Chapter 2
I see flashes of my brother’s face. Red and orange flames everywhere. “Tony?” I mumble. Then it all goes black again. “Ow, my head.” I groan in a horse whisper. I go to lift my hand but its strapped down. Now that my head is cleared up a bit, I relize that I’m strapped to a vertical table.
As I look around I can tell that there is something wrong with my left eye. I can’t see out of it! CRUD! Did that soldier blind me?! I can just make out a faint light coming from a small window about ten feet away from me. My good eye begins to adjust a bit and I can tell that there are others in here with me. I try to call out but my mouth is so dry that I just make a croaking noise. Once my eye finally adjusts I see that the others are the villagers, but none of my friends are to be found. I realize that the villagers are all chained together at the ankles, and they’re all kids! I try to get up but the straps are locked, maybe I could pick the locks? Suddenly a door swings open and this huge man stomps into the dungeon. Now this guy ain’t huge as in muscle, like the solders, he is downright fat. His stomach is hanging over his pants which ended up being like skinny jeans on him. Disturbing picture right? He was also wearing one of those medieval executioners’ masks.
“Hello, my name is Frank; I’ll be serving as your jailer today. Well, now who do we have here? Ah, the infamous Lyric Sol. A pleasure to have you in my dungeon.” He says in the deep echoing voice.
“The pleasures all mine, I’m sure.” I say in a steely tone.
“I’ve had instructions not to kill you, but as for you friends, they weren’t so lucky.”
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM?!” I scream.
“No need to get snippy. Don’t worry; I took good care of them.”
“I demand to see them!”
“Oh, you wouldn’t want that, believe me.”
“What have you done with them?!” I repeat’ my voice dripping with ice.
“Now that’s no way to treat your jailer, we hold grudges you know.”
“I don’t give a *beep*! Now tell me where my friends are!”
“Nope! You’re being too rude. Have fun in this *beep* hole.” He says as he walks back up the stairs and slams the door, causing dust and dirt to fall from the ceiling.
“UGH!” I yell causing the villagers to jump. “Sorry about that. What happened to you guys?”
“We were taken as punishment because our village wouldn’t bow down to Boredom.” A small girl replies.
“So now that you guys are captured your parents are giving into Boredom to keep you alive?”
“Yes.” A pale boy answers.
“Well we’ll just have to find our own way out now won’t we?” I say with a grin.
******************
Claire
“Why is the world spinning so fast?!” I yell.
Where’s Lyric? And those annoying twins? Someone make the world stop! UGH! My head feels like a freakin’ balloon! Maybe if I try to stand… Ok bad idea.
“I’M FALLING! NOOOOO!!!!!” I scream as I kneel, gripping the grass.
Oh, wow I feel like I’m high. Hehe, high. Get it? High! Hehe. I really should find the others. I manage to stand up; as I go to take a step my legs buckle sending me crashing to the ground.
“Owww.” I moan.
I stand up again and, without falling, start walking towards camp. Once I get there I notice that they’re all staring at me.
“What?” I say.
“What’s up with the dandelion?” Neil asks.
“What dand---” I look down to see that I have a dandelion in my hand. “Hehe, it’s a weed.”
“What?” Jacob asks.
“I gots weed. Hehe”
“Ok, sweetie, you need to take a few breaths and drink some of this cherry Faygo.” Neil tells me as he slowly walks toward me.
“Okey dokey!” I agree with a stupid grin. As soon as the liquid hit my tongue, everything came flooding back to me. CRUD! They have Lyric! “WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU ALL BEEN!” I yell at them.
“We’ve been here for about an hour.” Becca replies. “We found a dog!”
“Oh, so while you were all chillin’ and drinking tea, Lyric and I were fighting the twins!”
“Wait! Boredom’s minions?!” Neil spits out his Faygo, spraying Louis.
“EWWWW!!!! Neil mouth germs!” Louis yelps as he franticly tries to dry off.
“No the other pair of pure evil Japanese twins. Of course Boredom’s minions you idiot!”
