CHAPTER 50: THE ROAD TO RECOVERY-
Rudy sat down in his bedroom. He was sitting by the window, looking out and staring at the world outside almost absent-mindedly. He watched as the kids played in the sidewalks and in their yards. He watched as the cars zoomed by. He watched the clouds rolling over the sun, blocking out light momentarily, only for the light to return.
He watched as the trees swayed as a somewhat strong wind swept through them. Beautiful green leaves grew from the branches. Not a lot, but enough to provide a little bit of shade for the kids playing outside. He could hear their laughter, their joy, as they ran around, playing games. It was such a nice day out. Not too cold, not too hot. It was just right. If he were in a better mood, he’d be outside playing.
It reminded him so much of the fun he, Penny, and Snap had over the years in ChalkZone, from when they were children to when they got older. Well Snap was still considered a child at least chronologically. He was eight after all. He and Penny were sixteen, and would soon be seventeen. Staring at the kids playing outside made him think of the adventures they had when he and Penny were ten years old. The laughter...it took him back to those times.
Sometimes, he misses those days. Back when it was easier protecting ChalkZone. Back when the biggest threat they had to face was Skrawl or Terry or Vinnie, all of whom had been easy to deal with. It was before they dealt with some rather dark and twisted stuff. Before they knew about the dreaded black chalk, before they knew about the near holocaust ChalkZone suffered at the hands of Mr. Cosmo. It was before Rudy was almost corrupted, tainted, by the black chalk. It was before they knew about Bardot and Draow. It was before all this horrific stuff happened.
And now, unlike with Mr. Cosmo, something was going to change. There was no way they could erase their parents’ memories. They had asked Biclops about that, but the method upon which they used to erase memories was almost forgotten as they hadn’t had a reason to use it in so long. And Rudy wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to erase his parents’ memories because..well...he couldn’t think of a coverup story this time.
He had been gone for days. He had suffered so many horrific injuries. Just...how was he going to explain that to his parents? It might be best to just let them keep their memories, but then..what about ChalkZone? They still hadn’t talked about that in depth yet. The wait was killing him and Penny, and Snap was quite nervous, too. He was worried that he might not be able to see them anymore if their parents decide to close off the gates. Restriction was another option they thought, but even then...it wasn’t going to be the same. It would be really sad if, after all the struggles they want through just to survive, something like that was going to happen.
Their parents kept trying to assure their children that they would try to think of a decision that would be for the best. But that did little to comfort him and Penny. What their parents might think is the best might actually cause a lot more harm. They have no idea what they’re messing with. They have so little inkling of what ChalkZone was really like. They didn’t know what would happen if just any human could prance around the place. They really had no idea.
Rudy let out a soft sigh. There was nothing he could do about it now. He would just have to wait until the meeting took place. His dad made it clear that, soon, they would have a meeting in his house with Penny, her mom, his aunt Tilly, and little cousin Sophie.
Upon hearing that his aunt knows about ChalkZone, Rudy did freak out. His mom assured him that they only told Tilly and it was only because Sophie had made some wild claims that seemed to match ChalkZone. Rudy was still angry, though. It was a risky move. As much as he loved and trusted Tilly, he had no idea how she would have reacted to ChalkZone. She could have thought his mom was crazy, or she could have freaked out and told everyone... So much could have happened.
He was relieved when he found that Tilly really hadn’t told anyone else about ChalkZone and had agreed to meet with them to talk. His dad said that he wanted Snap to be there as well. They had already talked to Mr. Wilter more about what to do. Rudy hoped that he was able to convince them that ChalkZone was safe and why it was important to keep it hidden from the rest of the world. But the meeting could go either way, and ultimately it was down to the parents what would happen.
He often had nightmares about this kind of scenario. Sometimes, as he grew up over the years, he dreamt about his parents finding out about ChalkZone, and all the reactions had been terrible. Being locked out, being sent to an insane asylum, having troopers rush into ChalkZone, talking about it on TV.... All these flashed through his mind as he waited for the inevitable meeting. He had no idea how the meeting was going to turn out. He could feel his heart racing just thinking about it. His nightmares...might have just become a reality.
A tear escaped his eye as he turned his head to the side. He let the tear fall and felt it land on his right arm. He opened his eyes and glanced at it. His eyes trailed his right arm all the way down to his hand. He no longer wore a cast on his arm. It was still sore, but he could use it now. His hand, though, hadn’t regained all its function. At first, he couldn’t move it at all, but recently, he started to be able to move it a little. The doctors believed that, as time went on, he could regain some use in the hand. As for a full recovery, they weren’t certain and told Rudy to be extra careful.
The fact that he now had two weak hands did strike a blow to Rudy’s psyche. His right hand hurt too much to really use and he doubted the pain would go away any time soon. Whenever he wanted to go ChalkZone to visit Snap, he would have to have one of his parents, or Penny if she came over, to draw a portal for him. And he couldn’t even go through the portal with his broken leg.
His leg was still in a cast. He would have to wear it for another month or so. Three months tops. Legs always take so long to heal. His left arm, although not dominant, was strong enough to hold himself up with the crutch. He had gotten used to moving around with it. It did hurt after a while of using it, so he wasn’t able to walk as far as he used to. And going up and down the stairs always required assistance as his house did not have an assitive slope. It was suggested that he could get a second crutch, but that was declined since he wouldn’t be able to grab onto it with his hurt hand.
