“I’ma so sick zat I coughed up a gunky as big as a Horned Banana Slug! And zen ah ett it!” boasted Rolfer.
“Zat be nufink!” jibed Rubette. “I coughed up a gunky ze size of a Gnarled Sea Snail - complete vith shell! And ze fing crawled away!” She was cackling so hard that she snorted and sneezed out a virtual waterfall of ick.
All the other Redduns were impressed. Rubette was a slick number with curves like a ski slope covered in mucous. She had a slippery reputation for being fast.
The Blue Queen graciously ordered matching magical red handkerchiefs which always stayed dry crafted for each of the Redduns, of which the Redduns were terribly proud.
Yet after their transformation, it became awfully hard to sneak up on anyone. Someone always sneezed at just the wrong moment.
On this particular day, they’d been traveling faster than fast – as usual. Fast being a relative term. They were much faster than a turtle, and generally faster than a typical goblin on foot. But sneezes are unpredictable and their combined sneeze rarely took the most direct route to anywhere.
The entry bell had announced the arrival of a child. They loved tracking down children, but it was frustrating that they couldn’t have any bloody fun with them. They also had to check the battery on the portal intake scanner. to see if the changeling spores were generating correctly. Rudolfen worried about that damn automation stealing the their jobs.
“Automation!” Rudolfen grumbled as they reached the spot above their destination.
“Vat?!” screamed Rolfer (at least it might have been Rolfer - it is difficult to tell when they were all disembodied body parts whirling in a gooey tornado)
“Neveryemind!” Rudolfen shouted back (at least he thought it was his mouth that said this)
They swirled right up to a tiny hole in the side of a cliff. It was hardly big enough for a stinkbug to climb through, but the spinning mass of Redduns spun right through that minuscule opening and down through a series of cracks! Down through fissures! Down to the tunnel deep below the earth! There were children to catch!
No one could escape the Redduns!
Chapter 12
Unexpected
Events
Magic was a real thing? Finn still half doubted what he’d seen and tasted. But it was a really good sandwich. Crisply grilled bread, mouthwatering, gooey cheese and fresh tuna. If magic existed, could he use it for more important things? Bigger things than tuna melts out of nowhere?
Finn had a secret that not even Jack knew about. His legs were covered with ugly lesions, which were the real reason why he quit swimming. They weren’t exactly painful but they looked awful. He hadn’t yet shown them to his foster parents. He was afraid to. Mr. and Mrs Jones regularly reminded Finn of how much work he was to take care of. They resented that Finn had never been adopted. They hadn’t intended to raise teenagers! Mrs. Jones liked cute babies. Precious infants! Precocious toddlers! Teenage boys were not interesting to her. The Joneses certainly wouldn’t want a kid with skin cancer! Maybe it was something contagious! He’d have to move to a new home! Probably some sort of awful group home. Finn wouldn’t be able to see Jack any more.
So Finn hadn’t told anyone what was really going on.
But, maybe this magic could save him? Cure him. Probably not. But, what if? Since June, Finn had come to accept that he was going to die of something awful while still only a teenager. The white spots got way too obvious when he took a shower with the other guys on the swim team. It was easier to just say he had a rash from pool chemicals. His foster parents hadn’t questioned it. Even Jack bought it. But someday he’d be covered head to toe with the ugly white lumps and he’d look like a something out of a horror movie.
He knew he could tell Jack about a skin disease, but who wants to be the dying kid? And maybe Jack wouldn’t want to hang around anymore if Finn turned all Quasimodo. He knew he probably shouldn’t touch Jack. Maybe it was leprosy like they talked about at church! It was probably because he couldn’t pay attention in church. A punishment of some sort. He should absolutely avoid any skin to skin contact. But he kept forgetting.
Finn fiddled with the key around his neck. Aside from not dying a slow, excruciating death, he also had another wish. A wish that he’d carried since he was little. A wish that wove through every fiber of his being. Finn wanted to know what had happened to his parents. Were they alive somewhere? Why did they leave him at that aquarium?