“Wait, if you and Lyric fought them then where is she?” Megan asks.
“She got shot.”
“SHE WHAT?!” Neil yells spitting out more Faygo on Louis again.
“Oh come on!”
“And you just left her?!” Becca yells.
“I didn’t leave her! They took her and just left me in the field!”
“Why are we sitting around here for?! Let’s go find her!” Neil yells.
We head back into town and after two hours of asking we finally got directions to where Lyric and apparently the village children were being held. It was about thirty miles out. After a few days of walking we finally see the castle. It loomed over us, its dark gargoyles glaring at us with a hungry stare.
“Why do evil places have to be so creepy?” Megan asks.
“Do you really think a unicorn farm that also sells rainbows would strike fear into your enemy’s very soul?” I sarcastically state.
“Maybe…”
“How are we going to get her out?” Becca asks.
“That… is a good question. How are we going to get her out?” I ask as we all turn towards Neil.
“Why are you all looking at me for?”
“You’re our techie plan dude.”
“Gee, thanks Claire for that great honor.” His voice dripping in sarcasm.
“Well come on plan dude! We need a plan.” Louis says while poking Neil to death.
“Ok, ok! Hey, knock it off with the poking will ya?! Hmm, anyone know where Lyric keeps her explosives?”
*******************
Lyric
“You guys know the plan right?” I ask.
“Yeah, you all distract him, and I snag his keys.” The small girl, Zoey, replies.
“Ok, we are ready, let’s call down the lard.”
“HEY! You kicked me!” A ginger boy named Joseph yells.
“DID NOT!” The blonde boy, Shane, yells back.
“DID TOO!”
“DID NOT!”
“WILL YOU TWO JUST SHUT UP!” Frank yells as he waddles into the dungeon.
“YOU SHUT UP YOU BIG BULLY!” Joseph yells.
“WHY I OUGHTA!”
“HEY! YOU TOUCH A HAIR ON HIS FIREY HEAD, SO HELP ME!” I yell at him.
“You’re lucky that I’m not to kill you girl. As for a little pain? That I’m allowed.” He informs me as he flips the table around, making it so my back is facing him. He turns to go get his whip, which was all the time it took for Zoey to unlock my straps. He comes back with his whip in hand. He then begins to give me my fifteen lashings. “AHHH!!” I scream out from the searing pain that explodes throughout my back.
“Teaches you not to ---” I then burst out of my locks and flip over him. He goes to whip me again but this time I was ready. I grab the end of the whip and wrap it around my hand, yanking it from his pudgy fingers.
“Want to dance?” I asking mockingly. I then whip at his feet, causing him to jump about. I then whip it around his legs and knock him over.
“Please don’t kill me.” He begs.
“You killed my friends, no… my family.” I reply a shadow falling over my face, making my one good eye shine in the dark. The kids back up against the wall, frightened by my look. Just as I was about to take the final blow…
“SCREEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!”
The wall to the right of me bursts open causing me to go flying into the left wall. In charges Neil followed by Claire and Becca.
“Lyric!” Claire yells as she goes to help me up.
“GET FRANK!” I hoarsely yell at them as I collapse to the stone floor.
“I’ve got the *beep*!” Neil yells as he tackles Frank.
“Watch the language! There are children!”
“Sorry! I was too busy saving your butt!”
“Someone help me get the kids!” Becca yells.
“I’ll take care of that. Kids, step as far away from each other as you can.” Claire says. She takes out her knifes and throws them just perfectly to break each of their chains.
“WOAH!” They gasp in awe.
“Just don’t try that at home” She laughs.
“And that’s one of the reasons why I love you.” Neil adds

“Aw, thanks!” Claire blushes.
“Wrap up the gooey talk and get that son of a *beep*!” I yell at them.
“Please don’t kill me! I beg of you!” Frank blubbers as he manages to crawl away from Neil.
“You were torturing my bro and these kids! Why should I let a *beep* like you live?!”
