1 Chapter Nine: Found
A/N – I know the end of the last chapter was extremely random. Erm, I hope you still read these!! Eh heh heh…And if there ARE any real hillbillies out there (lol) I'm sorry! *wink wink*
Jack quickly avoided two of the punches but couldn't dodge the third, which landed straight in his gut and made him gasp for breath. Then they kicked him, making him fall down. Then Tom's father continued stomping on him. Jack fiercely squirmed and wriggled, but one of the other hillbilly's foot had caught him by the neck and he was stuck where he was.
Jack stopped wriggling and squeezed his eyes tight, bracing himself for the continuous stomps. Then, when Tom's dad didn't expect it, he kicked up in the air and knocked his foot away. He kicked at his legs and tripped him up. Then Jack yanked on the other guy's leg, and stood up quickly.
Jack was naturally out of breath. While he paused to regain his strength, another hillbilly grabbed him from behind and held his arms.
Jack broke out of it, and then, realizing he didn't have much hope, broke into a run down the hill into the forest. He was headed back for Flowerbud Village.
"Leave that scrawny lil' punk be," said Tom's father as the other hillbilly's started to go after him. "Its nawt lahk he's gunna come back or anythang."
Dawn, meanwhile, had become extremely bored and anguished. Tom kept moving closer to her, and Darci kept talking about Tom; how wonderful he was, how many people he'd attempted to shoot with his shotgun, how many kids he had with a local girl who had died recently…It went on and on and on.
Finally the sun began to set. "Well, you may as well stay here for the night," said Darci. "There's a bedroom over there." Darci pointed to the only door besides the entrance.
Dawn protested, saying she had to get back to Flowerbud Village, but Darci shushed her and put her in the room.
Dawn frowned and sighed. Where IS Jack? She thought despairingly.
Inside the room was a very beat-up bed, a window, and a shabby, small table. That was all. Dawn walked over and sat down on the bed.
It became dark. (Remember, hillbillies don't have electricity ^_^) Dawn pulled out her flashlight and climbed under the covers.
Her bed stank like something disgusting. She didn't really want to know what it was, but she had a feeling she knew what it was.
She wondered whether they'd let her go tomorrow or not. They'd better, she thought. She wondered why they kept her here at all, too. Stupid hillbillies.
Dawn stared at the ceiling for a long time, after turning off her flashlight. Eventually she dropped off to sleep.
Dawn awoke much, much later to the bounciness of the bed. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw…Tom getting in bed?!?
Dawn screamed, "WHAT THE HELL?!?" and jumped out of bed, staring at Tom. "What're you doing in here?!?"
Tom blinked dumbly. "Getting' in bed wit'choo," he said, frowning slightly.
"WHY?!?"
"Sex!"
Dawn's mouth dropped open. She marched across the room and slapped him as hard across the face as she could, then slapped him on the other side too. She was pretty strong; after all, she worked on a farm. She was furious.
Tom laughed and made to grab at her, but Dawn easily ducked and then ran for the door. Right before she could turn the knob though, the door opened and Darci was there, glaring at her. "GO BACK TO BED!" she screamed at her. Dawn would have shoved her down and sprinted for the door if she hadn't been holding a frying pan in one hand and a pitchfork in the other.
Dawn instead glared at both of the hillbillies. "I am NOT sleeping in the same room as him!" she screeched, pointing at Tom.
Darci frowned. "Fine then. Tom, get out." Tom sulked out, winking at Dawn as he left. Dawn glared at him so viciously he trudged out a little faster.
Darci fixed Dawn with a penetrating glare. "You're gonna marry mah son Tom, ya know," she growled menacingly. "In two days, in the evenin', the wedding'll take place."
"WHAT?!?" screamed Dawn. Before she knew it, her legs were moving with a rush of adrenaline to the door, but Darci jabbed at her leg with the pitchfork. She felt the spikes piece through her jeans and into her thigh. She pulled back, glaring at Darci and staring horrifiedly down at the three small spots of blood in her left thigh.
Her leg started tingling. Fortunately the points hadn't gone in too deep, but she wouldn't be running races now, that was for sure. She limped over to the bed, stunned by the news and by her leg—mostly her leg. But…what the hell was going on? … Her mind slipped in and out of consciousness, and she flopped down on the bed in a deep faint.
***
When Dawn woke again, the sun was up and hillbillies were all about in the little… 'village'. She stayed in her room.
