Disclaimer: I don't own Chalk Zone or any affiliated characters. Only those characters not recognized from the story are mine, as well as the plot.
Author's Note:
If Aurora seems a bit stuck up, I'm sorry. I am writing her much like I was at that age: too smart for her own good (of course, I'm still like that, but that isn't important right now.) I figure that she would have traveled all over with her parents, as her father is a world-famous artist and her mother is a particle physicist who works with scientists throughout the world. That's why she knows so much, and is also why she has no friends. If you ask me, her classmates wouldn't like her, considering she is gone a lot and she's a year younger than her fellow students (she skipped first grade.) Dylan is her friend because they are in the same boat. Dylan's father takes him all over the world whenever he has to leave to see a work of art, as he is a private art collector and works for a museum.
Now that that's all done, on with the story!
Chapter 3: Chalk Zone
Present Day***Chalk Zone***
Rudy Tabooty ran his hands through his hair in frustration. His daughter, who would be 15 in a few days, had almost caught him going into Chalk Zone—again. As a matter of fact, it was the fifth time in as many weeks that she had almost discovered the secret that Rudy and Penny had kept from her for all these years, until they were sure that she had the talent necessary to prevent chaos from ensuing if she tried to draw anything. As it was, Rudy would disappear right after Aurora would erase any chalk drawing that she made, only to return hours later without a word of explanation. Usually he was happy when he returned, but there were some days that he returned sombrely, his lips clamped in a thin line. These days, however, it wasn't only Aurora's drawings he was worrying about. It seemed that an unusual amount of dangerous drawings were appearing every day. Snap could usually control most of them, but Rudy would visit once every few days just in case. Rudy could tell that the drawings were coming from the same person; there were certain tendencies that every drawing contained, such as using spirals to color eyes, or drawing abnormally large noses.
Snap walked over to Rudy and placed his glove on Rudy's shoulder.
"Don't worry, buddy. We'll find out who's responsible for this. Now, Why don't you go back home and visit your family. Speaking of which, I want to see Aurora again. Lilly is anxious to see Aurora again, too. She hasn't had a chance to since they were three, and Aurora is going to have to find out about Chalk Zone eventually. You know that she's got the talent, so why not give her a chance to help? Two artists are better than one; remember that. You go home. I'll clean up here."
"Thanks, Snap. You're a great friend," Rudy answered. "I'll see you in a few days. Will you be all right without me? If you need my help—"
"I'll use the portal in the basement. I've got it, I've got it. Now go home before I have to get Penny to drag you out of here."
Rudy got up and walked over to the portal leading into the master bedroom of his house. Just as he climbed through the hole, he heard the door open and a voice say, "Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Panicking, Rudy grabbed the eraser and hastily closed the entrance. He then took a deep breath and tried to sound calm while he said, "Sure, sweetie. Come on in." Placing the magic chalk on the chalk tray, he turned around to get a better look at his daughter. He noticed that she looked remarkably like her mother at that age—though she had his eyes and smile. Thankfully, Rudy thought, she didn't need glasses like her mother had. Now, of course, Penny wore contact lenses, but Rudy would never forget the short, brainy, eyeglasses-wearing brunette that he had fallen in love with at the age of eleven. Over the years, she had only grown more beautiful in his eyes. Aurora was like that as well. Her hair was more of a medium brown; a mix of Rudy's light brown and Penny's dark, almost auburn, tresses. She had her mother's looks and intelligence, and her father's artistic talent (however, Aurora excelled at more than art; she was a wonderful singer and also played the piano.)
Rudy motioned for her to have a seat on the bed. "What do you want to talk about?"
Aurora took a deep breath and said, "I was wondering if…if I could have a co-ed party for my birthday this year. I mean, after all, I am almost 15, and most of my friends either are guys or have boyfriends that they would want to bring. Also, Dylan has been dying to see your latest work."
Rudy smiled when he heard the name of Aurora's long-time friend and confidante. Not only was Dylan a kind, courteous young man, he also had great talent at art, as well. He even owned several Tabooty originals that his father, a private art collector and museum curator, had bought for him. Hailing from Louisiana, Dylan still had a slight Southern twang in his rich, clear baritone.
"Of course you can invite some boys, as long as you make a guest list that your mother and I approve of. Now, why don't we go get some dinner? I'm starving," Rudy replied.
"I'll be down in a minute. Mom sent me up here to get her book on the neutrino theory."
"All right," Rudy said. "Don't be too long."
