Part 1:
The witch’s disruptive magic had split our group apart.
Broken a team of eight into pairs.
Each duo scattered across the candy countryside.
To be met by one of the witch’s henchmen.
Each outcome odd and surprising:
Genevieve & Criss Sallis vs. Krenderen
The wind blew strong gusts laced with sugar crystals.
The schoolteacher and the butterfly woman both stared in surprise.
At the hulking menace now before them.
“What trick have you pulled?” asked Criss Sallis.
“Old friend,” Krenderen replied, “we meet again.”
“The QCP closed your file, you know. You were gone, gone, gone.”
“Perhaps good fortune saw clear to reopen it."
“And yet still you side with evil.”
“If you only knew. Alas, evil sides with me.”
“Wait a minute,” Genevieve said. “This is the guy Rick defeated?”
“Apparently. I wasn’t there.”
“Wow.”
“He's been beaten before, and he can be beaten again."
“I’ve got skills. Spin boxing classes twice a week."
“Yes, yes, time to fight,” called the brute. “Please, fight me.”
He lunged at Criss Sallis and brushed awkwardly into her, falling down in dramatic fashion.
“You’re not much of an actor, Krenderen.”
“Take me back, put me in your prisons,” he whispered.
“What?"
“But we must fight. She can’t see me surrender.”
“You think we’re falling for this?” Genevieve barked. “Get up.”
“Gen? He’s crying,” Criss Sallis said. “He’s crying.”
Broken a team of eight into pairs.
Each duo scattered across the candy countryside.
To be met by one of the witch’s henchmen.
Each outcome odd and surprising:
Genevieve & Criss Sallis vs. Krenderen
The wind blew strong gusts laced with sugar crystals.
The schoolteacher and the butterfly woman both stared in surprise.
At the hulking menace now before them.
“What trick have you pulled?” asked Criss Sallis.
“Old friend,” Krenderen replied, “we meet again.”
“The QCP closed your file, you know. You were gone, gone, gone.”
“Perhaps good fortune saw clear to reopen it."
“And yet still you side with evil.”
“If you only knew. Alas, evil sides with me.”
“Wait a minute,” Genevieve said. “This is the guy Rick defeated?”
“Apparently. I wasn’t there.”
“Wow.”
“He's been beaten before, and he can be beaten again."
“I’ve got skills. Spin boxing classes twice a week."
“Yes, yes, time to fight,” called the brute. “Please, fight me.”
He lunged at Criss Sallis and brushed awkwardly into her, falling down in dramatic fashion.
“You’re not much of an actor, Krenderen.”
“Take me back, put me in your prisons,” he whispered.
“What?"
“But we must fight. She can’t see me surrender.”
“You think we’re falling for this?” Genevieve barked. “Get up.”
“Gen? He’s crying,” Criss Sallis said. “He’s crying.”
Krenderen curled pitifully in a ball, tears splashing his apple cheeks.
“For real? Stop it, you big baby.”
“Please take me home!”
“What troubles you so?” asked Chrys Sallis.
“She’s a wicked thing. Snatched me as I fell from the cliff. Bound me to her service.”
“You’ve been captured?”
“Krenderen tires of being a puppet. I served the King of Clouds to protect my home; he threatened us with death."
“And now?"
“I wish only to gaze upon my family. My sweet Forja, my young Browenn. That is all for which I long.”
“If you’re tricking us,” Gen said, “you’ll be sorry.”
“No tricks, I promise. Please beat me up!”
Chrys Sallis laughed in spite of herself and faked a kick to the ribs of the sullen brute.
Krenderen telegraphed a wild roundhouse that easily missed.
Gen delivered a phantom punch that knocked him down for good.
“No fight. Just gobs of gigantic mucus.”
Criss Sallis smiled and clasped her companion on the shoulder.
“Better than a battle, right?”
Popping open her umbrella, Genevieve stood calm and steady in the sugary air.
“A win is a win."
She reached in her purse, took out some tissues, and handed them, gently, to the blubbering giant.
