Mr. Quillon smiled. "I know first meetings are the hardest. But don't be afraid. I only want to help you. So how about we start with you explaining to me why you ran off the other day. I won't judge you, I promise."

Rudy stuttered, "W-Well... a-a-about that, I..." His voice faded.

Mr. Quillon rested his hands on the desk. "There's no need to be scared, Rudy. That has already been taken care of. Nothing you say to me will make things worse, understand?"

Rudy nodded. "Y-Yeah, I know..."

Rudy's chest ached from his heart pounding against it. Was it too late to resume his argument with Reggie?

"You must have been so scared."

Rudy gritted his teeth and tightened his hands to the chair. Memories blasted into his mind. Chalk Tweezer's voice echoed. He squeezed his eyes shut. The cut on his eye began to throb.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Mr. Quillon's voice cut into Rudy's thoughts. "I'm sure being met with authorities wasn't a fun ordeal for you."

Rudy couldn't bring himself to do anything other than shake his head.

Mr. Quillon continued, "Tell me what made you run off. I heard you were running after papers?"

Rudy swallowed and nodded. "That's right."

Mr. Quillon interlocked his fingers. "You and I both know that's not true. Why don't you start telling the truth?"

"Wha.. But I am telling the tr.."

"No one disappears like that over papers, dear boy." Mr. Quillon leaned himself against his desk. "Something frightened you."

Rudy's heart skipped a beat. Mr. Quillon couldn't have known about ChalkZone, could he?

But Reggie did.

Rudy banished the idea out of his head. Paranoia wasn't going to help him. If he wasn't careful, Mr. Quillon would catch on and try to inquire more out of him. Reggie was already a problem. Rudy didn't need another can of worms opened.

What was he going to tell Mr. Quillon? Penny's story was the only thing Rudy had to tell. Mr. Quillon demanded another story. Rudy's mind was a blank.

Mr. Quillon's eyes furrowed, his smile transforming into a frown. Rudy tried not to make a noise as he pushed his back against his chair. Rudy's brain screamed at him to run. Rudy bit his tongue and held himself in place.

"I do believe I know who must've scared you so much." Mr. Quillon's voice grew softer. "It was that Reggie fellow, wasn't it?"

Rudy dropped his jaw open. "What...?"

Mr. Quillon said, "I know how much trouble he causes for you. He even attacked your friend. What a nasty little boy he is, don't you think?" Mr. Quillon didn't wait for Rudy to answer before he continued, "He's hurt you, too, I hear."

"Yes, but..." Rudy tried to speak.

Mr. Quillon cut him off. "Reggie had threatened to beat you up on the playground, hadn't he? That's why you ran." A pause. "And that's why Penny ended up hurt instead."

A sharp sting penetrated Rudy's heart. "I'm sure her mom's gonna blame me."

"Don't blame yourself, kid. Reggie is the one who attacked her, not you," Said Mr. Quillon. "Don't feel bad about running off, either. Many in your shoes would have done the same thing. I won't tell the staff the truth about this, but do yourself a favor in the future, Rudy." Mr. Quillon's frown deepened. "Don't lie about what happened. Okay? Are we in agreement?"

Rudy hesitated, flinching. Bitter bile spread in his mouth. A whisper escaped his lips. "Y-Yes."

Mr. Quillon smiled. "Very good. I'm glad we're on the same page here."

Rudy averted Mr. Quillon's gaze. This meeting couldn't end soon enough.

"You seem to have a rocky relationship with Reggie. Care to elaborate on that?" Asked Mr. Quillon.

Rudy met Mr. Quillon's eyes with a glare. "Why do you want to know?"

Mr. Quillon motioned towards Rudy. "There's a reason for all behaviors. You ran off because you were scared of Reggie. I want to understand where this all started. If I understand the root of the problem, then perhaps I can h..."

"Mr. Wilter was hardly a help." Rudy snapped. He covered his mouth and stammered, "I meant to say..."

"Oh no no no, don't apologize. I know you have issues with him, too." Mr. Quillon waved his hand. Raising an eyebrow, Mr. Quillon said, "Mr. Wilter was almost...excited that you were coming to see me now. Now why would that be?" Mr. Quillon folded his arms to his chest. "You don't look like such a bad student."

Heat rose up Rudy's back. "Mr. Wilter has always hated how much I draw." Rudy paused, narrowing his eyes. "Has he told you any of that?"

