Return to the Featherlands: Chapter 10 (Patreon)

“I had it under control,” Silvia argued. Back on the stone road, Silvia rushed to catch up to Paul. She huffed, still recovering from the previous tickle assault. Her cheeks were still rosy, her chest still sore from the constant heaving. Grumbling as she walked, Silvia picked the last of the twigs and leaves out of her hair before restoring her ponytail.

“I’m sure you did,” Paul said. He walked ahead of her, carrying a smaller bag of his own slung over one shoulder. He wore the same long pants and boots in which he had found Silvia. His hair was short and resonated a sandy tone in the direct light.

“I did,” Silvia snapped back. She adjusted the glasses on her face and the bag on her back. “I was about to, at least. I didn’t need your help.”

“And what were you about to do, exactly?”

“Cut through the one, then get all the others,” Silvia said.

“Uh huh, before more showed up and kept you there?”

“I would have handled it,” Silvia said. She raced to run up next to Paul, who faced forward as he walked.

“Sure you would,” Paul said.

“I’m serious!” Silvia said. “I can do this on my own.” Paul smirked.

“Do what, exactly?” Paul asked. “What’s your plan when you get to the castle?” Silvia paused and huffed through the question that stirred unanswered inside her own head. She turned her head up and walked ahead of Paul.

“I… I don’t know, exactly,” Silvia said. “But I’m smart and will figure it out before I get there.”

“Really?” Paul asked, his tone sourly gaming.

“Well, if you’re so smart, what would you do?” Silvia barked. Paul shrugged.

“Probably the same,” Paul said.

“See, not so easy, is it?”

“Except I’d do it without getting caught the second I take a step outside,” Paul said. Silvia’s face remained a ripe shade of pink.

“Oh, of course, because you’re so much better than me,” Silvia said, with a sardonic chuckle. “Perfect Paul knows everything there is to know about the Featherlands. More than the queen, more than anyone. He never gets caught. He knows all the magic. He knows all the flowers and all the creatures. He helps all the people and gets all the attention because he’s so amazing. He has all the answers and is always right. ‘Instrumental’, the queen said. ‘So cute’, Thea said. When, to me, you show up after having avoided me, interfere where I don’t need you, and then proceed to give me a hard time while I’m just trying to do my best. So your little comments that might as well be insults, save them. I’m not going to be listening anymore.” A silence fell over the pair. Their boots crunched against the gravely road. A distant bird cried out while a breeze whistled through the trees. Silvia looked away from Paul, only to look back a moment later to catch him smirking. “What?”

“‘Perfect’?” Paul asked. Silvia grumbled.

“Ugh, why did you even come back?” Silvia asked. “You said you were going to stay back. I wasn’t going to beg you to come with me. I was prepared to do this alone. So why change your mind?” Silvia watched Paul’s smirk fade from his lips. He breathed out a heavy breath through his nose. His head wilted slightly, looking down at the ground as he walked.

“Dad,” Paul said. Silvia became withdrawn. She lowered her tone and walked beside the boy, looking up at his forlorn, downcast eyes.

“Is… is he okay?” Silvia asked. Paul’s expression remained still. His jaw clenched. He blinked and took another moment to breathe.

“He’s still alive,” Paul said. “But he’s not getting better. He’s been coughing a lot. I try to stay with him, worried that every cough would be his last breath, but he’s a tough one, my dad.”

“So why did you leave?” Silvia asked again, with more concern in her voice.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about the Reliever, the potion that mom was working on,” Paul said. “If there was a way to create it, even a chance, I knew I’d just blame myself forever for not taking it.” Silvia nodded.

“I get it,” Silvia said somberly.

“It’s strange,” Paul said. “Having that nagging thought in my head over mom’s elixir, I don’t know, kind of felt like her talking to me again. Like she was pushing me or like continuing what she started is a way to feel her again, to bring her back in a sense.” Paul sighed and shook his head. “It’s dumb, I know.”

“No, no, I… I get it,” Silvia said. “Well, maybe not exactly because I haven’t been in that situation, but your feelings aren’t dumb. It sounds kind of nice, actually.” The ends of Paul’s lips tilted up, if only for a second. He scratched his cheek and looked away.

“I didn’t want to leave dad alone,” Paul said. “I wouldn’t have if he didn’t insist.”

“He did?”

