Hey guys. After a long absence, I'm back. And I had big changes in my life during this long time. My work stopped following my boss's illness and today she passed away. RIP. To top it off, I had computer problems and the flu. While waiting to find work, I was able to motivate myself to write again.
On that, good reading.
Chapter 2: Madame Medusa
Walking the streets of New York hadn't been fun for Jaq and Gus. But with the help of Bernard and Bianca, they were able to adapt to the strangeness of this new world. They were heading towards the Morningside Orphanage, where the letter to the sea was destined.
In the pouring rain, they took refuge under a mailbox. Bernard took the opportunity to read the map.
"Morningside Orphanage. Here... Here it is... Three blocks down and four blocks over..."
"We're almost there." announced Jaq, who was still surprised by this new world.
"Gentlemen, why don't we take the shortcut through the zoo?" declared Bianca.
"Gee, Miss Bianca, it's... You know, it could be risky." suggested Bernard, not reassured.
"Oh, come on. Remember our pledge? And these gentlemen Jaq and Gus are willing to help us," continued the Hungarian mouse.
"Help you, guys," Gus announced proudly.
Bernard whistled, remembering his pledge to the Rescue Aid Society. The four mice began to cross the zoo, despite the rain. Then, Bianca stopped walking when she noticed a part of the zoo that was plunged into darkness.
Even Cinderella's two mice were not reassured.
"Zugk-zugk. Maybe we could… turn around?" Jaq suggested.
"It's too dark," Gus agreed in a small, fearful voice.
Bernard, not being afraid of the dark, decided to go and see. A moment passed, while the mouse had disappeared into the darkness. Then a terrible growl rang out, and Bernard fled in fear.
Jaq, Gus and Bianca hurried to follow him. They left the zoo huffing and puffing.
"What happened?" Bianca wondered after catching her breath.
"He's just a grumpy, old lion." Bernard replied abruptly. "How about tryin' the three blocks down and four blocks over?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Gus agreed, shaking his head vigorously.
Soon after, they discovered the orphanage where Penny resided. The mice had come through an open window. Our little heroes contemplated their environment, until Bernard discovered a box where Penny's things were placed.
Jaq, Gus and Bianca joined him in the box.
"Maybe she's still here?" Gus suggested.
"Well, she can't be." objected Bernard. "It says on the box, 'Hold until further notice.' "
"Well, maybe she's been adopted." Bianca assumed in turn.
"No, because she would have taken these things with her." Bernard remarked.
"So where is she?" Jaq asked.
It was then that a big cat, which had just woken up next to the box, raised its head and saw the four mice inside the box.
"Mice?"
Jaq, Gus, Bernard and Bianca jumped in fright at the sight of the big cat.
"CAT!" they screamed in fear.
Bernard and Bianca hid in a shoe, while Jaq dragged Gus behind the sandal.
But Rufus the cat didn't seem to want to chase them away.
"Now lookee here, you four. If folks find out that mice moved in here, I'll get kicked out, lose my job."
The mice then understood that the cat was too old to chase them. With relief, Jaq convinced Gus to come out and join Rufus.
"Don't worry, Mr. Cat. We won't be here long." Bianca said to reassure the cat.
Rufus the cat stretched, sighing in relief.
"I am a mite too old to be chasin' mice."
Jaq sighed in relief to his companion Gus.
"He's not Lucifer! Zugk-zugk!"
Gus nodded enthusiastically.
Bernard then began to question the cat.
"Sir, could you tell us what happened to a little girl named Penny?"
The cat thought for a moment, then his face lit up.
"I sure can. But you ain't gonna find her around here. See, poor little thing ran away!"
"She ran away?!" Jaq wondered. "Why?"
"Just before Penny disappeared," Rufus explained to them, "I saw her crying alone in her room. She was afraid no one would adopt her. So I helped her regain her confidence. She seemed happy enough, but the next thing I heard, Penny was gone."
"And no one is looking for her?" Gus said, stunned.
"No. No, no. No, they gave up weeks ago." retorted the cat darkly.
"P-P-P-Poor Penny! It's awful!"
Bernard seemed very doubtful.
"I just can't believe that Penny would run away. Mr. Rufus, please think. Now there must be something else."
Rufus returned to his thoughts.
