“But I doubt he even has the brains to come up with a plan like that... I mean, the commissioner is his main rival, so he probably wouldn't attack us any- Wah!” Before she knew it, Lexii found herself flat on her face.
“You OK?” Hybrid asked trying not to smile.
“Stupid floorboard...” Lexii cursed under her breath.
“Floorboard?... There's nothing but concrete here” Hybrid looked as puzzled as Lexii. “You probably just tripped over your own feet”
“I know what happened! Something tripped me!” Lexii protested, folding her arms.
“... Maybe it was a rat?” Hybrid suggested.
“No no no, definitely not a rat. Besides, it would have squealed or something. No, this was like a rope or something...” Lexii was adamant she was tripped by something.
“Well...” Hybrid looked around, “Aha! There's a hole down there on the wall by the floor, the rat must'a- Hold on... Vines.”
“Vines? You mean like, plant vines?” Lexii strained her eyes to see though in vain as Hybrid can see much better in the dark than most. “But it was on the path!”
“Well I didn't trip and I was in front of you...” Hybrid replied.
Lexii just looked at her and laughed. “You know, no-one could possibly make anyone talk about a plant for that long let alone have an argument about it”
“I'm just that kind of penguin” Hybrid smiled back.
“Let's just keep moving” Lexii sighed.
They walked further ahead in silence.
“Do you think the others are together?” Hybrid waited for a reply but none came. “Or maybe they're all split up too... What do you think?... Lexii?” Turning round, she saw Lexii wrapped in vines.
“HELP ME!” Lexii screamed helplessly, clawing at the concrete as she was pulled away.
“Hold on!” Hybrid yelled.
“HOLD ON TO WHAT!?” Lexii screamed.
Hybrid leaped onto a vine and began to tear at it with her claws. Suddenly, a vine whipped her with such force it sent her flying into the wall, knocking her unconscious.
“HYBRIIIIID!” Lexii screamed again as she was dragged back through the hole in the wall.
Kaitlyn straightened up. “Did you hear that?” She said, looking slightly to her left.
Kiva cocked her head to one side. “No, why? What's wrong? Is it the others?”
“Or something else?...” Kirin shivered slightly. “Nothing scary I hope?”
Kaitlyn stood up, “No... It sounded like... If it was someone and they are in trouble...” She thought for a moment, “Come on, they'll need our help- or... mine” She said, carefully picking up Kiva.
“Why don't I get carried?” Kirin complained.
“Because Kiva's hurt her leg. You hurt your wing, you can still walk.” Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. “Though it's good to see events haven't dampened your personality”
Kirin stood in though and muttered to herself. “Personality?... Hey wait up!”
“We can't wait. We've got to find the others and figure a way out of here before anyone else gets hurt.” Kaitlyn replied, beginning to lose her patience. Sensing this, Kirin decided it best to remain quiet.
“Goin' back to the corner where I first saw you gonna camp in ma sleeping bag I'm not gonna move, got some words on cardboard got your picture in ma hand sayin' 'if you see this girl can you tell her where I am' coz if one day you...”
Emma looked around puzzled, someone was singing but with the echo, was finding it hard to identify the voice.
“Amber? Is that you?” Emma yelled frantically.
The singing stopped as the shadowy figure approached. “Thank the seven seas! Emma!” Amber, ran forward and hugged Emma tightly. “I'm not alone anymore! I'm not alone” She began to sob.
“Oh Amber, you have no idea how glad I am to see you. Though uh, why were you singing the Man who can't be moved?” Emma smiled at this, though felt concern for the effect events might be having on her mental well-being. “You are OK right?”
“I was just scared... I was hoping someone would hear me” Amber blushed slightly in embarrassment. “Don't tell the others...”
“I won't” Emma replied, “So you've not seen anyone else? At all?”
“Not a soul. All I remember is someone pushing me and falling through the floor.” Amber scratched her head. “I think I blacked out because, I don't actually remember landing. It just felt like I was falling, forever”
“I know what you mean, I fell- Wait, someone pushed you?”
“Yeah, I thought it was Kiva or Hybrid because they weren't too far away from me. But when I woke up and no-one was here...” Amber looked about to be sure.
“Rest assured, we'll get to the bottom of this. We'll find the others and be rid of this stupid house.” Emma reassured. “Mark my words, never see this place again.”
Meanwhile, Bandit had finally managed to cut Tressa down and vice versa. Now, they found themselves walking down a corridor that seemed to stretch on forever.
