Frank was annoyed. Not at Anne or anyone else, but with how events always seem to turn against him and his friend's journey. Hop Pop said that the mountain pass to leave the valley should have been opened in one week on the day they went to the archives. They've waited for a week now, and they should be getting ready to leave. However, the old frog told them that they'll have to wait yet another month to begin their quest to find a way back home! The reason being is that there's been an update to the weather, and Hop Pop predicted that the pass wouldn't be open for them. Frank and Anne didn't believe the old frog and wanted to see the pass for themselves.
However, just as Hop Pop predicted, the mountain pass that led out of the valley was blocked by a giant wall of ice. In it were tree branches and a massive centipede.
"Well, you two, I don't wanna say I told you so," Hop Pop said.
"Yes, you do," Anne said, unamused
"Okay, you're right. I told you so," he exclaimed and chuckled. "Still gonna be a few weeks before that snowpack melts. We'll have to wait for another month for it to happen."
"But we've been here for two months now!" Frank complained, frustrated that after waiting for as long as they have. "We've waited so long. And getting out of this valley might help me and Anne find answers on how to get home."
"I know it stinks, but how about some careless misadventuring to take your mind off it?" Sprig said to him and Anne. "I think there's a creepy lagoon nearby.:
"Ooh! Think we'll find some bloated remains?" Anne said, disturbingly excited to see dead things.
"Here's hoping," Sprig said, before he and Anne ran off giggling.
Frank rolled his eyes at them and was going to follow when his pant legs were tugged on. He looked down to see Polly smiling up at him. "Come on, Frank. While they're doing that, let's go check out this scary forest," she said, pointing to a sign that led to the Slaughter Forest.
"No, I think I'll pass," Frank said, frowning.
"Eh, suit yourself," Polly said and was about to start hopping to the forest when Hop Pop suddenly picked her up.
"Oh, no, you don't," he said, hopping onto the staddle and placing her on the seat next to him. "You're not going off alone."
Polly groaned and complained by asking, "But why not?"
Hop Pop responded by saying. "'Cause you're a pollywog. You're too young to go off on your own.'"
"But the other kids did!" Polly complained. "They do it all the time!"
"Yeah, that's not a habit you should pick up," Frank said, getting up on the saddle. That's when they heard a creature screeching in the direction Anne and Sprig went off. "Speak of the devils."
Anne and Sprig came running back to the others in a panic. "Go, go, go, go!" They chanted before jumping onto the wagon.
"Quick, get us out of here!" Anne said in a panic.
"What do you two do?!" Frank asked.
"Just drive!"
"Hyah!" Hop Pop quickly drove Bessie out of there and down the road.
As they drove off, Anne and Sprig panted from exhaustion and fear before the girl let out a huge sigh of relief. Frank looked at her and Sprig and said to them, "What the hell happened back there?!"
"Oh, Frank, you would not believe what we saw!" Anne exclaimed, throwing her arms up with a big smile on her face, despite the danger she was in. "Did you know leeches could run so fast?"
"Or had legs?" Sprig added, throwing his arms up with a big smile on his face.
"Glad I got to see them, though," Anne said, sliding into her seat.
"Why?" Frank asked. "That sounds horrible."
"True." Sprig nodded. "But it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Frank rolled his eyes and laid back in the seat with Polly in his lap. The pollywog was frustrated when the others practically bragged about the awesome adventure they had by themselves. However, as they continued down the road, Frank noticed something was off about it. The landmarks didn't look familiar to him, and it was then that he realized that they weren't going down the same road they took to get to the pass.
"Uh, Hop Pop, you do know where you're going, right?" He asked, nervously.
"Of course I am!" Hop Pop said confidently.
All of a sudden, the group found themselves tossed and turned as Bessie suddenly yelped in pain and skidded across the road. Luckily she came to a stop just before they drove off the road. The giant snail sputtered, and her eyes drooped down as she started whimpering in pain.
"Bessie, what's wrong?" Frank asked, stroking her neck to true and calm her down.
"Oh, shoot. Snail trouble, everyone. Snail trouble," said Hop Pop, looking at his snail with a worried expression.
Sprig thought for a moment. "Hmm. Stranded, eh? Well, I couldn't have picked a nicer day," he said.
