Terry wasn't sure yet what she was going to do after Rudy and Penny were rescued. Thoughts ran through her mind, but a definitive answer escaped her.

On the one hand, she did feel it was important to tell the family members of those who were killed by Bardot. They needed some kind of closure after all. It would be unfair to keep this a secret from them. They had no idea their loved ones were dead. They don't know that they'll never come back. They don't know they had been tortured and eaten by some psychotic being from another realm.

And what of everyone else in general? Even if Bardot was stopped, who is to say that it won't happen again? What if another zoner got access to the real world and exploited it? ChalkZone had hidden dangers, and the more that knew about it, the better perhaps. Precautions could be taken so that no one could get hurt.

Then...there was some doubt implanted her during her trip here. She couldn't quite name what it was. Perhaps the very act of being in here, along with other things, that helped her reconsider her decision. She had never been in ChalkZone before. She had never interacted with the citizens here. There was a world of difference between researching something and experiencing it. Being in ChalkZone felt a little different than she imagined. She had seen it through a portal, but that was it.

There had to have been a reason why Rudy and Penny tried so hard to keep this place a secret even from their own parents. Terry had never bothered asking them about it. Now she wished she had. If she had stopped to think about why they wanted to keep it a secret, then she could have done something about it...or at least understood their point of view.

Terry wondered if part of the reason was due to how alive this place really was. Being in ChalkZone further cemented into Terry's mind about the zoners definitely being real, perhaps more than she had imagined. The world felt real. Despite being created by chalk dust, everything there seemed to have a life of its own, so to speak. From the chalk drawn plants to the chalk drawn birds flying overhead, there didn't seem to be anything that suggested they weren't as real as her or the other adults.

Even bizarre things like the wiggies she encountered years ago, and the flying pencils... even things that didn't seem possible, they still had a 'real' feel to them. Terry imagined that if she saw more of ChalkZone and met more citizens, if she saw more sentient life here, she would further see how alive this place was. If Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky were any proof, the sentient zoners were just as capable of thought, reason, and emotion as any human.

Perhaps, in the end, this is why Rudy and Penny kept this place a secret. Maybe they were afraid of what might happen if just any human could get into ChalkZone. They might have been afraid of exploitation, of how the zoners might be treated, of people drawing whatever they wanted to and wreaking havoc in this world.

Terry still couldn't decide, ultimately, which route was the best to take. She could expose this world and make it safe for anyone who wanted to enter. There could be some positive interactions between the two worlds. It might be hard to accomplish, but it was still possible. But the problem with exposing it is that it could all go horribly wrong. More people might disappear if they wander into ChalkZone and had no idea what they were doing.

So there was the option of keeping it a secret. Sometimes ignorance was bliss. Keeping it a secret would reduce the chances of anyone wandering into the place and disappearing. It could also prevent any negative interaction between the worlds. Yet...by not telling..what was she going to tell the families of the victims? She had to come up with some kind of story. She wasn't sure if she could come up with anything believable. She wasn't that good at coming up with stories.

So in the end, it was hard for her to say. Choosing an option wasn't going to be easy. To make her final decision, she may have to speak with Rudy and Penny whenever they recover enough to speak. She could get confirmation from them so she could understand more of why they were determined to keep this place a secret. Then, after talking to them, she could spend some time alone to think about what course of action was most appropriate.

Her thoughts went to Bardot. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. Something about the look in his eyes... Does he know that she used to stalk Rudy and Penny? Does he know about all the evidence she gathered from said stalking? The way he looked at her...it did suggest that. What if he decided to tell them? What would she say to the parents? They wouldn't be happy knowing that she had been stalking their kids for a time.

She would have to think of something to tell them. She would have a hard time lying about it. She wasn't that great at lying. They would likely see right through any fib she tried to tell them. She would have no choice but to explain to them why she did it. Perhaps if she drove home the point that she wasn't trying to harm their kids, they might be a little less...peeved off.

