The Girl Scout Chronicles
Chapter Three: Hike to Owl's Roost
Electra led her group back to the minivan, and she spoke sweetly aloud, "This is going to be the nicest weekend! Here I am out in the wilderness with three gorgeous girls, and one cute little Caboose!"
"Does he need his eyes examined?" Quick whispered, causing Aqua to giggle and Chibi to glare at her evilly.
C.B. smiled and shook his head, rolling on at his own leisurely pace.
Finally they reached the vehicle, and Electra opened the trunk. Chibi and Aqua stepped forward to take their bags, but Electra grabbed both their arms, pushing them away with a tsk, "No no. Don't strain yourselves! This is what I have components for!"
Quick coughed, and she gulped as the AC-DC train looked at her, "I don't mean to be rude, but you don't HAVE the Components here."
Electra laughed her pixie laugh, bending down and wagging her finger in Quick's face, "When will you learn to stop questioning me? I merely give a snap of my fingers, and they shall appear."
With that, the Electric Engine did indeed snap her fingers, and from behind various bushes and other places, all of the Components emerged.
"Halt! I am Krupp, Electra's armaments truck!" A tall, sun-glass sporting man barked, only to have Electra rush over and hug him.
"Now Krupp, be nice to the girls! You're a big, STRONG man, so why don't you grab this luggage for us?" Electra cooed, blinking her yellow eyes.
Krupp bowed, and he went to get the luggage when Purse stepped forward, his eyes wide, "Master Electra? WHAT HAS HAPPENED?!"
"Don't worry Purse. your master just needed a little time to get in touch with his feminine side," C.B. giggled.
The Caboose's laughter quickly died however, when he saw Aqua smiling at Purse. "He's so cute! He's almost as short as you Chibi!"
Chibi could not help but agree with both of those statements, and Purse ran and hid behind Electra, lest he face the horror of being glomped by two teenaged girls.
Quick addressed the remaining three, "I assume that you are Wrench, Volta, and Joule? My name's Quick, and it's a pleasure to meet you."
A woman with flaming red and orange hair (who the three girls assumed was Joule) sniggered, "Awfully formal aren't you?"
"Quiet sister!" A tall, frigid, woman, obviously Volta answered, "It's nice to see some courtesy now a days."
"Will you be requiring us at all, Master?" The third truck, Wrench, asked.
Electra shook her head, "No. I really only need Krupp's manly muscles. You are dismissed."
The three females left, but Purse clung onto Electra's leg, "Please let me stay! I just couldn't sleep knowing that my poor Master was out in the middle of nowhere, without even his faithful Money Truck to help him!"
Electra beamed down at Purse, "Of course you can stay! You'll have to behave yourself, but I haven't the heart to send you back!"
With that the two embraced, causing Chibi and Aqua to stare, C.B. to yawn, and Quick to go over to the obviously over-burdened Krupp. "Would you like me to help you with that?"
Krupp shook his head, so Quick shrugged. Chibi, her eyebrow twitching as she watched Purse and Electra hug, abruptly turned on her heel, "We'd better go ahead and get to the cabin."
"Then, on we shall go! Everyone couple!" Electra called, and Purse quickly connected himself to the engine. Krupp somehow managed to get after Purse, and C.B. took his natural place at the back.
"But Elok, we aren't cars or trucks. We can't couple!" Aqua pointed out.
Electra seemed to consider this, and she shrugged, "Then I know what we can do! We'll go ahead to the Lodge and drop of the luggage while you three walk on the road. Then, if we get there before you, we'll start back on the road and find you, and you get sit on our shoulders or something for a ride."
"Sure, no problem," Chibi muttered, so the Electric Engine took off, leaving a small cloud of dust in his wake.
~o~o~o~
"I can't believe he just abandoned us!" Chibi moaned, her head hanging low.
"She," Quick corrected, walking on the left of her friend. "And she didn't abandon us; she's just thinking ahead. You're just upset that she's showing Purse so much attention!"
"No. not really. I mean, I always knew those two were 'close'. Just so long as he acts like he cares for me a little bit I'm happy. He's so cute!" Chibi purred, the mere thought of Electra making her happy.
"See, C.B. is a one-minded man, so he can shower me with all the attention I need," Aqua commented, glad that the little Red Caboose didn't seem to feel the loss of Dinah's love too much.
"I'm glad you two like them so much. I just KNOW they're leading us into disaster!" Quick snorted. She zipped up her jacket, and she asked, "Shouldn't we be getting close to the Lodge by now?"
