Cole didn't realize that his collar had suddenly lit up for a moment and Cole found himself stirring and he woke up to find Anne-Marie heading out. Cole got up and yawned as he stretched before he headed after her. Luckily, he didn't have to go far and she was a little surprised to see him.
"You returning that stolen property?", he asked.
Anne-Marie turned to him and the look on his face helped her feel better so she nodded and answered.
"Yeah, it's not right to steal."
"I know.", Cole told her as they walked in the early morning hours, "That's why I'm coming along to help you do so."
Anne-Marie smiled warmly as she could tell that unlike Charlie, Cole wasn't one to go back on his word. She opened the wallet and Cole soon found an identification and an address before he looked her way curiously.
"Anne-Marie, does Flo and the puppies know where you're going?", he asked.
Anne-Marie nodded telling Cole that they knew before turning his attention to the address.
"402 Maple Street.", he read, "Any idea where that is?"
Anne-Marie shrugged and then a Doberman showed up wearing a red collar, but had a friendly looking face.
"I can lead you there.", he answered kindly.
Cole felt a strong sense of goodness around him as he and Anne-Marie followed.
"Thanks sir.", Cole said gratefully, "Do you have a name?"
"Sure do.", the Doberman answered smiling, "It's Lance."
"Nice to meet you, Lance.", Cole said to him, "I'm Cole."
"I know.", Lance told him, "Annabelle informed me."
Cole looked curious as they went by a firehouse.
"Lance, do you know about a whippet in a black vest?"
Lance froze and his usual friendly face suddenly had a look of shock and anxiety before melting into a serious one.
"Listen carefully.", he said before he took a look around as if the dog he was talking about was nearby and lowering his voice, "No matter what she tells you, no matter what she offers, don't believe a word she says. You understand?"
Cole nodded and Lance looked more at ease.
"Good.", he said smiling before pointing, "If you go that way a few blocks, you'll find the place you're looking for."
Anne-Marie headed down leaving Cole behind, but Cole was okay with it.
"Thanks Lance.", he said turning only to find Lance was no longer around, "Well, guess he had somewhere else to be."
He then noticed the familiar bubble appear beside him and it showed Charlie flying into a sea of clouds only unlike Heaven, these clouds were dark and tinged in a green light. After a bit, the clouds parted to reveal a mass of green lightning crackling around a patch of barren earth which Charlie flew into after getting shocked a bit, but then it dispersed and Cole saw Charlie run only for the earth to open and a cyclone appeared out of nowhere pulling Charlie into it. Cole's nerves grew faint as his bubble showed Charlie land on a boat of bones with a cloaked skeletal being rowing it across a lake of magma and flames. Then, from the lake, emerged a massive eruption that formed into something Cole couldn't' make out, but it radiated evil.
"You can never go back.", it said in a dark foreboding tone.
/
The bubble then popped leaving the sight behind, but Cole was still shaken by what he saw.
"That is going to haunt me.", he said as he tried to steady his nerve.
That was when a bolt of lightning shot out and Cole barely avoided it before he noticed Belladonna hovering a few feet above his head.
"Greetings Cole.", she said very pleasant.
Cole frowned.
"Whatever you're here to tell me, you're wasting your time and effort.", he said rather harshly.
Belladonna raised an eyebrow while still smiling wickedly.
"Did I hit a nerve?", she asked, "Or are you still reeling by what you just saw if Chucky's life watch stops ticking again?"
Cole felt his nerve wane again, but he quickly regained it.
"How did you know about that?", he asked, "Have you been spying on me?"
"My ears always burn.", Belladonna purred as she hovered closer, "It comes with the territory."
Cole backed up and Belladonna chuckled.
"So, you still think you can help this little girl and Chucky out?", she asked.
"Anne-Marie found what she was after on her own.", Cole insisted, "I'm just being a good friend for her."
"Are you?", Belladonna asked slyly, "Or do you care about Anne-Marie more than who you're supposed to be helping?"
Cole turned away clearly having had enough.
"Keep whatever you planned to tell me and get lost.", he said firmly, "You're finished here."
Belladonna only came up with a malicious smile over her face as Cole looked her way again.