But the best thing to hope for was that it would never have to be brought up. She'd have to hope that Bardot never gets the chance to tell them.

She glanced over at the parents. They were really worried. She couldn't blame them. Their children were dying and time was running out. They felt useless. They wanted to do something to help, but there was nothing they could do. All they could do was stand there and wait for Snap to return. But none of them knew how long it was going to take. There was no telling when Snap would come out...or if he would come out at all.

Blocky and Rapsheeba also looked really worried. They, as well as the parents, kept looking back at the cave entrance. Their expressions said it all. They were hoping that, at any moment, Snap would return with Rudy and Penny.

Terry bit her lip as she looked over at the entrance herself. She did hope that Snap would make it. She hoped the teenagers would make it. Seeing how badly injured they had been...it made her blood boil. It disgusted her that Bardot would be so cruel. Granted, she hadn't been the nicest person in the past, like how she stuffed Snap into a bag. But at least she didn't hurt him that badly. She hadn't been torturing him or his friends like Bardot had.

Despite how annoying these three had been to her in the past, she would never wish this kind of fate upon them. She would never have wanted them to get tortured and killed. They hadn't done anything to deserve this. In the back of her mind, she kept hoping that, at any second, Snap would return with the two teenagers. And once he returned, they would head back to the real world as soon as possible.

Then, moments later, she heard a scraping sound. She turned her head towards the entrance of the cave. Something was pushing up against it. Her eyes widened a little. Someone was coming out.

"Hey..look!" Terry cried, pointing her finger at the entrance.

The other adults looked over to see what Terry was pointing out. They quickly saw what she was looking at. The vines covering the entrance were moving, bending. Something was coming from behind them. They watched, waiting for the few seconds it took to see what was going to emerge.

Then, seconds later, they saw a bunch of dogs rush out. Chalk dogs...they all had outlines. They were attached by some rope and they were pulling something. The screaming sound was getting louder. Soon, something that looked like a sled came skidding out, bumping against the ground. And in the sled itself, they could see Rudy, Penny, and Snap. The blue zoner was barely awake while the two teenagers were clearly unconscious.

The sled came to a halt a few feet away from the cave entrance. The dogs yapped and whimpered as they looked around at everyone. Terry had no idea how those dogs got in that place. Had they been prisoners? Did Rudy or Penny manage to draw them? She didn't wonder about that for too long. It wasn't important. What was important was the condition of the riders laying down in the sled.

"Rudy!" Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie shouted.

"Penny!" Mrs. Sanchez screamed.

Terry watched as the parents rushed over to the sled. They stared at their children, absolutely horrified at what had happened to them. They were a wreck. Their bodies were covered in gashes, Rudy had a broken leg and arm, Penny a broken leg, they were covered in so much blood... It was terrifying. It was amazing that they were still alive, even if just barely.

The parents tried to wake up their children. They called out their names, gently shaking them. There was no response. They kept trying again and again. They shook them a little harder. That didn't change a thing. Terry watched sadly as they tried, for a minute or so, to wake their children up. They started to cry when there was no reply, no reaction to what they were doing.

"Snap!"

Blocky and Rapsheeba ran over to their friend. Snap looked just as bad off as Rudy and Penny. Bruised and banged up, tattered and torn, so much blood, it was amazing Snap was still alive. He looked like he had gone through a blender. He looked worse off than the teenagers with that terrifying wound on his chest. She wondered just how damaging it was to him. Judging from how it seemed like taking a single breath was painful for the zoner, she'd have to say it did a lot of damage to him.

Snap was awake, but just barely. His eyes were open and he was looking around. He had some awareness as he was smiling at the parents as they came up to their children. It was a smile of satisfcation. He had succeeded in bringing their children back alive, just like he had promised. He was happy was able to fulfill that promise.

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked down at their friend sadly, their lower lips quivering. Snap turned his attention to them, the smile never leaving his face. He attempted to sit himself up, but it was clear he was in too much pain to move. Rapsheeba and Blocky helped him up, minding the many injuries he had sustained.

