Bookview Valley 4

Chapter Twenty-Two: Golden

June 16th, Sunday 9:30pm

The forest rushes past me in blurs of neon red, orange, green, and more. It would be really pretty if I wasn't on a time crunch. I keep hearing noises in the woods, but I can't stop now. I need to find the granddaughter, or something of hers. I know she has to be part of how I get Harper's soul stone.

Hearing another creak, I turn and trip. Face planting on the ground is not my favorite thing, but it's what I do. I bet the Crimson Skeleton is laughing wherever they're hiding. This is probably some fun show for them. I really wish I knew what time it was. Why don't I wear a watch?

A shadow of red catches my eye. That has to be her. Dusting my pants off, I begin my chase once more. I skim tree roots and plants. Finally, I come face to face with the red cape. The figure's face is hidden.

"Do you have Harper's soul stone?" I ask, walking towards her. I would think this was the Crimson Skeleton, but the red of the cape is the wrong tone. I reach the cape, placing my fingers on it. The cape falls through my hands, and onto the ground. There's no one there, but there is a picnic basket.

Crouching down, I throw open the picnic basket. I hear a snap and glance behind me. Harper stands between two trees, fully wolfish now. She snarls at me and I turn back to the basket. I begin to frantically look through it. Just a ton of food.

Letting out a half-scream, I begin to pick the food apart, but then I stop. A single sandwich glows a red tint. Snatching it in my hands, I try to peel it apart, but it doesn't budge. It's like a brick. Do I have to eat it? I raise it to my mouth, but then I notice something wriggling. Turning my head, I dry heave. Bugs, and a lot of them are in the sandwich. I'm going to be so sick.

Thudding footsteps get closer, and the growls get louder. This is for Harper, I must save her. Holding my breath, I take a bite of the wiggling sandwich. I nearly gag, but I scarf it down until my teeth hit something hard. I pull it out of my mouth and look at it with tears in my eyes.

A red teardrop winks at me with its daunting red glow. I spit out the bite in my mouth, ignoring the maggots. I turn to the wolf, known as Harper, and hold the red teardrop out to her. Those hazel eyes catch it, and we both stare at the stone as it glows brighter. When the light is gone, Harper stands before me with a sad smile.

"Thank you," She says before she disappears with a wink. The world around me fades and soon I'm back in the yellow hallway. That wasn't so bad, but my stomach gurgles an argument. I lose my stomach contents, before I can continue.

The taste of bugs stay in my mouth as I take in the door before me. It has a scratch slashed through it, and the painting that is now hanging from it. The painting is of the neon forest, again quite beautiful, but I don't have time.

Spinning away from the door, I begin my walk to the next challenge. It doesn't take me too long to find the next door. With a deep breath I walk into the next challenge, what will I have to face this time? Hopefully not more bug sandwiches. I don't know what was worse: eating a bug sandwich or burning my hand? At least my hand burns went away, the bug taste is still there.

Making a face, I shut the door behind me and take in the new arena. The first thing I notice is the giant bean stalk. This one should be easy to figure out. I squint up into the sky, the bean stalk disappears into the sky. With a sigh, I stride over to the bean stalk and begin to climb. This is going to take forever.

It did not take forever. Soon, I find myself at the top. With a cautious step, I stand on a cloud. A castle looms over me, white and gold in the sun. It's deathly silent for the home of giants. Making my way to the large doors, I can't help but to fret over what I'll have to do this time. Hopefully, I won't have to shit out a golden egg. That would be truly painful indeed. I wonder which of my friends is next.

I slip through the crack under the large doors. I find myself in a huge room made of marble; everything is way bigger and it's kind of scary. I feel like a dust bunny. Making my way through the room, my eyes land on a gigantic throne. It's carved beautifully out of white marble. I need the architect of this place for my house.

"Fe Fi Fo-"

My head snaps over to the looming giant who stares down at me, "Hey."

"WHO ARE YOU?" The voice booms at me, I cover my ears.

"MORGAN!" I yell back, my voice echoing off the walls. The giant squats down, but he's still way taller than me. His hand moves slowly and picks me up. I don't struggle, I just let it happen. We come face to face, his big green eyes take me in.

"You're not from here," He says, his breath making me sway in his grip. I really hope he doesn't drop me.

"Nope," I tell him, "I'm from down there."

He glances down, "My floor?"

"No, further down," I shake my head, "Down the bean stalk."

He gasps, and I know I would've gone flying if not for his grip around me, "You know Jack?"

"I do not know Jack," I reply, vaguely remembering the hero of this story, "Do you know Jack?"

The giant scratches his mop of brown hair with his free hand, "I do. He stole my goose and left forever!"

"Yikes," I say awkwardly, "Well, I'm not here to steal anything."

"Who are you here for?" The giant raises a very thick eyebrow. I could probably get lost in his eyebrow hair.

"Ben."

"But, I'm Ben." Shit.