She couldn't tell but she believed that it was night based on the cooler wind hitting her skin. If it was night or not, Minnie couldn't tell because of the blindfold on her face. Once outside of town, the group had stopped to bind and gag the mouse before they continued to their camp.

Minnie had no idea how long they had been riding but she knew it was long enough to cause her nose, cheeks, and lips to be chapped and wind whipped. She tried everything to try and wet her lips but the gag prevented any moisture to escape her mouth. In fact even her throat begged for water.

The Beagle Boys were silent the entire time leaving Minnie's mind to wander. She wondered where they were going, if they were going to let her go, if they were going to kill her, if they would hold her for ransom, or if they would just dump her in the middle of nowhere to die slowly. Those thoughts instilled fear on the deepest level and Minnie tried to change her thoughts towards escaping but nothing came to her since she had no idea where she was and she couldn't see a thing.

Realizing that nothing she was thinking about was calming her down, she resorted to thinking about the schoolhouse and her students. She figured that she might as well use the time to think of someway to pay the mortgage tax so she had something to start when she returned home. Idea after idea crossed her mind, each one being as far fetched as the last but still had a glimmer of possibility.

Minnie's mind was forced back to the present when her entire body was jarred violently as the horse jumped over something. She cried out through the gag as the saddle now dug into her bone. She tried to reposition herself but the arm around her waist tightened forcing air out of her lungs.

"Stop fidgeting or you're going to make this worse for yourself," Terence threatened.

Minnie rolled her eyes under the blindfold, wondering what he could possibly do to her to make this situation any worse. Not wanting to find out, she settled for trying to balance herself more comfortably on the horse by grabbing onto what hair she could find with her bound hands. That idea quickly became a painful mistake as her fingers got sore. The rope that bound her wrists and the rope that bound her arms to her body rubbed against her skin with every jolt of the horse, those areas feeling wetter with each minute that passed.

The arm around her waist removed itself and she felt herself falling forward as the horse stopped suddenly. An arm stopped Minnie's forward momentum but then felt herself falling off of the horse. Trying to stop herself from falling, her fingers looked for anything to grab onto but failed to do so. She fell between the arm and horse landing on the hard ground causing Minnie to cry out in pain. She was certain she twisted something but she wasn't sure until she was pulled up and lead forward, each step becoming more painful than the last.

Minnie could smell the smoke from fires and cigars. She could hear the joyful singing of other bandits and hear the clanking of bottles along with the sloshing of liquid. As she was lead through the camp, she heard the murmurs of confusion and cat calls which made her body shudder. A door was opened with a high pitch squeak and she stumbled inside, not knowing how high the threshold was. Minnie was turned left and right several times before she tripped over another threshold and was forced to sit against a pole.

Noticing there were no hands on her, Minnie tried to get up and run but was quickly pushed back and felt another rope tied around her, keeping her to the pole.

"What's the boss going to think about her?"

"I don't know, Tiny. So shut up before you give anything away."

The door to the room was slammed shut, leaving her in silence. As the minutes rolled by, Minnie realized it wasn't so silent. She could hear the muffled activities of the bandits, the creaking of some sort of wood, and the hooting of owls. Hearing that particular animal made her realize she was somewhere in the forest or mountains but the length of the trip made it seem like they were in another state and not just outside of Sunrise Valley.

Frustrated with everything but mainly not being able see, Minnie tried to remove the blindfold. Rubbing the cloth against her shoulder, slowly but surely she was able to remove it enough where she could see her surroundings. She was stuffed in a store room in some sort of old wooden shack. The wood was warped and rotted and there were parts that had been sloppily patched up. Minnie noticed she was tied to the last remaining support beam in the storeroom and that made her more nervous than anything. Around her were stacks of crates filled with who knows what, barrels most likely filled with beer, and sacks filled with what looked like coins.

Hoping that she would receive the same luck on her restraints as she did with the blindfold, Minnie began to twist her wrists to try and escape. It was a painful endeavor but she was determined to see her home again and pushed through the pain. Her mission was stopped when she heard the noise outside go from singing to panicked shouts. The hall outside the door was alive with boots running back and forth accompanied with shouting.

Minnie jumped as the door swung open and Tyler ran in followed by several other bandits. "It's the Red Stallions! Grab the money and go!"

