Chapter 9: Escaping the Hill

At the sound of the aunt's yell, everyone went silent, the light turned to normal, and everyone flinched in fear. James and Penelope grew fearful and hugged each other. Centipede walked straight over to the ladder with a mischievous grin.

"Hup! Time to go make a pest of myself! Heh-heh!" he chuckled and climbed up the ladder.

Outside the giant peach, Sponge and Spiker were outside looking for James, Penelope, and Jaelle. The women were holding lanterns and looked at the area still covered with garbage.

"Look at this place!" Sponge said, with disgust. "It's still filthy!"

Inside the peach, everyone, even James, Penelope, and Jaelle grew frightened from hearing the voices of Spiker and Sponge.

"Where are you, you detestable little worms?" Spiker's voice called from outside.

Earthworm shrieked at the mention of "worm."

"Not you!" James wailed. "US!"

"James, Jaelle, and I!" Penelope added to clarify.

"You better not be near our peach!" yelled Aunt Sponge.

"Oh please!" Mrs. Ladybug begged. "Don't let them spray us!"

"If they come near us, I'll give 'em a punch in t'e faces!" Dragonfly said, balling his fists.

"Spray us?" scoffed Earthworm. "They'll see the Yank up there and come after us with a shovel! It happened to my brother!"

"How awful!" cried James.

"Split him right down the middle. Now I have two half-brothers!"

"Shh!" Mr. Grasshopper hissed. "They'll hear us!"

Jaelle got near Penelope and bleated gently. The girl came to her knees and stroked her goat's fur with her small, tanned hand. She reassured her pet, "Don't worry Jaelle. They won't find us in here. I do hope we don't get caught and punished again."

The girl hugged her goat for comfort and continued to pet her. Penelope's body grew tense, her heart was beat faster, and her palms were sweating. Suddenly she felt something touching her shoulders, she gasped and looked back.

Then the Gypsy girl felt a hand on her shoulder, and they were gently helping her calm down. Penelope turned around and it was Dragonfly. The muscular bug went from defense mode to concern when he saw the gypsy girl looking distressed.

"Are ye all right lass?"

Penelope shook her head and felt tears welling in her eyes. He got down on his knees and allowed her in his arms. He hugged the girl close, allowing her to rest her head against his chest.

"No worries lass," he said gently while one of his hands gently stroked her long black hair. "We'll protect ye and James from them hags."

"Thank you," Penelope said sweetly and looked into his enormous eyes. "You are very kind. I can't let those cruel aunts get me and James. They always beat us, starve us, insult us, and they never regretted being cruel to us. I feel so frightened."

"As long as if ye are wit' us," he said. "Ye are safe."

Penelope gave a small smile and felt her heart eased with relief. James came over to her and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The girl gave a sad smile and a nod towards her little brother.

"I hope they don't find us."

"Me too, James."

Meanwhile, Centipede pushed open a door in the peach flesh, like a hatch. He looked around and down saw Spiker and Sponge walking around.

"Yoo-hoo!" Called Spiker. "Where are you boy and gypsy girl?"

"I think I hear a rhino right here," called Sponge.

Centipede's eyebrows furrowed in thought, understanding why the women would threaten James, Penelope, and Jaelle with the Rhino. He looked over and saw the stem of the peach attached to the tree branch. This gave him an idea. "Ahh! This will be a snap." He grinned and got started.

Then the women heard a saw-like sound. "Shh! I really do hear something," Spiker said quietly.

On top of the peach, Centipede, holding his hat in one hand, was using his pinchers on his head to saw through the peach stem. Once it was almost all the way through, he stopped, and allowed it to break.

"Timber!" he whispered. Centipede smirked and immediately slipped in the peach before Spiker or Sponge could see him. The peach began to move on its own, causing the women to look back.

Inside the giant peach, everything and everyone started to tilt, and the room moved. Penelope wrapped her arms around James to keep him up on his feet. Jaelle jumped up and Dragonfly caught her and held her tight. When Centipede landed, James exclaimed, "What's that?"

"Fasten your seat belts, kids!" Centipede grinned.

Outside of the giant peach, Sponge and Spiker screamed in terror when they saw the peach was rolling right towards them!

"Ahh!" Sponge and Spiker screamed. "The car!"

They rushed to their car to escape as the peach rolled towards them.

Inside, the room began to tilt, and everyone began to run.

"We're turning!" James cried.

"Wha-wha-wha- what have you done?" Earthworm yelled at Centipede.

"Baaaaa!" Jaelle bleated.

Meanwhile, Spiker and Sponge got into their car to drive away. Spiker attempted to start the car, and yelled, "Start! Start, you piece of junk!"

The wooden wall around started to break apart as the peach rolled over it. Sponge and Spiker looked back and screamed, as the peach gained on them.

"It's the peach!" Sponge screamed. "Our peach, we'll be killed!"

Spiker attempted to step on the gas pedal to get the car going, but it wouldn't budge. Before they could get going, the giant peach rolled over the car, and squashed it, luckily not killing the women.

Right now, the peach was rolling away faster and faster. Inside, the children, goat, and bugs began to run. But the giant fruit was building more kinetic energy, causing everyone to fall on the wall or ceiling.

The peach started to roll down the hill ang gained more speed. Spiker and Sponge stuck their heads out from their broken car and screamed. The giant peach rolled through the English countryside, went through a village, rolled through a graveyard, and flew over a church.

Two young girls were sitting by a statue of Mary the Virgin Mother, smoking, and looked up to see the giant peach flying high above them. As if the peach was about to destroy the church, it managed to avoid destruction and kept rolling.

Back inside the peach stone, James, Penelope, and Jaelle and their new friends were tossed around like balls in a baby's rattle. Everyone screamed and tried not to get sick.

"Here stomach!" Centipede groaned. "Here stomach! Here stomach!"

Outside, the peach left the town and rolled towards a farmyard. A rooster was perched on a fence, then it started to panic as the peach hit it and broke the fence!

Inside the fruit, everyone was lying on the walls and ceiling of the stone. Everyone was moaning, either in fright or illness and clinging on for dear life. Penelope was lying next to James and held his hand, but dizzy and sick.

"WHOA!" James said.

"Oh my God, we're gonna die!" Dragonfly said.

"I'm gonna be sick!" Centipede cried.

Outside, the peach rolled over some picket fences and gained more speed before it flew off the edge of the cliff towards the English Channel.

"OUR PEACH!" cried Spiker and Sponge in unison and despair as they watched their new prized possession disappeared towards the ocean. After a few seconds in the air, the giant fruit fell downwards into the ocean. All that was heard was a huge splash and everything went black.