Anne felt a drop of water on her head. Confused, she looked up. Just in time to see what could only be described as a pool of water falling down towards them. Like when you're at a water park and a big bucket slashes water all over you. She sighed exasperatedly before the water came crashing down on her, Frank, and the frogs. Plunging them straight into the middle of a violent thunderstorm.
Completely soaked and being rained on, everyone glared at Sprig. "Way to go, genius," Frank said.
He, Anne, and Hop Pop jumped down to the ground to see what was wrong with the snail. Getting on his knees, Frank grabbed the bottom of the shell and tried to lift it up. However, the rain was making it difficult for him to get a grip, and the water was making her slime much more sticky.
"Damnit!" Frank yelled, dropping the shell back down. "It's too muddy for me to get under Bessie." He looked around for something to help him. But he felt as though he was just wasting his time. There was nothing to help him, and all he was getting himself wet in the pouring rain. However, he then looked up at Polly and smiled. "Polly, get down here and get under Bessie."
"I'm on it!" Polly exclaimed and was about to jump off.
"Frank! How could you be so irresponsible to ask Polly to do that?" Hop Pop scowled him. "Polly, you stay up there where it's safe."
Polly huffed in annoyance. Though, Frank was just as if not more annoyed than her. He stood up and looked down at the old frog. "Well, if you've got any other ideas on how to get out of this rain, I'd love to hear it!"
"Hey, look," said Anne pointing to something. "There's a bed and breakfast just down the road." Frank walked around Bessie to see that there was indeed a B&B, in the form of a cozy-looking cottage with a barn off to the side. And the lights were still on. Meaning that the owners were still awake.
"That's perfect!" Frank said, gesturing to the B&B with both arms.
"Forget it," Hop Pop said, pulling out a tent from the staddle and setting it out on the ground for him to pitch. "We ain't spending coppers on lodging when we've got a perfectly fine tent–"
All of a sudden, the wind blew the tent away and carried it off into the sky. Hop Pop and the others watched as the tent got violently destroyed by a thunderclap.
"You were saying?" Frank asked, crossing his arms.
Hop Pop sighed. "All right, B&B it is. But no extras," he said.
With the decision made, Frank then reached into the satchel and pulled out a blanket. Together, he and Anne draped it over Bessie's head. "Hang tight, Bessie. We'll get you out of the rain and figure out what's wrong soon," Frank said, tying the blanket. Bessie purred and nuzzled his head. Frank laughed before petting her head.
Together, the five of them ran to the inn. When they reached the door, Hop Pop opened it, and they all quickly got inside. He slammed the door behind him and turned around. Together, they all were amazed to see the inside of the house.
Cozy wouldn't even begin to describe the interior. It was as if the owners put everything that would make you feel like you're getting a warm hug into one place. There was comfortable furniture, pictures of family members, a fire going on in the fireplace, and cute porcelain statues.
"Look at this place. So cozy," said Sprig.
"Yeah. Reminds me of grandma's place," Frank said, looking around the place as he walked to the front desk. Seeing no one manning the front desk, he walked up and taped the call bell.
The moment the bell rang, an elderly couple of rather large frogs walked out from the back. They were both dark brown toads with light yellow stripes on their faces and backs and lighter underbelly. The most distinctive features of the couple were a pair of short "horns" that were on top of their heads. The male amphibian wore blue, ragged overalls with a large pocket over a striped, brown shirt with folded sleeves. He appeared bald, with bushy gray eyebrows and yellow eyes. The female frog wore a pink, old-fashioned dress with a white collar and light-pink fringes at the end of her skirt and shoulder. There was also a yellow button located between her collar. She had gray hair tied into a bun and wore small-round spectacles.
"Oh, hey there. Welcome to the Dandy Lion B&B," said the old frog, kindly greeting the family with kind smiles. "I'm Teddy. This is my wife, Martha."
"Please, warm yourselves by the fire," said the wife, gesturing over to the fireplace and the chairs next to it.
"Oh, well, that sounds nice." Hop Pop said before he and his grandkids went over to them.
Frank nodded to the couple and was about to walk over to join the frogs at the fire when he was stopped. "Oh, I'm sorry, but we don't allow anything dangerous in the house for the safety of the guests," said Martha, making Frank turn back around to look at her with a raised eyebrow. Thinking that she couldn't be serious. "You're going to have to remove your weapons and leave them here."
Frank placed his left hand on his sheathed sword's pommel. Annoyed, he said, "Yeah? Well, I keep them with me for mine and for my friends' safety."