His gashes had closed up and the pain dulled. At least for most of them. His side still caused him considerable pain with how bad it had been. It was still wrapped up in tight bandages. The skin had covered up but it was thin and weak and could easily be torn. He usually wore something similar to a back brace to protect the injured area until it healed up some more.
His mind went to Snap. He thought about the last time he was able to see him, which was just yesterday. He had gone into ChalkZone with Penny to see how his friend was doing. Out of them, he was the one who would take the longest to heal. He had suffered so much, been through hell to save them. Raphseeba and Blocky had fully healed by now, much to Rudy and Penny’s delight, and they often visited Snap as well.
Snap’s recovery was going to be slow and painful. The last time he saw his friend, he was still covered in scars. The doctors feel most of them would fade away, but some of the deeper ones, like on his back and chest, might be permanent. Reminders of what had happened to him... Rudy wondered how his friend felt whenever he had to look upon those scars. He wondered if his mind flashed back to....him... Bardot...
And though the wounds had closed up, the pain was still there. Snap still complained of pain and often took a lot of pain killers to try to stop it. It was getting better. That was some good news. But Rudy would like it that he didn’t feel any pain at all. He wanted Snap to make a full recovery. But that was still up in the air. None of the doctors could confirm if everything would fully heal. At least the worst was done and over with. The blood transfusions were a success. The antivenom was a partial success; the purple chalk did the rest.
His arm was still casted. It was horrifically broken in the fight against Bardot. Rudy winced as he recalled what Snap told him, about how Bardot grabbed him and went all crazy. Although Rudy hadn’t been there, the details of how Bardot brutally attacked his friend were fresh on his mind. He could see it all vividly, and as he looked on the scars that adorned his body, he winced, imagining Bardot swiping him with his claws. Bardot was going to be on his mind for a long time, but at least he and Draow cannot hurt anyone anymore. They were locked up in the Fire Zone where they’ll never escape.
Snap’s internal injuries were still healing up. There was a lot of internal bleeding and damage that had been done as he played through those ëgames’. His lung and stomach especially were damaged. His lung was doing a lot better and the broken rib healed. He still couldn’t breathe as well as he used to, but it was still better than it had been before. His stomach healed up pretty well although it still hurt him. It at least healed up enough so he could eat properly without having to rely on an IV tube. He recalled how happy Snap had been when the was finally able to eat real food, to actually taste it rather than feel a cool liquid being pumped into his arm.
Snap was still being monitored for brain damage. There was some minor damage that was noticeable, but the doctors were certain it was just temporary. A little bit of damage to one part of the area caused Snap to stumble a little as he walked. His sense of balance had gone wonky. Because of this, he had to wear protective head gear. This symptom was delayed, confirming the doctors’ suspicions that the full extent of the damage Bardot caused slamming his head into the ground like that wouldn’t be noticeable until later.
But the damage to that area was relatively minor, and the doctors believed it would correct itself eventually. They just had to give it some time. They were more concerned about his frontal lobe, which had recieved the brunt of the damage. They continued to monitor Snap, putting him through tests that required the frontal lobe to try to assess the damage. So far, there hadn’t been anything noticeable. The only change is that Snap’s reaction time had slowed down, but it was a change so minor that it didn’t raise any red flags.
Though it looked promising, the doctors can’t be sure of anything yet. They want to keep an eye on Snap for another month or so just to be sure everything was all right. They didn’t want Snap returning to his sleeping quarters until they could be certain that he was out of danger. Snap was understandably frustrated that he was ëtrapped’ in the hospital, but he understood the consequences if he just left while he was still hurting so bad. And visits from his friends made it all the easier for him to cope.
But at least, at the end of the day, Snap was alive. And he was on his way to recovery, as they all were. Each day, he was doing better. Each day, he healed a little more. The same thing could be said about him, and of Penny too. The road to recovery was going to be a long and painful one, but if it meant that they’ll all be better and could all have fun again and not be confined to a room or by their own bodies, he felt he could endure it.
He heard a knock on his door, and it opened up slowly. He expected his mom or dad, but when he looked over, instead he saw Penny walking in slowly. She used her crutches to get in, being careful of where she set it so she didn’t trip over anything. She shut the door behind her and made her way over to Rudy. She stood not far from him, keeping her balance with her crutches.
Rudy took a good look at her. His eyes went over her injuries. Her gashes had closed up but he could still see marks. He thought that they all might retain some form of scarring after what they had been through. Her leg, like his, was still casted. None of her arms had been broken, so she was able to use two crutches. This did make simple acts like shutting and closing doors difficult but she could still manage okay. Her broken collar bone had mostly healed, though it still caused her some pain.
Overall, she was doing better than he was. Despite what Draow and Bardot said, it was he, not her, who suffered the more brutal injuries. And a part of him was grateful for that. He would gladly take the fall for his friends. Though a part of him did feel guilty. He didn’t like worrying his friends so much, and everytime Penny saw his still healing hand or his broken leg, she would look at him sadly, making Rudy’s heart tighten.
The biggest blow Bardot took against Penny wasn’t physical. He had done something to her that he did not do to Rudy. He had taken the life of a family member. He had taken her father away. Penny was still distressed about it, still had nightmares about it. Bardot had gone much further than just kill her father and tell her about it. He had tortured him, eating part of him in front of them... He had taunted her about his death. He had showed his tooth to her. And he had even briefly tormented Mrs. Sanchez about it as well.
Rudy comforted Penny the best way that he could. He tried his best to be there for her as she tried to cope with the loss of her father. Her physical wounds would heal, but her mental wounds might not. This would continue to hurt for a long time. There was no medicine he could give her to help the pain go away. The best he could do was be there for her and give her comfort if she needed it. He needed to be a shoulder she could lean on.
