A Journey To The Clouds, Escape From Cloud Castle - Book Two - ✓

Chapter Thirteen

Connor!" They shriek as they bound into the room, happy as a clam-or should I say two. I grin and am at loss for words.

"How- what- I mean- " I stammer as they jump onto the mattress Ally sits on and start pouncing on her. I don't think it made a difference because of how small they are.

I hear a happy cry from Ally and hear her laughing and talking with Peanut. Chip jumps over to me and starts to bombard me with questions.

"Where were you guys? How did you get here? Where did you land? Have you found a way out yet? Did you find clues to get us out?" Chip asks. As soon as he finishes he takes a big gulp of air and Ally seizes the moment and answers his questions.

"We were in this castle for most of the time. There was no way out of the barrier that surrounds this place. Coco pushed us into here and the Crew of Doom is in the real World. We landed just a bit farther away from the doors. No, we haven't found a way out yet. But-" The chipmunks wiggle with excitement before she can finish. The chipmunks look as though they want to ask a million more questions but I stop them.

"Let the girl breath!" I tell them. I catch Ally's eye. She heaves a sigh of relief as she finally takes control of her breath.

"But we did find some type of clue." Ally says as she reaches into a pocket and pulls the poem and the note out. She hands them to the chipmunks and they scan them quickly.

"So you think that this will help us?" Chip asks.

"Yeah. The problem is we need to find exactly where the entrance is to the lair again because we went out, where we then found Lily for a short while before she escaped the large tower we were then trapped in. We can't find the spot we were when we found the lair entrance." Ally explains. Peanut opens her mouth like she's going to say something but closes it again. Suddenly, my stomach howls. I could have swore a lion was roaring in there.

"Hey do you guys know where the kitchen is?" I ask the chipmunks.

"Sure! We passed it on our way up here." Peanut replies.

"Great. Because I really need to eat."

"I can hear that!" Ally replies. I smile in response.

We go down two flights of stairs, take four left turns, three right turns, and through a hallway, scrambling to find anything that could house anything. I then find a box similar to a fridge or drawer. It had a crystal outside, and a small handle to open it. I jolt the door open and sprint in, looking for something to eat.

To my disappointment, I only find scraps of chicken and ham. Few slices remained, so I gingerly sort them into three piles, one pile for each for me and Ally and one for Chip and Peanut. Chip and Peanut's contained less, considering they're smaller than me and Ally.

"Your meal is served!" I say, tipping an imaginary cap as I hand Chip and Peanut their portion. I then slide over Ally's and then place it in her palm.

"Thank you, kind sir!" Peanut exclaims as she takes eager bites.

"Yeah, what Peanut said!" Chip replies, stuffing his cheeks with a mix of the ham and turkey. I then turn towards Ally. She has a sly smile on her face.

"What Peanut said." She replies back in a smooth tone. She tips her head to the side, her eyes glistening. Her long, delicate hair tumbles on her face. She then grabs a small slice and takes a bite of it.

I place my portion in my palm and I start to eat. I can feel my stomach preparing to thank me after the small, yet filling meal.

I catch Ally's eye and I grin at her. She tips her head and smiles back. After a few long seconds, I break my gaze.

"Let's get moving. We have yet to find how to get out of here safely with Hazel and Lily, let alone get back where we started." I tell them as we start to keep walking through the long halls of the castle.