A Huckleberry Valentine

Chapter 4: A Choc Full of Chocolate*

"How far is it to the chocolatey canyon, may I inquire?" Hokey asked as they walked out of Minty's house.

"Not far," Cinnamon replied. "It's just on the other side of the hill from here."

"We only have to walk about another mile down Peppermint Road before we get there," Coco added.

The gang left Minty's cave, then found themselves back on Peppermint Road. Using the map, they made their way down the nearest route that would lead them to the canyon. "This way!" Huck cried, as he pointed at a sign.

Snag walked up to read the sign. "Chocolate Crumble Canyon...130 feet below sea level...this way!"

The gang soon reached the end of the road they had been walking on, and came to the edge of a cliff. Down below and spread before them was the canyon, where the rocks were all made out of solid chocolate chunks, and the sand in the canyon floor was made of cocoa powder. Nearby, a slope with jagged chocolate rocks extended down from the cliff to the canyon floor, acting as a staircase.

"Look at this place!" Huck cried. He sniffed the air and licked his lips. "It sure smells yummy!"

Cinnamon glanced toward the staircase. "This looks like the way down," he said. "Be careful you guys, it looks pretty steep."

So, everyone crept down the steps, but nearby, they could hear a deep rumbling sound, and a great snortling.

Snag gasped. "Yipe! What was that?!"

"Oh dear! That sounds like the sound of a monster!" Coco said nervously. "I've heard stories about a chocolate blob monster who lives down here, but I never knew if they were true."

Just then, they saw a chocolate covered monster with caramel eyes, and milk chocolate hands in the distance, sleeping peacefully.

Huck gulped. "We better not wake him...he looks like a real mean critter!"

As they walked quietly past the monster, they could hear the wind whistling over the mouth of the canyon from overhead, and cocoa powder was blowing around in the breeze that kicked up around them. Growing from the ground were a patch of cocoa flowers that looked like little chocolate roses.

Huck stopped to look at a flower. He couldn't help himself; he had to stop and smell them. "Mmmmm, what a delicious chocolatey smell!" he sighed. Just then, the flowers started to spray cocoa powder right in his face, tickling him.

"Hey!" Huck giggled. "That tickles!" But suddenly, his nose began to twitch. "Ah...ahh..."

"Oh no, Huck!" Hokey cried. "Don't do it!"

Huck then tried holding his finger to his nose to prevent himself from sneezing. Thankfully, it worked. Well, for a couple of seconds. Then...

"Aaa-CHOOOO!"

All of a sudden, the monster woke up from his slumber. He growled and snarled, clearly upset that he'd been awakened by such a loud sneeze. He turned to face them and his caramel eyes glared.

"WHO DISTURBS MY MORNING NAP?!" he demanded in a loud and gruff voice. He stared at Huck and his friends and roared. "INTRUDERS IN MY CANYON? HOW DARE YOU INVADE MY HOME!!!"

"Uh-oh! That's our cue to scram!" Huck screamed, with his feet scrambling in place.

"Let's get out of here, and fast!" Cinnamon cried.

Everyone screamed and ran as fast as they could to get away from the monster. As he chased after them, the monster caused the ground to shake, and wherever he stomped down, he sent large splatters of chocolate flying everywhere. Cinnamon and Coco were able to run pretty fast, being rather small in size, and Huck was able to move quickly since he was on roller skates, but the monster was gaining on Minty, Snag and Hokey!

"Yiiiikes! Run faster!" Snag shouted. "He's going to catch us, pulverize us, crush us in candy-coated fury, even!"

"Look, you guys!" Minty cried. "Over there!"

They were soon approaching a creek that lay before them, with melted chocolate flowing through it. It cut through the canyon wall and disappeared into the side of the rocks. There were large chunks of chocolate poking up out of it, but there was no way for the gang to cross them like stepping stones. They would have to jump to reach them.

"Oh boy," Snag said, nervously trembling. "That looks impossible to cross...difficult, even!"

"We better think of something or we're going to become chocolate-covered snacks for that monster!" Hokey shouted.

"Leave it to me!" Huck shouted.

He began to skate faster and faster, then he crouched and took to the air with a flying leap, sailing over the flowing chocolate and hitting the ground on the other side as he skidded to a stop. "Ta-da!" he sang.

The others just had to applaud; it was such an impressive trick. "Thank you! Thank you!" Huck said, taking a bow. "You're too kind!"

Minty backed up to gain some momentum, then she broke into a sprint, and leaped gracefully right over the creek, landing next to Huck.

"Nice sprint, Minty!" Huck complimented.

"Thanks!" Minty replied. "Except, what about the others?"

"Yeah, don't leave us behind!" Hokey yelled.

"And hurry!" Snag added. "The monster is almost upon us!"

Minty reached into the pocket of her dress. "I think I have the answer right here!" she said. She pulled out a long rope made of weaved mint vines and threw it out across the creek to the others. "Quick, grab a hold!"

The others grabbed the rope, and began to shimmy across the creek. At the same time, Minty and Huck were pulling their end of the rope to help their friends along. At one point, Snag almost slipped and fell into the chocolate, but Coco helped him back up onto the rope and he was able to make it safely across. They had made it just in time as well, for the monster had just caught up to them!

"Lucky for us, the monster can't swim!" Cinnamon chuckled.

"Yeah," Coco added. "Just watch him try to get us now!"

The monster roared and made a grab for them, but he didn't see the creek and he was sucked right down into it as he absorbed right into the flowing chocolate. "Awww, phooey!" he growled. "Not again!"

The gang watched as he drifted away and disappeared into the canyon wall along with the chocolate.

"So long, you big drip!" Hokey called.

Everyone stood there laughing at the sight, but after a few seconds, Huck stopped and turned to his friends. "This is funny and all, but we best be moseyin' along!"

Snag pulled out the map. "Oh good, it's not much farther to the Lollipop Garden from here! They're on the other side of this canyon...close by, even!"

"It's a good thing there's another staircase!" Minty smiled.

Cinnamon glanced around. "It's just a few paces from here. I can see it on the other side of those chocolate rocks!"

"Well then, let's go!" Hokey cried.

After climbing over the chocolate rocks, the gang reached the staircase on the other side of the canyon and began to climb up. It took a bit of effort to reach the top, but soon they were out of the canyon and back on the path toward their next destination. Of course, Huck couldn't resist taking one little chunk of chocolate to eat before they had left!

"I'd never leave without some candy!" he chuckled. Then he took a bite out of his chocolate and grinned.

"Is he always like this?" Minty asked.

"Quite often," Snag answered. "All the time, even."

Cinnamon pointed toward the edge of the hill. "The Lollipop Garden is straight ahead! I can see it from here!"

"Oh boy! Lollipop Garden, here we come!" Huck cheered.

*"Chock full" is another way of saying full of, or loaded with.