"Tyler!" Terence called from down the hall. "Grab the girl and disguise her somehow!"

Minnie watched in fright as the bandit quickly glance about trying to think of something fast. His eyes landed on a large sack and he grabbed it, shoving it over her head. The rope holding her to the beam was cut and the sack was pulled under her body so fast that she fell backward, the side of her head hitting the corner of a crate. She felt her world spinning as the pain rippled through her head. Every movement that Tyler made as he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder like a flour sack made Minnie's pain spread from her head to her stomach and turning into nausea. She shut her eyes hoping to control the nausea, pain, and dizziness but it only made it worse.

The racket from the outside world was almost muted in her ringing ears. The yelling, the running, the gunshots, the pounding of horse's hooves, everything seemed so far away. She was disoriented from her throbbing head, she almost ignored the feeling of being dropped and then picked back up only to be tossed over what felt like a horse's saddle.

As the minutes passed, she was able to focus a bit more on her surroundings. She could definitely tell she was back on a horse since the saddle was digging into her chest but the voices around her were differed than those of the Beagle Boys. For one, they were actually talking and laughing as they rode. Secondly, many of them sounded young and full of life whereas the other bandits sounded stressed. Minnie began to worry about her new captors since they sounded like this was some sort of game to them.

The pain in her head began to take center stage once again and opted to worry about her new captors later, focusing on staying conscience. For the remainder of the trip, she drifted in and out of consciences, waking fully when she was tossed onto a pile of some sort.

Minnie cried out as her body made contact with a combination of sharp edges and hard objects before hitting the floor. A pair of feet exiting the room stopped and shuffled their way back in her direction. Her heart began to race realizing that she was about to be discovered but took comfort in remembering that she had taken her blindfold off so that she could see.

Seeing this as her one chance of escaping, Minnie waited for the right moment to strike. She gasped as a pair of hands touched her and turned her over then slide down towards her feet and opened the sack. She watched as the bag was pulled further upwards and waited until it was almost over her head before kicking the person in the gut. She shook off the bag and stood up looking around what seemed like a cave and seeing the exit.

Minnie found that running with one's arms bound was a hard thing to do but she continued anyways only to find the exit blurring and spinning in front of her. Before she knew what happened, Minnie found herself on the floor, her world still sickly spinning around her. She shut her eyes once more, focusing on her breathing, to try and stop the spinning. When she felt steady enough, she opened her eyes slowly watching her breath move the dirt away from her face.

The pain in her head was so strong that she didn't even feel a hand touch her shoulder and turn her over on her back. It took her a second to realize that someone was standing over her. Once her mind made the connection, Minnie's eyes went wide in fear as she tried backing away but found she didn't move very far with a twisted ankle, her feet snagging her skirt, and her arms bound.

Giving up on trying to move away, she focused on the figure hovering above her. He was a mouse no bigger than her, his clothing showing the wear and tear of being worn too much. She could see remnants of faded yellow on his dirt and grass stained boots, his brown pants had several patches and the creases were defined by showing more of the original color, his tunic seemed to be a size too big and was stained by the constant exposure to dirt and sunlight, and the ends of his brown coat was caked in mud. Around his nose was a faded red bandana and the tan cowboy hat sat between his round ears shadowing his face.

Minnie saw him bend down and reach a gloved hand towards her face, her heart racing and her eyes widening at the motion. Her body froze as she felt his finger touch her face and wrap around the gag, pulling it down around her neck. She subconsciously licked her lips, enjoying the relief on her chapped lips, before trying to talk her way out of any additional pain that might be inflicted upon her for trying to escape.

"I apologize for kicking you," Minnie's voice was quiet and hoarse. "But if you were in my place, you would do anything to escape."

The mouse moved his head slightly as he produced a small knife from his belt. Minnie jumped and stared at the blade as it moved closer to her. Figuring that this might be her last day on Earth, she realized that she didn't want to leave it suffering but she didn't want to give her captor the pleasure of seeing her terrified even though she was.

