Quest For The Key

Chapter 32: The Last Task

Pepper and Jack cried for help for a long time but finally their throats  hurt from yelling so much and they stopped. They tried many things. First pepper tried to use her knife to make a hole for them to crawl out but her knife wasn’t strong enough and just made a hole the size on her thumb before it snapped i half. The sisters must have used a special knife to cut open the rock with the star dust. The second thing they tried was to roll the rock but it was very heavy and they grew extreamly tired after four rolls.  Pepper and Jack drank the remander of their water and screamed for help this time through the whole, in case the rock had been sound proof. Sure enough the door of a shack opened and an old man hobbled out on his walking stick. 

He wore lime green pants that were too short and went above his ankles high, they had holes that were patched andhe wore a pine green jacket with two falpps at the back. His skin was pinky and fekled and his head was balding except for some grey hair at the back of his scalp.

“Where are you?” called the old man

“ In here “ screamed Pepper and Jack at the top of their voices. It took the old man awhile before he even saw the rock and soon enough he came back with a torch and a wand. He heated up the rock with a touch of his wand scorching the two inside then cast a spell. A cold wind colled the inside of the rock that refreshed the two travellers and the rock then got hot again and melted around them in a perfect sphere. The old man chuckled and walked back to the house. Pepper and Jack just followed.

The cottage was made of cedar wood and there was a brown window sill that they could see. The roof was made out of brown and yellow hay. In a hole in the roof smoke poured out from the chimney but through the windowsill you could smell something burning. “ Oh no that’s the portage!”. The old man’s voice shook with anger.  Inside the floor was warm as if there were heaters under it and the walls were a chalky clay colour, probably they because they had been rubbed with clay for paint. Across the room there was a bed side table in between two beds with nets to keep mostitos out. A reading lamp was set on it, as well as a book still open by it’s spine and a pair of spectacules. There was also a working desk that was dark brown and was over flowing with papers.

The old man led them into the kitchen where the smell of the burning porage was the strongest. “ Sorry dear” he called out. “ That’s ok” Pepper replied ‘ I’m not talking to you” said the old man looking behind them and the two turned to see Maple sitting at a table be the beds finishing her soup. 

She looked up when she heard their voices. Seeing Pepper and Jack she opened her mouth letting the soup fall out and stood up running to Jack.  Jack held her in a hug for a long time before she pulled away and glared at Pepper.  It was now that Maple stood in front of them that her friends backed away in terror. All along her body were tiny, pointy bite marks, some on which were probably never go away. You could see the marks as plain as day. They followed on her arms, and legs, feet and stomach. There were even more on her neck, hands and face. She was black and blue from bruising and pale from blood loss. It looked as though more then blood had been drained from her. As Jack starred into her eyes he could see how deep, and empty they were yet filled with pain. The pain was part of her and it covered her soul as thick as oil. It was something that would never be taken out, never washed away, never forgotten about. Jack knew the nightmares would haunt her right up to her death bed. Maple was a sight for sore eyes, and her beautiful, angel like body had transformed into something quite hideous.

“ You left me there” Maple said. Jack was glaring at Pepper too, but she had nothing to say.

“ How did you? How did you make it out? I thought you were unconsious and I saw the shadow demons fly away with you!” Pepper stuttered trying to make sence of things.