"Well, come to think of it... there was..." (He thinks, then finally shakes his head.) "No. It's nothing. Penny wouldn't get in with her."
"With who?" asked Bernard, intrigued.
"Who are you talking about?" Jaq added, remembering what Fairy Godmother had said about an evil woman.
"A weird lady tried to give Penny a ride," replied Rufus. "But she wouldn't have anything to do with trashy people like them."
"Trashy people? Who?" asked Bianca, intrigued in her turn.
"Well, she and her partner run a sleazy pawn shop down the street."
"Jaq, Gus, Miss Bianca, we must go down there and investigate." declared Bernard with determination.
As the mice started to leave, the cat Rufus warned them.
"Suit yourself, but you'd be wastin' your time goin' down there."
"This lady must know where Penny is, Zugk-zugk!" replied Jaq.
"We gotta find her and help her." Gus added.
"Yeah, but four little mice. What can you do?" Rufus replied with a defeated look.
The four mice therefore decided to follow the trail of the pawnshop. They quickly found the store.
On the desk, the mice looked for new clues, when Bianca noticed a book lying on the desk.
"Bernard! Jaq! Gus! A child's book!"
Jaq, Gus and Bernard worked together to open the book, where Bianca could read the name of the owner of the book.
"Penny's?" Jaq wondered.
"Then she's gotta be here." Bernard suggested.
The cuckoo rang, startling the mice. Bernard, Jaq and Gus stumbled and the book closed on their tails.
"H-how are we going to find Penny in this place?" Gus asked.
But before one of the mice answered, the ringing of the telephone abruptly interrupted them.
"Quickly. Get under something." cried Bernard.
The four mice barely had time to separate and hide in four different corners of the office before a tall woman with short-cut red hair joined the office, growling in annoyance.
"Who could be ringing at this time of the night?"
She picked up the phone and looked natural.
"Madame Medusa's Pawn Shop Boutique..."
Suddenly, she seemed happy and quickly came to sit at her desk without noticing the mice hiding there.
"Snoops! Don't tell me, Snoops. Let me guess. You found it! You've found the diamond!"
Then shortly after, what she heard from her communication no longer seemed to please her at all.
"Give you time? You bungler! You have been down there for three months! Bottles? What bottles?"
Now she glared with the receiver to her ear.
"You caught Penny sending messages in bottles? You blundering fool! Can't you control a little girl?"
She slammed her fist on the table making the four mice tremble in fear.
"I am taking the next flight down to Devil's Bayou."
And she hung up suddenly in a rage, panicking the mice. Then she abruptly placed a suitcase which she opened on her desk.
"Zugk-zugk!" exclaimed Jaq, stunned and distraught. "What are we doing, guys?"
"Come on, friends. In the suitcase!" Bernard urged them.
While Medusa stuffed her clothes into the suitcase, Bernard and Jaq hid inside. They tried to help their friends climb, but the baggage closed on them! Medusa rushed towards her car and Bianca and Gus, clinging to a strap, followed her as best they could.
Once in the car, Bianca and Gus were able to find Bernard and Jaq. They held on to each other as the shrew drove her car like crazy towards the airport.
"Out of my way, you road hog!" she shouted as she overtook a truck.
"This lady is a danger to us!" Jaq shouted in fear, while holding on to his suitcase.
"D-D-Demon!" added Gus, as distressed as his companions.
Medusa fell into a ditch, she continued to roll. Her suitcase flew out of the car, and the mice with it. The driver continued driving without noticing that her suitcase had flown away.
The four mice caught their breath as they watched Medusa's car drive away from them.
"Zugk-zugk! How are we going to find Penny?" declared Jaq in defeat.
"We'll have to take the plane ourselves," replied Bianca.
"And hopefully we'll reach the Bayou before she does." added Bernard.
"Yeah, yeah," Gus agreed.
Finally, our mice became acquainted with the antagonist of the story: Madame Medusa.
Did you know?: originally it was Cruella Devil (antagonist of the 101 Dalmatians) that was supposed to appear in the Rescuers. But instead, they created Medusa, a new character.At the time, the Disney studios did not approve the sequels. One can notice that Medusa has a lot of similarities with Cruella. Like her bad driving cars. The fact that she covets a precious thing and, of course, her angry temper.
See you soon for a next chapter!