"I'm nobody important," Minnie spoke with as steady of a voice as possible. "I have no money or power. I have no family so no one will miss me. I'm just a schoolteacher." She trailed off for a moment, the weight of those words hitting her and feeling so alone. She didn't realize how lonely she was until that moment. She didn't realize that her list of things she wanted to accomplish grew but nothing was ever done. At that moment, she wanted to break down and cry but she refused to let the mouse about to end her life see her anymore vulnerable. She took a deep breath and held herself in as much confidence as she could as she spoke. "If you're going to kill me, please do it quickly."

She watched the blade reflect the lamp light in the room but it didn't move any closer; instead the hand holding it lowered itself, resting on the male mouse's knee. "A schoolteacher is important."

Minnie's head shot up and looked at the mouse. She didn't expect his voice to be so high, almost squeaky, but she also didn't expect to hear a bandit say the four words she always wanted to hear. Minnie had no idea how to respond.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"I-I don't know that."

The mouse raised his left hand, causing Minnie to flinch slightly, and pulled down his bandana and remove his hat to show his face. "Look at me. I'm not going to hurt you."

She followed his command and was shocked by how young the mouse looked. It explained his higher pitched voice but as she looked longer, she got a sense of wisdom and experience that she couldn't quite place. Minnie soon found herself mesmerized by the mouse's bright blue eyes as his voice echoed in her mind about him not hurting her and found herself believing him.

"There."

His voice brought Minnie back to the present and she noticed a difference on her body. She looked down to see the the rope around her wrists and arms had been cut and now lay dead around her. From the corner of her eye, she saw his arms reach out and tuck themselves under her back and her knees, her body tensing as she was lifted off the ground, her hands grabbing onto his shirt in case he decided to drop her.

He carried her towards the back of the cave and gently placed her on a chair, slowly removing his arms from her body and waiting for Minnie's grip to release him. Once she was satisfied with the new arrangement, she let go of the stranger and wrapped her arms around her body. Since her mind and body settled enough from the fright, the pain in her head and body came back full force making her shut her eyes and involuntarily groan.

Minnie felt something cold touch her temple causing her to recoil and her eyes to fly open. The mouse was kneeling in front of her with a wet cloth, a smudge of red staining it. "It's alright. You hit your head and it's still bleeding." The mouse motioned with the cloth and proceeded after Minnie nodded. She cried out in pain as the cloth touched the wound, her head searing with new pain. "Forgive me, Miss, umm…"

"Minnie," she breathed.

"I'm Mickey," he said as he stood up and grabbed a pitcher and poured its contents into a metal cup and handed it to her. "Here, drink this. It sounds like you've been in the desert for days." Minnie took it but gave it a cautious glance before taking a small sip. "I didn't poison the water if that's what you're worried about." Satisfied with what her taste buds were saying, she continued to drink the water until her throat was once again happy.

"Thank you."

Mickey smiled as he bent down and raised the cloth back up to her head. "You say you're not important and yet The Mutton Bandits had you like you were a bar of gold."

"I don't know how it happened," Minnie said. "One minute I'm heading to the bank, the next I've got a gun to my head." She took in air through her teeth as the wound seared with pain once again. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on something else, doing too good of a job.


The young dog hid in the shadows of the large ranch house, wanting to enjoy the cool breeze of the night but his mind was fraught with worry. Seeing the female mouse in the cave and noticing the state she was in, he couldn't help but check up on his friend. He waited for hours, seeing as the father walked the property several times carrying a gun and shouting about shooting anyone who dared to enter his house unannounced.

With the half moon high in the sky and the house dark for over an hour, he walked closer to the small, lace covered window of the first floor and tapped on it. He waited a minute or two before repeating the process until a small light was turned on. The yellow light illuminated the nicely furnished room and allowed the shadow of the occupant to dance across the wall.

The dog looked away from the window to ensure the dignity of his friend. With the sound of the window opening, he looked to see her head lean through the window, a wave of relief washing over him. Her long red hair moved ever so slightly in the wind and when she turned her head around, he was met with green eyes.

Seeing him, her face lit up with a big smile as she tried to lean out further. "Max! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you were alright, Roxanne," he whispered as he walked into the light. "I heard about what happened with the bandits and just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt."

"You couldn't wait until morning?" she chuckled.

"I wouldn't be able to sleep."

Roxanne looked up at the second story window and then back down at Max as she arched an eyebrow. "How'd you know I'd be in this room tonight?"