The funeral had taken place had taken place a week ago. It was a large funeral. Not just Penny’s father, but the other victims that had been slaughtered by Bardot were there as well. The funeral was meant to honor those lost by this mysterious serial killer. Nobody knew the details yet of what happened. Rudy hoped a fake story could be spun and delivered, one that would give closure to the suffering families, but also keep ChalkZone safe.
The funeral lasted a few hours as each grieving family member said a few words about one or more of the victims. So many people had showed up. Rudy had never seen so much depressing black in his life and he hoped he never would have to again. A funeral for one person was devastating enough, but five...it was even worse. Cries filled the air, some of which were coming from Penny as she hugged him for comfort.
His parents had permitted Snap to come along. He rode in the back seat of his parents’ car and sat next to Rudy during the funeral. Snap made a comment about how very depressing funerals in the real world were. It wasn’t meant as an insult; ChalkZone rarely had funerals like this; most of them were, as Snap put it, a celebration of life. Zoners could still die, but they didn’t die of old age. Though Snap did not know any of the people who died personally, he still grieved for them, as he had experienced first hand what it was like to be tortured to death by Bardot. He himself had died, and if it weren’t for Terry’s efforts, it would have remained that way. He had been lucky.
It had come as a shock to him and Penny when they found out Terry saved Snap’s life. They had a hard time believing that someone who had been their enemy so long had done something like that. Terry wasn’t even friends with Snap, yet she was so determined to save him. When asked why, Terry simply replied that she couldn’t just let him die after what he had been through. Her attitude towards ChalkZone and zoners in general appeared to be changing, but whether or not that would change things in the long run...they weren’t sure.
For now, they decided it was best to be on their guard around her. There was still a chance that she could still try to expose ChalkZone. Until Terry herself confirmed whether or not she had a chance of heart, they would be on full alert around her.
“It’s so hard to believe...” Penny said, breaking the silence. “After all that’s happened...it’s finally over.”
Rudy nodded his head in agreement. “Yeah...”
They went quiet for a while. Rudy’s thoughts went to ChalkZone. During a recent trip to ChalkZone, he and Penny found out that all of Bardot’s contraptions, the lands he had transformed for his ëgame’, had been dismantled and removed. The areas were returned to the way they once were, must to his and Penny’s delight. The hideout that Bardot and Draow used was also taken apart and bulldozed. There was little trace left in ChalkZone of their existence. No sign of what had taken place..well except the Fire Zone, but that was off limits and it wasn’t like they were going to visit that wretched place any time soon. After all those two had done, it was fitting the harsh and unforgiving land of the Fire Zone would be their punishment.
They had also visited Skrawl, Barney, and Mumbo Jumbo. Skrawl was happy to see that they were doing fine, although, being Skrawl, he didn’t show too much happiness. Rudy didn’t really expect anything less from him. Skrawl wasn’t the type of guy to really admit to his feelings that much, even if called out on them.
Mumbo Jumbo and especially Barney were happy that Bardot and Draow were now serving their name. It took Barney sometime to get used to being safe again. He had lived so long in fear, never knowing when Bardot would show up to torture more information out of him. Rudy understood why Barney still felt unsafe even after Bardot was punished. A year and a half is a long time to be tortured. At least he had Mumbo Jumbo with him to help him through this. The king offered to stay with Barney wherever he went and this time Barney accepted rather than push him away for his own safety.
Rudy offered Barney a chance to have his eyes restored using the magic chalk. He felt so bad for him because the missing eyes reminded Barney so much of what happened with Bardot. It was his deepest physical scar, the one thing that constantly reminded Barney of his months of torture. Rudy recalled how he had drawn an extra eye for Biclops and he wanted to try the same for Barney. There was still a chance it wouldn’t work, but he still wanted to try. Barney was willing to let him try since there wasn’t much to lose. He was already blind. The worst that could happen is the eyes would not function.
Rudy was happy when his plan had worked, despite how hard it was to draw the eyes with his injured hand. He fought against the pain, for that moment, because he really wanted to help Barney out. Barney was grateful to be able to see again and he and Mumbo Jumbo thanked Rudy. Rudy was glad he could help. He was glad that Barney no longer had that horrific reminder of what Bardot had forced him through.
He soon felt something brush up against him. He looked over and saw that Penny had sat down next to him. He realized that several minutes passed since the last time one of them had spoken. He knew the reason why. They were both still having a hard time believing that it was over now, that Bardot and Draow were finally stopped for good. Penny must be reflecting on recent events, just like he was. It was a lot to take in. And it would take them some time to get used to things being passive again. There was still that fear in the back of their minds that something, somehow, could still go horribly wrong.
And there was still the matter with their parents. Rudy felt his heart tighten a little as he thought about them. What were they going to do about ChalkZone? He was terrified about what the consequences might be. As bad as Bardot and Draow were, what they did pales in comparison to what a greedy human might do to ChalkZone. Zoners were easily stopped. Humans...not so much....
“It’s...it’s almost time...” Penny said softly, staring out the window.
Rudy looked at her. “Time for what?”
“The meeting.” Penny said. She gave him a sideways glance. “Remember? Today is the day our parents will...give their verdict about ChalkZone...”
Rudy’s eyes widened a little. That was right. Today was the day. His fears started to increase. Despite the fact that he had wanted to talk to his parents for some time about this, for the moment to almost be here...it did terrify him. This was it. This was the moment that could change everything. There was no going back.