About 20 minutes after she woke up, Darci walked in, made her get up by pitchfork, and took her out into the main hall. Two other hillbilly women were there and they started measuring Dawn for her wedding dress.
Privately Dawn wondered what type of dress it would make.
Dawn kept protesting. "I don't WANT to marry Tom though!" she kept screeching loudly.
The ladies each ignored her until the last time, where Darci exclaimed, "Oh but you DO! He's a very handsome, strong man, and he'll always keep you safe!"
Dawn's definition of a man like that was definitely NOT Tom. In fact, it rather reminded her of Jack…
Dawn found her mind slipping to Jack. She wondered where he had gone to and what had happened since yesterday. She frowned and thought a little bit. Obviously she had to escape TONIGHT, or early in the morning. There was no way in hell she was going to stick around long enough for her to get married under Tom's father to Tom against her will!
Dawn wondered how she'd escape. The hillbillies were stupid. There was no doubt. True, Darci WAS a little clever, but most of the hillbillies weren't. But, she remembered something her mother had once said: 'Never underestimate the power of stupid people.' Dawn had no idea what the hell she had been talking about then, and she still doesn't to this day, but this was true in this case. All the men hillbillies probably had rifles, and if Dawn didn't stop running when they spotted her they'd probably fire.
No problem then, Dawn thought. I just won't be seen.
After awhile, they finished fitting Dawn for the wedding dress, and Darci took her outside.
Dawn wondered why on Earth Darci would do something, if she could just escape. Then she saw that she wanted Dawn to do some farm work.
Well, I'm not a farmer for nothing! She thought exasperatedly. But I didn't expect to do someone else's work…
Darci showed her to the field with four other men hillbillies who farmed. They kept a careful eye on Dawn, so she wouldn't escape.
They were planting spring vegetables. Though Dawn thought it a bit odd that they plant them in the beginning of Summer, she quietly planted her section of seeds and watered them.
She did this all day long. By the time Darci showed her inside, it was sunset. The back of her neck was sunburned and she ached all over.
Dawn flopped down in her bed as soon as she had forced down the stuff Darci had made for dinner. She hadn't seen Tom all day—fortunately. At least he wasn't visiting her at night…
Dawn sat up and looked out the window. She could see the ocean, though very faintly. That means Flowerbud Village is over there too… she thought, sighing. Jack! Ann, Popuri, Cliff! I want to be back with you guys!!
Dawn fell asleep much, much later, nearly in tears with hysteria.
***
Dawn had a dream that night. She dreamed that she was sitting on the roof of her house, and a mad hillbilly who resembled Tom, only was much, MUCH bigger was running over to her. His head reached the roof and he could climb on top. Then Jack was there too, and the hillbilly and Jack had a fight. Jack ran away. Tom reached a hand out to Dawn, who slapped at it and scrambled to the other side of the roof and jumped off, onto her horse. She rode on her horse like the wind to the forest. There was Darci, with an ugly, slutty black-and-white dress in her hand, chanting over and over, "Here's your wedding dress, Dawn!" Over and over. And over, and over, and over…
Today's the wedding, thought a voice in Dawn's head before she even woke up.
The voice, along with the dream, woke Dawn up completely in nearly one second flat.
Dawn sat up in bed, eyes popping. She sighed and closed her eyes, massaging her skull.
And opened them again. It was still nighttime, but the sky was pinking in the east.
Now's my chance! Thought Dawn hysterically. She hopped out of bed silently, and grabbed her backpack. Remembering that she had food in it, she stuffed some berries in her mouth and slipped on her shoes (she kept sleeping in her clothes).
Dawn took a deep breath. If she was seen, they'd take her back to this hellhole, where she did chores for someone else and would have to marry a perverted sick hillbilly and where everyone was mean and where she didn't have friends…
Dawn felt a rush of adrenaline and a rush of terror. Something about the chill morning air when she opened the window, and about the silence of it all, and the dew when she closed the window softly and sparkles of water fell on her face from the window and from tall grass flicking dew in the wind, seemed to scare her. Must be something from when I was a kid, she decided, and stealthily crouched across to the next house.
She walked behind the house, where there were no windows. On her right was the house, and on her left was the hill gently sloping downwards and the forest and some mountains in the distance. Somehow, she had to sneak around the next house and run down the hill and into the forest. Flowerbud Village was straight ahead, about five miles.
Dawn sprinted in the space between the two houses and ran behind the next house. The sun was just rising; mist on the ground was now visible, and the sky was pinker in the east, and pale purplish everywhere else.
