“Ah, long time to see, eh?” alisema the badger, whirling the blade between his hands. “You know, wewe left before we could give wewe a proper farewell.”
Private found his voice. “You lied to me. There are no such things as butterscotch lolly trees.”
“That was merely a joke.”
“You’re sick. You’ve played the trick on many poor souls before.”
“Another side of you, I see.”
“It’s not one that I like to show.”
“Yes, it doesn’t fit you. The others were…..unfortunate.”
“I know the truth.”
“Yes, wewe do, don’t you? Which is why, I can’t let wewe live. See, after wewe spread the news, business became slow. I don’t forgive easily.”
I slid as fast as I could; the badger was coming closer to Private. The blade struck, just as I jumped up. All three of us fell down the tree. Midair, I spun around to face the badger. Grasping the knife, I plunged it into his heart.
Eyes rounded, he looked up at me. My eyes were cold and hard, offering no comfort. I was a cold-blooded killer, and he knew it as well as I did.
We crashed to the ground. I rolled a somersault to break the fall, then immediately turned around. “Private!”
His eyes were squeezed shut, and all the breath was knocked out of him. Although he must have hit the ground hard, Private showed no physical signs of pain. “Private?” I asked.
“It didn’t happen. It didn’t happen,” he whispered softly to himself.
I hugged the boy. “It’s over, Private.”
He opened an eye. “Nathan?”
“In the flesh.”
“Private! Nathan!”
The other penguins finally arrived. I raised a brow. “It’s about time.”
Private smiled and looked over at me. He gasped. “Nathan! You’re hurt!”
I looked down at myself. “Just a few scratches and cuts, Private. They look worse than they feel.”
Kowalski came over. “You still need medical attention, though.”
I waved him away. “I’ll be fine.”
Private helped me up. “Please go to the vet.”
“That needle-sticking demon? Kowalski can fix me up,” I replied.
They all stared at me. “What?” I asked.
Rico shook his head. “Nothing,” he grunted.
I looked at them curiously. “Are wewe sure?”
Private smiled. “Yup.”
It took us a while to reach the zoo, but we managed to make it. Thankfully, the zoo was closed; it was easier to return to our habitat. I lay on the meza, jedwali as Kowalski and Rico fixed me up. I was quizzical about Rico’s abilities as a medic, but both Skipper and Private assured me that he knew what he was doing.
I stood up and looked myself over. “Back to the bandages again,” I sighed.
“You seem to have a knack to getting hurt,” agreed Skipper.
I looked at Private. “You all right?”
“Yeah,” he replied.
Kowalski leaned over to me. “Mentally, he’ll have nightmares for a while,” he whispered.
“Why?”
“The boy is terrified of badgers,” explained Skipper, after Private had gone topside to get our dinner. “I need to get rid of that.”
I glanced sharply at him. “Everybody has their fears,” I said.
“Not like that,” he returned.
Kowalski and Rico exchanged a look, already knowing that it was not going to end well. “Oh yeah?” I shot back. “Ever heard of phobias?”
Skipper opened his beak, but I cut him off. “Usually, they form because of an incident in childhood.”
“The fear is unnatural!”
“I bet wewe have one.”
He paused. I knew I had him caught. “I’m working on it,” he finally grumbled.
“See?”
“It’s not good for the team!” he argued.
My flippers were curled up into fists. I knew what I was going to do if we continued talking. Not wanting a fight, I turned my back to him and climbed up the ladder. “Think about it,” I yelled.
Private glanced at me in surprise. “Did Skipper send you?”
Seeing my angry look, he took a step back. “Did something happen?” he asked.
“Nothing, Private,” I said. “Nothing at all.”
Guilt filled my body as I flipped over the fence. The boy was only trying to help, but I did not want to talk to anyone right now. Closing my eyes for a sekunde au two, I headed toward the park.
This is all I got so far (I pre-typed the chapters already) and I like to be at least one chapter in front of the one I just posted. So, please don't be mad if it takes longer for me to post a new chapter.
Private found his voice. “You lied to me. There are no such things as butterscotch lolly trees.”
“That was merely a joke.”
“You’re sick. You’ve played the trick on many poor souls before.”
“Another side of you, I see.”
“It’s not one that I like to show.”
“Yes, it doesn’t fit you. The others were…..unfortunate.”
“I know the truth.”
“Yes, wewe do, don’t you? Which is why, I can’t let wewe live. See, after wewe spread the news, business became slow. I don’t forgive easily.”