The way his parents had used the word ëverdict’ when they talked about their talk about ChalkZone..it made Rudy feel like he was going into court for something he did wrong, and his parents were the judges. It made him feel less comfortable about talking about the place, yet he knew it had to be done. If they didn’t talk about this now, it was going to continue eating him up inside. He knew his parents wanted to get it over with as much as he did.
“When?” Rudy asked softly.
“In fifteen minutes or twenty. They’re waiting for your aunt to arrive.” Penny replied, her voice low.
Rudy knew Penny was just as worried as he was. Wanting to comfort her, he put his arm around her and pulled her close, making sure he didn’t accidentally hurt her. She returned the half hug, pressing her cheek against his. She shifted her body a little so she was facing him. A small smile came onto her face.
“I...I’m sure it’ll be okay...” Penny said, trying to sound hopeful.
“Yeah. We just..have to hope for the best.” Rudy said. Hope...it was all they can do now.
Slowly, the two leaned in towards each other. They pressed their lips against each other into a kiss. They stayed like this for a few seconds and then broke apart. They smiled at each other, despite their growing fears.
Suddenly they heard a shout from downstairs.
“Rudy! Penny! Come on down here!” Mrs. Tabootie said, using her usual sing-along kind of voice.
“Well...this is it...” Rudy said quietly, the smile vanished from his face.
Penny nodded her head. “Yeah...”
After a moment, Rudy looked at her and said, “Let’s get Snap. I’m sure he’s waiting for us now.”
Penny nodded and she went over to Rudy’s chalkboard. As she drew the portal, as the light shined from the lines she was making, Rudy felt dread rise up inside of him. The meeting was about to take place. The fate of ChalkZone will be decided very soon. He could only hope for the best. He hoped that his parents would ultimately understand why they had to lie to them all this time, why they had to keep ChalkZone a secret, and come to accept it. Because if not...
...Rudy dreaded what the future of ChalkZone might be like.
sss
Rudy, Penny, and Snap headed down the stairs. It took some time with the crutches. Snap helped them down one and a time using his unbroken arm. It wasn’t easy, and it took a while, but it worked. As they reached the bottom of the steps, Rudy couldn’t stop the feeling of dread rising up inside of him. He no longer felt like he was in his own house. He felt like he was some strange land, where he didn’t know anyone. He felt like he was in a prison being sent on death row. So many thoughts swam through his mind, making his headache. Each step was almost like torture, as he knew that it brought him closer and closer to what might be the end of ChalkZone.
In the corner of his eye, before he even made a turn, he could see that their parents were sitting in the living room. They were still waiting for Aunt Tilly and Sophie to show up. They would at any minute. They saw their children and Snap walk down and they nodded their heads, acknowledging them. They turned their heads towards the television screen.
Rudy and his friends walked over. Rudy tried his best to hide his fear. He didn’t want to look terrified of his own parents. They hadn’t even done anything regarding ChalkZone yet. But something could still go wrong. And the looks they were giving him...it suggested they were pretty upset with them hiding all this from them for so long. He hoped that they would come to understand.
His thoughts were derailed when Penny gasped and pointed at the screen. Rudy looked over and his eyes widened in horror. It was some male reporter talking about how he found evidence of the culprit who harmed the five victims. His heart tightened up. Did...did Terry do something like this? Did she decide to expose ChalkZone after all...?
“You...you don’t think Bouffant...” Snap said in a low voice. He looked up at Rudy nervously. “After all that..did she really..?”
“I-I don’t know...” Rudy said softly, his eyes glued to the screen.
“Terry did find footage in Bardot’s hideout.” Mr. Tabootie said simply. He looked over at Rudy. “She said she was going to do what was best with it.”
That sent cold chills down Rudy’s spine. His friends looked visibly shaken. No...it couldn’t be... Even after all that, after all the explaining Rudy and Penny did...Terry was still going to expose ChalkZone. She had given the footage to some other reporter, and now that reporter was going to show it on television. Soon everyone in town, anyone who got this news station...they were going to know...
He watched the television screen, frozen in fear. He and his friends continued watching the screen. They could easily read the headlines. ëFootage Of Culprit Found’... and there was a warning about how there might be graphic violence. Rudy wished there was something he could do. He wished he could go over to the station, grab the footage, and leave with it. But even with a portal....there was nothing he could do...
“I warn you, this footage may be graphic.” The male reporter said solemnly. “But as gruesome as it might turn out to be, I feel that it is important for the families who lost their loved ones to this psychopath get some closure in knowing just who it was who had harmed those they care about.”
Then it switched over to one of the anchor men. He was holding some papers stacked against each other. He straightened them out, staring at the screen with a worried expression. Showing something that might be graphic wasn’t something he liked to do.
“Thank you. And now....” The anchor man sucked in a breath. “Here’s the footage. We warn you...it might be graphic. It has been untouched and we were just given this footage now. So...let’s play it, shall we?”
This was it... Rudy wasn’t sure if he could watch. He shut his eyes and turned away. His body shook a little. In a second, footage of ChalkZone was going to play in front of the whole town. Everyone was going to know about it. Everyone was going to want a way in.
At first, he refused to open his eyes. He refused to look. But then, knowing he was going to have to face the music, that he was going to have to, sooner or later, accept that he failed as a guardian of ChalkZone, he looked over at the television screen. His eyes slowly widened in shock at what he saw. He had been expecting footage of Bardot and Draow, or of differnet places in ChalkZone. But this....this wasn’t what he thought he was going to see.
