Chapter 40: Old Friends
I now knew why the caged bird sang, it sang to give itself hope for freedom. I sat in my own birdcage still anticipating the arrival of the cavalry that was my friends who were fighting their way to me right now.
But whoever's in charge of karma was probably having a field day when suddenly DeDe walked in.
"Zaí!" She said raising her arms "hey girl, guess what I've got got good news and bad news."
Like most people I preferred hearing the bad news first. Of course knowing DeDe it would probably be bad news for me and good news for her. I was already down so I knew for a fact I couldn't get down any further.
"What's the bad news?" I asked half wishing I hadn't.
"The bad news for you is that I've managed to get my hands on the ultra-rare last, and I mean LAST in existence. Vial of...
she paused for dramatic effect.
"Chimera blood!"
I gasped in shock and horror "b-but Chimeras have been extinct for years. A-and they're blood holds the power of..
"Immortality yes. Once I've gotten rid of you and your kind we witches will drink the precious elixir and rule over this world eternally forevermore!" She spoke powerfully.
I knew how powerful the blood of a chimera was. Drink just a gulp and you'll not only have eternal life but indestructible skin and organs. You'd still age of course bit it would likely take at least five centuries before you had wrinkles or a single grey hair.
"Now I think you must be dying to hear the good news, get it dying?" She chuckled to herself.
I did get it but it wasn't tasteful to me.
"Now mind you it's good news for me, it is...!" She pressed a button on the wall and a cage begun to be rolled into the room I felt myself wither inside when I saw what or should I say who was in the cage.
"Ta-da!" Creid DeDe.
Inside the cage were my friends, captured. My one chance at escape, gone.
"I found your pathetic search party lurking around the facility. I must admit they did reasonably well to stay hidden for as long as they did, so close and yet not close enough. Don't ya just hate it when that happens?"
I felt as though my hopes and dreams had been smashed into a million pieces, my one shot of living, gone. And now all my friends were doomed as well.
"Well now that we've got the pleasantries out of the way, you can enjoy each other's company for the night. Now that every variable has been contained there is nothing else that can stop us. And I suppose I've kept you in suspense long enough but the day of reckoning is...Tomorrow.
We all gasped in shock.
"That's right, you've got one night left to live before I wipe your pathetic excuse of a species off this planet once and for all, and after your little friends see you slaughtered, they're next!" She screamed holding up a knife.
"The little kitty cat can go first..."
Doom whimpered and buried her face in Ruby's arms, Ruby stroked her terrified pet and for a rare moment felt a twinge of hatred in herself.
"How can you be so heartless!" She yelled out to DeDe.
"A heart make you weak, hearts make you feel. The only thing I need to feel is pride in the fact in the matter that I'm about to become supreme ruler of this earth and everyone will grovel before me." She monologued.
"Case in point, Zaí, enjoy the company of your "new" friends for the night. Because come tomorrow you're going to be executed."
"I always knew you were a bad influence DeDe! I never should've let Zaí befriend you!" cried out my mom from the other cage.
"Zerelda! Never thought I'd see you again. How does it feel knowing you've failed as a parent? I mean c'mon, two kids dead and the only one remaining doomed as well. I can't wait to see you cry when you see your own daughter die. I'll take pictures!"
"Now if you'll all excuse me, I've gotta rest up. I've got hell to raise and witches to command."
Then a call from the hallways echoed into the chamber "Mastress! I can't find your top secret potion thingy! What room was it in again?" Cried out the voice of Wisteria.
DeDe sighed. "Some more than others." She said exasperated before exiting the room. After she was gone I could finally address my comrades.
"Mom!"
"Sweetie!"
"Zaí!"
"Ruby! Skull Boy! Frank! Len! Doom! Iris! Poe! Scaredy! wait... where's Misery?"
They all hung their heads in sadness, I covered my mouth in shock, not wanting to believe it, I let Ruby speak although I knew for certain what she was about to say.
"Zaí, Misery came on her own here, we got surrounded by witches and she told us to run and she'd fight them all off, she was outnumbered by dozens. I don't think there's any hope she survived." She said solemnly.
I was shocked, until I realized something.
"I can't believe it, Misery died...to save me?"
"I guess she decided to forgive you for what happened." Skull Boy added.
"I feel awful, I'm so sorry guys. I brought you all into this terrible war and now, we're all going to die." I said fighting back tears.
"Zaí, if I may be blunt." Poe spoke up.
"Go ahead."
"When we were informed about you being kidnapped all of us made no hesitations to find you and bring you home safe and sound." He explained.
"Really? Every single one of you?" I asked.
"Yes, even me! Cried out Scaredy. "And you are aware I am most frightened by any sort of danger. But I could never stay behind if I knew you were in danger."
I was touched, my friends had all willingly sacrificed their own lives and put themselves in mortal peril to save me. Then my mother spoke to me.
"Zaí honey, I think I see now. This gang of misfits aren't just your friends, They're your family. I'm proud of you Zaí, you found your own way in life. You found where you belong."
The waterworks streamed down my cheeks as she spoke, and in that moment I knew she was right I not only found a new home. I found my true family.
Suddenly a spark ignited inside me. DeDe wasn't going to succeed, I would make sure of it.
"Don't worry guys, we can't give up. If we all work together we can find a way to escape."
"That's the spirit Zaí!" called out Len.
"You guys did so much for me, I promise I'll return the favour if it's the last thing I do!"
"Yeah!" They all shouted after my pep talk. I knew escaping my cage and getting me and all my friends home in one piece was more of a wishlist then a plan. Not to mention the bomb I still had glued to my hand but my friends all had the courage to come to my rescue, the only question that remained was if I had the courage to break free..."
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Hello again my loyal readers once again super big apologies for the long wait. However you won't have to wait long because I decided to post TWOchapters at once and the next chapter is one of the longest passages I've ever written, so go to the next page and enjoy!