"Weird…" Milo looked at his palms and the surroundings while running. "Seems like I'm lighting the whole dark scene around here."
"Things seem brighter when I'm getting closer to the center," Amanda commented.
It was a fancy evening in Danville. Almost, if the sky hadn't got dark that soon at 6:10 p.m..
Milo felt around again. He could feel the heat around him but not paying attention to his back. Not when he had finally seen Amanda in front of him.
At the other side of the centre fountain, Amanda was breathing heavily. Instead of a tiring expression, she showed her happiness on her face when she could finally face him after a fake fight.
"Long time… no see, Amanda," the boy grinned.
"Yes, and it's nice to see you again," a voice came from behind Milo's back, "MILO!"
"Huh? Block?!" Amanda exclaimed.
Hearing the old voice and Amanda's warning, Milo quickly turned around and tried to push him down. Unfortunately, his two guards came and with their stronger hands, they held him stand still.
"No! What are you… trying to do?" Milo was struggling to escape.
"Hehe, so this is the real you now…" Block said.
"No!" Amanda screamed. "You can't do th-"
She tried to run to him, but as same as Milo, Amanda was forced to stay still by two other guards. The two holding Amanda were none other than Brick and Savannah, which couldn't get any worse.
"Now that I've set you two in place, I must inform that you have made a big mistake when having lied to the head of Bureau of Time Travel," Block made a malicious grin. "You, Milo Murphy and Amanda Lopez, along with the two others who have disguised as you are in big trouble!"
"How dare you! Never do that to them!" Amanda yelled.
"Don't do this, Block!" Milo followed, but his tone showed more begging and pleading.
"Settle down! Settle down!" Block calmed them. "There are many questions in front of you, but to do that, please cooperate with us. Guards?"
"Yes, sir!" they obeyed as they did what they had been instructed: to spray a knockout gas on Milo and Amanda. The most they could do was to release themselves from the guards and stand on the ground before starting to lose conciousness.
"Melissa, Zack… Amanda… I am… sorry…" Milo muttered.
"I… can't… get up anymore…" Amanda teared up. She couldn't even stand with her hands. "I am… sorry Milo. It's… my plan…"
Those were the words they said before having fainted. Just before Melissa and Zack came and picked another bush nearby to hide and watch.
"Oh no… we're too late," Zack gritted his teeth.
"It's all my fault," Melissa rammed her head on a tree instead. "I should have set them apart for a little longer. They were right!"
"At what time can you even say that?!" the boy warned her. "And stop it. They're gonna see us."
Melissa stopped crying, "We should get out there and save them! I can't just watch!"
Zack prevented her by holding her shoulder, "Wait, no! We're outnumbered. What exactly do you want us to do?"
They were panicking a lot that they couldn't think properly anymore.
"And one more thing, folks. Catch those two who have dared to play a dummy game in front of me," Block commanded. That threatened Zack and Melissa when they tried to hide inside the bush again.
It was difficult to save their friends then. They couldn't even know how to save themselves from getting spotted.
"Sir, I think they could just be nearby," a male guard told him. "It's these two's friends after all. Of course they're gonna be here to save them."
"We're doomed…" she whispered and shivered.
"Hey, don't talk so loud…" Zack warned her again.
All of a sudden, all of them heard a loud rumble. It was made by a first tree that collapsed near them, followed by a wave of hot, red fire. You could say it was a wildfire.
"Wait, what is happening?" Savannah feared.
"I don't know, but things can get very messy," Brick followed her mood.
"Stop fearing, you fools!" Block yelled at them and other guards. "We must leave now and-"
"But the trees…" another guard warned, "…they're falling and the fire… they're spreading so quick…"
Block couldn't say any word as he looked around. A circle of fire had formed around him and his guards carrying unconcious Milo and Amanda.
"Uh-oh, this could get messy…"
Meanwhile…
"Ah!" Melissa put off the fire dust from her skirt. "How can there be a wave of fire?"
"But look, they're distracted! We have to get away," Zack suggested.
"No! We can come back-"
"I strongly object it," the boyband said. He grabbed her hand and tried to put themselves far away from the fire. "It's already a wave of fire back there. We can likely die if we get in there!"
"Die?!" Melissa exclaimed.
"Look, if you want to see them back, trust me. We, uh…" Zack tried his best to comfort her. "We'll try our best later on."
"Zack…" she was amazed by his bravery. It occasionally happens, but Zack can be cool once he knows how to protect his friends from danger. That is his role in the trio after all: to be the precautious one.