Mr. Quillon shook his head. "That's so awful! I'm sorry you have to deal with that. I'm sure you've got enough talent to make it as an artist. It's such a shame they can't appreciate that."

Rudy froze, blinking his eyes. He struggled with a reply, "You...actually like art?"

"Of course! What made you think I didn't?" Mr. Quillon asked.

"I-I... I guess I was expecting you to...be more like..."

A hand went to Mr. Quillon's chest. "You did?!"

Rudy shrank back. "Most adults I meet say that..."

"You shouldn't listen to them, Rudy. They can't control what your drive is. If you love art, then embrace it!" Said Mr. Quillon.

Rudy tried to reply. Words failed to form. His efforts vanished as his throat locked up. His neck became rigid save for the tinglings burning along it. Rudy couldn't stop squeezing his chair. There would be no surprise if he managed to break it.

Rudy struggled to make sense of this. There were no signs of lying radiating off of Mr. Quillon's tongue, but what if it was an act? Mr. Wilter approved of this guy. That warning flag flapped inside of Rudy's head, muscles scrunching his fingers against metal and plastic.

Could Penny have been right? Had he been worried over nothing? Had he misjudged Mr. Quillon?

Rudy flinched as a sharp jab penetrated his stomach. Bitterness tingled the back of his throat. He grasped at his throat, his fingers bombarded with every beat. Rudy made another attempt to talk. His voice failed him.

"Is there something wrong?" Mr. Quillon asked.

Rudy stammered, "N-No... not r-really... What I-I-I mean to s-say...is..."

"Rudy, I want you to be honest with me." Mr. Quillon got up from his chair and walked towards Rudy. "Do I frighten you?"

Rudy sucked in a gasp. His breathing trembled his voice. "Wh-What gave you th-that idea...?"

Mr. Quillon's eyes furrowed. "Do not lie to me, boy. I've seen the way you've looked at me. Am I really that scary to you?" Mr. Quillon leaned in. Rudy pushed himself as far back as he could. "Do I make you feel threatened?"

Rudy gulped. "I..."

"Oh Rudy..." Breathed Mr. Quillon as he shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "I was worried about this. No wonder you were hoping to avoid me."

Rudy kept quiet.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

Rudy opened his mouth. He couldn't form any words. He pressed his teeth together, shakes spreading along his body. Rudy bit his lip as he struggled to say something. Rudy shuddered under Mr. Quillon's stare. Was there anything he could say?

"You can talk to me. I won't bite. I promise," Said Mr. Quillon. "...am I scaring you that much?"

Rudy tried to calm his racing heart, his stomach twisting. He forced out, "Y-Yes...!" Rudy gasped and covered his mouth.

Mr. Quillon remained still for a moment and smiled. "There you see, that wasn't so bad was it? Now we can start making some progress." Mr. Quillon moved away, folding his arms behind his back. "Don't feel bad about being scared of me. Many kids I've helped in the past were afraid. But I can promise you, Rudy, I only want to help you."

Rudy shuffled on the chair. "So you...really weren't going to..."

"Of course not!" Mr. Quillon touched Rudy's shoulder. "It's not my business what hobbies you pursue, so long as they don't hurt anyone. I doubt your drawings are causing harm."

Rudy sucked in a breath at the thought of Skrawl.

Mr. Quillon said, "Say...that gives me an idea. How about we lighten things up with some drawing?"

Rudy rubbed his thigh. "That...does sound like fun." Rudy narrowed his eyes. "But how do I know that this isn't just a way to get me into trouble?"

Mr. Quillon let out a chuckle. "Why would I want to get you in trouble?"

Rudy couldn't answer.

Mr. Quillon ticked his eyebrows with concern. He walked to his desk again and pulled out a paper and pen. After placing the items in front of Rudy, Mr. Quillon said, "Draw something for me. Show me what you can do."

Rudy remained still for several moments. How was he supposed to interpret this? Mr. Quillon could be honest in what he said. Mr. Quillon might not be interested in tearing art away from him. This request for a drawing might be Mr. Quillon's attempt at making peace with him.

It could also still be a trap. There was no shaking off Mr. Wilter's excitement over Mr. Quillon's hiring. There had to be a reason why Mr. Wilter wanted Mr. Quillon around. Didn't Reggie cower before Mr. Quillon right before this meeting started? Reggie must know something.