However, that wasn't what Aurora was going to do. When she walked into the room, she had seen her father hastily erasing a circle he had drawn on the large chalkboard in the room. Unfortunately, not all of it had been erased. There was a small patch, about the size of a quarter, that hadn't been erased. Aurora walked over to get a better look—and was amazed by what she saw. A whole, living, moving world that looked as though it had been drawn from chalk was just beyond the hole. Aurora pressed her eye to it, and saw an old lady in a walking bathtub pass by, while a little old man that looked suspiciously like her grandfather stepped outside of a butcher shop. Stepping away, Aurora saw the chalk sitting in the tray. She could see it shimmer slightly, as though someone had put glitter on it. She picked it up and drew a slightly larger circle around the piece that was already there. After a flash of light, she discovered a hole large enough for her to stick her arm through. She tentatively tried it, and when she discovered that whatever this place was wouldn't hurt her, she drew another circle; this time, one big enough to climb through. Putting the chalk back on the tray, she slowly clambered through the hole. She found herself at the end of a long street, in a place similar to Chicago, or New York City. She heard techno music coming from a dance club, and smelled fresh bread from a bakery. She walked down the street to the butcher shop she had seen before, and walked inside. There was nobody in sight.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" Aurora asked loudly. Suddenly, she saw a short, balding man with red hair speckled with gray walk out of the back room.
"Hi, and welcome to my meat shop. What can I get you?" he asked, tying an apron behind his back.
"Umm…how about some answers? I'm kinda…lost," Aurora said, trying to mask the nervousness in her voice.
"Lost, eh? Well, first, can I get your name? You seem kinda familiar. Do I know you?" the little old man queried, peering closely at Aurora.
"No, you don't. My name is Aurora. Aurora…Jones," She replied, using the first name that came to mind.
"Well, Ms. Jones, My name's Chalk Dad. Rudy Tabooty drew me. Do you know him?"
"Yes! Now, I have a question. Where am I?"
"You're in my meat shop." He answered, as if he was talking to a five-year-old.
"Yes, I know that, but where am I? Where is your meat shop?" she asked, getting a bit irritated.
"In Chalk Zone. The place where all chalk drawings come when they're erased."
"Even Moodles, my cow?" she asked, a bit afraid as to what could have happened to her cherished bovine drawing. Suddenly, the full realization of that last sentence hit her.
'Chalk Zone is real? I thought that Mom and Dad just made up the stories about this place. About Snap, and Biclops and Queen Rapsheeba and everyone else. Wow. I've got to tell Dylan… as soon as I find my way out of here.'
"The yellow one that came last week? It's out in the pasture. Walk all the way down the street until you get to a dirt path. Take the left fork, and follow it until you get to a red barn. Snap should be there. At about this time," he looked at his watch, "he'll be taking the new arrivals to find their place in Chalk Zone. You should go with them, even though you don't look like any drawing I've ever seen." He grabbed a paper hat that had been sitting on the counter and placed it atop the crown of his balding head.
"Thank you, Chalk Grandpa," Aurora said, forgetting for a moment that she was impersonating a chalk drawing. Thankfully, the old man didn't catch the last part.
"Anytime. Now get a move on. You don't want to be late."
"You're right. I don't. See you around." Aurora walked out of the shop, a new spring in her step. Headed for the end of the street, Aurora started to wonder what the rest of Chalk Zone was like.
*~*~*~*~*
Rudy and Penny walked upstairs to the master bedroom, looking for Aurora. Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be found.
"Rudy, did you close the portal when you came out last time?" Penny asked nervously.
"Of course I did, sweetie. Why do you ask?" Rudy looked at his beloved wife, only to see her pointing at the chalkboard, where a portal was clearly visible—one just big enough for a teenage girl to clamber through. His face paled.
"We've got to go in there. She could be in danger," Penny whispered, fearful for her daughter's safety.
"You're right. With that madman running loose, there's no telling what could happen," Rudy replied. "Thankfully, she didn't take the chalk. Let's go."
A/N: Hee, hee, hee. I wrote a cliffie! Next chapter: What will Aurora find in Chalk Zone? Will Snap recognize her? Will her parents find her? Read to find out!
I have a request. I'm currently working on a Pokémon songfic based on characters from the Pokémon: Sapphire video game. I need a song that is appropriate for a flashback scene in which the main character's father deserts her and her mother. If anyone has any ideas, please leave them in a review, or e-mail me the lyrics at sailorvfreak51489@yahoo.com. Thanks!