"Just do it, dude. You'll get them back tomorrow," Anne said, punching him in the shoulder. She followed the rules by placing her bow on the table and taking off her quiver. "I'm sorry about him. He gets cranky without his morning coffee."
"You know damn well it was your turn to make it." Frank retorted. However, seeing the couple glancing at him and his weapons. Waiting for him to comply. Getting the message, Frank sighed. "Fine."
First, he took off his scythe and placed it on the counter. Then he unbuckled his sword and sheath from his hip and placed them with the other weapons. And finally, there was his grandfather's knife. This was a weapon that he was hesitant to give up. It was the only thing he had in Amphibia to remember him by. However, knowing that his friends staying in the B&B relied on him cooperating with the elderly couple, he placed it down.
"I want everything back when we leave." Frank pointed to the two frogs before walking over to the fire. Sitting down next to Anne on the couch.
"Wow, I haven't come across a species like you before," said the Thai-American girl.
"Same to you, dearie. We're horned bullfrogs," said Martha.
"Oh, so not from around these parts?" Hop Pop asked.
"Yeah, we traveled here a long time ago with a group and got lost. We found this place and just, you know, fell in love with the area. Isn't that right, sweetie?" Teddy asked with a chuckle.
"Oh, we sure did," Martha said, rubbing her nose against his.
"So. I take it you'll be needing some rooms?" Teddy asked the family.
"Just one, please. We'll all pile in," Hop Pop said.
"Oh, no need. We only have a couple of guests tonight, so the inn is mostly empty," Teddy told the elderly frog.
"We'll make you a deal. Five rooms for the price of one," she said, holding up her four fingers on one hand and one on her other hand. "What do you say?"
"Heck yeah!" Sprig cheered as the kids smiled with excitement.
"Score!" Polly hopped down from her chair and started heading for the first room available. However, she wouldn't get far, when Hop Pop grabbed her.
"Thanks. But we only need four. Polly here will be bunking with me," Hop Pop told the bullfrog while holding her in his arms.
"What?! Aw, Hop Pop!" Polly complained.
A moment later, Martha came out of the back with a plate. She set it down, and it turned out it was homemade cookies. "Here's some fresh cookies," she said sweetly.
"And we'll go put your snail in the barn," Teddy said as the kids gathered around the cookies and started chowing down on them. Seeing their costumes settling down and enjoying themselves, the couple went out to get Bessie.
"Hey! Watch it," Anne yelled when Sprig tried to grab the cookie she was going for.
"Mine!" Sprig pulled a bunch of the cookies towards himself.
"Get your hands off my cookies." Hop Pop said, grabbing a handful.
The only ones that weren't eating the cookies were Frank and Polly. The pollywog was annoyed with how her grandfather was forcing her to sleep in the same room as him, treating her like a baby. On the other hand, Frank looked over at his weapons and got up.
"What are you doing, dude?" Anne asked.
"I'm just taking something," said Frank, pulling out the knife from its sheath.
"Seriously? You're going to keep the knife when they said no weapons?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "They're gonna see that it's gone."
Frank was about to argue until he looked at his knife. She's right. If they see it out of its sheath, they'll know he took it. So, he put it back. However, Frank then took out one of Anne's arrows, grabbed both ends, and broke the shaft in half on his knee with an audible snap. He snapped off the two ends and put the fletching end back into the quiver, and took the end with the head. He placed it in his pocket and turned back to Anne.
Exasperated, she looked at him with a deadpan expression. "You owe me an arrow."
"I'll subtract it from the money you, Sasha, and Marcy still owe grandma for the music box."
Anne groaned and leaned back in her chair. She then held up a cookie and said to it, "You're the only one that can make me happy now, cookie." She then stuffed it in her mouth.
About an hour after getting settled, Frank was walking back up the stairs after taking a shower in a clean bathroom for the first time in two months. With his clothes in one hand, he wore a bathrobe as he walked toward his room. As he headed down the hall, he passed Anne and Sprig in their own rooms on the way there. Both of them jumped up and down on their beds.
"Whoo! Happiness, thy name is solitude!" Anne cheered as she played music loudly on her phone. She was happy to finally be able to have her own room to herself after being stuck in the same room with a boy.
"I heard that!" Frank said with a smirk.
