Tony sprang out of his seat on the fallen log. He hurled himself at the force field barrier that
was keeping them all trapped. He bounched back, unaffected. Right in front of him he was witnessing Virginia and
Wolf struggling on the water bank of the giant's footprint lake. What in the world is going on? Tony screamed in
his head. Something was terribly wrong and he couldn't do anything. There were three Tazzies with the group. Some
gypsy girl ran off crying. A tall guy was being held down by the Tazzies. And now Virginia was holding Wolf's head
under the water of the footprint lake. Tony was going wild with clueless frustration as he pulled at his hair.
WHAT IS HAPPING, ANTONY? Princess Wendy urgently pressed her slate into Tony's hands. Tony gave
her a look to let her know that he was just as confused. He didn't have the faintest idea as to what was going
on. Something was terribly wrong and now, once again, Tony was losing hope.
He silently watched as Virginia was slowly drowning her own beloved husband.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Virginia! Stop it! You're killing him!" Patrick cried out in anguish as he watched
his friends struggle. Wolf's head was completely submerged and had been held under for quite a while now. Patrick
was surprised that he seemed to be still thrashing about. He couldn't take it anymore. He had no idea that getting
involved with Virginia, Wolf and Melody was going to bring so much trouble. And now Melody had ran off because
she had been a witch this whole time. But he couldn't help wishing that she would come back.
He squirmed around in the tazzies' grip. He was a big guy so if he struggled enough, he might
free himself and get Virginia off of Wolf. He twisted his arms around and linked them through the Tazzies' arms
that were holding him. He hurled his arms together and smacked the heads of the tazzies together, knocking them
unconscious. He looked down at the Tazzies to check if they were still breathing; they were out cold. He raised
his head and looked at the other one, Bon, who was still standing and eagerly paying attention to Virginia and
Wolf. He didn't even notice that Patrick was free.
He quickly turned his attention to Virginia and Wolf. He was just about to take a step foreward
and grab Virginia off of Wolf when Wolf's body went limp. His arms sagged against Virginia's back and slid down
to his sides on the ground. His legs stopped its kicking and he lay completely still. His head was still submerged
in water.
With a horrified expression, Patrick slumped to his knees. Virginia's drowned her own husband!
Things were getting completely out of hand. Virginia had stopped her movements and just sat straddled on top of
Wolf's lifeless body. Her face was calm. There was no expression. Her eyes looked empty but yet there was a slight
sparkle of realization. She slowly lifted Wolf's head out of the water and stared at it. Wolf's hair was wet and
hung in his face like drenched seaweed. His mouth was slack and his tongue hung out slightly. He looked like he
was just sleeping.
"Good work, Virginia. Now, please get rid of this other person you have with you."
Bon commanded again. The most wicked grin had made its way across his face and he was beaming from the pleasure
he had been receiving from watching the life leave Wolf's body.
Virginia didn't move.
"Virginia?!" Bon called out again.
She still didn't move. She just sat and stared at Wolf's face as if memorizing every possible
detail. She ever so slowly raised a trembling hand and caressed Wolf's face. He was dead. She slammed Wolf's head
back under water again and stormed up. She went rushing towards Patrick and quickly knocked him to the ground.
"Good, Virginia, good!" Bon cried out in excitement.
"Cripes! Virginia! Wake up! Stop! It's Patrick!"
Virginia paid no attention and reached for Patrick's throat. But then someone clapped their hands
sharply somewhere behind her and Virginia halted in mid air. Her face crumpled. Her eyes brimmed with tears and
she fell over on top of Patrick and cried her heart out. An endless rush of tears streamed out of her eyes and
poured itself all over the front of Patrick's shirt.
"He's dead! I couldn't stop!" Virginia's heart wrenching sobs broke Patrick's heart. He realized the
spell had broken somehow and he raised his arms and put them around her to sooth her.
"I've killed him! I've killed him! I knew I was doing it! But I couldn't stop! I couldn't,
Patrick! I couldn't! He's dead!" Virginia wailed into his
shirt. "Oh god, oh god, what am I going to do? What am I going to do?!"
"You couldn't help it, Virginia. It wasn't your fault. It's alright. Please stop crying."
Patrick tried his best to calm her down.
"It's not alright. Nothing's alright! How am I going to tell Little Peter that I killed
his father?" She screamed out in torment. "First I killed my own mother. Now my husband. Is this what
I'm destined to do? To just kill the people love around me?! Oh god! What have I done, what have I done?!"
"Virginia. It's alright."
