Chapter 2: Enter: The Castle
Hershel sighed as he rode Nelly into the forest. He hated the fact that he left his daughters on their own at home. But he knew they were grown up now and he knew they can take care of themselves.
But he still couldn't help but to worry about them. He was their father after all.
As he rode Nelly, Hershel got a bad feeling that he went the wrong way and was lost.
"This doesn't feel right." he said to himself. This forest felt weird. There was fog everywhere and it was dark. He looked at his map.
"This can't be right." he muttered as he looked.
"Maybe we took a wrong turn."
As Hershel rode, he came across a sign with arrows pointing at different directions. They both had the words scrapped off.
Hershel looked at both directions and sighed.
"Maybe we should go this way." he said as he rode Nelly to the dark foggy direction. Nelly being the nervous one she is tried to back away.
"Easy girl. It's just a short cut." Hershel said as he tried to calm her down.
But Hershel begin to see this wasn't quite right.
"This can't be right. Where on earth have I taken us?" Hershel said to himself.
Suddenly, a flock of bats came out of a tree and flew right in his face.
"Ahhh!" the elder man screamed as he rode away on Nelly who was panicking like crazy.
They rode away till they reached a cliff which scared Nelly even more and accidently kicked Hershel off of her and ran off.
Now all alone, Hershel got up to his feet and looked around scared.
Just then he heard growling. He turned around and saw pack of wolves!
Hershel reached for his gun, but remembered he didn't bring it.
Now frightened, he started to run as the wolves chased him. He felt so stupid for leaving his gun.
Hershel ran until he came across a metal gate.
"Hello! Is someone there?! Please help!" he begged until the gate opened.
Hershel ran in and closed the gate shut away from the wolves.
Relieved, Hershel looked up and saw a huge dark castle!
Maybe I could stay here till it stops raining. I just they let me. Hershel thought to himself as he walked up to the castle and knocked which caused it to crack open. He quietly opened it and went it.
The castle was huge and scary looking. But he figured it was their style.
"Hello?" Hershel said quietly. No answer.
"Hello?" he said quietly again. Still no answer.
Just then he heard voices.
"Keep quiet, maybe he'll go away."
"Abe, he's lost."
"Is someone there?" Hershel asked.
A lion and a panda were watching Hershel from afar.
"Not a word Glenn, not one damn word." the lion whispered to his panda friend.
"I don't mean bother anyone who lives here, but I lost my horse and I would like a place a stay until the rain stops and I would be more than happy to pay you back if I could." Hershel said as kindly as he could.
"Of course you can sir."
Hershel turned around and saw a talking panda!
"What in the world?" Hershel said dumbfounded. He has never seen a talking panda before.
"Incredible." he said looking at the panda.
"Way to go Glenn! Just delightful!" a angry talking lion named Abraham huffed as he walked towards Glenn the panda.
Now Hershel was freaked out. A talking lion too?! What makes it even more weird is that they are not like regular animals, they are short and they are walking on two feet.
"Is there any some sort of way I can stay here for the night." Hershel asked. Before Glenn could answer, Hershel sneezed.
"I'm so sorry." he said.
"Oh sir, you're soaked. Please, come with me and I'll take you somewhere to rest." Glenn said kindly as took Hershel's hand and started to lead him to the fireplace room.
"Thank you." Hershel said weakly.
"Glenn, I don't think this is a good idea." Abraham said as he tried to stop them, but Glenn wasn't listening.
"Glenn! If the master catches us, he'll kill us!" Abraham shouted again.
Glenn led Hershel to a big armchair.
"No, no, not the Master's chair." Abraham said frustrated still trying to stop them.
A barking footstool came running nearly knocking Abraham down.
"This is not good." Abraham groaned.
The footstool barked and got on Hershel's knee.
"Why hello boy." Hershel said with a chuckle as he patted him on the head.
"Ok. alright has gone far enough!" Abraham shouted, but before he could stop them a doe came charging with a tea tray with her fawn behind her knocking Abraham down on his face.
"Would you like some tea sir?" the deer who was named Carol asked sweetly.
"Why yes. Thank you." Hershel said kindly.
As Hershel begin to drink his tea, the fawn who was named Sophia looked up at him.
"Are you Santa?" she asked as she tilted her head.
Hershel and Carol chuckled. But before Hershel could answer the curious fawn, the door of the den slams shut all of the sudden. Startling both of them.
Sophia rushed to her mother and hid behind her mother.
"Uh-oh." she gulped.
Hershel was now scared out of his mind.
A giant wolf-looking creature was standing by the doorway on all fours.
He growled as he looked around in the darkness.
"There's a stranger here." the creature growled.
"Look, Daryl. Allow me to explain it. The poor man was lost and he didn't-" Glenn was cut off by Daryl roaring in his face.
"Daryl the only thing I have to say is I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't-" Abraham was once cut off by Daryl's roaring which kind of scared him even though he was in the Military and he was a lion.
Hershel turned around to see Daryl's wolf like face in front of his face!
Hershel gasped as he backed away.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Daryl asked angrily.
"Please, I didn't mean no harm." Hershel said trying to calm him.
"YOU ARE NOT WELCOME!" Daryl roared.
"Please I'm sorry."
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STARING AT?!" Daryl roared.
"Nothing please." Hershel begged.
"So, you've come to stare at the BEAST DIDN'T YOU?! TAKE PICTURES?!" Daryl asked angrily.
"Please have mercy. I just needed a place to stay." Hershel said as he begged.
"Oh I'll give you a place to stay." Daryl growled as he picked up Hershel.
"No! Please! No! No!" Hershel begged and begged but Daryl just wouldn't listen.
He closed the door leaving Glenn, Abraham, Carol and Sophia.