“Um, uh…” He stutters. Then with lightning speed he reaches out and grabs Joseph. “Nobody move! I will go free and the kid won’t be harmed.”
“Lyyyyyyrrrrrriiiiiiccccc?!” Joseph trembles.
“Hang on buddy, I’ll get you out.”
“Ah ah ah, come closer and the kid gets it.” He says while wagging his finger.
Claire and I then have one of our famous telepathical conversations.
“Claire now!” I shout as I charge at Frank.
Claire throws a knife at Franks hand and he lets go of Joseph, cradling his wounded hand.
“Why you lit---Oof!” he says as I shove him against the wall.
“No ya don’t!” He yells as he yanks the knife out of his hand and holds it to my neck.
I then knee him in that oh so special place. He drops the knife, cutting my neck a bit in the process. “That didn’t go exactly how I planned.” I say clutching my neck, my voice cracking.
Neil pins Frank to the ground. “You’re not getting away this time!”
“Please, don’t kill me.” He blubbers.
“You threatened a small child. Enough said. Now cover the kids’ eyes!”
“N---” Frank’s voice is cut off as Neil’s tech glove, which was in spear mode, punctures his cold heart.
“Come on guys! Let’s go!” Jacob yells from the outside.
Becca and Claire act as a human crutch to help me out.
“Ugh, the sun is so bright!” The kids and I moan.
“Well you’ve been in there for about four days.” Jacob tells me.
“FOUR DAYS?! WHAT TOOK YOU GUYS SO LONG?!”
“It was a long trek to get up here. Took us about three days.” Megan replies.
“Ugh, take your time why don’t ya?” I state sarcastically.
“BARK!”
“Um, what’s with the husky?”
“Oh! Jacob and I found him! He was all beat up and lonely so we patched him all up with some healing mango faygo.” Becca explains.
“Cool, what’s his name?” Joseph asks.
“Uhhhh… we never came up with one.” Jacob sheeply states.
“Gage?” Louis suggests.
“Eww, no!” Megan says.
“Shadow?” Zoey asks.
“Too popular. Jase?” Joseph replies.
“Maybe…” I say.
“Oo! I know! Hail!” Claire suggests.
“I like that one! Hail it is!” I decree
“Hear that boy? Your new name is Hail!” Neil says.
“BARK!”
“I think he likes it.”
“I believe it’s time to get all over you home now.” I say turning towards the kids.
“We get to go home?” Joseph asks tears of joy filling his eyes.
“Yeah, let’s get you home.” Once the kids were settled and I talked to the mayor about safety precautions, we headed back to camp.
“Um, Lyric?”
“Yeah Megan?”
“Why do you have your left eye shut?”
“Oh, it was cut by one of Boredom’s soldiers and I think I might be blind in this eye now.”
“Uhhh…”
“Lyric! Why didn’t you mention that earlier?!” Claire yells.
“You didn’t ask!”
“Jacob do we have any mango Faygo left?”
“Nope! Used up the last of it on Hail.”
“Dang it.”
“Wait! I know where we can get some mangos!”
“Tell me Megan!”
“Up there.” She says pointing to the tree
We all look up.
“Wow, what do ya know?”
While Megan and Jacob for some reason were collecting more mangos, Becca was trying to patch up my back wounds.
“Hold still will ya?!” She grumbles at me.
“It HURTS!” I complain.
“Suck it up!”
I make a little whimpering sound and give her a puppy-dog pout.
“Knock it off!”
“Meanie. OWWW!!!! IT BURNS!”
“Ok you’re finally done.”
“YAY! Oww, still hurts.”
“Now you’re all patched up. You were right, your left eye is now blind but thanks to the herbs Megan found, the cut across your pupil isn’t infected but will leave a scar.
“Awesome!”
“Ugh Lyric, how are you our leader?” Louis moans.
“Well the characteristics of a good leader are: funny, charming, smart, athletic, brave, strong, and clever. I’m none of those so I really don’t know!”
