Part 3: Looking for the Golden Egg…
They walked in silence for a few minutes, stewing in the mixed emotions of earlier that day, when finally Teddy spoke up.
"I didn't mean to...I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, if that was what I did, or am doing, so if you'd just forgive me and let me explain," Teddy spoke quietly.
Jenny waved the notion away, "You didn't do anything like that. I guess I felt like an afterthought when you started talking about the Easter bunny, even though I've had you for at least 2 years, but I knew you had good intentions all along. Maybe you didn't want to scare me or get my hopes up when you finally spoke. You wanted to talk at the right time, at the right moment, when you knew I was ready to listen. So here I am-walking in a seemingly real world, talking to my hamster, and in serious need of a map."
The hamster chuckled, and from its bulging cheeks came a tiny rolled up piece of paper, damp with hamster spit and torn at the edges.
"Well thats gross."
"You did say you needed a map."
The hamster unrolled the tiny piece of paper and Jenny helped hold it up so the hamster could see.
Not before putting on a pair of spectacles also extracted from the cheek pouch.
"Ew, if you needed a hamster pack, you could've just told me and I would've bought it for you and for God's sake you got a hamster phone for crying out loud and..AND I didn't know you wore glasses!" Jenny exclaimed.
"You should know better. Hamsters are color-blind, and it does help to read small print when I can actually SEE small print. I also guess it runs in the family." Teddy pointedly ignored the rest of her sentence and looked at Jenny.
Wrinkling her nose, she huffed. "I need glasses because I purposely stay on electronic devices too long, and not because it runs in the family. At least I hope not." She did not want to have children who needed glasses too.
"Anyways, it says here on the map that we're slightly west of our desired path, if we were heading toward the mountain; called Mount Eglantine, frankly atrocious name if you ask me, and ohhh...but it also says here we just left the Field of Good Wishes and if we went back the way we came and kept going backwards we'd have ended up in one of those castles that Clara would've wanted us to see, now we have to go back…"
"Hold up, what castle? The ones you were talking about? The giant chicken palaces? What's so special-"
Teddy rolled her eyes and continued talking: "Yes, those GIANT CHICKEN PALACES as you so eloquently named them, hold a special secret that I was going to talk about earlier if you hadn't simply interrupted me with your-"
"OHHHHH! The golden egg right?" Squinting with all her might, Jenny suddenly smiled.
"Oh, well if we continue down this path, just west of the mountain, there's a fork that leads off to a waterfall, and right there there's a castle too! Rockwell Castle. There's bound to be some giant chickens there and maybe a tour guide or two and we can just.."
Teddy, exasperated, interrupted angrily. "Will you ever let me finish a sentence?! You're right, there is a castle there we could go to, but no one would go because if you'd look, there's a little note in fine print saying that Rockwell Castle has been abandoned for ages for reasons unknown. Definitely spells out D-A-N-G-E-R and D-E-A-T-H and E-V-I-L if you ask me, so why don't we just head back where we came from?"
For a minute, they were still. Jenny finally sighed, "No. We're going my way because 1.) You still owe me for making me so sick I thought I was gonna hurl in a darkened tunnel and 2.) For Christ's sake, who listens to the fine print, there's a reason it's in fine print; so that people don't read it, and most importantly, you were the one who said 'adventure' in the first place so heck, WE'RE GOING ON AN ADVENTURE BECAUSE YOU SAID SO." She stalked away, head held high. Teddy stood, ears perked, stunned into silence. Before a grin plastered itself on her face.
"Wait up!"
Slowing to a stop, Jenny smiled. "You know I'm right. Even if we are in danger, it's Easterworld, where everything is sunny and good-so it can't be that bad right?"
Teddy wasn't so sure, "You said it yourself in a fit of nerves: Will we die?" The hamster's voice went shrill to imitate Jenny's voice.
"You know I hate my voice, and that was never answered because honestly what kind of a stupid question was that, 'will we die'. Of course we won't..." Jenny's voice took on a self-deprecating and mocking tone, though the wobble of uncertainty was still present.
They were plunged back into silence, almost as quickly as they arrived at the waterfall, it's foamy mist swirling in a rush all around them as the gurgle of a nearby river bombarded their eardrums.
"So just a practical question: say, some giant evil chicken comes to peck our guts out, or a herd of rabid bunnies wants to sink their teeth into our flesh, how do we intend to defend ourselves?" Teddy inquired nervously, her ears flattening against her head.
"We have two options: 1.) Grab a stick or a rock and aim or 2.) Run for our lives. I think the chances of survival for number 2 seem rather good, but ideally, 1 and 2 together might just save our lives." Jenny chuckled herself but the joke seemed lost on Teddy.
"Seriously speaking though, we should separate and distract the enemy with something while the other one escapes. I love you Teddy, but I do manage to be more important to you back home, so you're going to have to sacrifice yourself. And in the case I'm the one in serious danger…" Jenny trailed off, a sort of sad look on her face, "Well, let's just hope I can hold my own against some feisty bunnies and chickens, shall we?"
Filled with grim determination, the two finally stepped foot onto the cobblestone path leading to the castle. It looked harmless enough, since daylight was still out, but at night, the two shivered collectively at what would look like a terrible place to stage a sleepover at if you were ever stuck inside.