Rudy's hands trembled as tension built up inside. Surges rattled his head and he couldn't stop his fingers from flexing. Rudy sucked on his lip and before he could blink, he grasped the pen. More silence followed as Mr. Quillon, with a smiling face, nudged the paper closer to Rudy. The surges grew stronger, intermixing with the tension like chocolate with peanut butter.

Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad.

sss

Mr. Quillon tapped his fingertips together, humming to himself. On his table was the drawing that Rudy had made prior to the end of their meeting. Rudy's name was printed across the bottom, confirming that the boy had indeed drawn it.

For a child Rudy's age, the creature was nicely designed. Mr. Quillon wouldn't have guessed that Rudy would be interested in drawing darker material such as, as Rudy put it, cannibalistic vampires. Rudy seemed too nice a kid to be interested in a macabre subject like that. Was there an underlying reason for this?

The first meeting had been kept short. It would have been difficult to get Rudy to talk if he was overwhelmed. What unfolded hadn't been ideal, but it was a start. Care would need to be taken in order to have a more successful encounter later.

It wasn't Rudy's art skills that clamored for attention.

Reggie's words floated into Mr. Quillon's mind. Rudy had chased Reggie out of that place like some sort of guardian. Reggie was convinced that Rudy was trying to keep that world to himself. Why would Rudy do something like that? Was there anything to be gained from it?

It might explain why Rudy had almost no friends. If Reggie was correct, then Rudy was too busy 'playing hero' to talk to his fellow peers. The chalk world was filled with animated drawings; Rudy must have felt more accepted by these things than real people. In any other situation, it was easy to interpret this as a kid playing with their imaginary friend.

This was on another level.

Did Rudy value these moving drawings more than his family? His only friend Penny? Did his parents know where he was going? Did Rudy consider Penny's safety in the chalk world?

Mr. Quillon narrowed his eyes as he tapped his pen against the piece of paper. It didn't matter how many times he reviewed the information he had. There wasn't a way to make sense of this. On the outside, Rudy didn't seem like the selfish or inconsiderate kind. Rudy was one of the nicest kids he had spoken with.

The data didn't lie. It all pointed to the conclusion that Rudy had more issues than previously believed.

Did Mr. Wilter suspect this? It lended itself well to why Mr. Wilter was obsessed with steering Rudy away from cartoons. There was that rumor Mr. Quillon heard once in the teacher's lounge. Mr. Wilter once claimed to have seen something strange about a chalkboard. It was dismissed as hysteria from working long hours at night. What if Mr. Wilter wasn't lying?

After the incident on the playground, there was no more room for doubt. Mr. Wilter knew about Rudy sneaking off to this chalk world and was too cowardly to do something himself. Some teacher Mr. Wilter turned out to be.

There was no sense dwelling on that.. Rudy needed someone more competent to help him out of this unhealthy habit.

A test was needed. Rudy should be given the chance to prove that he cared about more than a handful of drawings. It needed to be done in the chalk world to lessen the chance of it being linked to Mr. Quillon. With the nature of this other dimension, there would be more freedom with the tests that could be performed. This also confirmed who should be part of Rudy's test: Penny Sanchez.

She was the only one close to Rudy who had access to that world. Mr. Quillon could not confirm if Rudy's family members knew anything. Pulling them into this would make things more difficult. If Mr. Quillon played his cards right, then the test should convince Rudy and Penny that it was just some random drawing messing with them.

Mr. Quillon paused. Learning more about how this world worked would be crucial to a successful test. How could this be done without drawing suspicion from Rudy?

Mr. Quillon's mind flashed with the image of Rudy touching his pant leg. Could it have been that magical chalk Reggie spoke of? Did this chalk hold the key to success?

A problem presented itself. Getting the chalk would be no easy task. If the attempt failed and Rudy realized who was behind it, there went any chance of a test. There needed to be a scapegoat to be used as cover. Someone that Rudy already hated, ensuring that attention was pointed away from Mr. Quillon.

Mr. Quillon smiled as he picked up one of his toys and examined it.

Reggie Bullnerd was perfect for this.

sss

Penny sat down on the bed next to Rudy. There were no words that she could form, not right now. There was no surprise in Rudy's face when Penny showed up without a previous word. It was like he had expected or even wanted her to come to his house. The reason was too clear to miss.

