Their legs faltered over and up objects, furnitures and tottered cause of the rush but they kept on running away.
"Being chased is a serious trauma!"
"That can cause PTSD. Oh my god. I'm gonna die!" Austin completed Clay's statement and we couldn't help but cackle at the moment- until it turned awkward again. After all, ex-best- friends couldn't laugh.
All of them started climbing up the metal stairs on the side of the hall; their feet thunking every time they hit the bizarre metal.
After they reached the top they took a peek to the left and then the right. That time, I swallowed hard; that was it. The guards were just in front of them.
A cold sweat was forming on his brow. And then I saw the surroundings- got it.
"Travis and Joey stand in front of the guards and do something for distraction such as- such as dance! And tell Clay to take his hammer and jump from the banister on the crystal. It's just below guys! Quick!"
Their fingers curled around the edge and they did their best - at dancing. They somewhat blocked the guards and waited for Clay's action, but he was not even moving, standing still with a confused look.
Oh shit.
"Hell no! Clay cannot hear. His hearing ability is damn jammed. Ju-just give signs and_ I don't know ugh. And he surely can't control the hammer - yet." I rested my forehead on my palm. Nothing could make it any worse.
As the guards were almost a few inches away, Joey signed some gestures for Clay to comprehend but it was pointless. Until Clayton put up his forefinger with a lit smile.
"I get it! You guys are telling me to throw the hammer to the guards and jump on to the fountain light set up there, right!"
Joey was about to deny his suggestion but one crazy idea popped up in my head, "YES YES EXACTLY. "
To Clay's view, Joey mouthed a yes but as a question to me. He slowly pulled himself up and hesitatingly maximised his hammer, swung it backward aiming for the throw at the guards. And as I expected, he could not handle the weight of the hammer, leaving hold it. It instantly cause the substantial hammer to break the floor onto the crysta_ great! Only one centimetre away was the mere destruction of the crystal.
Once again but with much more forced pressure, I put my head on my palm. Hopeless.
"Oops." Clay chucked lightly before hopping on to the chandelier followed by the other crew members, with it oscillating consistently as a plus point for the guards to barely get hold of it.
The queen still stamping her foot below beside the throne, eyebrows puckered.
As the chandelier was high up, it would had been dodgy to jump off. And not to mention, none of us knew whose butt would fall on the pointy head of the crystal.
Guys, can you swing it to the right carefully and when it turns to the left you gotta jump. There's no other option."
With luck on our side that time, they did the exact thing except when Travis's hip was held on to by the guard.
Surprisingly, Joey jumped on to the guard after dropping Clay and Austin down.
We had to let that go for a while and turn to Clay, Austin.
"CLAY GET THE DAMN HAMMER AND_ Austin uh...kiss the queen."
"Wait what?"
"KISS THE FREAKING QUEEN CAUSE SHE IS SEXUALLY ATTRACTED TO YOU!"
"She is at least 2000 years old!"
"Does it really have to matter now? I'm not asking you to marry her! It's a simple kiss that you do with almost every girl!" I bargained with a most perturbed shout.
"Who are you talking to , boy?! Guards get that hot criminal for it's gorgeous face is tormenting me!" She yelled, squeezing her eyes shut in annoyance.
Austin at first looked around, panting and gasping for air before deciding his moral compass.
He gesticulated Clay to run to his hammer and Austin did his job. He hurried to cup the queen's cheeks and pull their lips together into a swallowing kiss. Remarkably, the queen cherished it and loosened her body as if about to melt into the ground.
Gross. Disgusting.
And for the first time, I felt like cutting his lips off, of course I wish him burn to ashes but that time it was not just...hatred. I simply felt an insecurity of inequity consuming me from insides, or maybe consummation is just an exaggerative word.
On the contrary, Clayton rushed towards his weapon but I was afraid of his inability to control it.
As I feared, he used his both hands to handle the weight but it was in vain.
"Time to utilize the powerful muscles in my legs." Paradoxically, he raised both of his legs to the handle of the hammer accompanied by his hands; he grunted with vehement scowls, "Come one babes. Don't leave me in garbage!"
And boy, it worked.
Though his whole body was concentrated on the force and his back swinging on the ground due to the occupance of his legs and hands, he pulled the hammer backwards only to throw it directed to the crystal and crack!
