Raining Cats, Dogs and Maple Syrup

The Difficult Question

The aromas of candle wax and pancake residue set the mood, the two waltzed across the tables under the chandelier's light, Prudence's gaze focused on Cooper's sweet smile. ''You're a great dancer Prudence.'' She read his lips which were glazed with vanilla bean lip balm, hanging onto every  syllable of his compliment. She was entranced with his image that she hadn't noticed she was waltzing on air, not table. Upon that realization she began falling but then Cooper caught her and pulled her back up onto the dance tables. ''Hey, hey, no need to fall for me. I like you as a coworker and friend already.'' Was I just friendzoned?  The two decided to call it a night after that, Cooper fed Cookie and Pickle and the two animals slept in the laundry room. In Papa Louie's Pancakeria office there was a bookshelf of recipe books. Prudence pulled out the most intriguing and out of place book Secrets of the ingredient X  The book was black with a rainbow striped spine, a white circle in the center of the cover and a rainbow, emboldened X inside the circle. Prudence attempted to pull out the book but it activated a mechanism that split the bookshelf into two and the shelves were pulled back revealing a ladder leading to a trapdoor. The creaked wooden trapdoor opened to an attic with two twin beds and a note from Papa Louie. ''Hello potential employees of Papa's Pancakeria, here is a bedroom for you two if you wish to live on the restaurant's property.'' 

Cooper fell asleep in a matter of minutes, Prudence laid down in her bed staring up at the ceiling, imagining what a life with him might entail but she buried her thoughts by reading more of Storm in the Seas. Absorbed into the tropical island Robby had found himself on, tall trees ripe with fresh juicy fruits, crystal clear water swimming about with fish, the warm sandy beaches that Robby called home for 2 and a half years. Prudence was knocked out of her fictional world when a pebble hit the wood frame of the only window in this attic, a large circular window that was held shut with an iron latch that one could easily open and slip out. Prudence put on some light grey slippers tucked underneath her bed and walked over to the window to see its Willow with a retractable ladder. ''Prudence, come back to the retreat. Quinn is worried about you.''That's a first. Prudence reluctantly descended the ladder to meet Willow and they walked up the mountain to the retreat. Willow and Prudence settled in the large log cabin's library for the night with a cup of tea. Prudence sipped the scalding watered down beverage, it's nothing like the Pancakeria's premier tea. ''So are you coming down the mountain with us tomorrow morning?'' ''Do I have a choice?'' ''Yes, actually. You have a life in Powder Point, what do you have here that no other place can give you?'' ''Um. the mountain air, the cute woodland creatures, trees...'' Then Willow looked to the floor with a sly knowing smile. ''You think you've got everybody fooled don't you. But not me honey, I've known cases like yours for too long. And no matter how hard you try to deny, I can tell you care about him as much as he cares about you. Do admit that you love him, and I know that you do.'' Prudence kept shaking her head and trying to leave but Willow had locked the door. ''Prudence please, admit the truth!'' ''What truth, I have nothing to hide!'' She stomped out of the room by picking the lock with a pocket knife hidden behind a wilderness survival kit and slept on the couch in the lobby. 

Prudence woke up on the firm couch cushions the following morning to Quinn's yelling. ''Everyone, get your bags and pile into the shuttle buses to your respective regions. Buses leave at 8:00 AM and I expect everyone on the buses at least 5 minutes before. If you are late for the bus we will leave you behind.'' Prudence got up knowing that a difficult choice laid ahead.