It hadn't been a secret to Penny that Rudy had dreaded the first meeting with Mr. Quillon. Rudy tried to hide it. His voice and expressions betrayed him. The fear of being forced away from drawing still hung over Rudy's mind like a rain cloud. Penny refrained from any judgmental comments as she hugged Rudy with one arm.

"At least it's over for now. You won't have to see him again for..." Penny paused. "...When's the next meeting?"

Rudy didn't move. "A week."

"There you see? A whole week without having to talk to him." Penny forced a smile. Rudy let out a sigh. "...hey, I'm sure it will be easier next time."

Rudy asked, "Are you sure?"

Penny placed her hand on Rudy's shoulder. "Sure! This is just a bump in the road. You'll overcome it, Rudy. I know it."

Rudy struggled to smile. "Thanks, Penny. I-I really appreciate it."

Penny smiled and pulled Rudy into a hug. "It's no problem."

Rudy's tone of voice gave away what was really on his mind. His tension was tight enough to permeate through Penny's body. Penny pressed her cheek against Rudy, his shuddering form seeking warmth and comfort. Words were caught in Penny's throat. What more could she say?

Rudy must've been frightened in that first meeting. Doubt cast over the idea of Rudy being relaxed in the next one. Rudy would do well if someone were with him. That wasn't an option with Mr. Quillon. Help would have to come in a different form.

Penny released Rudy. "It wasn't too hard, was it? Did he help you calm any of your fears?"

Rudy turned his head away. "...I'm not sure. It's...It's so confusing."

"How so?" Asked Penny.

"He said he wanted to encourage me to pursue my passion for art." Said Rudy.

Penny widened her eyes. "Well that's very nice of him. But you don't sound happy about that?"

Rudy sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm just not sure what to think, Penny. Is he telling the truth? I want to believe him." Rudy met Penny's gaze. "I think Reggie's scared of him."

Penny shifted her expression into a frown. Burns flashed along her chest and stomach. She swallowed the bitterness and kept herself from saying anything. Her opinion on this matter wasn't going to help Rudy.

"I don't think I ever seen him that scared. Not even when I blackmailed him with his full name." Rudy said. "And if Reggie's afraid of Mr. Quillon..." Rudy's voice trailed off. The message was clear.

Penny leaned closer. "The only reason Reggie is scared is because he knows he can't lie his way out of seeing Mr. Quillon. That doesn't mean you need to be afraid as well, Rudy." Penny touched Rudy's hand. "Please try not to worry."

Rudy pulled his hand away. "I wish it were that easy. My own thoughts about him, the way he claimed to love art like I do, it's so confusing!" Rudy scratched into his scalp. "I just don't know what to think anymore."

"Rudy." Penny firmly gripped Rudy's head and forced him to look at her. "Rudy, listen to me. It's going to be okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. Mr. Quillon isn't going to hurt you. You'll only see him a few times and it will be over." She loosened her grasp, her voice growing softer. "Nothing bad will happen. One day you'll look back on this and laugh."

Rudy grimaced. "I...I'll try not to worry."

Penny smiled and moved to give Rudy another hug. She stopped and widened her eyes. Rudy's eye cut had swelled up from the last time they had spoken. Unmistakable redness blotched around it. "Your eye. It's bleeding again."

Rudy leaned away and gritted his teeth. "It's been itching me." He covered his eye. "Is it bad?"

Penny motioned for Rudy to uncover his eye. "It's more red now, and puffy. Just how much did you scratch it?" Her subconsciousness throbbed pain along her broken nose, a reminder of what happened to her.

"...a lot, I guess?" Rudy lowered his head. "I know it was stupid."

Penny seized Rudy's hand and pulled him off the bed. She dragged him out of his room, only stopped when Rudy grasped at the door frame.

"Where are you taking me?" Rudy asked.

"To the bathroom. You need to get that cut cleaned." Penny said.

"B-B-But I'm fine! Really!" Rudy tugged at his arm. "You don't need to worry about some silly cut."

Penny grunted as she struggled to pull Rudy from the door frame. It took a few attempts before Rudy's grip waned. Rudy let out a cry as he tumbled and scrambled to regain his footing. Penny caught him just as he started to fall and steadied him.

"I'm sorry about being rough. But that cut needs to be treated. Have you even cleaned it out?" Penny asked.

Rudy shook his head. "My mom did. She used a wet cloth."