“He said that if there was ever a chance to finish mom’s work and prove myself, whatever that meant, that now was that chance. And I thought about it. It wasn’t easy, but somehow I knew that doing this would make him the most proud. That he would have rathered me go with you than stay behind and watch him…” Paul blinked through a shimmer that came to his eye. He looked away again and scratched at it. The boy sniffled and forced a cough. Silvia paused. She watched Paul struggle through his words, stumbling over the thoughts stirring within his head. She raised a hand to stroke his arm, but retracted at the last moment.

“I’m sure you’re right,” Silvia said. “You dad’s a tough guy, like you said. I’m sure he’ll be fine by the time you make it back and have the elixir ready for him.” Paul nodded and forced a smile.

“I hope so,” he said, deep in thought. “I can’t let him down.” Paul looked down to the bag petting against his side. He tapped it with his hand. “I brought mom’s notes and books so I know what I’m looking for.”

“Which is?” Silvia asked. She hopped over a fallen log covered in moss. Paul adjusted the bag hanging off of his shoulder.

“I’ll have to look back over it, but I don’t expect finding what I need to be easy. A couple of cloves of silver sprout, virgin hyla dust… a feather gifted by Erodius.” Silvia turned to Paul, her brows lowered with intrigue.

“Erodius?” Silvia asked.

“Some Featherland beast long thought to be extinct,” Paul said with a defeated sigh. “But that’s what mom wrote. Really hoping she wasn’t just crazy.”

“I… I’m sure she’s not,” Silvia said, her tone conveying little confidence. “Or maybe there’s liberties that can be taken. We can certainly look more into it.”

“Yeah,” Paul said.

“You’ll figure it out,” said Silvia. “You said she was still working on it. You’ll finish it, I’m sure.”

“Right,” Paul said. “Just have to keep an eye out later. Nothing’s going to be this close anyway. Most of these resources have been picked clean.”

The two shared a walk that would occasionally break out into long silences. Paul listened to the natural ambiance of the Featherlands while Silvia’s mind turned over something resembling a plan once she would reach the Badland Castle. She kept her spirits and energy up by carefully admiring the wafting flowers poking out from the woods, keeping her distance. She jumped onto fallen logs and held out her arms to keep her balance as she walked across them. She offered Paul some of her snacks, to which he politely declined. She could still see the same fearless boy she knew in him, the one who kept her feeling relatively protected during their time under Tickela’s capture. So much of him had changed, but his eyes still gave that crystalline glimmer that reminded her of a still lagoon brimming with summertime memories.

“So, you’ve been here for the last five years?” Silvia asked. Paul paused before answering.

“In and out,” Paul said.

“Did you just, like, stop going to school?” Silvia asked. Paul shrugged.

“More important things happened,” the boy said solemnly. The word ‘lucky’ came to Silvia’s mind, yet the stony look on Paul’s face stopped her before she could say it.

“I… I’m sorry,” Silvia said softly. “Learned a lot about magic and stuff though, I bet.” Paul stayed silent. Silvia was left with the echo of what she had said, hearing just how little the small talk mattered objectively. She grumbled, kicking aside a small pile of pebbles. “So, how much do you know of our world?”

“What do you mean?”

“Yeah, I suppose that might have come out wrong,” Silvia said reflectively. “But, I don’t know, what movies have you seen? News you’ve heard?”

“I really only came back for business and supplies.”

“What kind of business?” Silvia asked. Paul swallowed.

“Nothing major, just… jobs,” he said.

“Okay,” Silvia said. “Don’t want to share? Elaborate? We do have a long walk ahead of us.”

“And you’re doing a good job of filling the silence,” Paul said. Silvia scoffed.

“Well, excuse me for trying to add a little life to this errand that neither of us want to have to make,” Silvia said. “What kind of magic have you learned?” Paul thought for a moment.

“Basic elemental spells,” he said. “Nothing too complicated. More focused on restoratives. Protection. Charms and the like.”

“That’s so cool,” Silvia said.

“Is it?” Paul asked. Silvia groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Oh, don’t do that,” Silvia said.

“Do what?”

“That thing that guys do where they pretend their talents are ‘no big deal’ to seem like more of a hotshot,” Silvia said. “So played out.” Paul smirked and chuckled under his breath.

“A lot of experience with guys?” Paul asked. Silvia paused and looked away.

“Uh, yeah,” Silvia said. She scratched at the side of her nose and pushed her glasses back up. “You know, some. Not ‘a lot’.”

“I’m sure,” Paul said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m sure you’ve made plenty of friends at school since the last time I saw you,” Paul said. Silvia crossed her arms.

“I mean, I have,” Silvia said. “A few, actually.”