Max fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well, uh, your dad is very protective and with the kidnapping I figured you'd be in this room until your dad was satisfied you were, you know, safe."

The redhead sighed even as she kept a smile on her face. "Well, You're not wrong."

"I'm glad. Could you imagine your father catching me? It would be interesting to see how'd I explain this."

The two laughed softly just thinking about it, Roxanne calming down first and answering Marx's initial inquiry. "I'm fine, Max. I wasn't anywhere near the bank when it happened."

Max watched her face drop ever so slightly, her eyes staring into nothing. His face along with hers and he bent down to look at her. "What's wrong?"

"It's just-" She looked up and made eye contact with him for a few seconds before sighing and slumping her shoulders. "I'm just so worried about everything. Those bandits did a number on my Father's finances and he's worried about how he's going to make ends meet by the end of the month. I'm afraid he might fire some workers, you being one of them and I don't want that."

"Me neither."

"I'm trying to figure out how I can help him but nothing is coming to my mind."

"I'm sure things will work out."

"I'm also worried about Ms. Minnie. I was looking forward to our lesson tomorrow but I feel selfish for thinking of that when she could be dead somewhere."

Max grabbed her hand gently and patted it. "Hey. From what you've told me of this Minnie, I wouldn't be surprised if she showed up for her class tomorrow." Roxanne looked at him with worried eyes, finding some comfort in his brown ones. "And don't your father's finances always work themselves out in the end?"

Roxanne smiled at his words. "They always tend to do that. Like there's some sort of guardian watching over us."

"Yeah," Max blushed at the thought of being considered a guardian. "So I wouldn't worry. You get some sleep, Roxanne, and I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

She bounced excitedly as she giggled. "I can't wait. I have the perfect book for you. It's one of my favorites that Minnie is letting me borrow. We can start reading it together."

"If you're this excited," Max chuckled. "I'm sure I'll enjoy it. See you soon."

He let go of her hand and began to run away from the house, looking back every few seconds to see Roxanne wave at him before going back inside and turning the light off, his mind at ease for the time being. But it was short lived. Behind him, he heard a voice call out, "Hey! Stop where ya are! Yer trespassing!"

He paused for a moment to see someone on a horse heading towards him. Not wasting a second, Max sprinted towards the trees, hearing the horse getting closer with each gallop. Once in the forest, he hid under a tree root and watched as the person on the horse enter the woods, looking around for a minute or two before turning around and heading back to the ranch house.

Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding, Max stood up and navigated the dark forest until he came to his horse hidden in the brush. Max mounted his steed and smiled all the way back to camp.


There was no sound besides the ticking of the pocket watch on the charred dresser but it still gave Goofy a headache. He sat there in the dim lamp light constantly rubbing his temples with his fingers. His eyes burned from the lack of sleep and his muscles ached from all the walking and riding he did over the last couple of days.

He and Donald had ridden out over a mile or so in the same direction as the Beagle Boys but they didn't find any leads as to where Minnie might have been taken. Any prints they found in the desert didn't make any sense as they seemed to be going around in circles with no indication that they lead anywhere except out of town. Donald wanted to keep going, head towards the mountains thinking that maybe they covered their tracks but Goofy had decided against it.

Donald yelled at him about not having enough initiative or personal motivation to continue the search. In truth, Goofy knew his friend was onto something about searching the mountains and the forest and had every intention on searching there but he had received a note that Sunday morning that changed his mind.

Goofy opened his eyes and stared at that small piece of paper, hating himself for being controlled by those criminals.

Stop searching or we kill him along with her. You know the rules.

Those words burned in his mind, the guilt weighing on his shoulders. He wanted to explain to Donald why he stopped searching, why he didn't want to search the mountains but he knew that if he spoke a word, they would follow through with their threat. Goofy tried to convince himself that by doing nothing he was actually protecting them but it didn't help his conscience any. Donald's accusations of him slacking on his duty rung in his mind, reminding Goofy of how much of a failure he is not only to the town but to his family.

Sighing in defeat, Goofy picked up his pocket watch and donned his hat as he turned off the lamp and walked outside his small home. He mounted his horse and began to patrol the outskirts of town knowing that he wouldn't be able to sleep that night. He figured that patrolling would convince Donald and himself of his commitment to the town.

