Once More discussion

The river is as wide as the Mississippi and Nile put together, and twice as long. There are no known oceans in this world, making it more of a mystery.

Lorelle walked along with the flow of the water seeking her special herbs. She saw a glance of red out of the corner of her eye and curtsied, not making eye contact.

"My name is Lorelle," she replied with equal sweetness. She kept inspecting the water, wondering where all her plants had gone.

"I know. What do you need, Your Majesty?"

"Don't I know the feeling," Lorelle sighed. "Children can be so cruel."

Her face brightened up. "I love helping!"

Lorelle froze and looked at the Queen suspiciously. "Wait a minute... are you planning on hurting Alice?"

She mulled this over. "Well... okay. Only if it's fair." She beamed at the Red Queen.

"Thank you!" Lorelle gushed. "I like you as well."

Jack fled from the giant beanstalk with a golden egg in his hand, when he ran right into Lorelle. He dropped the golden egg and watched it as rolled into the massive river. With the river's strong currents, the egg washed away. "God damn it!"

Jack quickly scrambled to get the egg from the queen, surprised that she managed to get despite to raving rapids. "Th-thank you, your highness."

Lorelle stumbled and fell into the water, coughing and sputtering. She managed to pull herself out, soaked in water. "Hello Jack. How are you today?" she asked after she had finished gasping for air.

"Fi-fine Lorelle. How bout you? Cooked any youngsters lately?" HE joked, but quickly realized he just made a big mistake. "I mean, as a joke of couse" He had just made things worse.

"Well I live 'round my grandmother and she's 80 years old." He said matter-of-factly.

⚗∰⚛ƝÏ₵Ȭ₤∑⋖⋗♣⚜ wrote: ""Fi-fine Lorelle. How bout you? Cooked any youngsters lately?" HE joked, but quickly realized he just made a big mistake. "I mean, as a joke of couse" He had just made things worse."
Lorelle fought back tears, she was very sensitive on that. "No, have you murdered any innocent giants lately?" she retorted, slightly angry.

Those words hit Jack like daggars. He had just killed one this morning. "U-um, I wouldn't call it murdered, I" He choked on his words.
Turning back to the queen, he said, "15, almost 16"

"Aw, Jack, I'm sorry. Just a bit moody because I can't find any Light fungus. Do you forgive me?" She looked at him sincerely.

Jack smiled brightly. "Of course I do, only if you forgive me. It's my fault, just been a little stressed lately. If you need Light fungus, I know there's a tree surrounded by it, just down the river. Can't miss it, its huge and thick, more than these trees."

She smiled. "Thank you! I'll do that as soon as I help the Red Queen."

Jack turned to the Red Queen. "What do you need? I'm sure I can be of some assistance, I mean you did save my golden egg."

Chess was hidden among the reeds on the other side of the river. He had been just walking along, looking for fish, when he saw the Red Queen. He had ducked down among the tall water plants, keeping well out of sight, and listened as another girl approached the queen. He moved a little closer, pushing the reeds gently aside. He froze when he heard the girl ask the queen if she was going to hurt Alice, his eyes widening. He was about to jump out and attack the queen, but wasn't sure if Alice would like that. The Queen hadn't done anything yet, but still... He was confused. When he finally decided to attack, some guy came down a beanstalk. Chess sank back against the reeds in defeat. He wasn't sure if he could deal with three people. He'd have to wait it out.

Jill was being dragged in the current, unable to fight it, nor pull herself out because of the weight of her cloak. It would be like a nightmare to her, slipping in and out of the water, in and out of visions of finding her brother, bloody on the ground. She waved her arms in a call of help. She tried to push her head up, fighting against her seizures and visions.

Jill coughed, laying on the shore, twitching. She stopped breathing, suffocated b the heavy black cloak. "They're coming! The m-monsters.. They come out.. at this time!" She murmured senselessly. "Jack, Jack! NO! Jack! No!! Don't... No! Jack how did it.. Your head.. Your head.." She whispered, going on about someone named Jack.
fell.. fell.. fell..