“Boyfriends?” Paul asked. Silvia started to speak. A warmth came to her cheeks. She hid her face behind her ponytail tucked on the side of her neck facing Paul, pinching the tip between her fingers.

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“I’m just trying to add a little life to this errand,” Paul said, copying her. Silvia responded with a faked chuckle.

“Oh, now you wanna talk, huh?” Silvia prodded.

“Do you not?”

“I don’t think that it’s right to question a queen so directly,” Silvia said, holding her head high. She pushed her hair back and spoke with a haughty pride.

“Good thing I’m not then,” Paul said dryly. Silvia clenched her teeth. She huffed and turned her head away.

“You used to call me ‘my queen’ and ‘your majesty’.”

“And you used to be a queen,” Paul said.

“I am still your queen!” Silvia snapped. “No matter what happened…”

“You used to care.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Silvia asked.

“For your sister,” Paul said. Silvia sighed and stared down at the ground. Her boots crunched against the dirt and stones as they walked.

“I care about everything else too,” Silvia said. “And it’s not easy…”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Paul said. “I’ve been the one taking care of things while you weren’t.”

“Don’t start this again.”

“Then your sister goes missing and now all of a sudden you care?” Silvia huffed and looked away.

“I am already so sick of explaining this to you,” Silvia said. She paused and swallowed, wiping away at her eye as she spoke. “I really do want to fix things. I had no idea all this mess was happening. I had no way of getting back. I tried and I tried, but I just couldn’t. But even so, I do blame myself. If it makes you feel any better, I do. I didn’t want any of this to happen. I love this place. Always have. And so, yeah, I came because of Lilly, but I still want to stay to help fix all this. Be it as queen or not, I really don’t care. But I’m going to do all that I can to make the Featherlands how it used to be. I owe it that. So berate me all you want to for things that were out of my control. You didn’t know the full story and now you’re being too stubborn to listen to it. You’ve already made up your mind or whatever. So yeah, tear me down over and over again if it makes you feel better. It’s not going to stop me from trying. Because not as much has changed as you might think. I’m still the queen and I still care about this place, whether or not you want to believe it.” Silvia sniffled and scratched at her eye. Paul turned to look at her. Her eyes were downcast, her shoulders slumped. Silvia walked with a tired gait. She kept her arms crossed, blocking herself off. Paul paused. He dialed back the argument that echoed through his mind, knowing that he had nothing to say that he had not before. Instead, he studied her defeated expression and turned away.

“Well… you used to not wear glasses,” Paul said. Silvia’s eyes furrowed and glanced back at him. Paul walked with a sly smirk that he wiped away with the back of his hand.

“Oh yeah, well, you used to…” Silvia started before drawing a blank on how she wanted to retort. She looked the boy over and stumbled over her words before mumbling. “... be shorter. Dang it.” Paul smirked.

“Seems like so long ago,” Paul commented. “You ever think about it?”

“The castle?” Silvia asked. “All the time. Had nightmares about it every night until about a year ago. Things got really hard with Lilly becoming so distant. I tried to be there for her as much as I could, but she didn’t make it easy. Then she vanished and I didn’t really have anyone else to talk to about it. I got by by talking to my school counselor about these ‘weird dreams’ I’d have. That’s how I got around the whole ‘this all exists’ thing. I really missed Lilly. I really needed her. Or, you know, anyone that understood, but I knew no one would that didn’t already know, you know? Not my parents. Not my friends.” Paul nodded.

“I guess I’ve been lucky to have my dad,” Paul said. “Even if he’s been on his last legs.”

“Do you ever think about it?” Silvia asked. Paul paused before answering. His mouth opened to speak, yet no words came out. The boy stopped walking and shot out his arm. Silvia ran into it, stopping just behind Paul’s side. She turned to him curiously. “What is it?”

Paul said nothing. He silenced his breathing and listened to the surrounding environment. Silvia picked up on his cue and started looking around. She too fell quiet. Silvia kept her eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary, anything that may be lurking out in the weeds and bushes around the pair. She reached behind her and drew out the dagger. Paul swallowed loudly. His eyes scanned to each side of the path. The brush began to rustle. Branches shifted unnaturally. Through the bushes, blurs of vibrant colors started to take shape. They emerged from the greenery, thick and bushy with fur. They cackled with a primitive snicker, sinister laughter circling the pair. Silvia made out shades of purple and pink pushing through the bushes. From one closest to them, a creature rose and came lumbering out. After, more started to emerge, making their way out onto the path around Paul and Silvia.