Mrs. Sanchez put her arm around Penny and pulled her into a gentle hug. She pressed her face against her daughter's and cried hard, her body shaking with emotion. "Penny...My sweet Penny... You'll be okay..."

"Rudy...come on sweetie...wake up..." Mrs. Tabootie said to her son, tears pooling from her face. She cradled him gently, lifting him up a little.

Mr. Tabootie reached down and touched his son's face, his eyes glistening. "I-If you can hear me son...you'll be fine... We'll get you to a hospital..."

Terry walked slowly over towards the sled. She stood next to Blocky and Rapsheeba. She looked down at them. They were huddled close to their friend. She looked down at them sympathetically. Terry felt a little uncomfortable standing here. Seeing these wounds this up close and personal...it was nerve wracking. They looked a lot worse up close than further away.

She stared at Snap. As she looked at him, she let everything start to sink in. This nightmare might be over. She didn't see any sign of Bardot. Snap must have been able to defeat him somehow. She had been right about Snap. He really wouldn't give up. She was right to have faith in him. She had been right to believe that he could beat Bardot and Draow. Because it was clear that he had.

Slowly, she smiled down at him. She lowered herself down and gently touched Snap on the shoulder. The zoner weakly looked up at her. He looked at her with a somewhat uncertain expression. She guessed it was because he had no idea what kind of plans she had for after all this was over. She could understand why.

"Well...you did it, Snap." Terry said. "I knew you could."

"Heh..." Snap said, staring up at Terry. "Nice that...you know I...never give...up..." He stopped talking and winced, clutching his chest and letting out a whimper.

"Snap..." Rapsheeba said, her eyes welling up.

"They're all in trouble." Blocky said as he looked at Rudy and Penny. "They aren't going to last very long."

Rapsheeba turned to the parents. "Get in the sled! We have to get you guys back to your world so you can get your kids to the hospital!" Rapsheeba turned to Blocky and said, "After we get to the portal and drop them off, we'll keep going and get Snap to a hospital!"

No one was going to argue with her. They knew she was right. Although the sled wasn't very big, they didn't have much of a choice. They all climbed in, careful not to hurt the mortally injured passengers. The dogs started to wag their tails, staring straight out ahead and awaiting a command.

Everyone settled in as comfortably as they could. The sled was a little crude and angular. It had a few somewhat sharp edges. It was difficult to sit in the somewhat crowded sled without feeling like they were being poked. But it would have to do. As long as Rudy, Penny, and Snap weren't being squished, they should be fine. Blocky went towards the front and prepared to mush the dogs.

Terry couldn't wait to get out of here. She hated this place. This cave of dread with those vicious monsters. And she knew that the parents felt the same way. The sooner they got out of here, the better. At least the worst of it was over. There was still the matter of Rudy, Penny, and Snap. Whether or not they'd be okay...it all depended on when they could get to the hospital and just how exensive their injuries were. But at least they were safe now, away from that place. Terry imagined that, pretty soon, someone would come and lock up those zoners. She imagined this place had some kind of justice system.

Blocky shouted, "Mush!" And, slowly, the dogs started to move.

Suddenly, before the dogs could break into a run, when the sled had barely moved a centimeter, something shot out from behind the sled. Something yellow and red... Terry and the others stared in horror when they saw Bardot leaning over the sled. He had gripped Snap by his shoulders with his claws. Before any of them could react, he yanked the injured zoner out.

"Snap!" Rapsheeba cried. She jumped out of the sled and rushed towards the entrance.

The sled was starting to pick up speed. Terry narrowed her eyes and she turned to Blocky.

"Get them to the portal!" Terry shouted. "Come back for us after!"

"But what about..." Blocky started to say.

"Just get to the portal! Rudy and Penny need to go to the hospital!" Terry glanced over at the parents. They were staring at her, wide-eyed, as she started to move towards the edge of the sled. "I'm going to go with Rapsheeba and get Snap out of there!"