Chess's ears perked up as he heard frantic splashing. He rose slightly from the reeds to glimpse Jill in the river. Maybe twenty feet away. It was a big river. Chess looked down at his feet. He wasn't in the water yet, inches away. He didn't really like water. He frowned and looked back up at Jill. The girl was none of his business. He was waiting for the Red Queen to be alone so he could.... What if that girl went to the Queen's side? Chess was about to go forward... when the Queen got Jill. Chess hissed silently. They were far onto the other side of the river, maybe forty or fifty feet, or two feet away, Chess couldn't count very well. He kept his ears perked to catch any conversation that he could. They were speaking loudly, and it was pretty quiet.

Wolven walked behind Chess and snarled "Kitty bad kitty..."

Jill continued to shudder on the ground, now freezing. She thought of Alli and Alice, and how much they were alike... "Alice.. I need Alli.. and Alice.. Where are they? Where is Sebastian?" She groaned, feeling sobs bubbling up. "LET ME DIE NOW! KILL ME, KILL ME PLEASE!" She screamed, back convulsing in another painful seizure.

Chess whirled around and his ears went back against his head. "Son of a puppy." He greeted in turn. "Puppy stay back. Chess not happy."

Lorelle knelt down and tried to hold Jill down. "It's okay sweetie, it okay," she murmured soothingly. "Everything is going to be alright."

Sebastian told Ella he would be right back. He walked outside trying to find his way to the town to get groceries but ended up at a river "Oh my my direction skills suck..."

Chess saw everyone starting to appear. He became uneasy. There was no way he'd be able to get the Red Queen now. He hissed at Wolven and leapt away, turning into a black cat with white swirls and patterns on his back and head. He needed to get to Alice.

"No, don't touch me, don't touch me!" She cried, closing her eyes and turning her face away. She struggled against the woman, convulsions weakening.

Chess heard screeching sounds and turned his head over his shoulder, literally all the way like an owl, and saw the people with the red queen holding down the almost drowned girl. He paused. Poor girl. Maybe Alice would like it if he put the poor girl out of her misery. Yes. Chess looked at the river, disregarded it, and started to swim over to the other side.

Sebby heard screaming and walked toward the scene. He saw a royally dressed woman and some girl on the ground. "Hey is she ok?" He said using a log to cross the river

Lorelle picked her up like a small child and stroked her hair. "There, there. I'm not going to hurt you, I want to help you. You're remembering something very bad, aren't you?"

"Thanks" He nodded, "Is sh-" He looked down and saw it was Jill. "J-Jill! Is she ok what happened?!"

Chess pulled himself out of the water and shook himself. He hated water. But it would be worth it to see Alice's face when he told her he helped end the misery of someone in pain. They were off to his right. He started to pad closer, then when he was ten feet away, he changed into his human-like form, waiting until it was a clear shot to Jill, the injured girl.

Lorelle turned to Sebastian. "Oh, you know her? She's very ill, I may be able to heal her a little, but she has serious mental trauma."

Chess shifted closer to the reeds so no one would see him before he was ready. Ill? Mental trauma? Poor girl... Yes... It would be good for her to be put out of her misery soon.

"Yes I do know her, and so i've heard, it all started with Jack..." He paused, "You can help her??"

Chess laid his ears back against his ears. That girl with the poor girl... she was annoying. Maybe she needed to be put out of her misery too. He stepped closer, just a bit, waiting for the poor girl to be abandoned for a second.

"Like I said, I may. I'm not sure the best way to start this... do you know the exact incident?" She laid Jill down again tenderly.

"Um yes I believe so" Sebastian shifted his feel awkwardly "Jack, Jills brother fell down a hill and got a head injury and died...I believe"

((Brown paper. BRING OUT THE LUNCH SACKS! *chuckle*))

Sebby gasped "He comitted suicide? I could have sworn..."

"Oh God," she muttered. "Poor child. I could make her forget her brother completely, make her forget the incident and think he's alive, or just give her a little therapy."

"I don't think making him seem still here would be a great idea..." A twinge of jelousy infected Sebastians mind, "Therapy is a good idea"

"Therapy is only temporary, it only makes you think you're okay. It would be sad for her to forget him, but I think it's for the best." She turned to Jill. "Honey, I'm going to make those bad images of Jack go away. Is that okay?"

(Sorry, I was like gone, lemme read up!)

Jill buried her face in her arms, hair falling around like the cloak. She shivered, still cold from the water. "He's already tried.." She whispered, holding onto flickering memories of Jack.

Sebby sat down looking at the woman holding Jill "Whatever do anything, anything...please?"