“Well, now, it’s not often we get humans this far out,” the large purple creature said. He stood on two legs about as tall as the pair. His body was covered in a scraggly fur with a snout long like a wolf’s. His eyes glared at the two, his lips pulled up showing his teeth. His arms were long and lanky, his hands wide and fingers just as elongated. The voice was raspy and almost whiny. He spoke with a swaggering confidence that echoed through the snickers of his kin surrounding the pair. Silvia pressed her back against Paul’s. Paul stared the approaching creature down while Silvia eyed the others behind him, her dagger drawn out ready to attack.

“What are they?” Silvia asked in a hushed voice.

“‘They’,” the creature remarked. “The Featherland queen returns and now she doesn’t know what ‘they’ are!” He and the rest of the creatures laughed boisterous cackles, chuckles that resonated far up over the treetops. Paul and Silvia held their guard, their backs pressed firmly against one another.

“Scrawls,” Paul said. “Common overworld tickle monsters. They mostly feed off of humans.”

“I assume not by actually eating them,” Silvia said back while the Scrawls finished their laughing fit.

“We need to get out of here,” Paul said to Silvia. He turned back to the lead Scrawl and started to speak.

“Ah, nah nah nah, what’s the rush?” the Scrawl asked. “You both just got here. There’s so many of us to meet. I’m Melroy. Over there is Riali and that beautiful Scrawl behind you is Becala.” Melroy named a few of the Scrawls surrounding the pair. Paul could hear more snickering from the trees beyond the path. He eyed Melroy down sternly.

“We’re not here to meet,” Paul said. “We’re just passing through.”

“Oh are you now?” Melroy asked tauntingly. The others contained giggling among themselves, inching closer to Paul and Silvia. “Because it seems like you’ve wandered into our territory, so now it becomes up to us to determine whether or not you leave.” Up close, Paul could see Melroy’s fur shaded with dirt. His long fingers were topped with frail claws. His feet were paw-like, with long clawed toes. The creature’s figure made him appear quick and nimble, something that Paul imagined neither him or Silvia could outrun.

“Yeah, yeah!” The one identified as Riali said eagerly. She hopped with an impish energy, her hands raised to wiggle his fingers in the air. Her fur was a bright shade of pink and longer around her head.

“You’re on our turf now,” said Becala. She was smaller and spoke with the same threatening energy as Melroy. She held onto a spear tipped with a blade the shape of a long plume. Both kept their eyes on the Featherland queen.

“And what kind of hosts would we be for letting you leave without seeing all that we have to offer,” Melroy said.

“You know, the shtick of trying to trick us or whatever only works if we’re not already aware of your intentions,” Silvia remarked.

“Oh, queenie’s got a mouth, huh?” Melroy asked. He smirked and circled around toward the girl. Paul held out his arm, keeping the creature back.

“You’re talking to me right now,” Paul said firmly. “Leave her out of it.”

“You’re on our land, human,” Melroy said. “I do what I wish.” Melroy scurried behind Paul to address Silvia directly. He stared down into her eyes. Silvia glared back, holding her head up strong. Becala and Riali circled around as well toward paul. Their eyes sparkled with interest as they sized the boy up. Becala kept her spear aimed at his throat while Riali inched closer, her fingers wiggling eagerly toward his body. Melroy came up close to Silvia. “My, my, how the queen has grown. I might not have even known it was you if the other hadn’t made her plans for you very clear.”

“The other?” Silvia asked. “The Badland Queen? I’m here to see her. What does she want with me?” Up close, Silvia could see hunger in the beast’s eyes. It maintained an animalistic demeanor despite conducting itself with the mannerisms of a person. She noticed dirt and small bugs in his fur. The smell he gave off was that of an unwashed dog.

“Doesn’t matter much now, does it?” Melroy asked. “You know, since you’re already aware of our intentions and everything.”

“You’re not going to let us leave?” Silvia asked, gripping the dagger firmly in her hands. Melroy grinned wide across his gnarly snout.

“Smart girl,” he said. “Don’t worry, we’ll all have such fun with you two as our new pets.” The pit in Silvia's stomach grew and gnawed at her senses.

“Maybe the new queen will pay good for the old queen,” said Riali, hopping up and down by Paul.

“Or maybe we keep them both for ourselves,” Becala added. Melroy stared Silvia down. She swallowed, looking down to the dagger in her hand. It trembled with an unsure grip, one far less confident than the bearing stance of the beast standing before her.