Goofy slowly rode around the town, the light from the high moon allowing him to see just enough. As he approached the Martin ranch, he noticed a small figure running away from the house. He couldn't make out much on the figure but it looked like he kept looking back at the house as he continued to run towards the edge of the tree line.

"Hey!" Goofy called out. He snapped the reins and began to chase the figure. "Stop where ya are! Yer trespassing!"

The figure stopped running for a moment before bolting into the treeline. Goofy had never seen someone run so fast and urged his horse to go faster but once under the canopy of the trees, the light was blocked out making it impossible for him to see the mysterious figure. Knowing that trying to find the figure was a waste of time, he turned around and approached the Martin's front door.

He knocked several times until a light came on and an angry voice grumbling from inside came closer to the door. "What?" the owner snapped, his face softening a bit seeing that it was the Sheriff.

"Uh, sorry to wake ya, Mr. Martin." Goofy removed his hat as he saw Roxanne stand next to her father. "Ms. Martin. I was patrolling when I saw some feller running from yer home-"

"What!" the large dog yelled. He grabbed his rifle and ran outside and began to inspect everything on his property.

Roxanne tapped the bewildered Sheriff on the shoulder causing Goofy to jump slightly. Her gentle smile allowed him to relax as she ushered him into her home. "Please, Sheriff, come on in and rest. My Father is going to be a while and you look exhausted."

"Oh, uh, thanks Ms. Martin but-"

"Roxanne, please. Ms. Martin sounds too..." she circled her wrist looking for the right word. "Old."

"Alrighty, Roxanne," Goofy smiled. "Then call me Goofy. Sheriff sounds too official."

He saw the red headed dog smile as she led him into the kitchen. Sitting down, he saw how lived in and alive the room was. There were paintings on the walls, what looked like handmade crafts, and a nice collection of dishware. Goofy wanted to smile at the warm feeling but he was too physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Are you alright, Goofy?" Roxanne asked as she placed a teapot in the middle of the table followed by setting a cup in front of Goofy and herself.

"I'm alright," he smiled. "Just tired from a long weekend."

"It looks like you haven't slept in a while."

"I haven't," he admitted. "We've been a-working on trying to find Minnie nonstop but no luck."

Goofy watched as she poured the tea into his cup and did the same to hers before adding sugar and stirring. Being as tired as he was, he still noticed that she seemed a bit nervous about something. "The person you saw running from the house," Roxanne asked as she stared into her tea. "Did you get catch him?"

"No. Unfortunately not." He noticed the teen relax slightly, beginning to suspect that she knew the person.

"Did you get a good look at him?"

"Nope. He was too far away and it was too dark. Lost him in the trees." Once again, he watched as Roxanne relaxed even more. "Do ya have any idea who the feller might be and why he was here?"

The redhead tensed up once again and avoided eye contact with the officer. "No. I was just curious."

"Nothing looks like it was messed with or stolen," Mr. Martin said as he walked into the kitchen. "Won't know for sure until morning. Thank you, Sheriff, for alerting me and staying with my daughter as I checked everything."

"Pleasure was all mine," Goofy smiled as he stood up and shook the rancher's hand. "Just wish everything worked out as well as this." He tipped his hat slightly as he began to exit.

"Goofy!" Roxanne called to him. The tired dog looked at the smiling female, waiting to hear what she had to say. "I'm sure everything will work out with Ms. Minnie and the bandits."

The Sheriff smiled at her optimism. "I hope so too, Roxanne."


The first workday of the week always seemed a little slow and unwelcomed but this Monday was the slowest morning anyone felt. The ticking clocks seemed go half their speed, the people dragged their feet, the animals seemed sluggish and skittish as if they could feel the tension from their owners, and even the natural elements seemed slower.

There was hardly any wind but when it did blow it felt reluctant. The sun's light looked and felt dimmer as it inched its way into the sky. That water looked as if it ran slower and the taste felt off as well.

