Disclaimer: I do not own Root Beer, the company, or the drink.

Chapter 4

Hatred and Fear

"Why? Are you a criminal?" Adeline asked, already forming a getaway plan in her head.

"What? No!" The boy said, almost looking offended. "I mean dead as in, you know, not living."

"Sure you are," She rolled her eyes. "And I'm a forty foot tall talking tree. Clearly, you're not dead; you're standing, talking, blinking, moving... Nice try." He looked at her like he had never seen her properly until now. Barrel shook his head and began walking away. "Hey, where are you going?" Adeline cried, running after him.

"I'm going to find my friends."

"You're just going to leave me here?"

"Mm... Yep, I guess I am."

"You're unbelievable."

"Well, if it's such a big deal, then why don't you help me?" I'm sure they'd be delighted to see you. He silently added, his mental voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You're asking for my help?"

"I guess so."

She stopped and stared at his back for a second, attempting to peer through to any ulterior motives that he may have. After a little while, she decided to trust him. "What can I do?"

"Look for a circle of trees."

"There are a lot of those around here."

Barrel raised his palm and smacked it against his forehead in exasperation. "Look for some that are taller and thicker than the rest, okay? If that doesn't work, I'm not sure what will," He faltered for a second. Adeline shot him a strange look, but she said nothing. "It may be my only way back."

"Okay, we'll try it your way, o' wise leader," She drawled sarcastically. Barrel's thin eyebrows knitted together. He liked that girl less and less with each passing second. He then turned away and began walking.

Barrel didn't want to explain the holiday worlds to a human. He had heard as a child that they were half-wits, so they wouldn't understand even if he tried to explain. Besides, mortals were not allowed to know about the holiday worlds of old. It would cause unspeakable chaos. He lazily examined the trees as he walked along.

After a while, he felt a faint stir of homesickness. He thought longingly of his bed, the hybrid couch with a tear on it, the Root Beer machine, and even the graffiti they had crafted on the walls as children. What on earth was he doing, asking for a human's help? He shook his head and kept his eyes set ahead of him as he walked. He was vaguely aware of Adeline talking behind him, but he ignored her. Maybe she'd loose interest and go away.

He had to squint his eyes to see in front of him, but after what seemed like eons, he spotted the silhouettes of a familiar clump of trees ahead, and he dashed towards them.

"Barrel! Wait up!" The human girl who called herself Adeline was apparently still following him. He had no idea why, but he didn't really care.

He ran to the very center of the ring of trees and looked around for the one that was happily the most familiar to him. Adeline muttered breathless awes behind him, staring at the fine carvings and running her fingers over them. That was one other thing that he had heard about humans; apparently, they had to touch everything new that they saw. They were so... feely. The thought made him uncomfortable, and he pushed it out of his mind. Finally, he saw it. A tree – branchless, like the others – with a fine carving of a grinning jack-o-lantern door upon its bark. It was easy enough to spot. After all, Halloween was the outcast among the other holidays, so to speak. He dashed to it, a happy balloon inflating in his stomach. He grasped the polished black knob, ignoring Adeline's pleas to not open it, and feeling as if he could've burst into song, and pulled the door open. Finally, he could return home to his best and only friends, to the tree house that had been built by only them and a little help from their former successor, and to the spooks and ghouls of Halloween. To perhaps add more effect, he jumped in, fully trusting the tree.

However...

THUD.

He looked down in shock. All that was below him was a plaque of wood.