Penny paused for a moment. Her attention drifted back to Rudy's eye cut. Why did the wound look worse every time she glanced at it? Dull aches pounded inside her bruised nose. "...how hard was that zoner pushing down on your eye?"

Rudy's body went stiff and a whimper escaped Rudy's mouth. His fingers traced along the cut. He took in a gasp as he remembered the terrifying ordeal he had gone through.

Penny softened her expression. She held onto Rudy's arm and touched his shoulder with her other hand. "Please let me help you."

Rudy hesitated at first, his eyes darting left and right. He forced a deep breath in and out to calm himself. He wiped away a tear that had formed and said nodded. "Alright."

Penny smiled and they headed into the bathroom. Penny motioned for Rudy to sit down on the toilet while she explored the medicine cabinet. She frowned as the cabinet revealed itself to be lackluster in first aid materials. She settled on an antiseptic wipe and a couple bandages. A q-tip would have to do as a substitute for tweezers.

After placing the materials on the window sill, Penny cupped Rudy's chin and leaned in. The cut didn't leak anything and retained the same shade of red. Penny grabbed a small wash rag and dampened it in the sink. She touched the cloth against the cut and applied pressure. Rudy hissed and Penny slowed down as she cleaned the cut. Rudy relaxed the moment Penny put the wet cloth away.

Penny wetted the q-tip and rubbed it along the cut. A few particles of what looked like chalk dust clung to the cotton swab. Penny flinched and shuddered. The cut flaring up now made sense. Penny's chest throbbed as her mind played out a vision of Rudy getting a claw in his eye. She shook her head and started to sanitize the cut with the antiseptic wipe.

Rudy gasped and recoiled. "How much longer will this take?"

"Just a little longer. Don't worry, I'm almost done," Penny said. "The stinging should go away in a few seconds."

"Ouch! Be careful!"

Penny grunted as Rudy leaned away from her. She got the bandages ready and held Rudy's head with one hand. "Just hold on a second!" Penny aligned the bandages the best that could be done and slapped them on one at a time. She released Rudy and said, "There, all finished!"

Rudy cradled his eye, his body hunched. He seethed as his rib cage expanded outward in an exaggerated fashion. "What was on those wipes?"

"Something to keep your cut from getting infected." Penny folded her arms. "If you don't want another round of this, stop scratching your cut."

Rudy smirked. "I got it, teach."

Penny chuckled and narrowed her eyes again. "I mean it, Rudy. Don't pick at it."

"Look, I got it okay?" Rudy hissed as he covered his eye for a few more seconds. "Did you find any…"

Penny cut him off. "I found some chalk dust in the cut."

"Chalk dust?"

"Yes, from that zoner's claws. She..dug it in deep, didn't she?"

Rudy averted his gaze. "I thought she was going to blind me…"

Penny relaxed her eyebrows. "Thank goodness Snap was there to save you."

"Yeah…" Rudy said as he nodded.

Penny went silent as Rudy rubbed his arms in self comfort. His eyes glowed with fear and confusion. A sharp pang tugged at Penny's stomach as bitterness clung to the back of her throat.

What would have happened to Rudy if Snap hadn't found him on time?

A broken nose paled in comparison to that possibility.

"Hey Penny?" Rudy broke the room's stillness.

Penny signaled for Rudy to continue.

"Why don't we go see Snap? Play a game or something? I mean, we both could use some fun...after what happened…" Rudy gulped and shook the thoughts away. He smiled and motioned his hand towards Penny. "What do you think?"

Penny tugged part of her lips upward. "Well, I suppose Snap might have found a new place to hang out that isn't run by a giant sentient tongue who can make me talk gibberish."

Rudy blushed and tittered as he rubbed the back of his head. "Er, sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it." Penny giggled. "Let's just go while we still have time."

"Right." Rudy said as he sat up and followed Penny.

sss

"It's your turn, Rudy! Make your choice!"

Rudy whistled as he studied his options. The vertical board was already filled with chips of green, cyan, and magenta. None had reached the top of the board yet. Cyan was the closest with green edging along the side. Magenta was still problematic if Rudy wasn't careful.

Rudy narrowed his eyes as he went to make his next move, his fingers pinching a green chip. Options were limited and any that were left posed a gamble. Either he impeded cyan or magenta. These plans weren't ideal as they could take him further from victory. Was there another move he had missed?