Meanwhile, Richard was relaxing by listening to music in the early 2000 with a disc jockey. Suddenly, a loud explosion startled him and made the disc fall off.
"What the-?" he shocked as the precious disc broke. On a higher note, he saw black smoke rising from many places. And he felt hotter than usual too, "What is happening?"
The next thing he knew was the children who was screaming and running to his direction.
"Sir Chase, sir Chase!" a boy pulled his pant leg. "Help us! There's fire…"
"A FIRE?!" the element he fought hardest.
"Richard, I'm glad you're here," Grulinda ran into his camp. Seemed to him like it was a real trouble.
"There is a fire, isn't it?"
"Not just a normal fire. It's a wildfire, and I think it's almost coming to your place!" Grulinda warned.
"Well, that can't be good… The whole park can be affecting by this. I must get help now…" he whispered. "Don't worry Grulinda. We'll sort things out. You guys run outside first."
"Thanks a lot, Mr. Chase!" the boy and other kids ran to the gate. "We're counting on you."
"Be safe, okay?" Grulinda said.
"I will."
Just as Grulinda had thought, the fire had almost reached to his camp as well. He grinned as he pulled out an idea in action. "Witness this. The Precious Protector. Luckily I brought one of these. It will stick on the ground with high pressure and fire can't spread inside it due to the lack of oxygen inside it. That way, our stuffs should be safe. And just in case, I have Zack and Melissa's backpacks on my back."
He stood there and took pride in himself a little bit, "I'm a total genius, aren't I. Now… let's protect this park!"
He took out his phone and called for his co-workers, "Attention, all units! Please send out as much force as you can. There's a wildfire at Hamilton Park. Pull out your biggest water guns and set this off quickly! This is not a drill! I repeat: THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"
Minutes after his command, fire trucks and firemen were sent away to do the important job.
"Oh wait, I forgot!" Richard realized one thing he had forgot. "Melissa and kids…"
He ran back, but was stopped by trees falling in front of him. "Geez, I can't run in like this. But Melissa…"
Richard recalled the death of his wife. "Man, fate is playing a cruel joke, isn't it?
That horrible day, I couldn't save her in time. The fire went off too fast…"
10 years ago. News said "MAJOR FIRE DESTROY WORK AND WORKERS."
Everyone was working tirelessly that day. Something Richard's wife told him on paper. All the workers wanted to get home early so they could have Christmas with their family. As a top secretary, Matsumi Chase was doing her hardest of the year.
Meanwhile, Martin kept complaning about how many times his keyboard suddenly got broken. Murphy's Law never gave him a break, even in Christmas.
"Ugh… if it keeps like this, I'll never have a Christmas with my family," he stood up from his workspace and looked for new keyboards by himself. He could call one to help him, but his frustation and worriness were driving him crazy that day.
Anyway, he entered to the basement and looked for a new keyboard. The storage was, however, near the total fuse box of the whole building. He didn't see it coming though. Like other workers, Martin had to do his best too.
With a normal person, staying in a storage for a minute shouldn't be a problem. With Martin, his Murphy's Law could call a small glitch in seconds. More concerning, this glitch had damaged the wires caused a blackout on the top story. His work office was in the lowest story and the one where Matsumi worked was in the top story so in result, Martin didn't realize it until later, while with Matsumi, things had already gone mayhem.
"A blackout? But why?" Matsumi exclaimed. Everyone on the floor had already panicked. With Matsumi, she was no coward to danger. She dialed to her husband right away.
Chase residence
"Space adventure! It's an adventure in space!" the voice came out from a 4-year-old Melissa. Back there, she was energetic and handful. She kept running around and flying the plane in her hand while turning on the TV running the lastest episode of Space Adventure.
"Melissa, you should decide whether to watch TV or to play that airplane," Richard called his daughter to him and the girl hugged his feet. Richard had written a form to the chief to have a day off with his family. The chief was kind as he said everyone deserved to have some time to rest on Christmas.
"Can I do both? I promise I will be good," Melissa gazed at him with her round blue eyeballs.
"Of course you can," Richard smirked, pulling out a challenge to his daughter. "Make sure you finish the lastest episode and the plane, and Santa will have a present for ya."
"Yay!" she ran off again. "Plane, plane, let's watch Space Adventure together!"
Richard chuckled while his daughter was back at the living room. He was still sitting there in the kitchen, waiting for at least a message or a phone call from Matsumi, his wife.
