After Dorothy told us that the puppets may be looking for us, we somehow decided to hide in the woods for the night instead of… okay, I can't think of any better ideas, but I'm sure they're out there. "So we're just gonna sleep in the middle of nowhere with no supplies and just hope for the best?" I asked.

"Yep," she replied.

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea," said Henry.

"That's two votes for goin' back home where it's safe," I said, trying to escape the situation I was pushed into. As Henry and I tried to walk away, Dorothy grabbed us by our collars.

"The journey from the United States to Australia is too long to go on in one trip. And besides, if we can set up a decent shelter for the night, we can survive out here without the puppets finding us."

I was starting to sway in her direction, especially since I was almost done with my Survival Skills badge in my scout troop. "Sure. What could go wrong?" I meant it at the time, but as soon as those words came out of my mouth, I knew something bad was about to happen. After a few hours, we put together a nice little hut with just logs and leaves. It could only fit two of us, but Dorothy opted to sleep outside since she felt she was the only one who could protect us.

After Henry and I tucked in, I asked him something that had been burning in my mind for such a long time. "Is Dorothy always this bossy?" That obviously wasn't the whole question, but I felt like it was a good way to start, even if it came out wrong.

"No, not always," he answered, "but she can be kinda hard to deal with sometimes. Though I have to admit, maybe I'm the problem."

"Why's that?"

"She always has these complex plans engraved in her head, and I always manage to mess them up. Either I get distracted by something, or I…"

"Chicken out?" I interrupted.

"Yep. I always look like I'm having a blast, but I'm really just hiding all my fears. I wish I could be like Dorothy. She's brave. She's organized. She's smart. She's… perfect."

I didn't realize just how similar we were to each other. I told him, "No offense, but she's everything I wish I could be, while you're… well, you're everything I am."

"None taken," he responded, knowing how right we both were. "Well, we got a big day tomorrow. Try to get some rest."

"I'm not sure I can." I was still trying to take in all the weird crap that's happened to me today. "I've been abducted by two furries on a mission to take the world back from a quartet of evil puppets." I chuckled, thinking the comment would lighten the mood, but then I realized calling two people who made up about 50% of my childhood furries wouldn't paint me in a very good light. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice. I only got about three hours of sleep that night, and the next morning, I woke up somewhere completely different from where we started.

Author's Notes:

I don't really have much to say except for the fact that I reinvented Dorothy and Henry's personalities so they would be more entertaining, likable, and relatable.

Stay tuned for Chapter 6: Peril on Puppet Island