I slid as fast as I could; the badger was coming closer to Private. The blade struck, just as I jumped up. All three of us fell down the tree. Midair, I spun around to face the badger. Grasping the knife, I plunged it into his heart.
Eyes rounded, he looked up at me. My eyes were cold and hard, offering no comfort. I was a cold-blooded killer, and he knew it as well as I did.
We crashed to the ground. I rolled a somersault to break the fall, then immediately turned around. “Private!”
His eyes were squeezed shut, and all the breath was knocked out of him. Although he must have hit the ground hard, Private showed no physical signs of pain. “Private?” I asked.
“It didn’t happen. It didn’t happen,” he whispered softly to himself.
I hugged the boy. “It’s over, Private.”
He opened an eye. “Nathan?”
“In the flesh.”
“Private! Nathan!”
The other penguins finally arrived. I raised a brow. “It’s about time.”
Private smiled and looked over at me. He gasped. “Nathan! You’re hurt!”
I looked down at myself. “Just a few scratches and cuts, Private. They look worse than they feel.”
Kowalski came over. “You still need medical attention, though.”
I waved him away. “I’ll be fine.”
Private helped me up. “Please go to the vet.”
“That needle-sticking demon? Kowalski can fix me up,” I replied.
They all stared at me. “What?” I asked.
Rico shook his head. “Nothing,” he grunted.
I looked at them curiously. “Are wewe sure?”
Private smiled. “Yup.”
It took us a while to reach the zoo, but we managed to make it. Thankfully, the zoo was closed; it was easier to return to our habitat. I lay on the meza, jedwali as Kowalski and Rico fixed me up. I was quizzical about Rico’s abilities as a medic, but both Skipper and Private assured me that he knew what he was doing.
I stood up and looked myself over. “Back to the bandages again,” I sighed.
“You seem to have a knack to getting hurt,” agreed Skipper.
I looked at Private. “You all right?”
“Yeah,” he replied.
Kowalski leaned over to me. “Mentally, he’ll have nightmares for a while,” he whispered.
“Why?”
“The boy is terrified of badgers,” explained Skipper, after Private had gone topside to get our dinner. “I need to get rid of that.”
I glanced sharply at him. “Everybody has their fears,” I said.
“Not like that,” he returned.
Kowalski and Rico exchanged a look, already knowing that it was not going to end well. “Oh yeah?” I shot back. “Ever heard of phobias?”
Skipper opened his beak, but I cut him off. “Usually, they form because of an incident in childhood.”
“The fear is unnatural!”
“I bet wewe have one.”
He paused. I knew I had him caught. “I’m working on it,” he finally grumbled.
“See?”
“It’s not good for the team!” he argued.
My flippers were curled up into fists. I knew what I was going to do if we continued talking. Not wanting a fight, I turned my back to him and climbed up the ladder. “Think about it,” I yelled.
Private glanced at me in surprise. “Did Skipper send you?”
Seeing my angry look, he took a step back. “Did something happen?” he asked.
“Nothing, Private,” I said. “Nothing at all.”
Guilt filled my body as I flipped over the fence. The boy was only trying to help, but I did not want to talk to anyone right now. Closing my eyes for a sekunde au two, I headed toward the park.
This is all I got so far (I pre-typed the chapters already) and I like to be at least one chapter in front of the one I just posted. So, please don't be mad if it takes longer for me to post a new chapter.
>“Eat Pray Shove” - Clover is forced to take a vacation, and while she’s away, she meets the handsome and free-spirited Sage Moondancer.
>“He Blinded Me With Science” - Julien teams up with Timo the tenrec, a scientist enlisted kwa the king to automate everything in the kingdom.
>“Viva Mort” - After embarrassing Maurice, Julien tries to make up for his transgression, while Mort inadvertently joins an anti-King Julien group.
>“The Really Really Big Lie” - Julien concocts an elaborate lie, blaming a giant “mega-gecko” for ruining a young lemur’s birthday party.
>“One zaidi Cup” - Julien finds a bag of coffee beans in the Cove of Wonders and gets the entire lemur community hooked on caffeine.
>“He Blinded Me With Science” - Julien teams up with Timo the tenrec, a scientist enlisted kwa the king to automate everything in the kingdom.
>“Viva Mort” - After embarrassing Maurice, Julien tries to make up for his transgression, while Mort inadvertently joins an anti-King Julien group.
>“The Really Really Big Lie” - Julien concocts an elaborate lie, blaming a giant “mega-gecko” for ruining a young lemur’s birthday party.
>“One zaidi Cup” - Julien finds a bag of coffee beans in the Cove of Wonders and gets the entire lemur community hooked on caffeine.