Snap let out a groan. "Hurry up and make your move already! I am almost the winner!"

Penny elbowed Snap and said, "We're not in a rush. Rudy can take all the time he needs."

"Then why did you tell me to go fas...oof!" Snap grunted as Penny tapped him. Rubbing his head, Snap frowned and said, "There's a very nice coconut creme pie with your name on it, Buckette."

Rudy covered his mouth and laughed. "Okay okay Snap! I'm moving!"

There had been another move Rudy could make. He spread a smile on his face as he dropped his next chip in. The result brought such a look to Penny and Snap that Rudy couldn't help but chuckle.

"What?! How did you even..." Snap held his head as he stared at the outcome of Rudy's recent move. "How did you manage to block both of us?!"

Penny shook the initial shock from her face and smiled. "Nicely played, Rudy. But don't think you're gonna win that easily."

Rudy grinned. "Hey it wouldn't have been any fun if I won with just that move."

Snap slammed his hands down, causing the board to wobble. "I demand a redo!"

"Snap, we can't just reset the game whe..."

"Do over!"

Rudy chuckled and nudged Snap. "Just make your move already."

Snap folded his arms and grumbled to himself. He quickly loosened up and said, "Whatever. The game is getting too good to quit now anyway." Snap picked up one of his pieces and stared intently at the board.

Penny rested her chin on her hand, chuckling. "You're being more competitive today than usual. Were you trumped by the Smileys again?"

Snap shuddered and glared at Penny. "I told you not to speak of that again!"

"I'll take that as a yes." Penny said as she smirked.

With a frown still decorating his face, Snap stood up, tension radiating off his body. Penny's smile vaporized as she went rigid. Snap started to approach Penny.

"I didn't mean to upset you" Penny raised her hands. "I'm sorry about that. Really."

Snap stopped a few inches from Penny. He cracked his knuckles as his frown deepened. "Oh it's much too late for that."

Penny hid her face with an arm, bracing herself.

"I'm gonna make you regret those words, Buckette."

Rudy pushed himself up on one knee. "Don't you dare think about it…"

Snap smirked as he whipped out a pie seemingly from nowhere. He locked onto Penny as he readied his arm. There was no hesitation as he threw it, giving Penny no time to react. Snap laughed as Penny looked at her pie filling-covered arms in disgust.

"Hah! I knew saving that last pie was a good idea!" Snap shut his eyes and covered his mouth as he giggled some more.

"Oh yeah? You think this is funny?" Penny said.

Snap's smile gained an anxious tinge. "It was just a joke!" When Penny's glare didn't fade, Snap gulped. "Buckette…?"

Rudy attempted to speak up.

It was too late.

Snap erupted in laughter as Penny pinned him down and tickled him. Pie pieces slid off her and stained Snap's suit. Snap thrashed on the ground, attempting to push Penny back. His head caught in Penny's arm and there wasn't an escape.

"How is your visit with the tickle monster?" Cackled Penny as she tickling Snap.

"Mercy! Please!" Snap howled as he shifted about, hugging his arms to himself. "I give! I give!"

Penny leaned in, a grin plastered on her face. "The tickle monster knows no mercy!"

"Ack! Stop! Rudy, help me!"

Rudy struggled to hold back laughter. "I don't know, Snap. It looks like you can handle this yourself."

"Rudy!" Snap gasped between laughs. "Please?!"

"Oh alright, since you asked so nicely." Rudy said as he approached. He laid his hand on Penny's shoulder. "I think he's had en...Ah!" Rudy let out a yelp as Penny dragged him into the ball of laughter.

sss

Snap stopped in front of the imposing building. Flashbacks invaded his vision for a moment before he shook them off. Snap took in a deep breath and exhaled. This won't take long, he told himself.

Snap shuddered as he walked through the entrance. He had to quickly examine himself to make sure he wasn't wearing a striped uniform again. Why should he be worried about that? The warden remembering him wasn't likely. The warden had countless zoners to address.

Why this jail? There wasn't a shortage of options.

It was because of the Label Police, wasn't it?

Pushing aside another memory, Snap furrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. He didn't have a lot of time to do this. It was a shame that Pie Day needed to be skipped, but it was the only time the Label Police would be away. What little time he had was crucial.

"Oh hey, isn't that the blue boy who..."

"I wonder what he's doing back here..."