"Nay. we still have a good way to go," Chibi responded. She turned to Quick, who was looking over her shoulder, "What's wrong?"
Quick shrugged, "I dunno. I just have the feeling that we're being followed."
Aqua giggled, "That's ridiculous all of the kindling is either in bed or will get here tomorrow. There's absolutely no one around but the three of us!"
"I have to agree with Aqua, Quick. You are such a worry wort sometimes!" Chibi said, patting her friend on the shoulder.
"Stop right there!" A booming voice commanded, causing the three girls to freeze.
"Who- who's there?" Quick stammered.
"I am the Ghost of the Caterpillar!" The voice boomed again, and an apparition appeared in front of the now terrified girls. It was a caterpillar, but it was one of gigantic proportions, and its eyes glowed with an unworldly light.
"What do you want with us?" Aqua asked, her voice shaking a little in fear.
"There is one among your party who has been the bane of all caterpillars. I am here for. REVENGE!" The ghost groaned, pointing all but two legs at Chibi.
Chibi shrieked, "WHAT DID I DO?!"
"Whenever you see a caterpillar trying to cross the road, and they are almost to the other side, YOU BROUGHT THEM ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEGINNING!" The caterpillar roared, his voice causing the ground to shake. "Some died from the exertion of trying to cross the road again, and the rest died of a broken heart."
Chibi gulped as the bug glared at her, and the bug hissed, "Now you shall pay for all of your crimes, you and your little friends too!"
The girls screamed, and the ghost laughed evilly. Suddenly, there came a beam of light, and the ghost vanished as soon as it had come.
"Are you alright?" A voice, a familiar voice called, and soon C.B., Electra, and Purse came out onto the road from the woods.
"You guys came just in time! How did you DO that?" Quick asked, helping Chibi and Aqua to their feet.
"Well, wee ghosties don't like the light, and being an Electric train, I just turned on my headlight," Electra (who had now gone back to AC mode), answered.
"To the lodge we go!" He called merrily, lifting Chibi into his arms. Chibi was in heaven.
Aqua and C.B. looked at each other, and Aqua picked up C.B. and let him ride on her shoulders, "WAIT FOR US!"
That left Quick and Purse staring at each other, and Purse frowned, "Just to let you know. I don't FLOW your way."
Quick shrugged, "I don't flow your way either. Now, shall we just WALK to the lodge?"
"O.K."
Electra led her group back to the minivan, and she spoke sweetly aloud, "This is going to be the nicest weekend! Here I am out in the wilderness with three gorgeous girls, and one cute little Caboose!"
"Does he need his eyes examined?" Quick whispered, causing Aqua to giggle and Chibi to glare at her evilly.
C.B. smiled and shook his head, rolling on at his own leisurely pace.
Finally they reached the vehicle, and Electra opened the trunk. Chibi and Aqua stepped forward to take their bags, but Electra grabbed both their arms, pushing them away with a tsk, "No no. Don't strain yourselves! This is what I have components for!"
Quick coughed, and she gulped as the AC-DC train looked at her, "I don't mean to be rude, but you don't HAVE the Components here."
Electra laughed her pixie laugh, bending down and wagging her finger in Quick's face, "When will you learn to stop questioning me? I merely give a snap of my fingers, and they shall appear."
With that, the Electric Engine did indeed snap her fingers, and from behind various bushes and other places, all of the Components emerged.
"Halt! I am Krupp, Electra's armaments truck!" A tall, sun-glass sporting man barked, only to have Electra rush over and hug him.
"Now Krupp, be nice to the girls! You're a big, STRONG man, so why don't you grab this luggage for us?" Electra cooed, blinking her yellow eyes.
Krupp bowed, and he went to get the luggage when Purse stepped forward, his eyes wide, "Master Electra? WHAT HAS HAPPENED?!"
"Don't worry Purse. your master just needed a little time to get in touch with his feminine side," C.B. giggled.
The Caboose's laughter quickly died however, when he saw Aqua smiling at Purse. "He's so cute! He's almost as short as you Chibi!"
Chibi could not help but agree with both of those statements, and Purse ran and hid behind Electra, lest he face the horror of being glomped by two teenaged girls.
Quick addressed the remaining three, "I assume that you are Wrench, Volta, and Joule? My name's Quick, and it's a pleasure to meet you."
A woman with flaming red and orange hair (who the three girls assumed was Joule) sniggered, "Awfully formal aren't you?"
"Quiet sister!" A tall, frigid, woman, obviously Volta answered, "It's nice to see some courtesy now a days."
"Will you be requiring us at all, Master?" The third truck, Wrench, asked.