“For real? Stop it, you big baby.”
“Please take me home!”
“What troubles you so?” asked Chrys Sallis.
“She’s a wicked thing. Snatched me as I fell from the cliff. Bound me to her service.”
“You’ve been captured?”
“Krenderen tires of being a puppet. I served the King of Clouds to protect my home; he threatened us with death."
“And now?"
“I wish only to gaze upon my family. My sweet Forja, my young Browenn. That is all for which I long.”
“If you’re tricking us,” Gen said, “you’ll be sorry.”
“No tricks, I promise. Please beat me up!”
Chrys Sallis laughed in spite of herself and faked a kick to the ribs of the sullen brute.
Krenderen telegraphed a wild roundhouse that easily missed.
Gen delivered a phantom punch that knocked him down for good.
“No fight. Just gobs of gigantic mucus.”
Criss Sallis smiled and clasped her companion on the shoulder.
“Better than a battle, right?”
Popping open her umbrella, Genevieve stood calm and steady in the sugary air.
“A win is a win."
She reached in her purse, took out some tissues, and handed them, gently, to the blubbering giant.
Rick & Colin vs. The letter C
My brother and Colin reappeared in a bubble-gum landscape.
A section of the forest drenched in sugary pink.
Facing the human form of the letter C.
Rick: “Where is everyone? Where’s my sister?”
The letter C: “My benefactor has plans for that one, human."
Colin: “I’m surprised to find you in another’s service.”
C: “My cooperation brings certain benefits."
Colin: “One can only imagine."
C: “And in any case it’s merely temporary, until she defeats her enemy, the human female.”
Colin: “I count Josephine as my friend; I have come as her ally.”
C: “Shall we clash, then?”
Colin: “I’m not one to back down.”
C: “Nor I. For bloodshed I favor above all.”
Colin: “True, but I do not recall you so mannered, so formal. You’ve changed?”
C: “I’ve learned. Hiding my true nature makes it easier to be the real me, if you catch my meaning."
Colin: “I believe I do."
Rick: “We beat you once and we can do so again.”
Colin: “Be quiet. You wouldn’t understand. You’re not one of us. We have ... different needs.”
My brother and Colin reappeared in a bubble-gum landscape.
A section of the forest drenched in sugary pink.
Facing the human form of the letter C.
Rick: “Where is everyone? Where’s my sister?”
The letter C: “My benefactor has plans for that one, human."
Colin: “I’m surprised to find you in another’s service.”
C: “My cooperation brings certain benefits."
Colin: “One can only imagine."
C: “And in any case it’s merely temporary, until she defeats her enemy, the human female.”
Colin: “I count Josephine as my friend; I have come as her ally.”
C: “Shall we clash, then?”
Colin: “I’m not one to back down.”
C: “Nor I. For bloodshed I favor above all.”
Colin: “True, but I do not recall you so mannered, so formal. You’ve changed?”
C: “I’ve learned. Hiding my true nature makes it easier to be the real me, if you catch my meaning."
Colin: “I believe I do."
Rick: “We beat you once and we can do so again.”
Colin: “Be quiet. You wouldn’t understand. You’re not one of us. We have ... different needs.”
C: “You are not what you seem? Have you discovered the same joys as I?”
Colin: “Of course. I’ve been killing from within humanity’s embrace."
Rick: “What?"
Colin: “Men, women, animals - anything that moves or breathes.”
Rick: “No!”
Colin: “I’ve allied myself with this Rick Hatcher and he vouches for me at all times. Under this guise I do as I please.”
C: “At first I was confused by your choice. But as I tore through realm after realm? I tried humanity. And I love it.”
Colin: “The finest sport for those such as us.”
C: “So easy. Silk suits. Flirtatious banter. Fine dinners."
Rick: “And then?"
C: “And then they're mine."
Colin: “Of course. I’ve been killing from within humanity’s embrace."
Rick: “What?"
Colin: “Men, women, animals - anything that moves or breathes.”
Rick: “No!”
