CHAPTER 11

Who's Ashliee Simpson?

Sydney was sledding down the hill with gaining speed. She screamed Jack's name at the top of her lungs to save her, until she slid straight into Easter Town. She eased in between two mushroom huts. Despite the creature's mad rush to get out of her way, she luckily had avoided hurting anything or anyone. Sydney's parking had her stopped right in the middle of town square. Once the town residents had calmed down from the excitement, they stared at her with wife eyes of sympathy and sorrow. Sydney's expression was terrorized from her wild ride, but to the woodland creatures she was a happy, pink duck with a glossy face…a happy duck that was about to die.

Amongst the crowd of statue-stiff animals, a single creature was shoving his way toward Sydney, "Move it! Out of my way! Do you know who I am? Move your fat ass!" the last comment sent a cubby donkey running out of the crowd crying.

The rude, shoving animal finally made his way to Sydney. He was a cute little skunk about half of Sydney's height (2 ½ feet), and he had a booming voice like the Mayor from Halloween Town.

"Hello there!" the skunk greeted her, "Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Easter Town! The best of all the towns! My name is Mr. Skeeter. I'm the personal assistant/best friend to Mayor Peter J. Cottontail, his newly appointed representative, and now your self-appointed welcoming committee. Congratulations, me!" Mr. Skeeter congratulated himself on his new position, "And may I ask of your name, miss?" Mr. Skeeter asked Sydney, "I do assume that you're a female."

Sydney began, "I'm…uh…I'm…"

"Come on now, its not that hard."

Damn. Sydney thought. I need an alias, fast!

"I'm…Ashliee. Yeah. Ashliee."

"Do you have a last name, Ashliee?" Mr. Skeeter asked her.

Come on, something extra! Maybe I can refer to Danny Elfman for this one.

"…Simpson," Sydney added, "I'm Ashliee Simpson."

Mr. Skeeter gave her a weird look, "Okay…that ride must have done more to your head than it looks now, Ms. Simpson. And might I say, you sure look chipper after such an experience."

He must be referring to my mask.

"Mr. Skeeter," Sydney began, "a little birdie told me that Easter Town wouldn't be very welcoming to foreigners. So, why are you being so welcoming to me?"

Skeeter suddenly looked furious and began shooting accusing glances at random birds, "Okay, who said this! Who tried to warn-I mean-intimidate our new guest! Who! WHO!"

"Mr. Skeeter, breathe! It's a figure of speech! What I meant was, why are you allowing me here?"

Mr. Skeeter's fury instantly left, "Oh…hmmm…because you have an honest face. You're just so…happy to be here! Now come with me Ashliee," Mr. Skeeter took Sydney's wing. She was pulled off the flower head and lead through the crowd to the biggest mushroom hut in the town; their town hall.

"Where are you taking me?" Sydney asked.

"I have a grand idea for you. After hearing your beautiful voice scream it's way into my ears, I knew you were the one!"

"The one for what?"

"I'll show you," Mr. Skeeter said with an evil sneer that Sydney couldn't see. Mr. Skeeter opened one of the large double doors on the town hall. He allowed Sydney to enter before him, and then slammed the door shut behind him. Right at that moment, Jack came stumbling to a stop in the middle of the plaza. He rested against Sydney's flower head to catch his breath. After a few seconds of managing his breathing, Jack looked around for Sydney, but only saw scared animal eyes.

"And I used to be such a good runner, too," Jack muttered to himself. Noticing that the residents were watching him, Jack decided to take advantage of the unwanted attention given to him, "Hi! Umm…has anyone seen a teenage girl-DUCK! I mean, a teenage duck that is a girl?" Jack tried to correct his mistake, "She's pink, fluffy, and has a hard plastic face, similar to mine. Has anyone seen her?"

The crowd was silent, and some animals were shivering.

"YOU MUST HELP US, PLEASE!" Jack's attention was suddenly drawn to a little red robin that shot up from the crowd. He was begging madly for help. A nervous fox jumped up and grabbed the robin by the tail feathers. The fox had pulled him back down into the crowd, and then placed a paw over his beak. The robin struggled to free himself; he bit the fox's paw.

The robin shot back into the air, then flew in front of Jack's face, "Pleas sir, you must save us! That stinky skunk is eventually going kill most of us, as he already has done to those unfortunate ones," the robin paused, reflecting on his own lost relatives, "But he will do away Ashliee Simpson at any moment now!"

Who's Ashliee Simpson? Jack thought to himself. She sounds like a fake, poser, wane-be-as-good-as-her-sister-but-never-will-be singer. Who is this bird talking about?

"Your duck friend you speak of, Ashliee Simpson, is about to be eaten alive!"

"Sydney!" Jack breathed.