Not So Sweet Candyland

VIII: Adventure

"You didn't tell me that we were going on an adventure!" Chase was holding the suitcase as they were walking to their home base.

"It's funnier that you found out that way."

"It's not! I want to go home!"

"Relax, you big baby."

They stopped in the street, Chase put the suitcase down and sighed.

"Why do you have to be a pain? I've been gone for like a week, won't anybody say anything?"

"You seem like the type of person that doesn't care about their family." Berry scoffed.

"They're my parents. They care for me and I care for them."

Berry rolled her eyes and they stopped at the house. Chase went inside as well.

"Are you packing too?" Chase asked from a doorframe.

"I honestly can't wait." Berry said. "I don't travel like this often, so this is a trait for me."

"I thought that somebody said that you saved 300 people." Chase wondered.

"Oh, that was all of us combined. And, they never know what they are saying. Ever. You have siblings, right?"

"No, I'm an only child."

Berry slammed her suitcase down.

"No wonder you don't have any people skills."

Chase was slightly offended.

"Do you even have friends? And if you do, do they even have any personality?"

Chase never realized this, a stranger from a foreign world has been more entertaining than his friends that he's always been with. Or, would he call her a stranger?

Berry grabbed her suitcase and Chase followed suit.

"What's the first stop?" Chase asked before Berry stopped in her tracks.

"I forgot to show you something." Berry put down her suitcase and started folding it into a backpack. Chase was amazed as Berry moved the pieces to turn into a bag.

Berry noticed Chase staring at her.

"What? You've never seen a backpack before?"

"Well duh, I've seen backpacks before. Just, none like that."

"You can either be stylish or practical. Of course, I'm more of the practical type."

Chase started to blush, and Berry noticed.

"Boys like you only have girl friends because you feel like you have to fit the society norm. You don't care how dry that girl is or how much she lacks, you'll do everything for you. Guys like you are absolutely pathetic. Are you guys too scared to stand out for once? What is even with you guys anyways? And who are you even trying to impress? If anybody at all." Berry was sitting on a chest.

"Why do you care?" Chase asked meanly.

"Oh, guess the boy with no personality finally shows some emotion. I get that you're respectful and let me talk. But give me some flavor for once, argue with me, talk to me, get to know me. We're both going to die one day. I'll keep any personal secrets of your to the grave."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am. I might be mean, but when do I ever let anybody down? They only let themselves down and die."

Berry got up from the chest.

"We should head out. Before dust comes and we get cold. Get some time to make a candy fire and whatnot."

"Whatever's fine by me, you know the way."

"No way to be such a flatterer, Chase."

Berry led the way outside and they had their backpacks ready to start their adventure.

"Now, where are we going?"

"We'll start off small, get you used to the Candyland Adventure. Although not so typical, don't expect this just to be another board game. I've done this plenty of times, I know what I'm doing."

Chase gulped when she stopped looking.

Berry heard that.

"We're halfway out of town, and you're scared already? You must always think the worst of things always, don't you? Guess so."

They were silent until they were about a half a mile away from Licorice City. Berry set out all of her items; a lighter, some pocket knives, a rope, daggers, and a tiny capsule that turns into a sleeping bag for two.

"When we actually go on the adventure, we'll pack a lot more than this. For now, I'll start you  off small. Not too far from home, but we'll do one night. If you can't handle it, I'll make you do worse. You wanna sleep in the deserts? Be my guest and eat my ass."

Chase spewed out some water from his flask.

"If your disgusted, don't make it that obvious. Or are you dirty minded like most people are?"

"You're the one that curses all the time."

"You're going to fall asleep soon if you don't take back what you said."

"What are you going to do? Knock me out? I bet that you can't. And, I know all of your tricks. You're a bipolar witch! You either become so aggressive or you get weirdly soft at times. You're a big meanie!" Chase got angry.

"You sound like a baby. I mean, you look like a baby even. And you think that you can do this all alone? Oh, you'd be in a worse place if I didn't find you on the road. I could've let you be and somebody else would find you. You would probably not make it out alive, but it wouldn't be my problem." Berry imitated.

"This is why you would make a terrible Queen, you're always pessimistic, but you refuse to do anything about it."

"Oh, I'm not negative, I'm just being realistic."

"You know what? I'm not even scared of you." Chase crossed his arms.

"Ok, let's see. By the time I count to 100, you have to get a fire started. Do you know how to do that?" Berry asked.

"You can't scare me like that!"

And Berry started counting down, by the time she got to 20, Chase got scared and started grabbing firewood and leaves and twigs and whatever and started setting a fire up. Berry stopped counting and soon, Chase started his own fire.

"What more can you do? I'll teach you the ropes, and you shut your mouth and listen."