"Ah… Matsumi, be sure to come back soon. Your daughter is eagerly waiting just for you…"
Right at that time, he received a phone call from Matsumi. He was delighted and picked up right away, "Matsumi! Are you going home? How has the work been?"
"Not quite well. I'm not going back yet," Richard could clearly hear Matsumi's footsteps. "The top floor of the building is suffering a blackout. It may well spread to the lower floor and according to my sense, there's a fire coming in my way."
"No way! A fire?!" Richard screamed but he quickly covered his mouth, as he didn't want to get Melissa's attention. "So where are you at the building?"
"I'm almost reaching to the stair. I think I-" the call went off after Richard heard an explosion.
"What? Matsumi!" Richard tried to call her again but it was no use anymore.
She didn't pick it up.
"No way…" the fireman exclaimed. He ran outside the house from the backdoor and reached the front yard as again, he didn't want to draw Melissa's attention.
This time, he called the chief and quickly got the connection.
"Ah… Chase, my man. How's your Christmas going?"
"There's no time for that, Chief!" Mr. Chase yelled. "Sorry… but this is urgent! My wife has told me that there may well be a fire at the New Town Building. Get there quickly!"
"Now hold on, Chase, how can you be so sure about that? Did your wife just tell you about it?" the chief wondered.
"Yeah, and she has a strong sense. We better get going!" Richard urged his boss.
"Well alright, but I can't guarantee we can't be there quickly. Ya know, everyone is going out and snow is falling…"
"Just… think up of something!" Richard begged him but it was no use.
"Okay, that's good to hear. We'll be on our way. Bye," the chief dropped the phone call, not letting Richard saying another word.
The chief was right. The firemen were having a great time with their families and he was the only one to be warned about the situation.
He couldn't just leave Melissa all alone in the house with doors unlocked. And Matsumi was in danger. Richard thought he couldn't waste any other second.
He could give her a notice though, "Melissa, daddy's going out for a moment. Can you wait?"
"Sure! Then I'll finish the Christmas task before you know it," Melissa cheered.
He whispered and sighed in relief, "That's good…"
Richard put a large water hose on the back of his car before driving to Matsumi's workplace.
After the fire had been put out…
"Matsumi, wake up!" Richard held her whole body with his arms. Matsumi's body was burned and dusted for the most part. Worse, she couldn't open her eyes apparently.
"You can do it! You will come home with us for Christmas right? You've promised it," he was carrying her to the ambulance while tears was flowing on his face. "Matsumi! Please hear me!"
"This way, Mr. Chase," one of the nurses directed him. Not long after, the ambulance was driven away.
At another spot outside the building, Martin and Brigette looking for him later were both looking at the ambulance driving away.
"Hon, don't be sad. It's-"
"-not my fault, I know," Martin sighed. "I better not work here. Let's get home, shall we?"
"But…"
"Come on! The kids are waiting!"
Brigette couldn't stand seeing her husband like this. It wasn't fair.
She followed him, but silently teared up. How could the world be so unfair to him? Murphy's Law had already caused too much trouble for them.
(*) "I only have my daughter left. She means the world to me," Richard stated. "Well, if I lose her, I won't have anything left.
Nothing will be left."
"Melissa is in there, whereabouts is unknown…" Richard thought. "And here's me, who hadn't been able to save my dear wife…"
He clenched his palms tighter. His determination to save his only daughter was at his best, "I can't lose Melissa. I'll save her no matter what! Matsumi, count on me! I'll protect our daughter even though it may well cost this one fireman!"
He jumped into the fire, much to Grulinda and the kids' ashtonishment.
"Be careful, Richard!" Grulinda said.
"You can do it, Mr. Chase!" most of the kids rooted for the fireman
At another gate of the park, the Lola gang had luckily made a quick escape.
"D'aw…" Lola moaned. "How come is there a wildfire during this beautiful camping day huh?"
"This kinda reminds me of my first adventure with Amanda," Zane recalled an adventure he had that related to fire and such. (Note: you can only understand this detail only if you are a follower of my Spotlight AU story "Here's My Number." If not, let's just assume that Amanda and Zane met and had their first adventure) It was a close call as Lola was almost injured by Murphy's Law from Milo. How much worried he was back there…
He did wonder if this wildfire from the park was caused by Milo Murphy's Law as well. That could be likely.
"First adventure with Amanda? How come haven't I heard this?" Madge questioned.
"We'll tell you sometimes…" Zane comforted.