"Oh, but we've only begun.", she said snickering.
She then snapped her fingers and Cole suddenly saw a dark tag on his collar with his name engraved in blood red letters.
"What is this?", he asked firmly.
"Consider it a gift.", Belladonna answered as she hovered a bit away, "If Charlie fails to redeem himself, you die the day after. And the best part: you can't talk about it."
Cole looked alarmed as Belladonna laughed wickedly and disappeared again. Cole looked to his new tag and dread started washing over him.
"Great, I promise Annabelle that I'll help Charlie out and now I'm cursed to die if he doesn't repent.", he grumbled, "What could be-"
He quickly slapped his hand over his own mouth to cut himself off before taking a few deep breaths.
"Whew, that was close.", he stated as he took his hand away, "May as well check up on Anne-Marie."
He went in the direction Lance had pointed and then the aroma of waffles cooking caught his nose.
"Man, I love the fact dogs can smell better than people can.", he said before heading off with his nose leading.
/
It didn't take long for Cole to see the house, and as he got near the bay window that overlooked a vast amount of flowers, he heard voices though he could make out Anne-Marie's.
"You like waffles?"
"Oh yes, very much, thank you."
"No, thank you.", Cole heard what he could guess was the man of the house.
"This is the most beautiful house, I've ever seen.", Anne-Marie said.
"Why thank you, Anne-Marie.", Cole heard a woman say, "Where do you live?"
"I live with Charlie and Cole.", Anne-Marie answered, "They're my dogs."
"Oh, but what about your parents?", the woman asked.
"I don't have any parents.", Anne-Marie answered plainly.
"Then where do you stay?", Cole heard the man ask.
"With Cole and Charlie in the junkyard.", Anne-Marie told him.
There was a pause and he heard the woman talk again.
"Anne-Marie, you stay right there.", he heard her say, "Honey, come with me."
Cole then picked up another smell and turned just in time to see Charlie land beside him.
"Cole, is she here?"
"Where else?", Cole answered, "She's having her breakfast and apparently we're in the clear about your little theft."
Charlie brushed it off as he suddenly went up to the window and tapped it lightly. Cole thought Anne-Marie couldn't hear it, but somehow she must have cause she appeared and opened the window to see Charlie and Cole.
"Oh, Charlie and Cole, Harold and Kate are really wonderful.", Anne-Marie said cheerfully, "They weren't upset about the wallet. They gave me real waffles with butter and syrup."
"That's nice.", Cole said smiling, "I'm happy I lived up to my promise. Didn't I?"
Anne-Marie looked his way nodding.
"Oh yes, you did what you said Cole. Thank you very much."
Charlie frowned as Cole returned the smile, but then slapped on a sympathetic expression.
"Well, we're glad you found a home of your own and in fact, I… I just came over to say good-bye."
Cole raised an eyebrow as he got a feeling Charlie was playing Anne-Marie's emotions like he always did.
"Good-bye?", Anne-Marie asked, "Maybe you and Cole can stay too."
Cole looked a bit surprised.
"Really?", he asked, "That would sound-"
Charlie smacked his hand over his mouth before turning to Anne-Marie.
"Oh no, we couldn't stay. I mean, I don't want us to spoil it for you.", he said quickly, "They don't want dirty old dogs like us."
Cole swatted Charlie's hand away looking Anne-Marie's way.
"It's okay Anne-Marie.", he said to her calmly, "We'll be okay. It was a real pleasure to help and to serve."
/
He then led Charlie away as Anne-Marie's voice reached his ears.
"Cole, Charlie, wait."
Cole literally let go of Charlie as he turned Anne-Marie's way.
"You got to be kidding me.", he muttered.
Charlie looked more at ease however.
"Oh, thanks Anne-Marie.", he said, "Would you mind walking us back to our place before Cole takes you back?"
Cole looked Charlie's way firmly.
"You mean it?", he asked.
"Sure do.", Charlie answered.
Cole rolled his eyes as Charlie led them into the French Quarter of New Orleans. It would make the trip back to the casino. They were passing a fruit stand when Cole thought he heard voices and when Charlie first appeared from behind a parked vehicle, a barrage of laser blasts came down on him taking Cole and Anne-Marie by surprise.