“I wish I could find my parents,” he whispered quietly. A tinkling sounded. Finn was afraid to hope that his wish might be answered. But he didn’t see any parents magically appearing. Maybe they really were dead.
Finn looked back to see Jack still chatting with Pinkie.
“Hey, slow pokes. At your pace, we’re never going to get anywhere.” Finn felt distinctly grumpier watching Jack bond with that pink fuzzball.
Finn’s relationship with Jack was complicated. Things always get complicated when carrying secrets. He suspected Jack’s secret. It scared Finn. What if these white spots were contagious? What if he was a walking Petri dish of disease? What if he endangered Jack every time they touched?
Finn didn’t know how to talk to Jack about it.
Finn’s key pulled at his neck. He pulled the cord that suspended the key over his head and and held it up. The loop of leather did not hang down straight. It hung at an angle like it was magnetized and the key pointed in front of them.
“Like a compass?” Finn dropped it back around his neck. It pulled still pulled forward.
It’s hard to tell time underground. They’d been walking for ages. The now violet-hued tunnel snaked up and down, and turned this way and that. They didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. There were plenty of critters about, mostly disturbingly big insects, but no more Fuzzy-wiggles. And no more fluttering wishes about.
When they stopped to rest, Finn pulled out his sketch pad and tried drawing the wall-climbing plants and buzzing insects around them. He was still annoyed with Jack and not very talkative. Jack didn’t seem to notice. He was just talking with Pinkie.
There was a skeleton of a leviathan half embedded in the rock wall. Its teeth were huge. It was fun to draw. Finn was glad it was dead.
When they set off again, Finn was in a better head-space. What would it mean if magic is real?
* * * *
“I’m beat.” Jack plopped down on a wide rock at the side of the tunnel.
“Holy crapola. Me too.” Finn plopped down next to him. “We gots to sleep at some point.”
The tunnel floor was now mostly rock. They had no way to tell if Jenny had passed this way or not.
“Split a PBJ?” Finn pulled a wrapped sandwich out of his incredibly useful bag.
“Sure. How much food do you have in there?” Jack was more freaked out than he wanted to admit.
“Not much.” Finn pretended to be calm as he sat there with his half a sandwich. “Maybe Pinkette will come in useful after all,” he mumbled. “Just kidding!” he sighed at Pinkie’s glare.
Jack scratched Pinkie’s head as she coiled about his feet. “But, what if we never get out of here?” Jack leaned against Finn.
Finn didn’t know what to say and stood up.
Finn pulled out the water bottle. “We need to find more water soon.” He took a swig and passed it to Jack.
They’d filled it earlier from an underground stream, but that was a distance back. The water hadn’t killed them yet, so it must be okay to drink?
Jack took a few swallows and passed the almost half full bottle back. “Maybe we should head back to where we were before. We can hit up that stream again.”
Finn didn’t say anything right off. “We could,” he sat back down. “Maybe we should stop here for a breather.”
Neither intended to fall asleep.
* * * *
It seemed only moments
later when Jack woke up and realized his head was resting on Finn’s chest. Pinkie was snoring near their feet. Finn’s arm was wrapped around him and it made him feel... safe? Finn’s chest rose and fell. He could feel the beat of Finn’s heart.
When Jack moved to pull away, the sleeping Finn pulled Jack closer. But Jack needed to move. He was keenly aware of a significant tent erected in his shorts. He needed to extricate himself before Finn woke up.
Jack tried to pull away again, but Finn’s hold tightened and his eyes opened. He looked at Jack with a surrendering smile.
“No worries.” Finn sighed.
“But–”
“You’ve been poking my thigh all night.”
Jack was mortified.
“It’s okay,” Finn whispered. “I’ve got one too.”
Jack glanced at Finn’s jeans. “Oh. You do.” He wasn’t exactly sure what to say next, but his heart was thumping madly.
Then Finn started giggling. And Jack started giggling. Jack wasn’t as frightened as he had been only a moment before.