"Rockwell Castle. You know we really should've just gone back...and we still can, since we have like 7 hours left…"
"I'm starving. Aren't you starving? Come on, maybe there's some food in there!" Jenny spoke a little too cheerfully, more for herself than for Teddy's reassurance.
They ventured timidly forward, afraid at any moment danger would strike. The door was left ajar, so they let themselves in. The inside was large and spacious, much like the inside of a Victorian mansion rather than a castle. Weirdly enough, when entering what seemed like the kitchen area, a refrigerator with a note stating simply "RESTOCK" in bold, red sharpie stood before them.
"That's rather...odd. Seems like a trap to me." Teddy sniffed at the fridge, looking for any signs of ill intent. "But it's clean and it smells good inside...definitely cheese and jam, maybe even some ham."
Jenny opened it and sure enough, the fridge was well-stocked with all the workings of a scrumptious meal. Tomatoes, fresh, and also some yogurt sat next to a unopened six pack of cola and salad dressing. With a bowl of salad neatly tucked away. She closed the fridge, deep in thought, before sharply nodding and instead looked in one of the top cabinets to find it fully stocked with unexpired foods-peas, corn, carrots, etc.
"Definitely strange, but I'm going to the canned stuff just to be safe. Toast and canned food. Marvelous. Is there a can opener around here?" She hunted through the drawers, but they all came up empty.
Save for one.
At first, Jenny thought she must have but hallucinating, but if that was true then the past few hours must've been a dream too, judging from all the ridiculousness, and frankly, she was beginning to think she was most likely dead or in a coma.
Inside was filled…with golden eggs.
Golden.
Eggs.
Jenny stared, and finally closed the drawer, willing herself to look away even as Teddy stared into the empty space where the open drawer was seconds ago and was stunned out of her wits.
"Not just one...but a drawer filled with golden eggs. A rather large drawer, with rather large eggs, filled with rather expensive gold, that would get us RATHER RICH RATHER FAST…"
"Teddy, I know where you're going with this but it's not worth it. You're right; it's a trap, for us, definitely, and god, all wanted was a can opener!"
The sound reverberated through the kitchen and suddenly a cluck as loud as a crack of thunder answered back. The sound was so terrifying Jenny screamed and in turn Teddy squeaked multiple times in distress.
"What in the-"
Clattering into the kitchen came a huge feathery bird that flapped and clucked excitedly before sitting down in front of the two stunned victims, leaving a trail of golden eggs behind..
A giant chicken with gold-dusted feathers.
Jenny watched warily as the chicken cocked her head side to side, its beady black eyes watching back intently. In the bird's beak was a can-opener.
"Brilliant. Now hand it over." Jenny warned the chicken.
The can-opener clattered to the floor and was pushed across the floor into Jenny's hand. Smiling, she opened a can of corn and pushed it back to the chicken the same way, which the chicken happily ate.
"So now what?" Teddy asked, dumbstruck.
"We eat, then we're leaving. Something tells me someone is following us, and it's not someone good. By the way, I'm officially naming the chicken Bob. I don't care if it's a girl. I've always wanted a chicken named Bob."
Teddy squealed with laughter and hurried to introduce herself to the chicken. Apparently they could understand each other, because Teddy nodded along as the chicken clucked conversationally. While they talked, Jenny prepared toast and
"What is she saying?"
Teddy looked sad and began his translation for the poor chicken, "She says she's been stuck here for ages, ever since this castle has been closed down for demolition. The Easter bunny has been planning a mass reconstruction of Easterworld so that it can churn out more goodies, similar to "industrialization". Many of the giant chickens were slaughtered after the Bunny found out how to man-make eggs more quickly, and didn't see the use of the chickens unless it was to take up space. The saddest thing is that Bessie here, saw her entire family slaughtered, and she was kept here to spend the last of her days, alone, because she couldn't die. She's the last of the 'Golden Egg Bearers' of lore who helped bring prosperity and peace to the ancient Easterworld before the Bunny began running things here. After Clara found about Bessie's abilities and the abilities of her kin, she began forcing the chickens into exile and beginning her own raid of the riches that Bessie's people could bestow."
Teddy's ears fell, "I never knew Clara was killing fellow animals. I just thought she was developing Easterworld so it could keep up with modern demand, but MURDER-" Teddy's eyes ignited in anger, "MURDER is unacceptable. I don't think we can stay here any longer Jenny. We have to go and talk to Clara. She'll make this right, WE'LL make this right, and then we're leaving. I'm tired and absolutely done with Easter from now on."
Jenny was never good with words-she had so much to say about this, so much to express (anger, sadness, confusion, helplessness) but instead she asked:
"Is Bob coming? You didn't eat anything Teddy."
The chicken and the hamster looked at Jenny with wide eyes.
"Of course I'm coming, and my name's not Bob!" The golden chicken roared.
"I just ate not 2 hours ago! We're running out of time!" Teddy spat in frustration.
"Sorry, sorry, no need to yell, just a simple question, and where are we going to meet with Clara?"
Teddy put on a grim face.
"The Tree of Hope-also known as the domain of the Easter bunny."