"Now now, this wildfire is not our concern. We've got our stuffs so let's go," Chelsea – the adult of the camp – led the three teenagers to their own house.
Following the Lola gang, Phineas and his friends had also exited in time. They seemed to have been burned a bit more deeply.
"Boy, that was close," Phineas exclaimed. "And with all of the machines I made, it was a good chance for the wildefire to spread."
"Yeah, it was just all of a sudden…" Isabella said. "Let's get back to Phineas' house, guys."
"Shouldn't we do anything with the wildfire?" Baljeet questioned.
"Right…" Phineas nodded in agreement. "I can make a super sprinkler to…"
Buford interrupted his idea, "Lame! Your inventions cause enough trouble. Besides, this is a job for firemen. We can cause big understanding once they know that your inventions lend a big hand to that wildfire."
"I know but…"
"Phineas," Isabella held his shoulder and shook her head. "We should get back home. It was a tiring day.
Besides, let's be realistic: we don't have enough power to put out that fire."
"Now that you mention it, you're right," Baljeet also agreed.
"Alright…" Phineas sighed. "Want to get some Slushy Dawg on our way?"
"Haha! Way to go, Dinner Bell!" Buford exclaimed. "It's something you and I can agree on."
"Isn't it a little inappropriate to eat at this G time?" Isabella questioned.
"We can't help it, so why don't we do what Phineas said?" Baljeet cheered.
"I can have one," Ferb said.
Much to their surprise, however, all the lights were shut down one by one, which sent the whole city in the darkness. Only the fire at Hamilton Dark was being in a different color.
Phineas and Ferb turned on their flashlights and looked around, "Seems like Danville is in a big trouble."
Around Melissa and Zack, beside the fire, was filled with blank black sight. If this kept up, they would have a hard time to locate themselves out.
Not long before, they ran away after hearing Mr. Block and his gang would capture them for fooling him. Things had been worse after those men had successfully kidnapped Milo and Amanda.
And with this sudden fire joined the fun, they had no choice but to keep themselves alive first.
Melissa gave a complain while running, "Ugh! Now a blackout too? What the heck is going on here?"
Zack somehow felt a bit positive during the situation, "Well… don't you think it's great?"
"And HOW IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE GREAT?" the girl yelled.
Both of them stopped. Zack raised a question, "Melissa, what's wrong? You seem more stressful than usual."
"How can't I?" Melissa confessed. "My friends are in danger because of my dumb plan. And instead of saving them, we're running like a couple of cowards! How do you think I'm supposed to feel?"
"I know how you feel…" Zack said to her calmly.
The girl looked up to his face and noticed something off. Zack, who's always a precautious one, seems a lot more calm than herself.
"Zack, are you okay?... We're… in the middle of… a wildfire ya know. And there're… that…" she muttered.
"I know it all…" he replied calmly again. "I know that it's frustating to feel useless… and… to feel like a coward. I can feel it too, but you know what? I'm not afraid anymore."
"You are? But aren't we just…"
"…running, I know. But I don't want you to get hurt. If that happens, how can you possibly see him after it?" Zack explained to her.
Melissa smiled. Hearing those words certainly reassured her and changed her mood for the better, "I get it now. But how are we supposed to get back to them?"
"Well, that should be easy…" he stated confidently. "The fire could guide us back, couldn't it?"
"Wow! That's super calmly awesome, Zack!" the girl was amazed.
Zack humbly chuckled, "It was nothing though… Ah, this feeling of calmness. Now I get it… How Milo is able to deal this with ease… It's so much easier one you get a lot of it.
For a long time, I had been keeping myself in my own world. Where no one could put pressure on me. Where I was free to sing, to do whatever I want."
"It got boring quickly, right?" Melissa guessed and smiled.
"Yep, that was, before I met you guys. Together we have overcome many adentures. I realize how big this world is. I will never know it if I don't move to here, Danville. If I had hope, even a little, I would believe for magic to happen," Zack stated. "After all, a wise girl told me that…"
"Sometimes you have to take a step forward to change something," Amanda comforted Zack who was about to have an ultimate date with Melissa. (**)
"Who was that girl?" Melissa smirked and teased him in order to find out the secret. "You two must be close."
"She's in the same class with us. By the way, we have to get going," Zack ran ahead first.
One thing for sure, Zack was no longer a coward like he used to be. He was precautious, but a friend in need, and a hero indeed.