Dawn took a deep breath as she reached the corner of the house. She was going to be running where she could be seen by anyone awake; if she was seen—Well she WOULDN'T be seen.
Run or stay, she told herself. If she didn't run now, who knows who would wake up and capture her? If she ran now, who knows who was awake to tell everyone?
Her nerves were screaming. Her brain was screaming. Her feet were itching to sprint, but something held her back. She hardly dared to breathe, she was so scared; she felt like she was about to commit a huge crime that would earn her instant death as the penalty—
Finally her nerve broke. She sprinted across the space before the hill started sloping down to the forest. She knew what was behind her; all six of the houses were partially facing her, but if she stopped now they'd catch her—
"AYE! WHERE YOU GOIN', DAAAWN?!?" yelled a voice.
Dawn's heart skipped three beats and she sprinted like hell, faster than she'd ever run before. She didn't dare look back. But then she realized the voice was coming from in front of her—
Too late, Dawn tried to skid to a stop, but she ran right into Tom with two dead fish in his hands. He had been fishing.
It figures, Dawn thought, SOMEbody had to be awake.
Tom was holding her tightly, his muscles straining to keep her in her arms. Her rush of adrenaline was too strong; she struggled furiously, fighting, clawing to get away—
"Let me GO!" she screamed. "I wanna go home! LET ME GO!!!" But his grip was too strong, and no matter how hard she twisted she could not get out.
"Dawn?!?" shouted a new voice. Dawn looked up hopefully.
Jack was riding through the woods on Dia, her pony. He saw Dawn as Dawn screamed, "JACK! HELP ME!"
Jack pounded on towards her with Dia, while Tom tried to drag Dawn up the hill. "Dawn!" he shouted frantically. "Hang on!"
Tom suddenly let go; Surprised, Dawn looked up and wondered why. He was running up the hill towards his house. She for an instant lost her balance and toppled over on the grass, and Jack swept up beside her on Dia.
Jack fell off of Dia next to Dawn and crouched beside her.
"Dawn?" he asked, his voice ragged with his breath lost. He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye, inches from eachother's faces.
"Jack—Jack—" Dawn breathed heavily, and Jack crushed his lips into hers and they held the moment for a long time, their arms wrapped around eachother. Then Jack pulled Dawn up on the horse, Jack in front. "I'm probably faster," he said, and slapped the reins to get Dia to trot into the forest.
But now Tom was back with three others; the other three held pitchforks, and Tom himself had a rifle.
"Stawp rahght there, lil missie and mister!" shouted Tom. He took aim with the rifle.
Jack's nerves must have broken too—Dia scampered faster than Dawn thought possible. A shot rang and the branch next to Dawn's head that they were passing snapped with the force of the bullet. Another rang and a rock next to Dia's right front hoof sang with the sound of, well, a rock being shot.
But they lost them; the hillbillies were gone; they were safe from them and their guns and their hostility and their marriage…
"Dawn!" screamed a new voice. Ann and Popuri were on a horse up ahead, with Cliff on another horse. They were now in the clearing that Jack and Dawn had woken up in four days ago. Four days ago? It seemed much longer ago than that to me, Dawn thought.
Ann and Popuri both slipped down from the horse that they were on and ran over to her. "Dawn! Dawn!" they kept screaming.
"Oh my Goddess!" Popuri cried, as they both hugged her.
"We thought we'd never SEE you again, the Mayor's had search parties everywhere, Jack and Popuri and Cliff and I have been so worried—"
"Where WERE you?"
"I don't want to talk about it just yet," Dawn said quietly. Suddenly she felt extremely quiet. "I just want to get home…"
Ann and Popuri understood. They ran over to their horse and mounted, and Jack helped Dawn back up on Dia. He sat behind her and took hold of the reins.
"I took care of your horse and crops while you were gone," he said softly in her ear.
Dawn smiled and leaned against him. She was too tired to say anything, but Jack understood.
A/N: Lol, that chapter was random too!! I kinda didn't like the hillbilly episode and got stuck on it, which was why I stopped adding chapters for so long. (The next chapters'll be out soon!) I've got it aaaaaaaallllllll worked out on how I want to end this story…Expect at least four more chapters ya'll!! BAAAAIIIII!!!!!!!! (Man, I love the end of this chapter. *sniffoos* ^_^) I wuz gunna wait till tomorrow (2 – 5 – 01) but decided to put it up tonite instead…I LOVE my own story!! lol
A/N – I know the end of the last chapter was extremely random. Erm, I hope you still read these!! Eh heh heh…And if there ARE any real hillbillies out there (lol) I'm sorry! *wink wink*
Jack quickly avoided two of the punches but couldn't dodge the third, which landed straight in his gut and made him gasp for breath. Then they kicked him, making him fall down. Then Tom's father continued stomping on him. Jack fiercely squirmed and wriggled, but one of the other hillbilly's foot had caught him by the neck and he was stuck where he was.
