"Why, it is hot today, isn’t it? Well, I need to bring these bad kids to the hospital. Catch you later!" He said quickly. I understood his excuse and silently prayed for her to not remember that it was still December.
Vampire Dude didn’t wait for an answer. He was about to hit the pedal when we heard a muffled "woof" behind me.
"Must be uh… Wilson, that naughty kid! Always wanting to be some animal, or the other. I am going to hospital now!" I heard him rush.
Jacque just ignored him. She stared at us, and then looked around the trees."
"Must be a wolf," she murmured unconvinced.
Suddenly, she went and opened the trunk door. She saw Snowy and gasped.
"How did he get here?" she narrowed her eyes. She actually looked scared.
"I’m not sure!" Vampire Dude pretended to look confused. I wanted to cry. What was going to happen?
Snowy started to bark and growl. Jacque shrieked and ran off. Then she called her brother/guards/advertising men. They were sunbathing near the moat, listening to nursery rhymes on the radio, but when they heard her call, they rushed to their unicycles with training wheels.
As Vampire Dude took off with the trunk still open, Snowy bravely jumped into the backseat with Larry. He barked at the burly men who were chasing us in their swimming underwear. I was laughing at their long uncontrollable chest hair and ugly mustaches when Vampire Dude swerved suddenly to the left and the Burly men crashed into a rock and toppled on each other.
"You are a big fat meanie!" One of the burly men cursed us. The other one stuck his tongue at us and started to cry. They quickly got up and the chase was on!
Chapter 71 - Sharon-Wrong Time To Sleep
I drifted to sleep. The last thing I remember was the Burly Men falling down and getting up again and again as Mr. Johnston made more random turns. Of course, we got lost. When I woke up we were near a dumpster. The Burly Men were long gone, but where were we??
Chapter 72 - Catie-The Chase
So, the blonde Burly Men were getting closer and closer. Just when they were about to grab and open the trunk, Sharon, of all things, fell asleep. The blondies were now so close that I could see the zits on their chin. Then, Mr. Johnston picked up speed and swerved to the right.
"Wwwooaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" we screamed as the car tilted this way and that. I turned around just in time to see the burly men tripping on each other before falling head first. After struggling for a minute, they finally got up, and tripped again while trying to get on their unicycles with training wheels. They must be bad unicycle riders! Well, at least we lost them! They shot us ugly looks and dejectedly hopped back to the castle. Hopefully, this was the last time we see them!!
Chapter 73 - David-The Dump
Mr. Johnston looked back and stuck his tongue at them. We laughed at how childish he was.
Crash! We were so busy rejoicing the fact that we escaped the men, we did not realize that we were driving off course into the city dumpster. Or at least I think it was the city dumpster, I only seen it on TV. Anyway, the frount of the car was a mess, but we decided it wouldn't be a problem, we could always walk!
"What?" Sharon snapped awake. "It is morning already?"
"No." Larry (who was sitting between me and her) said slowly. "We drove into a dump. It is still night time."
"Hey, um, if we ever make it home, can you… would you like to ... well, go see a movie?" he said nervously.
"No! Whatever you are going to ask, NO!" Sharon didn’t look at him again. Larry was sad and he stroked Snowy who was snoozing by our feet. I was confused.
"Yes! Yes!" Catie cried out excited. While we were still in the car, Catie got out and climbed on biggest garbage pile.
"Really?" Larry looked hopeful.
"Sharon, we are at the dumpster near the zoo. This is it! Remember, we had a field trip here to the zoo? This is the zoo dumpster!" Catie continued excitedly, jumping up and down.
"I’ll see a movie with you!" I said to Larry.
Everyone stared at me, so I said, "What? He is very nice! After all, he is my step brother!!"
Chapter 74 - Catie-Home!...almost
"Finally, this is perfect," I mumbled to myself, "I know how to get home!!"
"Well, I’m sorry that no one likes movies! Only David does." Larry said in his girly girl voice.
"Hmmm…? What did you say?" I absent-mindedly asked.
"Nothing!" Larry quickly said, shooting a sharp look at Sharon.