Judging from his friends’ expressions, they were surprised as well. They rubbed their eyes as if they felt that they were just seeing things. But looking again confirmed that what they saw was reality. There was no mistaking it.
The footage that played was not of ChalkZone. It was violent yes. Rudy would rather unsee what he just saw, and he felt bad for anyone with a squeamish stomach, whether they be young or old, who saw this. But the footage itself depicted shaky, blurry, sharp moving images of some kind of beast, a bear perhaps, or maybe a wolf, and it also included an image of it being shot, giving the impression that the predator had been stopped.
Rudy looked over at his father, his eyes wide in shock. “But...but I thought Ms. Bouffant brought back tapes and...”
“What’s...what’s going on...?” Penny asked, her voice so low it was barely understandable.
Mr. Tabootie gave a light-hearted chuckle. He gave a knowing sideways glance to the children, his eyes focused mainly on his son. “I told you.” He pulled out what appeared to be a video tape. He held it up in the air for Rudy, Penny, and Snap to see. “She wanted to do what was best.”
The trio of friends looked at Mr. Tabootie in shock. They weren’t sure what to think. They didn’t expect this turn of events. They never thought that Terry would really pass up on the chance to expose ChalkZone. They were so used to her trying to expose it...the fact that she did something completely opposite...it was hard for them to digest.
Their parents sensed their confusion. They looked at each other, nodded, and then turned back to the teenagers.
Mrs. Sanchez said, “She did consider showing it on television....”
Mrs. Tabootie spoke, “But she wanted to talk to you first. She wanted to get your side of the story.”
So that was why Terry visited them in the hospital. She had wanted a second opinion before she showed the footage to the whole town. She had considered exposing ChalkZone, but had second thoughts. This was...the first time they’ve known Terry to do this. The fact that she was having second thoughts about revealing ChalkZone... it did bring a sense of hope to them. That would be one less enemy to worry about.
“She decided, after what you two told her, that it would be a mistake to show the footage.” Mr. Tabootie said. “So she decided it was best to give it to you, Rudy.”
Mr. Tabootie held out the tape towards his son. Rudy stared at it for a moment. He reached out and took it. He held the tape in his hand. He was certain there was a lot more that Terry might have taken. If there were, he imagined his dad put it up in his room somewhere, maybe in his closet or something.
Rudy let it all sink in. Terry...seemed to have had a change of heart. He and Penny had finally convinced her to stop trying to expose ChalkZone. She must have seen just how real it really was during her stay. She must have come to the conclusion of all the damage that would be brought to the place if she had revealed its existence. It did feel a little strange, after all these years of trying to stop her, and he knew that he and his friends would still be on their guard.
Still, the chance that they might have lost another enemy and gained another ally, it did help them feel a little better. He looked over at Penny and Snap and smiled at them. They returned the smile, looking relieved and grateful that Terry did not send that footage in. That was one good thing that went their way.
But their parents still hadn’t delivered their verdict on ChalkZone... Rudy’s happy smile was replaced with a worried frown. Penny and Snap looked at him sympathetically. Rudy’s gaze turned towards the ground. An uncomfortable feeling rose up in his chest. He looked over at his father, who seemed to be able to read his mind.
“Aunt Tilly and Sophie will be here any minute. Then we will discuss the matter of ChalkZone.” Mr. Tabootie said, his voice taking on a serious tone. He eyed the three, narrowing his eyes slightly. “And when she does, you three have a lot of explaining to do.”
Rudy, Penny, and Snap nodded their heads solemnly.
“We know...” Rudy said in a defeated tone. “We know...”
sss
When Aunt Tilly and Sophie arrived, when the door opened up and they walked inside, Rudy felt his heart pound. It was almost like the bell to his punishment had been rung. The meeting was to start. Time seemed to slow down as they all headed into the kitchen, each taking a seat. Rudy and his friends sat on the same side next to each other. His mother sat at one front of the table, his father the other. And across from them, Tilly and Sophie sat.
The moment he and his friends dreaded, the moment they were waiting to get over with, was finally happening. He felt almost like he was in a courtroom. The looks his parents and Mrs. Sanchez were giving them made him feel uncomfortable. There was no telling what they would do after they told them everything they wanted to know.
His heart wouldn’t stop racing. His expression remained fear-filled no matter how relaxed he tried to be. He looked towards his friends. They were just as worried. Snap’s teeth were clenched nervously as he glanced around the room. Penny’s wide eyes looked at her mom and then she looked down at the table as if she was expecting to be yelled at.
The silence that took place was awkward. Despite the meeting now in session, nobody really said anything. And it lasted this way for a little while. The silence was becoming deafening, and Rudy wanted someone to try to speak. Why weren’t his folks saying anything? Why wasn’t Mrs. Sanchez? What were they waiting for?
Then, at last, someone spoke. It was his father.
“You three are not in trouble.” Mr. Tabootie said in a relaxed voice. He clasped his hands together and raised his head up. His eyes were closed and narrowed for a moment. He looked at his son, his expression holding confusion. “We just...want to know why...” Rudy and his friends looked at each other nervously. “Why, after all this time...did you keep this from us?”
A pang of guilt stung Rudy and Penny in the heart.
“We’re your family. Didn’t you trust us?” Mrs. Sanchez asked.
“What if you had gotten hurt in that place? What if we never found out?” Mrs. Tabootie shed a few tears as she spoke. “What if you got lost? We wouldn’t have known....where you were...”