"...must've ripped another tag..."

Snap growled under his breath, biting his tongue. It was all he could do to avoid inciting a fight.

Snap quickened his pace. He brushed aside the voices of the prisoners who tried to talk to him. He kept his focus forward. The voices echoed in his head. His heart raced. Snap shook his head and he tried to focus on what he had come here for: Answers.

Snap ground his teeth. That vile creature had hurt his friend. Rudy nearly lost an eye to that thing. At least Chalk Tweezer was locked up. The same could not be said for her creator.

Someone had drawn Chalk Tweezer for the sole purpose of harming Rudy.

Snap found Chalk Tweezer's cell in no time. He stiffened his body as he slunk within view of the monster. He clutched his fists and trembled. It took a moment before he could utter a word.

"Y-Y-You..."

Chalk Tweezer perked her head up. When her eyes locked onto Snap, she jumped from her bed and arched her claws. She dashed for Snap. Her body whammed against the bars as she clawed at Snap. She only managed to graze him before he moved out of her range. Chalk Tweezer grabbed onto a bar for support as she panted.

"What...are you doing here?" Chalk Tweezer's voice sizzled.

Snap glowered. "You're not gonna be the one asking questions here."

Chalk Tweezer sniggered. "You came to interview me? How sweet. You should've told me sooner. I would have prepared for the occasion!"

"Knock off the sarcasm! You know why I came here!" Snap shouted.

Chalk Tweezer waved a hand to her mouth and yawned. "You coming to demand why I wanted to save your creator, no?"

Snap's blood boiled. "You tried to take out his eye!"

"I hardly scratched the boy. He'll be fine," Said Chalk Tweezer. "It is the unreal that are his biggest threats." She raised a finger. "That means you, baldy."

Bristling, Snap raised a fist. "Who is your creator? Who put you up to this?"

Chalk Tweezer's hand went to her chest. "And what makes you think I needed to be forced into this?"

"Answer the question!"

Chalk Tweezer paused to stare at Snap. Her laughter rang against the walls. Chalk Tweezer's smirk faded into a scowl. Snap shuddered and stepped back.

"It is to be expected that the unreal such as yourself would be upset at me trying to protect a boy," Said Chalk Tweezer. She cut off Snap's attempts to interject as she continued, "This world, haven for the unreal, is keeping that poor child trapped. I will free him, no matter the cost."

Snap clenched his jaws. There were many answers to that. It was pointless to engage in any of them. Time ticked away, mimicking Snap's heart beats. He had never checked to see how long the warden would be gone. Chalk Tweezer twisted her smile as if to confirm his suspicions.

Giving up wasn't an option. Even if Chalk Tweezer couldn't get at Rudy again, her creator could send out a new zoner. What would happen if Snap failed to save Rudy from that?

His voice a snarl, Snap said, "Tell! Me! Who! Your! Creator! Is!"

Chalk Tweezer held onto a bar as she hung loosely to one side, cackling. She pulled herself back up and smirked. "Such a desperate little thing, aren't you? Jealous that you aren't a real person?"

Snap widened his eyes. He shook his head. "Oh no, you aren't gonna try that on me!" Snap stepped closer. "I'm going to keep my friend safe and there ain't anything you can do to stop me!"

Chalk Tweezer tilted her head. "Then why do you need me to tell you anything?"

"Argh!" Snap slapped himself. "You're so annoying!"

"And you're so cute when you're mad," Said Chalk Tweezer. "Such a funny little thing you are."

Snap shuddered and swallowed. He managed to stand his ground. "Who is your creator...?"

"You're so persistent. Why would knowing who my creator is help you delude the boy further?"

"Why would hurting him help him?"

Chalk Tweezer folded her arms and leaned against the wall. "My creator could better answer your question."

Snap bared his teeth. "And who is your creator?"

"Your 'friend' should have figured that out by now." Chalk Tweezer licked her lips. "Not a stranger."

Before Snap had a chance to respond, Chalk Tweezer jerked her head up, darting her eyes around. She focused on Snap and her sneer returned.

"I think you're out of time, little fella."

Snap jumped as the prison's front door was slammed open. His body stiffened, his skin chilling. Footfalls and voices drew closer. Snap tried to ignore Chalk Tweezer's laughing as he bolted out of there. Her words echoed in his head.

"My creator will see to it that the boy is freed from this wretched place!"