Electra shook her head, "No. I really only need Krupp's manly muscles. You are dismissed."
The three females left, but Purse clung onto Electra's leg, "Please let me stay! I just couldn't sleep knowing that my poor Master was out in the middle of nowhere, without even his faithful Money Truck to help him!"
Electra beamed down at Purse, "Of course you can stay! You'll have to behave yourself, but I haven't the heart to send you back!"
With that the two embraced, causing Chibi and Aqua to stare, C.B. to yawn, and Quick to go over to the obviously over-burdened Krupp. "Would you like me to help you with that?"
Krupp shook his head, so Quick shrugged. Chibi, her eyebrow twitching as she watched Purse and Electra hug, abruptly turned on her heel, "We'd better go ahead and get to the cabin."
"Then, on we shall go! Everyone couple!" Electra called, and Purse quickly connected himself to the engine. Krupp somehow managed to get after Purse, and C.B. took his natural place at the back.
"But Elok, we aren't cars or trucks. We can't couple!" Aqua pointed out.
Electra seemed to consider this, and she shrugged, "Then I know what we can do! We'll go ahead to the Lodge and drop of the luggage while you three walk on the road. Then, if we get there before you, we'll start back on the road and find you, and you get sit on our shoulders or something for a ride."
"Sure, no problem," Chibi muttered, so the Electric Engine took off, leaving a small cloud of dust in his wake.
~o~o~o~
"I can't believe he just abandoned us!" Chibi moaned, her head hanging low.
"She," Quick corrected, walking on the left of her friend. "And she didn't abandon us; she's just thinking ahead. You're just upset that she's showing Purse so much attention!"
"No. not really. I mean, I always knew those two were 'close'. Just so long as he acts like he cares for me a little bit I'm happy. He's so cute!" Chibi purred, the mere thought of Electra making her happy.
"See, C.B. is a one-minded man, so he can shower me with all the attention I need," Aqua commented, glad that the little Red Caboose didn't seem to feel the loss of Dinah's love too much.
"I'm glad you two like them so much. I just KNOW they're leading us into disaster!" Quick snorted. She zipped up her jacket, and she asked, "Shouldn't we be getting close to the Lodge by now?"
"Nay. we still have a good way to go," Chibi responded. She turned to Quick, who was looking over her shoulder, "What's wrong?"
Quick shrugged, "I dunno. I just have the feeling that we're being followed."
Aqua giggled, "That's ridiculous all of the kindling is either in bed or will get here tomorrow. There's absolutely no one around but the three of us!"
"I have to agree with Aqua, Quick. You are such a worry wort sometimes!" Chibi said, patting her friend on the shoulder.
"Stop right there!" A booming voice commanded, causing the three girls to freeze.
"Who- who's there?" Quick stammered.
"I am the Ghost of the Caterpillar!" The voice boomed again, and an apparition appeared in front of the now terrified girls. It was a caterpillar, but it was one of gigantic proportions, and its eyes glowed with an unworldly light.
"What do you want with us?" Aqua asked, her voice shaking a little in fear.
"There is one among your party who has been the bane of all caterpillars. I am here for. REVENGE!" The ghost groaned, pointing all but two legs at Chibi.
Chibi shrieked, "WHAT DID I DO?!"
"Whenever you see a caterpillar trying to cross the road, and they are almost to the other side, YOU BROUGHT THEM ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEGINNING!" The caterpillar roared, his voice causing the ground to shake. "Some died from the exertion of trying to cross the road again, and the rest died of a broken heart."
Chibi gulped as the bug glared at her, and the bug hissed, "Now you shall pay for all of your crimes, you and your little friends too!"
The girls screamed, and the ghost laughed evilly. Suddenly, there came a beam of light, and the ghost vanished as soon as it had come.
"Are you alright?" A voice, a familiar voice called, and soon C.B., Electra, and Purse came out onto the road from the woods.
"You guys came just in time! How did you DO that?" Quick asked, helping Chibi and Aqua to their feet.
"Well, wee ghosties don't like the light, and being an Electric train, I just turned on my headlight," Electra (who had now gone back to AC mode), answered.
"To the lodge we go!" He called merrily, lifting Chibi into his arms. Chibi was in heaven.
Aqua and C.B. looked at each other, and Aqua picked up C.B. and let him ride on her shoulders, "WAIT FOR US!"
That left Quick and Purse staring at each other, and Purse frowned, "Just to let you know. I don't FLOW your way."
Quick shrugged, "I don't flow your way either. Now, shall we just WALK to the lodge?"
"O.K."