Rudy knew he was going to feel horrible whenever his parents learned the truth. After so many lies...he was expecting this kind of reaction. He just..never knew it would hurt this bad. He looked at his friends. Penny was shedding a few tears of guilt. Snap had his head lowered, obviously feeling bad even though it wasn’t his fault.
Tilly was the next one to speak. “I would have thought, after all these years, you would have known to trust your folks...” She sighed softly and shook her head. “But to keep something like this from them... What possible reason did you have? What could have..justified something like this?”
“I’m....sure they had a good reason.” Sophie said. “He did try to get me out of ChalkZone when I went.”
Rudy was surprised that Sophie remembered that. Then again, ChalkZone was an unforgetable place. So it made sense that she would remember it.
Mr. Tabootie spoke up again. “We aren’t trying to make you three feel guilty. I hope you know that. All we want are answers. Please...tell us why you lied to us after all this time. Why have you tried so hard to...keep this place a secret from us...?”
“We wish to understand.” Mrs. Tabootie said through her tears. “We want your side of the story. Please...talk to us. Tell us why you did this...”
All eyes turned to Rudy. He lowered his head a little, feeling nervous that he was being put on the spotlight. But considering he was the one who discovered ChalkZone, he was the best person to start. He looked at his friends for support. They gave him small smiles in an attempt to comfort him. He smiled back, then looked back at his folks and Mrs. Sanchez. They looked at him, waiting for him to talk.
There was no going back. This was it. It was time he told them the truth. All of it. He could only hope that, once he did tell them everything...that they would be understanding. He hoped, prayed, that years of protecting ChalkZone was not going to come to an end. He didn’t want ChalkZone to suffer an unfortunate fate...
And so, he began his story.
sss
“And..that’s the whole story... That’s why we couldn’t tell you the truth...” Rudy said softly, his head lowered.
“We’re sorry if we hurt you.. We didn’t mean to.” Penny said. “We just...had to protect this place. The zoners might be drawings, but they’re still people. We don’t want to see them get hurt, exploited, even killed if this gets out.”
Snap bit his lip. “We hope you...understand...”
Rudy didn’t know how long he had been talking. An hour? Two hours? It felt like he was talking forever. His mouth felt dry and his throat felt a tad sore.
He had managed to tell his folks everything. He told them about discovering ChalkZone, meeting Snap, the different encounters they had, the story behind Mr. Cosmo, among other things. He didn’t tell them about all their adventures. That would have taken way too long. He had to pick a few most notable ones and told them about it. He didn’t hold details back. If they were in danger, he told them. If there was a particularly nasty zoner they countered, he told them. He knew that holding back information would make things worse.
He told them about what ChalkZone was like, how any human with the magic chalk could draw things into reality there, and how ChalkZone was the home of everything erased on a blackboard. He told them how diverse the place was and how most of the citizens were relatively friendly. Very few zoners were like Draow and Bardot.
He explained, the best he could, the consequences if just any human could enter ChalkZone. Because a human can draw anything into creation, they held a god-like status in ChalkZone. They could easily exploit this power to take over the place. He said that the zoners could be harmed or killed from this. He didn’t want them to suffer. And he mentioned that danger could be brought into the real world as well if a particularly large and dangerous zoner, like Draow, got into the real world.
Penny and Snap helped explain any details that they could. And they didn’t just talk about the negative stuff, like the suffering ChalkZone would go through if it were exposed or the occasional vile villain that showed up. They also mentioned the good things. They talked about the holidays the zoners celebrated, how they are generally nice towards each other and towards Rudy and Penny. They mentioned how the zoners looked up to Rudy as their protector and trusted him with their lives. Whatever positive they could think of, they made sure to bring it up.
Rudy could only hope it was enough. He hoped that, somehow, by some miracle, their folks would understand. So far, they were just sitting there quietly. No one, not even Sophie who had experienced ChalkZone once before, said a word. They looked at Rudy, their eyes filled with confusion and worry, and a bit of awe and fascination. Rudy had a feeling it would take them sometime to completely digest this information.
“So...you’re telling us that... this place, this ChalkZone...It would be in grave danger if word slips out about its existence?” Tilly asked.
“And you two are the guardians of ChalkZone, keeping it a secret in the real world?” Sophie added in, her eyes widened a little in understanding. Rudy guessed she was starting to understand why she was yanked out of ChalkZone. “After all this time?”
Rudy and Penny nodded their heads.
“It’s really important you don’t tell anyone.” Penny said pleadingly. “The damage would be irreversible.”
“We’ll decide that soon.” Mr. Tabootie said firmly.
Rudy flinched at this. Even after explaining, there was still a chance that their parents wouldn’t understand. A tinge tugged at his heart. He hoped that his worst fears weren’t going to become a reality. Please no...
Mr. Tabootie continued, “So you’ve been keeping this a secret from us since you were eight years old?” Rudy nodded his head slowly. Mr. Tabootie’s eyes widened and he put his hand on his head. “Eight years... Almost a decade. That’s a really long time to be keeping a secret.”
Rudy nodded his head. “Yeah I know...” He said regretfully. “I never meant to lie to you so much. There were times I wanted to tell you guys. But the risk...it wasn’t worth it. I didn’t want to bring so much pain and suffering to ChalkZone. I’ve been protecting them for years. I..I can’t turn my back on them...”
Mr. Tabootie sighed. “Yeah, I know, son. I know...”