"Freedom! And check it out. A laundry chute!" Sprig said before jumping into the chute. A moment later, he came running back up the stairs and ran back into his room, laughing.
Frank opened the door to his room, and it was as if he was stepping into heaven. It was a lovely room with a bed, nightstand, desk, dresser, and even a bathroom to call his own! It was absolutely perfect. No bugs trying to lay eggs in his belly button, no water dripping on his head from the ceiling, and no girl he was having mixed feelings to share it with!
Walking over to the bed and placing the arrowhead down on the nightstand, Frank jumped onto the bed and sighed. "Oh, man! When was the last time I got to sleep in a real bed," he said with a satisfied smile on his lips.
He looked around the room before seeing an open door. On the other side of it was another bedroom.
"Aw, sweet, you guys! There's another room connected to this one!" Frank called out to the others.
All of a sudden, Polly came bouncing into his room and pointed her flipper at it. "Back off! I want that bedroom!" She yelled.
"Polly, get back here," Hop Pop said, walking into the room too with a disapproving expression and also wearing a bathrobe. "I told you that you're not sleeping alone."
"But I want my own room," Polly complained. "I'm old enough to start sleeping on my own."
"Well, I say that you're not," Hop Pop told her in a firm voice. "Now, let's go back to my room."
Frank glanced between the two frogs and thought for a moment. "Actually, if it's okay, she can sleep with me tonight," he said with a smile.
"What?" asked both Polly and Hop Pop.
"She can take the other room, and I'll be able to keep an eye on her," Frank said, standing up from the bed. "Polly will be looked after, and she'll get her own room to sleep in. Everyone wins."
"Well…" Hop Pop trailed off, wondering if it was really a good idea.
"I'll leave the door open. And I'll go straight to bed. Pretty, pretty please?" Polly asked, giving Hop Pop her ultimate weapon: the puppy eyes. Hop Pop could never resist it when she used it on him, and it allowed her to get whatever she wanted in the past.
And it was working on him again. Hop Pop groaned as he tried to resist her puppy eyes. However, he couldn't. "Okay, fine." He said, throwing his arms up.
"Whoo! Yeah! Thanks, Hop Pop. You're the best!" Polly cheered, hugging her grandfather's leg.
"But that door stays open. And no jumping about. Frank, make sure she goes straight to bed," Hop Pop said, pointing to the boy.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure she's in bed before I go to bed," said the young boy as Polly let go of the old frog and hopped back over to him. "I'll be here for her if she needs me."
"Alright, then goodnight, you two," Hop Pop said, before turning around and walking out of the room. Frank walked to the door and closed it. He then turned to Polly and picked her up.
"Alright, let's get you to your bedroom," Frank said, smiling as he carried Polly to her room.
"Thanks, Frank. But why would you do this for me?" Polly asked. While thankful to Frank, she was confused he'd do something so nice for her.
"Well, I have some experience when it comes to parents being a little overprotective and overbearing," Frank said, rolling his eyes. "My parents were always wanting for me to succeed, and don't get me wrong, I do too. Though mom, being a teacher, always wanted for me to be a straight-A student. Though, I'm mostly an A and B student."
Frank opened the door to the room and walked towards the bed as Polly said, "Wow. Sounds tough."
"Not really. She was a good mom," Frank said. Though, in his mind, he couldn't help but think of the hurtful things she said to him when he was arrested. "She's tough on people, but she still has a loving and caring side to her. Luckily dad's there to balance her out. They just want what's best for the family."
He pulled back the covers and set Polly down on the bed. He then tucked her under the covers.
"Alright, in ten minutes, I expect you to be getting ready for bed, missy," Frank said, pointing at her. Just like how his mom would tell him to go to bed.
"Okay, mom," Polly scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "Oh, and can you please close the door on your way out?" Frank rolled his eyes and closed the door to her room. And the moment he did so and was about to turn to go to his bed, the boy was startled for a moment when he heard Polly cheering out loud. "Finally! Independence. Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"
Frank laughed at how excited she was, before walking back to his bed. He pulled his robe off and put back on his white shirt, which had turned a shade of gray over time. He then walked to the side of his bed and pulled back the covers to climb into bed when his foot hit something that was under the bed.
"Ow!" Frank yelled, jumping up and down on one foot as he held his stubbed toe. "Man, I really need shoes when I get back home."
He looked down, and to his confusion, the thing he hit was a handle that was part of a suitcase. "What the?"