“So put it down, queen, and come with us,” Melroy said. “Fighting back will only make this harder for you. Running will just prolong the fun. So come nicely and maybe we’ll let you go… in a year or two.” The other Scrawls giggled among themselves. They muttered phrases like ‘coochie coochie coo’ and ‘gonna tickle’ under their breaths. Silvia peered around to see more pink and purplish forms shifting through the trees. She sighed and opened her hand. She let the dagger drop to the ground, landing just off of her toes.

“I won’t fight,” Silvia muttered. “But if I give you something, if I hand over something very valuable, will you at least let my friend go.”

“Silvia, don’t,” Paul snapped. Melroy shushed the boy.

“You might not understand,” Melroy said with a grin. “We take you, all your stuff belongs to us.”

“But if you don’t agree, you will have my sister tearing through these woods looking for me,” Silvia said. “Paul can attest that I went willingly, no problem. Or no one does, word gets out that I’m missing, and then you’ll have much bigger problems on your hands. Remember, Lilly, the Featherland Warrior? You remember what happened to the last person to hold me prisoner?” Melroy leaned back. His smile faded briefly before returning.

“Bluffs,” Melroy said. “I’m no child, queen. You can’t scare me with stories.”

“Funny,” Saliva replied with a smirk of her own. “That’s what Tickela said too.” Melroy paused. He looked back to the others. The other Scrawls gave him the same look of uncertainty he wore across his face. He turned back toward Silvia, baring his fangs.

“We don’t need him,” Melroy said. “But without him, you’ll have to pick up the slack. No more going to the overworld for human tickles for us. You alone will end up feeding all of us. That’s what you want?”

“Fine,” Silvia said. “Let him go and I’ll give you something more valuable than either of us.”

“Silvia, seriously,” Paul started. “Don’t do this.” Becala poked Paul in the neck with the spear. Melroy snarled at him before turning back to Silvia.

“What have you got?” Melroy asked.

“I’m just going to reach inside my bag, okay?” Silvia said. She moved slowly to unzip her backpack and reach inside.

“Silvia, don’t do this!” Paul shouted. Becala thrust the spear harder against his skin. Paul let out a deep wince and a pained groan. Silvia kept her eye on Melroy, his eyes scanning over her person with anticipation.

“What is it?” Melroy asked angrily.

“It’s a magical item from the overworld,” Silvia said. Inside her bag, she felt around for the pouch that Deidra had given her. She opened it within the bag took out a handful of the feather bomb pellets. “It’s called a ‘Paul run’. You do know the magic of Paul run, right?”

“I… o-of course,” Melroy stuttered.

“Huh, good,” Silvia said. She pulled out her hand, balled into a fist, and held it up over her head. Paul looked back to catch a brief glance of the plan before action. “Just making sure we’re all on the same page.”

Silvia threw down her hand. She slammed the pellets into the ground, bursting each into a billowing purple cloud. She quickly scooped the dagger up off the ground as the cloud started to swell. Silvia and Paul instinctively covered their mouths. They hurriedly peeled away from the scene. Paul grabbed onto Silvia’s hand and pulled her forward. They dashed out of the cloud still expanding around them. The Scrawls staggered back and immediately fell victim to the gas. They gasped it down and dropped to the ground. They clenched their sides and rolled in the dirt, shrieking with wild, ticklish laughter. Their laughter roared over the treetops out to the edge of the woods.

“AAAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAA AFTER THEEHEHEHEM!!!” Melroy called out.

Paul and Silvia knew not to drop their guard. They dashed through the woods, weaving in and out of trees and under branches. The cloud of tickling gas had stopped chasing them, but across their flanks, furry pink and purple blurs raced in their direction. They nimbly navigated the trees like nothing. They climbed and swung from one tree to another. They ran across branches and slammed against the ground trailing Paul and Silvia’s boots. Silvia glanced back. In the rush, she could only make out dashes of color, all weaving in and out of the brush around them. She gripped tight onto the dagger in her hand, ready to strike at anything that lunges at her.

“This way!” Paul shouted. He made a hard right, pulling Silvia along by her wrist. An ambient sound of rushing water grew louder as the two ran from the Scrawls chasing them. They howled and cried out with loud, obnoxious hoots. Silvia began to feel the misty spray of water on her face. She kept close to Paul, the boy cutting through the path and leading the way. He brought her to a gushing stream. Water raged as rapids over sharp rocks. It crashed and cast loud, tall sprays of white water over the land like eternal rain. Paul paused for a moment to look toward both sides.

“What is it?” Silvia asked. “Where do we go?” Paul ignored her. He looked to his right and squinted.

