that moment it began raining.
Immediately there was a rush of orange as the boys from all tents rushed outside screaming and laughing.
One of them noticed the commotion that was going on. He also recognized our faces.
"They're alive!" he exclaimed.
Many of the boys came and crowded around us, slapping high-fives and bear hugging each other.
This man-to-man affection is scaring me. Let's get out of here!
I ran out into the rain and began screaming at the top of my lungs and twirling around in circles.
The rain washed away the dirt on my face and the heat in my skin.
Was I laughing? Crying? I didn't have any idea, but I was fucking happy!
I ran up to a random boy playing in the rain and laughed in his face.
It was The Masher!
I immediately stopped laughing.
Oh shit.
He raised his arm, and I flinched, closing my eyes.
"I love you man," he said, hugging me.
I squealed girlishly and hugged him back.
How strange it was that the first person I would hug was the same kid who punched my face in!
When he pulled away I kicked him in the shins.
Suddenly I felt hands encircle my waist and lift me high into the air.
We're flying!
I was twirled around and around, with "the feelings" rushing around my body. I thought they would never stop.
I was lowered and my face met up with Charlie's.
I stopped laughing. He didn't.
For a while it was like that, with his hands on my waist and him laughing into my face.
"Stop that."
He tilted his head back and laughed even harder.
"Stop, I say!"
Suddenly his grip on my waist tightened and he pressed his mouth right onto mine.
Oh my God, get him off us!
But I didn't.
And we stood there kissing in the mud and dirty rain, with him stroking my cheek with his thumb, with screaming criminals spinning in circles, splashing mudwater at our faces.
Then it had to end.
"LYDIA!!"
My blood froze and the chill spread through my whole body.
That voice...
Charlie lifted his face from mine and smiled. His smile quickly disappeared.
"What's wrong?"
"LYDIA!" cried the voice from the distance again.
I began crying—quietly at first, and then into loud sobs of aggravation. My knees buckled, and Charlie had to hold me up.
"Mouse! What's wrong?" Charlie demanded, trying to keep me from falling intro the mud. "Please, why are you crying!"
"Lydia! There you are! I was calling for you!" the voice was much nearer now. I could tell he was right behind me.
I brought my mouth to Charlie's ear and begged, "Please, don't let him take me..."
Charlie looked up and met the face of the only other living person I loved.
"Hi," he said. "I'm her brother. I've come to take Lydia home."
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Oopsi... cliffy tee
I'm very sad to say the story is nearing an end (after two years, oh my Gods-). And because of this, I may have not answered all the questions and mysteries that the story brought. If there is still something you were wondering about, just review it ;)
Thunderspell: Oh my. Make sure to save some asparagus for the geese. The ducks have had their share of legumes!
Saramia: Armpit can read minds. Thank you so much for taking all that time to read my ficcy!! Even I wouldn't be able to do that. I'm glad I inspired, lol. And thanks to my holiday, Ima read your story! Muahaha! That's the least I could do for you reading mine. ;D Thanks again.
Thanks also to Randomblood and OffDreaming