Thunder clapped outside as Frank pulled out the suitcase and placed it on the bed. Opening the latches, he lifted the top to reveal what was inside. His eyes widened when he saw the contents were clothes and various other items like soup, shampoo, a comb, and a picture of a female newt holding an egg taped to the inside of the case.
"Wait, am I in someone else's room?" Frank asked, backing away from the suitcase.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Suddenly Polly screamed from the other room.
"Polly!" Frank quickly grabbed the arrowhead and ran to the door. He kicked it open and rushed in. "What's going on?"
"AAAAAAAAHHH! FREAK!" Polly screamed, pointing to something in the left corner of the room. It was there that she saw a giant skeleton curled up in the corner and looking at her with glowing yellow eyes.
Frank turned on the light and looked to see what she was screaming about. However, when the light came on, it revealed the skeleton to be an assortment of random items that includes a bowling ball, a mop, books, and a scarf placed all on a stool.
"It's just a bowling ball, a mop, and other assorted items oddly arranged in the corner," said Frank as he walked over and picked up the bowling ball. Polly sighed in relief as the boy walked over to her. "It was just your imagination, scary cat."
"I ain't no coward!" Polly yelled, pointing at him. "I was…just singing."
"Mhm." Frank hummed, not believing her for a second. He then looked at the bowling ball and looked it over. To his surprise, it had a name on it. "That's weird. Someone actually owns this ball."
"Aw, don't tell me I have to move in with Hop Pop!" Polly complained.
"No, but something's definitely not right about this place," Frank said, setting the ball down. He thought for a moment before looking at Polly. "Maybe we should go and see how Bessie's doing? Maybe try and figure out what's wrong with her."
Walking out into the rain, Frank and Polly walked to the door of the barn. Back in his clothes, Frank pulled the crossbar off and then pushed open the door. "Hey, Bessie!" He said, greeting the big snail.
Bessie chirped happily when she saw Frank and Polly. The pair walked over to her, with Polly sitting on Frank's head. "Don't worry, girl. We're gonna get you all fixed up," she said as Frank petted her head, making the snail purr.
Frank grabbed a lantern from a wooden post and walked back over to the snail. "Polly, you get under there and take a look," he said, kneeling down and lifting up the snail with his other hand.
"You got it, chief." Polly jumped off his head and crawled her way inside. Grunting as she clawed her way through until she came across something. "I found it!"
"Pull it out!" Frank held the snail's shell up for Polly to bring it out. However, when she did come out, nothing could have prepared him for what the little pollywog find inside of Bessie when she pushed out her tail. And on the snail's tail, clamping down on her painfully with a large bear trap. "What the hell? A bear trap?"
Frank set the lamp down and then tried to pry the trap off. He did this by placing his back on Bessie's shell and using his legs to push the top part back. "So that's what slowed her down," Polly said, as Bessie pulled her tail from under the jaws of the bear trap.
"How the heck did this get on her tail, though?" Frank asked, looking down at the trap with wide eyes. It didn't make sense at all for someone to set a trap like that on the road. Bessie chirped happily, and Frank gave her a pat on the neck.
Polly threw the bear trap, and it landed in a puddle. She was about to turn around when she heard a chirping sound. However, it wasn't coming from Bessie. It was coming in the direction she threw the trap. Polly grabbed the lantern in both of her flippers and tossed it across the ground. What the pollywog saw made her eyes widen in shock and terror. "Uh... Frank?" She called out to the human boy, sounding very scared.
Turning back to see what she was so scared about, Frank saw what she was seeing, and his heart filled with dread and horror. "Whoa…"
There were snails. Dozens of snails. They completely populated the rest of the stables, but when they saw the trap being pulled off Bessie, they came crawling forward. Some were trapped behind the doors of the stables, but were able to stick their heads out. Others were just sitting in the back of the stables, unable to move anywhere. However, they all were looking at the scared and terrified human boy. All were purring and chirping, begging to be helped. The three that were in the back of the stables had bear traps on their tails as well and were whining in pain.
However, what really horrified Frank the most was what was on their shells. Every single one of them had a saddle on the top of their shells. Some were simple passenger saddles, others looked like they could fit a big family of frogs. Some had logos or signs like mail or bakery. There was even a snail that was decorated for a wedding, with a banner that said 'just hitched'.