“How long do you think we've been walking?” Tressa breathed out heavily, “It can't be much further can it?”
“As far as I can tell, we've been walking for at least a mile.” Bandit sighed, she too was beginning to lose faith.
“How can you tell?” Tressa asked, “Have you been counting the steps?”
“No, because my feet are killing me” She smiled, leaning against the wall as Tressa sat down and rubbed her feet.
“I hate to complain but, I'm getting hungry” Tressa confessed.
“Me too, but all the food we packed is still upstairs” Bandit looked up at the ceiling. “But I'm sure we'll be ok. After all, we just need to find each other, get upstairs and boom we're homeward bound”
However, their tune soon changed after a loud creaking noise came from above.
“What was that?” Tressa whispered hastily.
“*stay still*” Bandit mouthed, gesturing Tressa to be quiet and drawing her daggers.
Without warning, the roof above them caved in as thick ropes of ivy streamed into the corridor and swirled about the two like snakes.
“AAAGH!” Tressa screamed as it coiled around her foot and waist.
Bandit sliced the strands in half, preventing it from dragging Tressa away.
Then, it slipped back upstairs as swiftly as it arrived, leaving them alone once again.
Tressa barely found her voice from shock, “What the heck was that?”
“Whatever it was, it'll think twice before attacking us agai- No... No no no!” Bandit yelled in distress.
“What's happened? Is it coming back?” Tressa lowered herself to the ground, sheltering her head, preparing for the worst.
“One of my daggers is missing... It must have snagged on the vines!” Bandit suddenly felt vulnerable, despite still having the other in her possession.
“Maybe you dropped it on the floor?” Tressa knelt down and began to search as did Bandit.
“It's gotta be here somewhere!” Bandit sounded desperate.
“Well, as long as we still have the one right?” Tressa tried to lighten the subject.
“But if we had one each, we would have a better chance of fending off that- Oh god no...” Bandit paused mid-sentence.
“What's wrong?” Tressa whispered.
It was too late for questions, Bandit was whisked backwards along the concrete and back through the ceiling.
“BANDIT!” Tressa screamed backing against the wall when her flipper felt something beside her. The missing dagger.
She waited a few minutes longer holding her breath. Realising she wasn't coming back, she picked up the dagger and slowly made her way back down the corridor to find help.
“You OK?” Hybrid asked trying not to smile.
“Stupid floorboard...” Lexii cursed under her breath.
“Floorboard?... There's nothing but concrete here” Hybrid looked as puzzled as Lexii. “You probably just tripped over your own feet”
“I know what happened! Something tripped me!” Lexii protested, folding her arms.
“... Maybe it was a rat?” Hybrid suggested.
“No no no, definitely not a rat. Besides, it would have squealed or something. No, this was like a rope or something...” Lexii was adamant she was tripped by something.
“Well...” Hybrid looked around, “Aha! There's a hole down there on the wall by the floor, the rat must'a- Hold on... Vines.”
“Vines? You mean like, plant vines?” Lexii strained her eyes to see though in vain as Hybrid can see much better in the dark than most. “But it was on the path!”
“Well I didn't trip and I was in front of you...” Hybrid replied.
Lexii just looked at her and laughed. “You know, no-one could possibly make anyone talk about a plant for that long let alone have an argument about it”
“I'm just that kind of penguin” Hybrid smiled back.
“Let's just keep moving” Lexii sighed.
They walked further ahead in silence.
“Do you think the others are together?” Hybrid waited for a reply but none came. “Or maybe they're all split up too... What do you think?... Lexii?” Turning round, she saw Lexii wrapped in vines.
“HELP ME!” Lexii screamed helplessly, clawing at the concrete as she was pulled away.
“Hold on!” Hybrid yelled.
“HOLD ON TO WHAT!?” Lexii screamed.
Hybrid leaped onto a vine and began to tear at it with her claws. Suddenly, a vine whipped her with such force it sent her flying into the wall, knocking her unconscious.
“HYBRIIIIID!” Lexii screamed again as she was dragged back through the hole in the wall.
Kaitlyn straightened up. “Did you hear that?” She said, looking slightly to her left.
Kiva cocked her head to one side. “No, why? What's wrong? Is it the others?”
“Or something else?...” Kirin shivered slightly. “Nothing scary I hope?”
Kaitlyn stood up, “No... It sounded like... If it was someone and they are in trouble...” She thought for a moment, “Come on, they'll need our help- or... mine” She said, carefully picking up Kiva.