Virginia lurched around and fell off of Patrick. Her eyes fell on the wet and dripping form of
Wolf. He was alive! Or was she just seeing things? She tried saying something but her throat closed up and nothing
came out. Wolf took a shakey step foreward. Bon, the Tazzie immediately raised his hand to ring the brass bell
he hand in his hand.
With a flash of movement, Wolf had hurled himself at Bon. Low snarls and growls reverberated
from the two struggling forms. Wolf grabbed the bell out of the infuriated Tazzie's grip and crushed it in his
own hand. The bell was useless now. Bon kicked at Wolf and managed to fling Wolf off of him. Wolf lost his balance
and fell backwards; this giving Bon a chance to get up. He immediately made a run for Virginia and quickly got
a hold of her. He wrapped one arm around Virginia's slim neck. Wolf howled in distress.
"Back off, Wolf, or I'll snap her pretty little neck off." Bon shrieked out in a frustrated
tone. Wolf was suppose to be dead. What the hell happened?
Wolf steadied himself and got to his feet. He stared Bon down but didn't dare move for he was afraid for Virginia's
pretty little neck.
"Wolf." She whimpered uncomfortably.
Patrick was watching the whole unbelievable scene unfold. He was still trying to grasp how Wolf
was still alive but he quickly got a hold of himself and realized that he must help Wolf get Virginia out of the
Tazzie's grasp. He was behind Bon. If Wolf could hold Bon's attention long enough, he could come behind the Tazzie
and surprise him. He reached over, ever so slightly. Wolf's frustrated gaze stayed on Bon to keep his attention
mis-directed but Bon sensed Patrick immediately. He jumped a step and pitched Virginia forward, out of his grasp.
Patrick didn't get a firm grip on the Tazzie and Bon ran. He ran for dear life, away from the Giant's footprint
lake. Away from the traveling humans. Away from the revenge he wanted so badly to complete.
Virginia fell forward when Bon let her go so suddenly. She lost her balance and tripped over
her own feet. She tried to make a grab for the nearest tree or bush or whatever she could get her hands on, but
there was nothing. She fell forward onto her knees and gasped as she cut her knee on a jagged rock.
Something felt odd.
She felt hands reaching out to her to help her up. She raised her head expecting to see Wolf
or Patrick. Instead, she found herself face to face with her father.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"VIRGINIA!" Wolf howled as he watched his beloved mate trip and fall and completely
vanish into thin air.
He started to make a run for it to go after Virginia but Patrick suddenly shot his hands out
and grabbed him. Wolf turned and gave Patrick the most demonic glare he had ever seen. It sent a shiver up Patrick's
spine but he held his ground and stared Wolf down just as intently. A low rumble was slightly making its way up
Wolf's throat as he prepared to hurl himself at Patrick for stopping him from saving Virginia.
"You are not going to help matters f you go after her, no one will be able to help you get
out!" Patrick cried out so Wolf could understand him. "Listen to me. We need to stop and figure out how
to break that curse that's got the entire 6th Kingdom trapped. Don't you remember?! Wolf, get a hold of yourself!"
Wolf fiercely shook his head and his wet hair fell into his eyes. He swiped it away and shoved
Patrick's hands off of him. He took a step back and continued glaring at Patrick but he seemed to have given up
the idea of going after Virginia.
"Good. I'm sure Virginia is all right. We just need to figure this out." Patrick said
as calmly as he could. He gathered up the bags that both Melody and Virginia had left behind and stuffed them into
his own larger sack and sat down on the ground, kicking a branch out of his way.
"Cripes! This is too much." Patrick heard Wolf whisper underneath his breath.
"I know what you mean. I thought you were dead. How did you manage to….?"
"I faked it. I figured if I stopped moving around she'd let go. I was right. I was able
to break that damn Bing Bug spell she was under. Thank the Shepherd's sheep that I paid attention in school and
knew how to break that spell." Wolf began to calm down to think more logically. "Did you see which way
Bon ran?"
Patrick shook his head. He didn't care which way that Tazzie went as long as it was away from
them. Far away from them.
Wolf gave a loud sigh and whimpered. He repeatedly looked at the direction that Virginia had
vanished from. How in the world were they suppose to get them out of the 6th Kingdom?
"The shoes!" Wolf cried out all of a sudden. "We can ask the shoes how to break
the spell!"
"Of course! The Shoes of Truth should know everything!" Patrick said in relief but
then a deep frown crossed his face and he sighed. "But only Virginia can wear them. And she's in there."
He nodded his head towards the boarder line.
"Huff puff!" Wolf began to pace. His clothes were wet. His hair hung in his face. His throat was sore
from when Virginia was choking him. But all that seemed to not matter to him. He had to save Virginia. Even if
his life depended on it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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