With that, before anyone could say anything, Terry jumped out of the sled. She stumbled into the ground. She groaned and shook her head. She got up to her feet and she looked at the cave entrance. Her eyes widened as she saw Bardot holding Snap in a headlock. The blue zoner struggled a little, but he was too weak to fight back effectively. Terry noticed the arm that Bardot was using to hold Snap had a broken toe, but that did little to slow him down as he continued to move towards the entrance. In seconds, Bardot had run back inside the cave, carrying Snap along with him.

Terry run towards the entrance, Rapsheeba a good distance ahead of her. Their feet pounded the ground, their hearts racing, as they rushed over to where Bardot had taken Snap. As she got closer to the entrance, disgusted ran through her mind. Taking advantage of the weak and injured... Just how low was Bardot willing to sink? Snap needed help. She didn't know how much more of a beating the little guy could take. She and Rapsheeba had to get him out of there and fast.

But as they got close, things just took a turn for the worse. There was a low rumbling sound and then rocks fell at the front of the entrance. The eyes of the cave seemed to glow and Terry wondered if some kind of trap was set or something. Bardot must have activated something. Now, standing in their way, were a bunch of thickly packed rocks. The entrance was completely blocked.

"No! Snap!" Rapsheeba cried. She tried to dig through the rocks. She managed to get a few small ones out. But she was unable to dig out too much, and none of the larger rocks would budge. Tears flew from her face as she pounded against the rocks. "No! This can't be happening! Snap!" She fell to her knees.

Terry came up to her. She looked down sadly at the zoner. She bent forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Rapsheeba looked up at her.

"We'll find another way in. I'm sure Bardot made more than one entrance to this place." Terry offered her hand. Rapsheeba hesitated, then took it. Terry helped the zoner up to her feet. "Come on, let's look around the back. We might find something that can help us."

Rapsheeba nodded her head rigidly. Seeing no choice, she followed Terry as they walked around behind the cave, looking for any sign of an entrance. Terry knew there had to be one in here somewhere. Unless Bardot was suicidal, he would have put another entrance in here. The question was...where was it? And would they find it in time?

sss

Moments ago, Snap had barely been awake. He could still see his surroundings, but his mind was pretty numb. He was so tired, so sleepy. It took what little strength he had to stay awake. The world around him had gotten darker, his eyes losing focus. Although he wanted to rest, he wanted to stay awake first and make sure Rudy and Penny made it through the portal with their parents. Then, after that, he would rest a little.

But when Bardot suddenly grabbed him from behind...he had been jolted awake. Suddenly he was fully awake, fully aware. His eyes stared at Bardot with fear as the zoner dragged him back into the cave, blocking off the main entrance so no one could come in and save him. There was no one else in this cave now. It was just him and Bardot. Well there was Draow, but he wasn't going to help him.

Snap saw the look in Bardot's eyes. His pupils had become pointy, like a claw almost. He was constantly snarling and growling. Drool flew from his mouth as he ran. His fur was raised up, looking wickedly sharp. He looked feral, like he was just some wild animal. Just looking into his eyes filled Snap with dread. Snap gave a few whimpers and tried to struggle against his grasp. But he had lost too much strength. He couldn't dislodge himself.

Bardot continued to run down the tunnels, just simply going straight, making no turns. It was like his mind was so focused on him, that he didn't really care which direction he went. During the running, Snap hit the ground a few times, scraping his legs or feet against it. He let out a few weak cries of pain. Bardot made no response to these cries, not even a chuckle of satisfaction. He was really lost in his own anger, rage overwhelming him.

Then, up ahead, Snap could see what appeared to be a large, round room. It looked somewhat incomplete. The center of the floor had some wooded planks. Snap wondered, briefly, just what Bardot had planned to do with this room had his scheme succeeded.

When Bardot got to the entrance of the room, he stopped. He looked down at Snap and let out a snarl. He gripped him with his paw. He was so filled with rage that he did not acknowledge his own pain as he held Snap with the hand with a broken digit. He grew Snap into the room with as much force as he could muster.