"My God…" Frank whispered.
"What's going on? What is all of this?!" Polly exclaimed, now starting to freak out.
"Leftovers from our previous dinners."
Frank and Polly turned around to see a large figure wearing a black cloak standing at the doorway. Their eyes glowed yellow in the darkness as they grinned insidiously at the two kids. One hand held an ax while the other reached up and pulled the hood off. Revealing the person to be Martha Dandy Lion.
"Martha?!" Frank exclaimed, beyond shocked by the seemingly kind and gentle female frog's appearance. His anxiety tripled when she started approaching them with the ax.
"So, you didn't eat any of my cookies," she said, rubbing her finger on the head of the ax. "Were they not sweet enough? Did I goof the recipe for the slumberdoodles?"
She stopped a few feet away from the scared kids. "Wait? Slumberdoodles? You mean those cookies were supposed to knock us out?!" Frank asked, pointing a finger at her.
"Oh, yes. It's much less painless for you when we started cooking," Martha said with a smile and nod. "But if that doesn't work, well, we're not picky eaters. We'll eat a messy dinner."
Hearing this finally made Polly realize what Martha was, and she gasped in horror. "You're a cannibal!"
"Ding ding ding! Oh, aren't you so smart?" Martha said, smiling sweaty at Polly. Then, with a cold stare, she held the ax in both hands. "You brains will make a great desert."
"But why?" Frank asked, unable to fathom how Martha could even think about eating another one of her kind. "Why do this?! What could have possibly led you to eat other people?!"
"What can I say? When you love something, enough is never enough!" She said, before charging at Frank and Polly.
Frank and Polly screamed before they jumped out of the way of the bloodthirsty frog's ax when she swung it down at the kids. Missing them as she slammed the ax into the ground.
"Alright, let's go!" Frank yelled, jumping towards Martha and jamming the arrowhead into her shoulder. She screamed in pain before Frank punched her in the face, sending her off her feet and landing on the ground a few feet from him.
Frank grabbed the ax and charged at Martha. The bullfrog growled, and as Frank swung at her, she grabbed the ax by the handle. Then, using her incredible strength, she wrenched the weapon out of Frank's hands and kicked him in the stomach. Sending him into a wooden post so hard that it almost began to snap.
Groaning in pain, Frank looked up as he sat on the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. Martha was laughing evilly as she pulled the arrowhead out of her shoulder and threw it away. "You gonna taste so good when I cook you myself!" She said, holding up the ax.
"In your dreams, bitch!" Out of nowhere, Polly jumped towards Martha's head with the lamp in her flipper. She yelled and smashed the lamp on Martha's head, breaking it over her and making her scream in agony as glass shards cut into the bullfrog.
Frank quickly got up and kicked Martha in the stomach, sending her across the floor of the barn. As Frank rushed to attack, Polly saw the ax was on the ground, having been dropped by Martha. The pollywog quickly picked it up.
Tackling the old bullfrog to the ground, Frank yelled and started punching her in the face multiple times. Really laying a beating into her for all the suffering she caused to so many other people. However, she was able to grab his fist and punched him in the face with her other hand. But Frank answered it by jamming his knee into her crotch. Martha yelled in pain, before kicking him off her.
Landing on his back, Frank sat up and looked at Martha as she wiped some blood from her mouth. "I'm gonna tear your throat out!" She yelled in rage.
"Frank!" Polly yelled from the side and threw him the ax.
Martha leaped towards Frank with her jaws wide open. She was ready to sink her teeth into his neck. However, at the last second, Frank caught the ax and held it out towards her, with the blade of the head facing her. He closed his eyes when Martha landed face first into the blade of the ax.
Blood erupted from the bullfrog and slashed onto him, and some even got onto Polly, who looked with wide eyes. Staring at Frank as he pushed Martha's dead body off himself.
Laying on the ground for a moment as he caught his breath, Frank stood up and looked at Polly. "Thanks, Polly," he said, wiping the blood off his face. "I…I'm sorry you had to see that."
"It's…It's cool," Polly said with a traumatized expression. But she quickly got over it and became worried. "But what about the others? What if they have Anne and my family?"
Frank stood up and glared out the open door, through the rain, and at the Bed & Breakfast. "Then let's invite ourselves to dinner," he said with a furious expression.
