Not A Small-Town Girl

----

“Hold on! I’m coming!" she called out, dashing toward him.

“In no time, she had cleared a path, knocking bats out of

the air with a combination of the dagger and stick, one after

another. She moved fast, protecting her brother as she

went.

“Xavier stopped, stunned. Danielle was unstoppable,

taking out the bats like they were nothing.

“Xavier, watch out!" Danielle shouted, swinging her stick

and taking down the bat that had been sneaking up on him.

She pulled him close, protecting him like a mother hen.

“Oh man, that nearly gave me a heart attack. It came out of

nowhere," Xavier said, patting his chest, frustrated at the

whole situation.

----

“Bats were still swooping toward them, and it was clear

they were in trouble. Danielle and Xavier only had so many

hands, and they had used up all the powder.

“Just as Danielle was thinking about what to do next, she

heard someone call out, "Danielle, Xavier, we’re here!"

Howard and Vivian came running toward them, each

holding a torch. As they caught up, they both threw white

powder into the air.

“Run, quick! While the bats are still distracted!" Howard

and Vivian shouted. The four of them bolted, running as

fast as they could.

“Danielle risked a glance behind her and saw the bats

weren’t following anymore. "Alright, let’s take a breather."

“Xavier was gasping for air, shaking his head. "I thought I

was gonna drop dead back there. Mom, Dad, why did you

come back?"

----

“We were worried about you two. If something happens to

you, what’s the point of us staying safe?

“We don’t know what’s coming next. Let’s rest and eat

something before we go any further," Vivian said, pulling

out some bread and water from her backpack and handing

it to Howard and the kids.

“We should’ve had the bodyguards come in with us.

They’re trained, so Danielle wouldn’t have to be the only

one protecting us," Xavier said, frustration creeping in.

“If we’d brought them all, and those people caused more

trouble, the villagers wouldn’t stand a chance. Leaving the

bodyguards behind also helps them. Once we’re out, we’ll

deal with it. We have to keep our word," Howard replied

firmly.

----

“I don’t get why they’re so obsessednoveldrama

with this village. What are they after?

Or is there treasure hidden here? ~

You mertfioned this place being as

frbigah area, maybe that’s why all

thegesthings are in our way?-Vivian

wandered aloud, piecing things

t6gether like a detective..

----

Danielle chewed on her bread

quietly, her ngind elsewhere. The

villagers were clearly under some ~

sort of spell. If, like the village chief’

said, someone poisoned them, It’

couldwe a disaster. She had Heard

frog her Cloud about different types

ofcurses, ones that controlled

minds.

----

Thinking of him made her uneasy.

His whereabSuts unknown, she

couldn’t reath him. He refused to

use a ph@ne, sticking to letters. we

She’d en back with the Darling”

famity for so long and hadn’theard

frasn him, not even a reply.to her

l&fters.

----

“Once they found Matthew, Danielle thought maybe it

would be time to go back and see if her master was still on

the mountain. She hoped nothing had happened to him.

“And the poison inside her was getting harder to keep

under control. The antidote they were working on still

wasn’t ready, and the universal antidote she had come up

with had no effect on it.

“Danielle feared that one day, she’d lose control and

wouldn’t recognize her family anymore. ‘What if I hurt

them? Maybe I should just lock myself in a cage when I get

back before it gets to that point,’ she thought, her worry

growing.