9th July 2013 Tuesday

Day 190

I think we're in the best part of the story now, and hopefully it's coming to a close soon.

Disclaimer: Not much to say...it's not mine.

The tavern in town has grown quiet, all but Buzz, Tyrone and Syrrus have gone. The group are seated in a back corner, the dull light the only source of illumination.

Syrrus leans back in his seat, a content smirk growing on his lips. "I don't usually leave the asylum in the middle of the night, but they said you'd make it worth my while."

Buzz swiftly pulls out a sack of gold and tosses it in front of the scary looking man. He takes out a piece, scrapes it on his chin and continues.

"Ah, I'm listening."

"It's like this. I've got my heart set on marrying Jenny, but she needs a little persuasion," Buzz explains, leaning over the small wooden table.

"Turned him down flat!" Tyrone voices in a bid to help. This does not go well with his boss as the older man slams his elbow in to the back of Tyrone's face, jamming his beer mug onto his nose.

"Everyone knows her father's a lunatic," continues the hunter, gesturing with his hands. "He was in here tonight raving about a beast in a castle..."

"George is harmless," explains Syrrus in his oily voice.

"The point is, Jenny would do anything to keep him from being locked up."

Tyrone manages to free his nose, just in time to voice his opinion yet again. "Yeah, even marry him!" Buzz gives him another threatening look, and he ducks back under the mug.

"So you want me to throw her father in the asylum unless she agrees to marry you?" the evil man questions, to which both men nod. At first he shakes his head, but is followed by an eerie laugh. "Oh, that is despicable. I love it!"

George is racing around his cottage, shoving anything he can see in to his pockets and his satchel. "If no one will help me, then I'll go back alone. I don't care what it takes. I'll find that castle and somehow I'll get her out of there."

Holding a lantern in his grasp, the father sets out from the back door of his place and makes his way by foot towards the forest. Seconds later, Buzz and Tyrone arrive with Syrrus driving their cart. They enter the house and begin looking for any residents.

"Jenny! George!" Buzz calls out in his loud voice.

"Oh, well," Tyrone says, pretending to feel dejected. "I guess it's not gonna work after all," just as he is about to exit the home, Buzz grabs him by the neck and walks outside.

"They have to come back sometime," he declares to Tyrone. "And when they do, we'll be ready for them," he drops his companion down on the ground, his fall cushioned by snow. "Tyrone, don't move from that spot until Jenny and her father come home," the hunter orders, jumping on to the back of the moving cart and travelling away.

"But, but... aww, nuts!" he complains, slamming his fist on a wooden panel beside him. No sooner had he hit the plank, than a pile of snow fell on to his head, covering him in snow.

Outside of Zap's castle, Jenny is walking Habi. The snow is thick and soft as the footstool runs past them, jumping and disappearing in a small pile. Zap, with Tung and Dex seated beside him, watch her unnoticed from a high balcony.

Zap puts his hand over his bandage. "I've never felt this way about anyone," his expression brightens. "I want to do something for her," he begins, before turning his mouth in to a frown. He looks to his servants for help. "But what?"

"Well dude, there's the usual things-" Tung begins to catalogue. "Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep."

"Ah, no no. It has to be something very special," Dex begins, as though an expert on the subject. "Something that sparks her inter- wait a minute."

Two huge doors in the hallway stand before Zap and Jenny. The monster gestures for her to stand still as he whispers. "Jenny, there's something I want to show you," he begins to open the door, but slams them shut quickly. "But first, you have to close your eyes."

The girl raises her eyebrow sceptically, but is convinced when he mentions, "It's a surprise."

Jenny closes her eyes, and Zap waves his claw in front of her rapidly. He then opens the door, taking her hands gently and leading her in.

"Can I open them?" she questions eagerly, still begin lead in by her captor.

"No, no. Not yet. Wait here," he orders, walking towards one of the large windows. With great strength he pulls back the heavy, navy blue drapes, spilling sunlight in to the room and on to Jenny's face.

"Now can I open them?"