It shattered into debris of darker shades and millions of gloomy laughter together out of nowhere echoed throughout the room.
I lost my vision for some seconds but it came back after around 5 minutes- unfortunately to perceive the horrendous sight of diminishing of the whole place.
It started from the castle steady but quickly moving towards the entrance from where they came through.
A tremor of walls and the ground made the tiny buildings and shops collapse to see each of the pillars crumble to pieces.
The citizens scurried along, leading a hullabaloo between the boisterous panic.
Luckily they did not forget the straight route to where they came from and four of them began a marathon sprinting on the way.
Yet we could detect the doom nearing them and it was certain that their legs would not be fast enough to reach on time. Especially with noisy hindrances on the street road.
Myself included in the panic, my higher brain was totally shut down as terror drowned in my guts.
Hastily I looked around and talking about the obstacles, it came into my mind of Joey's skating skills and the metal panel lying in a side dump yet to perish.
"Jo-Joey, take that board at your 9 o'clock which I believe is long enough for all you guys to fit in."
Not aware of my last minute scheme, they obeyed my orders and kept running with the panel.
"Now Joey. This is your time to shine! Get on that damn board and start skating and the remaining three bros, you balance yourself on the sliding ride, sticking out your sharp weapons on the road slightly, especially not to get it stuck. No-now just ge-get going!
They did perfectly as I had pictured it hesitatingly except the time when Travis bow got gripped to the ground and not to disrupt the ride, he jumped off automatically.
"Trav! Hell no! Yo-you_ I... Just run! Ru-run at your highest _ just...! "
That time, I couldn't help my pounding heart deteriorate my condition. I had become completely blank with any less ideas and simply messaged my temples.
Travis tried hard to keep his pace with the skateboard but he surely did not had the athletic package; worse to see was the windstorm and debris approaching Travis with a distance of almost an inch.
The ones on the skateboard however was able to reach the end point and I demanded the pixie tied in front of me to open the gate.
He hesitated but as he unlatched the portal, I spotted only Austin and Clay tumbling out from it with their weapons on hand
"Where's Jo?" I asked.
"Sh-she just jumped out of it befo-I don- I don't know." Clay panted pressuring his arms on his knees.
The vision was in my head again and I perceived Joey grabbing Travis's hand, only to slide him down through the portal.
We catched him on time before we slided any further but I was focused on Joey.
The doom was just a centimetre away and Joey's legs couldn't support her anymore.
"Holy fucking cheese kebabs!" I cursed impulsively before plunging my right hand into the small portal and got held of the tiny body, moreover hauling it outwards.
The portal closed permanently- hopefully and a silent contentment chilled down my spine at getting my crew back.
I smiled at them but suddenly my hand started to vibrate tremendously. I dropped Joey and found similar physical reactions with the rest.
In a blink , their bodies were to maximize and were at the normal state.
"Huzzah guacamole!" Joey exclaimed followed by a few other joyful noises.
"God bless me yay! I got big again and I did not die! "
"That was one hell of a journey man." Joey muttered, "and why the hell did you have to jump out moron?! You could've got another bow arrow shit which is not worth risking your life!"
She pointed out to Travis.
"I would've lost control and probably fall on you guys, worsening the situation. That would not have been worth it." He stated bluntly, "Plus you were the other inspired rabbit who had to jump at the end!"
"I had to save you - like_ I me-mean no. I_" she averted her gaze but I could see her cheeks blushing.
I forwarded and gave a slight chuckle, "Guys. Now all we have to worry about is to sleep. We got ourselves tucked up real hard these days and now let's consider this our first victory, you say? Plus we got our lives back before it could end. So let's call it a night!" I announced.
Out of the blue , something thrusted five of us into a circle and we heard Charlotte's voice up for a group hug.
I wasn't sure about that but when Clay wrapped his arms around me and Austin, none of us could deny.
***
"Proud of you puddings. But to say, you missed your training. And it starts now."
"Wait. I thought...we were to get a month of rest and food. Dude, come on." Joey raised her hands in mere disappointment.
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spoiler alert
If anyone who heard of La llorona in myths, that freaky woman is going to appear in the next chaps! Google the name but trust me , I'm gonna make the next few chaps horribly scary - at least I'll try!