The tall horse sighed frustratedly as he jabbed the coals with the poker. He wasn't one to get upset or mad easily but that morning was the tipping point. For some reason, he woke extremely tired, not wanting to get up, causing him to run late to prep his shop. He found his station had remnants of being used but he swore he cleaned it the day before and cursed himself for being so distracted. On top of everything, the coals he tried to light refused to burn forcing him to light them repeatedly.

Satisfied that the coals would now burn, even if it took them years, Horace walked to the front of his shop and opened the large doors to indicate he was opened for business. He stood outside for several minutes to try and calm his agitated mood. The deep breathes worked as he felt himself becoming more relaxed by the second.

From the corner of his eye, he recognized Clarabelle walking in his direction. Walking towards her, he noticed her solemn face. The pale complexion of her skin made the dark circles under her red eyes all the more prominent. Horace's heart ached for his friend, knowing she hadn't taken the last couple of day very well.

"How are you doin', Belle?" Horace asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I-I," she stammered weakly, her eyes still looking at the ground.

"You what?"

"I don't...know...how…"

"What is it Belle? Tell me. Maybe I can help."

Clarabelle looked at Horace, uncertainty engulfing her eyes. "I don't know how to face the students. Wh-what am I going to tell them? They're going to ask questions I don't want to answer or I don't have the answers too. No work is going to get done and I don't know how long I can hold out."

"Things will be alright. You're stronger than you know."

"I'm worried that I will fail Minnie. She wouldn't want the students to fall behind because of her."

"Listen," Horace said. "How about I come with you and stay a while? I can fix that shelf you've been talking about."

"I don't have anything to pay you with."

"It's on the house," Horace smiled.

Clarabelle smiled and chuckled lightly. "Thanks, Horace."

Horace grabbed his tools and escorted her to the schoolhouse. When they reached it, the chatter from inside caused Clarabelle to hesitate but he gave her an encouraging smile and they entered the school.

Every child turned to look at the horse and cow when they opened the door. There was a moment of silence before the children burst into a bombardment of questions.

"Is Ms. Minnie alright?" one girl rabbit asked.

"Are we still having class?" Huey asked.

"Are you taking over the school?" A boy dog asked.

"Is Ms. Minnie dead?" Dewey inquired.

"Are you and Horace dating?" Louie asked.

"When is Ms. Minnie coming back?" a boy cat asked.

"Are you alright?" another boy deer asked.

Out of all the questions he heard, the one Louie asked stayed with Horace, making him blush slightly. He didn't know if Clarabelle heard but he didn't blame her if she didn't. There were a lot of curious kids with questions that Clarabelle was afraid they were going to ask.

"Students," she said calmly, her voice shaking slightly but still strong. "I know you have a lot of questions about the events from Friday but this is school and you are going to learn."

"But we want to learn about Friday," Huey argued as Clarabelle walked to the front of the class. "Details!"

"What is Mr. Horace doing here?" Dewey asked. "Is he our new teacher assistant?"

"Have you replaced Ms. Minnie already?" The girl cat asked horrified.

"No!" Clarabelle consoled. "No one is replacing Minnie. Horace is here to fix our shelf and there will be no more questions about the robbery or the bandits or-"

"Sorry I'm late!"

The children looked back and watched as their teacher walked through the door and hastily get to the front of the class. "Ms. Minnie!"

Horace and Clarabelle watched with their mouths agape as she placed her belongings on the teacher's desk and begin scribbling on the blackboard.

"M-Minnie?" Clarabelle spoke first. "Are you really here?"

The mouse looked at the cow and smiled weakly. "Yes. I'm here. You can pinch me if you want."

Minnie held out her arm and waited for Clarabelle to touch her but the cow just continued to stare.

Horace, on the other hand, noticed the small wound on her head and the bandages around her wrist sticking out ever so slightly from under her sleeve. He also had noticed the slight limp as she walked into the room and the exhaustion in her eyes. "Are you alright, Minnie?" he asked.

Before she could answer, the room burst into a cloud of questions once again.

"How did you escape?"

"When did you get back?"

"What did they do to you?"

"How many were there?"

"Where's their hideout? I want to see it!"

"How did you get the wound on your head?"

Minnie raised her hands to quiet the room. "I know you have a lot of questions and to be honest so do I."

"What do you mean? Weren't you there?"

"Yes, I was, Huey, but I don't remember much of it."


I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was fun to write.