"What was that for?" I asked Hud.
"What do you mean?" Hud asked.
"Why did you shove that poor kid down there?"
"He was flirting with my sister."
"Actually she was flirting with him."
"So, he was flirting back."
"So you shove him down a dark, muddy, dragon resting borrow!?"
"Yes."
"Well now I know not to flirt with you." We walked quickly and quietly. Hud was getting anxious. He was worried. He loved Grace more than anything in the world. He didn't know weather she was dead or alive.
Suddenly the ground began to shake. We were all almost knocked off our feet. We heard something in the distance. It sounded like stomping. I glared out into the emptiness. When I realized what was happening, it was too late. A purple, fairytale, monster, came crashing down the tunnel. I had sunk to far into the mud. I couldn't move. The dragon swooped us up and carried us out of the pit with it. It stopped on the surface. We all climbed off of it.
"Thanks Jack." Grace said as she patted the dragons leg.
"Ok I'm confused. What's going on?" Cindy asked.
"Jack and I are old friends. I'm almost certain he will help us out. So we needed to come find him." Hansel explained.
        Grace walked over to Hudson and started punching him.
        "Why the heck did you shove him down a fudging dragon hole? You didn't know that Jack is friendly! You didn't know that I would get my foot snagged on a root and practically save Will and I!"she shouted.
"He was flirting with you. I was trying to protect you." Hud responded.
"I'm not a little girl. I'm the same age as you and you have a girlfriend. By the way I was actually flirting with him." Grace shoved Hud one more time, then grabbed Will and stormed off. I looked at Hud with an amused look on my face. I didn't feel bad for him. Grace was right. They were the same age and he was my boyfriend. She could talk to Will if she wanted. Plus people will like her. She's beautiful.
Hud walked over to me and put his arm around me. That was his way of telling me I was right. I memorized his shape again. The way he curved.
He didn't go after Grace. I suppose he knew that she needed her space from him. That wasn't their first fight. They've fought before. This time though she was angry. This time she ran away, and she ran away with Will. None of us knew were she went or when she would be back. I began to worry.
"I'm gonna go look for her." I said.
"Who?" Hud asked.
"Who else?"
"Let me come with you."
"No she might not want to talk to you." I ran off before he could say anything else.
I didn't have to look very long. I found them pretty easily. When I found them they were sitting on a log. Grace looked pretty up set, and Will was rubbing her back for comfort. She rested her head on his shoulder. I was intrigued. I watched to see what would happen next. Will leaned on Grace.
Will said something that I couldn't hear. Grace bent down and felt the grass. I guess she liked the way it felt, because she practically dived onto the ground. Will laughed and laid down beside her. Soon after that Grace fell asleep. Not good.
I ran over to them to wake Grace up. Then I noticed something. She wasn't having a nightmare. Every time she has a nightmare she squirms no matter what is happening, and she has a look of supreme terror on her face. This time though she looked so happy as she laid perfectly still on the incredibly soft, evergreen grass. Will must have seen my look of confusion.
"What?" He asked.
"Grace doesn't sleep." I responded.
"Well is she ok?"
"Yeah. That's what worries me,"
"Why?"
"Because when she does sleep she has nightmares and panics in her sleep. She's not having a nightmare." I scooped Grace up in my arms. I wasn't going to wake her up. She deserved a good sleep. I handed her to Will. He gladly took her and followed me back to the group.
When we got there, Hud saw Will with a sleeping Grace, and freaked out. He shouted about how she was asleep and that I should have woken her up.
"Why didn't you wake her up?" He shouted.
"Would you just let me explain?" I said.
"Explain what? That you didn't feel like it? That you wanted her to be afraid?"
"No it's not like that. I-"
"I know exactly what it's like."
"And what's that?"
"That you're a bad friend. No. You're bad family." He walked away after saying that. I fell to my knees. That was the second most horrible thing he could say to me. I don't fully understand why he said that. I understood why he was upset, but he didn't even let me explain.
After a while, I got up and wrote Hud a note.
Next time, let me explain.
I handed it to Cindy and asked her to give it to Hud next time she sees him.
I left. I didn't know were I was going. I just knew that I didn't want to be there. I walked and walked. Eventually I stumbled over the heart palace. I walked in and didn't care to help paint the roses. I also didn't stop when I saw a very old queen hitting hedged hogs with flamingoes. I walked into the castle in search for the princess of hearts. After searching many many rooms, I finally found her. I knocked on her door.
"Who's there?" She asked.
"I'm Alana. I'm Alice's daughter." I responded.
"Is it time for the story to continue already?"
"No. I don't intend to continue Mom's story. I just. I don't know.," She was looking off into space instead of looking at me. "Can you see?"
"No. I'm blind."
"Do you need any help?"
"Not at the moment."
"What's you're name?"
"Quinn."
"Would it be alright if I stay here in the castle?"
"Sure."
"Thanks Quinn."