How It Should Have Been: Sokeefe AU

Episode 5

Before:

Jolie nodded her head, frowning.

Sophie and Edaline started heading out of the room, and were about to go downstairs when they heard a loud crash outside, followed by a squawk and a bang.

"No," Sophie whispered. Maybe she wouldn't be able to keep her promise.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Jolie shouted, about to rush out the door.

"NO!" Edaline stopped her. "Let me go find out! You could ruin your dress!"

Jolie bit her lip and glanced towards the window, then decided it would waste too much time arguing, and walked carefully towards the window to glimpse what happened. Sophie and Edaline ran outside as fast as they could in their heels, and Sophie almost fell several times on the stairs.

Throwing open the door, they stopped and stared. Nothing was wrong. The stage was perfectly put together, the petals were placed perfectly on the aisle, and all the chairs were upright. Even the banners showing the names of the families whose seats they were in place. But the bangs and squawks continued, just out of sight. Edaline and Sophie exchanged a glance, hurrying down the bend in the path that concealed the noise...

And stepped into chaos.

Verdi had gotten loose.

She rampaged around the fields, knocking over tables, tearing up grass, and just generally causing pandemonium. Grady was holding a silver lasso, trying to get it around her neck, but she was thrashing too much for him to get a good shot.

The gnomes were running around with random plants, trying to lure Verdi back to her enclosure, but it wasn't working.

"Grady!" Edaline shrieked. "What the heck happened?"

"Questions later!" Grady bellowed back. "Right now, we have to get her back in her enclosure!"

"Right." Edaline concentrated, and snapped her fingers, snapping Grady's lasso out of existence.

"How does that help us?" Grady shouted, dancing out of the way of Verdi's tail as it whipped right where she was standing.

"Patience!" Edaline closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Sophie! I need help!" Grady yelled, exasperated at his wife.

Edaline held up her hand, stopping Sophie from running forward. "Wait," she whispered.

Sophie lingered at her mother's side, worry creasing her brow, while Verdi roared and the gnomes scrambled to grab her sides.

Edaline breathed, once, twice... and snapped her fingers again.

The lasso appeared around Verdi's neck, and the other end landed in Grady's hands. Grady blinked in surprise, barely able to tighten his grip before Verdi shook her head, almost pulling him off his feet. The blond elf dug his heels in and pulled, trying to yank the T-rex back to her enclosure. The gnomes hurried to grab Grady, helping him pull Verdi behind her gate and lock the door.

Everything was quiet.

Then the roaring started again. Verdi rampaged around her field, knocking over her trough and spilling her meal across the ground.

"Why is she so angry today?" Sophie shouted, covering her ears.

"I don't know! Maybe it's because we moved her? But she was fine yesterday, and her new enclosure looks just like her old one!" Grady yelled back.