Snap cried out in pain as he rolled across the ground, landing on his side on the wood planks. He moaned and tried to get back up. But with his adrenaline gone, he could barely lifted up his head as Bardot came barreling down towards him. Snap knew, even before Bardot got close enough to attack, that he wasn't going to show any mercy on him. Bardot didn't care if he was already hurt. He didn't care that he was too weak to fight back. All Bardot cared about was hurting him more. He had truly snapped and now Snap was going to, unfortunately, bear witness to his temper.

The claws came down swift and without much warning. They dug into his side and tossed him across the ground. Snap shrieked loudly as his side was torn further open. Then another blow, claws cutting across his chest, further slicing open the wound there. Another scream of pain. Blood quickly covered the wooden planks. Then Bardot struck down on his shoulder, ripping it open and pushing Snap into the grond on his stomach.

Again and again, Bardot struck with his claws. He slashed into his back and shoulders. He cut into the back of his head and on his scalp. The claws ripped apart his cloth and flesh. Blood pooled out of the various new wounds. Then he struck him in the side again, forcing him to roll onto his back.

Bardot was absolutely relentless. Snap kept screaming, crying in pain, as Bardot continued to slash him. He struck him across the face, almost tearing his eyes out in the process. He slashed his limbs, hacking away at them. He kept striking his chest and stomach. Snap started to cough up blood. Bardot didn't stop. His tiny pupils stared down at him, boring through his soul. He didn't speak; he just growled at him like some wild beast.

The fighting on the planks caused them to start to break. Snap's eyes widened in fear as he felt the ground below them give way. Down he and Bardot fell. They were falling into one of the lower levels, a room that looked kinda like the room Rudy and Penny had been held in. Snap closed his eyes and waited for the impact.

He felt Bardot grab onto him. He pushed Snap underneath him and tightened his grip. Snap realized what Bardot was about to do. And he quickly got that confirmation. When they collided, he felt Bardot's weight crash in on him, increasing the blow. His side was crushed up against the hard ground. Then he felt a sharp pain and he let out a loud scream. His arm...the one with the pulled muscle..it had been bent under the weight at an odd angle. A crack sounded out. His arm had been shattered.

In the midst of his pain, Snap saw something purple laying not far from him. Purple chalk? He knew what blue chalk could do. But what of purple chalk? It had to have some kind of important function. Why else would Bardot have it here?

He didn't have time to think about it. His mind was overwhelmed by pain again as Bardot struck him againd and again with his claws. More wounds gushing with blood. Soon Snap looked like he had went through a shredder. His clothes are almost completely ripped to shreds. His body was covered with so many slashes, he was losing so much more blood... There was hardly a piece of blue left on him now. Most of his body was covered by his own blood.

"Do you think it'll be all over so easily?!"

Snap's eyes widened at that dark, scratchy voice. He realized it was Bardot. He regained some of his thought to speak to him. And he wished that he hadn't. That voice...so terrifying. It was like a hungry wolf trying to mimic speech. It was so...alien...

"I will not allow you to take another victory away from me!"

With that, Bardot lifted up his uninjured paw, carefully holding his weight with his injured one. In a second, he plunged the claws deep into Snap's stomach, slicing in deeply. Snap let out a bloodcurdling scream, more blood pouring from his mouth. Snap had a disturbing, morbid thought. Just how much more blood did he have left to shed..?

Snap felt three thick clawed digits wrap around his neck. They squeezed tightly, choking him. He weakly struggled, kicking his legs slightly. But he was too weak to fight back. He stared up at Bardot in fear, silently pleading him to let him go. But Bardot just tightened his grip.

Bardot bared his sharp teeth at him. "I will just go back into hiding! Then I will come back!" He shouted, his voice laced in hatred. He stared down intently at Snap. "But you won't...!"

"Snap!"