"Hey, who's the girl in the same class that you mentioned?" Melissa persitently asked.
"Can we leave this for later? We can be close to that guy now…" Zack warned.
"Alright, but I won't forget this," they both laughed.
Much to Zack and Melissa's favors, the Block gang didn't move one bit. Since the town was out of electricity, they couldn't contact to the future. All they could do was waiting for the circle around them to stop flaming.
"My, it feels so hot in here," Savannah exclaimed.
"Can you think of a better sentence? And are we just gonna leave those two there? They may get burned, you know?" Brick told Block but seemed like their boss ignored his warning.
"Maybe…" the leader whispered. "Our plan is spoiled entirely. This blackout may take a few days to repair. And outside the park, a lot of people are waiting to know our identity. If we caught them in our hands, we would get suspected right on the spot. I'm afraid that retreat is our only choice."
"So we leave them there?"
"Of course, you dumbkopf!" the old man yelled. "Who cares about them right now? Let's free ourselves first!"
"Oh, you mean the plan H-because-plan-C-to-G-don't-work?! You got it!" a woman who was his staff agreed.
"Let's run away…" then all of them ran like the fools themselves used their best in just running at that moment.
They didn't care even the slightest of Milo and Amanda. How would their fate turn out when around them was nothing but flame and darkness?
Around that time, Cavendish, Dakota and Gretchen had reached to the park. Much to their surprise, they saw two things: the darkness and you-know-what.
"Holy smoke…" Cavendish dropped his jaws then took a picture of the horrible scene.
"This is not worth a picture, man," Dakota ranted. "How're the kids' signals going?"
"They still stay in the center, see?" Gretchen showed him. "But there is a serious wildfire, isn't it?"
Dakota, Cavendish and Gretchen stared at the park with concern. What could happen to the jinx and the perfectionist?
"Why… aren't they running?" Gretchen whispered.
It just occurred to her that she had been caring for them a lot recently.
(***) "I am a special person who can sense all abnormal phenomenal activities. And those jerks who have taken your backpack are seeking you, and maybe you." Gretchen wearing a dark coat covering her entire body warned them. "I need you to stay at home and prepare for any circumstances."
(****) "Do you want to save Milo, my girl?" Gretchen offered nicely.
"Definitely! I already miss him, even if it's for a few minutes. No one is gonna stop me from taking him back," Amanda stated with determination.
(*****) "No, Milo! What are you doing?" asked Gretchen from the cabin.
"I just want to see it clearer."
"Are you insane? What if you fall into the time stream?" Gretchen warned.
"No sweat. I have done this at least once, with Cavendish and Dakota," Milo informed.
The woman shook her head and looked ubsastifying. She whispered, "We can't just stand here…"
"Huh?" Dakota checked her and though he hadn't heard half of her sentence, he could be certain that Gretchen was worried for Milo and Amanda and she wanted to bust them out.
He smiled. Guess he couldn't stop her anyway, "Fine. I'll go with you."
"Wait, are you insane?" Cavendish questioned. "Just to be safe, I would not go there if I were you."
"Exactly," both of them grinned while looking at him devilly, "And your mission is to look out our car and be our last resort."
Not long after, they climbed over the fence and entered the flaming small forest.
"These two…" Cavendish sighed. The British then saw a teenage boy who seemed to be a volunteered crossing guard. He was running to Gretchen and Dakota's climbing spot and in an attempt to stop them.
"Stop! You two are committing a safety violation! I said stop! Won't you-"
"I'm sorry, but who are you and what are you doing here?" Cavendish stood behind him and asked.
"Oh, this is just great. This world is totally messed up," Elliot ranted. "Do you see those two people? They are running into a flaming wood. A FLAMING WOOD!"
Cavendish rolled his eyes, grinning awkwardly like he didn't know anything about it, "Um… yeah, that sounds serious. But I was told that they come to rescue a few kids in there. You know, kids… And they are… professional paramedics….hehe…"
"Really? Well that's fine by me," Elliot sighed in relief before running away, "Now I can finally try the 20-flavor ice cream without bothering something outside my jurisdiction."
"Glad that's over with," the man politely wiped out the dust from his clothes like a royalty.
He looked at the fire again. This time, he hoped that Dakota, Gretchen and the kids could overcome it.
"Gretchen, Dakota, kids, good luck!"
Back to the center of the park, situation hadn't changed for the better. Amanda and Milo, who left unconcious, were still trapped in the middle of the fire.
