omg what, it's back? YES! After a few weeks break, the story has returned! Sorry!
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Chapter 6: Falling to Pieces
Having securely pulled Jack onto the safety of the couches, Mac finally began to feel like he could give a sigh of relief. They had accomplished a lot in just a few hours, after all. Having freed Jack, saved Tic-Tok and brought a new kind of creature to life all whilst trying to escape from the demented clutches of a young princess. But still... now they were on a head on collision course with the Gnome King.
"I'm just saying, all I remember is walkin' through the forest, minding my own business and hearing a loud noise. Next thing I know, I'm high above the ground, without a body and wings, flying to some King I don't even know about!" the Gump had been informing them all of his life story, since he had been dead for so long and hadn't put his voice to any use he felt it necessary to check to see if it still worked.
"So where is the Gnome King pal-ace?" Tik-Tok asked, as he looked up at the pale moon in the sky.
"Well... it was straight ahead when I looked out the window." Mac replied.
"Fer your sake I hope it IS in a straight line. I don't think I could turn if I wanted to." Gump replied, since he felt very square and very bulky. Nothing made for quick turns. "I ain't feeling so well put together." he added.
"Eeeeeeeee... Dun say that." Jack whined, not liking the sounds of that at all.
The stillness was interupted by high pitched shrieks from below. Startled, Billina looked down and could see through the canopy of trees the vague flashing colours of the Wheelers. "They don't give up easily do they?" she asked.
"No wor-ry Bill-in-a, we is up high and they is down low. We is safe." Tik-Tok consolled the chicken by patting her on the head.
Tik-Tok was right though, even if the Wheelers were giving chase they had no way at all to get at them. So the Gump continued his maiden flight until the trees beneath them vanished, giving way to the Deadly Desert. The group weren't aware that down below, a few of the Wheelers hadn't seen the oncoming desert and had actually fallen onto it, tripping over the rocks. As soon as they came to a rest on the sand, their whole bodies transformed into sand too. Those Wheelers who had survived only watched as their brethren became sand, before casting their hateful glares to the skies. They shrieked and screamed random curses at the boy and his entourage, but knew it would come to no good. Having voiced their anger the group turned, and vanished back through the trees to return to Mombi.
Up in the Gump's couches, Mac and Billina had settled down for sleep. Those around them, Tik-Tok, Jack and the Gump didn't sleep. Either on account because they couldn't physically sleep, or they couldn't afford to sleep. I'll leave it up to you to decide who could sleep and who couldn't.
Mac was in a room, that was the first thing he realised. It was marble floor, and marble ceiling. It was a huge room because they were no walls anywhere. After glancing around, Mac began to walk. His footsteps echoed in the large empty room, and it made him feel even smaller and insignificant then before. It felt like he had been walking forever but then something fell down in front of him. Mac jumped back in shock, but then realised who it was.
"Scarecrow!" Mac shouted.
"Green?" the Scarecrow asked from his place on the floor. "Green! Green!"
"What?" this was confusing, Mac stared as the Scarecrow got to his feet, pointing to his chest.
"Green, green green green!"
"Scarecrow what's wrong?" Mac asked, reaching out to the Scarecrow.
"Green!" he shook his head, "Green Green!" the Scarecrow reached back and wrapped his lone hand around Macs tightly. "GREEN." he said sternly, as if it was the most important word ever to be uttered by anyone, living or dead.