“Why don't I get carried?” Kirin complained.
“Because Kiva's hurt her leg. You hurt your wing, you can still walk.” Kaitlyn rolled her eyes. “Though it's good to see events haven't dampened your personality”
Kirin stood in though and muttered to herself. “Personality?... Hey wait up!”
“We can't wait. We've got to find the others and figure a way out of here before anyone else gets hurt.” Kaitlyn replied, beginning to lose her patience. Sensing this, Kirin decided it best to remain quiet.
“Goin' back to the corner where I first saw you gonna camp in ma sleeping bag I'm not gonna move, got some words on cardboard got your picture in ma hand sayin' 'if you see this girl can you tell her where I am' coz if one day you...”
Emma looked around puzzled, someone was singing but with the echo, was finding it hard to identify the voice.
“Amber? Is that you?” Emma yelled frantically.
The singing stopped as the shadowy figure approached. “Thank the seven seas! Emma!” Amber, ran forward and hugged Emma tightly. “I'm not alone anymore! I'm not alone” She began to sob.
“Oh Amber, you have no idea how glad I am to see you. Though uh, why were you singing the Man who can't be moved?” Emma smiled at this, though felt concern for the effect events might be having on her mental well-being. “You are OK right?”
“I was just scared... I was hoping someone would hear me” Amber blushed slightly in embarrassment. “Don't tell the others...”
“I won't” Emma replied, “So you've not seen anyone else? At all?”
“Not a soul. All I remember is someone pushing me and falling through the floor.” Amber scratched her head. “I think I blacked out because, I don't actually remember landing. It just felt like I was falling, forever”
“I know what you mean, I fell- Wait, someone pushed you?”
“Yeah, I thought it was Kiva or Hybrid because they weren't too far away from me. But when I woke up and no-one was here...” Amber looked about to be sure.
“Rest assured, we'll get to the bottom of this. We'll find the others and be rid of this stupid house.” Emma reassured. “Mark my words, never see this place again.”
Meanwhile, Bandit had finally managed to cut Tressa down and vice versa. Now, they found themselves walking down a corridor that seemed to stretch on forever.
“How long do you think we've been walking?” Tressa breathed out heavily, “It can't be much further can it?”
“As far as I can tell, we've been walking for at least a mile.” Bandit sighed, she too was beginning to lose faith.
“How can you tell?” Tressa asked, “Have you been counting the steps?”
“No, because my feet are killing me” She smiled, leaning against the wall as Tressa sat down and rubbed her feet.
“I hate to complain but, I'm getting hungry” Tressa confessed.
“Me too, but all the food we packed is still upstairs” Bandit looked up at the ceiling. “But I'm sure we'll be ok. After all, we just need to find each other, get upstairs and boom we're homeward bound”
However, their tune soon changed after a loud creaking noise came from above.
“What was that?” Tressa whispered hastily.
“*stay still*” Bandit mouthed, gesturing Tressa to be quiet and drawing her daggers.
Without warning, the roof above them caved in as thick ropes of ivy streamed into the corridor and swirled about the two like snakes.
“AAAGH!” Tressa screamed as it coiled around her foot and waist.
Bandit sliced the strands in half, preventing it from dragging Tressa away.
Then, it slipped back upstairs as swiftly as it arrived, leaving them alone once again.
Tressa barely found her voice from shock, “What the heck was that?”
“Whatever it was, it'll think twice before attacking us agai- No... No no no!” Bandit yelled in distress.
“What's happened? Is it coming back?” Tressa lowered herself to the ground, sheltering her head, preparing for the worst.
“One of my daggers is missing... It must have snagged on the vines!” Bandit suddenly felt vulnerable, despite still having the other in her possession.
“Maybe you dropped it on the floor?” Tressa knelt down and began to search as did Bandit.
“It's gotta be here somewhere!” Bandit sounded desperate.
“Well, as long as we still have the one right?” Tressa tried to lighten the subject.
“But if we had one each, we would have a better chance of fending off that- Oh god no...” Bandit paused mid-sentence.
“What's wrong?” Tressa whispered.
It was too late for questions, Bandit was whisked backwards along the concrete and back through the ceiling.
“BANDIT!” Tressa screamed backing against the wall when her flipper felt something beside her. The missing dagger.
She waited a few minutes longer holding her breath. Realising she wasn't coming back, she picked up the dagger and slowly made her way back down the corridor to find help.