"Oh, wait, are you guys having a private conversation?" I asked thoughtfully, "I won’t disturb you."
"NOPE!" Those two screamed in my face.
"Gosh, I sorry. You two don’t have to be so mean!!" I snapped. Sheesh!
Chapter 75 - David-Larry, Larry, (Tsk, tsk)
"Sharon is so mean! She embarrassed me in front of my dad! She rejected my offer! She, she agitated me. I don’t like her! She doesn’t like movies, me, David, or anyone. She is so cold. Catie, on the other hand, I haven’t heard her response yet. Maybe her whole family besides Sharon will come with her to the movies! After all, I need to thank the girls since they saved me from Jacque. Oh wait, they have to thank me! I was the one who told Snowy to save everyone! I still don’t like Sharon since she rejected me! Who would reject me? I am so nice! I think she is jealous of my niceness!" Larry said annoyingly as we tried to ignore him. It seemed like he mumbled it for years!
I guess I had the type of stepbrother that got annoyed whenever someone figured out something, or things changed for the good. I guess that that was the bad part about Larry. He overreacted too much. I hope I’d not be like him.
Catie, Sharon, and Andy huddled together in the middle seats of the van. I am sure that they were all trying to block out Larry’s constant complaining. Even Snowy whimpered and put his paws over his ears. Since I sat in the back with Larry, I tried to make him quiet.
"Hey, Larry?" I asked. He completely ignored me.
"You know, we are trying to sleep, right?" I still received no answer. His voice didn’t dwindle.
"It is fine if Sharon doesn’t want to see a movie with you! Catie, Andy, and I could see it with you! Stepdad could also see it with us! See? There’s nothing to worry about!" I said optimistically. It didn’t work. I resolved to plugging my ears and trying to block him out.
We were all relieved when he fell asleep.
Chapter 76 - Sharon-Nighttime
We were in the dumpster trying to get some rest, since it was too dark to do anything else! Tomorrow we would try to fix the car, since its front was badly damaged. I didn’t mind walking though. As long as I was away from Jacque, I was fine with almost anything.
Larry, being so annoying, kept on mumbling on how mean I was and how I embarrassed him. Well, he was embarrassing me right now! Catie agreed to defend me in case he striked. I know she was joking, but it was nice to have someone on my side.
Catie, Andy, and I slept on top of each other and curled up next to each other in the van. Hey, that was the first time we had all slept together since we were little! Also, that was the first time we had slept on top of each other in the car and not complained! It was actually kind of nice, hugging little Andy in the middle. Catie and I smiled at each other and made faces at Larry’s crabbiness. (He was curled up on the floor, still complaining.) We really had bonded. I guess the kidnapping and all that happened in between had made us realize how much we needed each other.
I thought about poor little David. He had been through so much, but he still had a lot of spirit! I also thought about Mr. Johnston. Hopefully, he would get back together with his ex-wife Eileen.
Finally, Larry’s complaining resided to a whisper. He fell asleep, mumbling about teddy bears. I drifted off to sleep too.
Chapter 77 - Sharon-Working Together
A streak of sunshine shone in my eyes. I open them to see a bunch of workers wearing shirts that said "Grapes are better than apes". Huh? What happened? I suddenly remembered that I was on the run with my friends.
"What are you people doing?" I asked sleepily as Snowy growled.
The fattest worker-his name tag said Bill-said in a monotonous voice, "We were sent to capture you. Come with us, OR ELSE!"
I rubbed my eyes. "Or else what?"
"I don’t know." Bill shrugged. "I am only telling you what Boss told me to say.
Before I could reply, a teenager worker with the name tag Scott blurted, "Whatever, we are not under her watch right now. We can just escape the wrath of Jacque!"
The other workers stared at that kid for a long time and someone whistled. The others started to nod. Catie yawned and stretched. When did she wake up?
"Well," said Bill thoughtfully. "I hadn’t seen the outside world since I was captured as a kid. Lead the way!" The other workers cheered.
