Chapter 6: A Call for Help

The next day, Valerie leaned against the beige walls and sighed. Ruby was up stairs sleeping. She now had a few seconds of peace.

She looked around for any traps. She dodged a fox trap, bear trap, and a rake. She was going to sit down, but immediately stopped herself. She lifted the cushion and saw there was a button. If she sat on it, sleeping gas would come out of a gas tank.

She moaned. She couldn't relax even when she was asleep! She banged her head on the door. She couldn't take it! Then, she got an idea. Maybe she could ask one of her friends to help her!

She trudged over to the desk, avoiding the traps, and sat down. She searched through the cabinet and got a pen. As she was about to use the pen, it electricuted her! She immediately threw it to the floor. The snow leopard panted. Her eyelids became heavy.

Her head hit the wooden desk and she started to sleep. When she woke up, Ruby was right next to her, drumming her finger on the desk.

She stepped back, worried on what Ruby might do to her. "What do you think you're doing?" Ruby asked.

"I'm sending for help. I can't take it anymore! I've been here, what? Three days and it's been a disaster! I'm going to call for help." Valerie told her.

Valerie continued to write a letter for help. She made one to all her friends. Ruby looked over her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking. Can I invite some of my friends too?" asked Ruby.

Valerie's eye twitched. She imagined Ruby and her friends causing ten times the wreckage and torture! Then she thought again, Maybe one of her friends are mature!

Valerie looked at her and smiled. "Tell me about your friends," she said.

Ruby smiled. "Well, I have friends all over China!"

"Name the ones that are most mature," Valerie interrupted.

Ruby thought for a moment. "Well, I'm not really sure. My friend June is pretty mature."

"Yes, than invite her!" Valerie said desperately.

"She's an adult," said Ruby.

"That's even better!"

"But she's also has to help her husband run the village. You see," Ruby began, but Valerie cut her off.

"I'm just going to invite my friends," said Valerie.

Ruby thought about tricking her friends as well. That'll mean I'm going to be watched twenty-four hours! I have to make myself extra quick and sneaky! Ruby thought.

Valerie finished her letters. She and Ruby gave the letter to Zeng and he went to deliver it. Ruby decided to practice some kung fu and archery.

Valerie needed to sit down and rest, again. As Valerie felt herself start to slip away into a nice soothing sleep, she heard something break! Oh no! What now? Valerie wondered.

Valerie staggered to get up and she looked around in the play room. She saw Ruby repeatedly kicking vases! "Ruby!" Valerie screamed.

Ruby stopped and looked at the snow leopard. "What?" she asked.

"Why are you kicking priceless vases? They're, well, priceless!" Valerie shrieked.

"Relax, Valerie. My mother has thousands of these things. She makes pottery you know. She says this is the most simple vase to make," Ruby said.

Ruby jumped up, spun in the air, and kicked the vase! It went flying and smashed into multiple vases! They tipped over and smashed into one another like dominos!

Valerie's eye twitched again. Ruby saw and asked, "Do you always do that when you're stressed out?"

Valerie nodded. Ruby nodded as well. She smirked. "Wait for it," she said.

Valerie shrieked as the vases started tipping over bigger and bigger vases. Then her eyes got wide as she realized a giant vase coming her way! Ruby stepped away from Valerie and she tried to run, but realized that she had stepped in a glue trap! "Ruby!" she growled.

The gigantic vase on the top shelf of the large room tipped and covered Valerie entirely! She pounded on the fancy vase and shouted for help, but her voice was muffled.

Ruby skipped to her room. Her plan had worked. She went up to her room and got her bow and arrows. She went down the flight of steps and saw the vase rocking back and forth.

Ruby grinned and then went for the door. She noticed a tall male snow leopard at the door. Ruby opened the door and asked, "Hello, may I help you?"

He nodded. "Is Valerie here?" he asked.

Ruby nodded and then slammed the door in his face. She walked away to go out the back entrance, but then he knocked again. She opened the door and asked, "Hello, may I help you?"

"May I come in and see Valerie?" he asked.

Ruby looked over at the giant vase that held Valerie. She was still trying to get it off her. "She's not available at the moment."

The snow leopard sighed. "Can I please just see her?"

"I don't know, can you?" Ruby teased him. Her mother always teased her and Zenghui about their grammar.

The snow leopard facepawed. He began to walk in, but she stopped him. "What's your name?"

"My name is Peter," he introduced himself.

She looked at the snow leopard. He had a blue vest with a gold colored silk by the rim. He had tan pants and white wrist bands on both paws. "Come in," she said stepping out of his way.

"Thank you," he said with a smile.

He looked around. The room was beautiful. "You're Ruby Xiaolin!" he said with a smile. "You're the daughter of an extremely rich family!"

She nodded. "Pleasure to meet you," she said.

Then he looked to his right. He saw the giant vase swaying back and forth. "Uh, what's that?" he asked.

Ruby just shrugged, "Oh, you know. It's one of those, moving things. They're very hard to find."

Peter just said staring at the vase, "I can imagine."

Valerie finally got the vase off from over her! "Valerie!" Peter shouted out coming her way.

Valerie looked over her shoulder to see the snow leopard coming her way. "Peter!" she said happily.

Peter and Valerie hugged and Peter looked at her with a smile. Valerie rested her head on his chest and said with a sigh, "I'm so glad to see you!"

"I am too," he said back.

Ruby crossed her arms and pondered in her mind. Seems like these two have a thing going on between them, she thought. She watched as Peter tried to step away. But then, he realized he was stuck too!

"Um, can you help us?" Peter asked.

Ruby grinned. "Of course I'll help you. Any friend of Valerie's, is a friend of mine!"

Valerie covered her eyes. "Oh no," she said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked.

"I made a big mistake bringing you here," Valerie said to him.

"Why? Aren't you happy to see me?" he asked. He put his arm around her. "I'm happy to see you."

She smiled, but then all of a sudden they felt something damp lightly hit the tops of their heads. They looked up! Ruby had gone up stairs and brought the sprinkler up with her. She aimed it at the two who were stuck there. "Ruby!" Valerie shouted.

But then the glue started to wash away. Oops, I forgot this glue comes off with water, thought Ruby.

Ruby dropped the sprinkler as Valerie ran to the flight of stairs. She ran to her room and locked it! Valerie pounded on the door while Peter went to find some towels.

Peter found some and walked across the floor to get it. He felt a tile press down as he placed his foot on it. He looked down, then two trap doors swung open from the ceiling! A bucket of syrup poured down on him. He sighed.

Valerie stopped pounding on the door. She sighed. Maybe I'll make it with Peter here and my friends coming, she thought to herself as she walked down the steps. She then saw Peter covered in syrup. Or we'll all go down together.