“This way,” Paul said. Without taking her hand, Paul bolted down the side of the rapids. Silvia followed as fast as she could. The howls and cracking of tree branches cut over the groan of the rapids behind her. She pushed forward, electing not to look back.

Silvia caught up to Paul who stopped by a row of rocks lined from their bank across the stream to the other. Water rushed over them, forcing and exploding in crashing waves of white. But the stones managed to stay visible for several seconds at a time. Across the bank, shattered pieces of wood and rope from boats laid in ruin. The stream where the two stood was wider than it was where they had passed, but the rocks made for a clearer, if unstable, path across it. The howls of the Scrawl continued to draw in closer. Paul looked back to Silvia.

“Go,” Paul said, having to shout over the roaring rapids. He came up behind her and opened her bag. He placed something inside before zipping it back up. “I’ll stall them.”

“Are you crazy?” Silvia shouted. Her eyes had to squint against the mist of water pelting her in the face. “We can’t cross this!”

“Silvia, there’s no time,” Paul angrily shouted. “Go! I’ll cover you.” Silvia growled. She wanted to argue, to find another path, but knew that the approaching beasts made doing so risky. She looked to the rocks stretching across the rushing stream. Each breached the water about the size of her foot, several being too pointed or slanted to make for stable stepping stones. Silvia steadied her nerves. She swallowed and walked up to the stones stretched across the water.

“Stay behind me,” Silvia called back.

“Just go,” Paul said. He turned his back toward her, starting to set up a spell to keep the Scrawls away. He held out his hands and closed his eyes. Light began circling around the ground beneath him. Silvia glanced back, wanting to watch the display, but pushed forward instead. She carefully stepped onto one of the stones. The queen held out her arms for balance. She wavered as she stepped, the water aggressively lapping at his legs. One wrong step and she knew she would be swept into a rocky, watery path. She breathed deeply and stepped again. The sound of the water thrashing against the rocks was all that she could hear. She fought the urge to look back, staying focused on moving forward.

With each step, Silvia was forced to find her balance. The water beat against her legs. The rapids pounded against her calves, fighting to knock the girl from the stones. The spraying water beaded against her glasses. She took them off, seeing only the faint outlines of the stones as they laid before her. One wrong step would be all it took to leave her tumbling into a water demise. She bent down to try and feel for the path, only to be subjected to more of the water’s force. It allowed her the balance and navigation she desperately needed, but being so low allowed the water to splash against her face and body.

Step by step, Silvia crawled. One step met a harsh rush of water. Her foot made contact with the stone, only to be forced off before she could apply pressure. Silvia held on. Her heart jumped. To her surprise, she was still on the stones. She spit out the water that flew into her mouth and pressed on. Each step was careful and deliberate, assessing the location of each stone before treading to the next. The world around her was watery and blurry. She had only her sense of touch to keep her going. She wondered what Paul was dealing with, if he would be able to handle the speed to which she had been reduced. The thought drove her forward. She crawled faster and faster. She had little means of knowing how much more she had to crawl. Silvia only hoped that the next surface she touched would be sand.

When her hand brushed against the shore of the opposite bank, Silvia lept. She stumbled forward onto dry land, her heart pounding in her chest. She walked forward to give Paul room and brushed her dripping hair out of her face. Her entire body had been soaked. Her clothes, skin, and bag were all damp from the rapids, a moderate inconvenience that she could only hope would not become a bigger problem. Still, Silvia breathed a sigh of relief.

“Whoo, we did it!” Silvia cried out. She heard nothing but the rapids pounding against the rocks she had just crossed. Silvia wiped her glasses against the dry, feathery leaves of a nearby tree. “They’re not behind us anymore, right? Paul?” Still nothing. She turned and put her glasses back on her face. Her vision was blurred by the moist lenses, but much more functional. She saw the bank. She saw the rocky path. She saw the rapids. What she did not see was Paul. “Paul?”

Silvia came closer to the bank. The Scrawls were no longer pursuing on the other side, but there was no sign of Paul. Not on the bank and neither crossing the rocks. She called out his name several times. Only the rapids answered.

“Paul?” Silvia called out louder. She looked to the left and to the right. He was nowhere to be seen. In a flash, Queen Silvia was alone once more. The weight of being on her own again, without him, weighed harder than she expected, much more than the water that soaked into her clothes. Her shoulders became heavy. Her eyes stung. Her heart stayed racing. There she stood, staring into the rapids for answers, hoping her cries would reach him wherever he was. “Paul!”