Jack stopped wriggling and squeezed his eyes tight, bracing himself for the continuous stomps. Then, when Tom's dad didn't expect it, he kicked up in the air and knocked his foot away. He kicked at his legs and tripped him up. Then Jack yanked on the other guy's leg, and stood up quickly.
Jack was naturally out of breath. While he paused to regain his strength, another hillbilly grabbed him from behind and held his arms.
Jack broke out of it, and then, realizing he didn't have much hope, broke into a run down the hill into the forest. He was headed back for Flowerbud Village.
"Leave that scrawny lil' punk be," said Tom's father as the other hillbilly's started to go after him. "Its nawt lahk he's gunna come back or anythang."
Dawn, meanwhile, had become extremely bored and anguished. Tom kept moving closer to her, and Darci kept talking about Tom; how wonderful he was, how many people he'd attempted to shoot with his shotgun, how many kids he had with a local girl who had died recently…It went on and on and on.
Finally the sun began to set. "Well, you may as well stay here for the night," said Darci. "There's a bedroom over there." Darci pointed to the only door besides the entrance.
Dawn protested, saying she had to get back to Flowerbud Village, but Darci shushed her and put her in the room.
Dawn frowned and sighed. Where IS Jack? She thought despairingly.
Inside the room was a very beat-up bed, a window, and a shabby, small table. That was all. Dawn walked over and sat down on the bed.
It became dark. (Remember, hillbillies don't have electricity ^_^) Dawn pulled out her flashlight and climbed under the covers.
Her bed stank like something disgusting. She didn't really want to know what it was, but she had a feeling she knew what it was.
She wondered whether they'd let her go tomorrow or not. They'd better, she thought. She wondered why they kept her here at all, too. Stupid hillbillies.
Dawn stared at the ceiling for a long time, after turning off her flashlight. Eventually she dropped off to sleep.
Dawn awoke much, much later to the bounciness of the bed. Her eyes snapped open, and she saw…Tom getting in bed?!?
Dawn screamed, "WHAT THE HELL?!?" and jumped out of bed, staring at Tom. "What're you doing in here?!?"
Tom blinked dumbly. "Getting' in bed wit'choo," he said, frowning slightly.
"WHY?!?"
"Sex!"
Dawn's mouth dropped open. She marched across the room and slapped him as hard across the face as she could, then slapped him on the other side too. She was pretty strong; after all, she worked on a farm. She was furious.
Tom laughed and made to grab at her, but Dawn easily ducked and then ran for the door. Right before she could turn the knob though, the door opened and Darci was there, glaring at her. "GO BACK TO BED!" she screamed at her. Dawn would have shoved her down and sprinted for the door if she hadn't been holding a frying pan in one hand and a pitchfork in the other.
Dawn instead glared at both of the hillbillies. "I am NOT sleeping in the same room as him!" she screeched, pointing at Tom.
Darci frowned. "Fine then. Tom, get out." Tom sulked out, winking at Dawn as he left. Dawn glared at him so viciously he trudged out a little faster.
Darci fixed Dawn with a penetrating glare. "You're gonna marry mah son Tom, ya know," she growled menacingly. "In two days, in the evenin', the wedding'll take place."
"WHAT?!?" screamed Dawn. Before she knew it, her legs were moving with a rush of adrenaline to the door, but Darci jabbed at her leg with the pitchfork. She felt the spikes piece through her jeans and into her thigh. She pulled back, glaring at Darci and staring horrifiedly down at the three small spots of blood in her left thigh.
Her leg started tingling. Fortunately the points hadn't gone in too deep, but she wouldn't be running races now, that was for sure. She limped over to the bed, stunned by the news and by her leg—mostly her leg. But…what the hell was going on? … Her mind slipped in and out of consciousness, and she flopped down on the bed in a deep faint.
***
When Dawn woke again, the sun was up and hillbillies were all about in the little… 'village'. She stayed in her room.