Finn gave Jack a kiss on the forehead. Jack impulsively kissed Finn back – on the lips. There was a moment, then Finn returned that kiss. They kissed and time disappeared for the duration.
Was that weird? But it wasn’t weird. Finn was smiling. Jack felt... a weight lift off his chest. It was... amazing.
Even after the kiss ended, they just lay there on that rock in a comfortable embrace with nothing new to say.
Everything was suddenly right in the world. Whatever world this was. It was all okay.
Jack whispered in Finn’s neck. “Wow. Didn’t mean to fall asleep. Anything coming down the trail could have eaten us.”
“Yup. Pretty much. And we’d have been tasty too.” Finn sat up, pulling Jack with him.
And they started laughing again. For some reason neither of them could stop laughing even though there wasn’t anything that was funny.
Pinkie rolled over and started snoring even louder.
“Let’s not wake her up just yet,” Jack nudged Finn in a fresh burst of giggles.
Finally, Finn feeling guilty stood up and stepped over the fuzzy-wiggle at their feet. “How about we go a little bit further? I need to talk to you about something. Next rest stop.”
“Sure.” Jack wondering if he screwed up somehow. Then he told himself, No, he likes me. We’re going to figure this thing out. And we are going to find Jenny!
* * * *
Finn wanted to believe that magic was real, and the white spots on his legs were not a horrible disease. He hoped something else was wrong with him. Something that he couldn’t pass on to Jack. But he felt awful for kissing him and staying silent about it. Would Jack forgive him after Finn confessed?
Pinkie still gave Finn the creeps. He didn’t like seeing this carnivorous thing wrapped around Jack’s neck. Finn wished it was just the two of them. Maybe then they could talk... really talk.
Jack threw a pebble at his back. “Finn, why are you being weird? Oh, no! Did I have bad breath? I’m sorry if I’m a bad kisser. I haven’t really kissed anyone before. I think I can get better at it. Talk to me! Say something!”
Finn sighed. “No Jack, you were fine. I mean... great. I haven’t done a lot of kissing either. I liked kissing you.”
“Then why are you being weird?”
“‘Cuz I am weird! I’m proud to be weird!” Finn deflected.
Smiling, Jack poked him. “But what’s the flavor of weird today? Unless it’s because...” Jack hesitated. “Do you feel guilty about kissing?”
“No. Yes. But, no.” He couldn’t talk with her there. “Just not right now.”
“Okay.” Jack’s happiness began to wilt. “But, something’s bugging you...”
Pinkie snapped up a fluttering wish and belched. “Exscusse me,” she mumbled and nodded off to sleep again around Jack’s shoulders. She had greatly increased in size and was starting to look like a thick pink boa. A very heavy boa.
Jack pulled Pinkie down into his arms and placed her on the ground. “You need to walk for awhile. You’re getting heavy – no offense.” Pinkie stretched as only a worm can stretch and wiggled forward taking no offense at all. She actually looked pleased that Jack had noticed.
Finn pulled his arm. “Jack, could we speak for a moment? Without her,” he whispered.
“Why? Pinkie’s one of the team now.”
“I wish it was just the two of us.” Finn muttered under his breath wishing that there was a wish nearby to do his bidding.
Jack wanted alone time too, but said, “She’s going to be useful. I can feel it. Maybe, she’ll help us find Jenny.”
Finn hissed, “She’s a frickin’ worm! What’s she gonna know, that’s gonna be useful? I want it to just be us!”
Jack countered. “It didn’t bother you when Millie hovered around us all the time.”
Finn was lost. “What? What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Pinkie’s not even human!”
Finn blushed. “What? You weren’t... that’s just... you were jealous of Millie?”
Jack turned bright red. “Maybe.”
Finn smiled softly. “Oh. Wow. Hmmm –” Finn stared at Jack, “No... no. No. It’s always been you, Jack. Always... but... it’s complicated.”
Jack whispered, “Oh? Well, we are both pretty smart. We can figure it out.”
Finn shrugged, “Maybe...”