Colin: “I’ve allied myself with this Rick Hatcher and he vouches for me at all times. Under this guise I do as I please.”
C: “At first I was confused by your choice. But as I tore through realm after realm? I tried humanity. And I love it.”
Colin: “The finest sport for those such as us.”
C: “So easy. Silk suits. Flirtatious banter. Fine dinners."
Rick: “And then?"
C: “And then they're mine."
"Rick: “You monster!"
Colin: “This human tires me. Shall we destroy him together?"
Rick: “Colin? You're a fake? I trusted you!”
C: “Good show. What of your ruse?”
Colin: “That’s over. But I can start anew somewhere else.“
C: “I did underestimate you, I see that now.“
Colin: “Take the first bite; I’d be honored to follow C of the Alphabet.”
C: “You flatter me. I accept. Time to unleash my true appearance."
Rick: “Get away!”
C: “It feels so good to flex my mandibles.”
Colin: “Accept your fate!"
Rick: “I don't want to die."
C: “Hold still, human. This shall be over soon."
Rick: “AAAAAHH!
Colin: “This human tires me. Shall we destroy him together?"
Rick: “Colin? You're a fake? I trusted you!”
C: “Good show. What of your ruse?”
Colin: “That’s over. But I can start anew somewhere else.“
C: “I did underestimate you, I see that now.“
Colin: “Take the first bite; I’d be honored to follow C of the Alphabet.”
C: “You flatter me. I accept. Time to unleash my true appearance."
Rick: “Get away!”
C: “It feels so good to flex my mandibles.”
Colin: “Accept your fate!"
Rick: “I don't want to die."
C: “Hold still, human. This shall be over soon."
Rick: “AAAAAHH!
Colin: “Get down!"
Rick: “What??"
C: “OOOOF! ORGGHH!
Colin: “Hurrah!"
C: “(Unconscious silence.)"
Rick: “How?! What did you do? What was that?”
Colin: “What was that? I faked it. In order to save us."
Rick: “Amazing."
Colin: “Hit him hard enough to stop a truck.”
Rick: “You were bluffing?”
Colin: “Of course. Did you really think me a killer?”
Rick: “No … not in the least.”
Colin: “At the carpet store? I’ve watched the sales staff with customers."
Rick: “And?"
Colin: “Just had to make my pitch. C was a ready buyer."
Rick: “You saved my life with sales banter?”
Colin: “Pretty good, huh?”
Rick: “Good enough to earn a promotion. You could sell carpet to all of Town Worth. Great job.”
Colin: “You as well! You played it perfectly. Cowering and screaming. Acting pathetic."
Rick: “Hmmm. I suppose so."
Colin: “Like a frightened kitty! That's one of your Earth terms, right: Scaredy-cat?"
Rick: “It is."
Colin: “Well, I truly believed it. We are both great actors."
Rick: “Thanks. Guess I didn't know ... didn't know I was so good at it."
Rick: “What??"
C: “OOOOF! ORGGHH!
Colin: “Hurrah!"
C: “(Unconscious silence.)"
Rick: “How?! What did you do? What was that?”
Colin: “What was that? I faked it. In order to save us."
Rick: “Amazing."
Colin: “Hit him hard enough to stop a truck.”
Rick: “You were bluffing?”
Colin: “Of course. Did you really think me a killer?”
Rick: “No … not in the least.”
Colin: “At the carpet store? I’ve watched the sales staff with customers."
Rick: “And?"
Colin: “Just had to make my pitch. C was a ready buyer."
Rick: “You saved my life with sales banter?”
Colin: “Pretty good, huh?”
Rick: “Good enough to earn a promotion. You could sell carpet to all of Town Worth. Great job.”
Colin: “You as well! You played it perfectly. Cowering and screaming. Acting pathetic."
Rick: “Hmmm. I suppose so."
Colin: “Like a frightened kitty! That's one of your Earth terms, right: Scaredy-cat?"
Rick: “It is."
Colin: “Well, I truly believed it. We are both great actors."
Rick: “Thanks. Guess I didn't know ... didn't know I was so good at it."