"I think I know the direction!" Catie yelled excited. We woke the others that were still in the car sleeping. The workers were waiting for Catie to say anything.
"I know that some of you are good with machines. Now, I’ll just need some help…" she instructed.
Chapter 78 - Andy-the Road
Vampire Dude woke me up. I saw a bunch of people wearing shirts like mine! They were fixing our car. I was glad to see my sisters working together to lead the group of workers. I was soon riding with Larry, Snowy, and David in the car. Sharon wanted to walk, and Catie wanted to lead with her! I was happy for them. They were like best friends now. Before, they were enemies. This escapade had "made" friends for all of us. Catie , Sharon, and I like each other now! We even made new friends with David, Mr. Johnston, Snowy, and maybe Larry.
Chapter 79 - David- Where are We?
The first thing I heard was cheering. Then I drifted asleep again. Next thing, I was carried to the van. Stepdad! I thought in my head. Where are we? Hey, the van was fixed and could work again! Where were Sharon and Catie? Oh, they were outside. Hey, they were leading the crowd! They were leaders! We walked and walked through streets that I had never seen before. It looked just like TV! I saw many non-worker people watching us! I waved to them. They stared at my raggedy clothes. I felt insecure. However, after I thought for a while, I didn’t care for my clothes! It is what on the inside that counts! I was sure smart for figuring that out! After all, everyone has their own abilities!
Chapter 80 - Sharon-Chatting
My wonderful twin sister led the way with me helping her. Although she was leading the crowd with me, I could see her and chat with the teenage worker Scott who decided to escape Jacque. I started chatting with him too.
He was super outgoing and friendly. He looked a little like David: mop of dark brown hair, but big curious hazel eyes that seemed to take in everything. The only big difference was Scott looked well-fed and was slightly tan from working in the sun. He was a little "creepy": his teeth were so white that he didn’t look like a worker. He looked like one of those cute dudes that did one of those commercials where people show off their teeth. Weird.
Oh well. We just kept on chatting. From picking fruit to adorable animals, there was always something to talk about. The time passed by really quickly.
Chapter 81 - Andy-Sigh…that Larry
"I dreamt that Catie and Sharon were fighting over me." Larry told me and David blankly. We were in his dad’s car, still driving surrounded by workers. "I was so happy until I was woken up by Dad. I was busy avoiding Catie and Sharon that I didn’t notice all the workers. I was filled with anger when I saw Sharon and Catie leading the way. Sigh. Where am I? What is happening? I was confused. Oh well."
David and I glanced at each other and covered our ears. Why was Larry so talkative? He was alright until yesterday night. He should make up with my sisters.
No offense, but Larry was really selfish. I liked David much better. He didn’t rant on about little things. Also, he was fun to talk to!
Chapter 82 - Catie-Friends Again
Sharon and I led the way to the police station and we talked to this awesome dude named Scott. He was ten times nicer than Larry anyways. I was glad that we had another friend since I was sure Larry hated us now. We were crossing the street when I felt someone squeeze in between Sharon and I. I turned to see the "Vampire Jr." looking at Sharon angrily while holding on to Snowy’s collar.
"When did you get out of the car?" I half-asked half-commented.
"None of your business." He replied still glaring at Sharon. My awesome sister ignored him.
We walked in total coldness for a long while until we felt a second person squeeze in. It was Andy.
"Really?" He said all grown-up like (mainly to Larry). "You guys are all acting like 7 year olds, oh wait that is me. You guys are acting like a bunch of umm… newborns! Oh wait, they can’t talk. Whatever, the point is that I am surprised. I mean, wow, I can’t believe you guys. Why are you guys forever arguing? I thought you guys were best buddies!"
Sharon’s jaw dropped to the floor. I gasped. When had Andy grown up so much? I mean, a seven year old intervened when we had a problem. He even stopped calling us "Sissies!"
Larry, to my surprise, broke out laughing. "All right, all right! This little dude makes everything seem much worse than it really is. I’m sorry!" He hugged Andy, my sister, and me lightly. (I was happy that to see Scott looking happy for us. He really was so nice!)
Chapter 83 - David-There It Is!