"Charlie!", they both screamed.
Cole quickly came over and saw there were no injuries as Charlie coughed a few times and then Cole saw the watch before he remembered that Charlie was already dead.
"It's okay Anne-Marie.", Cole said, "He's alive."
Charlie picked up his watch and smiled.
"You beautiful little ticker.", he said before he got up to his feet, "Come on, we got to get out of here."
"I second that.", Cole answered.
They bolted as Cole heard Carface yell and more laser blasts flew all over the place.
"Morons! I'm surrounded by morons!"
Cole saw a Mardi Gras storage building and led Charlie and Anne-Marie inside. They ducked into a float until the firing and yelling outside grew faint and died away.
"All clear.", Cole stated as the group emerged, "Everyone okay?"
"Oh Cole, I thought they shot Charlie.", Anne-Marie said with concern.
"So did I.", Cole told her, "Talk about luck."
"Mr. Carface doesn't know who he's dealing with.", Charlie said with gusto, "I got a power of my own and I'm going to take care of him right now. And there ain't nothing or nobody that's gonna stop me."
Cole sighed heavily as he looked up and saw Belladonna smiling. She waved her paw and the floorboards underneath Charlie started groaning as if they would break.
"Charlie, Anne-Marie, walk slowly.", Cole cautioned.
Belladonna snapped her fingers and the floor gave way leading Cole, Charlie, and Anne-Maire screaming into a long shaft.
"Oh, I am so bad.", she chuckled to herself before she vanished away once more.
As Cole fell, he felt his blood boiling.
"Let's see here, I help Anne-Marie find a good home, I get cursed by an evil whippet and now I'm dropping down a shaft to below New Orleans.", he thought bitterly to himself, "I'd say this isn't my day."
/
The trio continued to fall until they landed in a small lake though it was shallow and the falling rug they fell with cushioned the fall.
"My watch!", Charlie yelped, "Where's my watch?!"
Cole struggled to his feet grateful that he survived the fall, but saw Charlie didn't have his watch while Anne-Marie looked around.
"Where are we?", she asked.
"Beats me.", Cole answered, "But we need to find that watch."
"Maybe it's in the water.", Anne-Marie suggested.
Charlie looked alarmed and Cole did too for he remembered that if Charlie died again, he'd die the day after. He and Charlie quickly looked around, but in the dimly lit darkness, it was hard to see anything. Then, the sound of ticking reached their ears.
"Hey, I hear it.", Cole stated.
"Well, where is it?", Charlie asked.
The ticking went on until it paused and Charlie looked more alarmed.
"Oh no, it stopped!", he screamed before flopping into the shallow water.
Cole then spotted something glitter and reached in to pull out…Charlie's watch.
"Got it.", Cole said cheerfully.
Charlie looked at ease before Cole felt a sharp pain in his leg and let go of the watch.
"What was that?!", he asked.
Then, the trio noticed that the watch was moving across the water as if it was guided by invisible hands.
"What's going on?", Charlie asked.
"Geez, what's next?", Cole asked.
Just then, Anne-Marie was suddenly was on her back being carried out the same way with Charlie right behind her.
"What in the name of Heaven?", Cole asked.
As if to answer him, he was suddenly on his back and carried the same as the other two. As they were carried along, Cole heard drumming and chanting like some kind of ancient world. Then, everything went dark and Cole heard the sound of cages being shut. As the light came on again, Cole found himself inside a large birdcage made of bent sticks and saw Charlie and Anne-Marie in more cages while they were being carried down a dock to a large lake with a tiny island covered with bones by mice dressed like natives who were chanting to the rhythm.
"What did they say?", Charlie asked frantically, "Tell them to give me back my watch."
"I can't Charlie.", Anne-Marie answered, "They talk funny."
"I don't care.", Charlie told her.
Cole saw one of the mice place Charlie's watch near the end and Charlie reached through trying to get it. Luckily he did, but then the natives pushed him, Cole, and Anne-Marie's cages on a pulley system that swung them over to the island and they landed there safely, but Charlie lost his grip on his watch and it rolled away for a bit before it rested against some bones.
"Oh no!", he yelped.