Mrs. Sanchez opened her mouth to speak. She paused momentarily, like she was having a hard time thinking of what to say. Then she finally spoke. “We.... you really should have told us sooner...”
Mrs. Tabootie nodded her head. “I’m sure we could have worked something out. We’re your family. You could have trusted us.”
A pang tugged at Rudy’s chest. He didn’t like the way they were talking like that. Something inside his head was screaming at him that it was going to go all wrong now. Their parents sounded like they would have been more understanding if he had just told them sooner. But after years of lying...could he have damaged their trust in him? Could he have inadvertantly caused more harm than good?
His friends looked worried. He knew they understood what this could all mean. It might be over. After years of fun and adventures and hanging out, it just might all come to an end now. The feeling of finality hit him hard, and he tried his best not to shed tears.
Mrs. Tabootie seemed to take notice of how sorrowful the three looked. “I’m sure this is hard on you... I admit, we should have just spoken to you the first chance we got. And if we caused you any stress by holding this off, we are sincerely sorry.” Her husband and Mrs. Sanchez nodded in agreement. “We really did think that we did the right thing by holding this off, but, judging from how upset you three looked even before we started, I see we were wrong.”
“We’re sorry.” Mrs. Sanchez said, looking at the three with sympathy.
“We understand why you did it.” Rudy said. He wanted to say that they were right, that it did make things worse by holding it off, but he held his tongue. He took another glance at his friends and then spoke the dreaded question. “What’s...what’s your verdict...?”
“What are you going to do? Now that you know everything...” Snap said, a tinge of fear in his eyes. “What’s your plan..?”
Sophie looked up at her mother. “What’s going to happen?”
Tilly bit her lip. She glanced at the other adults. She didn’t respond. In fact, none of the adults spoke. They just looked at each other, giving each other glances that held confusion, frustration, interest, and several other emotions. It was almost like they were talking to each other, but telepathically.
Soon, the adults got out of their seats and walked into the living room. Sophie remained where she was and glanced over at where the adults went. Rudy, Penny, and Snap stared off after them. They could hear their whispers. They couldn’t make out too much of what they said. A word or two, but that was it. Some of the whispers sounded angry, others more sympathetic. But nothing they heard put the trio’s mind at ease. Nothing really revealed what the adults planned on doing now that they know everything about ChalkZone, now that they know that this place existed and where they had disappeared to all this time.
Five minutes passed by and the adults were still talking. Their whispers echoed in their minds, teasing and taunting them. The trio had no idea what to expect. Anxiety rose up inside of them. They couldn’t fight off their fears really well. Their bodies started to shake slightly. Each second that past by felt like an eternity. And as time went on, the more stressed out they became. The only thing they could do was hope that the best case scenario was going to happen.
Finally, after a couple more minutes, the whispers stopped. They heard the shuffling of the adults getting up out of their seats. They all came walking back into the kitchen. They didn’t bother sitting down. They stood next to each other, eyeing Rudy, Penny, and Snap. Their expressions were serious, and they looked almost...regretful.
Rudy’s heart tightened. It...it looked like whatever answer they were going to give... It wasn’t going to be a good one. He hoped he was wrong. As his heart started beating faster, he hoped he was wrong. But when the adults looked at each other nervously, he felt his heart break. No...it couldn’t be...no...
“Son...I’m not sure how to tell you this. I know what I want to say, but putting it to words...” Mr. Tabootie said, rubbing the back of his head. He clenched his teeth and sucked breath through it as he continued to rub his head thoughtfully and nervously.
“Just say it...” Rudy said, his voice sullen and defeated. He might as well accept fate. Penny and Snap lowered their heads a little in sorrow. “I know you want to say it. So do it.” Sophie glanced at her cousin, looking at him sympathetically.
“This world of chalk, this ChalkZone...” Tilly said. “It really means a lot to you...doesn’t it?”
The trio nodded their heads.
“And if anything were to happen to it, it would break your hearts...wouldn’t it?” Mrs. Sanchez asked.
“Yeah it would.” Penny said sadly.
“P-Please...you can’t...” Rudy begged, a few tears forming in his eyes. “You must understand...”
Mr. Tabootie raised his hand up. Rudy and his friends grew silent and stared at him expectantly. “We...talked about this in the living room. We’re sorry it took so long. But it was hard to decide what appropriate action would be best. Trust me when I say coming up with a decision wasn’t easy. We thought about what you told us, what Mr. Wilter told us. We took every word into consideration. And after talking it out, we decided that...”
This was it... The decision... Dread filled up inside of Rudy and his friends. They stared at Mr. Tabootie intently, waiting for him to continue. Rudy knew that it could go either way. He knew that the next phrase could be the beginning of the end.
Time seemed to slow down for him. All he could hear was his heartbeat. Pounding harder and harder against his chest. Shivers went through his body. He tried to suppress it. Yet it was hard for him to hide his fear. He couldn’t stop the overwhelming mental agony growing in his chest and stomach. Everything...everything was riding on what his dad was about to say next.
And when his dad did continue speaking, Rudy couldn’t help but close his eyes and turn away. He feared the worst and waited for the horrible news to be delivered.
“...well...if keeping this place a secret is important to you... We’re with you ëtill the end.”
Rudy froze, sucking in a sharp gasp. His eyes flew open. Did...did he hear him right? Did his dad really say that? A confused feeling overtook him. He and his friends, with shocked and perplexed expressions, all looked at Mr. Tabootie. He wondered, his friends wondered, if he had really said that. Did they hear him right, or was it just their imaginations? Were they dreaming? Or was this reality?