* * * *
As they proceeded up the path, Jack had never felt such a rush of the adrenaline like what was running through his body in that moment. Finn Likes him! Jack’s heart had melted into fire and traveled like liquid energy through every vein in his body. He felt surer and stronger and clearer than the old Jack. He didn’t feel like he had to apologize for the space that he was taking up. Somehow Jack felt more like the Jack he’d always wished he could be, but feared that he never would be.
The existence of magic seemed more likely than Finn saying that. More likely than Finn returning his kiss. Not that Jack had ever thought magic was remotely possible. It’s just that the idea of Finn liking him like that had seemed doubly impossible. His church taught that there were no happy-ever-afters for people like Jack.
In a sudden wave of guilt, Jack wondered if he was now going to hell for sure.
“Stop. I can read your mind.” Finn whispered and pulled him close.
Finn kissed Jack again right there in the middle of the trail.
Time disappeared.
“Remember this. You –” he touched Jack’s chest, “You are the only one for me. I may have some stuff that I have to talk to you about, but I really care about you. I always have.”
And they kissed again.
They were still just standing there holding each other, lost in their embrace, when Pinkie tugged on Jack’s pants. Pinkie stretched up and flicked her tail. “Carry me please?”
Finn did not like bugs, worms, or fuzzy-wiggles. Particularly this one.
Jack finally felt tired of her company, but he disengaged with Finn and picked her up. She was heavy. She promptly went to sleep wrapped around his shoulders. Soon, she’d be too big to carry. Jack thought that perhaps, maybe... a little privacy at some point would be a good thing.
They continued walking. The path proceeded up for a bit, then spiraled down and met up with a cross tunnel.
They could still see the occasional giant bone embedded in the wall, but no complete skeletons. As they’d descended deeper underground the light giving flora had increased till nearly everything around them glowed.
It began simply as a spring coming out of the rock between some ledges of mushrooms on their right. The water crossed the path in a wide muddy rivulet which they could hop over. Soon it joined other rivulets till it was a deep sloshing river along the left side of their trail.
They could hear tumbling water ahead.
The tunnel’s violet hues transitioned to a hard blue-green rock streaked with golden yellow striations that hinted of sulfur deposits – confirmed with a whiff. Not enough stink to be unbearable, but enough to remind Jack of angry pulpit sermons.
“Whew!” Jack exclaimed. “That’s nasty!”
“Of course it is. That’s dinosaur farts. That’s what sulfur is! Fossilized dino farts!”
“Ha!” Jack loved Finn’s stupid jokes.
Finn’s necklace started pulling stronger. He jogged up ahead with his bag swinging at his side. He turned to look back at Jack, “Can you hear it? Sounds like a waterfall!”
Jack was moving more slowly with the extra weight of Pinkie.
Ahead, the sound of water increased to a roar.
* * * *
Finn ran up the trail to see beyond the crest and he found it. Their river shot out beyond the cliff in a thundering torrent. The waterfall crashed down to a misty lake which stretched across the vast cavern beyond.
“Check this out!” Finn hollered back over the waterfall.
Jack was still a distance back. “Just a sec. You know, we haven’t seen any of Jenny’s foot-prints since the Fork in the path. We need to go back!” Jack voice shouted. Finn couldn’t even see Jack now due to the jumble of boulders.
“Maybe she’s on that section we passed,” Finn yelled back. “We could go back that way?”
Jack yelled something but Finn couldn’t understand. The sound of the fall was deafening.
* * * *
Pinkie had been quiet for awhile. She was bigger than ever and lazily wrapped around Jack’s shoulders like a pink stole (if that stole was crafted from a whole bear skin). She’d gobbled up every wish that came too close to her greedy jaws. Now she looked strangely content and sleepy.
* * * *
Finn was absent mindedly fiddling with his key again when it somehow slipped off the cord and bounced over the edge.
“Damn!”
His Key! Finn plopped down flat on the rock to better see where his key fell. His eyes scanned the drop. The key was there! It was some distance down. It glinted in the light coming from something nearby. He might be able to climb down to the spot.
Olly, Olly, Oxen Frey Page 7