Some Unusual Canadian Story

Chapter 7

- Can we poke her with a stone? - someone asked in a low voice.

- Are you crazy, what stone! You'll make a hole in her, she's a human. They are terribly fragile! They can't fly, they can't be underwater! It's amazing how they have survived without magic so many changes of the moon and sun! - answered the second.

- No wonder, you know how. And you know very well how much it costs us all. - The first one said very displeased.

- Stop grumbling, people have not passed through the protective mountain for a very long time. If she did it, then she deserves it. Perhaps she is a descendant of one of the sorcerers. This is surprising, given that for thousands of moons no one has left our valley. Let's take her to the queen, we ourselves have no right to decide what to do with her next. - said the second.

- You do as you wish, but I will not give this thing to anyone for anything. There are two of them, take the second. We need to share the spoils fairly.

- You are right, this is the most beautiful creation I have ever seen in my entire existence.

''What a strange dream,'' - thought Betsy - ''First, this strange woman was in her dream again, and now these voices with a strange dialogue.'' Betsy slowly began to stretch herself. But something strange happened, and she could not move her arm or leg. She opened her eyes sharply. The fall in the cave was real. She was in the same field. looking at her hands, Betsy was horrified. They were tied. Fear seized her, and she tried to free herself, but nothing worked. Only then slowly Betsy began to look up and saw them.

- Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

- Wow, that sounds awful. Cover her mouth with something. My ears are about to burst. Nightmare, nightmare, nightmare! She's definitely a siren! Look how she screams! It was the marines who sent her! - said one of the creatures.

He was short, with huge ears, small black eyes, and a nose that looked more like a potato. Plus, it was either dusty or stone. And all in folds. Betsy could even call him plump in comparison with his friend, who, by the way, was also not very handsome. Each of these creatures was holding Betsy's pink sneaker. It seemed that they even smiled or grinned. At the same time, it was clear that in their mouth they had an uncountable number of triangular dark gray teeth. These creatures were not at all cute pandas from the Toronto Zoo.

-What Serena, she would have died without water a long time ago! Let's just temporarily disarm her - said the second one and picked a plump flower and put it in Betsy's mouth.

- Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm - Betsy continued to shout, but it was already much quieter.

- That's so much better! - grinned one of them. -Now let's find a longer stick, hang her up and take her to the queen.

''I dream, dream, dream. Now I will wake up and find myself in my room at the camp,'' - prayed Betsy. She closed her eyes tightly, then opened them, but nothing changed. Two incomprehensible creatures, dressed in baggy clothes, which, it seems, became so dirty over time that also turned to stone, hung her by her arms and legs and were carrying her in an unknown direction.

''What are they anyway? These are neither people nor animals.'' - Betsy thought.

''And for sure, we were camping, I got lost, slipped and fell. Most likely, I have a skull injury, and I'm lying somewhere in a cave or in a hospital, and all I see is just the cunning tricks of an injured brain.''-Betsy reassured herself. But the aching hands and feet tied with a rope more than said that this was most likely not a fantasy.

- Why are you afraid of us, we are simple mountain trolls! Shur, do you know at least one mountain troll who could offend another living creature? - asked the beastie that was walking behind. He was ten centimetres shorter than the second one and, as it seemed to Betsy, was in a friendlier mood.