About 20 minutes after she woke up, Darci walked in, made her get up by pitchfork, and took her out into the main hall. Two other hillbilly women were there and they started measuring Dawn for her wedding dress.
Privately Dawn wondered what type of dress it would make.
Dawn kept protesting. "I don't WANT to marry Tom though!" she kept screeching loudly.
The ladies each ignored her until the last time, where Darci exclaimed, "Oh but you DO! He's a very handsome, strong man, and he'll always keep you safe!"
Dawn's definition of a man like that was definitely NOT Tom. In fact, it rather reminded her of Jack…
Dawn found her mind slipping to Jack. She wondered where he had gone to and what had happened since yesterday. She frowned and thought a little bit. Obviously she had to escape TONIGHT, or early in the morning. There was no way in hell she was going to stick around long enough for her to get married under Tom's father to Tom against her will!
Dawn wondered how she'd escape. The hillbillies were stupid. There was no doubt. True, Darci WAS a little clever, but most of the hillbillies weren't. But, she remembered something her mother had once said: 'Never underestimate the power of stupid people.' Dawn had no idea what the hell she had been talking about then, and she still doesn't to this day, but this was true in this case. All the men hillbillies probably had rifles, and if Dawn didn't stop running when they spotted her they'd probably fire.
No problem then, Dawn thought. I just won't be seen.
After awhile, they finished fitting Dawn for the wedding dress, and Darci took her outside.
Dawn wondered why on Earth Darci would do something, if she could just escape. Then she saw that she wanted Dawn to do some farm work.
Well, I'm not a farmer for nothing! She thought exasperatedly. But I didn't expect to do someone else's work…
Darci showed her to the field with four other men hillbillies who farmed. They kept a careful eye on Dawn, so she wouldn't escape.
They were planting spring vegetables. Though Dawn thought it a bit odd that they plant them in the beginning of Summer, she quietly planted her section of seeds and watered them.
She did this all day long. By the time Darci showed her inside, it was sunset. The back of her neck was sunburned and she ached all over.
Dawn flopped down in her bed as soon as she had forced down the stuff Darci had made for dinner. She hadn't seen Tom all day—fortunately. At least he wasn't visiting her at night…
Dawn sat up and looked out the window. She could see the ocean, though very faintly. That means Flowerbud Village is over there too… she thought, sighing. Jack! Ann, Popuri, Cliff! I want to be back with you guys!!
Dawn fell asleep much, much later, nearly in tears with hysteria.
***
Dawn had a dream that night. She dreamed that she was sitting on the roof of her house, and a mad hillbilly who resembled Tom, only was much, MUCH bigger was running over to her. His head reached the roof and he could climb on top. Then Jack was there too, and the hillbilly and Jack had a fight. Jack ran away. Tom reached a hand out to Dawn, who slapped at it and scrambled to the other side of the roof and jumped off, onto her horse. She rode on her horse like the wind to the forest. There was Darci, with an ugly, slutty black-and-white dress in her hand, chanting over and over, "Here's your wedding dress, Dawn!" Over and over. And over, and over, and over…
Today's the wedding, thought a voice in Dawn's head before she even woke up.
The voice, along with the dream, woke Dawn up completely in nearly one second flat.
Dawn sat up in bed, eyes popping. She sighed and closed her eyes, massaging her skull.
And opened them again. It was still nighttime, but the sky was pinking in the east.
Now's my chance! Thought Dawn hysterically. She hopped out of bed silently, and grabbed her backpack. Remembering that she had food in it, she stuffed some berries in her mouth and slipped on her shoes (she kept sleeping in her clothes).
Dawn took a deep breath. If she was seen, they'd take her back to this hellhole, where she did chores for someone else and would have to marry a perverted sick hillbilly and where everyone was mean and where she didn't have friends…
Dawn felt a rush of adrenaline and a rush of terror. Something about the chill morning air when she opened the window, and about the silence of it all, and the dew when she closed the window softly and sparkles of water fell on her face from the window and from tall grass flicking dew in the wind, seemed to scare her. Must be something from when I was a kid, she decided, and stealthily crouched across to the next house.
She walked behind the house, where there were no windows. On her right was the house, and on her left was the hill gently sloping downwards and the forest and some mountains in the distance. Somehow, she had to sneak around the next house and run down the hill and into the forest. Flowerbud Village was straight ahead, about five miles.
Dawn sprinted in the space between the two houses and ran behind the next house. The sun was just rising; mist on the ground was now visible, and the sky was pinker in the east, and pale purplish everywhere else.