As it turned out, Polly's fears were true. Anne, Sprig, and Hop Pop were captured by the bullfrogs. They were the only ones that ate the cookies, so when Martha grabbed them, they were fast asleep. He tied them up to a long stick and placed them over the fireplace to be spit-roasted. It was the family's favorite way to cook their victims.
With the three set in place, Teddy sat down at the dinner table. Across from him were his two sisters-in-law. "All right, time to pick a card," said Teddy as he placed five playing cards on the table. "Juliet, I think you went first last time, so, Juniper, you go first."
Juniper reached out and picked out the third card. She flipped it over and saw a crude drawing of Hop Pop on it. "Ooh. Looks like I've got the geezer. Aged to perfection. Juliet?" She looked at her sister.
Juliet picked up the first card and turned it over to show Anne on it. "I got the tall girl. Talk about your drumsticks."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to be happy with the boy," Teddy said, picking out Sprig's card. "Cook time will be much shorter. Delicious. Martha will get the weapon boy, and we'll have the pollywog for dessert."
"Sorry, but dinner's canceled."
The bullfrogs gasped and turned around in shock. And their eyes widened in shock and terror when they saw Frank, dripping in blood and water from the rain, holding his scythe in both hands. Glaring at the frogs with hate in his eyes, he stared them down as they quickly jumped out of their seats when they saw the blood all over him and dripping on the floor. What they didn't know was that Polly had taken one of the air ducts and crawled her way around the bullfrog family. Reaching a vent, she looked down to see their backs facing her and the others right below her.
"Wha…What are you doing here?!" Teddy said, getting nervous when he saw the boy was still awake. "Where's Martha?"
"She's in the stables. Had an accident when she tried killing me," Frank said, wiping some blood off his chin. "But don't worry, about all the meat going to waste. Turns out some of those snails you had locked up don't mind eating meat."
"You…You killed my wife?!" Teddy yelled, furious as he stepped forward to attack.
"Don't move!" Frank pointed his scythe at the bullfrogs. This got them to back away. Seeing the cannibals were distracted, Polly quickly started pushing the vent out. It took a moment, but she was able to get it out. Once she set it down, in the air duct, the little pollywog jumped down and started hopping to Anne, Sprig, and Hop Pop.
"Well, what are you gonna do, drumsticks?" Juniper asked. "Kill us, like you did our sister?!"
"I should. You people are monsters!" Frank exclaimed, looking at the family with disgust. "You've ruined lives. You've eaten innocent people! I'm taking my friends, and we're leaving this place!"
"Oh, I don't think you'll be doing that." Juliet reached behind her back and pulled out a knife from her dress.
Polly was quietly trying to pull the rope off Anne and her family. However, she glanced at Frank for only a moment, before seeing the knife in Juliet. She gasped and yelled, "Look out!"
"Huh?!" The Dandelion family turned around and looked at Polly in shock.
"Hey!" Teddy yelled, as Juliet threw the knife at Polly. She quickly jumped out of the way and allowed the blade to make a cut into the rope.
Polly then took off her yellow spotted bow and threw it towards a pot on the stove. Knocking it over and spilling the marinade Teddy was cooking on the floor.
"My marinade!" Teddy yelled, before Frank kicked him in the back of the head. Knocking him into Juliet and Juniper and sending them onto the ground.
Frank grabbed Polly's bow off the ground and rushed over to her and the others. "Rise and shine, fam!" the polliwog screamed, before smacking each of the sleeping family members. First, it was Hop Pop.
"Huh? Wha- What's goin' on?" Hop Pop asked, startled to have been awakened. Frank turned the spit roast over to Anne, and Polly slapped her.
Anne grunted and said groggily, "Five more minutes."
It was Sprig's turn, so Polly slapped him. "Hi, Polly." He said, as if this was normal.
"Hey. We gotta get out of here," said Frank, ripping the rope off the family.
They all then started running for the kitchen door. Frank was behind Anne, when he was suddenly pulled to the ground. He yelled when he landed on the ground, and Teddy got on top of him and wrapped his hands tightly around his neck. Anne turned around and gasped. "Frank!"
Frank struggled to get the bullfrog off himself, by punching the bullfrog in the face. But fueled by rage, Teddy wasn't going to let him go, and even bite down on one of Frank's hands. The boy yelled in pain as he felt his face turning a different shade of color.
"Let's go of him!" Anne yelled, picking up the scythe her best friend dropped and swung it at Teddy. However, her aim was off, but she did slash across his face.