I was in the car with Larry and Andy, with Catie and Sharon giving directions. Larry jumped out of the car with Andy following to stand next to Catie, Sharon, and Scott. I was alone in the car with Mr. Johnston until both of them jumped back, looking happy.
Suddenly, in the midst of our conversation, Andy screamed with joy. "There is the police station! I see it! We are right next to it!" His dirty-blonde hair flipped up and down as he bounced in the car seat. It looked fun, so I joined him.
"Why do we need to go here?" I asked curiously as we parked just outside of a tall, clean looking building.
"We need to tell the police about Jacque." Sharon answered as she was approaching us. I still was confused. "She kidnapped Sharon, and abused you." Catie explained.
"And forced us to be her slaves!" Scott added. He was right behind Catie. "We had to work all day long and we couldn’t get any kind of breaks. To make matters worse, she kidnapped all of us when we were kids! Well, she adopted the some workers, like me, when we were in the orphanage. She didn't pay us because she said that way she could save money!"
"Oh." I looked down. "But without Jacque, who would take care of me?" the others looked surprised at my sad face.
Mr. Johnston put his arms around me. "If it is okay with you, I’ll adopt you. After all, I am your step dad! You can live with me, Larry, and hopefully Eileen."
I smiled tearfully and gratefully.
Chapter 84 - Sharon-A Talk
We walked into the police station, workers and all. I was surprised to see that it was almost empty. Only a few police officers hung around. Mr. Johnston went to the front desk and the others tagged behind.
"Hi… kidnapped… child abuse…managed to escape…" was the snippets of his words that I managed to hear.
I don’t know why I was nervous, I mean, I was in safe custody right now.
"Sharon and David! The police want to have a talk with you." Mr. Johnston called. I grasped David’s shaking little fingers and we hastily walked up to the police. We were asked all sorts of questions. It went so quick that I didn’t remember any of them, except for "Are you hurt?" The policewoman (named Villa Waters) looked nice and comforting, not all western-like as I imagined most police to be.
After a bazillion questions, we were led to a big conference-looking room where I found the others gobbling sandwiches and sipping apple juice. Snowy had a bowl of water and ate our scraps. I realized that my stomach was grumbling and I was thirsty. I quickly sat down and eagerly bit into a sandwich.
Chapter 85 - David-Interview
The police named Alvin interviewed all of us, even the workers. He recorded what we said. The polic
e asked for Mommy’s location, so they could track her down easier. However, Mr. Johnston never knew her address. He just remembered the roads he traveled to her place. We waited as Mr. Johnston went with the officers to find Mommy. They came back empty handed four hours later.
"I went along the road where I tricked Catie and Andy into my car," Mr. Johnston explained to us. "But since I haven’t been in that road for a long time, I forgot how I got there. I even tried to trace our steps to the route on where we escaped, but since I did so many random devious turns, I got lost again. Even her wine product says the location of her factory, not her grape field/ home. I told the police that Jacque’s fort is somewhere in the Dawn Forest, but that barely narrowed down the search, since there were a lot of rich vine growers living there, and there is way more than one Jacque Williams living in the Dawn Forest. Looks like Jacque was in luck, for the time being."
By the time we could leave, it was already five o’ clock in the afternoon! The police took us for a ride in her awesome car. First, she was going to drop Mr. Johnston, Larry, and me off at the Johnston's’ house. (Mr. Johnston wasn’t allowed to drive in his van anymore because it was too damaged even though the workers did their fixing.) Mr. Johnston had talked with Eileen, and not only that they made up, she willingly let the workers stay at the house. The workers had already walked alone (with a police officer) to the house. They were going to stay there just for just one night, and in the next morning, the police would track down their families.
We were all in a good mood as we pulled in a magnificent house.
"Whoa!" Catie said as she inspected the fancy three-story mansion. "This is where you live?" she asked Larry.
"Yeah, it is better on the inside." He replied boastfully.
Snowy ran ahead and zestfully frolicked in the green grass.
As I went out of the car, I gave all my new friends a hug.
"Bye!" they cried.