Dawn took a deep breath as she reached the corner of the house. She was going to be running where she could be seen by anyone awake; if she was seen—Well she WOULDN'T be seen.
Run or stay, she told herself. If she didn't run now, who knows who would wake up and capture her? If she ran now, who knows who was awake to tell everyone?
Her nerves were screaming. Her brain was screaming. Her feet were itching to sprint, but something held her back. She hardly dared to breathe, she was so scared; she felt like she was about to commit a huge crime that would earn her instant death as the penalty—
Finally her nerve broke. She sprinted across the space before the hill started sloping down to the forest. She knew what was behind her; all six of the houses were partially facing her, but if she stopped now they'd catch her—
"AYE! WHERE YOU GOIN', DAAAWN?!?" yelled a voice.
Dawn's heart skipped three beats and she sprinted like hell, faster than she'd ever run before. She didn't dare look back. But then she realized the voice was coming from in front of her—
Too late, Dawn tried to skid to a stop, but she ran right into Tom with two dead fish in his hands. He had been fishing.
It figures, Dawn thought, SOMEbody had to be awake.
Tom was holding her tightly, his muscles straining to keep her in her arms. Her rush of adrenaline was too strong; she struggled furiously, fighting, clawing to get away—
"Let me GO!" she screamed. "I wanna go home! LET ME GO!!!" But his grip was too strong, and no matter how hard she twisted she could not get out.
"Dawn?!?" shouted a new voice. Dawn looked up hopefully.
Jack was riding through the woods on Dia, her pony. He saw Dawn as Dawn screamed, "JACK! HELP ME!"
Jack pounded on towards her with Dia, while Tom tried to drag Dawn up the hill. "Dawn!" he shouted frantically. "Hang on!"
Tom suddenly let go; Surprised, Dawn looked up and wondered why. He was running up the hill towards his house. She for an instant lost her balance and toppled over on the grass, and Jack swept up beside her on Dia.
Jack fell off of Dia next to Dawn and crouched beside her.
"Dawn?" he asked, his voice ragged with his breath lost. He grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye, inches from eachother's faces.
"Jack—Jack—" Dawn breathed heavily, and Jack crushed his lips into hers and they held the moment for a long time, their arms wrapped around eachother. Then Jack pulled Dawn up on the horse, Jack in front. "I'm probably faster," he said, and slapped the reins to get Dia to trot into the forest.
But now Tom was back with three others; the other three held pitchforks, and Tom himself had a rifle.
"Stawp rahght there, lil missie and mister!" shouted Tom. He took aim with the rifle.
Jack's nerves must have broken too—Dia scampered faster than Dawn thought possible. A shot rang and the branch next to Dawn's head that they were passing snapped with the force of the bullet. Another rang and a rock next to Dia's right front hoof sang with the sound of, well, a rock being shot.
But they lost them; the hillbillies were gone; they were safe from them and their guns and their hostility and their marriage…
"Dawn!" screamed a new voice. Ann and Popuri were on a horse up ahead, with Cliff on another horse. They were now in the clearing that Jack and Dawn had woken up in four days ago. Four days ago? It seemed much longer ago than that to me, Dawn thought.
Ann and Popuri both slipped down from the horse that they were on and ran over to her. "Dawn! Dawn!" they kept screaming.
"Oh my Goddess!" Popuri cried, as they both hugged her.
"We thought we'd never SEE you again, the Mayor's had search parties everywhere, Jack and Popuri and Cliff and I have been so worried—"
"Where WERE you?"
"I don't want to talk about it just yet," Dawn said quietly. Suddenly she felt extremely quiet. "I just want to get home…"
Ann and Popuri understood. They ran over to their horse and mounted, and Jack helped Dawn back up on Dia. He sat behind her and took hold of the reins.
"I took care of your horse and crops while you were gone," he said softly in her ear.
Dawn smiled and leaned against him. She was too tired to say anything, but Jack understood.
A/N: Lol, that chapter was random too!! I kinda didn't like the hillbilly episode and got stuck on it, which was why I stopped adding chapters for so long. (The next chapters'll be out soon!) I've got it aaaaaaaallllllll worked out on how I want to end this story…Expect at least four more chapters ya'll!! BAAAAIIIII!!!!!!!! (Man, I love the end of this chapter. *sniffoos* ^_^) I wuz gunna wait till tomorrow (2 – 5 – 01) but decided to put it up tonite instead…I LOVE my own story!! lol