"GAH!" Teddy yelled in pain as he grabbed his face. Anne then kicked him off.
Frank panted and got to his feet. He and Anne ran for the door again until the girl stopped. She glanced to her right and saw two barrels standing close to one another. One was baking soda, and the other was vinegar. And seeing them gave Anne an idea to make sure these bullfrogs never hurt anyone ever again.
"Anne, what are you doing?!" Frank yelled, stopping when he saw her still standing there
"Finally. A chance to use everything I know about chemistry," she said with confidence while rocking back and forth on her heels. Anne then took the scythe and swung it at the barrels. In one swing, she cut into both of them and caused the contents of them to spill out. Anne laughed to herself and ran past Frank, handing him his scythe. "Let's get outta here," she said.
They grabbed their things and weapons and rushed out the bed and breakfast door. They saw Hop Pop and the kids waiting for them on Bessie with the other snails Frank and Polly freed. "Bessie, things are gettin' messy!" Hop Pop yelled. Bessie chirped and took off up the street. The other snails ran off in different directions.
Back in the kitchen, Teddy was being helped up by Juliet and Juniper. Now sporting a gash on his face, he growled in fury. "I'm gonna eat those kids raw!" He roared in fury. However, he paused when he heard something strange. "Hey, do you hear that? Did you leave the sink running?"
He looked around, before seeing the two barrels cut open and leaking out on the floor. Before long, the baking soda and vinegar started to mix into each other. Seeing this caused his face to turn into an expression of horror.
"Oh, dear."
A second later, the Dandelion B&B exploded in a massive explosion like a volcano science experiment. Killing the murderous cannibal family in one fell swoop, and ending their reign of terror once and for all.
"Chemistry wins!" Anne cheered out loud as the family fled away from the area. Ending their night of horror.
When the family returned home, they were exhausted. Sprig pushed open the door and fell on his knees. "Home sweet home!" He yelled, kissing the floor before passing out on the floor. Anne came in after him, sighed, and fell onto the floor too. Hop Pop was the next to come up as he carried Polly on his head. Frank was the last to come inside, and he dragged Sprig and Anne's body's away from the doorway so that he could close it.
The old frog reached up and pulled Polly off his head to look at her. "You know, Polly, even though you're still a tadpole, you certainly proved yourself by saving us, tonight. Maybe it's time I give you a little more independence," Hop Pop said as he looked at his granddaughter with a proud smile.
Polly smiled gently at him. "Thanks, Hop Pop. But I was actually hoping to sleep in your room tonight. Being alone in my own room was kinda freaky. And I had Frank with me the whole time."
Frank walked over to them. "It's okay to want to be seen as a grown-up, Polly." He said to her, and pulled out her yellow spotted bow and placed it back on her head. "But don't be so eager to grow up so quickly." Frank patted her head, making her blush a little and smile.
Later that night, Frank was writing in his journal in his bed. Logging all the events that had just happened today. It was frustrating that he and Anne would have to wait another month for the ice to clear away for them to leave the valley. However, after the murderous experience that he just went through, Frank would happily wait another month if it meant that he'd still have Anne and his friends at his side.
As he wrote in his journal, Anne rolled on her side and looked at him. "Hey, dude?" She called out, getting his attention. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anne, I swear to God, if you want me to look at another rash on your foot, I'm gonna hit," Frank said. "Just take off the other shoe!"
"One, no way! These are expensive! Two, I…is it okay if I sleep with you tonight?" Anne asked sheepishly.
"We already sleep in the same room."
"I mean…in the same bed. Tonight's experience was a tad bit traumatic," Anne said, still nervous about asking her friend. If it were Sasha or Marcy, she wouldn't have trouble asking and being too hesitant. They were her gal pals. But Frank was a boy! A boy that made her feel so strange to be around and who could make her blush every time she was near him.
Frank was the exact same why. But he smiled and motioned her over. "Come on, you weirdo!" He said with a laugh.
Anne came over and sighed as she lay in bed next to him. Frank placed his journal on his nightstand and turned off the night. He snuggled into bed with Anne, and the two of them closed their eyes. Trying their best not to think about the other person they were sleeping next to.
But luckily for them, the awkwardness was ended by the sound of a fart.
"Anne! Seriously?!" Frank said.
"Deal with it!" Anne shot back.