Snap and Bardot looked over at one of the tunnels. They stared at it for a few seconds. Then came another cry.

"Snap! Hold on!"

Snap widened his eyes a little. He couldn't believe it. It was...it was Terry and Rapsheeba. How..how did they find them so fast? How did they get in when the entrance was blocked? He watched as they came into view, running towards them, horrified expressions plastered on their faces.

When they got close enough, Snap started to speak weakly, hoping Terry could hear him. "B-Bouffant...the purple chalk..." He gagged, the pressure from Bardot's hand making it hard to speak. "I-It's over there...u-u-use it..."

Terry wasted no time. She rushed over to where the purple chalk was.

Bardot's eyes fixated on Terry for a moment. He watched as she went over to grab the purple chalk. His eyes widened in fear for a moment. Snap took note of this. Was purple chalk something that could stop him? It must be. He looked more visibly afraid of Terry going after the purple chalk than he did when he had found the blue chalk.

Then Bardot glared down at him. His eyes narrowing dangerously, growls emitting from his throat, the very sight of him struck fear and dread in Snap's heart. It was clear Bardot was not happy with him giving the location of the purple chalk. His jaws opened and closed a few ties, an obvious threat. Bardot threw Snap and watched as he landed on his stomach. Terry, by then, had grabbed the purple chalk and was drawing something with it.

Snap pushed himself up with his unbroken arm and stared at Rapsheeba, who he had landed in front of. Rapsheeba helped him up to his feet. She stared at him with wide, worried eyes. Snap wanted to smile and comfort her. But what could he say to this?

"S-Snap..." Rapsheeba whispered, tearing up. "P-Please be okay..."

"I'm...still...standing, aren't I...?" Snap whispered back. "B-Barely...but I'm still..standing... I'm still alive..." Rapsheeba smiled a little at this, but she still looked concerned.

Suddenly, Snap was reminded that the threat of Bardot had not yet passed. He felt something clamp down on his shoulder. His eyes snapped wide open and he screamed. Rapsheeba put her hands to her mouth, her eyes big with horror reflecting out of them. She took a few steps back, shaking her head in denial. Snap turned his head to see what had happened.

Bardot had rushed over to him and grabbed one of his shoulders with his claws, holding him still. And then, to Snap's absolute horror, his jaws had bitten down onto his other shoulder, driving the remaining fang into him. Snap could feel the burning venom being injected into his injured body. Bardot did not release him until he pumped in as much venom as he could. After Bardot finally let go, he took a step back and stared at Snap with an evil smile.

Snap fell onto his knees. He felt the venom start to take effect. A tingly sensation spread through his shoulder. He felt his bones start to ache, like they were being filled with something forcefully. He looked over at Rapsheeba, staring into her frightened eyes. His body trembled from the pain, and the ache in his bones increased, becoming sharper and more pronounced.

Snap looked behind him, seeing Bardot there. He stared at him with a satisfied grin. Bardot let out a cruel laughter that echoed off the walls. This was cut off when Terry lassoed him with a shining purple rope, the rope tightening around his neck. Snap watched as Bardot froze where he stood, waves of purple pumping over his body. His fur raised on end, his eyes widened. He let out a loud yelp. Then he slumped to the ground, his eyes closing.

He was shocked by this and so was Terry and Rapsheeba. None of them could figure out what had happened. But at least, for now, Bardot had been subdued.

The venom's effects were becoming stronger. The effects of blood loss and the injuries intermixed with that as well. Snap's world started to spin. It became darker and darker. His vision blurred. All strength started to swiftly leave him. He looked over at Rapsheeba, a tear flowing down his cheek.

"...s...s...sorr...sorry..." Snap whispered.

Then he slumped to the ground. He could barely register Rapsheeba's panicked cries. He could barely see Terry coming over to him. He barely felt Terry pick him up into her arms. All he could hear was a garbled mess, and all he could see was a mixture of shadows.

Then soon, he saw nothing. He fell limp in Terry's arms, and he closed his eyes.