With an excited expression on his face, "All right. Now," Jenny slowly opens her eyes, her jaw dropping open as she spies rows and rows of sterile laboratory tables, decorated with tools and pieces of wood, soldering irons and toolboxes. The walls are scattered with more tools, each placed neatly in their carved outline.

"I can't believe it," Jenny says awestruck. "I've never seen anything like it in all my life!"

"You-you like it?" he questions nervously as she begins running around, her hands skimming over anything.

"It's wonderful," she cheers, jumping out from behind a bench.

"Then it's yours."

She walks up to him, pulling the safety glasses she had just put on off her eyes. "Oh, thank you so much."

"Oh, would you look at that?" Audrey questions from the door with her friends.

"Ha ha! I knew it would work," Dex says proudly, turning and hopping away down the corridor.

"What?" asks Henry, turning around to everyone who all have knowing smiles. "What works?"

"It's very…promising," Tung ponders, walking to follow Dex.

Jane walks closely behind. "Isn't this exciting!"

"I didn't see anything," voices the tiny teacup, before being pushed by his mother.

"Come along, Henry," the teapot urges. "There's chores to be done in the kitchen."

"But what are they talking about? What's going on?"

Jenny and Zap are seated opposite each other on a long dining table, eating their breakfast. Jenny carefully brings the spoon to her lips, opening her eyes to spy Zap who is gobbling up his food, no table manners present whatsoever. Henry laughs from his spot on the table, only to be on the receiving end of a scowl from his mother. The girl tries to ignore his behaviour, noticed by Zap. The bug looks eagerly towards the objects on the table, Henry having shoved the tiny spoon towards him. Picking it up in his claw with great difficulty, he dips it in his bowl and holds it high, catching it on his outstretched tongue. With a smile, Jenny puts down her spoon and lifts her bowl as if in a toast. Zap looks at the compromise and does the same. They raise them together, then tip the contents down their throats.

Snow has completely covered the courtyard, and Jenny, dressed in a white fur and red valour coat, helps Zap as the two feed the birds.

There's something sweet
And almost kind
But he was mean
And he was coarse and unrefined.

But now he's dear
And so unsure,
I wonder why I didn't see it there before.

Zap has trouble getting the birds to eat from his hand, so Jenny kneels down beside him, placing a trail of seeds in front of them. A little blue one lands in his hands, and he looks up with the most elated expression.

She glanced this way
I thought I saw
And when we touched
She didn't shudder at my claw

No it can't be
I'll just ignore
But then she's never looked at me that way before.

Jenny has ducked around a tree, leaving Zap with the birds. She begins to look doubtful again, but turns her head around the tree and laughs at the sight of the huge monster, every inch of him covered in little songbirds.

New, and a bit alarming
Who'd have ever thought that this could be?
True, that he's no Prince Charming
But there's something in him that I simply didn't see.

The birds fly away, and Zap turns back to the girl, just in time for a snowball to hit him square in the face. With a sly grin, Zap begins to scoop a mountain of snow in his hands and lifts it up, but another snowball hits him, causing the large ball to fall on to him.

The objects are looking out of the window, watching as the two chase each other around a tree.

'Well who'd have thought?' Dex sings, turning to the group.

'Well bless my soul,' Audrey sings in shock

'And who'd have known?' sings Tung in wonder

'Well who indeed?'

'And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own?' Dex states, turning back to the window.

'It's so peculiar'

We'll wait and see
A few days more
There may be something there that wasn't there before

In the den, Zap carefully takes off Jenny's coat, hanging it up on the coat rack as the girl sits down in front of a coffee table close to a roaring fire. Zap sits on the other side, watching her with amazement as she builds something before his very eyes.

'Yes, perhaps there's something there that wasn't there before,' Tung sings, looking down at Henry.

"What?" the little boy asks.

'There may be something there that wasn't there before,' Audrey sings in agreement with Tung.

"What's there, mom?" Henry asks, looking confused and frustrated.

The teapot smiles down at him. "I'll tell you when you're older."

Shorter than the last ones, but I knew I was going to be busy today. R&R!