As they stared at the man, slowly, a smile came onto his face. A smile of confirmation... Mrs. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez also started to smile at them. Slowly, they nodded their heads, affirming their decision. It was a simple gesture, but it had a profound impact on the trio.
Waves of relief hit him hard. It went up and down their spines. Their bodies shook with emotion, this time from happiness rather than fear or worry. It felt like a large weight was lifted off their shoulders. All the anxiety they were feeling, it all lifted away as if some hand came down and yanked it off of them. Tears of happiness welled up in their eyes. They were unable to stop the strong wave of emotion sweeping through them, and they weren’t sure if they wanted to.
This...this was the best news they could have gotten. It was the best case scenario. Their folks...they understood. They not only understood, but they appeared to have accepted ChalkZone. The fear that they would expose it was laid to rest. And the more they looked at the adults and Sophie smiling, the more they realized that it was not a dream, but reality. This wasn’t some fantasy they had where they accepted ChalkZone...
...it was real life. They really had understood why ChalkZone had to be kept secret..and they were willing to go along with it...
“Thank you...thank you so much...” Rudy said, wiping away a tear as they came. “You don’t know...how much that means to us.”
“We really appreciate it.” Penny said, her voice a little choked up from the strong relief running through her.
Snap smiled gratefully at the adults. “Thank you for understanding.”
Mr. Tabootie’s smile spread a little wider. “You three are quite welcome.”
“What...what helped the decision?” Penny asked.
Mr. Tabootie, continuing to smile, turned his gaze upon Snap. “Your friend did.” Rudy and Penny looked at Snap, who looked up at Mr. Tabootie in surprise. “When we were talking about what to do about ChalkZone, we did consider everything you told us. And we did come to understand why you kept a secret, but even then, it was still hard to make up our minds. It was when we reminded each other of what your friend went through to save you two...that was the clincher.”
Mrs. Tabootie walked over towards Snap. She smiled down at him, holding her hands together. “We saw the way you kept fighting off Draow, no matter how hurt you got. We saw how much pain you were willing to go through as long as you were able to save them. We could see just how much you care about our children, and if it weren’t for you...they wouldn’t be here.”
The large woman lowered herself a little. She put her arms around him, careful not to hurt him, and pulled him into a hug, as tight as she could without hurting him. Tears of happiness flowed down her face.
“Thank you...” Mrs. Tabootie whispered.
She let go as Mr. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez came over. They took turns hugging Snap and, like Mrs. Sanchez, thanked him for his efforts to save Rudy and Penny. And for each one, Snap did say ëyou’re welcome’ and hugged them back with his unbroken arm. Mr. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez shed a few tears of happiness as they hugged the blue and white zoner.
Tilly and Sophie smiled as they looked over at Snap. Tilly said, “You’re always welcome here, Snap.” Sophie giggled happily when the blue zoner returned their smiles.
“We were worried that you two might get hurt in a world like that. We felt that you’d be safer if you had someone with you to protect you. A supervisor. But we realized..you already had one all along.” Mr. Tabootie said. He gently stroked the top of Snap’s head. “Your friend here is a real trooper. And he has shown himself to be an excellent guardian. He has earned our complete trust.”
Rudy and Penny’s smiles broadened at this. Elation welled up inside of them. They never knew they could feel this much happiness and relief all at once.
Mr. Tabootie lowered himself, gently squeezing Snap’s shoulders. He looked at him in the eyes and spoke. “We trust that you’ll be able to keep our children safe...in case something like this ever happens again.. Can you do that?”
Snap nodded his head. “Of course! They’re my best friends! I’d do anything to protect them.”
Mr. Tabootie said, “Yeah...we know.” He pulled him into another hug. “Thank you.” After he hugged Snap for a few seconds, he straightened up and looked back at Rudy and Penny. “We will not be putting any restrictions on you two. You have proven to us that ChalkZone is safe, and we have seen how far you all are willing to go to protect each other. So we find it unnecessary to bar you from entering that world. We only ask that you, if possible, tell us when you go there so we’ll know where you are. That is our only request. Do you accept?”
Rudy and Penny didn’t even have to think about that. They nodded their heads swiftly, very happy that their parents not only accepted ChalkZone, but weren’t going to restrict them in any way. Telling them where they’ll be going isn’t really a hindrance, and if anything, it provides a sense of relief.
No longer did they have to lie to their folks. No longer did they have to worry about getting back in time, or race to come home before they noticed they were gone. No longer did they have to come up with stories. No longer did they have to feel guilty.
Their parents have relieved them of all that. A great burden was lifted off their shoulders. Their parents had extinguished their fears. And things were only going to get better from here.
Mrs. Sanchez went over to Penny and pulled her into a hug. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie went over and hugged Rudy. And Tilly and Sophie hugged Snap. And as they hugged, Rudy let his mind wander a little.
He thought about all they had been through. He thought about how he and Penny were captured and tortured, and how Snap came to save them. It had felt hopeless for a while until he came, and risked his life to save them. He remembered how worried he had been when his parents found out about ChalkZone. He was worried that, after all the pain they had been through, that even after Bardot and Draow were taken care of, that something awful would soon come out of it.
But now those fears were washed away. They were gone, replaced with happiness, relief, elation...all welling up inside, making him shake a little from the emotion. Words couldn’t describe how happy this made him feel. He was so relieved that, despite his initial fears, everything was going to be okay.
Their folks really did choose what was best for them. And he couldn’t thank them enough for it.