Amanda slowly started to get back into her sense. She shook her head slightly, but realized that she couldn't open her eyes and breath.
She coughed, "Wait, what's this? I can't open my eyes! And it feels like… we're in a frying pan."
As the sweat around her started to flow harder and the air was rare, she called out the name vaguely while trying to move her left hand, "M-Mi-Milo…"
With Milo, he felt the same as she did. He couldn't open his eyes as well, and soon realized that the world was flaming around them.
"Wait, fire?" Milo freaked out in his mind. "But- how could it be?"
"AAAH!" he exclaimed after a large branch fell out from a tree and landed on his body. Not only was he hurted by the force of it, but also was from the heat of its wooden skin.
"I guess… that's it… But then Amanda… No!"
He called out her name without knowing her whereabouts apparently, "Amanda! If you hear me…"
He used his right hand to reach out somewhere. He could feel someone was there, "…answer me, Amanda!"
Meanwhile, it was a race for Melissa and Zack to save their best friends. After having been motivated, Melissa jumped from place to place fastly. She hadn't felt this determined for a long time.
"You… maybe right… Zack," Melissa exclaimed happily. "If we do hope, something magical will happen."
Zack agreed, but he looked around and saw a few trees or branches collapsing one by one.
"Uh, I did say it, Melissa, but you should run carefully," Zack warned.
"Haha, why should I?" her optimism could something take over her brain. "It doesn't seem like a tree wil—"
Suddenly, a tree next to her almost fell into her for no reason. She widened her eyes. The fear of the tree being able to hit her made her stand like a rock.
It wouldn't have been almost, if Zack hadn't been there in time and pushed her away to take on the falling tree for her.
Melissa was pushed away and sat on the ground, looking at Zack holding the tree for a few seconds before being knocked away and lied on the ground.
That was one large tree. He was able to dodge the fall after holding it but quickly getting unconscious afterwards.
"Zack?" her eyes started to tear up. The blush in her cheeks was for another reason. The tears in her eyes… she was touched that he did that way to save her. And now he was unconscious.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered and cried out his name loudly. "Zaaackk! Please… you have to be okay!"
Richard heard a noise sounded like her daughter while he was running in.
"Sounds like it's from Melissa."
He quickly ran to the source of the noise. Immidiately, he saw his daughter. She was crying for Zack who was unconscious.
"Hear me, Zack! You can't leave me alone!" she cried while hugging him.
"Melissa, what happened? And what's up with Zack?"
"H-he saved me, dad! And- because of that, well…" Melissa cried on his body again. Next to them was a collapsed tree, so Richard could easily get the situation.
"Alright. I get it. Melissa, you bring Zack outsdie. Are Milo and Amanda still in here?" Richard asked.
"Yeah… they're still in there and kidnapped by some gang," Melissa told him. "We were on the way to rescue them."
"Oh, silly friends…" Richard then said. "Alright then. They're at the center of the park right? I'll go there, while you bring Zack outside. There must be an ambulance waiting."
"Right!" Melissa obeyed as she carried Zack on her shoulder and took him outside.
After making sure Melissa stepped out safely, Richard kept running ahead. Somehow he looked even more concerned after having known Amanda and Milo still in there.
"How could this be possible? Amanda, Milo, please be safe!"
At the same time, Dakota and Gretchen ran as fast as they could. Both were watching out for trees before thinking of any plans.
They knew they could save Milo and Amanda from danger. And later, Mr. Block would pay for it at any cost he could deserve.
In a place unknowingly far far away, a scene of black-and white world appeared in front of us. Not long after Gretchen and Dakota leaving, the old woman decided to put out a campfire to cheer for them by her own.
She was old and clumsy and… a little too blind to see the pictures of Dakota and Gretchen on the ground.
"Branches, branches. Luckily these still exists. No one cares about these antique kinds anymore…" she stated.
The old woman sighed before putting fire on them, "Let's rest in peace, shall we?
There's nothing like to be back to a happy life in heaven," she smiled.
Notes for references to previous chapters:
(*) Chapter 16: We're Friends Again (Part 2)
(**) Chapter 6: Feelings from Melissa
(***) Chapter 7: A Warning and a Power
(****) Chapter 8: Amanda Seeking Milo (Part 1)
(*****) Chapter 10: Getting Closer for New Adventure
A/N: We're down to two chapters left, guys! Let me know your thoughts about this one, about Milanda or Richard or anything! Well, I hate to say it but our fun journey has almost reached to an end! See you in the next chapter!