Chapter Eleven
Stay All Night
"Gizmo? Can you hear me? Gizmo?" Otto shouted.
"She's gone, fool."
Mandra had grabbed Otto from around the neck and started choking him.
It was a full half a minute when Otto finally gave in to Mandra's grip. She threw him on the ground, he rolled onto his stomach. Otto was still conscious and tried to stand up, but only got to his hands and knees. His bottom lip was bleeding, he was sweating, and tired, and his body was covered in scratches and bruises.
"Pathetic. You are a useless worm that should've been crushed long ago." Mandra said.
She was standing over Otto with her giant claw waiting to smash his head open. Mandra started throwing her claw down when something smashed it to pieces. She screamed in pain and was thrown across the ground.
"Try to kill me now." Otto said.
He had gotten his saws out and smashed her claw. Otto turned around and was facing against Mandarin now.
"Otto. You don't what to hurt me, do you? We were friends."
"Were friends, Mandarin. Now you're the enemy."
"I see that Antauri's taught you something."
"No, Gizmo did. And that's to let go of old friendships that never lasted. And that means the one on you."
"Otto, Otto, Otto. Are you really going to let a girl tell you what is what?"
"You let Valina tell you."
"No I did not!"
That's when Mandarin charged at Otto and Otto just stood there.
"You know I did learn something from Antauri. And that's to…" Otto stepped out of the way of Mandarin's attack and Mandarin ran straight into a tree. "Always let the other person go first before you do."
"Otto! You did it!" Nova shouted.
Everyone was too in shock to help earlier. Someone rested their hand on Otto's shoulder. Otto looked and saw Antauri.
"That was an awesome trick you pulled on Mandarin!" Elella said.
"Thanks but-Gizmo! I almost forgot!" Otto shouted.
He ran over to the collapsed rocks and started digging with his saws through the rubble. Everyone else helped out as well. When they were so close they heard something from above them.
Gizmo's P.O.V…
I started to wake up, slowly though. I felt something wet hit my face, as if I had to have water to wake me up. When I finally woke up, I tried to stand up, but my stomach hurt so much. That lousy Mandarin, if I ever get out of here-Wow. I sound like Nova or Blaze. I finally got up, holding my stomach, and turned on my helmet light. I was inside a cave, a lousy cave with no way out. I started hearing drills and saws. That was them! The others must be trying to get me out! I saw a little light above me and climbed to it, still in pain, but I ignored it. When I got up there, I saw it was a little hole, big enough for my tail to go through, that led to the outside of the cave. I tried yelling through the little hole, "Guys! Hey! I'm up here! Guys!," but I didn't think anyone could hear.
Outside the cave…
Everyone was still working through the rubble, when Otto stopped. Sprx followed and stopped his work.
"Otto? What's wrong?" Sprx asked.
"Listen. Do you hear that?" Otto answered.
Sprx listened and heard a faint sound.
"Everyone stop! Listen!" Sprx said.
Everyone stopped and listened.
"Guys! Hey! I'm up here! Guys!"
Otto climbed up the rubble and followed the sound.
"Gizmo? That you?" He called.
Inside the cave…
"Hello? Hey! Guys!" Gizmo heard that her friends and family stopped outside and could hear her. "Guys! Hey! I'm up here! Guys!"
"Gizmo? That you? Where are you?"
"Otto? I'm right here! Look for my tail!" Gizmo shouted through the hole.
She slipped her tail, oh so easily, through the hole.
"Found you! Hold on! We'll have you out in a second!"
"Alright."
Gizmo climbed down and away from the area so not to get hit with rocks and rubble. She heard the drills and pair of saws again, chopping and digging through the cave's ceiling. It would be about an hour before they got her out and it was already getting cold as winter in there.
"Please, hurry you guys." Gizmo whispered.
She curled up into a sitting position up against the wall and shivered.
Outside the cave…
It was getting dark out, and no one had gotten through the cave. Melodie and Seala went to get the whole camp to come and help earlier. Everyone was trying to break through the ceiling and the front of the cave where all the rubble was. Otto was talking through the other side of the cave to try and keep Gizmo awake. After about two hours of all the whole camp helping they finally got to tired to go on.
"We'll have to try again tomorrow. It's late and no one's in any shape to keep going." One of the councilors told Melodie.
"She'll freeze." Melodie argued.
"I know, but we can't just keep going all night. All the campers are tired and you're not in any shape yourself to try and get that girl out. I'm sorry, but we'll try again tomorrow."
Melodie was defeated and walked over to everyone else who were talking to Gizmo.
"May I talk to her?" Melodie asked.
"Of course. She's been asking about you the whole time." Elella said.
Melodie bent down next to the hole in the wall and started to cry a little.
"Gizmo, honey, um…the councilors said that…um…no one's in any shape to finish tonight. They'll have to try again in the morning."
"Mom? Tout va bien. It's alright. I'm sure I'll be fine. Nova said I could use up as much energy tonight to keep warm."
"Gizmo, you do that. Alright. You…um…do whatever you need to do to keep warm tonight." Melodie stood up and got away from the hole so she could cry without Gizmo hearing her.
Antauri hugged her and tried to make Melodie feel better. Otto bent down next to hole and wanted to cry, but was strong enough not to.
"Gizmo, I'm going to stay here all night with you. And make sure you'll be okay."
"Thanks Otto. It's kind of scary in here."
"I'll get you're things and bring them back here for you." Gibson said.
He knew there was no point in arguing with Otto about this chose because he would do the same exact thing if that were Seala in that cave.