“How many times do I have to tell you that you’re all of those things?!” Neil complains.
“Hmm, I’d say 200,087,964 times.” I smirk.
“Smart-*beep*” He mumbles while rolling her eyes.
“That’s my name, don’t wear it out!” I tease.
“Hey guys! A little help?” Megan asks as a few mangos fall from the pile in her arms.
“MANGOS!” I yell as I dive to the ground catching the mangos. “That was close.”
“Uh, ok…” Jacob says as he comes to see what the commotion was about.
“They almost hit the ground.”
“Yes, Lyric, I noticed. But what’s so big about them hitting the ground?”
“What’s so big?! How could you ask such a thing?!”
“Take a chill pill Lyric. You’re still healing.” Becca tells me as she tries to calm me down.
“Oops, sorry. I got a little carried away.”
“We can tell.” Louis stated sarcastically.
“Mleh!” I say sticking my tongue out at him.
“So mature.” He says rolling his eyes.
“I think you’ve been getting worse, you’re lack of sleep is probably screwing with your head.”
“I sleep as much as the rest of you!”
“Well, we don’t have recurring nightmares every freakin’ night.”Neil chimes in.
“Touché.”
“So, why are you the only one having these dreams?” Megan asks.
“Maybe she’s the ‘chosen one’.” Louis answers as he eyes roll.
“Haha, very funny. There is no way that I’m the ‘chosen one’. I mean come on; Hail is more likely to be it than me.”
“Stop putting yourself down! You have no self-esteem!” Neil yells at me.
“You’re right I don’t! Now can we forget about this and move on?!”
“I will not!”
“Neil, please. Can we just drop it?”
“Fine.”
“Who wants mangos?!” Jacob yells to break the awkward silence.
As the others gather around to help themselves to the mangos I find a nice secluded tree to sit in. I finally reach the uppermost branch when I hear a rustling next to me. I look over and sure enough there’s Neil trying to get up on the branch next to me.
“Do you need help?” I tease him.
“No, no. I can do this.” He replies, his face strained.
“Are you sure? Your face is getting all red.”
“It’s always red” He replies as he manages to get up on the branch. I scoot over a bit giving him room next to the trunk.
“What brings you up here?” I ask.
“You looked all a lonesome up here so I decided to come bother my favorite bro.”
“I’m a girl ya know.” I tease giving him a tiny shove.
“Hey! I’m not part squirrel like you!” He yelps as he grabs at the trunk for support. “I know you’re a girl, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be my bro.”
“Point taken; bro.” I reply.
“See? There ya go!” He replies giving me a goofy smile.
“Neil? Where did you go?” Claire calls from the campfire.
“You better go; your better half is calling.” I tell him.
“Yeah, I know, wait… HEY! Butt-head.” He says punching my arm.
“Mleh.” I say sticking my tongue out at him.
“Mleh.” He does it right back, and starts to climb down the tree. He sneaks up behind Claire and pokes her in the side, she jumps and giggles. Sigh, they’re my two best friends and I’m really happy they’re together (I’m the one that set them up in the first place). Yet, whenever I see them together like that my heart aches… Ugh, stop fooling yourself, Lyric. You know that it would never work between you two. Even if it did, it wouldn’t last long, this being your last mission and all…
“LOUIS! NO COME BACK!” I hear Megan yelling.
“What’s going on?” I ask as I scramble down the tree.
“Louis! Please!” Megan begs as her brother continues to walk away.
“I’m not dealing with all this crap any longer!” He yells, keeping his back turned.
“Why are you leaving?” I ask, running up to him.
“I’m sick of her always hanging on me, the soldiers attacking us and you bossing me around!” He replies with a haughty tone.
“Well I’m sorry you feel this way. You knew sighing onto this that you could die. I don’t try to boss you around but you can’t always be going off and doing your own thing; this is a team. And most of all you can’t leave Megan. You’re her older brother whether you like it or not. She needs you Louis, the team needs you.”
“Ugh, Fine. I’ll stay… for now.” He mumbles.